September Tenkiller Property.com Newsletter

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Tenkiller Property.com Newsletter September 2009

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In This Issue

-- Water Safety

-- Water Watchers Report

-- 57th Cherokee National Holiday

-- Tenkiller Area Events

-- Fishing Report

-- Fin's Annual Fall Festival

-- Team Tenkiller

-- Tenkiller New Homes

Dear George,

Lots of things are happening in the Lake Tenkiller area, and we would like to share a little of it with you. Thanks so much for being one of the 1600+ subscribers to our award winning newsletter! We Love Lake Tenkiller!

The Lake Tenkiller Area is certainly doing it's part in participating in "GREEN". It has to have been the "greenest" August ever.

Water Safety

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Water safety must be a top priority for everyone using the nation's waterways and lakes this summer, emphasizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Corps statistics show that most drownings occur during peak visitation. Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest visitor weekends.

Below are safety tips from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help recreation seekers stay safe in the water over the Labor Day holiday weekend and through the rest of the summer.

Always wear a properly fitted, Coast Guard approved life jacket. According to U.S. Coast Guard statistics, two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those who drowned, 90 percent were not wearing a life jacket. Wearing a life jacket is the most important precaution recreational boaters can take to increase their chances of surviving an accident on the water.

TenkillerProperty.com LLC, a leading real estate brokerage firm on Lake Tenkiller, located in Eastern Oklahoma, was recognized number 91 in Entrepreneur magazine's annual "HOT 100" listing of America's top fast-growth businesses and the entrepreneurs who built them. In its May 2008 issue, Entrepreneur compiled this list with the help of research provider CentrisPoint and its database of 21 million U.S. businesses. Of the nearly 21 million companies on the preliminary list, only 0.3% made the first cut, and just a fraction of those made it to the Hot 100, including TenkillerProperty.com

Take a safe boating course. Visit www.cgaux.org for information on boating classes.
Don't overload the boat. Consider the boat size, the number of passengers, and extra equipment before loading the boat.
Don't drink and boat or drink and swim. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents. Just one beer can impair balance, vision, judgment, and reaction time. Research shows that four hours of boating produces fatigue that simulates drunkenness.
Parents watch your children! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for children ages 1-14. It is the third leading cause for 15-34 year olds.
Don't overestimate your swimming skills. Of all swimming-related fatalities at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sites, 87 percent of those were in non- designated swimming areas. Don't take chances by over-estimating swimming skills, and swim only in designated areas.
Additional swimming tips include: Never dive into lakes and rivers. Never rely on toys such as inner tubes and water wings to stay afloat. Reach or throw a flotation device to help someone in trouble. Never swim alone.

An Oklahoma City woman died after jumping from a bridge into Lake Tenkiller, said an Oklahoma Highway Patrol report.

The 21 year old woman jumped from a bridge on Oklahoma Highway 82 in Cherokee County with two other people at 7:05 p.m., this last Saturday. The woman did not resurface. Her body was located using radar and was taken to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Tulsa, the report states

Water Watchers Report

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available (as of this time) and they will accept data if participants want to continue on their own. This is a big disappointment to me, because it is the only way that Tenkiller water quality was being monitored on a routine basis. I plan to get back on a routine schedule with the Hydrolab that the State provided me several years ago, so some data will continue to be taken.

As you may know, the Oklahoma Attorney General's lawsuit against the poultry integrators also had two serious setbacks. First, the Judge ruled that the State could not sue for damages because the Cherokee Nation has a significant financial interest in the area's natural resources and, since they were not party to the suit, their interests would not be represented. This even though the Attorney General had an agreement with the Cherokee Nation that allowed him to represent their interests.

Second, the Judge ruled that the State's expert witnesses that were to present evidence that the pollution in the Illinois River could be traced to the poultry wastes would not be allowed to testify. It seems that the Judge, with the help of the poultry integrator lawyers, determined that there was insufficient scientific basis behind to these experts evidence (my interpretation).

Well, all is not gloom and doom. The lake level is just slightly below normal, the quality parameters aren't out of range for this time of year, and don't appear to be changing much. Fishing has been a little slow, mostly because the lake has been very busy this summer. For us "year-rounders," Labor Day is just around the corner and we can "GET THE LAKE BACK"!

57th Cherokee National Holiday

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one of the largest festivals in Oklahoma, attracting more than 90,000 visitors from across the world. This year's theme is E-loh-i nu-s-di- da-nv de-ga-de-la-qua-s-ge-s-di ("I learn from all that I observe"), reflecting the Cherokee Nation's long held belief in education as a means to uplift individuals and their communities.

The Cherokee National Holiday is a celebration of Cherokee heritage, cultural awareness, and reuniting of families. Thousands of Cherokees and visitors from across the United States and abroad make the pilgrimage to the historic Cherokee Nation capital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma to renew friendships and celebrate the Cherokee spirit.

The multi-day celebration is jam-packed with sports activities for all ages, from traditional games such as Cherokee marbles, the cornstalk shoot and the blowgun competition to the more familiar golf and softball tournaments. Hundreds of vendors and crafts people set up booths where visitors may view and purchase authentic Native American-made products and foods. Music lovers will enjoy a wide array of offerings, such as gospel and bluegrass music, a toe- tapping fiddler's contest and a concert from the award- winning Cherokee National Youth Choir.

History buffs are invited to participate in the annual State of Sequoyah conference or to enjoy one of the new walking or bus tours offered by Cherokee Nation's Cultural Tourism department. History is made every year as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation delivers the annual State of the Nation Address to the Cherokee people on the lawn of the Cherokee Nation's courthouse square.

Those with children will especially enjoy the annual parade downtown, storytelling, children's games and fun hands-on traditional crafts events. The Inter-Tribal powwow held on the Cherokee Nation Cultural Grounds is always a crowd favorite, and highlights the Holiday celebration nightly as dancers from all over the United States compete for prizes and honors. The Cherokee National Holiday is a festive time in Tahlequah. We hope it will be an event you and your family will want to experience every Labor Day weekend.

Wi tse do lv i (Ya'll come!)

Tenkiller Area Events

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Now-Nov 28 - Live Horseracing-Fridays thru Sundays, Blue Ribbon Downs, 918-775-7771

Sept 4-6 57th Cherokee National Holiday Labor Day Weekend, Tahlequah

Sat, Sept 5, 7-11am Blackgum Volunteer Fire Department Pancake Breakfast, Community Building Hwy 100, just east of the Tenkiller dam

Sat-Mon Sept 5-7 Labor Day End of Summer Party - Greenleaf State Park Join us for an end of summer party at Greenleaf State Park. There will be canoe races, wagon rides, campfire program and more. Contact Diane Rutland @ (918) 489-5622 ext. 4 Tenkiller State Park will also have a full schedule of activties 918-489-5641

Sat-Mon Sept 5-7 Helicopter Rides at the entrance to Tenkiller State Park, call 918-630-4371 for reservations

Sat Sept 12, 9 am-2pmThe 2nd Annual RIDE FOR THE RED will be held in Sequoyah County. Beautiful ride and Poker Run around Lake Tenkiller, starting

in Sallisaw. Prizes and lunch, plus lots more to come. Grand Prize: one night's stay and dinner for two at the Hard Rock Casino in Tulsa! Call 479-782- 1056 for info

Sat, Sept 12, Fall Cruise Night and Burn out in Gore, Cruise 5 pm to 11 pm, Burn out starts at 6pm

Sat-Sun, Sept 12-13, Lake Tenkiller clean up by scuba diving clubs around the state, contact Tim Knight for info 918-457-3483 click here for Nautical Adventures web site

Fri-Sun, Sept 25-27 Fin and Feather's 41st Annual Fall Festival. Click here for web site

Women In The Outdoors Event is coming to Tenkiller State Park on November 6-8, 2009. 25 Classes are featured in workshops covering the entire weekend. A variety of classes, weekend fun and a great get-away all lead to the perfect choice for a "Chick Trip"Click on the attachments to learn more about classes, dates, registration, etc.

Discounts are being offered at Tenkiller State Park for cabins, RV sites and tent sites for this event. Cabin reservations can be made online at www.oklahomaparks.com or by calling us at 918-489- 5641/5643. Please make sure you mention the Women In The Outdoors event when you make your cabin reservation. Click here to download class descriptions Click here for Workshop Events and Registration

Fishing Report

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Got a Tenkiller Fishing or Hunting Picture? e mail it to me george@tenkillerproperty.com. Pictured is Justin Baker, with a little help from Dad, son of Michelle Baker with a nice bass caught caught in the Buckhorn area of Tenkiller.

Tenkiller: .Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water and clear. Largemouth bass slow with some action on soft plastic bass jigs. Smallmouth bass better hitting spinnerbaits early mornings. Catfish good at 20-30 ft. on cut baits, worms or stinkbaits. Sunfish good around docks on night crawlers. White bass fair evenings from Petit Bay to Elk Creek on spinners, spoons or jigs. Report by Monte Brooks Cookson Village Resort.

Greenleaf: Elevation normal, water clear. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits, worms and crankbaits along the shorelines and rocky points. Catfish good on cut bait on bottom. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around the fishing dock and brush structure. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.

Webbers Falls: .Elevation normal, water murky.

Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits around brush structure and riprap. Catfish good on fresh cut bait on bottom along mud flats. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around bridges and brush structure. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.

Lower Illinois: Elevation normal, water 64 and clear. Largemouth bass good on topwater lures all along the river. Striped bass good on live bait at 1-3 ft. below Gore Landing. Channel catfish good on cut bait on bottom all along the river. Trout excellent on flies on the surface, on rooster tails at 1-2 ft. and on power bait on bottom Gore Landing to the dam. Report submitted by D. Tracy, Town of Gore.

Lower Illinois Trout Stocking Schedule September 1, 9, 15, 23, 29

Fishing Report from Oklahoma Hunting and Fishing Adventures

Aug/Sept Lake Tenkiller Fishing Report: Crappie and sand bass are slow during the daylight hours but good numbers are turning up under dock and floating lights at night. Minnows, Jigs and small crank baits are preferred for sand bass and crappie. Largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass are good. Looking for surfacing schools and sneaking in for long casts have been producing big numbers on rattle traps and crank baits. The larger bass are being found on deep structure on soft plastics. Channel and blue cats are fair on cut shad and prepared baits. Jug and trotlines should not be left unattended for more than 4 hr intervals due to fish dieing quickly this time of year. Some nice flathead catfish are turning up on a variety of baits including artificial.

Fin's Annual Fall Festival

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Although every season has its own charm and beauty, autumn is the traditional time for fairs. Each September, Fin & Feather Resort hosts its annual Fall Festival, one of the most popular arts and crafts shows in the state. Last year, thousands of visitors flocked to see more than 200 exhibitors displaying and selling their unique handiwork during the three- day event. Since its inception, the festival has grown in size and attendance every year.

The 2009 event looks to be no exception.