BatesLine

• A Thanksgiving reader

  The Wall Street Journal's Thanksgiving tradition, since 1961: The Desolate Wilderness: The New World in the words of the Pilgrims' historian And the Fair Land: A modern reflection on America's prosperity and challenges. Plus this story on Franklin Roosevelt's short-lived attempt (1939-1941) to move the date of Thanksgiving one week...' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 26, 2009, 12:20am EST
  

• Anne Marie Dutcher at rest

  I gasped when I heard the news at Sunday worship, by means of an elder's prayer for the family of little Anne Marie Dutcher, who had died Saturday night, at the age of 37 days. It was the end of what her parents, Brandon and Susie Dutcher, had described as... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 25, 2009, 1:06am EST
  

• Murphey calls for county government reform

  Via NewsFifty's Oklahoma news page: State Rep. Jason Murphey (R-Guthrie) is considering proposing legislation to reform the structure of county government in Oklahoma. In an Edmond Sun op-ed, Murphey sets forth his concerns. At the heart, the lack of adequate separation of powers when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars:... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 25, 2009, 12:06am EST
  

• Vote against removing Liz Wright: An open letter to John Smaligo and Fred Perry

  I can't attend Monday morning's Tulsa County Commission meeting, so I sent the following letter to County Commissioners John Smaligo and Fred Perry urging them to vote against removing Liz Wright from the TMAPC. (I didn't figure there was any point in sending it to Commissioner Karen Keith, the lead... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 23, 2009, 11:56pm EST
  

• Blast from the past: A truly rude TMAPC commissioner

  In February 2004, leaders of neighborhood associations and homeowners' associations showed up by the dozens for a 1:30 p.m. hearing before the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (TMAPC) on zoning protest petitions. Many of those present had to make special arrangements to be at a City Hall meeting in the...' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 22, 2009, 1:11am EST
  

• Santa Claus, Stinky Cheese Man illustrator at Philbrook today

  Santa Claus returns to Tulsa's Philbrook Art Museum for the 25th anniversary of the Festival of Trees. Today (November 21, 2009) is the members' opening of the Festival; the Festival opens to the public on Sunday. Santa will be at Philbrook each weekend of the festival (including the Friday after...' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 21, 2009, 1:20am EST
  

• Karen Keith's ex post facto crusade for unfair zoning

  Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith's bizarre and unprecedented campaign to remove Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission member Elizabeth Wright (for bogus reasons, a year before her term expires) reaches its climax on Monday, November 23, 2009, at 9:30 a.m., at a public hearing to be held as part of the... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 20, 2009, 12:20am EST
  

• Texas Playboys' 1930s studio doomed?

  As with Tulsa's struggle over applying new fire codes to older buildings, Dallas is experiencing a battle between historic preservation and downtown revitalization on the one hand and strict enforcement of building codes on the other. The building in question is at 508 Park Avenue, a three-story Art Deco building... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 19, 2009, 1:02am EST
  

• Take the downtown housing survey

  The city's economic development planners would like your thoughts on housing in and near downtown, and they've set up an online survey to collect your input, now through November 23. They want to find out who would be willing to live within the IDL and the neighborhoods immediately to the...' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 19, 2009, 12:31am EST
  

• Buy Christmas gifts from crafty Tulsans

  I've noticed a surge of interest among Tulsa's young adults in arts and crafts. You'll find their creations on sale at local boutiques and coffeehouses and at special events like last month's Indie Emporium, which featured handmade knitwear, jewelry, clothing, accessories, toys, art prints, photographs, greeting cards, and much, much... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 17, 2009, 10:59pm EST
  

• Help make a wish come true

  A note from Joe Kelley, KRMG Morning Show host and chairman of Oklahoma's Make-A-Wish Foundation: My Friends, Six weeks ago, I accepted the call to become Chairman of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma. As a two-time childhood cancer survivor, the mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is very personal to me.... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 17, 2009, 12:08pm EST
  

• Morris Udall's Congressional Reports

  I was "chasing a rabbit," looking for info on how Oklahoma apportioned seats in the State Legislature among counties prior to a 1964 Federal court mandate (which to this day overrules the text of our State Constitution). What I found was a set of newsletters on the University of Arizona... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 17, 2009, 11:00pm EST
  

• Turnout turned off

  Turnout in the City of Tulsa mayor's race fell from 77,341 in 2006 to 66,632, a drop of nearly 14%, albeit still higher than the turnout for 2002's Bill LaFortune-Gary Watts contest of 65,592. The most turned-off precinct in raw numbers was Precinct 168, between S. Sheridan and S. Memorial,... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 16, 2009, 12:02am EST
  

• Adelson improved vote share in Senate 33

  There's a lot of analysis yet to be done on this election, but here's one bit of data that's somewhat interesting. Tom Adelson's share of the vote in State Senate district 33 may be one of the few positives in last Tuesday's results for the Democratic mayoral nominee. In 2004,... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 15, 2009, 8:10pm EST
  

• Sunday brunch at Escargot's

  Last Sunday, as an early birthday lunch, my parents took us out to eat downtown at a new place that's been around for a while. Escargot's is a catering establishment at 8th and Main, in the old Harrington's / KOME building. The dining room has long been used for special... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 15, 2009, 1:06am EST
  

• Election 2009: A couple of thoughts

  Work, homework, laundry, and more have occupied my time the last couple of days. My son is working on a five-paragraph essay for his writing assignment. He decided to write about Saul Alinsky and the ongoing influence of his Rules for Radicals. (Had a birthday, too. Got a DVD collection... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 13, 2009, 12:08am EST
  

• A result that really matters

  As generally pleased as I am with Tuesday's election results, the outcome that's most on my mind is this one. Please pray. UPDATE 2009/11/11: After coming off ECMO, Anne Marie Dutcher's numbers are good and stable, much to everyone's amazement. Her mom, Susie, blogs that God has done something extraordinary.... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 11, 2009, 1:30am EST
  

• Tulsa 2009 general election info

  Click the "continue reading" link to find links to helpful essays on BatesLine, my endorsements, voter information from the Tulsa County Election Board, multimedia, and candidate questionnaires, all to help you as you get ready to vote (post-dated to remain at the top until polls close). ("I Voted" sticker courtesy... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 10, 2009, 7:00pm EST
  

• Mark Perkins rebuts Bartlett Jr 2nd Amendment attack

  Here's yet another slimy political attack from the Karl Ahlgren-Fount Holland factory. Dewey Bartlett Jr sent out a postcard to voters claiming, "Mark Perkins wants to take away our Second Amendment right to bear arms." Mark Perkins stated in a debate on KFAQ that he supports the 2nd Amendment as... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 09, 2009, 5:17pm EST
  

• Preserve Midtown surveys the candidates

  Preserve Midtown, a group working to protect the unique character of midtown Tulsa's neighborhoods through compatible infill development, sent a very short and sweet three-question survey to the candidates for Mayor of Tulsa and the four contested City Council seats. The questions deal with the city no longer paying INCOG... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 08, 2009, 9:03pm EST
  

• Auditor: For Preston Doerflinger

  If you weren't convinced a year ago that Tulsa needed a new City Auditor, you should be now. The incumbent, Phil Wood, has held the job since 1988, and he's the only auditor we've had under the 1989 City Charter, which gave the Auditor's office a great deal of independence... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 08, 2009, 8:28pm EST
  

• Council candidates need your help

  UPDATE: Roscoe Turner's volunteers will gather at the Turner home at 3415 E. Haskell St. at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2009. Phone 918-834-7580 to see how you can help. And all campaigns are going to need help on election day: Driving voters to the polls and making last...' [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 06, 2009, 6:44pm EST
  

• My wife wants a Maria Barnes yard sign

  My wife asked me the other day if we could put a sign in our yard for Maria Barnes, the former Tulsa District 4 city councilor who is seeking to take back that seat. For my wife, the decision comes down to this: Incumbent councilor Eric Gomez, who defeated Barnes... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 06, 2009, 5:03pm EST
  

• Mark Perkins rates his chances

  Mark Perkins, independent candidate for Mayor of Tulsa, forwarded an e-mail that he sent to the KRMG Morning News team. In it, he provides his analysis of his chances, explaining how relatively small voter shifts away from his opponents and from the undecided column -- entirely possible given the new... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 05, 2009, 9:49pm EST
  

• Kathy Taylor's Trail to revenge: Martinson defeat financed by Lobeck, associates

  What many of us suspected was confirmed by the post-primary ethics filing from Tulsa District 5 City Councilor-elect Chris Trail: Trail was Mayor Kathy Taylor's instrument of revenge against City Councilor Bill Martinson, who opposed her on the ballpark improvement district, raised concerns about the overly rosy revenue projections in... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 05, 2009, 7:18am EST
  

• PAC contributions in city elections

  Several political action committees have contributed to City of Tulsa candidates during the current election cycle: BOK BOK Financial PAC: Dewey Bartlett Jr, $1,000; Chris Trail, $1,500; (Eric Gomez received $1,500 and Phil Lakin received $2,000 before the primary, in addition to contributions from George Kaiser, BOK attorney Frederic Dorwart,... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 03, 2009, 12:53am EST
  

• Million-dollar mayoral race: pre-election contribution reports

  City of Tulsa contribution reports for next Tuesday's general election were due today to the City Clerk's office at 5 p.m. Three of the four mayoral candidates have filed their paperwork, and it indicates that Democratic nominee Tom Adelson has a funding advantage fueled by a personal loan of $850,000... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 02, 2009, 6:00pm EST
  

• Charter amendments: Against 1 and 2, for 3

  As I was pulling out of the driveway on Saturday, a neighbor ran out into the street and flagged me down. She wanted to know what I thought about the three amendments to the Tulsa City Charter on the November 10 ballot. (You can find sample ballots with the text... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 02, 2009, 5:57pm EST
  

• Karen Keith trying to bully neighborhood leader off planning commission

  UPDATE 11:40 a.m. 2009/11/02: Liz Wright called earlier this morning to tell me that the County Commission voted to approve the November 23 public hearing. Karen Keith based her call for a hearing on the need for geographical balance and her desire to make her own appointment, neither of which... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 02, 2009, 12:07am EST
  

• The story of Mt. Zion Baptist Church

  Pastor J. H. Dotson during the construction of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The photos appear to show the remnant of the ruins of the 1921 structure, which had been roofed in 1937 and was being used for worship, being incorporated into the new structure, c. 1948. Beryl Ford Collection/Rotary... [...]
  Share | Rate | Archive

  Posted: November 01, 2009, 1:54am EST