I am sure that CAIR-OK, the 

Mayor's of both Moore and Norman, 

with the help of Home Creations, 

will have something like this...

Norman Earthquake Shakemap

Earthquake 5.1 intensity. 

Epicenter 10 - 15 miles east of Norman. 

Quake felt in over 300 ZIP codes, including Kansas and Texas

Only in the People's Republic of Norman

Got this in a email...

I was on Flood at the tire shop and we were talking about The City.

He said the merchants were told the work on Flood would include replacing the sewage line.

He said they just did that 2 years ago and was told no they didn't.

They had to go down town and finally someone realized it had been done under contract and they didn't have that in the roads department records so they didn't know.

Medieval Fair of Norman is just one week away!!!!!!

Admission is free!

Order of Merriment

Opening Ceremony & Grand Procession
10:00 - Friday only – begins at

SCA Compound and ends at Royal Pavilion

Jousting Tournament – Jousting Field
11:00 & 3:00 each day

Human Chess Game – Camelot Stage
1:00 & 5:00 each day

Wedding – Minstrel Circle
2:00 -Saturday & Sunday – public invited!

Costume Contest – Camelot Stage
2:30 – Saturday & Sunday only

Royal Procession
4:00 -Saturday & Sunday – begins at Royal Pavilion

Last Huzzah
Gryphon Stage – 6:15 -Sunday only

Held annually since 1976, this event relives the Middle Ages with arts and crafts, food, games, jousting tournaments, human chess games, costume contests, and more.

Entertainment for the whole family includes minstrels, dancing, theater and reenactments, jugglers, magicians, knights jousting on horseback and human chess games. Brightly costumed characters include King Arthur, mermaids, and the fair's king and queen.

The Medieval Fair of Norman is the state's largest weekend event and the third largest event in Oklahoma, and was selected by Events Media Network as one of the top 100 events in the nation.

Merriment abounds with jugglers, minstrels, dancing, human chess games and knights jousting on horseback.

Six Stages with continuous performances!

Games & rides for all ages!

King Arthur and Sir Lancelot!

Face painting and wax hands!

Fighting demonstrations!

New suprises each year!

Browse through the medieval village of over 200 art and craft booths offering unique and handcrafted wares. Offerings include pottery, wood crafts, stained glass, armor, costumes, fairy wings, jewelry, leather crafts, hair garlands, and much more.

Experience the Middle Ages with food fit for a king, Feast on a smoked turkey leg, roasted corn or handcrafted root beer.

Admission is free!

Admission is free!

The Medieval Fair is located at:
Reaves Park
2501 South Jenkins Avenue
Norman, Oklahoma 73072

Norman is located in central Oklahoma, just 17 miles south of Oklahoma City on Interstate 35. See state map below.

Reaves Park is located on Jenkins Avenue between Lindsey St. and HWY 9 East. From I-35 take HWY 9 East to Jenkins Avenue. Turn north (left). See Norman street map below.

Admission is free!

Norman street map
Click on image for larger view

Admission is free!

Admission is free!

34th Annual Medieval Fair of Norman

Admission is free!

Held annually since 1976, this event relives the Middle Ages with arts and crafts, food, games, jousting tournaments, human chess games, costume contests, and more.

Entertainment for the whole family includes minstrels, dancing, theater and reenactments, jugglers, magicians, knights jousting on horseback and human chess games. Brightly costumed characters include King Arthur, mermaids, and the fair's king and queen.

The Medieval Fair of Norman is the state's largest weekend event and the third largest event in Oklahoma, and was selected by Events Media Network as one of the top 100 events in the nation.

Merriment abounds with jugglers, minstrels, dancing, human chess games and knights jousting on horseback.

Six Stages with continuous performances!

Games & rides for all ages!

King Arthur and Sir Lancelot!

Face painting and wax hands!

Fighting demonstrations!

New suprises each year!

Browse through the medieval village of over 200 art and craft booths offering unique and handcrafted wares. Offerings include pottery, wood crafts, stained glass, armor, costumes, fairy wings, jewelry, leather crafts, hair garlands, and much more.

Experience the Middle Ages with food fit for a king, Feast on a smoked turkey leg, roasted corn or handcrafted root beer.

Admission is free!

Admission is free!

The Medieval Fair is located at:
Reaves Park
2501 South Jenkins Avenue
Norman, Oklahoma 73072

Norman is located in central Oklahoma, just 17 miles south of Oklahoma City on Interstate 35. See state map below.

Reaves Park is located on Jenkins Avenue between Lindsey St. and HWY 9 East. From I-35 take HWY 9 East to Jenkins Avenue. Turn north (left). See Norman street map below.

Free parking is available one block from the park at Lloyd Noble Center, located just north of HWY 9 East on Jenkins Avenue. (Handicapped parking is available on the park grounds.)

Admission is free!

Norman street map
Click on image for larger view

Admission is free!

Admission is free!

Mark Amspacher R.I.P.

Mark Amspacher, longtime owner of the downtown Diner, died Monday in Norman Regional Hospital. He was 56.

Services are pending with Havenbrook Funeral Home of Norman.

Mark has owned the Diner since 1996. A popular downtown gathering spot, the restaurant at 212 E Main St., was featured on a segment of the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" in 2009.

Mark was a butcher in Norman and became more interested in food and cooking, he said, and went to work as a manager at The Diner. He came to work one day about 1992 and the door was locked.

"The guys who hired me forgot to pay their taxes," Amspacher said.

An attorney that ate breakfast at the diner almost every day called Amspacher and told him he would do the legal work if Amspacher would buy the diner and open the doors.

The Diner hasn't changed much over the years, Amspacher said, and he tries to keep it looking the way it did.

Vinyl booths (10) with Formica table tops and 10 stools line the Formica counter for a total of 50 seats.
Best known for his award-winning chili, Mark also prepares a chocolate chili, which is a staple at the annual Chocolate Festival in Norman. Bowls of it were served Saturday at this year's event.

He won the state's chili championship cookoff two years running before they asked him to retire and serve as a judge.

Raised in and around a south Norman grocery and deli owned for years by his family, Mark also trained under chefs from the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, N.Y. He worked as a chef in restaurants in Oklahoma City and Norman before buying the Diner in 1996.

People's Republic of Norman Mayor & Council filing

Nine residents completed candidacy declarations on the first day of filing Monday for Norman City Council Wards 2, 4, 6 and 8, as well the mayor's office, although none filed on Tuesday.

Races are assured in the March 2 election for Norman City Council Wards 4, 6 and 8, as well as the mayor's office after the filing period ended at the close of business Wednesday.

Councilman Tom Kovach, Ward 2, will run unopposed.

Councilwoman Carol Dillingham, Ward 4, filed a candidacy declaration for the upcoming municipal elections at the Cleveland County Election Board on Wednesday, making her the last incumbent council member to do so.

The battle for the Ward 4 seat on the Norman City Council is now a four-way contest.

John Dawson, 65, filed his candidacy declaration earlier Wednesday at the Cleveland County Election Board.

Two challengers already had filed in Ward 4 earlier in the week.

Austin Dyches, 28, 619 Kansas St., and J. Michael Sherrod, 55, 904 N. Peters Ave., filed candidacy declarations for Ward 4 on Monday.

Dillingham, 57, lives at 1711 S. Pickard Ave.

In Ward 6, the incumbent, Dr. James Griffith, filed for re-election. The 60-year-old dentist lives at 5 Wildwood Court. Challenger Matt Zellner, 23, 105 W. Vida Way, filed for the seat as well.

Filings in Ward 8 include the incumbent, Realtor and former high school principal Dan Quinn, 63, 3221 Greenwood Drive, and X-Norman police officer (retired) now now Cleveland County Sheriff's deputy Steve Lucas, 52, 804 Fairway Drive.

Leonard Youngblood, 50, filed his candidacy declaration for Ward 8 late Wednesday, joining Quinn and Lucas.

Youngblood lives at 3201 Swan Hollow Drive.

Mayor Cindy Rosenthal, 59, 903 Carey Drive, and attorney Hal Ezzell, 39, 4601 Fountain Gate Drive, filed for the mayor's post on Monday.

People's Republic of Norman Mayor & Council filing for Monday

The filing period for potential City of Norman council members representing Wards 2, 4, 6 and 8, as well as the mayor's office, began Monday morning.

Interested parties must file at the Cleveland County Election Board by the close of business on Wednesday.

The fee for filing for a city council seat is $50, the mayor's office fee is $75.

For more information, call the CCEB, 614 E. Robinson St., at 366-0210.

9 residents completed candidacy declarations on the first day of filing Monday for Norman City Council Wards 2, 4, 6 and 8, as well the mayor's office.

Ward 2 Councilman Tom Kovach was the first to file for re-election Monday morning. Kovach, 47, resides at 1426 Beverly Hills.

Mayor Cindy Rosenthal, who teaches political science at the University of Oklahoma, was the first to file a candidacy declaration for the mayor's race. Rosenthal, 59, resides at 903 Carey Drive.

Councilman Hal Ezzell, Ward 3, filed his paperwork for the mayor's race Monday as well. Ezzell, a lawyer, is 39. He lives at 4601 Fountain Gate Drive.

Austin Dyches, 28, filed paperwork Monday to join the race for the Ward 4 council seat. Dyches resides at 619 Kansas St.

J. Michael Sherrod, 55, also filed a candidacy declaration for Ward 4 Monday. Sherrod resides at 904 N. Peters Ave.

Ward 4 Councilwoman Carol Dillingham said last month she'd run for re-election, but didn't file paperwork to do so by mid-afternoon Monday.

Ward 6 Councilman James Griffith also filed his candidacy declaration Monday. Griffith, 60, a dentist, lives at 5 Wildwood Court.

Matt Zellner, 23, filed his candidacy declaration for Ward 6. Zellner lives at 105 W. Vida Way.

X-Norman PD (Ret), now Cleveland County Sheriff's deputy Steve Lucas (52), filed his declaration of candidacy Monday to become the next Ward 8 council member. He lives at 804 Fairway Drive.

Ward 8 Councilman Dan Quinn, a real estate agent, filed his paperwork Monday. Quinn, 63, lives at 3221 Greenwood Drive.

(RINO?) Ezzell announces for People's Republic of Norman Mayor

Just like we said, Ward 3 city councilman (RINO?) Hal Ezzell has announced his candidacy for Mayor of the People's Republic of Norman.

Mayor Cindy Rosenthal announced that she would run earlier in the month.

(RINO?) Ezzell said the city is failing miserably at taking care of the resources and infrastructure that already exists in Norman, adding there are $8 million in capital maintenance. He also said the city relies too heavily on costly outside consultants as they make decisions and undertake costly and ambitious projects.

"I want to restore fiscal responsibility and transparency to Norman city government," (RINO?) Ezzell said. "While searching for solutions to difficult and far-reaching issues, we must be mindful of the unprecedented economic circumstances that confront the city, state and nation."

Pointing to his promotion of the curbside recycling program, a better animal control facility and a measured approach to city growth, (RINO?) Ezzell said he's done plenty while a councilmember to benefit Norman.

"I am proud of all I have accomplished during my service on the city council," he said. "I am especially proud of being actively involved with police officers, firefighters and the citizens' group Rescue Norman to pass the public safety sales tax."

(RINO?) Ezzell also criticized Rosenthal and other members of the city council for not adopting tougher ethics reform, instead choosing "weak policy with no real teeth or consequences."

"As mayor, I will adopt a meaningful ethics ordinance to prove we are serious about transparency in city government and fully answers the question of conflicts of interests," he said.

The filing dates for the upcoming election, which includes Wards 2, 4, 6 and 8, are Jan. 11-13, 2010.

The election will be March 2, 2010.

Cindy Rosenthal has announced that she would seek a second term as Norman's mayor

Cindy Rosenthal has announced that she would seek a second term as Norman's mayor.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to work with citizens across our community to try to sustain the outstanding quality of life that we have come to expect in Norman," Rosenthal said. "While we have accomplished a lot as a city and a community over the past two and a half years, we face a critical set of challenges that we can tackle by pulling together."

Rosenthal pointed to several accomplishments during her first term, including passage by voters of a public-safety sales tax, which has allowed the city to implement a community-oriented policing strategy and improve fire services. "Plans are well under way for construction of two new fire stations, and we have developed a five-year strategic plan for community-oriented policing that will put more police officers on neighborhood patrols and increase community partnerships aimed at preventing crime," she said. She added that other public safety initiatives include plans to improve city streets, enhance bicycle safety, and replace the city's outdoor warning system, which will be brought to the voters for approval in March.

"I have been privileged to lead a hard-working City Council that has passed a number of new, comprehensive policies to improve public events, animal welfare, ethics, maintenance of public facilities, and energy efficiency," Rosenthal said. "Citizens also soon will benefit from technological improvements that make City Council meetings more accessible on the Internet and other efforts to help ensure city government is more transparent and responsive."

Under Rosenthal's leadership, the city has launched curbside recycling, adopted a fleet management policy utilizing CNG and alternative fuels vehicles, promoted health and recreational initiatives, begun inclusive community dialogues, conducted its first comprehensive citizen satisfaction survey, and promoted beautification efforts that include a master plan for bridge designs in the I-35 corridor.

"We have major challenges ahead on which I hope to work with Council and our citizens during a second term," she said. "We continue to work on the management of storm water to protect water quality in Lake Thunderbird and to mitigate the periodic flooding that threatens homes and businesses. In addition, we have begun the important work of assessing our park and recreation needs, identifying opportunities for trails and greenways for both pedestrians and bicyclists, and evaluating strategies to revitalize the Porter Corridor."

Rosenthal recently was elected vice president of the Oklahoma Municipal League and also serves on the steering committee of the Regional Transit Dialogue sponsored by the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments.

"Norman must be a leader in addressing some of the critical issues facing the metropolitan area, including the creation of a 21st century public transit system and dealing with such long-range challenges as water supply and air pollution," she said.

Rosenthal noted that as Norman deals with the effects of the current economic downturn in the coming months, responsible and transparent management of city resources will be a high priority.

"Norman has been recognized by various national media as a great city and our citizens tell us that they are very pleased with city services. Nonetheless, we can always make improvements, and that will be the goal of my second term working with the Council, the City Manager and our citizens," she said.

Twice elected to represent Ward 4 before winning the mayoral election in 2007, Rosenthal also is the director of the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma and a professor of political science and public administration. In 2009, she was awarded the distinguished public service award by the Oklahoma chapter of the American Society of Public Administration.

Hal Ezzell to run for Mayor of Norman

It look like Ward 3 Councilman Hal Ezzell has jump off the cilff and is running for Mayor of the People's Republic of Norman

Ezzell is making phone calls all over Norman and has call most of the City Council telling them that He is running for Mayor.

Councilman Ezzell has lived in Norman for over 30 years. Hal is an attorney in private practice specializing trusts, estate planning and taxation. He began his service on City Council in July of 2007. Council Member Ezzell currently serves on the Council Finance Committee and the Board of Trustees of the City of Norman Retirement System.

Hal graduated from Norman High School. Hal received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Central Oklahoma, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

Councilman Ezzell has served on the board for the Center for Children and Families and is previously served on the board of Independent Living Services for Youth (ILSY). Hal is also on the Board of Directors for the First Presbyterian Church of Norman Foundation. Hal is a member of the Norman Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of the Leadership Norman Class in 2005.

People's Republic of Norman not spending Money well

Editor, The Transcript:

Did the City of Norman really spend a million dollars on "speed humps" in the last six years? What were we thinking? Now some are having second thoughts about "humps" on CART and emergency vehicles routes.

No mention of school bus routes though. These concerns were voiced by many citizens years ago but were ignored. Whatever happened to Law Enforcement "calming traffic?"

The "humps" continue to grow. Thirty-seven of the latest ones need to be modified due to severity of graduation at a cost of $2,000 each. Did we not have specifications when we contracted for these to be installed? Did we not check before we paid the contractor to be sure the "humps" were installed correctly? Are we really that stupid?

Or as long as it is someone else's money you're spending it doesn't matter. Voters of Norman wake up. On next election day, remember how this City Council is spending your money. Or better yet demand a stop to this nonsense now!

BARBARA ELLIS

Norman

U2 to play Norman on October 19

U2 announced today they will to play in Norman on Monday, October 19 at the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

The band released a schedule of their 360 tour dates on their website through September 24 and also included Norman on October 19. The tour will include 14 European cities followed by a North American tour.

There will be about 10,000 tickets for each show being priced at only $30, according to a press release.

According to the site: “Long-time U2 Show Director Willie Williams has worked again with architect Mark Fisher (ZooTV, PopMart, Elevation and Vertigo), to create an innovative 360˚ design which affords an unobstructed view for the audience. U2 360° also marks the first time a band has toured in stadiums with such a unique and original structure.”

New Cleveland County Sheriff want a 'Drunk Tank' ?

Hat Tip to Hannah @ OU Multimedia Blog

OU Multimedia Blog:
Cleveland County may be on its way to getting a public detoxification center for adults caught intoxicated in public.

The center will be for adults seeking treatment for both drugs and alcohol. It will not be used to house juveniles.

Recently elected Cleveland County Sheriff Joe Lester has had a detoxification center on his mind for several years including the years he served at OU as the director of public safety.

“It’s still in the talking stages, but we are hoping to have a place to take people as an alternative to jail,” Lester said.

It is unknown the cost and location of the public detoxification center as of now, but soon more concrete details will be discussed, Lester said.

Funny, I do NOT remember Sheriff Joe, talking about a 'Drunk Tank' in Norman last year when He ran for Sheriff.

I do remember him on the Door's in North Cleveland County, talking about how Conservative he was. And how He step it up in the 30 day Runoff Election, talking about how He was going to make the Cleveland County Sheriff Dept. 287(g) with ICE. But no talking about a 'Drunk Tank'.

But I still think it odd that all of Sheriff Joe Liberal/ Progressive friends in the People's Republic of Norman could vote for a real Conservative.

Only in the People's Republic of Norman

And this is in my Prec,
It only go down hill if you go in to the
core part of the
People's Republic of Norman

A post Cindy "Let them eat cake" Rosenthal do NOT want you to read

A post Norman Mayor Cindy "Let them eat cake" Rosenthal and other Do-gooders in the People's Republic of Norman DO NOT want you to read

Curbside recycling is a FLOP not only in Oklahoma City, but, also in the "People's Republic of Norman" too !

All one has to do is to drive around in Norman and see how many households are doing curbside recycling !

Is this what next for the
People's Republic of Norman ?

Gang Green
By STEPHEN MOORE
August 15, 2008; Page W9

Earlier this month, while visiting a friend in San Francisco, I almost spilled my latte in my lap when I read this on the front page of the Chronicle: "S.F. Mayor Proposes Fines for Unsorted Trash."

The story began: "Garbage collectors would inspect San Francisco residents' trash to make sure pizza crusts aren't mixed in with chip bags or wine bottles under a proposal by Mayor Gavin Newsom." Isn't that what homeless people do -- rooting around in other people's garbage? If Bay Area residents are caught failing to separate the plastic bottles from the newspapers, according to the newspaper story, they could face fines of up to $1,000

"We don't want to fine people," the mayor is quoted saying reassuringly. "We want to change behavior." Translation: Do exactly as we say and no one gets hurt. And San Francisco considers itself one of the most progressive cities in America!

When I was a kid, the environmentalists promoted their clean skies and antilittering agenda mostly through moral suasion -- with pictures of an Indian under a smoggy sky with a tear rolling down his cheek or the owl who chanted on TV: "Give a hoot, don't pollute." Such messages made you feel guilty about callously throwing a candy bar wrapper on the ground or feeling indifferent toward car fumes. Back then I was a devoted recycler, but not for sentimental reasons. It was the financial incentive: You got up to a nickel for every bottle you brought back to the grocery store. So I would scavenge the landscape to find unredeemed bottles to buy baseball cards and candy.

But now the environmental movement has morphed into the most authoritarian philosophy in America. The most glaring example of course is the multitrillion-dollar cap-and-trade anti-global warming scheme that would mandate an entire restructuring of our industrial economy. This plan, endorsed by both presidential candidates, would empower climate-change cops to regulate the energy usage and carbon emissions of every industry in America. If we do this, the best estimates are that we could reduce global temperatures by 0.1 degrees by 2050 and save on average about one polar bear a year from early death. But no burden is too great when it comes to helping the planet -- even if the progress to be made is infinitesimal. To weigh costs and benefits is regarded as sacrilege -- the refuge of global warming "deniers."

There are also new federal and state proposals to snoop on citizens in our own homes. California is considering a plan to police the temperature settings on residents' thermostats. The feds are checking on the flush capacity of our toilets and the kinds of light bulbs we use. A new game called Climate Crime Cards urges kids to spy on and keep an online record of their family's environmental faux pas -- noting when their parents fail to turn off the TV, plug in too many appliances or use the clothes dryer on a sunny day. Sen. John Warner, a Republican from Virginia, wants to bring back the reviled 55-mile-per-hour federal speed limit law so that America can reduce gasoline consumption. Barack Obama believes that properly inflating the tires on our cars is the solution to our energy woes. Is the government going to start giving tickets for failure to inflate?

The latest rage among the more radical environmental groups is to encourage the government to monitor and ration every individual's carbon footprint -- how much you eat, drive, fly, heat, air condition, throw away and so on. Why? Because the average American emits twice as much carbon as the average European (which is another way of saying we are more productive than they are). This is all promoted as a form of shared sacrifice. But under this system some people are more equal than others.

People with enough money like Al Gore can purchase carbon offset credits to justify chartering a plane rather than having to fly commercial. Seems like this is the very kind of elitist policy -- reminiscent of the practice during the Civil War of allowing the rich and privileged to buy their way out of the draft -- that liberals used to be against.

Do-gooders also once wanted to "celebrate diversity," but total conformity seems to be the aim of those in Seattle these days, where the city has started putting green tags on garbage cans of homeowners who don't recycle. Enthusiasts boast that there is a very positive "Scarlet Letter" effect to subjecting noncompliers to public scorn. So you can almost hear the kitchen conversations: "Jimmy, I don't want you playing with the Williams boys anymore; their family doesn't recycle." But wait, aren't these the same ACLU members who oppose public registries of multiple sex offenders?

Many studies have shown that the environmental benefits from household recycling are minimal or at least highly exaggerated (because it uses a lot of energy and those recycling trucks emit a lot of greenhouse gases). America is not in danger of ever running out of landfill to store our garbage. For example, a study by Daniel Benjamin, an economist at Clemson, finds that we could store all of America's garbage for the next century within the property of Ted Turner's ranch in Montana, with 50,000 acres undisturbed for the horse and bison.
In reality, household recycling is mostly about absolving the guilt of Lexus liberals who just hate themselves for enjoying an affluent 21st-century lifestyle. The aim seems to be less saving nature than building self-esteem.

And it has worked. Too well. I can barely tolerate the proud recyclers, hybrid-car owners and "save the polar bear" button-wearers who smother us with their self-righteousness. A few weeks ago I was at the house of some friends, and I accidentally tossed a plastic Gatorade bottle into the glass recycling bin. You would have thought that I had made a pass at their daughter.

Fred Smith of the Competitive Enterprise Institute notes with rich irony that "we now live in a society where Sunday church attendance is down, but people wouldn't dream of missing their weekly trek to the altar of the recycling center." These facilities, by the way, are increasingly called "redemption centers." Which is fine except that now the greens want to make redemption mandatory. Oh, for a return to the days when someone stood up for the separation of church and state.

Mr. Moore is the senior economics writer for The Wall Street Journal editorial board.

People's Republic of Norman leaders have already made up their minds ?

People's Republic of Norman have leaders have already made up their minds ?

Will Cindy Rosenthal just say let them eat cake ?

Who care what the people want...

Norman residents
say they prefer 2-way roads
By James S. Tyree
Staff Writer

NORMAN — Norman residents and business people prefer keeping the Interstate 35 frontage roads as two-way streets, according to early survey results revealed Thursday.

With work to widen Interstate 35 in Norman scheduled to begin in January, the city council hopes to decide by early fall what changes, if any, to make with the frontage roads.

Kip Strauss of HNTB Corporation, a company hired by the city to study the frontage road issue, said results came from an online survey on the city's Web site and from postcards sent to 376 residents and businesses in the frontage road area.

The online frontage road survey will remain at www.normanok.gov through July 31. Anyone interested is invited to respond.

When asked what they liked most about Norman's frontage roads, 47 percent said that they're two-way streets and another 32 percent stated they like the easy access.

Only 12 percent said they didn't like the frontage roads, Strauss said, although public safety officials have told him the current arrangement delays their response times. [I would like to see data on this point]

Traffic safety is another concern. Strauss said Norman has had 330 collisions on or near the frontage roads from January 2004 through last month.

Published studies have shown one-way frontage roads have better traffic flow and have fewer crashes than two-way roads, although they do add travel distance. [Yes on the first point, but NOT on the second point]

"The community likes the ease and access of the two-way,” Strauss said. "There are concerns that a decision has already been made and about congestion and safety on the east/west streets (like Robinson and Main).”

Matt Bauer, of Development Strategies Inc., another company working with the city, said the frontage road decision would make little economic difference as a whole either way, though individual businesses could be affected. [Then why did OKC make 1-way streets into 2-way for economic and businesses, just a few weeks ago ?]

If the city opts for one-way roads, Bauer suggested creating "Texas turnarounds” — U-turn lanes placed right before intersections that give drivers easier access to the other opposing one-way road — and more secondary access roads. [Who are they trying to FOOL ??? Texas turnarounds work great for underpass's, BUT, IN NORMAN WE HAVE OVERPASS's !]

Shawn O'Leary, Norman public works director, said a third public meeting will be planned after city staff receives the state Transportation Department's traffic analysis. He said that study has been delayed, so the city won't make a final decision on frontage roads until September or later. [But it not on Ch 20, Funny how Mayor Cindy "them eat cake" Rosenthal shut down the people voice on Ch 20, just a few weeks ago]

[City of Norman] Questions seem vague
on one-way frontage road survey

Editor, The Transcript:

The City of Norman has posted a survey on the city Web site asking for input on the Interstate 35 frontage roads. Two of the questions on this survey suggest the city leaders have already made up their minds and want one-way frontage roads along I-35. One question asks whether drivers will accept delays crossing I-35 at Main Street or Robinson Avenue in order to maintain two-way frontage roads. The next question asks how much of a delay the driver will accept in order to maintain two-way frontage roads. As written, these questions imply that if you don't want to be delayed crossing I-35 on Robison or Main, you'd better not be in favor of two-way frontage roads.

My first concern is that these questions are vague. Is the city asking us to accept a delay greater than what we are currently experiencing? Is the city saying that after spending millions of dollars in design and construction the best they can do for us is make traffic worse?

My second concern is that this line of questioning seems to pit drivers who primarily cross I-35 at Robinson or Main against drivers who primarily use the frontage roads to travel to and from their residences and who patronize businesses on the frontage roads. Many residents and businesses along the frontage roads have been very vocal in their opposition to one-way frontage roads. Now the city is implying that if it maintains two-way frontage roads that cross-town travelers will be forced to accept increased (but unspecified) delays crossing I-35 at Robinson or Main. Is this the best we can do -- spend millions of dollars in design and construction for a zero sum game -- one group wins and the other loses? This also overlooks the fact that there aren't really two groups of drivers. Frontage road drivers often need to cross I-35 at Robinson or Main and I-35 crossers often need to drive along the frontage roads.

My third concern is that these questions make the survey unbalanced. A balanced survey would also ask questions such as, "In order to minimize delays crossing I-35 at Robinson or Main, how many extra miles are you willing to travel (and gallons of gas used) along a one-way frontage road system to get to your residence, school, retail store, favorite car dealership or restaurant?" "In order to minimize delays crossing I-35 at Robinson or Main, how many extra minutes are you willing to wait for police, fire and ambulance to respond to an emergency at your business, school or residence?"

The attributes of a redesigned I-35 frontage road system have been accurately expressed from the first city council meeting on this subject way back in late 2006: safety, accessibility, responsiveness of emergency services, orderly flow of increasing traffic volume and how the Rock Creek bridge fits into the picture. More surveys will not shed any further light on this issue. What we need is design options which include both one-way and two-way frontage roads and how each option will fulfill these attributes. While there may be some trade-offs, the "winning" design should benefit everybody -- a win/win solution. Who knows, maybe a one-way frontage road system is the best fit. Unfortunately, the current scope of the contract with HNTB to study this issue will not answer this question.

DAVE McCLURKIN Norman

Don't Norman our Moore... (Part 1)

Curbside recycling is a FLOP not only in Oklahoma City, but, also in the "People's Republic of Norman" too !

All one has to do is to drive around in Norman and see how many households are doing curbside recycling !

Moore mayor vows to try
again on curbside recycling

By M. Scott Carter

MOORE — Even though he wasn’t too successful during the last city council meeting, Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis said he would try again to establish a curbside recycling program.

“It didn’t happen this time,” he said. “But I believe, eventually, it will.”

Modeled after programs in Norman and Oklahoma City, Moore’s program would have cost between $1.56 to $3 per month and allowed residents to recycle at the curb, Lewis said. Residents weren’t required to participate; however, the fee would be applied to everyone.

Organized opposition at the July city council meeting killed the idea.

But just for now.

“We’ve been talking about doing curbside recycling before,” Lewis said. “There’s been a lot of discussion, but the council has had other priorities.”

But, like many other issues city leaders deal with, Lewis said the issue of recycling won’t “just go away.”

“Japan recycles about 90 percent of its trash,” he said. “They are so successful because their programs are mandatory. It’s the same in cities like Seattle, after a while the programs become mandatory.”

Eventually, Lewis said, the city will have to address the recycling issue, just like problems with its outdated sewage treatment plant.

“Right now we’re under an EPA consent order on our sewage plant,” he said. “And while our sewage rates are stable, I can almost assure you they will have to be increased. It’s like everything else right now. We’ll see some type of increase in the next year; there’s only so much we can absorb.”

Lewis said that same logic applies to the recycling debate.

“After so long things fill up,” he said. “And there’s nothing you can do.”

He noted that many residents make use of the waste dump near Interstate 240 and Bryant Avenue, but predicted that “more sooner than later” that disposal facility will be at capacity and residents will have to find another site to dispose of their refuse.

“A hunk of Oklahoma City and a good portion of Moore is already buried there,” he said. “All the rubble after the tornadoes. Originally it (the dump) was supposed to have a 50-year capability, but I believe it’s down to about 15 years. It’s going to fill up quickly.”

And with no space for dumping, Lewis said, some type of curbside recycling will become mandatory.

“One of the arguments is that recycling saves fuel,” he said. “I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of tons of plastic bottles in that landfill — and it took millions of gallons of fuel to create those. It’s cheaper to recycle than to create from scratch.”

But convincing voters will be difficult.

“Getting a program developed isn’t going to happen right away,” he said. “And right now we don’t want to make it mandatory; the timing’s wrong.”

Instead, Lewis said city officials were “working with the business community” to put out recycle bins and encourage voluntary recycling. “We still push people toward recycling. We have a lot of participation in Moore. For example, we have a lot of people that recycle newspapers.”

Still, Lewis predicts that eventually, Moore will be forced to do what other cities have done and develop a mandatory curbside program.

“It’s a good idea,” he said. “Recycling is just one of those thing it will have to be done because resources will be so scarce. We haven’t given up on a curbside program, we’re just going to phase it in. The city may have to subsidize it to get it started, but, eventually, it will become mandatory.”

M. Scott Carter 366-354 scarter@normantranscript.com

Norman Transcript say Rosenthal soliciting commitments "an illegal act"

Norman Transcript Editorial
A giant step backward
Published July 12, 2008

During Mayor Cindy Rosenthal's 2007 campaign for her seat, she campaigned vigorously on open and transparent government and bringing the trust back to municipal government.

At the June 24 City Council meeting, outgoing Ward 2 councilmember Richard Stawicki used language indicating that he had "promised" Rosenthal he would vote a certain way. He also apologized to the mayor for breaking his "agreement" with her on a vote.

E-mails to several citizens also indicate Rosenthal worked to poll councilmembers beforehand.

Other councilmembers have indicated this may not have been an isolated incident.

It's become apparent that Rosenthal believes it's her mayoral duty to poll councilmembers before discussion in open session on certain issues.

The Oklahoma Open Meeting and Records Act clearly states that securing commitments to vote a certain way is a violation of the act.

Ending back-room arm twisting was the reason the Open Meeting Act came into being. And while we don't believe the mayor intended any skullduggery, we also believe that appearances of not being open and transparent don't inspire trust in our local government.

The Open Meeting Act indicates that any vote taken in violation of the act is invalid.

City Attorney Jeff Bryant asserts that considering the facts of the case that there was no violation of the Open Meeting Act.

Other attorneys believe that comments made in public meetings indicate there was more pressure behind the scenes than just getting "a sense of the opinions of other members," as Rosenthal said.

To our way of thinking, a promise is a commitment. And an agreement is a commitment.

The mayor indicates that the fact that some councilmembers changed their minds on the vote is an indication no commitments were made. We disagree. The two instances are separate actions and have to be judged separately. Whether promises were kept has no bearing on the allegation that soliciting commitments at the outset is, in our view, an illegal act.

In several Oklahoma Attorney General's opinions, it states, "The Open Meeting Act is enacted for the public's benefit and it is to be construed liberally in favor of the public."

We urge councilmembers to consider "owning" the problem and voluntarily revoting the issue in question.

We also highly recommend hosting a seminar or study session on the Oklahoma Open Meeting and Records Act in council chambers and broadcast on Cox Channel 20. There are officials with the Oklahoma Municipal League who do an excellent job of conveying the essence of the act. Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson also does a very thorough job on the act in partnership with the Oklahoma Press Association.

It could potentially take what has been a giant step backward in the trust the community has in its leaders -- to a giant step forward.

Norman police conduct sobriety checkpoints

Norman police conduct checkpoints

"Hello, sir. I'm with the Norman Police Department and we're conducting a DUI checkpoint tonight. Have you been drinking?"

The answer Friday night and into early Saturday morning was resoundingly "No," followed by an explanation of some kind such as "I just got off work," "I've been fishing out at the lake" or "We just came back from graduation."

The NPD sobriety checkpoint was a success, M.P.O. Lance Arnold said.

Officers stopped 565 cars going east and west on Lindsey Street near Wiley Road. They only arrested four people for driving under the influence between 11:30 p.m. and 3 a.m. One of those also was arrested for possession of a controlled dangerous substance and another was cited for controlling an open container.

That low number of arrests means these checkpoints have been working.

"Deterrence is the main thing we're seeking in one of these things," Arnold said.

Police have noticed a decrease in arrests since they restarted DUI checkpoints about three years ago. For example, Arnold said when they conducted the first one near Lake Thunderbird they arrested 15 people for driving under the influence in the first 45 minutes. A year later they held one at the same place and only arrested three or four the whole time.

And even the four arrests at the checkpoint Friday night means four drunk drivers were taken off the road.

An older gentleman was the first arrest of the night shortly after midnight. He told officers he was on his way home to Edmond and tried to convince them to let him just get a room for the night instead of arresting him. The officers didn't go for the deal, instead arresting him and handcuffing him before transporting him to jail.

A young man was discovered driving a car through the checkpoint. He seemed under the influence of drugs, but denied using any, Officer Jeff Casillas said instead of involving him with the law, the officers called his parents to pick him up.

Officer Jason Schneider had worked one DUI checkpoint before. He said people can respond to the checkpoint in strange ways. Some try to drive around the checkpoint, but are apprehended by officers in "chase cars" stationed at either end of the checkpoint.

One 18-year-old man Schneider arrested for DUI last time told him he'd ruined his life. Schneider said he replied he didn't make the young man drink and drive.

Most of the drivers going through the checkpoint Friday night were polite. Some thanked the officers and wished them well. Workers from Pizza Shuttle across the street even brought the officers complementary pizza.

Arnold said when the checkpoints were started up again three years ago, many of the drivers who were stopped would be angry or rude.

"The vast majority now are very positive, thanking us for doing what we're doing," Arnold said.

One of the main reasons citizens are so positive now is they see the checkpoints aren't that disruptive. With about 15 officers working the checkpoint, cars go through quickly.

Officers try to limit their interactions with each driver to less than 30 seconds. A brief introduction to what they're doing and a few questions is enough.

"You can pretty much tell," Arnold said. "You can smell it or by the way someone acts."

Those drivers who were suspicious were told to drive into a nearby parking lot where officers conducted standard field sobriety tests.

The drivers got out of their vehicles and were made to walk in a line or follow the officer's finger from left to right and back. Many of those pulled over for further testing were then released.

The goal of the checkpoint isn't to deter drinking, but intoxicated driving, Capt. J.D. Younger said. Officers were encouraged by the designated drivers they met and the taxis that left the parking lot from Opie's Club nearby.

Ultimately, the DUI checkpoint is meant to raise awareness about drunk driving.

"I think the common thing you see with most people who drink and drive is they haven't thought about it beforehand," Younger said.

And it's important to think about it, because 35-40 percent of all fatal car crashes involve alcohol, Arnold said. More people are killed by drunk drivers in the U.S. than all violent crime combined, he said.

The Norman Police Department's DUI checkpoints are conducted by officers on overtime, not taking away anyone on normal patrols, Arnold said. The overtime is paid for through grants, so the cost to the city is negligible, he said.

The police department will conduct another DUI checkpoint this holiday weekend to try to keep the roads safe.

"This is unfortunately one of those weekends where the state highway department sends out on Tuesday how many people died over the weekend," Arnold said.

Hopefully, Arnold said, drivers will plan ahead and make good decisions. And hopefully, the DUI checkpoint will help.

Transcript Staff Writer