T Town Tommy

Bigger Authority Steps into the Oral Roberts University Scandal

AP reported today that the US Senate is probing into possible financial misconduct by six televangelists. Included in the investigation are three members of The Oral Roberts University Board of Regents.

Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is investigating six prominent televangelist ministries for possible financial misconduct.

The six ministries identified as being under investigation by the (Congressional) committee are led by: Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. Three of the six - Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar - also sit on the Board of Regents for the Oral Roberts University.  AP 

The news could not have come at a worse time for ORU who Congress has been keeping an eye on apparently for the last two years. Lawsuits were filed by former ORU instructors alleging several misconduct charges by ORU regents this past month. It has been also reported that ORU is now over $50 million in debt.

According to reports Dallas, TX based religious watch dog group "Trinity Foundation" has been working with Sen. Charles Grassley on the Senate Finance Committee for the last two years. The group leaders claim to have already submitted enough evidence of wrongdoing to "fill a Volkswagen "involving the televangelist committing fraud.

New Oklahoma Medical Statistics and Some Low Ranking Health Scores

A study released this week by the United Health Foundation ranks Oklahoma 47^th out of 50 states in its America's Health Rankings 2007. The organization took into account:

various factors, such as smoking, binge drinking, high school graduation rates, children in poverty, access to care and incidence of preventable disease, to a community's health.  The report is based on data from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Commerce, Education and Labor; American Medical Association; Dartmouth Atlas Project; and the National Association of State Budget Officers.

The report indicated Oklahomans suffer from cardiovascular related deaths and obesity at higher rates than the rest of the nation. Oklahomans also score low on availability of primary care physicians for their families. Last week Forbes published their "20 most sedentary cities in the US" and Oklahoma City came in 15^th. In regards to women's health care in 2007, Oklahoma ranks in at 48^th out of the 50 states.

A Perfect Oklahoma Fall Week

I love this time of year. A light jacket needed in the morning and the late night and a fall shirt during the afternoons. It's almost impossible to resist being outside as much as possible.

An Email About the Ecological Impact of the Arkansas River Development

This email from a Tulsa Resident arrived in my inbox this morning and I thought it was worth sharing.

 

I have been in the undecided category on the "river tax" issue for the past few months, going back and forth between thinking the growth and development would be good for Tulsa and also thinking that the money, however well intended, may not gain the desired results.

Last night, I attended a program, on all things, on pond and water conservation with a presentation by the director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife. The gentleman is in charge of fish and water development and offices in Jenks. Well, the conversation of course went to the river issue.

This was a perspective I have not read in the hundreds of flyers I have received at my home, nor in the hundreds of commercials I have seen on television in the past three weeks.

We will be taking one of the only prairie rivers IN THE COUNTRY and destroying what nature created for us. Yes, there are times that there is no water in the river- that is what the river naturally does. That is the definition of a prairie river. He also mentioned that Tulsa is one of the few, if not only, cities you can fish for massive fish in the city limits.

Most Tulsan don't realize there is excellent fishing on the west bank of the Arkansas. Ask my husband, Bob. He can't believe the fish he and others have caught there. Striped bass 25 pounds and more.

Another important fact. If we create these "lakes", we will destroy the striped bass population that is now incredibly abundant in our own backyards. They cannot survive in the newly created lakes due to their spawning activities.

And in addition, with the silt and sand issue in a prairie river, within a relatively short period of time, these lakes will fill with these materials and only be two or three feet deep and have an unsafe water condition for any sort of activity to happen. He said Keystone Lake has the same issue happening right now. The techniques that were used to test for water quality to promote the tax are tests that are archaic and only used currently in two states. Oklahoma being one of them.

He tried very hard not to be political with his comments, but it was very clear that this man is a naturalist and loves the wildlife and the natural prairie river that has existed long before we did. If the tax passes, the ecosystem that has a delicate balance will be destroyed- the fish, the flow of the river, and potentially change into a stinking mess because of shallow, stagnant water.

The developments that exist right now seem to be doing quite well without the river development- after Bob and I attended the seminar, we went to Red Rock Grill and it was packed- even with the river as it is.

And have you ever wondered why you are being inundated with mailers (I receive up to two a day) and television commercials? Who is paying for all of this? And how does all this benefit downtown?

I only share this with you because I have never read, or heard a true discussion on the natural side of the development and think this message should be considered. I guess I will decide Tuesday in the voting booth.

Diane Hambric
President
Gold Medallion Senior Housing

So What’s Up T?

It's been awhile since I spent time to sit down and fill everyone in on what's shaking in my world. Hopefully everyone has been enjoying my music reviews, LGBT news, horrible jokes, and commentary about the river tax. After this weekend the office chair is looking great! I spent Saturday moving my friend Buster into his new apartment, Saturday night at the Okie Blogger Round Up and Sunday helping my friend Chaz move into his very cool new downtown Tulsa condo. Forget about hitting the gym this weekend I got a good workout helping lug oversized furniture around. Why do all gay men have at least one piece of furniture you can bury an elephant in?

The blogger roundup was fun to attend this year. I have never been to one of these events and it was nice to visit with informed people and put faces with some of my favorite regional blogs. While the pizza was as good as always the service at Hide-Away Pizza on Cherry Street was really lacking for the awards. It was great to meet those who attended but I thought it was a bit rude for so many award winners to be a no show. I hope next year if and wherever we have the event that the turnout is better. Congratulations to those who won and it was a delight to see award winners in person.

Tomorrow is the big vote for the Arkansas River Development Tax for Tulsa County. As I wrote in an earlier post that those who vote for this tax increase are ill informed and falling for a lot of false promises pushed by members of the old media and our local politicians. The Tulsa Our River Yes supporters would have us think that putting water in a river is going to give us increases in new jobs and development. When new companies look at a place to relocate they look at taxes, infrastructure, talent pool, and quality of life. We have the Vision 2025 project that is improving the quality of life and we have lots to offer in talent pool however our taxes, roads, and schools are lacking.

Part of the sales pitch for Vision 2025 was river development. Now our politicians are saying "oh no you didn't read the fine print which is if we get matching federal money we can do the river development"; I feel scammed by those pushing Vision 2025. The entire river plan is ill-conceived with ecological experts saying the water will be too hazardous for human contact and placing a pedestrian bridge basically on top of our municipal sewer plant that smells what you would expect tens of thousands of gallons of poo to smell like. I look at Tulsa and see North Tulsa getting in worse shape, our infrastrucre crumbling, taxes going up and Tulsa's school buildings getting very old and ran down. Edison Senior High School where I graduated was built in 1953 and it's in better shape than several of our other schools in TISD. Our leaders are taking the eye off the ball of Vision 2025 and pushing another tax on residents demonstrating irresponsible leadership. Please vote no and send a message to our leaders to keep an eye on the basics before we tackle a dubious county wide river development.

Finally I want to give an update on my health ordeal I went through last month with a week in the hospital from diverticulitis. Since getting out of the hospital I have been doing everything the doctor has been telling me. I have stayed on a low fiber diet with 80 oz. of water and two cups of yogurt a day. I have had to avoid a lot of the standard food I got used to during my previous diet. A little over a year and a half ago I weighed in at 240lb. This may sound like a lot but I am 6'1" and have a large to medium frame. At 240lb I still wore a 34" waist size but by last summer I got down to 190lb and a 32" waist. Before my flare up I was eating a lot of healthy food but not nearly enough water to accommodate all the fiber in my health food diet. This caused intestinal damage and now I am just waiting for surgery.

I started back to working out again this month and helped a friend lug heavy furniture around Saturday then woke up at 4 am Sunday in some pain. I walked it off in a few hours and then helped Chaz move Sunday but didn't lift anything heavy otherwise I wouldn't have made it. Finally at my partners' insistence I called the doctor today and told them what was going on.

I am scheduled for a CAT scan tomorrow then possibly surgery later on this week. I haven't had any major surgery except getting a knee rebuilt from football. Needless to say I am a bit freaked about the concept of having 6" of my lower intestines removed. However in the 21^st century they just make three small cuts in your lower abs and use a scope for the entire procedure; it's mind-blowing technology. I will post another personal update when I go in about how I am doing however I won't be blogging much due to the morphine. I am sure to be floating around on a painkiller vacation for a few days.

I read somewhere never drink and post or place comments online. I figured the same rule applies to intravenous morphine the nurses will be giving me during my hospital stay. If anything, I learned in the hospital whom my friends really are and how I should cherish each and every one of them and what a gift I have in relationships with these people. Strange what we learn through challenges. Now I am just rambling so I will close. Remember don't be a lemming and vote No! tomorrow and enjoy the very first hint of fall going on right now in Oklahoma.

Happy Columbus Day and the Start of Fall!

Okie Blogger Round Up 2007 Reminder

Just a reminder to everyone the 2007 Okie Blogger Round-up is tomorrow, Saturday October 6th. The event will be held at Hideaway Pizza on Cherry Street in Tulsa between 4-6 pm. Hope to see lots of you there!
-Map to Event

Want to Get Active in The Tulsa Gay Community and Do Some Good?

Oklahomans for Equality is looking for an organized and dedicated office coordinator with experience in administrative management and facilities maintenance.

The Office Coordinator will be responsible for managing the day-to-day administrative operations of the agency as well as maintaining the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center facility, a largely volunteer organization serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) community.

Please click here for a complete job description.  Interested parties may submit a resume and cover letter to: Oklahomans for Equality, PO Box 2687, Tulsa, OK, 74101, or send to employment@okeq.org no later than Monday, October 15, 2007.

Tulsa County River Tax All the Wrong Reasons

It is not too often that I find myself on the same side of issues as Tulsa City Councilors Roscoe Turner and Jack Henderson but the sales tax increase to fund dams being built in the middle of the Arkansas River through Tulsa is insane. In the midst of the Vision 2025 project this need to play catch-up with Jenks on river development seemed to appear out of nowhere with a $110 million dollar carrot being dangled in-front of local politicians for a quick vote granting access to newly created public funds. Joe Citizen's share of tax burden for the project will be $600 million dollars in order to do it correctly. The city does not want to address the issue of the waste plant in South Tulsa that smells so bad most are inclined to throw up from the stench. Estimated cost to move the waste treatment plant alone is $500 million dollars.

Unlike the Jenks river development which is privately funded the county wants to saddle residents many of which are struggling to get by financially now with a .4 cent sales tax increase bringing our sales tax close to 9%. This rate is high when compared to other jurisdictions of the same size as Tulsa. Coupled with a high rate of poor in Tulsa County and unfair taxation on food and medicine the extra tax would be unproductive and unfair for a great number of residents. The county claims to offer a $25.00 rebate for low income and seniors however many will not bother to go to the effort and hassle of getting the forms to fill out and the processing of said forms will be nothing more than a need for extra work hours being created for government bean counters. The tax will also put a choke hold on cities within Tulsa County from raising taxes for critical needs such as infrastructure improvements and crime prevention.

Former Tulsa Street Commissioner Jim Hewgley who helped get our streets in the shape their in today has weighed in stating:

As pointed out by the mayor and city council of Broken Arrow, this river tax forces cities to surrendering taxing authority to the county and reduces their funding options for critical needs like streets and crime.  Cities rely on sales tax for revenue and I believe county government should get out of the sales tax business entirely.  This river tax is bad public policy which allows county government to expand its share of sales tax to the detriment of all cities within Tulsa County, including the City of Tulsa.

Supporters of the River Tax claim it will help lure young people to Tulsa and create jobs; wishful thinking I say. The flood of youth out of Oklahoma once graduating is due to both social justice issues and an opportunity for high wage employment and better quality of life elsewhere in the United States. Too many youth in the US in general has only seen our state from 35,000 feet with zero idea of what the three big cities in the state (Tulsa, Broken Arrow and OKC) is offering now. According to economic data the three biggest employers in Tulsa are American Airlines, The City of Tulsa and Tulsa Public Schools. Is there something wrong with this picture? Two out of the three are already tax payer funded on below national average tax payer salaries and paying below national average salaries to its workers. We need more high paying jobs in the area badly. Is government the solution to create these jobs; no but our tax payer money can be better spent creating the type of county that will attract high wage paying employers.

Creating more government funded improvements on land owned by Native American tribes has serious challenges from civil engineering, management and business promotion standpoints. It also has serious ethical issues of the land being owned by Native American tribes and the recently released finding of negative environmental impact by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. I will assume that the majority of businesses will be paying retail sales clerk or waiter wages once the project is completed if Jenks type river attractions develop. I cannot image a flood of youth from the east and west coast for those job vacancies. I cannot picture someone graduating from the University of Tulsa or ORU with a four year degree washing plates in one of the restaurants. Many of the most talented and brightest will continue to head to Dallas, Chicago or even Kansas City. At one time Tulsa had more millionaires per populace than any other city in the nation. That reality is far lost in the past its time to start seeing our city for what it is now not what it was during its golden years. A lot of the old money in Tulsa is gone due to deaths and divisions of estates or relocation.

If the county wants to invest money in creating jobs do so by doing the jobs you have better that you do now. Our crime rate is very high for a county our size, our county roads and bridges need major overhauls or total replacement with something other than cheap asphalt patch jobs and debris catchers under crumbling bridges. Further county investment in education and funding of proven community programs is essential for a healthy educated work force. A healthy and educated work force and world class roads and bridges will attract further investments in our community by outside small, medium and even large companies.

No civilization has ever taxed itself into prosperity in the history of mankind but showing the tax payers' results from such high taxes already paid is paramount in order to gain faith. Tulsa county tax payers being asked for funding over half a billion dollars in the river when so many cancers exist in our community from decades past due for replacement schools, poor roads, high crime, and low wages is irresponsible. The time is wrong and the idea is fundamentally flawed, it also displays a lack of foresight for our socio/economic wellbeing as a patchwork of communities that make up Tulsa County. If you bother to vote in the special election on the river tax don't be afraid to question your government and get the facts before you do more damage than good.

Sam’s Club to Expand in Tulsa?

For those who didn't notice Bob Howard's Crown Auto World has vacated the long standing Crown Buick location at 46^th and S. Sheridan Rd. as of last Saturday.  Changing the name to BMW Tulsa, Howard is joining the glut of auto dealerships on South Memorial Drive. In the works is a possible purchase of the now abandoned property by Sam's Club currently residing just north of the old S. Sheridan location. If purchased Sam's Club intends to expand its current location offering more services and a larger merchandise selection for members. No word yet if the current building Sam's Club occupies will be demolished and a larger one built on site or a simple expansion of the current structure. In the last year Sam's Club at the 44^th and Sheridan location built a free standing gas station exclusively for members with a fractional discount on gasoline.

The Albertsons Sell Off and Why North Peoria Won’t Have a Grocery Store

As everyone in Tulsa is already aware Albertsons Grocery is moving out of Oklahoma as part of their corporate restructuring to save the company. I personally like Albertsons and will hate to see them move. However some residents in north Tulsa are livid at Albertsons for moving out of their North Peoria location and no other grocer wanting to move into the soon to be empty retail space.

Residents have accused the grocery store chains including Reasors, RPCS/ Price Cutter, and Homeland of being racist in deciding not to move into the space. One writer to the Tulsa World in response to the move and interviews with store spokespersons wrote,

“why is it that both the Reasor's people and the RPCS people both say they chose the stores with the "right fit". Can someone explain to me what this "fit" is? Why did the north Tulsa store fail to "fit" but the others did not? (Of course, I know what they are saying without actually saying it).”

I am familiar with the shopping center where the Albertsons at 1601 N. Peoria is located and to be honest it is a nice and clean strip center. The few business that is located in the strip center seem to be doing an adequate business. The reality of the situation though is the demographics for the area are not conducive for a major grocery chain moving into the area. What prompted Albertsons to invest almost a million dollars to move into the area is considered to be nothing short of a bad business move. I am sure it’s one move out of many that is forcing the company to scale down.

Now before I start getting emails calling me a racist lets look at incomes in the area where the Albertsons Grocery Store is currently located in North Tulsa and the average profit a grocery store makes. The residents in zip code 74106 for the tax year of 2004 had an Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $21,940 (Individual Income Tax Returns) for the rest of the state the AGI was $41,245. The median income for households in the zip code 74106 as of 2005 was $19,497 compared to the state-wide average of $37,063. Source City-Data.com Why would a business catering to the public move to a part of town where the least amount of income is concentrated?

Next let’s look at the income a grocery store makes. Anyone familiar with the grocery industry will tell you the mark-up on food items is pennies on the dollar. Food is one of the least marked up items for sale to the general public. The main money makers for any grocery store is in beer and wine sales; but wait we have some outdated laws in Oklahoma that stop that revenue stream. According to state law grocery stores in Oklahoma can only sell near beer and are banned from selling wine. The outdated laws cause many grocery chains to shun even doing business in the state. According to the Food Marketing Institute the average profit for a grocer is 1.5 cents for every one dollar sold. This is a national average not taking into account the alcohol laws penalizing grocers in Oklahoma.

The reality of the situation is the grocers that are filling the void that Albertsons is leaving are in business to make money. Being a partner in the community is good, creating new jobs is good, and helping under developed parts of a city is good, making money so you can keep your door open … that is paramount. Quoting a line from the movie “Wall Street”; never get emotional about business.

Warning for NE Oklahoma Dog Owners

During this past week Northeast Oklahoma has received way above average amounts of rainfall. A consequence of having so much rain is some type of stinging wasp coming out of the ground. Having lab puppies who love to play in the mud in what used to be my back flowerbed I discovered dogs can be allergic to wasp stings. This afternoon one of my pups got stung in the face and the resulting allergic reaction almost cost her life.

I have never seen a dog’s face swell and break out like my pups. Rushing her to the veterinarian her wind pipe started slowly swelling shut. A simple shot of steroids administered by our vet reduced her swelling immediately. The doctor informed me that many dogs have been brought into his office this week for treatment due to allergic reaction from wasp stings. A stop gap measure is to administer Benadryl when seeing the swelling occur to halt the possibility of a fatal allergic reaction.

Tonight Cocoa is lying by my feet as I write this entry still a little swollen in the face from being stung but no longer looking like George Foreman after 12 rounds. So please pay close attention to your outside dogs for the next week or so until this type of wasp takes flight and leaves its winter nest.

Cincinnati and Tulsa A Tale of Two Cities

Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by today. I had promised all of my readers that I would write a comparison on Tulsa and Cincinnati when I returned from my trip last weekend. I decided that a knee jerk article would not be very helpful as I am prone to leap before I look and at times speak before I think. Therefore I decided I would best serve my readers by taking a week and really look and reflect on the massive difference and similarities between the two Midwest cities.

The best way to start is with the obvious differences one experiences while visiting Cincinnati. Upon my arrival in the Cincinnati airport I noticed the dilapidated condition of the facilities. I am unfamiliar with the splitting of the tax revenue of their air transport facilities however I believe the area is poorly serviced by city leaders and airport management. It serves only to cast a bad reflection on the city for first time visitors. In contrast Tulsa has invested millions updating its airport facilities and continues to do so to accommodate both anticipated growth and new state of the art requirements. First impressions it would seem is gravely misunderstood by the leaders of Cincinnati. However once getting past the first impression of the airport I found Cincinnati itself to be a terrific city.

I have not traveled much in the Eastern part of the United States and I was unprepared for the age of Cincinnati. Founded in 1819 as a city it is almost a century older than Tulsa with over twice the regional population. In great contrast to Tulsa it is a population that seems very divided over ethnic and religious differences. This sharp provincial attitude is the greatest weakness of Cincinnati I found during my visit. Tulsa in contrast I believe is very multi-ethnic and there are much less sharp divisions among our residents. Walk into any of our grocery stores and you will see a rainbow of people for the most part getting along and going about their daily lives.

I was fortunate to have lunch with a lovely young family that was Jewish during my visit and while explaining how Tulsa is a mixing pot of people and religion with a Mosque blocks from my house they grew somewhat uncomfortable. Where I think nothing of having friends and good neighbors of every ethnic and religious background everyone it seems in Cincinnati lives and associates with “their own kind” leaving a great void in the richness that having a truly multi-cultural environment provides residents. Unification it would seem is not desired among Cincinnati residents.

Cincinnati itself was originally laid out as a town of the horse and buggy. Cars where not even invented when the originally plans where drawn up for streets. The result of today’s adaptations is a city where one can walk to go to the movies, shop, and perform daily task. In Tulsa you cannot really walk anywhere and must burn 16 oz. of gasoline to buy a 16 oz. fountain drink at a store. I didn’t see nearly as many fat people in Cincinnati as I see in Tulsa. Cars of course are needed for any real transportation in Cincinnati but the care and upkeep of the roads and side streets are almost flawless compared to Tulsa and its totally dilapidated and crumbling transportation infrastructure. Decades of mismanagement and lack of foresight by our city and county leaders has saddled our current administration with a near impossible job of fixing the grievous errors of its predecessors with our streets, highways and bridges.

Another major thing that struck me about the two cities is the investment in revitalization of both downtowns. Cincinnati is further along in its renovations and the results from what I could tell have been extremely impressive. No detail has gone unnoticed and not once did I feel unsafe or extra aware of my surroundings. I cannot say the same for Tulsa as we have an unusually high amount of homeless and drifters walking the streets of our city harassing residents and downtown workers. Those workers and their daily experiences set the attitude for the rest of the city casting a negative attitude towards our downtown revitalization. It has not been until very recently that a police presence was finally felt in downtown Tulsa adding some measure of safety. Tulsa is in the midst of a major rejuvenation of our very historic and impressive although much smaller downtown area. I would strongly recommend to our civic leaders a visit to Cincinnati and learn how their city leaders have overcome major obstacles that still face us today with our revitalization attempts.

Geographically the Southern Ohio area is very beautiful with rolling hills and plenty of woodlands. The Ohio River is impressive and the City has done fairly well utilizing the riverfront to add to the quality of life for residents. Tulsa is very similar in geography just in a scaled down version. Our hills are not quite so tall and our Arkansas River is much smaller due to harnessing upstream of water for power production and land management. I felt at home in Cincinnati and to my surprise I found a major bridge named after my family. Upon coming to this country my family settled in Southern Ohio and Kentucky. It wasn’t until the mid 19th century that some migrated to Oklahoma and Texas. So in a way it was a bit of a homecoming for me. I now understand the reasons for my family settling in the area.

Overall I see in Cincinnati what Tulsa can become with hard work and a unified vision. Tulsa is at a point in history that it has found itself at a cross roads and tough decisions must be made for the future. It can either follow the lead and be proactive in its development and be a fine city like Cincinnati or it can fall back to a stagnant reactive political mindset and become a mini St. Louis, Missouri. A city ridden with violent crime and impoverished minorities with no opportunities; a city that is dirty old and crumbling. I am hoping and praying for a positive outcome and believe that we have in our hands the one chance to get it right. Only time will tell.

This Week in My Tulsa

Like most of the United States, Tulsa got hit with a cold blast last weekend. We actually had snow in Tulsa in April! The snow didn’t stick to the ground but the flakes where huge and coming down at a good clip off and on for a couple of days. While the snow was cool to watch the big splash of colors this spring all pretty much withered away. All of my Iris blooms this year got deep froze and it’s doubtful they will bloom this season.

The Azalea Festival in Muskogee, Oklahoma was devastated with a one two punch from Mother Nature this year. First we had the massive ice storms that damaged many of the azalea bushes then during peak bloom time, temperatures in the 20’s caused 30,000 plants in full bloom to turn brown and green deep freezing every flower over night. So after a brief splash of spring colors everything will be turning to the colors of summer soon. Northeast Oklahoma will be Green Country again. Anything will be better than the brown and grey tones of the city that Tulsa residents live with during the winter.

Our Vision 2025 project that’s trying to rehab Tulsa is coming along faster than I would imagine. Our new downtown arena is taking shape and I think it’s starting to inspire private investors. Plans have been resubmitted to demolish the area behind the downtown city metro bus station to make way for a new hotel. A private investor has purchased the Coney Island building on 4th and Cheyenne. The downtown blemish will be getting a complete facelift according to the new owner.

Finally the damaged downtown fountain is being repaired. Since its installation last year we have had three drunk drivers crash into it leaving the bowl inside damaged. For the record none of the drunks that crashed into the fountain where illegal aliens, just good ole drunk Okies not used to navigating around things like fountains in cities.

The Camelot Hotel is coming down. The Tulsa landmark has been abandoned for 11 years and has become a health and safety hazard to residents. No one wanted to invest the money needed to rehab the building and a piece of Tulsa history again gets the wrecking ball. I will be kind of sad to see it go after seeing it my entire life but hopefully with some new development the I-44 and Peoria corridor will start to improve.

I for one am eager to see the new changes take shape and see what kind of downtown we actually wind up having in the end. Something has to be done, the downtown we have now is crumbling, old, and over run with homeless and drug dealers. Lots of cool building that can’t be found anywhere else in the world is in our downtown Tulsa. It time for our entire community to start to enjoy downtown again.

Tulsa Mayor's Daughter Busted

Elizabeth Frame the 24 yr old daughter of Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor was arrested early this morning for driving while under the influence. The arrest happend downtown near 15th and Cincinnati at 2 am; the legal time for downtown bars and nightclubs to close for the evening. Ms. Frame ran a stop sign and was stopped as part of the crack down on illegal activity in the downtown area by Tulsa police. She refused a breathalizer test and failed a field sobriety screening unable to maintain her balance. She was booked in the Tulsa jail and released on $1,000 bond as a first time offender. Mayor Tayor commented on the arrest stating:

"I have always been proud of my daughter and am very supportive of her. This is a private family matter. Although I realize I am a public figure, my family is not. We will handle this as a supportive family should."

City of Tulsa to Move into the Dirty Ice Cube

The City of Tulsa announced today the purchase of the newest Williams Building, One Technology Center, for 80 million dollars. The city plans on moving out of the current City Hall and is looking to possibly renovate the old dated building and surrounding delapidated city complex into a very very ugly hotel. The One Technology Center is the newest major building in downtown Tulsa since the early 1970's and has been plauged with structural problems due to the severe storms we are prone to have in Oklahoma. The building has been nicknamed "The Dirty Ice Cube" by locals due to the greyish tinted glass that makes up the complete outside structure. The entire building is a stark contrast to the rest of downtown and actually looks like a massive ice cube made out of dirty water.

More on the story at KOTV.com

Monday Morning Humor Late Edition - Tulsa Road Crew??

The Humor Archives

Ice Storm Slams Oklahoma

What a wild winter in Tulsa! First we get a massive snow storm earlier in the winter and now we are getting slammed with a deadly ice storm. Forecasters predict by Sunday we will have one inch of ice and one inch of sleet in Tulsa. Walking outside with the sleet and high winds has become painful. The sleet feels like thousands of tiny razors hitting your face. Roads are virtually impossible to drive on tonight and we are just getting started folks. Our Governor Brad Henry has already declared a state wide emergency.

Being a bit of a procrastinator I waited until this afternoon to stock up for what is sure to be a long wait at home. Store shelves quickly emptied out today of all the essentials. Many of the younger shoppers I chatted with seemed to be in good spirits despite the mess outside but I could see the look of worry in many shoppers’ eyes. Bread, dairy, beer, soda drinks and diapers seemed to be the best sellers. The grocery store needed traffic cops in the aisles with the huge volume of last minute frantic shoppers.

One word of advice to my fellow Tulsans if you don’t absolutely need to drive then stay home. Don’t think that because you own a 4 X 4 vehicle you can drive on this stuff. It isn’t snow it is ice that is on the roads. No car or truck does well on ice … period. The traffic reporter today on KRMG 740 said it best when he said there are so many wrecks he could not list them all.

Stay home, stay warm, make babies, check on elderly neighbors and keep pets inside. I will be posting photos from around the area once the storm passes on Sunday.

Winter Storm Slams Tulsa Makes Travel a Nightmare

Tulsa became a winter wonderland to end out this week and the month of November. A powerful ice and snow maker swept through the city leaving many areas with 9 to 11” of snow and ice. I took three measurements in my yard in South Tulsa with an average snow depth of 11” with 4’ drifts against the house. The entire city was shut down including the airport and our major turnpikes. In twenty years of living here I have never seen this much snow fall at one time.

My shop had orders going out today so I got to venture around the city this morning. It was a very hazardous task trying to drive. Unlike many cites as close north as Kansas City or Joplin, Tulsa takes horrible care of their roads during snow and ice storms. I saw no snow plows and no sand or salt trucks. It looks as if the City of Tulsa did a half assed job (again) of trying to plow major roads running North and South and totally ignored major roads running East and West.

I am sure I will be going back into the auto shop for an alignment and possibly new shocks and struts next week. If only people could send the bill to the city for the unnecessary punishment our cars take trying to drive on Tulsa city roads! Overall though business is slow and I have time now to play some in the white stuff and be a kid again for a day. My friend Drew over at knit-o-rama called today the snow maker is heading up to Ohio. I am sure those people get hit a lot harder than us!

Oklahoma Centennial Downtown Tulsa Multi Media Fireworks Display

 
 

This month marks the 100th anniversary of Oklahoma statehood. Tulsa has been selected to
start off a state wide celebration. Events will be culminating state wide to the lead up to the actual celebration of our 100th anniversary in Oklahoma City. The people in charge of the downtown centennial celebration show tonight did an amazing job.

Over a dozen downtown high rise buildings where involved either in pyrotechnics, laser lights or serving as 200’ projection screens. Workers covered the sides of two office towers with white plastic sheeting to create huge movie screens. During the start of the show our newly reelected Governor Brad Henry addressed the crowd via video recording. Seeing the governor address the crowd below with his image being 200 feet tall above us had an Orwellian feeling.

However the show quickly moved on and images of our past came to life in stunning detail. Accompanied by a safe choice in music, a very impressive laser show and some cool fireworks shooting off the tops of the buildings; downtown was changed into something I never could have imagined. I managed to not even cringe too hard having to hear Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma” for at least the ten thousandth time.

One of the other reasons I went was to test my photo skills with fireworks. I found some very useful advice sites MalekTips and Smithsonian Photographers for tips and tricks on how to get great fireworks display shots. The sites where very educational and this being my first time attempting this on a semi professional level I think the results came out decent. I learned a lot of what to do and not to do for this type of photography and will improve with the next show I attend.

UPDATE: For those in the Tulsa viewing area.

If you didn't make it downtown Saturday, don't worry. You didn't miss a minute. The News on Six had cameras all across the skyline, and we'll show you the ceremony again Sunday night on the CW. That's channel 12 if you have cable, and channel 19 if you're on antenna or satellite. Show starts at 10:30 Sunday night.

KOTV.com

Oklahoma Scottish Festival

I attended the Oklahoma Scottish Festival this weekend. Tulsa has hosted the Scottish Games and Festival in our community for 27 years now. If bagpipes annoy you this is probably an event you want to skip. Being of Scottish ancestry though I found this year’s festival enjoyable and it gave me a stronger desire to further explore my roots.

It’s been several years since I have attended the Scottish Festival it was pre- “Braveheart” and not so dangerous. I don’t recall last time there being virtual medieval armories of weapons for purchase. One of the first things I noticed was an abundance of sword packing people and a virtual absence of a police presence other than a couple of reserve officers. The thought crossed my mind of someone getting out of hand and everything turning into a bizzaro version of The Capitol One commercials with the medieval soldiers. Scottish culture is a lot more than just ancient battles! The clan booths where plentiful at the festival discussing geneology and Scottish history. Celtic music, household items, and clothing where also offered by vendors.

I thought about getting a kilt this year and showing off my sexy legs. However I am still clueless and to which actual clan that I belong to our families tartan. The only thing I know for sure is the part of the United States my Scottish ancestors settled and that we have always been Presbyterians according to my Grandmother. I did find out that Oklahoma now has its own official tartan. I like the pattern and choice of colors.

After a few hours the typical Oklahoma end of summer heat and lack of shade started taking a toll on my friends one by one and we had to bail to the nearest QT to cool off. It was around 96 degrees today and the red dust blowing up off the Arkansas River banks clung to our skin and clothes as we sweat. I noticed several people only staying for a few hours at a stretch. The games, the music and traditional wear though where a great step out of the ordinary and I always get a deeper appreciation from where my people originated when I attend these festivals.

I did manage to catch the last half of the University of Oklahoma vs. The Oregon Ducks football game. After seeing highlights of the first half and watching the entire second half Oklahoma beat Oklahoma the Ducks just got the win. Oklahoma had a ton of penalties being called coupled with some  serious blunders by the officials cost them the game. Oklahoma tried a three point kick with two seconds on the clock but it was'nt meant to be this time. The Ducks went on to defeat Oklahoma 33-34 the first win against Oklahoma in seven season meetings. I am afraid it’s going to be a long season for the young Sooner team.

I have included some new photos from The Oklahoma Scottish Gathering 2006.

Oklahoma Roads and Flickr

Finally the rain and cooler temps are back. A teaser of the very first glint of fall and so long to 100 degree heat for the year. I found this weekend a cool project online offered through flickr. They have provided a map of the world and you can add a geographical point to the map to share with the rest of the internet. You add pictures related to the geographical point that you select. So if a person wants to see pictures of just Tulsa they can do a search and everyone who has indexed their photos relating to the Tulsa area get displayed to the user. Check it out and start uploading your photos.

On a separate note I got to bitch a little bit. I found some wonderful property that I am looking at buying outside of Tulsa with 158 acres, a small lake, woods, pasture and a nice smaller home. The deal breaker is the bridge I have to take to get to it. See below. Oklahoma has some of the worst roads in the country. This thing looks dangerous and damn ugly...

Random Midtown Tulsa Photos

Woodward Park Native American Bronze Sculpture

Spent part of my Sunday morning today taking photos around the mid-town area of Tulsa. Also got off a couple of pictures of our downtown area.  The bronze sculpture seen above is one of many impressive bronze works in the Tulsa Parks System. Currently in the city limits Tulsa has 140 parks encompassing roughly 6,000 acres.

Soon I will be taking a walking tour of our downtown area and sharing more photos. Tulsa being the oil capitol of the world for most of the 20th century the downtown buildings are very impressive not in size and scope but in their uniqueness and wonderful lobbies where no expense was spared.

Additional Sunday Morning Photos