Monday, 11 February 2008
Bixby, Okla. – Ever been told how great your barbeque is? Think your backyard skills can hold up to the likes of national champions?  Now’s your chance to find out!  The Kansas City Barbeque Society is hosting a class in Bixby on Feb. 16 for anyone who wants to become a Certified Barbeque Judge.

“Many backyard barbequers don’t know how professionals determine what ‘good’ barbeque really is,” said Merl Whitebook, who will be schooling the participants in how to properly judge barbeque.  “With this class you will be able to fine tune your palate and get a feel for competitive barbequing at the highest level.”

During the class, attendees will learn how to judge food based on the society’s three key categories: appearance, taste and texture/tenderness.

Once certified, participants will be permitted to judge in cooking events, both locally and regionally. With events being held in the surrounding Tulsa area, participants will have the opportunity to put their skills to the test.

For those who try to compete from time to time anyway, the class is the perfect way to get a leg up on other competitive barbeque teams by learning what certified judges are looking for.

The $75 cost for the class also includes a one-year KCBS membership.  With over 8,000 members, KCBS is the largest barbeque organization in the world, sanctioning more than 300 events coast to coast. The registration fee for KCBS members is $45. Both fees cover class expenses (food and supplies).

For more information on the Certified Barbecue Judge class, contact Dennis Laudermilk at (918) 641-0469 or dennislou@enoserv.com.  To learn more about the benefits of a KCBS membership, log onto KCBS.us.

Last Updated ( Monday, 11 February 2008 )

Saturday, 09 February 2008
Lord Tennyson Cheyenne, the last to leave the downtown Towerview Apartments.StreetCats in Tulsa will be hosting its 11th annual “My Furry Valentine” dessert tasting and silent auction on Sunday, February 10, from 1:30 – 4:30 at the Elks Lodge, 5335 S. Harvard.  This will be the second year that StreetCats has had this event at this venue and it offers lots of parking, space and comfort!

Starbucks coffee and wine will be served to compliment a myriad of sweets and things furnished by some of the best restaurants and bakeries in town. The silent auction will include themed baskets for men, women and for children.  Basket types will be kitchen, bath, beer, cat, etc.  Individual items will be artwork, jewelry, and fashion items.

Entertainment will be provided by keyboardist/pianist Ann Southerland Canode.  Tickets will be sold for a chance to win a beautiful oriental rug, donated by Mathis Brothers.

StreetCats just completed its 11th year of helping the homeless cat population in Tulsa.  It began with just a handful of volunteers, fostering cats in their homes and showing them on weekends at public venues.  In 2002, StreetCats opened its Adoption Center and Unique Boutique which is currently at 60th and Sheridan, behind Charlie’s Chicken.  StreetCats had 103 adoptions in 2007.

Tulsa can look for the purrfect cat Tuesday thru Saturday – 10:30 to 5:00 – right where the kitties live!  They can also shop for gifts in the boutique, where all proceeds go to offset the cost of the Adoption Center!

In 1998, StreetCats began its program “A Stitch In Time” which allotted funds for the sterilization of strays or “un-owned” cats – to date, StreetCats has been responsible for sterilizing more that 4000 cats in the Tulsa area!  In 2007, our total vouchers redeemed for spay/neuter redeemed was 580!  That’s an average of around 50 per month!

StreetCats proudly continues to operate its non-profit organization entirely by volunteers.  Streetcats, Inc. is a 501(c )(3) tax deductible non-profit organization and is eligible for most corporate matching gifts programs
Last Updated ( Saturday, 09 February 2008 )

Wednesday, 06 February 2008
U.S. Sen. John McCain and U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton gained significant victories in primaries throughout the nation including Oklahoma in Tuesday night’s “Super Tuesday” battles. On the Democrat side Clinton won eight states including Oklahoma.  U.S. Sen. Barack Obama won 14 states and is only 90 delegates behind Clinton in the race for delegates to the national convention.  A total of 2025 delegates are needed to secure the Democrat nomination for President.

McCain appears to have an overwhelming margin of Republican delegates with 610 to date.  Mitt Rommey follows with 257 and Mike Huckabee with 202 of the 1191 delegates needed for the Republican nomination.  Oklahoma’s popular vote favored Clinton with 228,597, Obama with 130,206 and John Edward with 42,853.  Among Republicans McCain won 123,094 votes with Huckabee securing 111,996 and Romney with 83,119 votes.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 07 February 2008 )

Saturday, 26 January 2008
The City’s storm debris contractor, Storm Reconstruction Services (SRS), continues to make its first citywide pass to haul away tree debris from last month’s historic ice storm. On Friday, January 25, SRS had 134 total trucks working in all three zones of the city: one north of 11th Street, another between 11th and 51st streets, and a third south of 51st Street. This includes 100 hauling trucks and 34 tree-trimming trucks.

The monitoring contractor, Solid Resources Inc., is working alongside SRS with 100 collection monitors, 14 disposal site monitors, nine field supervisors and 34 monitors for the tree-trimming trucks. Friday was the 19th day in a 60-day contract, which likely will be extended because the amount of debris has exceeded the original estimate of 800,000 cubic yards. A current estimate of total debris is between 2.5 million and 3 million cubic yards.

SRS and the monitoring contractor will complete one full pass of the entire city before returning anywhere for a second pass. Likewise, a third citywide pass will not begin until a second citywide pass has been completed. Most hazards to residents will be eliminated by the end of the first pass. The contractor will return with different equipment as needed to collect any debris remaining after the first pass.

On Thursday, January 24, SRS hauled 71,153 cubic yards of debris in 1,502 truck loads. This brings the cumulative total to 880,767 cubic yards in 18,777 truck loads. That is enough to fill 1.6 downtown Williams Center Towers. Cost of the operation so far is $3,338,108, or $3.79 per cubic yard. A map of work zones and debris-removal progress is being updated daily and can be viewed on-line at www.cityoftulsa.org.

Tulsa residents are requested to remain patient during this large-scale debris removal operation. Crews are working seven days a week from sun-up to sun-down to accomplish this task. Also to expedite the process and for their safety, residents should not park on streets where debris is piled on curbs or drive near collection trucks that are loading debris.

TFR Inc., the grinding contractor, continues to mulch debris at Johnson Park, 61st Street and Riverside Drive , and at another debris storage site at East Latimer Street and North 89th East Avenue. Mulch quantities will be measured when trucks begin to haul it from the storage sites.

City of Tulsa residents who would like to dispose of tree debris may take it to the City’s green waste site at 10401 E. 56th St. North between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily. Wood chips and firewood also are available for anyone to haul away.
Last Updated ( Saturday, 26 January 2008 )

Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Mayor Kathy Taylor and Tulsa Drillers owner Chuck Lamson announced Tuesday that they have entered into an exclusive agreement to negotiate terms to bring the Tulsa Drillers to Downtown Tulsa.

"Over the past few months, we have worked diligently with national experts and passionate Tulsans to bring the Tulsa Drillers to downtown," said Mayor Kathy Taylor. "The Tulsa Drillers are part of Tulsa’s history, more importantly they are a key to our future."

Taylor and the city’s planning and economic development team have been working with Lamson and his advisors and have traveled to stadiums around the country to outline what Tulsa’s future downtown stadium could look like and the impact it could make.

"We are excited about the possibility of anchoring a downtown revitalization. A new ballpark is critical to our continuing success as a franchise," said Lamson. "We appreciate the Mayor and her team’s efforts in bringing this agreement about. We look forward to taking this window of opportunity and turning it into a reality."

Lamson and Taylor signed the agreement late Monday. It will provide an exclusive period for sole negotiation between the city and the Drillers with a target date of May 30, 2008 for signing a definitive agreement.

In addition to entering into an exclusive right to negotiate, the City has contracts on several properties comprising approximately 16 acres on the East side of Downtown Tulsa in what was previously planned as a mixed-use development to be anchored by an urban Wal-Mart.

To capitalize on the unique opportunities within the City of Tulsa, the City recently contracted with global real estate services company Jones Lang LaSalle to manage the marketing and redevelopment of several city owned properties. Jones Lang LaSalle’s extensive experience in construction management and real estate finance includes many sports stadiums and other large cultural amenities that serve as magnets for economic growth.

The City is currently considering various funding sources for the project. "At this point, several funding options are being fully explored with the assistance of Jones Lang LaSalle, community leaders, the Drillers and city staff," said Mayor Taylor. "We want to ensure the appropriate balance of funding will support this project and keep the Drillers in Tulsa as a strong and permanent fixture in the community. We anticipate the final funding approach will have a component of private community based funding. We will rely on our team of experts, both locally and from Jones Lang LaSalle, to guide the process."

Don Himelfarb, the former Director of Economic Development for the City will continue to serve on the project team as an unpaid consultant.

"It is our experience that baseball parks work well in downtown urban locations. Downtown ballparks have been huge successes in Oklahoma City, Memphis, Toledo and Indianapolis," said Kurt Little, managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle. "We believe this holds true for Tulsa as well."

Dr. Mark Snead, a research economist and director of the Center for Applied Economic Research at Oklahoma State University, states that many cities view "stadium construction as an economic development tool and the use of minor league baseball as a means for stimulating local economic growth."

Dr. Jack Crowley, who recently began directing the City of Tulsa’s planning team, commented, "The time is right and the location is perfect for this venue. The pieces of downtown development are beginning to come together and this is a major piece of the puzzle."

"This is a great day for Tulsa and a positive step forward for the Tulsa Drillers," said Taylor. "We have enjoyed working with Chuck Lamson and his team and look forward to continued efforts in order to make Tulsa’s downtown ballpark a true quality of life issue for Tulsa families. But more importantly, this is an opportunity for the next generation of Tulsans to have the simple pleasure their parents and grandparents enjoyed: to take their kids to a baseball game in their hometown.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 23 January 2008 )