Sun, Nov 22 2009
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Serving the community, one project at a time From serving as a firefighter to presiding over BalloonFest, Hamid Vahdatipour gives back by volunteering. By RENEE FITEPress Special Writer Time is given to CASA as a board member.
“It’s an excellent program, it helps children. They need support,” he said. “You want to make sure it stays viable and can continue to help.” As a founding member and president of the newly formed Tenkiller Utilities Authority, he’s working to provide potable water for rural water districts and anyone around Lake Tenkiller. “We’re getting close to building a treatment plant and water conveyance system to the rural water districts,” he said. “A lot of districts don’t have water for new customers.” His volunteering started when he got to Lake Region. “In the position I have, I wanted to be sure Lake Region is well-represented in the community, and I myself get involved,” he said. “It’s nice. Once you get involved you feel good to give back to the community.” Balloonfest started in 1993 out at the river, until traffic became a problem, “cars were lined up from the Illinois River bridge to City Hospital for the balloon glow,” he said. Now held at the airport, Vahdatipour said the event has outlived others around the state. “Pilots that come to us really enjoy it in Tahlequah and most of the time we actually have a waiting list of pilots who want to come down to see us,” he said, “Twenty to 25 pilots get their rooms, some meals and propane provided.” The beauty of the area appeals to pilots, and the people. “The float trips most enjoy doing and our landscape is really pretty,” he said. “At tree-top level, the fog’s in the valley and they really enjoy it. And the friendliness of our people when they land on somebody’s property.” A hobby of his is rock crawling, “We take our Jeeps places where nobody thinks they could go. It’s stress relief for me to get to the bottom of a hill and steep climb, and the challenge to make it to the top.” The club also goes to Little Sahara State Park in southern Oklahoma once a year to play on the dunes. 
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