Published: April 21, 2008 03:46 pm            

Centennial plaza

COMANCHE — As a visitor approaches Comanche on South U.S. Highway 81, a stone wall comes quickly into view on the west side of the road. This welcoming feature is part of an image the City of Comanche wants to portray to anyone driving through or stopping by.

The wall in question is Comanche’s contribution to the Oklahoma Centennial — the Centennial Plaza. After months of construction and the hammering out of ideas, a dedication ceremony was held Saturday to commemorate the Centennial.

City Manager Brant Ball said, “We’re trying to do some positive things. This is an image. When you drive through a town, you get an image of the town.”

The Oklahoma Centennial Commission gave the City of Comanche a $40,000 matching grant for the project. The city gathered another $40,000 through donations. Ball said the city stayed within its budget on the project.

Despite Saturday’s dedication, the plaza remains a work in progress. And Ball, along with members of the Comanche City Council, has ideas for the next steps to be taken.

“I like it,” Ball said. “We have a few more things we want to do to it.”

He said more landscaping will be done around the plaza, and stone structures may be erected to fill in some blank spaces around the plaza’s fountain.

Ball said he wanted to use the coins dropped into the fountain’s pool to buy new features for the plaza.

“We’ll always be adding something,” he said.

Mayor Jeanne McGowen said she was excited about the project and was looking forward to further development.

“We’ll add to it as we go,” McGowen said.

“I think it was a success. It feels good to be this far along.”

McGowen led the dedication ceremony. And while she spoke about the project, she mentioned the five flags posted onto of the plaza wall. The flags included the United States, Oklahoma, Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation and the City of Comanche flags.

The dedication ceremony gave the city a chance to unveil it’s new flag, which was designed by Joseph Hancock, 2003 Comanche High School graduate.

Hancock’s flag design was one of about 20 entered into a competition. During the grand opening of the Asbury Complex, Comanche residents voted on their favorite flags, and Hancock’s received the most votes.

While the plaza may be a way for the City of Comanche to represent the Oklahoma Centennial, Ball said the project will also be a good addition to the community. He said he wants to see people using the plaza.

McGowen said she was happy with the number of volunteers who put effort into the project and the residents who attended the dedication ceremony.

“We had a good turnout,” she said.

“The people in Comanche have been supportive of the project.”

        

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