The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 17

Tuesday. Juno 16. 1998 1 7 THE DAILY OKLAHOMA Reaction Mixed to Gathering Bill's Veto and gas producers ar)d; royalty owners to retired teachers." -J Some Eas-gatherlnH! lpeline operators: ti owever. claimed SB- problem." But Thompson said, "Natural gas producers, royalty owners and pipeline representatives have been grappling with this issue since 1993." He said that by vetoing SB 319, "our governor has turned his back on Oklahomans, from schoolchildren to oil 319 would have dls-t couraged investment on new gathering sys--tems and resulted in higher costs to taxpayers, producers and gatherers. develop rules, including a code of conduct, to regulate activities by natural-gas gatherers." He said the inquiry that Keating directed will begin as soon as possible.

Commissioner Den-ise Bode said that when she joined the regulatory panel last year, "I recognized that gas gathering was a problem. Clearly the governor agrees, and now that the legislative smoke has cleared, we should act quickly to fix the veto message that SB 319 has many undefined and vague terms that might encourage complaints. But he said he believes a problem does exist, so he directed the commission to take certain actions. Those include starting an inquiry and soliciting and investigating complaints of discrimination and anti-competitive practices by gathering systems. Apple said Monday, "The commission is the appropriate agency to use its rule-making authority to conduct hearings and By Bob Vandowater Staff Writer Conflicting opinions were still being offered Monday about Gov.

Frank Heating's veto Friday of a bill dealing with disputes over natural-gas gathering and his executive order calling for Corporation Commission action. Mickey Thompson. Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association executive vice president, said Heating's explanation of his veto of Senate Bill 319 was an "insult" to people who have spent years trying to address a serious problem. But corporation commission Chairman Ed Apple said, "The governor has used good judgment in recommending a better alternative to SB 319." Existing law lets the commission settle certain disputes between Oklahoma gas produc ers and gatherers. Gas-gathering pipelines are generally initial segments of the gas transportation network that are responsible for accumulating gas from individual wells and moving it to larger pipelines that take the gas to markets, mostly in other states.

SB 319 supporters said the commission can handle disputes over gathering rates and gas producers' access to gathering systems. But they said clarification is needed about whether the agency can address complaints about "terms and conditions" that a gatherer can impose. In part, SB 319 said, "No gatherer shall charge any fee andor require any term and condition of service for gathering which is unfair, unjust, unreasonable or unduly discriminatory." Keating said in his Try our Flexible Competitive High Yield rMr. John's- Money Market Account 5.01 APY as ot this publication 12.000 imrMnum dmou namt 1 rATnctvolMY 20-35 OFF Sutt Sportcoalt Slacks BurtMrryi Vatsnza A Ottters SANSABELT SLACKS a A Communication. From Page 15 when I drove In." said Manager Don Medley, who spent all day Sunday cleaning up broken glass, mud and debris.

Plywood was plugged into holes in plate glass windows, while other cracked windows and mirrors awaited insurance adjusters and repairmen. Next door, La Baguette opened for the Monday lunch hour, its first serving day since tornado gusts sent Saturday-evening diners scurrying under tables. "We were lucky no one got hurt," owner Michel Buthion said. "The house behind us has a roof gone and cars in the house." One sheet of plywood on a front window and a cracked meat case window were the only visible interior damages by Monday's lunch hour. Insurance officials said Monday it was too early to give a total estimate of damages.

However, State Farm Insurance spokesman Jonathan Marks said his agency is expecting about 7,000 residential claims and about 5,000 auto claims. Hugh O'Hara, vice president of McGuire Brothers said Monday he has not seen such tornado damage in the area since a tornado Edmond in 1986. "It's pretty hefty. I've seen two or three properties that could easily go $500,000 each" in repairs, he said. "And I haven't even seen Frontier City." Danny Sullivan, owner of City Glass, said his shop was not as busy on Monday as he thought it might be.

"It's (damage) not as extensive as I thought it would be," he said, noting that the storm danced around, hitting very small areas hard and Ignoring larger areas. In Nichols Hills and The VUlage. street alter street was filled with crews clearing toppled trees and downed limbs, the most visible storm damage. Sullivan said he saw some homes with glass damage limited to storm windows. "There's no hurry to repair those," he said.

So he believes his rush may come later, after insurance adjusters give the go-ahead and contractors get started. Builder and contractor Bob Dudley didn't need outside help to determine Monday that his home needed about $50,000 in repairs. Located at NE 122 and Dudley Court, just east of Sooner Road, his home and three others were hit by one of the stronger funnels to touch down. A neighbor's home is probably going to need about $75,000 in repairs, while another is looking at about $20,000, he said. His big concern, however, was getting workers in an already tight employment market.

"I jumped on it immediately," he said. "I called in a framer before I even got the insurance adjuster. My framer's coming out tomorrow morning." A shortage of tradesmen will slow repairs for many, Dudley said. Staff writer Danny M. Boyd contributed to this report.

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Terrace is readu for Furniture Solution' electronic business technology of the future. Season to Resume At Frontier City By Clytie Bunyan Staff Writer Officials at Frontier City expect a successful season despite an estimated $2 million to $3 million in damages and a three-day loss of revenue after a twister passed through the amusement park Saturday, spokesman said Monday. "This is so early in the season that it's all recoverable. It will not have any impact on this year," Brent Gooden said. "All told, we feel very fortunate.

No buildings were seriously damaged, and none of the rides were damaged." Estimates for the three-day loss of business were not available. The tornado classified as an F2 producing winds of 113-157 mph ripped facades off buildings and left debris scattered throughout the park, but no mechanical damage was reported. Two rides, the War Dance and the Carousel, were shredded at the top. Most of the damage was superficial and can easily be repaired, Gooden said. Monday, Frontier City employees and lo-cal contractors worked side by side to clean up and replace building facades.

Mechanical and engineering staff also were checking to ensure the safety of building structures and cycling rides. Safety inspectors from the state Labor Department also will be at the park today, Gooden said. "The state cooperates real well with us, and we consider it part of the redundancy system to make sure, everything is ready for opening-Wednesday," Gooden said. Frontier City will reopen at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The 36-hour loss of revenue is not considered a financial setback because the park will reopen so quickly, Gooden said. "The park was having an exceptional season, and there's no reason to believe the momentum that we were enjoying will not be recaptured Wednesday," he said. Economists expect the demand for cleanup and repair crews will create a bottleneck in the local construction industry. Current projects may have to be set aside so tradespeople such as carpenters, roofers and framers can do the emergency work. "We've got this construction industry that's already going pretty strong in the metro area, and you have to wonder, 'Is there enough capacity in the trades to respond asked Steve Smith, an economist at Rose State College.

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