Doug Dawgz Blog

El Degüello - Citizens United or We The People

2012-01-15T13:03:00.010-06:00

Remember the $540,000 of nasty political ads expended by "Super PACs" in City Council elections last year? The Committee For Oklahoma City Momentum spent about $415,000 and Voice For Responsible Government spent $125,000.

That outrageous blot on Oklahoma City democracy was made possible by the United States Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. The Federal Election Commission which was decided on January 21, 2010. In that 5-4 decision, the majority held that corporations are "people" and are therefore entitled to the 1st Amendment protection of free speech, and the upshot has been that corporations can make unlimited contributions into Super PACs without ever once saying who they are.

Some might call Super PACs "educational" but I'll call them big big money trying to buy our votes. I call them a threat to democracy.

Various movements have sprung up around the country to attempt to undo the Citizens United decision, one being MoveToAmend.org, it advocating an amendment to the federal Constitution which, at its core, would declare that corporations are NOT people and effectively overturn the Citizens United decision.

Taking a cue from "Occupy Wall Street," "Occupy The Courts" rallies are planned around the country this Friday, January 20, 2012. In Oklahoma City, the rally is spearheaded by these ladies, Susan McCann (left) and Rena Guay (right), and I'll get back to writing about their activities shortly.

The Oklahoma City rally will be in front of the Federal Courthouse, 200 NW 4th, between 12 noon until 1 pm.

I'll have more to say about the Citizens United decision and rallies around the country shortly.

However, before I do, it is an indeed ironic coincidence (?) that yesterday, January 15, the Super Pac Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow launched a juicilloushly (if that's not a word, it should be) sarcastic ad in the South Carolina Republican primary — the Super PAC was formed by Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert and is also known as "The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC" — Colbert transferred control of the PAC to Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" last week so he could form an exploratory committee to consider a run for "President of the United States of South Carolina." Since that initial TV ad, Comedy Central has done more, and I'll show a pair of their videos here.

This 1st video is simply too good not to watch ... over and over again! The narration is by John Lithgow ...

The Colbert Report

The above was followed by the January 17 production, "Colbert Super PAC - Not Coordinating with Stephen Colbert," on Jon Stewart's Daily Show:

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

This ongoing political satire at Comedy Central has captured the nation's print, television, and internet media fancy. Here are excerpts from an opinion piece by Linda P. Campbell on January 19 in the Ft. Worth Star Telegram:

Commentary: Will Colbert Nation make its point about super PACs in S.C. primary?

        What's more likely to call attention to the outrage that is the super PAC: a bunch of Occupiers showing up at federal courthouses Friday — or Colbert Nation upending Saturday's South Carolina Republican primary by voting for Herman Cain?
        Two years ago Saturday, the U.S. Supreme Court unleashed super PAC funding on American voters by ruling that key restrictions on campaign spending amounted to censorship of corporations and labor unions that wanted to pour big money into electing candidates. In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the court said corporations, which are created strictly by the laws that shield them, have the same free speech rights as people, who are created by a power greater than the state.
* * *
        Colbert has made a running parody of the absurd depths to which campaign funding has fallen. It's brilliant, skewering satire. His super PAC, funded by viewer donations, started as Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow and ran an ad in which low-profile GOP candidate Buddy Roemer got around the "coordination" rule by saying it was an issue ad he wished he weren't in.
        Because Colbert wanted to run in the Republican presidential primary of his home state of South Carolina, he handed his super PAC to fellow late-night comic Jon Stewart and renamed it The Definitely Not Coordinating with Stephen Colbert Super PAC -- all under the grinning eye of his lawyer, Trevor Potter, a former FEC chairman who advised George H.W. Bush and John McCain.
        Colbert couldn't get on the ballot, but former candidate Herman Cain is still listed. So Colbert has been mischievously pumping his viewers who are registered South Carolina voters to support him by marking their ballots for Cain. It's a deliciously devious scheme with the potential to mobilize real political action.
        A group called Move to Amend is protesting Citizens United in a more conventional way, organizing an Occupy the Courts day for Friday and promoting the idea of a constitutional amendment declaring that corporations and labor unions don't have the same rights as human beings.
        It seems like a sincere exercise of the time-honored right to free assembly, with events planned for federal courthouses in more than 130 cities, from Dallas and San Antonio to Missoula, Mont., Central Islip, N.Y., and Dothan, Ala.
        But forgive me for doubting they'll rock the system. For goodness' sake, their New York City march is planned for the height of rush hour, with an evening rally after the courthouse has closed for the day.
        I'm expecting more impact from Colbert's subversives.

I'll be back with more serious stuff shortly.

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New Years Eats 2011-2012

2011-12-31T00:31:00.033-06:00

This year's downtown celebration of New Year's Eve has its usual flair, with some pluses and a bit of rearrangement. Called "Opening Night," this event sponsored by the Oklahoma City Arts Council first occurred in 1987 and has progressively grown since then and transverses most all of downtown Oklahoma City from 7 pm through and after midnight. This year, the lighted ball will rise from the rejuvenated Myriad Gardens Grand Lawn at 11:30-midnight capped with a glorious array of fireworks instead of that activity's long-standing location on Broadway south of NW 4th Street, near Kerr Park, shown in the top image. See this Oklahoman article for more information about Opening Night events. For sure, the 4-0 Thunder (currently tied with Miami for best in the NBA at this time) will be playing Phoenix at 7:00 at the Chesapeake Arena and will almost certainly extend their record to 5-0. For sure, Wayne Coyne and the Flaming Lips will perform at the Bricktown Coca Cola Events Center on December 30 and December 31, augmented by Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon, son of John. (The post-concert party for the December 31 Flaming Lips concert has now been relocated to the Okc Public Farmers Market, 311 S. Klein, due to Fire Marshall issues.) And much much more will transpire on New Year's Eve in downtown Oklahoma City.

But, this post is not about Opening Night 2011-2012 events in Oklahoma City. It is about what to EAT on New Years Day — it is about "New Years EATS."

Doug Dawgz Hoppin John My Mom's Apple Pudding
BLACK-EYED PEAS. This, of course, is the absolute "must do" on New Year's Day, and my personal and spicy recipe may be just what you want:

DOUG DAWGZ HOPPIN' JOHN
Download or open a PDF file for this recipe here
Whatever you do on New Year's Eve, consider this to be Doug Dawgz contribution to your New Year's DAY ... but remember that grocery stores seem to run out of black-eyed peas before December 31 ... so ... buy them early! No, my recipe is not yet "historical," but, trust me, it's damn good and, one day, it will be!

It is rumored that unless you eat black-eyed peas on January 1, January 2 ~ December 31 will not bring good fortune. *Why take such a chance?* This recipe provides one way to avoid such calamity.
This recipe provides more such risk avoidance than you may want. But, why not just go ahead and make plenty ... share with your family, friends, and office-mates ... excess portions may be frozen for later consumption, like at such time(s) that you may feel you need a boost of good luck!
WHAT YOU NEED A giant pot ... large enough to put a small beagle in ... a pot at least 12-14" in diameter and 12" or more high, with a lid 2 pounds of dried black-eyed peas 3 pounds ham (it doesn't really matter what kind, but if fatty,cut out the fat) 3-4 ham hocks 3-4 large (18-19 oz) cans of tomatoes (depending on how "tomatoey" you want the mix to be — I use 3) 2 15 oz. cans of tomato sauce 3-4 medium yellow onions 4-10 Tabasco peppers (see General Tip — I use 10) ½ -1 tsp. salt (see General Tip) 3-6 tsp. chili powder (see General Tip — I use 5) 2 small or 1 large package of sliced almonds — this is for "crunch" 2 cups of rice(s) of choice (I like to use a mix of white, wild, and brown)		WHAT YOU DO 1. Soak dried black-eyed peas in water as directed on the bag (usually overnight), or at least 2-3 hours prior to cooking (if you like "crunchy" beans). Be sure to drain the beans in a strainer else you may get more "crunch" (and broken teeth) than you desire! (Years back, small rocks were present but less so now.) 2. *Mix into the giant pot all ingredients except* the rice ... mix the beans, the ham (diced into dimensions that suit you, e.g., about 3/4" square), the ham hocks, the canned tomatoes (including the water, and slicing the tomatoes in the pot), the tomato sauce, the onions (chopped), the Tabasco peppers (finely chopped), the salt, chili powder, and the almonds 3. Stir and add water as needed to cover the mixture 4. Cover & cook on low-medium heat for about 1 hour 5. Add the rice of your choice and continue cooking on low heat until the rice is done ... around 1 hour; if needed, add more water 6. Eat (at least some on January 1) and/or Freeze ... the mixture freezes and saves nicely 7. Other Things** ... cornbread is good but not required for good luck.
GENERAL TIP: *Seasonings can be added as the mixture cooks* ... so, you might want to add less or more than what I've suggested before it's all done ... but, remember that it's easier to add seasonings than it is to get rid of them. This is particularly true for (1) salt, (2) chili powder, and (3) Tabasco peppers! It's quite OK to add as you go, to suit your personal palate!

MY MOM'S APPLE PUDDING. This has nothing to do with good fortune, other than for your taste buds. Once you try this recipe, you may become addicted — it is that good!

The Background Story. During many of the years after my 1961 high school graduation, I have yearned for some of what my mom simply called "apple pudding" but it's a recipe that she didn't pass along except in my memories. From time to time, I've looked for a recipe that would make this tasty dessert but all my attempts at mimicry failed. On December 26, 2011, I Googled again and found the recipe below (slightly modified here) at Carolyn T.'s http://tastingspoons.com/ archives/92 for her own mom's "Crisp Apple Pudding." Here's why I'm so bold to say that Carolyn T.'s mom's recipe is also my own mom's recipe for the same apple pudding — that and the fact that I've now cooked it and it's just as good as I remembered.

In her own blog page about this recipe, Carolyn T. said:

I would be ever so negligent if I didn’t post one of my favorite recipes, my mother’s Crisp Apple Pudding. I’ve been making this for as long as I’ve been cooking (that began in 1962). It was written out in my mother’s small recipe journal, something she began when SHE got married in the 1930's, a recipe from her mother. And she passed this recipe on to me when I got married. * * * I believe — but I’m not sure — that this recipe came from a vintage (probably 1930's version) Betty Crocker Cookbook. Or maybe it was a Better Homes & Gardens. Did they publish cookbooks back in the 1930's? I think one time in a used book store I saw a very old, stained copy of one of those books and glanced in it, and sure enough, it looked like this recipe.

My mom, Elizabeth, was also a devotee of one or both of those cookbooks in the 1930s and 1940s and that was the clincher since she probably didn't get recipes from any other cookbooks as far as I'm aware. I'm completely confident that this is the identical recipe used by my mom who would have had one or both cookbooks in the 1930s when my older brothers were born, and, of course, on and after I was born in Oklahoma City 1943 and during my childhood years. Many years later, at the end of 2011, I thank Carolyn T. not only for the taste but for providing another remembrance of my mom via a recipe which both of our moms had in common.

MY MOM'S APPLE PUDDING
Download or open a PDF file for this recipe here

WHAT YOU NEED

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar (or 7/8 cup if desired)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 whole egg, beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter (salted is better tasting but use unsalted if you're wanting to reduce salt)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
4 large or 5 small cooking apples, peeled & sliced – use firm apples whether tart or semi-sweet as you prefer

Makes 6-8 Servings

Per Serving, Approximate: 309 Calories; 5g Fat (15.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 64g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 46mg Cholesterol; 133mg Sodium

WHAT YOU DO
1.  Preheat oven to 350°.

2.  Spread sliced apples into an 8×8 or similar baking dish (here, a 5 x 9 oval baking dish is used).

3.  Sift together the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the egg and mix well. Spread this mixture over the top of the apples, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the top with the spices and the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Very important step: Use your fingers to sprinkle the water over the top as evenly as possible (this step makes the top crusty and crisp). Dab the butter on top in small squares, as shown above.

4.  Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top is brown. Cool for about an hour or until the pudding is at or near room temperature. Servings can be topped with milk, half & half, heavy cream, or other dairy topping. My mom could only afford milk, so that is what she used. And I loved it.

That's it! Enjoy, and Happy New Year!
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Christmas 2011

2011-12-24T06:39:00.007-06:00

Originally posted 12/20/2011; updated 12/24 to include the closing video portion of It's A Wonderful Life, Frank Capra's 1946 best Christmas movie ever.

Has Doug Dawg become a religious person in his aging years? Maybe ... I once was, and maybe still am, and/or may yet come to be ... the position continues to perplex me as to where I stand in the religious cycle of things to this date.

But, if one sets aside the commercial aspects of Christmas and the politically correct names of the season, one winds up with only one thing — Christmas, that being the world calendar's date (even if historically incorrect) for the birth of Jesus the Christ Child.

Literally, "Christmas" is a truncated form of "Christ Mass," a decidedly religious date on Christian and civil calendars for the birth of the Christ Child. While you probably won't find "Christ Mass" mentioned on religious calendars on many church calendars in Oklahoma (perhaps other than Catholic, Orthodox, and Episcopalian), that's what the conjoined word "Christmas" means ... the Mass (aka Eucharist or Holy Communion) associated with the birth of Jesus.

Listen, watch, and enjoy the sweet haunting sounds of Enya ... O Come O Come Emmanuel. Click the full screen icon at the lower right for full screen or click the YouTube icon for the original size.

As beautiful as the master painters' classic works of art are for this occasion, in this video I've avoided those images, favoring instead the less deified and simpler human images which reflect better upon the humility, humanity, and intimacy associated with the birth of the infant Jesus, the Christ Child.

Here's more Christmas music for you to enjoy.

Bob Seger. I'll start with Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band which performed on December 15 in the Chesapeake Energy Arena to a wholly grateful crowd. A fine review of the performance appeared in the December 16 Oklahoman. Credit the photos below to The Oklahoman.

Below, two videos showcase Seger's rendition of The Little Drummer Boy, a tune originally written by Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1942 as "Carol of the Drum." The left video is a November 17, 2011, performance by Seger in his 2011 tour in Louisville, Kentucky, about a month before his Oklahoma City performance; the right video was done much earlier when Seger's hair was still brown, with background video from the popular "Little Drummer Boy" animation. Click the full screen icon at the lower right corner of each video for a full screen display, or watch them in their original size by clicking the YouTube icon.

Yusuf Islam. "Who's that," you say? That would be the person you know as Cat Stevens. Born in England as Steven Demetre Georgiou in 1948, in his prominent professional carrier he was known as Cat Stevens until he converted to Islam in 1977 ... he assumed his new name in 1979. Now, fairly elusive, his "Morning Is Broken" remains associated with Christmas and also, perhaps, presents the Christian world's present greatest challenge to acceptance of someone outside their Christian sphere ... shall we accept Yusuf Islam, a Muslim, whether he accepts US or not? What a Christian might ask is, "What would the Christ Child Jesus have done?"

I'd originally intended to post a few more tunes, but, I instead changed my mind to conclude that nothing better could end this Christmas 2011 post than to include a video of the closing sequence of the 1946 Frank Capra movie, It's a Wonderful Life staring James Stewart and Donna Reed, in my mind the very best Christmas movie ever made. Thanks to FilmFTW1 for this video.

No, Potter never got his come-uppins, but that's really not what Christmas is about, is it? Enjoy, and Merry Christmas to you all!

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Who's the Best for the 99%?

2011-12-14T17:36:00.036-06:00

The Metro Trends element of the Urban Institute says that it's Oklahoma City. In an article named, "Are Some Metros Better for the 99%?" on December 5, 2011, Margery Turner of Metro Trends gave a hint that Oklahoma City might fare well in an answer to that question in the tantalizing chart below (click on the chart and most other images in this post for a larger image):

On December 6, I received an email from Andrew Maddocks, a representative of Metro Trends/Urban Institute with this kindly message:

Hello from from a think tank in Washington D.C.! I hope all's well with you on this fine Tuesday.

We just published a blog mentioning Oklahoma City as one of the best cities in the country for low unemployment and affordable housing. Here's the key: "Somehow, it avoided the excesses of the boom years, and its economy has weathered the downturn better than most."

I wondered if you thought your readers might be interested in how their city compares to others around the country. If you're at all interested in linking to the post or re-posting, please let me know. You've clearly got a substantial readership there, and I'd love to share what the people at Urban are writing!

Well, it doesn't take all that much for me to get wholly puffed up, but the initial article didn't give much detail about Oklahoma City, simply saying that,

One region that looks good on these metrics is Oklahoma City. Somehow, it avoided the excesses of the boom years, and its economy has weathered the downturn better than most. Housing costs are low, and though wages are too, a personal service worker can almost afford the rent for a two-bedroom apartment. And at 5 percent, Oklahoma City’s unemployment rate is among the lowest in the country.

What can we learn from the Oklahoma City metro about keeping wages and housing costs in better balance through both good times and bad? For my next blog, I’ll track down some possible answers.

With those tantalizing remarks, I replied that I would but only after more detail was presented about Oklahoma City. Today, December 14, that additional detail was provided in a follow-up article, and it has some pretty darn cool things to say about our city and includes a great interactive map reflecting that our city just doesn't do well in comparative scores in the top 100 metro markets, IT SCORES #1, BEST OF ALL.

About UI   About Margery Turner   About the Study
The Study   Interactive Map   100 City Summary
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. Before getting to the heart of the matter, it's probably best to know a bit about who's doing the analysis and original reporting so we'll get a measure of how seriously that analysis and reporting should be taken. Here's that bit.

       About Urban Institute & Metro Trends. According to Wikipedia, the Urban Institute was established in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson as "a Washington, D.C. based think tank that carries out nonpartisan economic and social policy research, collects data, evaluates social programs, educates the public on key domestic issues, and provides advice and technical assistance to developing governments abroad." The article says that it has a staff of about 350 and that its president is Robert D. Reischauer, former head of the Congressional Budget Office. There's more, but that's enough for me to take the organization seriously. According to this page at MetroTrends, MetroTrends is "the Urban Institute's report card on how metropolitan America is faring."

       About Margery Turner. Metro Trends identifies her as Vice President for Research at the Urban Institute and says,

A nationally recognized expert on urban policy and neighborhood issues, Ms. Turner has analyzed issues of residential location, racial and ethnic discrimination and its contribution to neighborhood segregation and inequality, and the role of housing policies in promoting residential mobility and location choice. She served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research at the Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1993 through 1996, and is co-author of Public Housing and the Legacy of Segregation.

Her Facebook page says that she is from New York (Ithaca HS 1973) and has degrees from Cornell University (1977, Government) and George Washington University (1983, Urban and Regional Planning). And she plays the flute. That's good enough for me.

About The Study. It's best to keep in mind that this survey is solely about economics — it's not about quality of life or other urban pleasantries (or unpleasantries). It's about cities that have fared well and poorly through what the article calls the Great Recession (2nd quarter of 2007 through the 3rd quarter of 2011) and its focus is to identify cities that have fared well and poorly as measured by 4 criteria during that study period: (1) change in housing prices; (2) unemployment; (3) affordable housing for low wage workers; and (4) mortgage delinquency. Remember, this series of articles has to do with the 99%, not the 1%. If you are in the 99%, then these articles are about you.

The December 14 Report Card. Ms. Turner's December 14 article is titled, "Best and Worst Metros ... A Report Card on Economic Security." Among other things, Ms. Turner writes:

Metropolitan Oklahoma City’s diverse economy – including government, universities, energy, and high-tech firms -- has held up well in the Great Recession. It didn’t fall victim to the housing boom and bust (2000 to 2007), so rents and house prices today are remarkably affordable and few homeowners are facing foreclosure. And the region scores high on lots of “top ten” lists -- most affordable (Forbes), most recession-proof (Forbes), and best to start a small business (Fortune Small Business).

So I decided to grade all of the nation’s 100 biggest metros: which are best and which are worst for family economic security?

Unlike me, she appears to be a person of few words — she didn't name all of those "best" lists which have come out strongly for the city over the past couple of years in various categories, but that's a good enough start.

The Cool Interactive Map. This is the fun part. Without reading a thing in the article, scrolling down a bit presents this map of the country ...

Why does only Oklahoma City have that big blue dot? If that isn't enough to catch the attention of an Oklahoma Citian, what would be?

By clicking on that graphic, an exceptionally cool interactive map appears in which one can mouse-over a city to get snapshot of the study results:

Although you can click on any of the charts and maps shown in this post to get a larger view, here's the crop of the Oklahoma City summary shown in the above map. Note that one can download a much more detailed spreadsheet (Excel or comma delimited) file which I've done and will get back to shortly.

But for those who mainly want to play with that map, it is very easily done. The map also gives a reader the ability to change the weight given the 4 factors previously mentioned, if one doesn't like the equal (25%) weight given by the Urban Institute to the 4 factors used in reaching the conclusions that it did.

OK OK. If you've read my blog for very long, you already know that I'm a "map person." So let's play with the map. To play with the map in MetroTrends, click here. Or, you can play with it below, although you'll have to do more scrolling than in the MetroTrends location ... use the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom or the vertical scroll bar at the right.

Study Summaries. As said previously (and see Additional Resources, below), I've downloaded the Excel spreadsheet which gives much greater detail than the interactive map summaries do. The following table presents a summary of the spreadsheet data combined with the interactive map A-F scores which the spreadsheet does not reflect. About the latter, I've mouse-overed each of the 100 cities in the map to get city scores, A-F, which scores are not contained in the spreadsheet. I've truncated metropolitan area names to show only the 1st city name for metropolitan areas that have more than one city name in the metropolitan area name and have substituted an abbreviated form of "et al." (meaning and others) to be simply "etal." For example, in the Excel spreadsheet, the Nashville metro area is "Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN" but I've abbreviated that below to be "Nashville etal, TN." The top 50 metro areas are in the left column and the last 50 are in the right.

Metropolitan Area	Rank	Score	Metropolitan Area	Rank	Score
Oklahoma City, OK	1	A	New Orleans etal, LA	51	C
Omaha etal, IA	2	A	Richmond, VA	52	C
Wichita, KS	3	A	Akron, OH	53	C
Tulsa, OK	4	A	Lansing etal, MI	54	C
Des Moines, IA	5	A	Springfield, MA	55	C
Pittsburgh, PA	6	A	Salt Lake City, UT	56	C
Madison, WI	7	A	Virginia Beach etal, VA-NC	57	C
Austin etal, TX	8	A	Charlotte etal, NC-SC	58	C
Baton Rouge, LA	9	A	Youngstown etal, OH-PA	59	C
Buffalo etal, NY	10	A	Worcester, MA	60	C
Little Rock etal, AR	11	A	Allentown etal, PA-NJ	61	C
Lancaster, PA	12	A	Cleveland etal, OH	62	D
San Antonio, TX	13	A	Honolulu, HI	63	D
Harrisburg etal, PA	14	A	Philadelphia etal, PA-NJ-DE-MD	64	D
Rochester, NY	15	A	Charleston etal, SC	65	D
Greenville etal, SC	16	A	Bridgeport etal,CT	66	D
Houston etal, TX	17	A	Baltimore etal, MD	67	D
Dallas etal, TX	18	A	New Haven etal, CT	68	D
Albuquerque, NM	19	A	Providence etal, RI-MA	69	D
Raleigh et al, NC	20	A	Seattle etal, WA	70	D
El Paso, TX	21	B	Atlanta etal, GA	71	D
Denver etal, CO	22	B	Tuscon, AZ	72	D
Knoxville, TN	23	B	Boise City etal, ID	73	D
Syracuse, NY	24	B	New York etal, NY-NJ-PA	74	D
Scranton etal, PA	25	B	Memphis, TN-MS-AR	75	D
Colorado Springs, CO	26	B	Washington etal, DC-VA-MD-WV	76	D
Nashville etal, TN	27	B	Poughkeepsie etal, NY	77	D
Augusta etal, GA-SC	28	B	Chicago etal, IL-IN-WI	78	D
Louisville etal, TN-KY	29	B	San Francisco etal, CA	79	D
Albany etal, NY	30	B	San Jose etal, CA	80	D
Grand Rapids etal, MI	31	B	Detroit etal, MI	81	F
Columbia, SC	32	B	Santa Rosa etal, CA	82	F
Columbus, OH	33	B	San Deigo etal, CA	83	F
St. Louis, MO-IL	34	B	Phoenix etal, AZ	84	F
Indianapolis etal, IN	35	B	Oxnard etal, CA	85	F
Kansas City, MO-IL	36	B	Jacksonville, FL	86	F
McAllen etal, TX	37	B	Los Angeles etal, CA	87	F
Boston etal, MA-NH	38	B	Sacrameto etal, CA	88	F
Cincinnati et al, OH-KY-IN	39	B	Fresno, CA	89	F
Greensboro etal, NCMA-NH	40	B	Bakersfield, CA	90	F
Minneapolis et al, MN-WI	41	C	Palm Bay etal, FL	91	F
Chatanooga, TN-GA	42	C	Tampa etal, FL	92	F
Birgmingham etal, AL	43	C	Lakeland etal, FL	93	F
Jackson, MS	44	C	Bradenton etal, FL	94	F
Hartford etal, CT	45	C	Riverside etal, CA	95	F
Toldeo, OH	46	C	Orlando, FL	96	F
Portland etal, OR-WA	47	C	Modesto, CA	97	F
Milwaukee etal, WI	48	C	Stocton, CA	98	F
Dayton, OH	49	C	Miami et al, FL	99	F
Portland etal, ME	50	C	Las Vegas etal, NV	100	F

Additional Resources: Steve Lackmeyer published a brief article about this in the December 15, Oklahoman. I've also modified the original Excel file for it to be a bit more readable, and to add a tab/page in the file for the summary shown above. Click here to download that file. Or, click here for the original Excel file without my tampering.

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From Arrows to Atoms, 21st Century Version

2011-12-13T12:50:00.009-06:00

On April 22, 1957, the "Arrows to Atoms" two-hundred-foot-tall tower at the state fairgrounds in Oklahoma City was dedicated and lighted as part of the state's Semi-Centennial.

The days of the Dust Bowl were then well within the memories of most in the city and state even if most who are alive today will not have a personal recollection of that time. Although Oklahoma City was only on the edge of the Dust Bowl area, it affected us and our city's image greatly.

During the days of the Dust Bowl and drought, badly parched Lake Overholser looked like this, in 1935 (looking north to the US 66 bridge around NW 39th today).

The "Arrows to Atoms" theme avoided the negative images of the 1930s and focused on the city's present and hoped for future.

But, by as late as 1991, the North Canadian River passing south of downtown still looked like this (credit Mark Klett in his Photographing Oklahoma 1889/1991 (Oklahoma City Art Museum 1991):

How could THAT turn into this?

Arrows to Atoms, circa 1957, marked a break with the 1930s Dust Bowl. The city's original (1993) MAPS program would radically change the North Canadian and see a part of it renamed "The Oklahoma River." By the time 2007 rolled around, the city's river hosted its first Olympic trials during the Centennial Regatta.

Now, in December 2011, Oklahoma City is embarking on its 2nd version based of Arrows To Atoms, with an analogous theme, the Formerly Crappy North Canadian River To A Water Olympics Headquarters — the river that needed to be mowed twice a year is now the address of a major water sport U.S. Olympic organization.

Steve Lackmeyer wrote the story about this today in the December 13, 2011, Oklahoman:

USA Canoe/Kayak will relocate headquarters to Oklahoma City
USA Canoe/Kayak, a member of the United States Olympic Committee, announced Tuesday the relocation of the organization's headquarters to Oklahoma City.

        Both USA Canoe/Kayak Chief Executive Officer Joe Jacobi and Mayor Mick Cornett attributed the move to development of the boathouse district along the river and ongoing transformation of the waterway thanks to the original Metropolitan Area Projects.
        Jacobi said his office, which first opened in Oklahoma City along the Oklahoma River in 2009, will work closely with the city in developing a white water rapids venue included in the 2009 MAPS 3 ballot. The Oklahoma City office will replace Charlotte, N.C. as the organization's national headquarters as the group begins its first ever promotional campaign for paddle sports.
        "This is a perfect illustration of how MAPS 3 was an attempt to build on the success of the original MAPS," Cornett said. "I don't know what this is going to lead to, but I'm sure there are many opportunities ahead."

Lackmeyer's story at NewsOK was enhanced by this video featuring Joe Jacobi and Mayor Cornett:

The development wasn't just reported locally. Similar Associated Press and other reports were carried by ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CNBC, Washington Post, and, of course, Charlotte, the organization's previous home, among others.

Here's the report at the official USA Canoe/Kayck.org website:

USA Canoe/Kayak Announces Relocation of its Headquarters to Oklahoma City

        OKLAHOMA CITY – December 13, 2011 USA Canoe/Kayak, the national governing body (NGB) for the Olympic sports of flatwater sprint and whitewater slalom and a member of the United States Olympic Committee, announced today the relocation of its headquarters to the city of Oklahoma City.
        USA Canoe/Kayak will office with the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation, allowing the two organizations to collaborate and build on the inherent synergy of shared values and objectives.
        A panel consisting of Joe Jacobi, OKCBF Executive Director Mike Knopp, USA Canoe/Kayak Board Chairman Bob Lally, and other leaders in the paddlesports industry will discuss USA Canoe/Kayak’s commitment to the future of paddle sports in America during a live stream broadcast scheduled to air on paddling web sites across the country and around the world. Watch live at oklahomariverevents.org/live-video.
        A panel consisting of Joe Jacobi, OKCBF Executive Director Mike Knopp, USA Canoe/Kayak Board Chairman Bob Lally, and other leaders in the paddlesports industry will discuss USA Canoe/Kayak’s commitment to the future of paddle sports in America during a live stream broadcast scheduled to air on paddling web sites across the country and around the world. Watch live at oklahomariverevents.org/live-video.

Joe Jacobi, USA Canoe/Kayak CEO: "USA Canoe/Kayak is launching a new era in paddlesports in the United States, with a focus on enabling U.S. athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence in Olympic, Paralympic and other international competition. With the tremendous momentum taking place at the Oklahoma River – from the National High Performance Center for kayaking and rowing to the MAPS 3 OKC citizen-voted sales tax initiative to fund quality of life projects which include the construction of a whitewater center and race course improvements to the Oklahoma River – Oklahoma City is the ideal location for the epicenter of our efforts and initiatives to grow paddlesports.
        A central component to USA Canoe/Kayak’s growth is the “Paddle Now!” program, which encourages families across America to explore our nation’s waterways in kayaks, canoes, dragon boats and stand up paddle boards. USA Canoe/Kayak has teamed up with canoe/kayak clubs across the country to promote paddlesports; learn more at usack.org/paddlenow.
        Jacobi: "This nation has intrinsic ties to waterways – from the days of early explorers and Native Americans who paddled and portaged across the country to today's active adventurers. We truly believe Oklahoma City, a place whose citizens have supported the Oklahoma River and whitewater initiatives, is the place to rekindle our nation’s passion for paddlesports."

Quotes:

        Alan Ashley, U.S. Olympic Committee Chief of Sport Performance: "Mike Knopp and his team at the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation have created a model that places elite training in the heart of the community, building synergy between the elite athletes, local youth and adults, and the local business community. We’re hopeful that this approach will help USA Canoe/Kayak continue to build their talent pipeline and develop top athletes to represent Team USA."
        William Irving, USA Canoe/Kayak National Teams Director: "We couldn’t be more happy to be working even closer with our partners at the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation, who are providing our NGB with the ability to better serve our membership through a variety of resources that are focused on high performing athletes. Having our NGB based in Oklahoma City, will make a huge impact on the way in which we serve all of our constituents and infuse our sport with the 'can do' attitude that Oklahoma City exhibits. Looking into the future, once the Whitewater Course is in place, we will have a unique opportunity to bring our two Olympic sports together and for the first time in our sports history and be able to train Sprint and Slalom athletes alongside each other."
        Kaitlyn McElroy, Sprint Kayaker: "Personally, moving to Oklahoma City to train was by far the right choice for me. The facilities are amazing. The boathouse district has everything you need to train at a high level. All that's really left for you to do is work hard and go fast. Over the past two years there has been an influx of local children becoming involved with paddlesports on the Oklahoma River as well as an increasing number of athletes from all over the country coming to train. I think this creates a unique environment for everyone because you have kids who are just learning the 'tricks of the trade' mingling with world class athletes. I think this gives the kids great role models while keeping the older athletes honest and attached to why they started paddlesports in the first place."
        Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett: "The significance of USA Canoe/Kayak's relocation to Oklahoma City – in what was once known as 'the dust bowl state' – is indicative of the speed of change and positive forward momentum this community is creating. We've built a river that's become not only a health-and-fitness destination for our citizens, but a U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training site for our nation's aspiring Olympic kayakers and rowers. Becoming the headquarters of a National Governing Board is a testament to how powerful the MAPS initiatives truly are in influencing our ability to recreate and redefine our city."

About OKCBF

        The OKC Boathouse Foundation promotes the use and development of the Oklahoma River as a world-class urban aquatic venue and provides access to rowing, kayaking and fitness programs for people of all ages and abilities. OKCBF programs pursue the highest goals of sports and embrace the principles of the Olympic spirit which inspire athletes to work toward personal excellence, embrace the power of teamwork, and practice respect for all people and the environment. To learn more or get involved, call (405) 552-4040 or visit okcbf.org.

About USA Canoe/Kayak

        USA Canoe/Kayak is a non-profit membership organization based in Oklahoma City, OK, promoting canoe and kayak racing in the United States. A member of the United States Olympic Committee, USA Canoe/Kayak is the national governing body for the Olympic sports of Flatwater Sprint and Whitewater Slalom and the official U.S. federation of the International Canoe Federation. Other paddling sports sanctioned by USACanoe/Kayak include Marathon, Freestyle, Wildwater, Stand Up Paddleboard, Canoe Polo, Canoe Sailing, Outrigger, and Dragon Boat.

Here's a cool video by US Canoe/Kayak, uploaded by Okc Riversport.org, which nicely showcases the river area and development, with downtown's skyline shown at 0:40 but you got to watch closely ...

More to follow ...

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NBA Lockout Resolved But Thunder Goes Back To Seattle?

2011-11-30T21:25:00.017-06:00

The Seattle ThunderSonics? With the good news that the NBA owners' lockout of the players has been resolved, a couple of Canadian guys, J.E. Skeets and Tas Melas, were in Oklahoma City to interview locals about the news that, as part of the deal, the Thunder were moving back to Seattle as part of a "peace offering."

As reported at USA Today, the article reads as follows:

Oklahoma fans told Thunder are moving back to Seattle
By Alonzo Adams, AP, as reported in USA Today:

        As a New York Times story this week illustrated, Oklahoma City loves and needs its NBA team, the Thunder.
        As it pertains to why the city needs the team, writer Tom Spousta cites an Oklahoma City chamber of commerce estimation that each of the eight Thunder's home dates lost because of the strike would cost $1.3 million. He also explained that hotels that were selling out on game days were trying fill rooms offering rates for less than $100 per night and waiters who are seeing their tip total slashed by 80% or so.
        As it pertains to why the city needs the team, writer Tom Spousta cites an Oklahoma City chamber of commerce estimation that each of the eight Thunder's home dates lost because of the strike would cost $1.3 million. He also explained that hotels that were selling out on game days were trying fill rooms offering rates for less than $100 per night and waiters who are seeing their tip total slashed by 80% or so.
        But the city loves the now three-year-old Thunder as well. "It's a love affair we have here," local businessman Ed Lynn told Spousta. "It hurts. It isn't just a sporting event, it's a social experience for us."
        Fan T.J. Nance said, "It's the only thing we can agree on, other than conservative politics."
        So, when J.E. Skeets and Tas Melas of The Basketball Jones, as part of their tour to NBA cities, tried to convince fans on the streets of Oklahoma City that the Thunder were moving back to Seattle to become the Seattle ThunderSonics, it's not surprising that they were surprised and even a little upset.
        But considering that all's well that ends well for the locals, we can chuckle at a harmless prank.

When I first located and read this article, a smile immediately crept across my face because of the incredulity of the premise — and the lady in yellow made my smile even broader since she obviously didn't have a clue about what she was talking.

It is not enough to say, "Welcome back, OKC Thunder! Welcome back, NBA!" Why not? In Oklahoma City, businesses which have their livelihood based on regular NBA seasons playing their regular preseason games as well as during the regular season, have been irreparably harmed and no remedy is present in the new agreement to make them whole. Regular employees and local businesses which are predicated upon the NBA preseason and regular season existing have lost substantial amounts of income and business and no remedy exists in the new agreement to make them whole, either.

Regardless of owner/player economic issues, the fans who buy tickets to these games and have been powerless to influence the outcome even though they are the singular group which drives the economic engine to make the owners make a profit and funds the players for their largesse player contracts.

And so it is that fan scars, perhaps deep, exist from this lockout which involved the owners and players dispute. The third leg of the stool, the fans and their funding for the latter, had no voice as a factor in that resolution.

Hopefully the Thunder organization will address those fan scars and will bump back the Thunder to the place that it was before the lockout when the Thunder were the winners of the Northwest Division. But don't look for the Thunder organization to pay money to those business who lost income during the lockout or give something to the fans for enduing the senseless events which occurred since the end of the last season.

Not even an apology. Neither the owners nor the players have it within themselves to say, "I'm sorry," to the fans and businesses which rely on business as usual. Whether the Thunder, and the NBA, will be as popular in late December 2011 as they were in May 2011, before the owners' lockout began, remains to be seen ... but my guess is that it/they will be.

In the meantime, a sense of humor is not a bad thing to have. I've looked for but could not find this lady's dad's website, exposure.com, she said ...

Smiles are good.

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Count Gregore & Retro Metro OKC

2011-11-25T07:17:00.035-06:00

Collectively, Wayne Coyne and the Oklahoma Gazette's annual Halloween Parade have doubtless captured the fancy of the contemporary grizzly and ghoul market in the city. But, in my youth, the one and only person that did that was Count Gregore, also known as John Ferguson.

One could not have possibly grown up in Oklahoma in the late 1950s through the late 1980s without knowing about the dreadful Count. From May 1958 until 1988, about 30 years running, WKY-TV's late Saturday night Shock Theater (beginning at 12 o'clock midnight) was broadcast throughout central and at least southwestern Oklahoma (but, as you will see from an interview below, it was evidently seen in other parts of the state as well). I graduated from Lawton High School in 1961, and, before doing so, our television antennas could be appropriately aligned to be able to pick up Count Gregore for Shock Theater parties with my Lawton High School buddies. This was before the days of cable television and during the days that house-top TV antennas in Lawton could be rotated to receive television signals emanating from Oklahoma City.

The 83 year-old but still fearful Count will be the speaker at the December 12, 2011, 2nd Annual Holiday/Christmas/Whatever Party of Retro Metro OKC. This post features the history of Count Gregore — speaker at that meeting and festive occasion.

Ann DeFrange, Oklahoman reporter, wrote a fine piece in 2008 which gives a better summary of John Ferguson's public life and the development of the character that he is most remembered for than I could. She wrote the following:

Count Gregore Lives On
John Ferguson Followed His Star
By Ann DeFrange, The Oklahoman
May 21, 2008
        Count Gregore, an Oklahoma television icon, turned 50 years old this month, although he appears to be ageless, John Ferguson, his creator, is 80 and almost as immortal.
        Ferguson and the Count scared generations of children in Oklahoma in the past half century.
        Ferguson describes himself growing up in Indiana as small, anemic, poor and a bad student. As a high school freshman, he was 5 feet tall and weighed 90 pounds. But, "I was a dreamer," he said. His mother's movie magazines and some acting classes offered an "escape mechanism" and in the 1950s, he went to Hollywood. He worked at a gas station until he managed an interview with the prestigious William Morris talent agency.
        He was told he'd never make a leading man, and that television was preempting movies. But in Hollywood he met Billie, married her 53 years ago, and moved to Oklahoma.
        He sold men's clothing in a Tulsa store. Upstairs was the studio of KVOO radio where Ferguson fell in love with radio. He narrates his life story like a radio drama.
        He followed his star, he said, behind a touring dog act and upstairs to a microphone. He coincidentally auditioned at a station in Muskogee the day they fired their announcer. Then he moved to that company's television station.
        In 1955, after he had been in the business for only 18 months, he got a job at WKY Channel 4 in Oklahoma City which had been in business only since 1949.
        He was staff announcer and ad salesman. The small-screen world was black and white and "everything was live, even commercials."
        Opportunities for creativity were ample, because there were no rules and no technology to rely on.
        He was one of the pioneers of the medium. His early contemporaries are a roll call of local broadcast history — Wakefield Holley, Joe Jerkins, Bill Howard, Wally Kinnan, Hi Roberts, Johnny Shannon, Steve Powell, Bill Thrash, Ed Birchall.
        But he kept thinking: "I'm an actor. I want on that stage so badly."
        In the afternoons, Channel 4 ran a kids' space adventure with a cast of one — Danny Williams. Ferguson developed his own character. "It had to be villainous, evil."
        Inspired by Ming from the "Buck Rogers" comic strip [ed. note — sorry Ann, but that would be from Flash Gordon, I'm pretty sure], he painted on a Van Dyke beard and mustache, shaped his eyebrows like V's, greased his hair to a point on his face and called himself the Duke of Nukedom.
        Williams added him to the script, which was more like a scenario, allowing the actors to spontaneously improvise.
        So, before "Star Trek," there was Bazark and Ubik. Sometimes one of them went to Earth and visited the Circle 4 Ranch, setting for another kids' show.
        In May 1958, when Williams moved to radio, WKY-TV planned a show to follow, "Saturday Night Wrestling." "Shock Theater" showed classic horror films with a live host, so Count Gregore came to live and stayed on local TV until 1988.
        Ferguson has appeared on every television station in Oklahoma City and made other appearances as Gregore. He and the Count frightened generations of children in Oklahoma, who had never played gory video games or seen sophisticated scare movies.
        He still uses his original cape. And he has the voice, a soft, but harsh whisper; the pointed eyebrows that bore into you and leave terror in your heart and a nostalgia for the good old days when scary was deliciously innocent.

Retro Metro OKC 2nd Annual Holiday/Christmas/Whatever Party! The person you have been reading about above is the featured speaker.

All Retro Metro members and their guests, as well as all non-members who have a passion for Oklahoma City history, are invited to attend. Click here for a PDF flyer describing this outstanding event.

The party will be on December 12, 2011, at 6:30 pm at Bellevue Health and Rehabilitation Center's dining room, 6500 N.Portland, which is at the southwest corner of the Bellevue facility.

Here's a map — the red arrow points to your destination.

Hors d'oevres, soft drinks, and wine are provided.

One provider is due singular attention: Ed Lynn, owner of Buffalo Wild Wings at 4130 NW Expressway, is donating 250 wings for the event, a magnificently generous contribution.

Retro Metro OKC is more fully discussed in this blog post, but, briefly stated, Retro Metro OKC is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization which endeavors to make Oklahoma City history more accessible to anyone who wants to learn more about it. Its website is www.retrometrookc.org and its Facebook page is here.

Videos. Here are some videos for you to enjoy ...

The Oklahoman's Dave Morris & Angi Brus Intverview
John Ferguson ... How He Got His Start, May 2008

John Ferguson Describes Changes in Horror Films, May 2008

The Count's Top 10 Favorites, October 2008

Excerpts from Nightmare Theater
KSBI-TV Channel 52, Cox Channel 6, October 31, 2011
The Brain That Wouldn't Die
When the Count appeared on Channel 5, his program was called Nightmare Theater (I don't know the dates). This past month, on Halloween, KSBI-TV Channel 52, Cox Channel 6, presented a special showing of Nightmare Theater for its audience, and it contained some video of the Count unlike what we've ordinarily seen, focusing on his singing and dancing capabilities!

Nightmare Theater Opening & 1st Vampira Sequences (2:00)

The Movie — The Brain That Wouldn't Die
To save viewer pain, I've truncated the movie to 1 minute,
57 seconds (opening title, head scene, closing title)
Notice that the opening and closing titles are not the same.
This 1962 movie was simply awful!

The Count Sings With Vampira (3:17)

The Count Dances With Jackie Short (2:42)

The last two clips involving singing and dancing performances may have been from the July 2011 Improv Festival Oklahoma mentioned below, I don't know. For now, at least, the complete Nightmare Theater presentation is at KSBI's website: Part 1 and Part 2.

Closing Notes. At right is a WKY-TV ad on Saturday February 2, 1974, featuring none but the fearful Count.

A March 24, 1974, a note in the Oklahoman's TV section shows Mr. Ferguson looking at a drawing of himself, as perceived by a loyal fan. Ferguson hoped that the fan would identify him/herself so that recognition could be properly attributed — either that or maybe the Count had something more sinister in mind for the artist — who can say? His Channel 4 show ended in 1988.

Even so, the Count continued to grace our television screens and civic affairs for many years. He hosted programs on Channels 4, 5, 25, 43, 52, and Cox Cable.

Mr. Ferguson serves the public in other ways, also. He is presently a member of the Mayor's Committee on Disability Concerns. In 1981 he was a judge at the 3rd annual Paseo Harvest Moon Festival. On June 3, 1997, he was honored by fans and fellow performers at the "First Annual Gregore Retirement Roast" in Bricktown at Pearl's Crabtown. In April 2008, he was recognized at Muskogee's ninth annual Barebones Independent International Film and Music Festival for his contributions to Oklahoma television and media arts. In the October 28, 2008, Oklahoman, David Zizzo reported that,

And Ferguson still can’t quite put his finger on why the count was — and is — so popular.

"I'm surprised to this day," he said.

But, in the article, Zizzo succinctly and accurately gave the explanation ...

It's because Ferguson is so good at bad, or at least acting that way.

In July 2011, he performed at and haunted the third annual Red Dirt Improv Festival Oklahoma at the City Arts Center, Oklahoma City.

Tom Fowler wrote Ferguson's biography and hopefully copies will be available for sale and book signing. Also, check out John's Facebook page.

Also, check out this Rosebud Radio link for a soon to be launched internet radio station which will broadcast Old Time Radio on Friday afternoons and nights, all day Saturday and all day Sunday. From 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM will be Count Gregore's Suspense Theater, which Rosebud Radio says will feature the finest mystery radio shows such as Boston Blackie, Perry Mason and The Thin Man, and from 11:00 PM to 3:00 AM Count Gregore's Theater of the Macabre is scheduled. His part of the schedule is in dark red, below:

Very plainly, what Ann DeFrange said in 2008 remains true today, "Count Gregore Lives On!"

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Well, Shut My Mouth!

2011-11-16T23:02:00.036-06:00

Just when I kinda thought I'd correctly pigeonholed some if not most members of the Oklahoma City Council into one place or another, I'll be darned if I didn't have to eat my words at about 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday November 15, 2011, and I'm gladly eating them. And, you know, those words taste pretty good.

I figured that Ed Shadid's pending motion to include sexual orientation in the list of protected employees, i.e., "The City of Oklahoma City will not discriminate against any applicant or employee because of race, color, creed, ethnic origin, religion, sex (to include sexual orientation), age, disability or political affiliation," had a fair chance of passing ever since Pat Ryan said that he favored the motion when Shadid first brought it to the floor on October 25, 2011.

In my earlier post on October 19, I said, "One can make book on the odds that that if Ward 2 council member Ed Shadid moves approval of something, Ward 8 council member Patrick Ryan will oppose it."

Well, I was dead wrong. Truth is, I would probably have said the same thing about Gary Marrs, but again I would have been dead wrong.

Yesterday, at 10:15, by a vote of 7-2 which included both Ryan and Marrs on the "aye" side, City Council adopted Shadid's proposal and sexual orientation is now in the class of city employees who may not be discriminated against in hiring, firing, placement, and other workplace circumstances. The complete video of yesterday's lengthy discussion is presented in this article, below.

Skip Background and Go Straight To The Videos
Background. By way of background, at the October 18 Council meeting, Dr. Shadid wondered out loud why Oklahoma City didn't have such approbations in place concerning its city employees and on October 19 at his Facebook page he announced that, "Next Tuesday I will introduce resolution prohibiting discrimination among 4300 city employees based on sexual orientation."

He did. On October 25, after lengthy discussion his proposal was deferred until November 15. Following that, even the conservative Oklahman did not come out against the proposal but did say in its October 29 editorial that it was proper that the matter was receiving public attention and deliberation.

An October 25 Journal Record editorial by Ted Streuli was less reserved. Among other things, he said,

And in this week’s metaphor, Oklahoma City Councilman Ed Shadid is the flag atop the pole. Shadid suggested that Oklahoma City should add a clause to its employment policy that says the city won’t discriminate against someone based upon sexual orientation.

And as sure as the flag points north in a southerly wind, out came the hems, the haws and the unabashed bigotry. Posts on local news sites quickly revealed many wearing the cloak of ill-informed opinion over a suit of irrational hatred.

Yep. The flag went up and the windbags started blowing hard. That was an easy prediction.

In the council chamber, only Pat Ryan supported Shadid’s proposal. Meg Salyer, running the show in the mayor’s absence, remained neutral. Every other councilor squirmed like a sinner in the front pew.

David Greenwell and Larry McAtee said they wanted to study it more.

Study what, gentlemen? Whether it’s a good policy to allow discrimination in the city’s employment practices? Whether it’s OK to discriminate against this particular group but no other?

Yet the biggest head-scratch of the day came from Skip Kelly, who is black. He said the city didn’t need to make a change unless empirical data showed it should. We didn’t need empirical data to prove that some employers refuse to hire people with disabilities. Or those older than 40. Or Jews. Or Muslims. And surely Councilman Kelly doesn’t believe we needed empirical data to prove that people of color face discriminatory employment practices. Some truths are self-evident.

Here’s the test: If you can hear Bubba saying "I ain’t hirin' no (insert slur here)" then you can bet your last Southern Cross lapel pin that members of the group referenced have been victims of discrimination.

Personally, I think that Mr. Streuli was over-broad when he said, "Every other councilor squirmed like a sinner in the front pew," most notably concerning Pete White who would be expected to favor Shadid's proposal and had voted against deferring the matter when the initial deferral vote was taken. But, to be sure, I was also scratching my head over Skip Kelly's remarks at the October 25 City Council meeting.

The November 2, 2011, Oklahoma Gazette also carried a couple of relevant pieces. Clifton Adcock, who (in my opinion) has already distinguished himself as the preeminent journalist who covers local politics in the city, wrote a good summary of what occurred at the October 25 meeting (even though he did not report that Patrick Ryan said that he intended to vote for the proposal). In the same issue, part 1 of James Cooper's lengthy article on the local gay community was published, and in the November 9 Gazette issue, part 2 was published as well. In part 2, Cooper wrote,

Victor Gorin, who used to write for the Gayly [Oklahoman] and still lives in OKC, recalled an encounter with law enforcement at Angles [a local pub frequented by the LGBT community].

Just moments after leaving the club late one night with a friend, Gorin (pictured) soon realized he was alone and his friend was no longer at his side.

"All of a sudden, I realized I was talking to myself," he said. "(The police) had grabbed him and taken him off in the patrol car, and then I thought, 'Victor, go home.'" Then, on Jan. 6, 1983, the tension between the police and the community reached a tipping point as the front door of Angles came crashing down.

"That was the last straw," the owners told the Gayly [Oklahoman]. "That was the night that they took several people out and put them up against the patrol cars like they do when they frisk them, and took their night sticks between their legs and just beat the hell out of them, beat them on the back and everything else."

Another Angles patron, Robert Bigger, allegedly encountered Van Schuyver after he left. Bigger claimed he was forced from his car before having his face smashed into the vehicle, according to The Daily Oklahoman.

Bigger eventually filed a federal lawsuit against Oklahoma City and Van Schuyver. According to The Daily Oklahoman, Van Schuyver suggested that the chief of police at the time "specifically advised" him to treat the gay community on N.W. 39th Street with such force.

Meanwhile, in February of that year, Cotton-Eyed Joes Inc. filed a federal lawsuit against Oklahoma City.

The next month, Gravel reportedly hired former Oklahoma City Councilman Eric Groves, the same lawyer representing Angles, and blamed the mayor and the OKC police chief for their inability to stop police violence and harassment on N.W. 39th Street.

Later that year, rather than face a prolonged, expensive legal battle, the original Angles owners offered to settle out of court and drop the lawsuit, but only if Oklahoma City made significant changes.

The city obliged. On Sept. 13, 1983, the city reportedly settled the lawsuit for $1 in damages and agreed to pay approximately $28,000 in legal fees to the Angles owners.

"The City Council did the right thing," Groves told The Daily Oklahoman. "This was a good solution to a tough problem."

Moreover, the city agreed to provide gay-awareness training for its officers henceforth and obey a permanent injunction against the Oklahoma City police that prevented them from coming onto N.W. 39th Street and harassing the gay community. The City Council settled with Gravel, as well, and agreed to pay him $25,000.

Van Schuyver reportedly resigned before a police disciplinary review board had a chance to make its recommendation. The city agreed to pay Bigger $15,000 to drop his suit.

Mr. Cooper was one of the eleven citizens to speak at the November 15 City Council meeting. His video particularly appears below.

The Videos. I've broken the November 15 discussion before City Council into segments so that you can look at either the parts you want or the whole of the discussion. Speakers are shown in the same sequence as they spoke during the meeting. As for citizen comments, I've selected a few which I considered deserving of individual treatment, presented immediately following the general citizen comments video. Other citizen opponent comments I've not singled out since none added anything substantive to the discussion presented here. That said, all 11 citizen speeches are in the main citizen video below.

Ed Shadid (11:09)	Skip Kelly #1 of 3 (6:42)
Larry McAtee (6:16)	Pete White (4:36)
Kelly #2 of 3 (4:55)	All 11 Citizens (37:35)
Opponent Paul Blair (2:35)	Proponent Muneer Awad (2:59)
Opponent Tom Vineyard (3:59)	Proponent Robert Lemon (4:28)
Proponent James Cooper (3:37)	Proponent Ryan Kiesel (2:48)
Proponent Nathaniel Batchelder (2:38)	Proponent Scott Hamilton (3:20)
David Greenwell(4:48)	Skip Kelly #3 of 3 (1:03)
Gary Marrs & The Vote (5:12)	The Final Vote (0:43)

Conclusions. Every reader and listener will have his or her own conclusions about what happened concerning this resolution on November 15, 2011, and that's fair. We all have the right to speak, to form opinions, and/or to advocate what we personally think is "right." Since this is my blog, I'll give mine here.

I am proudest of ...
1. Ed Shadid for having the ideals and courage to advocate those ideals so that others could follow, and, as well, whether they would or not. Shadid has already demonstrated his willingness to stand alone, if need be.
2. Pete White for his unwavering support for the rights of all citizens ... with Shadid on the Council, he now has an ally in advocacy of and for the common men and women in our city.
3. Patrick Ryan for setting aside his differences with Ed Shadid and announcing on October 25 that he wanted to be present to cast his vote for the resolution and for him doing so on November 15.
4. Gary Marrs for having the gumption to search his conscience and speak and vote in favor of Shadid's resolution on November 15. Not even Ryan spoke on November 15, but Marrs did ... when he didn't have to.
Deserving Of Credit But No Cigars. Although all three voted for the resolution, only one spoke during either the October 25 or November 15 City Council Session.
1. David Greenwell softly indicated his approval on October 25 but spoke ambiguously on November 15. Perhaps, one day, he will find more willingness to assume less of a wallflower and more of a leadership mantle, but in this matter he did not assume such a role.
2. Mick Cornett voted affirmatively but he also chose not to speak at a time that leadership counted. For his vocal silence, he gets a "no cigar" vote from me.
3. Meg Salyer spoke at neither session but did vote in favor of the resolution. But, for her vocal silence, she also gets a "no cigar" vote from me.
Council Members Who Disappointed. Two fall into this category.
1. Larry McAtee. Ward 3's City Council member presented no surprise in his negative vote. That's just who Larry is.
2. Skip Kelly. Ward 7's Skip Kelly's negative vote is not only one of my most surprising revelations, it is also my greatest disappointment. Skip, as an Afro-American, should be the 1st in line of the Council members to understand and grasp the notion that, in America, all minorities should be protected against the majority and citizen speakers like Paul Blair and Tom Vineyard. But, by his persistent advocacy on both October 25 and then again three times on November 15 and his vote on the latter day, he of all City Council members represents my personal greatest disappointment.
  
  I regard Skip as a friend. I know that he favors civil liberties being extended to all. Why he would vote as he did, and vocally objected as he did, on October 25 and again on November 15 remains beyond my understanding. One member at OkcTalk opines that he was pandering to his political base, but I truly hope that Skip is above that sort of thing when human liberties are involved. It is my hope that as time passes he will come to see, and have, a better day, and come to grasp that not only Afro-Americans should have protection under the law.

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October 18 — Another Fun Day At The Races

2011-10-19T12:30:00.014-05:00

Originally posted on October 19; updated on October 22 to update the item on Ed Shadid's resolution to be presented to the council on October 25 concerning discrimination prohibition.

The October 18, 2011, City Council meeting provided several items worthy of coverage ... ranging from the sublime (a fine presentation by A.J. Kirkpatrick, assistant city planner, who conducted a Bricktown long range planning study and presentation) to the lowly (vis a vis the finger-pointing remarks of Ward 8 council member Patrick Ryan while arguing against approval of a paltry $300 claim by the Edgemere Park neighborhood association which incurred sprinkler system damage at the hands of an Oklahoma City snowplow this past winter).

My shortlist includes the following video clips from the October 18 City Council meeting:

Bricktown Planning. A.J. Kirkpatrick, a member of the City Planning Department, presented a study concerning the future of Bricktown. All things considered, this may have been the most substantive 30 minute segment of council proceedings.

EMSA Emergency Services. Up for a vote was whether the council would approve a contract that EMSA continue to provide emergency (911) medical transport services. Only council member Ed Shadid opposed the same but he articulately expressed the reasons that he voted no.

Occupy Oklahoma City. Organizers of the local movement, as a stub of Occupy Wall Street movement, presented their request that the city waive or reduce the $55 daily charge for a permit to use of Kerr Park for its activities. Although that didn't happen, near the end of that discussion, council member Shadid invited an after-council meeting with Mark Faulk to find ways for the permit fee to be paid by interested citizens.

Inclusion of Sexual Orientation in Prohibited Discrimination Ordinances. Council member Shadid telegraphed his intention to propose that the same be added to the list.

Patrick Ryan Continues to Undistinguish Himself. One can make book on the odds that that if Ward 2 council member Ed Shadid moves approval of something, Ward 8 council member Patrick Ryan will oppose it. It happened once again on the otherwise small matter of the Edgemere Park $300 claim.

The details are shown in City Council video clips, below.
Jump to ...
Bricktown   EMSA   Occupy OKC
Sexual Orientation   Edgemere Park Claim
1.  Bricktown Planning. The 32 ½ minute video clip below from the October 18 council meeting contains the presentation by A.J. Kirkpatrick, assistant city planner, about Bricktown's long range planning, aka the Bricktown Strategic Plan.

Oklahoman reporter Steve Lackmeyer reported on this presentation here as well as in his more thorough OkcCentral blog posts, Staring Down the 800 Pound Elephant, Part 1 and Part 2. Additionally, concerning comments by Russell Claus beginning around 22:00 concerning media coverage of a particular Bricktown proposal's parking provision during Kirkpatrick's presentation, where Claus said, "I think the media did a poor job of characterizing the discussion on that...," see Steve's rebuttal at OkcTalk.com where he said, "For what it's worth, I was completely bewildered by Russell Claus' claim that the Chris Johnson story wasn't reported right by "local media." There are only two of us covering it - myself and Brianna Bailey - and we've both delved into the very issues Claus claimed wasn't represented in local coverage. Have Bailey or I left any doubt that the committee does not agree with the idea of creating parking lots along the canal?"

2. EMSA Emergency Services. For several weeks, the council has considered whether or not to continue EMSA as the provider for 911 emergency medical transport and the resolution continuing EMSA in that capacity came up for final vote on October 18. Without reviewing that history, on October 18 council member Ed Shadid was the lone opponent to not do so, he instead favoring placing that duty with the Oklahoma City Fire Department. He expressed his reasons in the 12 minute video clip below:

Personally, what he said made sense to me. When you have an emergency 911 call for emergency health matters, as I did when my wife had collapsed on the stairs many years ago while barely being able to breathe and with severe heart issues, response time matters. In that experience, Fire arrived 4-5 minutes sooner than EMSA did and Fire literally saved my wife's life because of its fast response. Does response time matter? Make your own call.

3. Occupy Oklahoma City. Doubtless you've been closely or vaguely following the Occupy Wall Street movement for the past several weeks which has been catching on around the world. That's been true in Oklahoma City, also. At the 10/18/2011 council meeting, local Occupy OKC proponents asked that the city waive or reduce the $55 daily permit fee, in this instance, for Kerr Park. Oklahoma Citian Mark Faulk was the most articulate, and presentable, of those advocates and his part begins around 7:00 of the 16 minute video clip, below.

At about 9:30 of the clip, Faulk said that the local movement consists of disabled, unemployed, single mothers, all races, all types. He said, "This is a fully inclusive organization that we hope that we open a dialog with our city and with our state that will be an ongoing dialog and well give a voice with the rest of the people who honestly have not been represented in our government."

Their request was not granted. But, see the discussion beginning around 10:58. At about 13:50, Shadid remarked, "... there does seem to be a coalescing around one message, that we need to get money out of politics, that many politicians are bought ... does that [coalescing] seem to be happening ... ." At around 21:40, Shadid offered to meet with Faulk immediately after the meeting to assist in finding funding solutions for the daily permit fee.

As for me, I found Faulk's statements to be rational, reasonable, politely and civilly put, and, at their core, not dissimilar with council member Ed Shadid's viewpoints about plutocracy, to which I also subscribe.

Have we already forgotten the experience with the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum in City Council elections earlier this year? A more than ample basis and justification exists locally, certainly nationally, for this expression of speech, in my opinion.

4. Prohibition Of Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation. Although not on the council agenda, Ed Shadid used the "Items From Council" section of the council's agenda to wonder out loud why the city lacks such prohibitions in addition to the items already covered, e.g., race, gender, religion, etc.

At Dr. Shadid's Facebook page, he made this post on October 19: "Next Tuesday I will introduce resolution prohibiting discrimination among 4300 city employees based on sexual orientation; please attend or call your councilperson in support (city currently prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, political affiliation, national origin and religion but not sexual orientation)." Now, if council member Patrick Ryan gets upset over a motion by Shadid to pay a paltry $300 damage claim by Edgemere Park, it ought to be interesting to hear Ryan's remarks about this proposal.

October 22 Update: I've just had a look at this Tuesday's council agenda. Shadid's item reads,
X. Items from Council
A. Resolution amending Sections 105 and 401 of The City of Oklahoma City Personnel Policies, as amended and adopted December 13, 2005, to include specific reference to discrimination based upon sexual orientation, and directing the City Manager to disseminate said amendments. Councilman Shadid
I was not able to locate the city's "Personnel Policies" at the city's website, but, since a mere resolution (and not a proposed ordinance) is involved here the same must be administrative in nature.

Proposed changes to the municipal code (i.e., city ordinances) must follow a 3-public-meeting track and wouldn't be handled like Shadid's proposed resolution. As far as city ordinances are concerned, I did find a few ordinances which prohibit discrimination, all in Chapter 25, Human Rights. Section 25-39 relates to housing discrimination, Section 25-40 relates to employment by the city, which reads,
No head of any department, official, agent, or employee of the City, or any department acting for or on behalf of the City in any manner involving employment by the City, shall discriminate against any person otherwise qualified in employment or in tenure, terms, or conditions of employment, or adopt or enforce any rule or employment policy which discriminates between employees or prospective employees or seek information relating to race, creed, color, sex, national origin or ancestry for any person or employee as a condition of employment, tenure, term or in connection with conditions of employment, promotion or increase in compensation, or discriminate in the selection of personnel training. Willful violation of this section by any person within the Division of Public Management shall constitute grounds for appropriate disciplinary action or termination by the City Manager.
Probably, the intention of such ordinances is to track state statutory requirements, e.g., 21 O.S. §1302 but those statutes do not specifically prohibit discrimination based upon sexual orientation.

So, if the city does adopt Shadid's proposed resolution, the city's policies will go further to prevent discrimination than state statutes do, which would indeed be interesting.

5. About Jefferson Park's $300 Claim. First, a show of hands: Raise your hand if you remember a motion made on a contested matter by Ward 2's Ed Shadid that wasn't opposed by Ward 8's Patrick Ryan who represents the far northwest section of the city, which includes Gaillardia. Although I stand ready to be corrected, there should be no hands seen — from the get-go on this council member term, Ryan has expressed animus as to Shadid, and he has yet to give him a compliment (which is a customary and frequent practice on the city council dais). Ryan, or so it seems to me, opposes Shadid at every turn. It is recalled that Ryan was backed by the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum, which organization/entity has been strongly criticized by Shadid, among many others, including this writer.

On this otherwise mundane matter, it seems that Ward 2's Edgemere Park's sprinkler system had been damaged by an city snow plow, and it asked to be reimbursed that $300 expense. Watch below and judge for yourself whether Ryan was "reaching" for a reason to deny Shadid's motion and Edgemere Park's claim:

Ward 1 council member Gary Marrs' comments began around 21:40. Ordinarily an ally of Ryan, he was interrupted by Ryan while he was stating his views favoring the motion. After that interruption by Ryan, Marrs' facial expression says it all.

That's it for the highlights of this fine day at the races. Come again ... there will be more to tell as more council meetings take place.

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Will the OK Legislature Blow Off the Native American Center in OKC?

2011-09-13T13:44:00.013-05:00

Two Former Governors,
One Democrat, One Republican, Hope Not

Will the Oklahoma Legislature let this masterpiece-in-progress die, mid-stream, in its tracks? In the above video produced by the Chickasaw Nation and published a couple of days ago, two former governors, one Democrat (Brad Henry) and one Republican (Frank Keating), say NO, that would be a wrong course to follow.

But, with the changing of the guard in Oklahoma State Legislature during the past several years from democrats to republicans, governmental sponsorship of projects relating to culture and the arts have had an increasingly hard row to hoe.

Nothing demonstrates this difficulty more vividly than the earlier-promised partial state funding of the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum (AICCM) in Oklahoma City. Notwithstanding the support of current Republican Governor Mary Fallin, in spring 2011 the controlling committee members of the Oklahoma Legislature's House & Senate refused to allow further funding to even come to a vote. Overall, funding is from multiple sources which I'll explain later.

But, without the state legislature doing what it earlier committed to do, is the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum doomed?

David F. Allen expressed his thoughts at OkcTalk.com. About himself, David says,

I was born and raised in South Oklahoma City, graduated from the University of Oklahoma with Bachelor of Architecture. I am currently living in SW Houston. However, Oklahoma and to be more exact, Oklahoma City has always been home to me.

About the above video and the project, David wrote,

        That was a very well done video, and it captured several key things that will (I hope) 1. Raise awareness of how significant a facility this really is. 2. Showcases its integral nature in relation to the Downtown renaissance. 3. Address the fact that there is a real economic as well as intangible cost that will be realized simply by failing to complete a project that has this type of visibility and unique cultural significance, paid for with immense public investment. Failing to complete this sends the unintended message of instability could very well give developers pause before pushing forward serious plans in the area. 4. Completion of the project allows for the continued momentum in the growth and development taking place downtown.

        It was nice to see many of our leaders of the past who recognize the intense detrimental impacts of this project being left to flounder in the shadows of downtown. There is no hiding this place, it is right down the river from the Oklahoma River rowing courses and will be a source of national and international exposure for good (if completed) or ill (if not) The landform and striking architecture of the buildings will draw attention unto itself, so there will be no way for OKC or Oklahoma in general to hide this unfinished project. So we may as well realize that the unfinished project could cost us far more in losses due to the negative PR that we will get, for the negative perceptions that will be reinforced or taken away from this if not completed, such as: That we do not value our history, that we can't live up to what we have been advertising, issues of race and the list goes on and on ... the biggest issue is that we will not be able to control the way the rest of America or the world for that matter, will take this and run with it.

        This project IS critical to get completed because we are too far along for us not to! We have used it as a feather in hats in many of our chamber videos that have been at major development conferences (and anywhere else we can get them played) showcasing Oklahoma and its capital city. Even the cost of shuttering it for a while and then at some future point dusting off the plans and completing, will cost far more as there will be significant cost increases anytime you demobilize the site and then have to start back up, plus the costs of labor and materials and on and on and on ...

        The decision to build this facility was made long ago and there is nothing that can undo that, those dollars are spent. The costs of not completing it are incalculable, even from a fiscal responsibility standpoint. If you ordered dinner at a nice restaurant and your date has eaten half of hers already, and you then realize that you do not have the money, you have to work out a way to pay it, or be prepared to wash the dishes. But one thing is for certain, even if you begrudgingly wash the dishes, yes you have met the obligation, but the date that you were hoping to go well is over. Feel free to insert developers, corporate relocation candidates, or large group events/meetings seeking a venue, etc. into the role of the date in the analogy.)

        You can be assured that there are many very key people who are keeping an eye on our state and city with interest, watching for us to support our claims of being world class or waiting for us to falter. The fact that we have run into budget issues on the project does not doom nor define us, however how we respond to the challenges that face us do. So do we just try and brush this one under the rug and wait until some casino decides to pony up the money for the land and facility and then become the laughingstock of the nation? Or do we work to identify a viable solution to deliver a promise that was begun a long time ago and let the expense finally mature to the point that it can begin having a positive economic impact in our area. There is no doubt that this will become every bit, if not more renowned than the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

        It is my hope that in years to come we will recognize this moment for what it is, a pivotal one that had lasting and unimaginable economic impacts on our city.

        The rowing venue is one of Oklahoma's most currently relevant venues for increasing international exposure for something (other than the Thunder.) of permanence and place. When there are significant races being held here, the network camera crews will be looking for shots to showcase its location and this is immediately adjacent to the course!!!! Even in Europe there is a familiarity with the plight and issues of the Native Americans on this continent. You cannot buy this type of public advertising that will be a boon to tourism in our city and state.

        We must finish this project.

The video below shows the promise ...

More to follow ...

What Is the DEAL With Councilman Ed Shadid?

2011-09-07T00:08:00.019-05:00

As an underdog (Charlie Swinton being the highest vote-getter in the Ward 2 primary vote and favored by the Oklahoman and the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum), in the runoff election Shadid roundly defeated the Oklahoman's and the huge and hidden monied Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum's candidate by a vote of 62% to 38%.

He then took his office. Shortly following, he was taken aback by the City Council having on its consent docket a proposal for a new non-profit organization which would assume roles which previously resided in city government, the Alliance for Economic Development (see here and here), the the 35-page proposed contract having been delivered to the Council only 2 or 3 days before the meeting. Later, he responded to such a short notice procedure by a proposal which would require greater time and public input before considering substantially important matters. For that, some city council members took personal offense and he got his ears boxed by council members Ryan, Marrs, McAtee, and Salyer, they saying that, actually, all one needed to do was to ask for a continuance and, in the Council's magnanimous collegiality, it would be granted.

But, about that collegiality and to make matters worse, when he was unavoidably unable to attend the important July 5 City Council meeting that would establish the prioritization of MAPS 3 projects and he requested a continuance through Pete White, Shadid's face was very sharply slapped by the majority present and voting (as well as by another council member, Meg Salyer, she voting by proxy via the mayor). So much for that supposed magnanimous collegiality.

Later still, he took on Momentum by naming Larry Nichols as the principal if not only person behind the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum. Later, he, Pete White, and City Clerk Frances Kersey gave their support to a matter pending before the Oklahoma Ethics Commission brought by the Oklahoma Gazette. Among other things, the Gazette requested an interpretation of the Political Subdivision Ethics Act (PSEA) as to whether an entity sending money to a nonprofit organization — the so-called "super-PACS" — that is participating in electioneering would also be subject to campaign disclosure requirements, i.e., identification of "super-PAC" contributors and amounts of their contributions. The Attorney General's office nixed an immediate answer, but one would expect the query to be answered sooner rather than later.

By all appearances, but for Pete White, Skip Kelly, and perhaps David Greenwell, one could reasonably conclude that Shadid has been eschewed by the other council members and the mayor and that, all things considered, he might be or is or could be considered by them to be something of a persona non grata.

So, what does he do? Did he put his tail between his legs and lower his head like a sad bad dog, be timid, and go to his corner?

No. He's not that kind of dog. Instead, he leads, and he leads like no other city leader has in recent or perhaps any memory — instead of pouting (and I've watched Council meetings closely this year, and he has yet to respond to the poor treatment received at the hands of other Council members with anything other than courtesy), he has gone to the public and encouraged ordinary citizens like you and me to become involved and be part of the process.

Shadid seems to have the idea that ordinary citizens have the ability to think, understand, contribute, and be trusted, that good government is best when it is transparent, and that doing something about the city rests not only with elected officials and the wealthy, as important as their roles are in this city's progress, the bottom line is that it fundamentally rests with the public at large.

Most recently, he organized and perhaps paid for (the city didn't) a public forum designed to promote discussion and resolution of the problems associated with "urban sprawl" in Oklahoma City, conducted yesterday evening at the Marriott Hotel Ballroom at Independence and Northwest Expressway. It's just as though his rebukes at the City Council level had never happened — no animus was present in tone or content, just public education.

Given the lackluster blessing upon the new city council member by the mayor and council members Marrs, Ryan, McAtee, and Salyer, would anyone even bother to show up or listen to whatever might transpire at this public forum which Shadid said would be but one of other public forums yet to come?

Click on any image in this post for a larger view.
So, how many would show up in the 600 seat capacity ballroom at this public forum which Shadid organized which was said to be a first step in discussing urban sprawl? 50? 100? 250? What?

This many?

Or this many?

Maybe this many?

No, it was this many ... wall to wall people, standing room only.

The 600-capacity ballroom was overflowing — additional chairs had to be brought in next to the walls to accommodate the overflow crowd. Heck, the Oklahoman even covered the event in an article by Michael Kimball in this morning's paper. Quoting Shadid, Kimball's article defined the purpose of the meeting:

"It's about defining the issues, defining the scope of the problem and bringing it to the public," Shadid said. "Then we can let them process it, draw upon their individual experiences and then engage the city with their ideas."

What a concept — involve the public by defining where we are with our sprawling 621 square mile city and begin a discussion about how to fix the problems that our city's sprawl has created — not a discussion behind closed doors but one right out front for everyone to see and be part of.

The Oklahoma Gazette publicized the event and Dr. Shadid ran the following flyer in the August 31, 2011, Oklahoma Gazette:

The event was also publicized at his website, www.edshadid.org, and in Facebook, here, here, and here.

While listening to his opening remarks, I was flabbergasted by the breadth of knowledge that Shadid easily rolled off of his tongue — as well as be amazed that, given his lukewarm if not cool reception at City Council, he'd assembled the following speakers, each of which succinctly discussed the elements of the city's sprawl which pertained to their expertise (all photos were taken yesterday evening). Many if not all injected elements of humor in their comments — even Eric Wenger who sometimes seems to be dour personified made a quip which was chuckled at by those present, but I did notice that he often did not laugh at the hearty comedic anecdotes of other speakers. Maybe he was preoccupied with what he would say, himself, as I might also have been were I on the dais.

Blair Humphreys Urban Planner & O.U. Instructor	Jim Couch OKC City Manager	Russell Claus OKC Planning Director
Keith Bryant OKC Fire Chief	Bill Citty OKC Chief of Police	Rick Cain, Director OKC Public Transit & Parking
Eric Wenger OKC Public Works Director	Marsha Slaughter OKC Utilities Director	Bob Tener, Director OKC Code Enforcement

During the meeting, councilman Shadid also echoed the remarks which he'd made at the August 30 City Council Meeting, those comments being shown here — buy local so that more money stays in the local economy and the city collects more sales tax revenue, sales tax revenue essentially being the sole source for funding of city operations — streets, police, fire, utilities, parks, government, everything.

So, at last, back to the question, What IS the deal with Councilman Ed Shadid?

The deal is this: Rather than criticize Shadid, Council members would be wise to take lessons from him even though most have been in their posts a lot longer than he has. I'd give the same advice to the Oklahoman, but you know as well as I do how important such advice would be to the powerful but increasingly isolated newspaper. Even so, it may yet come to see that the public likes this guy, how he works, and what he is doing — and even the Oklahoman may glean that the public may well want its new leaders' clothes to be cut by the same tailor who made his almost always black attire — even though a bit of color would be cool with me. In my opinion, he's the real deal, and the public is becoming increasingly aware of exactly that fact. In the end, even the Oklahoman may get it.

As to sitting Council members, have any of you readers ever seen any other Council member do something similar to what Ed Shadid did with yesterday's urban sprawl forum with 600 or more citizens in attendance? Correct me if I'm wrong and show me a picture, but I think that yesterday evening's public forum was a first of its kind.

I may be dreaming, but I venture to say that Ed Shadid has set something powerful in motion in this city the likes of which we have not seen before, something that neither the Oklahoman nor the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum will have the power to stop.

At the September 6 meeting, Dr. Shadid said that he'd be doing more public forums similar to what he did with the urban sprawl forum discussed above. I can hardly wait.

One last thing — even though Ed Shadid has shown no rancor for the treatment that he has received at the hands of some City Council members, some of the rest of us may not be so kind when this period of time is recalled in elections yet to come. Some of us may have a touch of the "dark side" left in us, even if Ed Shadid does not.

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My 50th Lawton High School Class Reunion

2011-09-01T01:00:00.050-05:00

Originally posted September 1, 2011; updated on September 6 & 8 to show reunion photos.

News Flash: Lawton High will be open for touring at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday). I don't know how long that will last.

As you can see from the above photo in the 1961 Lawton High School yearbook, Lawton High in 1961 was no small school. Its sophomore-junior-senior population was well above 2,000, and my senior graduating class exceeded 600, many of whom I never met.

In that context, how does one get prepared for his/her 50th high school reunion at one of 1961's largest high schools in the state? If one comes from a small high school, it's probably not that much of a challenge. But if coming from one of the largest, preparing for the 50th reunion can be daunting.

Jump to the September 3 photos
Lawton Roots. Although born in Oklahoma City and having lived and/or worked here since 1966 during my time in law school at the University of Oklahoma, I was largely reared in Lawton beginning in the 3rd grade. I was one of more than 600 graduates from Lawton High School in 1961. Today, Lawton/Ft. Sill's population is around 100,000, and the city has 3 principal high schools. But when I graduated Lawton's population was a bit over 60,000 and there was only one principal high school, Lawton High School, one of the premier high schools in the state. In fact, in 1962, Home of Champions was a title bestowed on LHS by the Oklahoma State Legislature, when Lawton High won all five of the major sports State Championship titles, even though before 1962, LHS was not at all shabby in its athletic accomplishments.

It is from my Lawton High School days that my beginnings into the value of civic pride were born. Before graduation, I made road maps of everything in the country coming through Lawton. I relished in the fact that Lawton was then the 3rd largest city in the state. Even though those civic pride sensations have since transferred to Oklahoma City where I was born and where I live today, Lawton and Lawton High is/are where my sensory perceptions of the value of civic pride began.

How To Prepare For A Reunion. To prepare for this auspicious reunion, I concluded that it would help to review each of the high school yearbooks associated with this class, with a focus on activities that I or my high school sweetheart were associated with, and then carry it forward beyond the 1961 graduation. The next 10 pages show that sequence over time spanning 52 years.

For starters, it is accurate to classify me as a "nerd" — my interests were band (1958 and ending in fall 1959) and debate (all 3 high school years). I'm still a nerd else I wouldn't have been doing Doug Dawgz Blog since 2006. And I'm damn proud of it.

Click on any image for a much larger view.

Band
Since the 5th grade, instrumental music was part of my upbringing, and I played the cornet. As a sophomore, I gained a superior in the state band contest, much to my and everyone's surprise. Linda Tozier was my piano accompanist. In March 1959, the band took a trip to Corpus Christi to participate in the Buccaneer Band Festival and that is when my love affair with Corpus Christi began. Although I dropped out of band in the fall of 1959 so that I could spend more time with debate, band was an important part of my high school career. The photo below is the 1959 Lawton High School Band from the 1959 yearbook.

Page 1 of my Reunion Review, 1958-1959

Page 2 of my Reunion Review, 1959-1960

Pages 3-6 of my Reunion Review, 1960-1961

Page 7 of my Reunion Review, at OSU 1961-65

Page 8 of my Reunion Review, at OU 1965-1968

Page 9 of my Reunion Review, Post-1968

Page 10 of my Reunion Review, Lawton High

The Mountains. For a high schooler in Lawton, mention must be made of the Wichita Mountains. Everyone in Lawton referred to the Wichita Mountains simply as "the mountains" and I've blogged about the Wichitas previously. As high school kids, that's where we often hung out, doing various and sundry things in the process ... some things are better left unsaid in a blog post like this. Here are a few photos taken much later than our 1961 graduation but it wasn't that much different then.

In 1990

My Kids Treating Me To A Meersburger, July 2010

In Medicine Park, July 2010

The Reunion Flyer. Aside from yearbooks and my own photos, the next valuable preparation tool was the 4-page flyer which announced and described the 3-day reunion over Labor Day weekend. As I said, we had more than 600 in our graduating class, many of whom I never met. About 280 of them were identified as whereabouts unknown, and another 43 were reported as dead. The 3rd step was to accept the fact of mortality and missing persons and that days gone by cannot be wholly recreated. Remembrances, for sure; wishful thinking about immortality, not at all. Anyway, combining the missing and the dead, that whittled about 323 people off of the list of who to possibly expect to see. I don't remember the exact count of graduates ... like I said it was over 600. Using 610 as the number, that leaves about 287 who might be present during the 50th reunion.

Talking with one of the reunion organizers, I understand that about 140 or so have registered to be present. That means that approximately 23% of our graduating class, which is about 50% of those whose who are presumed living and whose whereabouts are known, will be attending. Cathryn, who lives in Egypt, will be there, as will my high school buddy, Tony, who lives in Florida, among many many others.

My high school sweetheart and 1st wife and mother of our children (David, Mary) Liz (left), will attend, but, sadly, my high school debate partner, Judy (right), who lives in Alaska, will not. I'd love to talk with her again. Still, I'm very much looking forward to this 50th class reunion and seeing again and talking with any who are present.

But will I recognize them when I see them? Better put, have a look at me in 1961 and what I look like now and ask, will I be recognized by them?

I'll let you know after I return from the dinner dance scheduled for Saturday, September 3, at the Lawton Country Club, with pictures from the auspicious evening.

GO, WOLVERINES!

SEPTEMBER 3 PHOTOS. The Labor Day Weekend reunion is now done and I had an outstanding time attending events on Saturday, September 3. My wife and I paid a few extra dollars to stay at the Hampton Inn in Lawton, thinking from prior experience with the same hotel brand that the extra money would be worth it -- but, in our opinion, the hotel facility was really quite average and disappointing even though the hotel staff was excellent. The fact that several others attending the reunion also stayed there helped to make up for the hotel's shortcomings.

I've weeded out a few pics that I took and saved 75. The photos begin in the morning with a brief tour of Lawton High School which Sue Otis Wigington kindly arranged. Then, I took some photos at the Girlfriends Brunch at the Silver Spoon Restaurant in downtown Lawton, and, finally, at the dinner dance at the Lawton Country Club. A slideshow made by Photobucket is shown below ... you can right-click on the show to zoom in or out if you want. Move your mouse over the slide show for pause, backward, and forward controls ... unfortunately, speed cannot be controlled in the slideshow and it moves rather quickly.

A larger image slideshow containing more description of individual photos is available in the Photobucket LHS Reunion Album slideshow and it's better than the above.

Individual photos (1024 px wide) are stored in my Photobucket account here but they are also shown in the table below. Either way, click on a small image and a larger image, typically 1024 pixels wide, will open. To save a larger photo that you want, right-click on the larger photo and a menu will pop-up. In the Firefox and Chrome browsers, a menu item reads, "Save image as ..." and in IE Explorer a menu item reads, "Save picture as ... ." Select the "save" item and save it to where you want on your computer.

Individual Photos & Thumbnails. Click on any small image below for a 1024 px wide view. A brief description of each photo appears below the image.

LHS Class of 1961 50th Reunion
Mary Jo Watson at LHS	Doug Loudenback at LHS
The auditorium was being renovated, all seats having been removed (a pic showing remnant seats appears below inside the school office). The photo of the stage shows the original curtains at the top.
Seats All Gone	Auditorium Stage
Athletic Trophy Case
Wolverine Logo in Main Entry
Some 1961 Trophies	Mary Jo Walking the Halls The original lockers haven't changed.
Outside the School Office	Wolverine From Outside
Wolverine From Inside Office This was a gift by the class of 1962, I'm told.
Inside the School Office Principal's Office, left; Asst. Principal, right (I had to visit Mr. Hancock in the latter on one occasion, as I recall)
Hall Surveillance Monitors Inside the Office (Not nearly as personal as our old "hall monitors")
Remnant Auditorium Seats	Speech & Drama Trophies
Walking East Toward Cafeteria An inside view of the formerly smoking courtyard
New & Expanded Cafeteria	Not Like Our Cafeteria, For Sure
Girlfriends Brunch. This event was in the old Johnson's Dairy at 6th & C Streets. Now, it is the Silver Spoon Restaurant. One guy attended, too.
Tony White, Liz McCutchen Pearson, Janet Bost Armstrong
Tony & Liz	Tony, Liz & Janet
Various Graduates	Various Graduates
Sue Otis Wigington & Dixie Massad Sheridan Having looked at Dixie's photography website, she may well be the most accomplished member of our class.
Pam Guzzle Kinzer, Lynda Freeman Ozwalt, Ingrid Fuller Hogue, & others	The Room Was Packed With Gals Who Just Wanted To Have Fun
The Place Was Raining Women -- Cathryn Goddard, right, came from Egypt	Ingrid Fuller Hogue, Shirley Scott Pace & Many More
Shirley Scott Pace	Dixie Greer Walker
Beverly Davis (Don's Wife)	Pat Stephens Skuda
Dinner Dance at Lawton Country Club Dan & Sue Wigington made the arrangements for the event at the club which, if one was disposed, included golf and swimming during the day. Mary Jo and I only attended the evening festivities. I apologize in advance for not getting everyone's photo and for not knowing everyone's names, even though not all wore their name tags. I have a crappy memory. After the dinner and round-the-room introductions and the not-always-brief biographies, the entertainment began with classmate Tony Cerveny and his wife Lynn putting on a South American dance show which was simply superb. Who'da thunk it!
Tony Cerveny	Lynn Cerveny
Ferne Hooper Mizell and her husband Walter liked it.



After that, I walked around the room and took the following photos. If I don't know or recall a name, it is not shown. On learning them or if I've made mistakes, I'll be glad to make changes.
Hans Giroux	Cathryn Goddard
Wayne Littlefield Sue Otis Wigington	Mary Jo Watson
Pat Stephens Skuda (red tops) Hans Giroux	Brenda and Gary Rigsby Roger Pursley, Ann Shepard Tubbs Gary Tubbs
Gordon Atchley	Derald & Shirley Hankins Ahlsclager, Don Davis, Shirlene Littlefield (?), Sue Otis
Derald & Shirley Hankins Ahlschlager, Don Davis, Wayne Littlefield	Greg Sharp
Billie Ruth Bish Fargo Bill Fargo	Billie Ruth Bish Fargo Kaye Thompson McCarley & Bill Fargo
Billie Ruth Bish Fargo If we still did "Best Looking" designations, she'd get my vote.
Paul Baker Tony White	Paul Baker, Tony White Robert HaithCock
Robert Haithcock	Michael Hogue & Ingrid Fuller Hogue, Shirley Scott Pace Pam Guzzle Kinzer
Doug Roper, Sherry Kemp Bly Dennis Bly, Ann Shepard Tubbs	Betty Hennessee Watts, Dennis Bly
Jerry Boucher, Mary Martin Boucher, Vanda Marie Clark Halbrooks, James Halbrooks Jerry Hurst, Glenda Cast Hurst	Les & Sue Campbell Judy Witt
Joyce Isaacs Keyes, Alan Aycock, Martha & Butch Keiningham	Joyce Isaacs Keyes Alan Aycock
Paula Evans Biondi	The Dance Floor
Mary Jo Watson	Nancy Eubanks Oelklavs
Pat Stephens Skuda (red)	Lynda Freeman Oswalt Sherry Kemp Bly
Pam Guzzle Kinzer Lynda Freeman Oswalt	Doug Roper, Nancy Eubanks Oelklavs, Michael Hogue Ingrid Fuller Hogue
Nancy Eubanks Oelklavs Cathryn Goddard, Wayne Littlefield Cathryn was obviously wearing her sheik Egyptian attire while attempting to lure others to join her and Nancy in doing the hula dance, but there were few takers. Mary Jo wasn't feeling well so we left early, around 9:45 or so, so I didn't get any more photos. I hear that Honest Don and Wayne put on quite an Abbott/Costello show that left everyone in stiches after I left. I'd love to have heard it. Anyway, I hope to see everyone again at the 55th Reunion in 2016, and thanks again to Dan and Sue Otis Wigington and all the rest for a great time and a job very well done!
Me in 1961	Me in July 2011

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Jim Kyle Memoirs, Part 3 — An Oklahoma Citian Remembers The Korean War

2011-08-16T18:46:00.036-05:00

The Korean War (aka Korean police action/conflict) began on June 25, 1950, when the Soviet trained and armed North Korean army invaded South Korea in an apparent surprise attack. (Credit this animated gif showing the changing border during the war to Matthew White in his article on the Korean war.) Technically, almost 60 years later, this war remains unresolved — a negotiated armistice (i.e., truce, ceasefire) accord reached on July 27, 1953, stopped the fighting, for the most part.

In this the 3rd installment by Oklahoma Citian Jim Kyle at Doug Dawgz Blog, Jim vividly recounts his own personal experiences as a young man who had just graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma. I have nothing personal to add — I finished my 1st grade in May 1950 and what would a 6-year old boy know about such things. My military time (such as it was) would be a decade and a half later, during the Vietnam war. (Credit this image of an 8" howitzer, referenced in Jim's article, to retired Col. Randy Pullen.)

Skip the Intro and Read Jim's Present Article, below
Jump to Jim's Korean War Photo Album
Read Jim's 1st Article, as an Oklahoman Reporter
Read Jim's 2nd Article About Prohibition Repeal
SNAPSHOT INTRODUCTION. I am no military historian but a fair summary of events is as follows, I think. Readers will correct me if I have gotten something wrong.

Numerous on-line resources exist to get a background and running account of the Korean war — such as this Wikipedia article and this account by Jack D. Walker.

Part of the aftermath of World War II was the division of the Korean peninsula which had been a Japanese territory since 1910. The Wikipedia article says,

The Korean peninsula was ruled by Japan from 1910 until the end of World War II. Following the surrender of Japan in 1945, American administrators divided the peninsula along the 38th Parallel, with United States troops occupying the southern part and Soviet troops occupying the northern part.

That was not at all unlike what happened to Germany and its principal city, Berlin, following World War II. In the southern part, the United States led the South Koreans to partake in their first democratic election, but in the north the Russians installed a communist government without any plebiscite.

Meanwhile, North Korean troops were trained and supplied by the Soviets and built up an army of about 135,000. In the south, it was different. The United States equipped a South Korean army of about 65,000 with only small arms equipment, together with its own 500 or so advisers in place as of June 25, 1950.

Notice the above map — the division line between north and south was the 38th parallel. The June 25, 1950, Oklahoman headlines looked like this:

Click here for the full Oklahoman article.

During the next three years, the Korean war would dominate newspaper headlines across the county, including the Oklahoma City papers. After the North Korean invasion into the south, left to its own devices it is apparent that the North Koreans would have been able to declare total victory. Watch that top graphic to see how things were going initially.

The United States responded quickly with troops after the invasion, and three days later the United Nations Security Council voted 7-1 to support the defensive action taken by the United States. The UN resolution was favored by Brittan, France, [nationalist] China, Norway, Ecuador, Cuba, and the United States, and was opposed only by Yugoslavia. Russia, not present during the Security Council vote, apparently had a policy of not attending Security Council meetings at which nationalist China was present, it maintaining that China's legitimate constituent was mainland/communist China, not then a member of the United Nations.

On July 29, the Soviets maintained that the UN resolution was illegal since the legitimate China representative, mainland/communist China, was not present (and could not have been since mainland/communist China was not then a member of the United Nations) at the vote and since 7 members of the Security Council were required to vote affirmatively — without a "China" vote, the vote would have been 6-1.

In October 1950, mainland/communist China threw its troops into the fray with about 320,000-340,000 troops. During the war, US troops numbered, at the same time, about 348,000 or so.

So, regardless how the 1970 movie or the television series, M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) may have tried to find a humorous side, or how Frank Sinatra's earlier 1962 The Manchurian Candidate movie may have succeeded in finding its darkest, the three years represented a huge killing field of military and civilians, many of them from Oklahoma and Oklahoma City.

How many died? This undeclared war lasted for just over three years and claimed millions of military and civilian lives. Although the actual numbers are unclear, this Wikipedia sub-article says this and is more than enough to give a ballpark figure:

According to some estimates: 33,741 Americans, but about 2,800,000 total casualties counting North Korea (military and civilian), South Korea, China and UN troops.

These numbers include military and civilian casualties and since so many sources have different numbers, these are the averages. South Korea - 595,000; North Korea - 1,316,579; China - 500,000; United States - 33,000; United Kingdom - 1,078; Turkey - 717; Canada - 310; France - 290; Australia - 281; Greece - 170; Colombia - 140; Ethiopia - 120; Netherlands - 110; Thailand - 110; Belgium - 100; Philippines - 90; Total - 2,448,095
Actually... it is estimated that about 10 million people died during the Korean war. That's about the same amount of people killed during WW1. Seven million soldiers died; three million civilians died.

There are so many conflicting reports on the total of deaths in the Korean war. I just watched a documentary on the history channel that stated that
2.5 million North Korean soldiers and civilians; 1.5 million South Korean soldiers and civilians; 1 million Chinese soldiers and civilians; 55 thousand American soldiers; 500 Canadian soldiers; 300 Australian soldiers; and a further 5000 UN soldiers from a number of different countries all lost their lives in the Korean war.

Regardless of the actual number of deaths, the number was huge, and into this mix, Oklahoma Citian Jim Kyle, just graduated from the University of Oklahoma, a 2nd Lieutenant in Field Artillery, a trained forward observer, found his body in harm's way, and he tells his fascinating and engaging story, below. (Credit this image showing a 105-mm howitzer, taken near Uirson, Korea, on August 24, 1950, to this website.)

We Didn't Use Billy Clubs
By Jim Kyle
        Some folk refer to the unpleasantness during the 1950s on the peninsula called Korea as "The Korean Conflict." Those who want to be absolutely precise use its official name: the Korean Police Action. But make no mistake about it, this was a war in every sense of the word. We didn't use nightsticks and neither did the other guys.
        It began in late June of 1950. I had just completed my sophomore year at OU, majoring in journalism with the intention of eventually becoming a photographer for Life magazine. But when the shooting started, it became obvious that all physically fit young men would soon wind up in uniform.
        The University of Oklahoma, like all land-grant colleges at that time, required all male students (save those physically unable to do so) to enroll in the Reserve Officers Training Corps for their first two years. I had been thankful to have the weekly marching drills behind me, but as the North Korean army swept through the south's defenders, the situation looked a bit different. President Harry Truman had asked the United Nations to take action, and in response sent U.S. occupation forces from Japan to help stem the flood -- with little immediate result.
        I quickly decided to apply for admission to the advanced ROTC courses, which would result in my becoming a commissioned officer upon graduation rather than being drafted as a private. Upon acceptance, I mentally changed my major from "journalism" to "military science" although there was no alteration of my official goal.
        The Tuesday afternoon drills on the parade ground held more significance during my final two years, and the two-week summer camp at Fort Sill, between those years, brought everything into focus more sharply. During the first night of that camp, a tornado swept through Fort Sill. We had been housed in squad tents, eight men to a tent, sleeping on metal cots. One of my tentmates was a former paratrooper from west Texas. When the storm blew in about midnight, he detected the signs of trouble and yelled for us to get under our cots and brace them to prevent them from collapsing on us. All but one of us complied.
        I never heard the traditional freight train sound; the thunder and hail were too loud to make out anything else. But when the rain and hail finally stopped and we rolled out from under our cots, our tent was nowhere to be seen. Its ridgepole and rafters had snapped, and the jagged edge of one 2x4 had stabbed into my pillow. Our uniforms, too, were gone. The one fellow who hadn't gone to cover had slept through it all, unharmed. And we spent the rest of the night in the concrete latrine a few hundred feet from our smashed tent frame, keeping dry.
        In May 1952, I received both my B.A. degree and my commission as a second lieutenant, field artillery, in the U.S. Army Reserve. Shortly afterward, I received orders to report to Fort Sill on July 20 to begin my two-year tour of duty, starting with Battery Officers Class Number 52.
        BOC52 duplicated everything I had been taught in the previous two years of advanced ROTC, but it was more than a refresher course. An essential part, that we had no opportunity to pursue on campus, was the time spent running live-fire exercises on the firing range.
        Two phrases from that period have stuck with me ever since. I learned quite rapidly that the "school solution" to any problem was simply "It all depends on the situation, sir." And Captain Moore, the instructor for our live-fire training, would thunder at any student who took too long thinking, "Don't just stand there, lieutenant. Do something, even if it's wrong!" His point was that any action was preferable to none at all; it applies to much more than mere armed combat.
        Following BOC52, most of us went to stateside units for a few months of "troop duty" before being shipped overseas. I was assigned to the 553rd Field Artillery Battalion, still at Fort Sill, so my move was a short one -- from the school dormitories to the post's BOQ or Bachelor Officers' Quarters.
        The 553rd had two sets of artillery. Like every other unit at Sill, we had light 105-mm howitzers. These were the workhorses of the artillery in those days, firing a 4-inch-diameter 42-pound shell up to some 12,000 yards (or almost 6 miles). A battalion had three firing batteries, and each battery (artillery's equivalent of other services' companies) had six tubes. Artillery and infantry worked as a team; each light artillery battalion normally partnered with an infantry regiment, and each of its firing batteries teamed with a battalion of the infantry.
        But for the 553rd, the howitzers were extra baggage. The unit was classed as heavy artillery, and its primary weapon was the 8-inch howitzer. These mammoths, which fired 200-pound shells and had a range of 11 miles, were far too huge to be towed by trucks. We used "prime movers" which were lightly armored tracked vehicles, similar to giant Caterpillar tractors. The weapon, when fired, would usually blow a ring of flame out of its muzzle right behind the shell.
        Our mission at Sill was to support the live-fire exercises of the school. Most of the time, we did so with the 105s, but every couple of weeks we would haul out the 8-inchers and drag them to the East Range. To a young shavetail still wet behind the ears, those were the most exciting times. When the big howitzer fired, its concussion would knock crew members to the ground, and the sound was unimaginably loud. I suspect, however, that regular exposure to it during those days is the prime reason I've had tinnitus for many years.
        By January 1953, my days of troop duty were ending, but my commanding officer sent me to Chemical, Bacteriological, and Radiological School at San Antonio anyway. Halfway through the course, I got a letter at noon mail call, containing orders for me to report in February to Camp Stoneman, California, for shipment to the Far East.
        Normal practice at the time was to allow 30 days' pre-departure leave to officers, and my reporting date was already closer than that when I received the letter forwarded from Fort Sill. I discussed the problem with my instructor, went to the school headquarters that afternoon, showed them my orders, and before the sun had set I was driving back toward Fort Sill. I arrived the next morning, cleared my departure from the 553rd, and by the next day was home for what remained of my 30 days.
        My parents and I drove to California, where we had relatives that we wanted to visit before I shipped out. Finally, on the appointed day they dropped me and my footlocker at Camp Stoneman. I was on my way to war.
        Artillery observers were in such demand that we had to cross the Pacific by air; going by sea would take too long. Unfortunately, an airline strike was going on, and planes were in short supply; the military had contracted at least some Air Transport Service operations out to Pan-American. Consequently, I waited at Stoneman for most of a month before the word came to move out. That gave me an opportunity to visit San Francisco, eat at Fisherman's Wharf, and have a drink at the Top of the Mark. Still, the delay chafed at not only my nerves but those of everyone else. Most of the group had been my classmates in BOC52, and we spent the time comparing notes on our troop duty experiences.
        Finally, the word came to board the buses, and we motored to Travis Air Force Base, some 40 miles from Stoneman. We climbed into two DC-4s, took off about 9 p.m., flew directly over downtown San Francisco, and headed for Honolulu. My plane contained 23 lieutenants and one brigadier general, a Pentagon staff officer en route to Japan for an inspection visit. More than half of the lieutenants were from the West Point class of 1952, and several of them struck up a game of poker with the general. The rest of us dozed off and wondered what would happen next.
        We landed at Honolulu shortly after noon, local time, the next day. While the planes were refueled, we had lunch and strolled down to a part of the beach that was within the airport perimeter. Then we took off again, headed for Wake Island and another refueling stop. From there it was a straight shot to Tokyo.
        The day I checked into Camp Stoneman, a troopship had departed for Japan. The day we landed in Tokyo, that same ship arrived. So much for our high priority.
        From Tokyo, my next stop was another round of CBR School at the former Imperial Naval Academy not far from Hiroshima. On a weekend pass, I visited that city and saw the original Ground Zero up close and personal. Reconstruction was going on, but had not progressed very far by April of 1953. The extent of the damage done there is impossible to grasp without seeing it first hand. Concrete buildings more than two miles from Ground Zero had been smashed, and even the street curbs had been shattered. It was a sobering experience.
        With CBR school completed at last (I finished first in the class, thanks in no small part to having already had the first half of the course in San Antonio). I moved on to Korea itself, assigned to the 25th Division (Tropic Lightning) and landing initially at Pusan. We went by train from Pusan to Seoul; primed by Hollywood, I expected guerrilla action every moment of the trip, but nothing at all happened.
        Seoul, when we arrived, was a devastated city. More than half of its buildings were wrecked, burnt-out shells. What little traffic existed was all military. I had no doubt that I was in a war zone at last.
        Another train ride took me to the division's replacement center at Chorwon, near the middle of the peninsula. I arrived there just in time for the evening meal, and after supper, everyone gathered in the mess hall to enjoy a movie. About halfway through the show, an alarm siren sounded, and the lights flickered out. "It's Bedtime Charlie again," someone said. A single bomb went off in the distance, then silence; the lone North Korean pilot's nightly air raid was over.
        The next morning we loaded into a truck and drove to Division headquarters, several miles away from the center. There, we received assignments to our final units. Mine was to Battery C, 8th Field Artillery Battalion. Soon, a jeep arrived and together with another newcomer I went to meet my new comrades in arms.
        The 8th Field was the artillery portion of the famed Wolfhounds Regimental Combat Team, partnering with the 27th Infantry Regiment. The team had been in the fighting from almost the first day. Here's what a division history says about its record: "Pulled out of Japan to help repel the invasion of South Korea, the 27th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) arrived in Korea on 11 July 1950 and saw their first action near Yongdong. The 8th FA's fires were so intense that POWs wanted to see the automatic artillery the 8th was using. On 21-24 August 1950 the 8th FA killed over 3000 of the enemy as the 27th RCT halted a major North Korean attack near Teagu. The 8th FA saw intense fighting in all ten Korean campaigns, receiving three Presidential Unit Citations."
        When I joined the unit, the 27th was in reserve, and the 8th was supporting Republic Of Korea (ROK) forces on White Horse Hill. On my second day there, the observer on White Horse wanted to come down from the hill to take a shower, so we two newcomers were sent to relieve him for a few hours.
        White Horse was the highest point in its immediate area, and was a key observation post. The previous year a pitched battle had taken place for its possession. The fight left the ground on the north side of the hill littered with Chinese bones, most of which were still there.
        To get to White Horse from our headquarters area, one had to follow a single-lane dirt trail over some two miles of wide-open flat ground, where nothing offered any cover. The road had a right-angle curve near its midpoint. As our jeep approached that trail we could see a truck coming our way, and Chinese artillery shells exploding all around it. However, the truck made it through okay and passed us.
        We paused for a few minutes and debated the wisdom of continuing the trip. Finally we concluded that if we varied our speed enough, we could confuse the Chinese gunners and cause them to miss us. We started forward and put our plan in action.
        It didn't work. As we slowed for the sharp turn at the midpoint of the journey, we could hear the whine of incoming shells. I discovered that I could retract my entire body into my steel helmet, or at least so it seemed at the time. And as we made the turn, a shell went off on each side of the road.
        What saved our skins was that the bar ditches on both sides at that point were deep layers of sand, and the shells had actually buried themselves in the sand before exploding. The sand muffled the blasts and trapped the shell fragments. We suffered no damage at all and arrived at the hill a few minutes later.
        The observation post was a bunker carved out of the north side of the hill. It faced directly into the Chinese lines, on the next hill to the north and only a few hundred yards away. During my turn at the spotting scope, I saw two Chinese soldiers in their trenches, and called in my first fire mission. I never knew, though, whether it caused any damage or casualties.
        At the back wall of the bunker, a scrap of canvas hung from two nails driven into the dirt. One of the permanent crew at the post lifted it, to reveal the contorted and half-decayed face of a Chinese officer who had been buried there by a shell burst during the previous year's battles before the bunker had been built. I knew then that we weren't using billy clubs, and this was no police action. It was serious war, though nobody had declared it as such. And both sides were playing for keeps.
        A few days later, on May 5, the entire division packed up and moved toward the west coast of the peninsula, directly south of Panmunjom (some 53 miles north northwest of Seoul) where the truce talks were in progress. Its assignment was to guard the approach to Seoul, as the truce talks appeared to be breaking down.
        As usually happens with large troop movements, there was steady rain and the roads were pure mud. The transfer took a full day to accomplish, but by nightfall, we had reached our new locations, pitched our tents, and were ready to settle in.
        When the terms for holding the truce talks had been drafted, both sides left a nice loophole in them. They created a "safe zone" around the actual talk location, and for a mile or two each side of the roads giving access to the site. Both sides agreed not to shoot into that zone.
        Nobody, however, had said anything about shooting out of it, so both sides concentrated their artillery units within the zone. That was our new home! And our special assignment, as part of the Wolfhounds, was to stay ready to rescue the truce team should that become necessary.
        Less than a month after we arrived at our new positions, a heavy Chinese assault was hurled at the division but its main thrust was to the east of the Wolfhounds' area. The brunt of the attack was absorbed by the 14th Infantry Regiment ("Golden Dragons"), which repulsed it after heavy fighting. By successfully defending Seoul from continued attack from May to July 1953, the division earned its second Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
        Each firing battery of light artillery supported a battalion of infantry, as I said before, and each battalion of infantry included three companies. Since each company needed an observer, each battery had three forward observers. I drew the assignment to Company L, 3rd Battalion, of the Wolfhounds.
        Life on the hill with Love Company settled rapidly into a routine. Keep a sharp lookout, and stay in close contact with the company commander, a slender fellow from Dixie only a few years my senior chronologically but centuries older in experience, who sported an impressive handlebar mustache.
        Although our guns were in the safe zone, Love Company's position was not. Not often, but too frequently for comfort, we took incoming mortar fire. One evening the company commander and I were finishing our evening meal in the mess tent, savoring canned sliced peaches, when we heard the burble of an incoming mortar round.
        They don't sound at all like they do on TV; they make a sort of low-pitched warble, and the tone varies somewhat depending on the angle the flight path makes with respect to your location. "Hit the dirt!" the infantry officer shouted, and we both did so. The sound had alerted him that the round was going to hit very close to us. The captain and I almost butted heads as we dove to the ground. The shell exploded some 50 yards away, but caused no damage. When I looked up, the captain had peach slices hanging from both sides of his mustache -- but neither of us laughed.
        President Truman had integrated the armed forces before the fighting in Korea started, and as a youth reared in totally segregated areas of Oklahoma, I was a bit amazed to find a mix of races in my outfit. While not consciously racist, I was a product of my environment, and not entirely comfortable with the situation.
        It didn't take me long to learn that SOBs come in all flavors, and that the color of a person's skin has nothing at all to do with the color of his character. That was probably the most important lesson I learned from the entire experience.
        My only known combat kills happened while I was with Love Company. One involved a group of Chinese tanks that took up a position to our north, firing at the company adjacent to our area. However I had a better view than did the observer taking the brunt of the attack, so I got the job of stopping them.
        The tanks were actually out of range of our howitzers, but I felt that firing smoke shells to maximum range, landing directly in front of them, would spoil their vision enough to force an end to the attack. That's what I asked for, and what I got.
        However one of the smoke shells was a "hot round" which means that it had a bit more powder behind it than intended, so it went a bit farther than planned. It apparently hit one of the tanks at a vulnerable point right behind its turret. Through my binoculars I saw the shell burst, followed almost instantly by a much larger secondary explosion as the tank's fuel supply and ammunition went up.
        The tank burned until almost midnight. When the sun rose next day, it was nowhere to be seen. Only a large spot of charred grass showed where it had been. I'm almost certain that I had a part in killing its crew; there's almost no way anyone could have survived that explosion.
        The other kill was more carefully planned. We could see people working in a field far to the front of our position, and debated for several days about their activities. I felt that they might be civilian farmers tending their crops, since unlike us, the Chinese allowed civilians to remain in the combat zone. The infantry captain agreed that this was a possibility, but felt they could just as easily be Chinese soldiers planting the next season's mine fields. Eventually I came to agree with him, and we planned a "time on target" action to exterminate them.
        A "time on target" or TOT action is possibly the most extreme destructive power on a battlefield, except for nuclear warheads. It means simultaneous concentrated fire from every available piece of artillery in the area, all synchronized to land on the target at exactly the same instant.
        To accomplish this goal requires serious advance planning and careful execution. For my TOT, the available ordnance included several heavy artillery battalions, some 155-mm Long Tom guns, and even the U.S. Navy firing from offshore. I had noted that the people arrived in the fields shortly before 8 a.m. every day, so we set the impact time to be exactly 8 a.m.
        The next morning I watched through a spotting telescope as the clock crept towards 8. The white-robed figures appeared in the field, on schedule. Then, a few seconds before 8, they began to run for cover. Apparently one of our units had either fired a few seconds early, or had a couple of hot rounds. In any event, two rounds exploded before the bulk of the fire hit, and I watched two figures running for cover as the entire field erupted in smoke and flame. Still watching, I saw white cloth fluttering down, and knew that at least one of the running figures had met his maker. However, it was war, and I felt no regret. They would have done the same to me, given the opportunity.
        One other incident during my time with Love Company must be mentioned. One afternoon, the company commander had me sit in while he briefed a platoon for a reconnaissance patrol that would go out that night. The plan was for the group to go out in strength for more than a mile in front of our lines, to probe the area. That would be only halfway toward the Chinese line, and should be relatively safe.
        Shortly after sundown, the patrol went out, trailing telephone wire behind it and using sound-powered telephones rather than radio to maintain contact with the company commander, who stood beside me in my observation bunker. The first hour or so passed without incident. Then the platoon leader's voice came over the phone, saying that they had seen a Chinese patrol some 50 yards in front of them, and asking for covering artillery fire.
        When I cranked up my phone and asked the battalion fire direction center for a fire mission, the operations officer immediately got on the line and yelled "Lieutenant Kyle, don't you know there's a friendly patrol in that area?"
        "I certainly do, sir. They asked for the fire," I replied. The operations officer demanded to talk with the infantry commander and I handed over the phone. After a minute or so, the captain handed it back to me just in time for me to hear, "On the way" from the FDC. Not long afterward, the proximity-fuzed shells were bursting just ahead of the patrol's location -- and almost immediately, tracers began erupting in the area also. The patrol was in a firefight.
        It went on for what seemed like an hour but was probably only a few seconds, and then a brilliant white flare burst over the site. "Cease fire! Cease fire!" the captain yelled into the line connecting to the patrol. That flare's color had signaled that this was a "friendly firefight" and since our single patrol was the only friendly force within half a mile, it meant that the platoon members were shooting at each other.
        While it may not be widely known outside the military family, such mistakes are not uncommon during wartime action. Many situations require that you shoot first and ask questions later. Apparently what had happened here was that the group was strung out in a long line, and after the initial contact and the artillery fire, someone near the back of the line saw movement up front, thought it was the Chinese patrol, and opened fire. Those at the front then returned the fire, and it took a while to realize what was going on. By that time, the platoon leader had been seriously injured, but he was apparently the only casualty of the initial action.
        Unfortunately, one of the patrol members had pulled the pin on a grenade, to throw it, and in the confusion after discovering they were shooting each other, had dropped it. When it went off, most of the group were injured by its shrapnel.
        Meanwhile, back in my bunker, things were beginning to become frantic. The captain had immediately notified his own CO, asked for, and received permission to send out a rescue party. However, we needed a more precise pinpoint of the location, so he asked the squad leader on the other end of the phone wire to send up a flare.
        That's when we discovered just how well the Chinese had managed to tap into the phone line. Nearly a dozen flares went up, creating a line of possible locations several miles wide. Obviously, they were listening, and were able to understand our orders to the patrol.
        The captain finally had an inspiration, and said, "Give me a Saint Paddy." Again, multiple flares streaked into the night sky, in all the colors of the rainbow. Fortunately, only one of them was green.
        By morning, the rescue party had managed to reach the patrol and brought everyone back to our lines. Most of the wounded recovered, but the platoon leader had suffered a head wound and had spent too many hours before reaching medical care. He didn't make it.
        As for the original Chinese patrol, it had apparently decided that the artillery fire was more than it wanted to tangle with. It never contacted our group or the rescue party at all.
        Normally, second lieutenants were required to serve at least 18 months before becoming eligible for promotion to first lieutenant. However, in combat situations that time was reduced to 12 months. My 12 months were up on July 20, 1953, and that very day I went before the promotion board to be examined.
        About that time, the division again moved to reserve status at "Camp Casey" not far from where it had been when I joined them in April. We remained there through the signing of the armistice.
        Not long after the move, I was called back to battalion headquarters. There I discovered that I was being transferred to Service Battery, our supply unit. Lt. "Spider" Webb, our battalion personnel officer, who also performed the duties of adjutant, had discovered my ability to touch type, and had tagged me as his eventual replacement. The transfer to Service Battery was to keep me out of harm's way so that I would be available when Spider rotated home.
        Life at Service Battery had certain advantages. The battery commander, Captain White, loved the chipped beef on toast concoction known to all as "SOS" and consequently short-stopped the entire supply of ground beef sent to the battalion so that he could enjoy it every morning. I liked it, too, much better than the usual breakfast fare.
        I was still at Service Battery when the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953. I had a bottle of 120 proof vodka, and our mess sergeant had a can of orange juice. About noon, we pooled our resources to celebrate the end of the fighting. The sergeant was still on his feet when I staggered to my bunk to rest for a while.
        A few hours later I woke up to see one of my college roommates standing over me. Lt. Joe Nicholson and I had roomed together during my first year at OU, but we found that we were incompatible in close contact. He later roomed with another friend, and we all got along nicely so long as we could get apart for a while when necessary.
        Joe had been an outstanding ROTC cadet and won a regular army commission, putting him in the same category as West Point cadets. He had chosen infantry as his service; his dream was to win the Medal of Honor. However the cold Korea winters had changed his mind, and he had transferred to the air section of his division (the 45th) as an observer.
        He came to share the joy of the armistice with me, and we visited for several hours before he left to return to his unit. I never saw him again. Only after my return to civilian life did I learn that he had been one of two 45th division officers killed when their plane crashed and burned shortly after takeoff, only a few months before he would have rotated home.
        A few weeks after the armistice, I received word that my promotion had gone through, with date of rank as July 20, 1953. This had unexpected consequences later.
        As Spider's rotation date approached, he transferred me to Headquarters Battery to learn the ropes of his position. They were actually quite simple; I had to handle all the paperwork for the battalion, plus any additional odd jobs that the C.O. could think of.
        One of those odd jobs was being Public Information Officer for the battalion. While waiting for Spider to leave, this was my primary duty. I cranked out press releases about everything we did and forwarded them through channels to the Stars and Stripes. I also wrote a dramatized account of life "On The Hill" as a forward observer, and submitted it with hopes of having it sent to one of the major men's magazines such as Saga or True. Instead, it wound up in "Combat Forces Journal" where readers found every place that I had been uncertain of facts or taken "artistic license" with them, such as crediting the Chinese with a weapon they did not have.
        During that period, I spent several days in Seoul at Eighth Army headquarters doing research for my unit's part in a history of the division's Korea experiences. I still have my copy of the book.
        Another odd job was serving as the "Class Six" officer, charged with distribution and control of intoxicating beverages. I would take orders from all eligible personnel and pass them on, through channels, to the division's class six officer. The ordering unit was always by the case. Division would fill the order and make it available for delivery to me. I would take delivery, distribute the wares, collect payment, and forward it to division.
        With no more actual combat, we remained on alert since nobody felt that the other side could be trusted to honor their part of the agreement, but life became less enjoyable. Our executive officer, Major Bill Lanen, observed one day that, "War is hell, but peace is worse." He spoke from experience in 1945 and 1946. When the shooting stopped, it became necessary to keep the troops occupied so that they would not become bored or restless.
        So we painted the rocks around our area. Non-coms got summary court-martials for having dust on the dirt floors of their tents. Our combat commanders were replaced by officers who had seldom if ever seen battles; our new C.O. had been a professor of ancient history at West Point for many years, until just a week before he arrived to take over.
        Fortunately, by 1954 Congress was eager to reduce the military budget, and we junior officers got the chance to cut our tours from 24 to 21 months. I grabbed it as rapidly as I could, and in April of 1954 embarked on a sea voyage from Pusan direct to San Francisco. I was seasick for the entire 15 days, but recovered rapidly at the sight of the Golden Gate. We disembarked and were immediately given leave. Those of us who were married had their wives waiting for them; we who weren't went on the town to celebrate.
        A friend and I made the rounds of the bars on Market Street, simply enjoying the sights and sounds and drinking very little. My highlight of the evening was seeing Jack Teagarden perform at one of the bars, singing "Saint James Infirmary" and using only half of his trombone, with a beer schooner serving as the other half.
        The next morning the group of BOC52 veterans was to board a train for Camp Carson, Colorado, for discharge processing. Most of the group were married, though, and wanted to drive back with their wives rather than taking the train. We were all first lieutenants by then, but the others had not shared my luck and had not been promoted until 18 months had elapsed. That made me the senior officer and by default, the group commander.
        I told them to take off and enjoy the trip; I would sign them in at Carson, and give them a couple of days of VOCO (Vocal Orders of Commanding Officer) leave if necessary -- but insisted that they not dally excessively on their way.
        At Carson, we all simply laid around, marking time until our 21 months to the day had expired. When my day came, they processed me out, I boarded a train, and returned to Oklahoma City. My war was over, but its lessons have never left me. They shape my life to this day.

JIM KYLE'S KOREAN WAR PHOTO ALBUM. It is recalled from Jim's first article that an early ambition was to become a photographer for Life Magazine and while studying at the University of Oklahoma before the Korean War he received training in journalism photography. The picture shown here was Jim in 1957 when he worked for the Oklahoman.

But, following are 29 photos that Jim took during his military duty, beginning at Ft. Sill, then in Japan, but mainly in Korea, and then could have been on his way home — except that it wasn't. As you will have read above, Jim's return to the United States was entirely by boat. I decided to take a bit of license with the caption to the last photo which was doubtless taken during Jim's air flight to Japan.

Click any image for a larger view.

The photos begin at Ft. Sill in 1952. Above, a crop from the next photo focusing on the 8" howitzer — Jim reports that each shell, lower right corner, weighed 200 pounds.
At Ft. Sill, 1952	At Ft. Sill, firing the big howitzer
A cropped view of the next photo
@ Ft. Sill, firing the big howitzer	Japan, Camp Drake, March 1953
50 gallon drum napalm demonstration during CBR training, in Japan
Near Chuncheon, Korea, April 1953	Near Chuncheon, Korea, April 1953
Flags over division HQ, April 1953	Railway station in Seoul, April 1953
The "Kcomz" between Seoul & Chunchon, April 1953
Headquarters June 1953	Jim in his office, June 1953
Operation Skyhook, June 1953	Refueling, June 1953
Jim fancied up, June 1953	Decoration ceremony, August 1953
Freedom Bridge between Munsan and Panmunjom, July 1953
Digging for bones, August 1953	1LT "Spider" Webb, September 1953
Lighting cook stove, September 1953	Officers' Club, September 1953
Korea to Tokyo, October 1, 1953	Two Jims, October 1953
USO show, October 1953	Jim Kyle, November 1953
The Gen. Douglas MacArthur Look
A river on the way to Chorwon, 1953
What was left of Chorwon, Korea, 1953
What could have been coming home — sunrise over the Pacific, 1953, except that it was actually taken on Jim's flight to Japan. I like it better as "coming home."

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You're Close to the Target When You Start Drawing Heavy Fire

2011-08-03T10:20:00.007-05:00

For starters, here are Ed Shadid's remarks about the phantom $30 million dollars associated with the MAPS 3 convention center, a broadside against the Oklahoman, and perhaps some other things. Somehow, I got mixed up in the friendly fire, and that's OK by me, just fine.

I'll complete this post later but here's some starter information:

My conversation with David Holt ... in that September 25, 2009, conversation with the mayor's former chief of staff, the $30 million associated with relocation of the OGE substation is mentioned and discussed (see item 6). This relates to whether the convention center is a $280 million or a $250 million expenditure.

He mentions the KOKH Fox Video on the Oklahoman's Ethics as related to the MAPS 3 campaign, something that was touched upon here.

Did the Oklahoman have a conflict of interest as to the MAPS 3 election, since David Thompson, then president of the OPUBCO Communications Group and publisher of the Oklahoman, was also the President of the Greater OKC Chamber and leader of the MAPS 3 campaign, and did that affect the Oklahoman's reporting of the news about MAPS 3? I thought that it might ... see Quo Vadis, Oklahoman.

Shadid was blasted by a July 28 editorial for his delving into the MAPS 3 convention center issues. This is the same Oklahoman which argued for his opponent in the spring election and which has had few good words to say about him.

He seems to think that the Oklahoman is a part of the "Fourth Estate," normally attributed to the written and broadcast media, and that it ought to report the news.

He says that he thinks that we can learn from past and move forward. Let's hope so. But, even if Ed Shadid cannot muster 5 votes on the City Council for civility it its procedure, at least he has a bully pulpit. That is good.

That should be enough for now. It's time for my mid-day nap. More later.

OKC City Council Civility — Yes, It Is A Lost Cause, For Now.

2011-08-02T09:42:00.023-05:00

In my last post, I asked if civility in the current Oklahoma City Council was a lost cause. Now, just moments ago, the City Council has gone on record as saying, "Yes, it is," at least for the time being.

Councilmen Ed Shadid and Pete White's May 31, 2011, proposal concerning deferrals had been watered down and minimized as follows (as abstracted/paraphrased in the council's written agenda today):

Joint Resolution with the Oklahoma City Municipal Facilities Authority and Oklahoma City Public Property Authority adopting a rule of procedure granting any Councilmember or Trustee one uncontested continuance for any contract or resolution, but only at its first setting on any City Council, Oklahoma City Municipal Facilities Authority, or Oklahoma City Public Property Authority agenda, which continuance may be invoked at the unilateral request of the Councilmember or Trustee desiring the continuance; providing that a Councilmember or Trustee desiring one uncontested continuance of a contract or resolution at its first setting shall make his or her request for the continuance when the standard agenda item for “Requests for Uncontested Continuances” is taken up at the meeting of the public body; and further providing for the possible suspension of such rule of procedure and the immediate consideration of the contract or resolution, with the suspension to be invoked by motion of a Councilmember or Trustee, with a second required, and with approval thereof to require a two-thirds vote of the Councilmembers and/or Trustees, as applicable, present and voting.

In other words, one requested continuance would be automatic when an item first came upon the council's agenda unless 2/3rds of the council voted to deny the request.

I'll have the video for you when it becomes available, but the vote was 4-5 against the resolution, and against civility. Council members Ed Shadid, Pete White, Skip Kelly, and David Greenwell, voted for civility. Mayor Mick Cornett and council members Gary Marrs, Pat Ryan, Meg Salyer, and Larry McAtee, voted against civility.

Council Members Voting For Civility

Council Members Voting Against Civility

And there you have it. Shadid, White, and Kelly, based on their previous remarks, were expected to vote as they did ... but that's not necessarily the case with David Greenwell who voted against the July 5 requested continuances. Everyone can turn a page, and for this vote, he is due, and must receive, high civility marks for speaking and voting his conscience on this August 2 vote. David Greenwell gets them from me, anyway.

In my 1st edition of this post, I said that, when it became available, it would include the relevant city council discussion and would doubtless contain the words spoken by Gary Marrs, Pat Ryan, and Meg Salyer on May 31, one last time, to underscore that when a council member says one thing at one time, it is not to be counted on at a later time when it really matters. Turns out, the video clip below of the city council discussion on the deferral resolution already includes them.

Ordinarily, the proponents of a measure have the 1st say when discussing a matter on the agenda, but, in this instance, Pat Ryan, with the mayor's permission, rudely butted himself to the front of the line and the mayor granted him the 1st opportunity to speak.

In the above discussion, you didn't hear Gary Marrs or Meg Salyer express an opinion on the matter, even though both did on May 31, 2011. Their May 31 words and those spoken by Pat Ryan were quoted in the above comments by Ed Shadid. If you distrust his or my rendering of their words or their contexts, see the videos of the actual words spoken by each of them on May 31:

On this day, both Gary Marrs and Meg Salyer were silent in this discussion.

The word that comes to mind is, "hypocrisy," i.e., say one thing on May 31 but disingenuously mean another.

In my estimation, this is a bad day for Oklahoma City government.

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OKC City Council Civility — Is It A Lost Cause?

2011-07-31T06:40:00.022-05:00

Continued from the Emperor's New Clothes.

To set the scene, on May 31, 2011, council members Ed Shadid and Pete White presented a resolution which would build in some time, 3 hearings, for major items presented to the City Council before a council vote occurred.

On May 31, council members Salyer, Marrs, and Ryan expressed their opinion that no need existed for the proposal since a remedy already existed — all a council member need do was to simply ask for a deferral and the deferral would be routinely granted. On May 31, and after the May 31 assurances by Salyer, Marrs, the proposal was continued until July 19, and then on July 19 until August 2.

Put that in your pocket and then move forward to the July 5 City Council meeting which included important agenda items about MAPS 3.

On July 5, the decisions about the MAPS 3 time-line and the new convention center location were on the city council agenda. Council member Shadid, on an out-of-country family vacation, had expected to be present but had been delayed on his return to the city because of airline problems ... but he said that he could be present at the July 5 meeting, at a substantial personal expense if need be, and he communicated this information to council member Pete White and city manager Jim Couch. Both assured him that the matters would be continued under the circumstances and that the matters would be deferred to the next council meeting. Given that assurance, Shadid was not present at the July 5 council meeting.

As it turned out on July 5, the continuances didn't happen. Although council members Pete White and Skip Kelly argued for the requested continuances, they were denied.

The video clip below presents the position of the proponents of the continuance requests. Two matters, the project order of MAPS 3 projects, and the location of the proposed convention center, were on the agenda.

But, the mayor and above named council members took quite a different tack when dealing with two major items on the July 5 agenda were presented. As explained below, Shadid through no fault of his own could not be present at the July 5 meeting, and Pete White moved for a continuance, at his request.

CIVILITY RATINGS — THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN

GARY MARRS, 5/31 vs. 7/5

PAT RYAN, 5/31 vs. 7/5

MEG SALYER, 5/31 vs. 7/5 by Proxy

MAYOR MICK CORNETT ON 7/5/2011

Larry McAtee

David Greenwell

Neither councilmen Larry McAtee nor David Greenwell presented any significant discussion concerning the requested continuances, but both voted against them. In their showing of relative silence and absence of conscience, they were pretty much wieners, just people filling space in their chairs.

There were two on July 5 who did more than that, and they each deserve our appreciation — Pete White and Skip Kelly. They showed character, civility, and embodied the "Golden Rule" — something that the others, above, did not.

PETE WHITE ON 7/5/2011

SKIP KELLY ON 7/5/2011

Complete Discussion on 1st Deferral - MAPS 3 Order

If you think that I've taken anything out context, see the full continuance video discussions below.

Complete Discussion on 2nd Deferral - Convention Center Location

An interested citizen can become morose and disheartened after watching a council meeting like that on July 5, even to the point of saying or thinking, "Oh my gawd. Why should I care anymore about city government after observing a show like this one? Why should I not be despondent about my city government?"

Perhaps the mayor and/or other ungracious council members don't sense such a response from those who voted for them, or perhaps I'm being overly subjective and I'm the only one. But, for me, I sense that I'm getting pretty close to saying, "Nothing that you or I (the public) might do really is worth a flying flip when it comes down to the important kernel of city government, the decisions that really matter to the whole city. The show is not worth watching, and I might as well do other things that don't give me this angst — and I really do have other things to do with the rest of my time."

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The Oklahoman's Selective News Reporting — Why Is That?

2011-07-28T00:43:00.049-05:00

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, July 19, 2011: COUNCILMAN ED SHADID NAMES LARRY NICHOLS AS THE PRINCIPAL FORCE BEHIND THE COMMITTEE FOR OKLAHOMA CITY MOMENTUM AND SUGGESTS THAT CITY GOVERNMENT IS A PLUTOCRACY ...

... or so the headline may have read in the Oklahoman on July 20 following the breaking news story.

Listen to the 3:50 video clip below from the July 19 City Council meeting and judge for yourselves whether Shadid's remarks rise to the level of being newsworthy for reporting in a daily Oklahoma City newspaper ...

The Oklahoman did not see the above as "news" since it has not, to this date, reported on the above July 19 remarks by councilman Shadid as relates to the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum and Larry Nichols.

Why is that?

One possible explanation is that Ed Shadid's remarks were not deemed newsworthy. Excerpts from councilman Shadid's remarks are ...

        The election has to be vetted. You have to understand ... I don't think that we can operate under the threat or reward of potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent on the next city council elections if we do or do not fall into favor with a certain individual or a small group of individuals.
***
        The identity of this individual is now spreading, it's going to come out, and I don't think it can be stopped. [After identifying Larry Nichols as the ideological and financial force being behind "secret" campaigns run by Momentum in the recent council elections, he continues ...] Everyone indicates that Larry Nichols is a very good man that deeply loves Oklahoma City, that he for me personally would be a tremendous ally in building density and walkability and a healthy city, but he, and the people around him are engaging in policy making similar to the way a surgeon does surgery — they are telling who and what to do and then executing.
        It's not particularly democratic.
        You can have a benevolent plutocracy, you can agree that what he is doing is best for the city, but it's still a plutocracy and not a representative democracy.
        There is no evidence that he or anyone else in the convention center subcommittee has altered the decision making for their own personal gain or the gain of their company. There is absolutely no evidence of that and I want to make that clear.
        But we place a tremendous amount of decision making authority and thought [?] and influence in one person's hands, and I think it's legitimate to ask the question,
Could any human being objectively make decisions for the betterment of all the people when so much ... uh, the Devon company, the ex-CEO of Devon, is the chairman of the Urban Renewal Authority, we've made him chairman of the Alliance for Economic Development and just provided them, that non-profit, with $700,000, he's on the board of governors of the Myriad Gardens Foundation, the Industrial and Cultural Activities Board, and until 2008 the Redevelopment Authority.
        I want to move past this, but I think that for there to be healing and for us to, uh ... I think this ... I [audio not clear ... not in favor of?] holding resentment and not publicly vetting them, I think the healthiest thing to do is put it out there instead of festering, let us vett it, let some healing occur, let us figure out a way that the private sector and the Firefighters cannot mingle to that degree in our elections, and then let's move forward.

HOLY BATMAN ... that's a news story. The words he spoke during the City Council meeting were deemed newsworthy by the weekly Oklahoma Gazette which reported on the matter in a July 19 article by Clifton Adcock, and again in another Clifton Adcock article on July 27. In a July 19 article by Brian Brus, the Journal Record did the same (that article is also at the end of this piece) ... reported the news.

By the time Shadid made his comments at the July 19 council meeting, the morning Oklahoman had already been published, even though Shadid's remarks were nonetheless reported on July 19 in the Oklahoma Gazette and Journal Record, the Oklahoman could be forgiven for not doing so until its July 20 edition.

The respective articles which appeared in the Oklahoma Gazette and Journal Record reported on July 19, in part, are as follows:

Oklahoma Gazette, July 19
        In the first regular Oklahoma City Council meeting since a contentious one two weeks prior, Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid asked that the council begin the process of healing some of the discord it has experienced.
        [Shadid] also stated during today’s meeting that one of the most powerful men in Oklahoma City was behind a much-criticized election campaign and held sway over many of the important decisions made in the city. Shadid named Devon Energy Executive Chairman Larry Nichols (pictured below) as one of the driving forces behind this year’s City Council elections.
        During the election, an incumbent — former Ward 5 Councilman Brian Walters — was attacked by an independent expenditure group named Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum, for which money was funneled from the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s Forward IV program through a nonprofit group. Nichols is listed as Forward OKC vice chair, according to the chamber’s website.
        Momentum also went after Shadid in its campaign, and backed opponent Charlie Swinton.
        “That campaign was very cynical. It rewarded one candidate for being liberal and progressive, and then chastised another for being liberal and progressive. It wasn’t that somebody was spending all that money because they believed in that particular political ideology. Something else was at play,” Shadid said. “Many people who are in a position to know are indicating that the primary ideological and financial force behind this campaign was Larry Nichols.”
        A Devon spokesman said Nichols was unavailable for comment.

‘Benevolent plutocracy'
        Shadid said Nichols, who sits on multiple public boards and subcommittees, wields an enormous amount of power, and expressed concern that it was not good for a democracy that only a few high-powered individuals make decisions that affect everyone.
        “Everyone indicates Larry Nichols is a very good man who deeply loves Oklahoma City, that he for me personally would be a tremendous ally for building density and walkability and a healthy city, but he and the people around him are engaging in policy making the way a surgeon does surgery: They’re telling everyone what to do and then executing,” said Shadid, a spinal surgeon. “It’s not particularly democratic. You can have a benevolent plutocracy, you could agree that what he is doing is best for the city, but it’s still a plutocracy and not a representative democracy.”
(See this link for the full article, and this later article, as well)

---------------------
Journal Record, July 19
        Councilman Ed Shadid put a name to the head of what he called a plutocracy making most of the major economic decisions in Oklahoma City and the latest council elections: former Devon Energy Chief Executive Larry Nichols.
        “I don’t think we can operate under the threat or reward of potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent in the next City Council elections if we do or do not fall into favor with a certain individual or small group of individuals,” Shadid told his peers on the council Tuesday morning.
        “Larry Nichols is a very good man that deeply loves Oklahoma City,” Shadid said. “But he and the people around him are engaging in policymaking similar to the way a surgeon does surgery. They are telling everyone what to do and then executing. It is not particularly democratic.”
        Nichols was offered an opportunity to respond. Spokesman Chip Minty said Nichols was not available for an interview.

(See the full article at the end of this piece)

Both of the above articles indicated that an attempt had been made to receive the input of Larry Nichols, but that he was either unavailable or declined to comment. Hmmm ...

Now, whoa, that's at least one huge Oklahoma City news story, unless I'm badly mistaken.

The next morning, I eagerly went outside my home, sunrise not yet occurring, to put my grubby hands on my subscription copy of the Oklahoman eagerly waiting to see how it covered the story. I picked up the paper on the walkway that leads to our front porch, sat down in a chair on the porch, and opened the paper. At dawn's early light, I looked ... and looked ... and looked.

The story wasn't there.

The July 20 Oklahoman did not cover the story. By implication, it made no attempts to get Larry Nichols' input as to Shadid's remarks nor did the Oklahoman even cover the story on July 20, July 21, July 22, July 23, July 24, July 25, July 26, July 27, or July 28, the date this blog piece is posted. The Oklahoman has never covered the news story at all — it's just as though this newsworthy story never happened.

The Oklahoman, despite its layoffs, still has a reporter covering City Council, doesn't it? (That's a rhetorical question, since, yes, it does ... I'll not name the reporter's name since the lack of reporting was probably not his fault.)

For the answer to the question, "Why didn't the Oklahoman cover this news story," one is left to one's intellectual resources since the Oklahoman has not given a reason for not reporting on this story, even though the Gazette and Journal Record did. The June 17, 2011, article by Jim Kyle, a 1950s Oklahoman reporter, gives strong clues. In that article, he said,

First and foremost, it [a newspaper] is a business, and the purpose isn't to serve the public, but to make a profit for the owners.
That often leads to compromise of one's conscience. It's not very much like the image presented by Perry White of The Daily Planet in the Superman strips. I learned early that my profession was not "saving the world" but instead "creating tomorrow's garbage wrapper." Some information that would have embarrassed "important people" never saw print; some arrests went unreported.

In his audio interview, he added,

But, I also learned the seamy side of the newspaper business ... found out how often we had to compromise with our consciences things that might embarrass an advertiser frequently didn't get reported and if "important people" would be offended, again, the story would not see the light of day.

My personal speculation is that Jim's observations provide at least part of the answer to the question, "Why didn't the Oklahoman chose not to report on Shadid's comments about Larry Nichols before the City Council?"

The additional speculative answer, and my more darker thought, is that Larry Nichols and the Oklahoman's owners are in common cause and are in league each with each other, and the Oklahoman simply does not publish articles which are critical of the other members of the league. A reader will need to make his/her own judgment about that.

The Oklahoman as a newspaper is one of the most historic pieces of our city's history. While not the city's first newspaper, it is the only pre-1900 paper that has not only survived to the present day but, not only that, has become the dominant written press in our city's history. In the 1900s, it's competition was either acquired (Oklahoma City Times) or died (e.g., the Oklahoma News, 1906-1939, a Scripps Howard paper, and W.P. Bill Atkinson's Oklahoma Journal, 1964-1980, and a few others in the early 1900s).

Today, the Oklahoman has no realistic local print competition other than the weekly Gazette, distributed freely, and the Journal Record which has a small circulation amongst the business community. And maybe some bloggers like me which few people read. Most radio journalism is nationally-politically polarized and is only listened to if one wants to hear the voices of people who already agree with them ... hardly journalism — an exception being the Gwin Faulkner-Lippert Sunday evening 7:00 p.m. broadcast on KTOK-Radio. Serious television journalism hardly exists perhaps excepting the Sunday news presentation by OETA-TV which does deal in depth with some issues, that which can be done within the space of one hour's time. Otherwise, tune in to channel 9 in the morning and witness the effusive cuteness of a man and a woman making sickeningly sweet fools of themselves — yuch — not news, not journalism, and very difficult to watch unless one is also as silly as they are in one's mindset.

Given the controversy over the spring elections and the Committee For Oklahoma City Momentum and the identity of those who secretly contributed and spent $486,041 to run nasty political campaigns in Wards 2, 5, 6 and 8, when Ward 2 councilman Ed Shadid identified Larry Nichols as at least the principal contributor in the July 19 City Council meeting, that would be an item of news, one would suppose.

But not in the Oklahoman. The Oklahoman only presents news stories that it wants you to see, hides those that it doesn't, and even when reporting on something newsworthy one reads only a succinct summary of what one would read in "big league" newspapers in which articles develop important stories into something more than those succinct summaries we read in the Oklahoman. Get a copy of the Dallas Morning News for one of several possible comparisons.

To be sure, the Oklahman did run an editorial which was critical of Shadid's July 19 views as they pertain to convention center issues in its July 28 edition, although the part about Larry Nichols and the election process was not brought up in that editorial. So that you'll see for yourselves what Shadid had said about that, here's the July 19 video containing his full remarks:

In part, the unattributed editorial, but clearly with the ownership and management of the Oklahoman behind it, states, in part:

ED Shadid invites comparisons to Ralph Nader for his tenacious vigilance concerning suspected impropriety. Perhaps a better comparison for the Oklahoma City councilman is Don Quixote: Shadid's quest to prove impropriety in the matter of the MAPS 3 convention center borders on the obsessive.

The editorial also took issue with the July 13 2-page Oklahoma Gazette advertisement that Shadid wrote. The editorial did everything but call Shadid a "bad man."

So, what's the bottom-line answer?

Mine is to discontinue my decades-long subscription to the Oklahoman. I understand that is a miniscule choice compared to the mightiness of the Oklahoman, but that's really all that I can do. I mean, we didn't "elect" the Oklahoman to be our newspaper, did we ... and so we can't "unelect" the Oklahoman, either. But one less subscriber can be coupled with others and it might make a difference, one way or another.

When reading the paper on my home's front porch in the morning with my wife as we have our first cup of coffee, we typically agree, "That was a short read ... wish we had a better newspaper."

Do you not say the same thing yourselves? If the Oklahoman should fold, a piece of our history would be gone ... the Gaylord influences included ... but who's to say that something better would not rise like a phoenix to take its place?

While it remains, if I want to see the better parts of it (like Steve Lackmeyer's articles or local sports coverage), I can read that on-line. If and when it is gone, you can bet that Lackmeyer stories and local sports coverage will be prominently found, somewhere else.

Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we're free at last.

And that's not a bad solution for us, or for anyone else.

On edit: Actually, my wife is the Oklahoman subscriber in my household. I will reason with her to suggest that a better alternative exists in lieu of the Oklahoman is available and possible for our early morning visits on the front porch. She already agrees that that is so, so it shouldn't be a hard sell. She is, after all, in the "old school" naming structure of things, a "Yellow Dog Democrat."

----------------------------

Appendix

Journal Record
By Brian Brus
July 19, 2011

        OKLAHOMA CITY – Councilman Ed Shadid put a name to the head of what he called a plutocracy making most of the major economic decisions in Oklahoma City and the latest council elections: former Devon Energy Chief Executive Larry Nichols.
        “I don’t think we can operate under the threat or reward of potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent in the next City Council elections if we do or do not fall into favor with a certain individual or small group of individuals,” Shadid told his peers on the council Tuesday morning.
        “Larry Nichols is a very good man that deeply loves Oklahoma City,” Shadid said. “But he and the people around him are engaging in policymaking similar to the way a surgeon does surgery. They are telling everyone what to do and then executing. It is not particularly democratic.”
        Nichols was offered an opportunity to respond. Spokesman Chip Minty said Nichols was not available for an interview.
        Shadid, who was elected earlier this year to his first term on the council, has said frequently that he is frustrated that the council seems to collectively set aside research or other feedback that runs counter to a particular sense of economic momentum. He has questioned, for example, why council members have relied so heavily on a study by Convention Sports and Leisure consulting group to predict the ultimate success of a new convention center in the MAPS 3 tax issue project package.
        Shadid recently ran a two-page advertisement in a local weekly newspaper after council members chose to set a MAPS 3 project timeline instead of deferring the item until he returned to town. The convention center was bumped forward on the project list, pushing other work back. Shadid has questioned the efficacy of that decision and whether citizens advisory committees were given enough opportunity to give their perspective on the issue.
        Nichols serves on the MAPS 3 convention center subcommittee that urged the council to move the project ahead.
        Nichols has several civic responsibilities. He is currently chairman of the Urban Renewal Authority and serves on the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s Forward OKC program, the Industrial and Cultural Facilities Trust, the Myriad Gardens board of directors and the MAPS 3 convention center subcommittee.
        Nichols, who is now executive chairman of Devon, also was largely responsible for the establishment of Project 180, a $175 million streetscape renovation project that will dramatically redesign downtown over three years.
        Chamber President Roy Williams said Nichols is to be commended for taking a leadership position in so many areas. He also said Nichols did not seek out the responsibility.
        “You only have in a community the power you are given,” Williams said. “He gets asked to do a whole lot of things in this community; he does not request to chair boards. People go to him on bended knee and say, ‘Would you do this?’ He’s not out there lobbying to get leadership roles.
        “Where would a community be without leaders?” Williams said. “Where would a community be if people didn’t step up, if people didn’t put their resources into something, if people weren’t committed to their community? Most people don’t sit around thinking, what would move our community forward? They don’t know. They have an expectation that elected officials and community leaders have big dreams and big ideas.”
        Shadid, a spinal surgeon, won his election against stiff opposition. He survived an initial field of eight candidates for Ward 2 and made the runoff against banking executive Charlie Swinton. Public records showed Shadid was his own largest source of funding, with $78,725 in total contributions.
        That figure pales in comparison to financing from the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum, which supported candidates in Ward 2 and three other council seats. That political action committee, or PAC, had received $415,000 in contributions by the end of March, and its only contributor was a group called A Better Oklahoma City Inc., which was not required by law to reveal the identities of its members.
        But the chamber confirmed several of its members were contributors to A Better Oklahoma City Inc. through Forward OKC IV, one of the chamber’s economic development arms. Devon is a member of Forward OKC IV.
        The financing of this year’s council elections was not based on a consistent political ideology, Shadid said Tuesday.
        “That campaign was very cynical. It rewarded one candidate for being liberal and progressive and chastised another for being liberal and progressive,” Shadid said. “Something else was at play. … The primary ideological and financial force behind this election campaign was Larry Nichols.”
        There is no evidence that Nichols or anyone associated with him has influenced decisions in economic development for personal gain, Shadid said. Shadid said that he was not suggesting otherwise.
        The problem Shadid said he’s worried about is that too much power and authority is being held by one person.
        “Could any human being objectively make decisions for the betterment of all the people?” he said. “You can have a benevolent plutocracy; you could agree that what he’s doing is best for the city. But it’s still a plutocracy and not a representative democracy.”
        The healthiest course of action for city leaders is to make transparent the relationships between private and public sectors, even if that creates friction, Shadid said.

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On Vacation — Corpus Christi/Port Aransas

2011-07-24T14:01:00.005-05:00

This was initially published July 7, 2011. It was edited and republished on July 24, 2011, to show a video & photos from trip; on July 27, a better video replaced the first.

The Lady The Sea
Background music by Barefoot Man

I've left my footprints
on the beach at Waikiki ...
by the coastline of Barbados
at the shore of Martinique.
I've broken many hearts,
so many lost affairs.
But there's one that stole my soul
between here and there.
Some Call her a lady;
some call her the sea;
some call her the ocean;
a place to be free.

Atlantic Pacific
or the Gulfstream.
She's wild and she's crazy,
the ultimate dream.
Don't try and change her,
she's warm and she's cold,
when stormy or tranquil,
she's in control.
She's deep and she's mighty,
she gives her bounty.
Oh, how I love her,
the Lady the Sea.

I was a Lawton High School sophomore when I took my 1st trip to Corpus Christi on a band trip in 1959, and, since then, Corpus has been my emotional home away from home and that's where I'm going early tomorrow morning. On most of the trips since then, my children have accompanied me but this time I am the guest of my son, David, and his bride, Michele, and I am accompanying them.

In that very first trip, the LHS band members stayed in the Robert Driscoll Hotel, located downtown but built well up on the Corpus Christi Bay elevation to protect it from storm surges. Many of us guys were more than thrilled to sleep on the floor, couches, beds, whatever, in the penthouse suite where Jayne Mansfield had earlier spent some time, no less! Whoa ... for a young male teenager, does it get any better that this?

As well, at that time, one could look outside a window of that penthouse suite to see the bridge being constructed over the Corpus Chisti Bay Harbor and it looked like it was going strait into the sky without ever coming down.

Skip to Trip Photos
Long ago, shortly after seeing the completed bridge, my daughter claimed ownership of that bridge, and now all members of my family, acknowledging her ownership, call it, "Mary's Bridge," which, of course, it is.

Looking East From Mary's Bridge

If one looks east enough, one will see the shipping channel through which oceanic ships enter Corpus Christi Bay, that particular point being Port Aransas. And that's where we will be staying on this trip.

Corpus Christi is a beautiful destination city. A couple of views are shown below.

Port Aransas is physically located on the north end of Mustang Island which, for all practical purposes, is the northern part of North Padre Island, Texas, which is located at the east side of Corpus Christi Bay. To reach Port Aransas by car, one must either cross the free ferry at the north, or approach the island from the southern (Corpus Christi) end at the south.

Northern Approach by Ferry

The southern approach is via Corpus Christi, shown below.

Either way you get there, you get this:

See you soon, around July 15, sunburned or not. I'll be there until then.

Trip Photos. I'll not show all of the pics but will give a good sampling of photos taken on this July 2011 trip.

Click on any photo for a larger view

Sunrise

Sunset
Taken by David & Michele Loudenback
For this set, David & Michele drove a bit south of Port Aransas and took a semi-road heading westward toward Corpus Christi Bay, into marshlands near the bay on Mustang Island, somewhere around the area shown below.

Bob Hall Pier
Further south, on Padre Island, this pier was first built in 1950 at 300 feet. After hurricanes and an earthquake it has been rebuilt and now extends 1,240 feet into the Gulf of Mexico, about 2-3 city blocks.

Sea Critters

We observed three creatures get caught in fishing lines ... a gull which went after the bait and wound up being wrapped in the line, a small sting ray and a decent sized sea turtle get caught on hooks in their wings. All were unhooked and released.

Capn' Dawg & Me Hearty Crew

The Gulfstream, Our Usual Quarters

Early Dinner At Landrys

Crossing Mary's Bridge

Crossing the Ferry to Port Aransas

At the Port Aransas Rental

A Stop At Ocean Treasurers While Leaving Town

That's All, Folks.
Go To Top

On the Emperor's City Councils' New Clothes

2011-07-06T04:39:00.043-05:00

Edited on July 7 to provide additional information. I will be on vacation until July 14 or so but will update this article, including video clips from the July 5 council meeting.

Publication of this piece on July 6 coincides with a companion article, also opinion, that I wrote for the July 6 Oklahoma Gazette, this same day. Given the lead time that exists for such kinds of things — the 1st draft for the Gazette article was written in June and the final draft was approved about a week ago — this blog article was actually written after the Gazette piece since it describes events that occurred in yesterday's city council session.

The Gazette commentary piece, "Overcoming Momentum's Legacy," expressed a hope that the distrust exhibited in the May 31 council meeting might have a light at the end of the tunnel and begin to end the distrust that three council members expressed in that session. At the conclusion of that article, I said,

On July 19, a modified proposal will presumably be presented. This writer’s opinion is that the defensiveness of Marrs, Ryan and Salyer would not have occurred but for the distrust generated by the Momentum committee. The sooner that all council members put that distrust aside and replace it with confidence in the good faith of their fellows, the better. It is time to get past Momentum, hope that it never rears its head again, and simply focus on good government.

After the July 5 council meeting, it now appears that my Oklahoma Gazette thoughts were overly optimistic.

That meeting radically changed the rules of civil discourse in the city council and instead of coming together in the sense of improving collegial good will, if it didn't drive a stake through the heart of collegial good will, it certainly came close to doing so. This blog post began to be composed on July 5 following that day's city council meeting and it reflects upon the implications of that council meeting's speech and actions. The theme in my July 6 Gazette piece was that this city, its government, and I and those who might think like I do should put down the past council elections, distance ourselves from the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum, and just get on with good city government, and give all council members and the mayor trust in their good faith when proposals are presented. Not that it would have mattered, but my opinion piece in the Oklahoma Gazette was written before the July 6 Oklahoma Gazette issue hit the streets and before the July 5 council meeting.

When that Gazette piece was written, little did anyone know what would occur at the Oklahoma City Council on July 5, 2011.

To set the scene, on May 31, council members Shadid and White presented a proposal which would require that certain kinds of measures receive three hearings before city council, the purposes being to give ample time that major items would be considered by council and by the citizens. It since developed that both White and Shadid thought that the measure prepared by the city's counselor (lawyer) had been written too narrowly. On June 7 Shadid said that that a 4-week period of consideration, without the procedure specified in the original proposal, would satisfy the purposes of council and citizen evaluation, input, and decision.

But this article is not about the merits of Shadid & Whites' May 31 proposal or the conciliatory overtures made by Shadid on June 7. Nor is it about the substantive actions taken by the City Council on July 5. Instead, it is about procedure — how what happened on July 5 came to occur.

The focus here is on what council members have said about mutual respect, good will, and deferrals. It is about whom to believe when you hear it and who makes remarks that you can trust.

What happened at city council on July 5, 2011, juxtaposed with comments made on May 31 with regard to "deferrals," presents such a study. My conclusion is that the comparison gives good evidence for some council members being procedural hypocrites — it is about the ~~Emperor's~~ council members' new clothes, or at least some of them.

The Emperor's New Clothes
by Hans Christian Anderson
        Once upon a time there lived a vain Emperor whose only worry in life was to dress in elegant clothes. He changed clothes almost every hour and loved to show them off to his people.
        Word of the Emperor's refined habits spread over his kingdom and beyond. Two scoundrels who had heard of the Emperor's vanity decided to take advantage of it. They introduced themselves at the gates of the palace with a scheme in mind.
        "We are two very good tailors and after many years of research we have invented an extraordinary method to weave a cloth so light and fine that it looks invisible. As a matter of fact it is invisible to anyone who is too stupid and incompetent to appreciate its quality."
        The chief of the guards heard the scoundrel's strange story and sent for the court chamberlain. The chamberlain notified the prime minister, who ran to the Emperor and disclosed the incredible news. The Emperor's curiosity got the better of him and he decided to see the two scoundrels.
        "Besides being invisible, your Highness, this cloth will be woven in colors and patterns created especially for you." The emperor gave the two men a bag of gold coins in exchange for their promise to begin working on the fabric immediately.
        "Just tell us what you need to get started and we'll give it to you." The two scoundrels asked for a loom, silk, gold thread and then pretended to begin working. The Emperor thought he had spent his money quite well: in addition to getting a new extraordinary suit, he would discover which of his subjects were ignorant and incompetent. A few days later, he called the old and wise prime minister, who was considered by everyone as a man with common sense.
        "Go and see how the work is proceeding," the Emperor told him, "and come back to let me know."
        The prime minister was welcomed by the two scoundrels.
        "We're almost finished, but we need a lot more gold thread. Here, Excellency! Admire the colors, feel the softness!" The old man bent over the loom and tried to see the fabric that was not there. He felt cold sweat on his forehead.
        "I can't see anything," he thought. "If I see nothing, that means I'm stupid! Or, worse, incompetent!" If the prime minister admitted that he didn't see anything, he would be discharged from his office.
        "What a marvelous fabric, he said then. "I'll certainly tell the Emperor." The two scoundrels rubbed their hands gleefully. They had almost made it. More thread was requested to finish the work.
        Finally, the Emperor received the announcement that the two tailors had come to take all the measurements needed to sew his new suit.
        "Come in," the Emperor ordered. Even as they bowed, the two scoundrels pretended to be holding large roll of fabric.
        "Here it is your Highness, the result of our labour," the scoundrels said. "We have worked night and day but, at last, the most beautiful fabric in the world is ready for you. Look at the colors and feel how fine it is." Of course the Emperor did not see any colors and could not feel any cloth between his fingers. He panicked and felt like fainting. But luckily the throne was right behind him and he sat down. But when he realized that no one could know that he did not see the fabric, he felt better. Nobody could find out he was stupid and incompetent. And the Emperor didn't know that everybody else around him thought and did the very same thing.
        The farce continued as the two scoundrels had foreseen it. Once they had taken the measurements, the two began cutting the air with scissors while sewing with their needles an invisible cloth.
        "Your Highness, you'll have to take off your clothes to try on your new ones." The two scoundrels draped the new clothes on him and then held up a mirror. The Emperor was embarrassed but since none of his bystanders were, he felt relieved.
        "Yes, this is a beautiful suit and it looks very good on me," the Emperor said trying to look comfortable. "You've done a fine job."
        "Your Majesty," the prime minister said, "we have a request for you. The people have found out about this extraordinary fabric and they are anxious to see you in your new suit." The Emperor was doubtful showing himself naked to the people, but then he abandoned his fears. After all, no one would know about it except the ignorant and the incompetent.
        "All right," he said. "I will grant the people this privilege." He summoned his carriage and the ceremonial parade was formed. A group of dignitaries walked at the very front of the procession and anxiously scrutinized the faces of the people in the street. All the people had gathered in the main square, pushing and shoving to get a better look. An applause welcomed the regal procession. Everyone wanted to know how stupid or incompetent his or her neighbor was but, as the Emperor passed, a strange murmur rose from the crowd.
        Everyone said, loud enough for the others to hear: "Look at the Emperor's new clothes. They're beautiful!"
        "What a marvellous train!"
        "And the colors! The colors of that beautiful fabric! I have never seen anything like it in my life!" They all tried to conceal their disappointment at not being able to see the clothes, and since nobody was willing to admit his own stupidity and incompetence, they all behaved as the two scoundrels had predicted.
        A child, however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage.
        "The Emperor is naked," he said.
        "Fool!" his father reprimanded, running after him. "Don't talk nonsense!" He grabbed his child and took him away. But the boy's remark, which had been heard by the bystanders, was repeated over and over again until everyone cried:
        "The boy is right! The Emperor is naked! It's true!"
        The Emperor realized that the people were right but could not admit to that. He though it better to continue the procession under the illusion that anyone who couldn't see his clothes was either stupid or incompetent. And he stood stiffly on his carriage, while behind him a page held his imaginary mantle.

OK OK, maybe Anderson's fable is not completely analogous but it presents a more kindly rendering than would another analogy which comes to mind from the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, but we really don't want to go that far, do we?

One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them.
On May 31, council members Marrs, Salyer, & Ryan, said or suggested that all a council member need do when wanting more time to consider a matter was to simply ask for a deferral, a continuance, of the matter to a later date. Short and sweet, they said, and nothing further was really needed.

On July 5, the hollowness, disingenuous, and insincerity of those remarks was laid to rest and the emperor's new clothes, so to speak, were laid bare.

Disagree? Listen to these council members in their own actual words as they spoke. As well, hear the words of Pete White and Skip Kelly, the two voices heard in protest for not granting a continuance. For those two, this was one of their finest hours.

... the video of the July 5, 2011, council meeting became available on-line this morning (July 7) and I have downloaded all 4 + hours of it. I won't have time to edit the video to include only the parts relevant to this discussion until I return from vacation on or about July 14 ...
For more about this topic, see this excellent article by Grace Gordon at www.okc.net. Here's an excerpt:

        Returning from his vacation, planned “far in advance of ever getting elected,” Shadid and his family ran into severe flight delays that would cause him to miss the vote on this important issue. Shadid contacted fellow Council member, Pete White, and City Manager, Jim Couch, requesting that the Council allow a two week extension on the vote, to give him a chance to be present for it.
        When asked about the nature of the conversations he had with White and Couch, Shadid said that he told them, “I can get there tomorrow,” even going so far as being willing to eat $4,000 for a return ticket home. He was told by White and Couch that this was unnecessary. According to Shadid, Couch said, “We’ll get this continued and take it up in two weeks.” White reportedly offered the same assurance.
        Shadid was surprised to find, upon his return home, that the vote to defer was denied, and the vote to approve the MAPS-3 Option One timeline was passed by a 4-3 margin. If he had been present, it would have been a 4-4 vote, and may not have passed.

Also, see this thread at OkcTalk.com, and read what Oklahoman reporter Michael Kimball had to say after Ed Shadid returned to Oklahoma City in the following article:

Oklahoma City Council member criticizes about MAPS 3 decision process
Oklahoma City Councilman Ed Shadid, Ward 2, said he would have been at Tuesday's council meeting if he wasn't led to believe the MAPS 3 and convention center site approval votes would be postponed to July 19.

BY MICHAEL KIMBALL
Published: July 7, 2011

        Oklahoma City Councilman Ed Shadid said the MAPS 3 timeline vote at Tuesday's council meeting would have turned out differently if he were there. And he said he wouldn't have missed the meeting if he had known a delay to the vote was not as likely as he had been led to believe.
        However, if the vote were delayed two weeks, a second council member who was absent, Meg Salyer, would have been able to cancel out Shadid's vote anyway.
        Shadid said his attendance at the meeting was paramount because he wanted to voice concerns about the new convention center included in MAPS 3 and its location, which also was approved Tuesday by the council.
        The councilman said he thinks the convention center is likely to wildly exceed its budget and will be built in an undesirable spot if the approved location west of Oklahoma City Arena remains the choice.
        Shadid said the extensive underground construction work required with the approved site could send costs spiraling out of control, and the site isn't close to enough restaurants, retail stores and other amenities. Consultants have also said the center needs a $50 million hotel to be successful, and money for the hotel is not included in MAPS 3 or any other city budget.
        Shadid said he also would have joined Councilmen Pete White and Skip Kelly during pre-vote debate in criticizing the approved timeline, which moves up the convention center's construction by 30 months and moves other projects back.

Flight connection caused absence

        Shadid asked for the MAPS 3 vote to be delayed until the next meeting, July 19. Mayor Mick Cornett said at the meeting that Salyer had indicated she was fine with the vote proceeding without her.
        Shadid missed the vote because he had trouble with an airline connection Monday in Boston on his way back from a long-planned overseas vacation with his children. He called White and City Manager Jim Couch saying he could get back to Oklahoma City in time for the vote by paying $4,000 for him and his children to fly to Dallas and drive home from there.
        He said he tried unsuccessfully to reach other council members.
        White and Couch said they both told him a delay would probably be easy to get and to stay in Boston to wait for flights back to Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
        “He asked for my opinion, and that was my opinion at the time,” Couch said. “It's not an uninformed opinion. I've been city manager for 11 years.”
        But when White made a motion at Tuesday's meeting for the vote to be delayed, councilors voted it down 5-2. A contentious debate on the timeline ensued without Shadid, and he was left wondering what happened Tuesday afternoon when he landed in Oklahoma City and found out the timeline had been approved by a one-vote margin.

Unwritten rule?

        Shadid, who was elected to the council this year, contends there's an unwritten rule on the council that a member can get an important vote delayed if he or she has a good reason. White, who has served on the council for 13 years in stints over two decades, agrees with Shadid that requests for deferrals are typically granted as a matter of routine.
        Cornett, who consulted with White as White gauged the possibility of a delay on Shadid's behalf, said he doesn't think there is such an unwritten rule. Cornett told White he would begin the debate on the MAPS 3 timeline with a discussion about the possible deferral, but stopped short of saying he supported a delay.
        White said he may have unwittingly led Shadid to believe Cornett supported the delay, not just a vote on a delay.
        “I've apologized twice to Ed,” White said. “Had I known how it turned out, I would have called back and said, ‘Ed, you've got to come.'”

Outcome could have changed

        The 4-3 vote on the approved timeline would have finished 4-4 if Shadid were there, Shadid said. A second proposed timeline would likely have been approved Tuesday because Councilman David Greenwell, who voted against the first option, voiced support for the second.
        A delay of two weeks likely would have led to the same result as Tuesday's vote, Shadid and White said. Salyer had previously indicated support for the approved timeline, so a 5-4 vote in favor of it seemed likely. Salyer was not available for comment for this story.
        “Clearly, the vote was going to be very close,” said Shadid.
        But Shadid said the possibility he could have affected the vote isn't the only reason he's upset. He thinks the council's culture of civility and respect was breached by denying the delay. The veteran White agrees.
        “We've crossed a line, a personal line, that I think we're all going to regret crossing,” White said.

When I opined in the July 6 Oklahoma Gazette piece that ...

* * * This writer’s opinion is that the defensiveness of Marrs, Ryan and Salyer would not have occurred but for the distrust generated by the Momentum committee. The sooner that all council members put that distrust aside and replace it with confidence in the good faith of their fellows, the better. It is time to get past Momentum, hope that it never rears its head again, and simply focus on good government,

... the choices made during the July 5 council meeting certainly casts a pall on that happening in the near future. Still, people of good will can change and perhaps that might still be possible. But it will be much harder to achieve given the lack of civility presented by some at the July 5 City Council meeting, and let's name names — Mayor Cornett, council members Marrs, Salyer, McAtee, Ryan, & Greenwell, in declining to grant the continuance requested by Shadid due to the circumstances of his unforeseen travel difficulties from Europe.

Things are getting personal at city hall if they weren't that way already.

We, the citizens who admire the personal qualities of civility in our elected public servants ... and I say again, elected public servants ... may be in for some disappointing days, months, and years ahead if the current pattern holds its course. Again, as previously stated, this piece is NOT about the substantive votes which occurred on July 5 — it is about procedural fairness and civility.

On July 5, those qualities were demonstrated by only two — Pete White and Skip Kelly — and to them we owe a tip of our collective hats.

Continued in OKC City Council Civility -- Is It A Lost Cause?

Top of Article

Memoirs & Thoughts of an Oklahoman Reporter — Part 2

2011-06-30T19:41:00.008-05:00

In this article, former Oklahoman reporter Jim Kyle continues sharing his recollections about Oklahoma and Oklahoma City history — see Part 1 for his first installment and click here for his third article about the Korean war.

This time, Jim describes how I came to be able to purchase, legally, the fine W.L. Wellers Kentucky bourbon whiskey that I enjoy today — but, of course, the story that Jim tells here is about much more than that.

In this piece, he recollects his late-1940s/mid-1950s personal experiences both before and during his time with the Oklahoman in this fascinating period of Oklahoma's, and Oklahoma City's, history.

Jump to Jim Kyle's Article
INTRODUCTION. Following the April 22, 1889, Land Run, Oklahoma City, and probably Oklahoma Territory, generally, was wide open as far as liquor issues were concerned. The Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce's 1903 publication promoting the city to those outside of Oklahoma featured the city's whiskey wholesalers as well as the fine Southern Club.

About that establishment, the Chamber said,

METROPOLITAN in all things is Oklahoma City — in its professions, trades, commerce, arts, science, and last, but not least, its bar rooms. First and foremost among the elegant and high class resorts of this kind for the convenience of business men ranks the beautiful place of Barnes & Stout, known as the Southern Club Bar, at 28 West Grand Avenue. It was established February the first of the whole of a two-story and basement brick building twenty-five by one hundred and forty feet in dimensions.
Ever since its inception this house has made a record for excellent management, superior quality of goods and eminent respectability, which have gained for it the large and popular patronage it enjoys. The apartments occupied are elegant and luxurious, the bar being carved and finished in mahogany. The floor is of tile, and the shelving handsomely fitted with large mirrors of French plate glass and handsome decorations, the finest glassware, and only the finest qualities of wines, liquors, whiskies, brandies, ale, mineral water and cigars are kept on hand. *** The firm [that owns the business] are members of our Chamber of Commerce, and are men of business ability and are prominent among those who promote our business interests as a city.

At that time, it is more than evident that the whiskey business, wholesale and retail, had the blessing of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, and probably of the city's elected leaders.

1906-1907 — The Drought Begins. All that would change if Oklahoma and Indian Territories wanted to become a state. Congress's 1906 Enabling Act authorizing the admission of Oklahoma and Indian Territories as a state came with strings and one of them was prohibition. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture says, "Prohibition of the manufacture, sale, barter, or gift of liquor was mandated for twenty-one years, after which time the constitution could be amended for or against." The territories complied, adopted its constitution inclusive of prohibition, and Oklahoma was admitted to the Union on November 16, 1907.

That's pretty much where Jim's article begins with the rest of the story.

JIM KYLE'S ARTICLE. Below, enjoy the personal recollections of Jim Kyle before, during, and after the 1959 "Prairie Fire" campaign of Governor J. Howard Edmondson and his prohibition enforcement czar Joe Cannon.

How Two Men Ended ...
The 52-year Drought

By JIM KYLE
         In the mid-1950s, Oklahoma was one of the very few states that still prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages. It had been that way for its entire existence as a state, and few citizens expected the situation to ever change.
         Before statehood, things were different — at least they were in one of the Twin Territories. Oklahoma Territory was home to as many saloons and liquor stores as any other part of the great west. However Indian Territory, the southern area given over to the Five Civilized Tribes, had never allowed the sale of "firewater."
         That prohibition had, of course, given rise to an illicit industry of importing it into the area. One of the earliest means of doing so provided a name for the activity. An importer would stuff a few pint bottles into the leg of each of his boots. And "bootlegging" was born.
         Not all potables had to be imported. The Choctaws, in particular, honed brewing into a fine art, and "choc beer" was noted throughout both of the territories. It remains popular to this day, especially in "Little Dixie" (the southeastern quarter of the state and home of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations).
         However, to our north in Kansas the Temperance movement was strong. Carrie Nation brought her hatchet into Oklahoma quite often. Many of our early settlers were quite conservative, as well, and despised the "wild wild west" reputation we were earning. Consequently when our Constitutional Convention met to frame a constitution for the soon-to-be state, it wrote into the document an absolute prohibition on the sale of intoxicating beverages in any form. Not until 1933 did we permit even 3.2 percent beer, and the courts ruled that it was non-intoxicating despite ample evidence to the contrary.
         Exceptions existed for certain medicines, of course. Had they been tested, some patent medicines would have registered as 80 proof or higher. Still they were made so foul-tasting that few people used them as anything other than medicine. For a time, liquor itself was available by prescription as a medicine, but that option did not last long.
         But Oklahomans didn't stop drinking. The mere fact that its sale was illegal had absolutely no effect on the flow of alcohol into the state. The bootleggers simply expanded their operations to the north. Before long, every town in the state had at least one resident bootlegger, and everyone who cared knew exactly how to get his wares.
         My personal knowledge of the situation began about 1948, when I left home to attend OU down at Norman. My parents did not drink, and the only liquor in our home was a bottle of bourbon that my father mixed half and half with honey as a cough syrup. Sometime during my freshman year, I learned how easy it was to buy a half-pint of Black and White Scotch (the beverage favored by one of my favorite fictional characters, Simon Templar AKA The Saint). I didn't really like the taste of the stuff, but it seemed to be a part of growing up so I managed to get it down — not enough to even get a slight buzz, but enough to make me feel truly cosmopolitan.
         Because I had skipped a grade early in my school days, I was a year younger than most of my classmates — and because of that, had a worse case of adolescent angst than most of them. By my Junior year, my first puppy love had gone sour, and as the annual Journalism Day party approached I was in a foul and self-pitying mood. My two roommates and I pooled our pennies, drove out west along SH 9 to the resident bootlegging establishment, and bought a whole fifth of Seagram's Seven Crown. It accompanied us to the party; traditionally, the faculty chaperones always looked the other way at the affair, so there was no risk of discipline although none of us was even close to 21 years old.
         We all had moderately weak mixes with Seven-Up for our first round, but unlike my earlier experiments with Scotch they were strong enough to give us mild buzzes. I grew a bit maudlin, but my roommates grew mischievous. When I asked for a second, they left out the mixer and poured it straight. I drank it down and asked for another. And another. And ...
         I don't remember much about the rest of that evening. I do recall that I finished most of the bottle, and that they took me to an all-night restaurant and poured black coffee into me. I also remember discovering that my bed had the strange capacity to rotate up to the ceiling, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fall out of it. And I know that I was sicker than a whole pound full of dogs for the rest of the night, until there was nothing left in me to get rid of.
         By all rights the poisonous effects of that night should have killed me, but instead I developed a physical aversion to alcohol. I was, and still am, unable to force down a drink of any appreciable strength. While I didn't become a teetotaler at that point, I did learn to avoid drinking enough to lose control of myself — and only one other time, the afternoon of July 27, 1953, when the truce in Korea was signed, have I gone over that limit.
         I believe that the only unusual thing about my experience was that it had such a lasting effect in steering me away from the bottle. Far too many of my friends from high school days wound up as hopeless alcoholics, partly because it was so easy to come by.
         Here in OKC, bootleggers handed out business cards bearing their phone numbers all over the place. All anyone had to do was call one of those numbers, at any time, day or night, and place an order. Within a very few minutes, a car would pull up to the home, money would change hands, and the delivery was made. Neither the age nor the sobriety (or lack thereof) of the buyer made any difference. And the cost was actually lower than in surrounding states where sales were legal, because no state tax was collected.
         By the time I held my first reporting job, at Ardmore, I had become a firm opponent of the system of prohibition in our state — but held little hope of it ever changing. Attempts had been made regularly, and just as regularly they went down in flames. Even before his death in 1935, Will Rogers had quipped that "Oklahoma will stay dry as long as the voters can stagger to the polls," and history had proven him correct.
         My main objections to it were that it fostered corruption among law enforcement officers, and allowed no regulation to protect youngsters from making the same kinds of mistakes that I had. The prospect of additional state taxes also entered into it, but nowhere near as strongly.
         Again, I had a bit of personal experience with apparent corruption in law enforcement. Almost as soon as I arrived and made myself known to the people on my beat, the sheriff offered me a key to his offices — which also opened the evidence room where seized liquor was kept. The deputies advised me to visit whenever I got thirsty. I only used the key to visit the jail for supper occasionally; they had a chronic prisoner who was an excellent cook and who prepared all the meals!
         I remember accompanying a deputy and an OSBI investigator on a "raid" during the time that Perry White (later editor of The Daily Oklahoman) was my intern. They greeted the 'suspect" like old friends, searched, found a single bottle, and confiscated it. The OSBI agent then gave Perry and me a demonstration of his quick-draw expertise, shooting a half-dollar out of the air. I was certain the whole show had been rigged for our benefit, but saw no point whatsoever in saying so.
         I also found it totally illogical that candidates would spend tens of thousands of dollars campaigning for offices such as that of county sheriff, which would pay the winner at best a few thousand total over the entire term. I became ever more certain that the real payoff came under the table, but was also certain that any attempt to expose the situation would be futile.
         Some newspapers decried the situation, although few went so far as to openly support repeal of the constitutional provisions. While at Ardmore, I went on a 10-day tour of Europe provided by the Air Force, and in Frankfurt-au-Main I purchased a Minifon wire recorder. This was the device that gave rise to the phrase "'wearing a wire" since it was small enough to be concealed at the small of the wearer's back, and its microphone was disguised as a wrist watch. I wanted it primarily as a high-tech toy, but saw possibilities of using it should I ever encounter a situation where I could.
         After I came back to OKC and joined OPubCo, police reporter Jack Jones came up with an idea to dramatize how open bootlegging was in our city. We had two obviously under-age copy boys who volunteered for the job, and we put my recorder on one of them. We then gave the boys a hundred dollars or so, and Jack drove them (in an unmarked vehicle) to several open bootlegging locations. Their jobs were to buy a bottle at each, while recording the conversations.
         Many apologists for the bootleggers had claimed that they would not sell to minors. Our operation was intended to test those claims.
         It was a total success. Every place sold the boys their bottles, and none of them had questioned their ages. As the sting progressed, Jack suggested that the boys make it plain they were under age, but even so the bootleggers didn't care. We transcribed the wires, and went to press.
         Of course, nothing happened. The adults involved were arrested, paid minor fines, and went right back into business. There was some talk of charging them with "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" and I had to maintain an evidence chain on the wires for a time, but that all faded away without any actual action.
         However, the problems with prohibition were becoming ever more obvious, and in 1958 a 33-year-old county attorney from Tulsa named J. Howard Edmondson ran for governor on a platform that promised yet another vote on the subject. He conducted a whirlwind campaign, and won election in a landslide, becoming the youngest governor the state has ever had.
         What few had anticipated was that Edmondson would use Will Rogers' quip as the basis of his strategy. He appointed childhood friend, fraternity brother, and Marine combat veteran Joe Cannon, just elected county attorney at Muskogee, as his commissioner of public safety, and immediately after taking office on January 12, 1959, the new governor and his Highway Patrol chieftain began enforcing existing laws to the hilt.
         Up until then, "private" clubs (that anyone could join for a dollar or two at the door) offered a safe way to enjoy a night out, with drinks. The courts had held that a private club was an extension of one's home, and as such was off limits to officers unless they had valid search warrants. The clubs kept members' "private bottles" and that evaded the prohibition on sales — the club merely offered the service of pouring or mixing the drinks, and nobody questioned how the members obtained those private bottles. Many, of course, had not done so at all; the bartender had simply tagged the bottle with the member's name.
         That changed when Edmondson and Cannon began their drive. Virtually every private club in the state, with two notable exceptions, was raided — with valid search warrants, requested at the last minute by Cannon and with the issuing judge being taken along on the raid so that he could not possibly warn anyone.
         The two exceptions were The Oklahoma City Press Club, and The Branding Iron. The press club was excluded for obvious reasons: bad publicity would be disastrous. The Branding Iron was the governor's own favorite hangout. However many others that had been considered immune were hit, including The Beacon Club atop the First National Building, and the Petroleum Club. And at each raided club, if the raiders found a single bottle of liquor, all the customers were herded off to jail and charged with frequenting a disorderly house.
         I witnessed one such raid, at the Chatterbox Club operated by Dick Dolph near the Capitol. The establishment, less than a block from the statehouse at 2440 N Lincoln Boulevard, was a favorite of state officials, and on the night of March 19 was filled with legislators and lobbyists. I got a strange message from the police dispatcher about 7 p.m. that evening, to meet a detective cruiser at the south side of the Capitol building. When I got there, the entire group was reviewing plans for the raid. I called for a photographer to meet me, and at about 9 p.m. we followed the raiding party to the night club.
         It took every paddy wagon that OCPD could muster to haul 96 customers and employees down to jail. They all gave fictitious names (including Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong), and that was the thrust of my story in the next morning's paper. One of the customers was the representative of a plastics company, who had arrived in Oklahoma City that afternoon to evaluate it as the possible site of a new plant. He left for Dallas the next morning after writing OKC off of his list.
         Cannon and Edmondson also went to extreme lengths to halt importation of liquor into the state. They set up roadblocks on all the main highways, stopping and searching all vehicles, including semi-trailers and cross-country buses. Of course it was a horrible inconvenience to travelers, and may well have been illegal interference with interstate commerce, but the searches continued right up until old laws were replaced, even after the special election called to decide the issue.
         Again I had personal experience. My wife, baby son (only about a month old), and I drove down to Whiskeyta Falls, Texas, to replenish the personal stocks of my family and immediate relatives. Knowing we would be stopped on the way home, we packed the 4 or 5 bottles in the baby's crib, beneath his blankets — and added additional blankets for padding. As we had hoped, he dozed off as soon as we began the trip back, and was totally out of it, snoozing peacefully atop the booze, when the Highway Patrol trooper pulled us over and looked into the car.
         The trooper saw nothing amiss, commented on how comfortable the baby looked, and waved us on through. Mission accomplished!
         Edmondson and Cannon continued the crackdown until the day of (and even a bit after) the special election to repeal prohibition. They made it very difficult for Oklahomans to stagger to the polls, and also illustrated exactly what the outdated laws were like when fully enforced. The result, of course, was inevitable. On April 7, 1959, Oklahoma's prohibition era came to an end by an overwhelming vote.
         At first it wasn't all rosy, though. The initial restrictions on liquor stores were rather extreme. Their advertising was limited to a single sign with letters no more than a few inches high, and the allowable shape and wording of the sign was written into the law. Sale of liquor by the drink was still outlawed. Minors were (and still are) not allowed on the premises for any reason; on our first visit to a legal liquor outlet in OKC, we had to leave our sons in the car although none were yet of school age. Fortunately their grandmother was there to keep them company.
         Many of the restrictions have been eased over the years, and it's now legal to order a drink over the bar — but only in some counties. Others still prohibit sale by the drink.
         Once the matter was settled, Cannon resigned the post of public safety commissioner to join Edmondson's staff as its legal assistant. A year later, he left that position to establish a private law practice in Oklahoma City but remained a close associate of the governor and still served part-time on his staff. He later became a district judge in Oklahoma County, retired in 1988, and passed away on February 23, 2003.
         Edmondson served two terms as governor, resigning shortly before the end of the second to be appointed to the U.S. Senate, filling the vacancy created by the death of Robert S. Kerr. During those two terms he made other significant changes to the state's governmental structure, including creation of the merit system for state employees — but the demise of prohibition remained his major accomplishment in the eyes of many Oklahomans.
         Sadly, he survived that milestone by little more than a dozen years, dying on November 17, 1971 at the age of 46.
         Edmondson and Cannon are both gone now, but they certainly earned their places in the ranks of Oklahoma officials who made significant changes to the state.

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