Quality of Life Survey

Military Families: Here is your chance to voice your opinion. Here is a link to a short two question survey. Click here to complete.

Discover Altus

There is a new website for Altus at www.discoveraltus.com. It has all kinds of info and links about the city, as well as the MLS real estate listings for Altus and surrounding areas. If you know anyone moving to Altus, this would be a good website to pass on to them. It is also a link on the sidebar of this website to get there.

Congratulations!

Congratulations are in order for the creator of this blog and her family. Audrey has welcomed her 3 adorable little boy into this world on May 4th. Drop her an email, I'm sure she'd love it.

Applebee's

Just a quick note: The Applebee's in Altus no longer has kid-night on Tuesdays. It has been moved to Wednesdays. I'm guessing they didn't want to compete with the McD's Tuesday night kid-meal-deal... but who knows. Just wanted to pop in and let you know, so you don't accidentally get stuck at a table with 6, yes 6, kids and have to explain full price is not an option. Go forth and eat cheap! If you have any other locations/times to recommend for a good deal on a kids-meal please email me or Audrey.

Time to Plant-

Its almost time to start planting here in Altus. If you're looking for some tomato plants or some peppers; maybe an herb garden or perhaps a flower bed- You have to stop by Southwest Garden Center. Its a little over 7 miles north of "the square" on HWY 283. (almost to Blair) As you drive north on 283, the green houses are on your left. The staff is so very friendly & knowledgable and the prices are excellent. I priced plants at... a major discount chain... only to find tomato plants were $3.50/ea. After I picked my jaw up from the floor and drove the short bit to Southwest Garden Center, I was thrilled to learn their plants start at $.39. Yes thirty-nine-cents. Support local! And enjoy the afternoon picking out plants for the kids, the garden and your home. Happy Spring!

Rattle Snake Round Up 2009!

Mark your calendars:

Its still two weeks away, but its supposed to be the big awesome event in Southwest Oklahoma!

April 24th-26th, starting at 10a. In Downtown Mangum Oklahoma, "on the square" at Main and Jefferson. {Mangum is about 25 minutes north on HWY 283 from Altus.}

click image to enlarge

From wimgo.com:

Join us for this annual snake hunt featuring a bus safari, guided caravans, flea market, snake tent, butcher shop, souvenir booth, photo booth, fried rattlesnake meat, square dance, live band, and Derby Princess Contest. Free admission.

I've personally talked to a couple friends who work in the Quilt Shop in Mangum (on the square), and they gave me the scoop on the festival. Plan to park a couple blocks away, as the Mangum downtown is transformed into a huge flea market fair with vendors of all kinds. You can even eat rattlesnake, should you be so brave. They mentioned you can take a picture with a rattlesnake wrapped around your shoulders. Bring your money, sunblock and a stroller for the wildest event in April.

If you've been to the Rattlesnake Round Up in past years, please leave a comment and tell us what to expect, share your tips, & make your recommendations! Thanks.

Blog Authors Needed

I am needing one or two more people to add on to this blog as "authors". I will be having my third baby in a few weeks and want other people to be able to post events and such on here as well. I love doing this service, but feel if there were even more "eyes and ears" out there looking for things to do, it would be more beneficial to all. Please email me at nateandaudrey@yahoo.com if you would be interested in this. Thanks!!

Altus Yard Sales

Many of you have told me about the websites http://www.sillyardsales.com and http://www.craigslist.com as ways of buying/selling items to those in the local area. Well, I was just told about a new site for Altus similar to the Ft. Sill Yard Sale website. It is http://www.altusyardsales.com and is a place where you can post items you want to buy/sell or post an actual garage sale that you are having.
If you have some things sitting around your house that you want to try and sell, snap a picture and put it on their website. The more people that hear about it and post their items, the more of an excellent resource this can be. Enjoy!

Attention Homeowners!!

If you haven't heard, there is a program through FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) that is currently assisting homeowners in Jackson County with the costs to build a storm shelter or a safe room.

If accepted, the grant will cover 75% of the cost of installation of a storm cellar or safe room with a cap of $3,000.

I would definitley encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity if you are a homeowner and do not have a storm shelter! Not only do you have a safe place for your family to go during a tornado warning, but it increases the value of your home.

GO SIGN UP AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE by clicking here (deadline is coming up soon.)

For more info, contact Lloyd Colston at (580) 482-8333 or Jerry Gibson at (580) 482-0229

Here's my two cents for what it's worth: Install one in the garage if you can...trust me it is NO FUN dragging two babies out through the hail to get to your shelter (and having them nearly blow away in the process.) I've seen these done in the garage where they are very non-intrusive, and would do that myself if we didn't already have one.

Reviews, Comments, and Experiences Wanted

I appreciate all of you who check out Access Altus. I enjoy coordinating this site and appreciate so much those who email me with area info and ideas. I have a couple of requests that I think would make this site even better.

If you have attended any of the events that have been posted on this site, I would love it left a comment in the comment section and let me and other readers know how you liked it and what your experiences were. This would help me know what interests there are in certain activites and helps me know what types of things to post.

Also, if you would like to send in a review of area restaurants and your experiences there (good and not so good) I would like to post these occasionally as well(I will leave these anonymous if you wish).

And as always, I appreciate any help with gathering info on events in the community. I try to gather information from several sources, but occasionally miss something.

Thanks again for your participation! I can be contacted at nateandaudrey@yahoo.com

Family Support Center on Base

For those of you not familiar with the services offered by the Family Support Center on base, there are many. Here is a description of some of the services offered.

The Loan Locker has all sorts of household goods to borrow including sleep mats, dishes, utensils, pots, pans, baking ware, small kitchen appliances (coffee makers, George Foreman Grills, blenders, etc.), fans, toys, pack n' plays, and much more. If you are here TDY or if you are PCSing in or out, you have priority to borrow household items (bring a copy of your orders). If you are here permanent party and need to borrow something (a coffee maker for company for example) you can borrow it as well if the items are available.

Used Uniforms for All Ranks- there is a large supply of free used uniforms and service dress items available to all ranks.

Airman's Attic- Ranks E5 and below are welcome to take advantage of this service. Items are supplied free of charge (bring your ID.) There are children's clothing, adult clothing, books, household items, decorating items, and much more. The Airman's Attic takes donations from anyone and appreciates anyone who would like to volunteer.


Other Information-There is also a wealth of information and brochures on community events, area attractions, relocation resources, etc.

The Family Support Center is located next to Charlie's and the Thrift Shop and is open Monday through Friday 9:30 to 2:30. The phone number is (580) 481-6761. Lisa will help you and she is very knowledgeable and dedicated to the programs offered.

Goodbye Starbucks, Hello Quizno's

Only two more days for the Altus Starbucks. Go grab yourself a White Chocolate Mocha before it's too late.

On the positive side, Quizno's is open for business! It's always great to have another food option in this town! Enjoy!

More About "Access Altus"

Thank you so much for visiting "Access Altus". I am so happy to be of service to all who read here!

I have a lot of ideas for this site that should become reality in the next few weeks including weekly Restaurant Reviews, Deals of the Week, Weekend Calendar of Events, Ask the Readers, etc. However, this site will not be possible without help from it's readers.

So...if you know of an event or have an idea for a family outing, or any ideas whatsoever, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know and I will post it on here for everyone. Also, if you have a general question for the readers, (i.e. "Does anyone have a recommendation for a chiropractor?" etc.) send it to me and I'll try to post it. We have a few Altus natives reading too, and I'm sure they will be a huge help in answering some questions for us newer people.

And another way to help is... if you find this site useful, please let others know about it. The more readers we have, the more information we will have access to.

Thanks again for reading and supporting this blog!!