This from the Tulsa World...
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080520_11_Sally11047
Sally Bell aiming for county commission seat
By KEVIN CANFIELD, World Staff Writer
5/20/2008
Sally Bell, whose family's longtime amusement park closed last year, is seeking to replace one of the county commissioners who voted not to renew the park's lease at Expo Square. Bell, 66, announced Tuesday that she will challenge Republican incumbent Randi Miller for the District 2 nomination.
"Somebody needs to address the issue of whether open meetings laws were being violated and whether back room deals were being made" by the public officials who decided the fate of Bell's Amusement Park, Bell said. "I can't say it's happening, but it needs to be investigated."
In November 2006, the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority, which oversees operations at the fairgrounds, voted not to renew Bell's lease, citing concerns about the park's longtime viability. "Randi Miller was the one who led the charge," Bell said. Bell said her campaign is about more than the demise of the longtime Tulsa attraction. "The issue is really bigger than losing the park because it's about how county government runs," she said.
Bell said she believes Tulsa County residents are overtaxed and overregulated and that she would oppose new taxes. She had high praise for Sheriff Stanley Glanz and vowed to do whatever she can to improve operations at the Sheriff's Office. "They're underfunded and overworked," Bell said.
Bell is a graduate of the University of Tulsa. She is married to Bob Bell, the longtime owner of Bell's. They have three children, including Robby Bell, who was operating the park when it closed last year. The Republican primary is July 29, with the general election to follow Nov. 4.
I don't know her, but the reason she gave for running seemed odd.
"Somebody needs to address the issue of whether open meetings laws were being violated and whether back room deals were being made" by the public officials who decided the fate of Bell's Amusement Park, Bell said. "I can't say it's happening, but it needs to be investigated."
It doesn't seem to be a compelling reason for someone to vote for her.
I thought the Bell family decided the fate of Bells Amusement park by failing to pay their lease for a very very long time?
How can you blame a landlord for evicting a tenant that repeatedly fails to pay rent?
I loved Bells. Grew up going there on weekends. I miss it for the sake of my child that will not have that experience, but I understand why they are gone. Bad business is bad business. It hurts us all, no matter how much we like the product!
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Originally posted by Gaspar
I thought the Bell family decided the fate of Bells Amusement park by failing to pay their lease for a very very long time?
How can you blame a landlord for evicting a tenant that repeatedly fails to pay rent?
I loved Bells. Grew up going there on weekends. I miss it for the sake of my child that will not have that experience, but I understand why they are gone. Bad business is bad business. It hurts us all, no matter how much we like the product!
I'd check your facts. Bells had paid their rent and was paying more rent than any other tenant on the fairgrounds.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
I thought the Bell family decided the fate of Bells Amusement park by failing to pay their lease for a very very long time?
How can you blame a landlord for evicting a tenant that repeatedly fails to pay rent?
I loved Bells. Grew up going there on weekends. I miss it for the sake of my child that will not have that experience, but I understand why they are gone. Bad business is bad business. It hurts us all, no matter how much we like the product!
I'd check your facts. Bells had paid their rent and was paying more rent than any other tenant on the fairgrounds.
So they had no problems paying their lease for the past few years before their lease expired?
I must have been mistaken? Was there a maintenance problem or lack of tax revenue?
Technically, I thought it had to do with a business plan that Bell's submitted. The park was in need of refurbishing and Bell's wanted to expand with a new ride but the plan was not very good. It was never made public. Really, even though it contributed to the bottom line of the fairgrounds, I think the board did not see the park fitting into their big vision of what the fairgrounds should look like. It was the execution of the eviction that irritated people. It looked political and capricious. This park should have been moved to another location where it could prosper but it wasn't the County's role to do that. I agree, business is business.
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
I thought the Bell family decided the fate of Bells Amusement park by failing to pay their lease for a very very long time?
How can you blame a landlord for evicting a tenant that repeatedly fails to pay rent?
I loved Bells. Grew up going there on weekends. I miss it for the sake of my child that will not have that experience, but I understand why they are gone. Bad business is bad business. It hurts us all, no matter how much we like the product!
I'd check your facts. Bells had paid their rent and was paying more rent than any other tenant on the fairgrounds.
So they had no problems paying their lease for the past few years before their lease expired?
I must have been mistaken? Was there a maintenance problem or lack of tax revenue?
RM- curious reasons I guess. I can't say I blame Sally for running and wish her well, but I don't think she's got a chance.
My understanding was their rent was a % of sales. I believe they had also negotiated a lowr rent structure to help cover the cost of future improvements like the new roller coaster they had finally gotten approved.
As far as the business plan, well, the copy I have is a little lacking in detail (all in good humor, I'm a Bell's fan)
(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q55/71conan/TN/bidnessplan.jpg)
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by Gaspar
I thought the Bell family decided the fate of Bells Amusement park by failing to pay their lease for a very very long time?
How can you blame a landlord for evicting a tenant that repeatedly fails to pay rent?
I loved Bells. Grew up going there on weekends. I miss it for the sake of my child that will not have that experience, but I understand why they are gone. Bad business is bad business. It hurts us all, no matter how much we like the product!
I'd check your facts. Bells had paid their rent and was paying more rent than any other tenant on the fairgrounds.
So they had no problems paying their lease for the past few years before their lease expired?
I must have been mistaken? Was there a maintenance problem or lack of tax revenue?
They had an accident several years back but were regularly passing inspections. They were paid up on their rent and their taxes and as I said before, they paid more in rent than anyone. They had even just installed a new ride and gotten approval after 12 years of fighting to install a new large roller coaster.
Big Splash, owned by Randi Miller financial contributor, midway operator and well known detractor of Bells is the one known for having financial problems like being months behind on utility bills, etc.
Sgrizz-
You also forgot one salient point: Clark Brewster, attorney for the Kurek family, and more recently, Fair Board member, voted to terminate Bell's lease. He should have recused himself from anything to do with Bell's.
One might draw the conclusion that the county is rife with conflict of interest and chicanery. [;)]
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
One might draw the conclusion that the county is rife with conflict of interest and chicanery. [;)]
Bingo.
I like Sally Bell better than any of the other announced candidates.
Hey randi, hope you have your own Plan B.
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
One might draw the conclusion that the county is rife with conflict of interest and chicanery. [;)]
When the feds were sacking up the county commissioners in Oklahoma, once they got to the Tulsa County Commission they packed up their clothes and went home. Politics does play a strong part in Tulsa County as Sally indicates.
They had to evict Bell's because their "not a parking lot" parking lot is generating more revenue for the county than Bell's was.
$0 > $300,000.
They also had to evict them before the county was force to pay them to do it. Of course, we then ended up paying for them to move anyway.
But we had to include business with our improved fairgrounds that were growing, safe, and would release public business plans. That's why Big Splash just expanded in 1998, has only had a couple slides fall apart recently, and might be forced to release a public business plan sometime in the future. Did I mention the owner of Big Splash has been given the lease on the parking lot formerly known as Bell's (actually contracted before Bell's was torn down)?
I was not a big fan of Bell's park. I don't know the people involved. I have no conflicts of any kind... and while it was within the contract guidelines, they got screwed.
I was well acquainted with the original Bob Bell from the time he acquired the little train that he installed at 6800 block E Admiral Pl. I watched him work two shifts and build the little car rides in a garage on 7th street.
I attended the meetings to change the system of county government where Bob Bell ll had been appointed to represent the county voters to change from the commission form to a charter form of county government.
The total operation of Bell's was home built and operated by native Tulsan's.
I talked with Bell as he was trying to negotiate the lease to place the rides on the Fair Grounds.
Bell's created more teen age jobs in the summer time than the fair ever has.
The bill to change the form of government was defeated by the OSC.
I am not acquainted with Sally but will say that she is of the Tulsa supporters and deserves a seat on the commission but politics are alive and well in the metro area of Tulsa where money controls elections.
Any person outside of the local political system needs the help of the working poor. In this instant Bell's sure got a raw deal.
What is a Fair Grounds to be used for?
quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
Technically, I thought it had to do with a business plan that Bell's submitted. The park was in need of refurbishing and Bell's wanted to expand with a new ride but the plan was not very good. It was never made public. Really, even though it contributed to the bottom line of the fairgrounds, I think the board did not see the park fitting into their big vision of what the fairgrounds should look like. It was the execution of the eviction that irritated people. It looked political and capricious. This park should have been moved to another location where it could prosper but it wasn't the County's role to do that. I agree, business is business.
No way. Remember Boom Town USA, The park Bell's was to be transformed into? A complete retheme, a massive new wooden roller coaster, and loads of new rides - sounds like a pretty damn good plan to me. After years of legal battles dampened the plans for the park's revival, the Bell's revised their plans and eventually won permission to construct what would have been the largest roller coaster in the state. It was very well publicized due to the effort it took to get that far, though because they never actually got the chance to break ground on it many Tulsans still don't realize what could have been.
The past makes everything blatantly clear: Bell's was moving forward, trying to renew itself with new rides - but someone didn't want that - someone who happened to support county commissioners with generous 'campaign contributions'.
I wish Mrs. Bell all the luck I can in winning this election, not so much for Bell's, but for ridding Tulsa of a crooked politician who clearly cares more about lining her pockets than what Tulsa wants.
You may be right about the new theme. Although the plans for the new ride may have been good, the rest of the business plan was never made public and was suspect. Bell's was screwed but he gave them the KY jelly. Anyone who does business with a govt. entity as long as he did couldn't feign ignorance of their vision, tactics, conflicts etc. Their failure to keep up the premises over the years (the golf course? the cheesy paving stones?) only helped the county to sweep them away.
If Sally Bell's only mission is to depose Miller then its just a tit for tat thing. She may win, but then what? As you noted the real problem is behind the scenes.
I do remember Boomtown USA, that was like 20 years ago. I remember every season before Bells opened hearing of some new plan or coaster or something just to get free news. Which would be fine if they ever went through with things. Not only were improvements not made,,, the park continued to decline.
Simple upkeep and appearance wasnt taken care of. Year after year the park added a new layer of rust, weeds and peeling paint. Sure they may have had problems of some sort, but who doesnt? You over come them and move on. They never did. Kept saying they were,,, but the proof was in the pudding.
How many decades were you willing to wait for them to get their act together? They could always cry, "but we were just getting ready to do this...We were delayed because of this...etc. etc.". That game could have gone on forever. And it did. I think the proof of what they were really about was in the basic appearance and upkeep of the park. They couldnt, or wouldnt, even do the basics.
One could simply look at the park and know it wasnt well run. It was a gross looking mess. Period. It was embarrassing to even drive out of town guests down that part of 21st. People would ask "What is that?" with a look of disghust on their faces. "Looks like and old abandoned amusement park."
And yes, the parking lot looks infinitely better.
^I first heard about Boomtown around 2003. I disagree with your attitude toward the state of the park - when I went during the last few years it was kept up enough to my liking. I mean, it was no disneyland, but it was just as good as any other similar park in the state. The rides were kept up just as well as those at Frontier City, and the park was just as well kept up as any other park in Tulsa. Look at Big Splash: it took a near-death incident to get them to do anything to fix up their parks, and don't get me started about the fair operators.
As for the golf course that everyone keeps mentioning: that was closed down so that it could be removed to make way for the new coaster. Why renovate an attraction that's going to be removed in two years?
It's true that Bell's kept having to push off upgrades, but they were certainly making progress. Two new rides in the 3 years before they were closed and a massive new coaster about to break ground showed that.
It's all history now, but I just don't like to hear people ripping on the park too much when it worked so hard at being something while the other fairground operators allowed their attractions to fall apart. It may not have been the shiniest place in town, but I sure enjoyed it.
quote:
Originally posted by RecycleMichael
I don't know her, but the reason she gave for running seemed odd.
"Somebody needs to address the issue of whether open meetings laws were being violated and whether back room deals were being made" by the public officials who decided the fate of Bell's Amusement Park, Bell said. "I can't say it's happening, but it needs to be investigated."
It doesn't seem to be a compelling reason for someone to vote for her.
transparent government is not a reason to elect someone? pancakes? You clown.
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Originally posted by inteller
transparent government is not a reason to elect someone? pancakes? You clown.
It is a valid reason to vote against someone. But by itself it is hardly a compelling reason to vote for someone. Clown back.