OROVILLE – Vicki Hinze was on hand at the Tuesday, April 15 Oroville City Council meeting to report on progress regarding the upcoming Rally at the Border Blues Fest scheduled for Saturday, May 17.
Hinze, owner of the Pastime Bar and Grill and member of the Oroville Chamber’s Discover Oroville Committee, is serving as chairwoman for the Rally at the Border Blues Fest. The inaugural event is being held at Oroville’s Deep Bay Park and is a 21-and-over event, according to Hinze. It is scheduled to coincide with the Run for the Border charity ride. That annual event can bring as many as 300 riders to town.
“There are five blues bands signed up and we have a completely professional stage set up. Obviously this aimed at motorcycle enthusiasts and blues enthusiasts… a lot of times they cross over,” said Hinze, adding the festival has a website and Facebook page.
“Clyde and I have done a lot of work on the website… Clyde did all the computer work,” said Hinze, referring to Chamber of Commerce president Clyde Andrews.
The event has also attracted three food vendors and a beverage vendor, as well as three vendors offering products that appeal to motorcyclists, including Osoyoos-based Lees-ure Lite, which builds a popular tent trailer for pulling behind motorcycles.
Hinze said the website also maps out nine local motorcycle routes that the riders can take, all starting in Oroville except one that starts in Canada.
“These won’t only be used for the Border Rally Blues site, hopefully it will sustain itself and will be made available to Okanogan Country (Okanogan County Tourism Council) and the Chamber’s website,” she said.
Hinze said the blues fest was being promoted in the U.S. and Canada and that the Run for the Border group is promoting on their flyers in the Wenatchee area. She also said the proceeds from the event will be going to a charity. This year the charity they have chosen is The Shriners and Masons which not only help in the community but support the Shriner Children’s Hospital in Spokane.
She said Deep Bay Park will be a great venue and asked if there were any questions or concerns.
Rod Noel, head of the parks department said any broken picnic tables would be repaired before the event and that there was plenty of available power for the stage and vendors.
“It sounds like you’re progressing great, you’ve covered a lot of ground from day one,” said Mayor Chuck Spieth.
Noel Reports
Public Works Superintendent Rod Noel reported on several ongoing city projects. He first talked about the delays in completion of the new reservoir, which will serve the new U.S. Border Patrol Station as well as people who get their water from the North End Water System.
“The engineer has issued a stern get-going notice on the contractor. He said the city wants it completed by May 6,” said Noel.
Next he reported on the Central-Cherry Street and Water Project.
“It started yesterday with sawing the areas of pavement that need to be sawed for the water part of the project… they’re planning on setting up detours,” he said. “There will be a detour from Golden to Cherry during the water part of the construction. It will be open on weekends and to local traffic.”
Noel said the project had a 37-day completion schedule.
“The area will be torn up for May Day… we’ll try to get it back to normal as best we can, said Noel. The project will start on Cherry and come to Main Street.
“All ADA ramps on the existing sidewalk get replaced. Every time you do an upgrade you have to bring them up to standard, especially when there are federal dollars involved.”
