You’re Doin’ Fine Piedmont … 

It is good to put things into perspective every now and then and remind ourselves that times are good for our prosperous community. I myself even need to be reminded, because like many of you I get caught up in the day-to-day struggles we all face. So for a moment I want to concentrate on something other than roads, infrastructure and public meetings.  

On Saturday you may have noticed the 100 or more classic cars that visited our city during the first and most definitely annual Piedmont Classic Car Show. I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with people from all over the state, and for most it was their first trip to Piedmont . It was good to see our fire department there all day cooking and having a good time. Seeing their comradeship as a group is a good sign for the community that we have a tremendous team of volunteers. And that line of fire trucks aimed at the street and ready to leave on a moments notice was pretty cool as well.  

How about them Cats… In the past few weeks Piedmont has crowned for a sixth time in seven years a state champion band. Folks this is dynasty, it is a feat to win just one state championship and these guys have done it five times in a row. We are also home to one of the finest softball teams in the state. These ladies were a breath away from hoisting the championship trophy. Their fantastic season produced seven All-Region players and the region’s Coach of the Year. Academically our school system scored 1,382 on the state’s Academic Performance Index. 1,500 is a perfect score and the state’s benchmark is 1,000. Our school system is the community’s greatest asset.

 We just completed our P3 (Planning Piedmont’s Progress) meetings and the subcommittees formed from that process are beginning their work. Now it is their job to implement the recommendations made by the committee as a whole. We had over 140 citizens who took their time to meet and discuss where we want to go as a community. This is extremely valuable information for the city to have as we move into the revamping of our comprehensive plan. But more importantly we came together and created a vision not as a city council or a chamber of commerce, but as a community.

From a city government standpoint the community has never been better. We have one of the finest city staffs in our history and our public works crew routinely demonstrates how well they do their jobs. If it wasn’t for their actions the city would have lost our lagoons during the rain storms earlier this year. These men put in whatever hours necessary to get the job done and we are fortunate to have them. Our police department has regained positive momentum and is operating better than ever. And again I will praise the finest volunteer fire department in the state. There is another group of volunteers you should be proud of as well, your city council. Your representation is comprised of a people who truly have your future in mind. Each and every one of them is committed to the success of this city and protecting your interests. I am proud to serve with such a fine group.   

 I am certain I have left out some group or someone’s good deed, so next week please write into the Gazette and give Piedmont some praise. I want to thank all you for giving me the opportunity to serve as mayor of such an amazing city. Keep up the good work; our best days are ahead of us. And just like our great state you’re doin’ fine Piedmont Oklahoma.