Oklahoma City, In The Press

[Laramie]

This Former Flyover City Is Having a Serious Cultural and Culinary Renaissance



https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/things-to-do-in-oklahoma-city

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City's new Bus Rapid Transit Vehicles Unveiled.


                            

                      

Officials with EMBARK and Oklahoma City unveiled the design of RAPID's bus rapid transit vehicle on Thursday.

The first RAPID line is planned to have 32 stops and stretch 9.5 miles each way and will integrate with the larger EMBARK transit network.--KOKH 25 Oklahoma City.

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[Laramie]

America’s best places to live in 2022

1. Raleigh, NC

     Affordability: 7/10
     Diversity: 5/10
     Job market: 8/10
     Safety: 9/10
     Wellness: 7/10
     Highlights: NC State football games, Carolina Hurricanes hockey games, North Carolina Museum of Art

2. Charleston, SC

     Affordability: 6/10
     Diversity: N/A
     Job market: 9/10
     Safety: 7/10
     Wellness: 8/10
     Highlights: South Carolina Aquarium, Folly Beach, Charleston City Market

4. Oklahoma City, OK

     Affordability: 8/10
     Diversity: 8/10
     Job market: 10/10
     Safety: 7/10
     Wellness: 5/10
     Highlights: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City Zoo, Myriad Botanical Gardens

5. Tampa, FL

     Affordability: 7/10
     Diversity: 6/10
     Job market: 8/10
     Safety: 7/10
     Wellness: 7/10
     Highlights: Tampa Bay Rays baseball games, Busch Gardens, Adventure Island

6. Boise, ID

     Affordability: 5/10
     Diversity: N/A
     Job market: 10/10
     Safety: 8/10
     Wellness: 7/10
     Highlights: Boise River Greenbelt, Discovery Center of Idaho, Capital City Public Market

7. Providence, RI

     Affordability: 7/10
     Diversity: N/A
     Job market: 7/10
     Safety: 7/10
     Wellness: 8/10
     Highlights: Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, Providence Performing Arts Center, Narragansett Beach

8. Minneapolis, MN

     Affordability: 6/10
     Diversity: 7/10
     Job market: 9/10
     Safety: 4/10
     Wellness: 9/10
     Highlights: The Mall of America, Minnehaha Falls, Nickelodeon Universe


9. Cincinnati, OH

     Affordability: 9/10
     Diversity: 4/10
     Job market: 8/10
     Safety: 6/10
     Wellness: 8/10
     Highlights: Coney Island Park, Skyline Chili, Cincinnati Bengals football games

10. Jacksonville, FL

     Affordability: 8/10
     Diversity: 6/10
     Job market: 8/10
     Safety: 5/10
     Wellness: 8/10
     Highlights: Little Talbot Island State Park, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Jacksonville Jaguars football games



Full List:  https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/best-places-to-live/us/

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[Laramie]

Man, scales 844 tall Devon Energy Center




Video link:  https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-city-person-climbs-devon-tower-timelapse/40288259

[Laramie]

KOKH – Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City Spark joins Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF) as its newest franchise, with its debut season planned for 2023.

Organizers say Oklahoma City Spark’s inaugural season will launch in June of 2023. The team is expected to play at the 12,500 seat ASA Hall of Fame Stadium 2801 NE 50th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111.

               Link:  https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/womens-professional-fastpitch-adds-okc-spark-as-newest-franchise/ar-AAZZRQS?cvid=62c0b4886bbb4cf584c3a30a9c0b9881


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[Laramie]

  

                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PConR_sbigk

       Mayor Holt has put $70 million on 'pause.' The arena would take years to develop and build. In the meantime,
       Thunder Alley upgrades and anything non-essential will be put on pause. That way the money can go toward
       a new space.

      Holt also made a push for voters to consider the OKCPS bond issue. This would be a $600 to $900 million-dollar
      bond that would go toward upgrades like new schools and new programs for students and more.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Spark (WPF)

Oklahoma City--https://wprofastpitch.com/?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=62ee9ebc93719c332e422f3b&ss_email_id=62f109071aa45d6e6ce7cb8a&ss_campaign_name=WPF+Welcomes+BeatBox+as+Official+Party+Punch%21&ss_campaign_sent_date=2022-08-08T13%3A03%3A51Z

[Laramie]

New arena? OKC’s relationship with the Thunder faces an expensive test

          
Link:  https://nondoc.com/2022/07/26/okc-thunder-new-arena-discussion-starts/


Jim Traber Afternoon Sports Podcast interview with OKC Mayor David Holt: https://twitter.com/mattravis/status/1547691000776167425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1547782772801957888%7Ctwgr%5E3bf0f2df8800b6fb8cdc3686c9404641d68ef95c%7Ctwcon%5Es4_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnondoc.com%2F2022%2F07%2F26%2Fokc-thunder-new-arena-discussion-starts%2F

[Laramie]

          

                  
                  New $261 million 602 room luxury Omni Hotel (left) and new $288 million Oklahoma City Convention Center (right) opened in 2021.
                  City paid ($85 million) in funds toward Omni Hotel construction.  These building are debt free.

        Oklahoma City, a state-of-the-art $288 million convention center built in 2021 that is debt-free; includes massive 500,000-sq-ft interior includes
        a 200,730 square-foot exhibit hall on the first floor, which is divisible into four halls. About 45,000 square feet of meeting spaces are on all levels of the
        building.

        The rooms can be configured to provide up to 27 meeting spaces.
          
        Now we need a new state of the art arena to match the convention center. Anticipate the cost of the new arena with 37% inflation on building
        materials to cost $450 million to $500 million on city owned land (My own personal estimate--could be higher).  
  
        City owns several downtown parcels like the 4-square block former Cox Convention Center site (occupied by Prairie Surf Media Studios).

        https://okcfox.com/news/local/new-thunder-arena-coming-okc-mayor-says-early-talks-happening
        
        How are we able to pay off the debt; Bonds and/or sales taxes.

        $70 million MAPS 4 Funds (PAUSE) already collected; some of these funds may be used for arena architectural designs.

        Extension vote: Oklahoma City 2017 General Obligation Bonds June 2017 ends June 2027 (10 years)
        Extension vote: MAPS 4 initiative sales tax collection began April 2020 ends April 2028 (8 years)

        Oklahoma City Council will meet next month (Tuesday, October 4, 2022) with Oklahoma City Thunder ownership group representatives to begin preliminary
        talks on a new arena.

        Specifications on new arena to include NBA seating capacity, number of suites, premium and loge seats will be determined to yield a cost estimate
        of the new arena.  An architectural firm has yet to be involved or employed.   The $70 million funds from improvements to the Paycom Center (Put on Pause
        by Mayor David Holt) is apart of the funding source that could be used to craft prelims for the new Oklahoma City main arena.  

                      

                                      
        

         By Margaret Naczek  –  Reporter, Milwaukee Business Journal, August 26, 2022

         The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and executives from Oklahoma City (100 people) had a 48-hour intercity visit to Milwaukee, learning about key
         venues and initiatives in the city from the Henry Maier Festival Park and Fiserv Forum to educational initiatives and the riverfront development.
        


        

[heironymouspasparagus]

There are a LOT of horses east side of Tulsa on land I have been told was Robson land.  I have not bothered to try to check that.

I am wondering what is done with all of those animals?   Only thing that makes any sense would be shipping to Europe.  (Food.)  Insights??

[Laramie]

There are a LOT of horses east side of Tulsa on land I have been told was Robson land.  I have not bothered to try to check that.

I am wondering what is done with all of those animals?   Only thing that makes any sense would be shipping to Europe.  (Food.)  Insights??

Horrible thought about horses being used for food, especially when horses are viewed in the domesticated ream.  U. S. doesn't use horses or dogs for human consumption.  Oh, the thought makes my blood boil.

[Red Arrow]

Horrible thought about horses being used for food, especially when horses are viewed in the domesticated ream.  U. S. doesn't use horses or dogs for human consumption.  Oh, the thought makes my blood boil.

I feel the same way about horses and dogs as food but it's a cultural thing at a minimum.  I believe the Hindus won't eat cattle (cows).  Not eating pork is an ancient health thing.

[Laramie]

I feel the same way about horses and dogs as food but it's a cultural thing at a minimum.  I believe the Hindus won't eat cattle (cows).  Not eating pork is an ancient health thing.

Interesting Red Arrow:

Cattle IIRC is considered sacred; Hindu moral law and history, substantially relates meat-eating in a similar view as that of shameful cannibalism.

Also, recall cattle eating the grass from graves and burial sites in India made them sacred.

That wouldn't go over well here in Oklahoma City where Stockyard City; it’s home to the Oklahoma National Stockyards, the world’s largest feeder and stocker cattle market, where live cattle auctions take place every Monday and Tuesday and are open to the public.

My dad was a butcher in Stockyard City, AKA Packingtown.  Recall the many times we visited Stockyard City as children (with two older brothers),  the smell of
that place is ingrained into my memory.  Seeing the big bulls with huge testicles hanging from underneath, made us burst with laughter.  

And I will never forget Friday night wrestling at the old historic Stockyards Coliseum in Stockyard City on Exchange Avenue, long after my
father passed.  

We would take the bus (First East Fourth) to the coliseum.  The last bus left for the city to main street downtown at 10:15 p.m., and we would walk
home about a half mile from downtown to Deep Deuce in OKC.  Passed three funeral homes (Rolfe, McKay Davis and Temple) to get home.   Always a chilling
feeling because sometimes we would see a body on a gurney being delivered to the various funeral homes and mortuary.  This was especially an odd feeling
because many of the Dracula, Wolf man, Mummy and Frankenstein movies were premiering at the infamous "Jewel Theater' on N.E. 4th Street sandwiched in between McKay Mortuary & Rolfe Funeral Home.  As children, our imagination kicked into play and the run to home was like Ichabod Crane's Legend of Sleepy Hollow being relived in our lives.

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[Laramie]

Some of the most impressive historical structures I've seen in Tulsa:

Expo Square Pavilion, Tulsa


Brady Theater, Tulsa


Union Depot, Tulsa

and my favorite historical Tulsa park:


Mohawk Park, Tulsa

These places remind me of structures and parks in Oklahoma City:


Santa Fe Depot, Oklahoma City


Civic Center Music Hall, Oklahoma City


Will Rogers Gardens, Oklahoma City

Just reminiscing about the historic places.   I recognize Tulsa has Oklahoma's jewel,  'The Gathering Place' which I feel would have been more impressive downtown where Oklahoma City has its Downtown Scissortail Park.

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[Laramie]

OKC Thunder: Why a new arena is vital for the Thunder and downtown

     

         

          “Look, here’s the bottom line,” Holt said in the speech. “The NBA has changed our city forever.
          The vast majority of our residents (know that) and want a relationship to continue. The facts speak plainly that
          we can never rest on our laurels. We must always be proactive.”--Mayor Holt.

     Full Article:  https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/2022/8/21/23316032/okc-thunder-why-a-new-arena-is-vital-for-the-thunder-and-downtown


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