The new Grayhorse arbor project is underway with its first crucial milestone – removing the current arbor – scheduled for Monday Oct. 22.
A demolition crew is scheduled to begin taking down the 48-year-old arbor on Monday, according to George Pease who sits on the Grayhorse Indian Village Five-Man Board. The demolition start time was not immediately known.
Five-Man Board Member Judy Johnson said family benches were removed from the current arbor and temporarily relocated under the Pawhuska and Hominy district camp arbors east of the dance area.
Pease, who took a photo of the arbor – minus the family benches – and said it’s the first time he’s ever seen the arbor without the benches.
The Grayhorse District is building a roundhouse arbor to replace the current one built in 1964. The Five-Man Board hired an architect to work on the design and construction could be completed in six months once the crews start work.
The arbor removal comes one month after the Third Osage Nation Congress voted to appropriate $990,000 toward the roundhouse arbor project. The funding will be used on top of an initial $550,000 approved by the Second ON Congress in January to finish the project.
When completed, the new roundhouse arbor could seat up to 369 dancers. The roundhouse design has room for two rows of dancer seating, more room for family benches and a ventilation system. The roundhouse dance area measures 7,950 square feet – nearly 2,000 square feet more than the current arbor’s, according to Grayhorse District Committeeman Scott Heskett.
With the nostalgic milestone coming, the Osage News is interested in hearing from you, the readers, regarding the arbor removal.
What will you miss about the current arbor? What memories do you have of prior dance activities taking place at the arbor?
Share your nostalgic thoughts and comments with us for a future Osage News story at bpolacca@osagetribe.org or on the newspaper’s Facebook page sharing this story link.
By
Benny Polacca
Original Publish Date: 2012-10-17 00:00:00
