Case in point: Three-term Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett chose not to participate in a forum on Feb. 17 with his three opponents. It was organized by the Black Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Oklahoma City and community members at Fairview Missionary Baptist Church, 1700 NE Seventh St. About 100 people attended. It was the […]
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Engineering change
It’s no secret to Phil Hughes that he has little chance of being the next mayor of Oklahoma City. He has no website. With the primary less than a month away, he has done no fundraising. He has no campaign events planned, and he has no formal endorsements. But Hughes is a registered candidate and […]
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Enterprise schools work best
All three types of choice schools have excellent records that are virtually indistinguishable. Our application-only school market is oversaturated, however, and we must think anew. OKC’s Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) Reach College Preparatory, for instance, does great work, but its potential is maxed out. It still serves about half of the students as the […]
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Another convention center?
Shadid claims city and Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce officials were not honest with voters before the 2009 MAPS 3 election, particularly with the convention center project and a related convention center hotel. The convention center could cost taxpayers an estimated $250 million, but the hotel would not receive MAPS 3 funding. Voters approved […]
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Counterpoint: Streetcar budget defies reality
Numbers can make us numb. But they show why it’s imperative for city staff to stay on top of this project, to see if we can actually afford to build it at this length — and then to run it. Otherwise, budget overruns will imperil needed taxpayer support not only for the envisioned expansion of […]
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Point: Streetcar route a beginning
The framework for Phase 1 of the streetcar system has now been approved. This initial route will connect civic treasures, institutions, major employers and new housing downtown, reinforcing the significant economic engine that drives sales tax revenue benefiting our entire city. In addition, we are in the process of acquiring the historic Santa Fe Depot […]
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White magic
In a couple of years, the entire landscape for American kayakers and the availability of training courses will change, the three-time Olympian and four-time world champion said. Shipley, owner of S2O Design and Engineering in Lyons, Colo., the firm hired to design Oklahoma City’s MAPS 3 whitewater superpark, said the newest and most sophisticated course […]
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‘No tolerance’ doesn’t teach
In 1999, the committee was shocked to learn that the OKCPS only had 485 alternative school slots for students with behavioral or attendance problems, health conditions, pregnancy or parenting challenges or who were institutionalized. According to the state’s Needs Assessment, the OKCPS needed another 1,205 slots. We also knew that punitive policies, such as “zero […]
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Railing cry
Photo by Mark Hancock A debate on the project’s route was filled with emotionally charged and often contentious remarks by citizens, community volunteers and elected officials. Almost two dozen citizens spoke against and in favor of the proposal during a 2-plus-hour discussion of the most controversial MAPS 3 project. After the public comments ended, Mayor […]
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Streetcar route passes City Council vote after contentious debate
Jeff Bezdek voices his disapproval of Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid\’s approach to the streetcar vote, at Tuesday\’s City Council meeting. Photo by Mark Hancock Almost two dozen citizens spoke against and in favor of the proposal, which created a 2 ½ hour discussion of the most controversial MAPS 3 project. Councilmen James Greiner, Ed […]