In 1989, it figured as the counterpoint to the Myriad Gardens, setting the anchor for our burgeoning Arts District, and today it still figures as part of that Arts District in Oklahoma City’s Core to Shore plan. In 1990, its colors were faded, ivy was growing on its concrete walls and it again faced demolition. […]
Commentary
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Counterpoint: Investing wisely
Especially in these challenging economic times, we must be even more focused on being good stewards of our resources and frugal in our planning. We are now trying to decide what would be the best way forward for Stage Center. Once again damaged by flooding and by subsequent deterioration, this aging facility is in need […]
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The post-9/11 Muslim experience
There is no Islamic goal or any benefit to Muslims here or abroad that justifies violence or the killing of innocent people, regardless of their religion. Our religion forbids it; it is a major sin upon the souls of those who do it. Innocent Muslims everywhere are paying dearly for the crimes of killers. After […]
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Time-out for towers
Burlingame, Calif.; Bangor, Maine; and Huntington, New York, are just a few of the cities around the country that recently enacted moratoriums on new towers while their city planners chart a course forward. A moratorium would give our city the time to come up with a thoughtful approach that balances the need for adequate wireless […]
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Feeling the heat
The hot, dry weather, with temperatures often reaching triple digits, brought a severe drought to Oklahoma, causing an estimated $2 billion in farming losses, according to Oklahoma Agricultural Commissioner Jim Reese. The weather helped spark wildfires, here in Oklahoma City and elsewhere in the state, which have destroyed and damaged homes, other buildings and vehicles, […]
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‘Education as a common good’
The danger in any kind of reform is that change is not an end in itself; it must actually lead somewhere. Therefore, before Oklahomans embark on serious reform of how we educate our children, we need to have an idea of what we want the end product to look like. In order to do that, […]
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Let’s start over
Then the dead child gets her name put on a piece of meaningless legislation. It is all too common for the children of Oklahoma. A few years ago, my wife and I attended a DHS-sponsored forum on how to become foster parents. One of the first slides explained the main problem with DHS: “The central […]
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Elitism for dummies
That’s what state Rep. Tom Newell, a Seminole Republican, apparently thinks, according to a recent media report, and he wants to “rein” it in through more intense legislative oversight. Newell’s comments were prompted by news that many Oklahoma universities and colleges were actually spending more this fiscal year than last year, despite a recent state […]
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Oklahoma City’s choices
Which means I’ve been able to see a lot more of the city since I moved back in January, in less time, than I would have been able to in the other two cities I’ve lived in, Boston and Atlanta. So much has changed. Downtown came back from the dead, an NBA franchise moved in, […]
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Okie local
One benefit of being a youngish righty is to see many fields where things, in my lifetime at least, have gotten quite a bit better. Divorce and crime rates have been dropping for some time now, and there are other areas related to quality of life that have improved markedly from the recent past. I […]