Academy Sports In Norman?

Over the last couple weeks, I noticed the land south of Kohl's (north of the Petco complex) appeared to be getting ready for construction.

Sunday, driving on I-35, I saw an Academy Sports semi-trailor parked over there, without a cab.

Is that truck an early sign that Academy plans to open a Norman store in the next few months, which would keep me from having to go up to I-240 several times a year.

Anybody out there know about this? Let us know if you have the scoop.


(Quick thoughts: As much as I would like this, I hope it would not hurt OK Runner.) Read more on this article...

2nd Annual Norman Music Festival Really A Blast

It is estimated that upwards of 25,000 people attended the 2009 Norman Music Festival, not only shattering last year's mark of about 13,000 but wildly exceeding organizer expectations.

This year's event, for me, was more fun than last year's only because I can see what this is turning into, potentially. This festival is about to become a big deal on a national level. Think the start of something like Bonnaroo or Coachella.

We spent most of the afternoon perched underneath shade, from which I didn't really emerge. I would have liked to have taken more photos, but I'm not really cool with just taking photos of random people. To me, it's very invasive. My photographic philosophy is any shot needs to show some action, and I was frankly super inactive for about half the day.

On the other hand, I also had a massive sinus headache brought on by allergens and afternoon sunshine.

I am a creature of the night and would have been a-ok if we didn't even go down there until after sundown. However, I would have missed acts like Travis Linville and Billy Joe Shaver, who opened his set with the famed "I Been To Georgia On A Fast Train."

Headliners Of Montreal were awesomely odd but not nearly as musical as locals Starlight Mints. I had never seen them before, but they had terrific energy and were interesting to listen to. I would absolutely make it a point to go watch Starlight Mints again.

Best band of the night, by a mile, for me was a group called Tea Leaf Green. Out of San Francisco, this quartet had a 1970s rock sound with a modern pop vibe.

Of course, people watching is the best part of any Norman festival, and among the notables were:

• Chubby dude with Richard Simmons hair


• Woman wearing a curtain with no underwear


• Neo-hippie guy covered in mud even though there was no mud to be seen anywhere


• Blonde chick passed out on sidewalk (there may have been multiples here)


• Random kids under 12 roaming the festival after 11 p.m. (parents?)


• Guy in sweater twitching and talking to himself


• Various dweebs in 1930s suits


• College girls in summer dresses


• A guy who looked JUST like the Crab Man

My only suggestion for next year would be more street musicians. It was like there was two giant stages and then you had to go inside somewhere to hear anything else.

I say: More bands, more soloists, all outside. Heck, allow anybody with an instrument to come on down.

However, that's nitpicky. It was really an awesome event.

Additional links and coverage:

OU Daily: Best Of Norman Music Festival

Texas Approves Of Norman Festival

Cool Photos from NMF

Review of Mama Sweet

Quick review of Starlight Mints

Read more on this article...

Ride CART Free TODAY Only (It's Earth Day, Fools)

Quick note from your friends at the Cleveland Area Rapid Transit:

CART is encouraging Norman to ride the bus on Wednesday, April 22 to celebrate Earth Day. All routes, including the Sooner Express to Oklahoma City, will be free all day, so find the closest bus stop to you to be more environmetnally friendly!

If I didn't have to drive 28 miles to NE OKC, and if it wouldn't take a public transportation option three hours to get there, I'd consider it! I jest. If you're in town and can use public transportation, why the heck not?

You can't beat free.

Read more on this article...

Norman Pets Report (via Craigslist)

Initially, I was going to create a post highlighting all the central Oklahoma oddities on Craigslist, now that it's a place of murder and mayhem. However, a few searches and I realized that I can achieve one of the goals I wanted to achieve with this site VIA Craigslist.

Help find lost pets and promote anything that finds pets good homes.

So, here goes, and it's all Norman:

Lola is declawed and lost.

Shelley needs a new home

Max the white male schnauzer lost at Imhoff, Berry

Milo the labrador needs a good home

3 "sweet" pit bulls to good home (look at first photo)

FREE calico cat (no, not mine)

FREE (unspayed) black cat

FREE boxer/lab mix

Joey is LOST. Let out of a yard by a utility worker.

Mother and son Maltese lost

Mina the litter-trained bunny!

Border Collie found at Elm, Toberman

Pepper the tuxedo cat needs a good home

Read more on this article...

Find A Job In Norman THIS Wednesday!

Those of us who live in Norman know how cool our beloved city is. However, most of us have to drive to Oklahoma City for work.

Bummer. Now, perhaps, you could do something about that.

Moore-Norman Vo-Tech is holding a "Job Fair" on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and there will be almost 40 employers there for on-the-spot interviews. There's no guarantee, of course, that the jobs would be in Norman, but let's take the current economic situation into account.

Perhaps you're LOOKING for work, needing work. Check out this list of potential employers. This year's fair will include a booth for job seekers to receive immediate feedback.

Now in other Norman news of the day ...

'Closed campus' for freshman closer to reality ...

Will GGP bankruptcy affect Sooner Mall?

Horns sweep Sooners in baseball ...

Get free legal advice in Norman on April 30!

OU 'Staff Week' underway


And last but not least ...

Who knew we had rap concerts here?

Read more on this article...

School Board To Discuss Closing Campus For Incoming Freshman

It's only for discussion purposes only, but the Norman school board will at least begin to consider the possibility of closing its high school campuses for freshmen starting in 2009-10.

Hate to sound like a fuddy-duddy, grumpy old man here, but I think the entire campus should be closed for lunch. First, if school officials are de facto parents during the day and charged with ensuring the safety of teenagers, then said teenagers have to be under their control. Second, from a health perspective, food options are better on campus.

Third, I know what some teens do during lunch. Some. I know your kid's awesome.

Read more about it at the Norman Transcript's Web site: right here.

And how about some more Norman-related links, news and notes for your Norman, Okla., reading enjoyment:

Vista building can handle 60 MPH winds! Yay!

Local sports artist dies

OU employee hit by crane is WAY lucky

OU's men's gymnasts finish third nationally

Read more on this article...

Record Store Day @ Guestroom Records In Norman

A man surely 10 years younger than me asked about the commotion down at Guestroom Records on Saturday night, and I told him it was "Record Store Day" as if he had just asked why everybody was wearing green on March 17.

I explained that every third Saturday in April is a day where local, independent record stores celebrate music, the unique culture of the indie record shop and its unique customer base -- in this case Norman, Okla.

It helps that one of Guestroom's two stores is in a college town. It rocks that it's on Main Street, which has boomed big time the past 10 to 15 years.

Back in the day, when I went to OU, we had Sound Warehouse. I'm not going to knock them; heck, they were way better than the corporate behemoths that followed. However, SW's massive inventory was canceled out by the white walls and uniformed employees.

For those of you who haven't been to Guestroom Records, it looks like a kick-ass record shop you'd see in Seattle, San Fran or New York. Heck, it reminds me a ton of Good Records in Dallas and a bit less so like the Tower Records on Lemmon Avenue.

Much of the art is done by hand, and the walls are plastered with classic posters and album covers. While the musical spirit of Guestoom is clearly steeped in today, it pays the proper amount of respect to the greats who paved the way: Bowie, Cash, The Ramones.

Furthermore, its proprietors seem to be super laid-back cool. When I asked about coming down to snap some shots during Record Store Day, the response I got was: "Man, come on down and spend the whole day with us!" What was doubly neat is that when I asked the man at the counter about the band playing, there wasn't an ounce of condescension.

"They're The Evangelicals," he told me.

While I'm a 38-year-old, approaching-middle age professional, I still felt a little embarrassed that I had to ask. See, The Evangelicals are one of Norman's best-known current indie bands. I'd describe their sound as one-part electro pop with some heavy punk influence.

Maybe I'm totally off there; you tell me. However, they were really quite excellent, and there was a crowd of at least 200 to 300 people there cheering them on.

In addition to the live music, Record Store Day at Guestroom also featured one-day-only store specials and plenty of food and drinks. Not just any drinks: They broke out the Pabst Blue Ribbon, which is perfect for a college town. One part cool, many parts cheap.

My kind of town.

This Record Store Day concept is nationwide, and the only requirement is that the store be at least 50 percent music retail, be operated in the state of location and I think be owned 70 percent by live, breathing individuals.

No corporate behemoths.

Why is this important?

Because the creative process in music starts with the individual. If one wants to become a singer-songwriter, one does this himself or herself. You learn an instrument, start a band, learn to write lyrics, buy a van, live together eating corn dogs and drinking cheap beer while playing live shows night after night in town after town.

If you want to become a pop star and you have the talent and the look, you just move to L.A. or N.Y. and let the corporations mold you into who they want you to be.

Today was a day to celebrate the hard work that goes into the music-creation process at a hyperlocal level and the locally owned stores that propel them into the marketplace. It was also a day to celebrate the color and character a store like Guestroom gives downtown Norman.

On a side note, I thought it doubly cool that Record Store Day comes exactly one week before the Norman Music Festival. This was like a cool warmup Saturday to the festivities scheduled for downtown next week.

By the way, early word on the forecast next week indicates that the weather will be GREAT. Bring sunscreen.

And make it a point to at least check out Guestroom Records.

Read more on this article...

Car Burglaries On Rise In Norman (Tips To Stop Them!)

It's a rite of spring here in Norman: People go walking. Or jogging. Or running.

Regardless, folks get out and enjoy some warm spring weather. However, the Norman police department is offering some tips to make sure your car and what's in it doesn't fall victim to anybody with bad intentions.

Car burglaries are on the rise.

That encompasses not only burglars stealing things from people's automobiles, but also taking garage door openers from vehicles to gain entrance to garages (and anything accessible from there, ergo homes).

From Norman MPO Jennifer Newell:

"We have noticed many of the burglaries are occurring when cars are unlocked and people are leaving items such as laptop computers, I-Pods, checkbooks, wallets, etc. Many times, the suspects are going through neighborhoods trying car doors and if they are unlocked, they go through them to see what is worth taking. In some instances, they have taken the garage door opener, opened the garage and stolen items from there, as well. If they see something valuable and the door is locked, they simply break the window to get the items. Please do not leave valuables in your car."

Newell recommends neighbors watch out for neighbors. If you see that your neighbor has left his/her garage door open, give 'em a shout (or a phone call). And if you see somebody or a vehicle that seems suspicious, call police.

If I can relate a quick personal story, I heard a prowler (not necessarily a burglar) moping around my house some months ago. I called 911. It took less than one minute for a Norman officer to arrive. The officer literally drove by and scanned the area while I was on the phone with a dispatcher.

Why not start a neighborhood watch program on your block? It's easy as well. You can call MPO Jennifer Newell at 405-366-5267.

In an odd note, I did a Google search on preventing car burglaries, and did you know that an OUPD tip sheet came up first!? Read it here.

Other car burglary prevention links:

Tips from Mount Prospect, Ill.

Tips from a South Florida newspaper

And how about this from our neighbors in Mustang, Okla.: Read here

Read more on this article...

Debate Over Employment Of Councilmembers Results In Ethics Policy

What happens when a Norman city councilmember's employer has business with the city? That's been the debate of Norman's leaders the past couple of months, and they decided 6 to 3 Tuesday night to adopt an ethics policy.

This new policy does not have the force of law as Ward 2 councilman Tom Kovach wanted. Kovach and fellow councilmembers Bob Thompson and Hal Ezzell wanted an ethics ordinance.

"We have seen in national government the idea of self-policing without consequence is meaningless and dangerous because it give a false sense of security and allows for wolves in sheep's clothing," Kovach said.

However, the primary debate among councilmembers the past couple of months has centered around employment. Even if a councilmember's employer's business with the city can be handled without actual undue influence on behalf of the councilmember, isn't there the perception of a conflict of interest?

"It only makes sense that if your employer had an issue before you, it would be difficult to make an unbiased decision since your livelihood might be affected," Kovach said.

Ward 4 councilwoman Carol Dillingham said she voted for a policy over an ordinance because the possibility of criminal or criminal-like sanctions against an ethics violator could discourage qualified and willing citizens from participating in city government.

Dillingham: "While I don't disagree with the thought of doing an ordinance, the Planning Committee, after lengthy study and advice by the City Attorney unanimously thought that it would be most appropriate, given the framework of existing city and state legislation to craft a policy rather than an ordinance that would help all on council and all of our many boards and commissions understand and recognize ethical issues, and by so doing increase our constant awareness of the importance of the highest standards for our conduct without imposing criminal, or criminal-like sanctions that would make it more difficult than it presently is to find folks to volunteer their time for council and boards/commissions."

The core of this primary debate, Kovach explained, was whether or not a councilmember's employment was an actual conflict in any and all cases where the employer would be doing business with the city.

Kovach underscored that he didn't believe there to be any existing conflicts of interest on the council, and Dillingham said: "I can say without hesitation that we have an engaged, intelligent, passionate council with the highest ethical standards and the will to roll up our sleeves and make Norman an even better place to live."

However, The Norman Files has been told off the record by multiple sources (not a million, but more than two, none of whom are councilmembers) that Mayor Cindy Rosenthal's employment with the University of Oklahoma is at least some of the impetus for concern about councilmembers and employment.

In previous news reports, Rosenthal has noted that because her professorship is tenured, she can feel free to oppose university efforts as she pleases. For those of you who aren't aware of what being tenured means for professors, it means "job security."

The debate over ethics and the Norman City Council isn't quite over either. Dillingham said there would be some work on amendments to the policy or, perhaps, the creation of an ordinance sometime in the future.

But the question remains: Is each and every instance that an employer and city councilmember interacts necessarily a conflict of interest? Leave your comments below, and you can always e-mail us at thenormanfiles@gmail.com.

Read more on this article...

Norman Recycles 7 Million Pounds In First Year Of Program

It's been a year since the city of Norman implemented curbside recycling, and according to a report issued on Wednesday, half of us are participating.

The average household participation rate over a 12-month period from March 2008 to 2009 was 47 percent. June was the top month with 51 percent, and January had the lowest participation. Makes sense: January is cold, and people hate cold.

OK, I hate cold.

Waste Management/Recycle America (WMRA) collected 7 million pounds from Normanites in one year. That's 3,500 tons or about 300 tons per month. Not only is that 7 million pounds from which new goods can be made, but recycling also reduced the amount of waste disposed at the Norman landfill by more than 1,000 tons.

As for what WMRA is collecting, city officials said two-thirds of it is paper and the other third is comprised of containers made of plastic, aluminum, tin and glass.

Newspaper by itself comprised more than half of Norman's recyclables by weight. That's a lot of Transcripts, OU Dailys and Oklahomans.

Curbside items are collected weekly by WMRA and include newspapers, magazines, advertising inserts, junk mail, phone books, aluminum cans, clear-brown-green glass, milk jugs, beverage containers, detergent containers (stamped #1 & #2 on the bottom), clean food cans and lids.

Read more on this article...

OU Tight End Jermaine Gresham Arrested On Seat Belt Warrant

Not every arrest is, well, an "arrest."

Take OU tight end Jermaine Gresham who was taken into custody on Monday because of a warrant for failure to pay a Feb. 2 seat belt ticket. Two weeks and a day later, Norman police arrest him because he neither paid the citation nor did he set a court appearance.

Bad Jermaine.

I could be totally off my rocker, but I seem to recall having much longer to pay a ticket, upwards of a month before the warrants came out. It's been a long time since I've gotten a ticket, so I could be wrong.

However, in the scheme of athlete-police encounters, this is about as innocent as it gets.

Read more on NewsOK.com.

***

As part of a continuous effort to revise what we're doing here on The Norman Files, we're going to start offering links each day to Norman-related stories, videos, sites, etc. Think of us as a blog and an aggregator.

So, some posts will be "just" posts and then one post per day will be the catch-all, with the big story of the day in Norman supplemented by links. I've seen other sites do this, and they're often the sites I come back to most often. Plus, this accounts for the fact that time is limited.

Besides, I do so much surfing each day, I highly doubt you'll find another site with a better variety of Norman-related links.

Links for April 15, 2009:

Corner Store on Porter robbed

Video report on robbery

Guestroom Records celebrates 'Record Store Day'

No. 9 Sooners Beat TCU (baseball)

Men's Gymnastics Seeks 9th Nat'l Title

Norman Regional Hospital among best employers

Recap of Norman council meeting

Child abuse prevention meeting

Soonerguys at Red-White Game

Nice Red-White recap from Palestra

Profile of talented local musician Dorian Small

and last but not least ...

French dude comments on Saturday night thunderstorm in Norman

Read more on this article...

How Are Recessions Like Tornadoes...?

They both seem to find ways to avoid Norman.

Slate.com has great interactive map looking at when job losses happened in each county in the U.S.

You can't search for Cleveland, but if you put your mouse on just the right blue dot, you find that we gained 2,756 jobs from February 2008 to February 2009. And 3,100 from January 2008 to January 2009.

I'm sure individuals have had very bad things happen because of the recession, and things could get worse at any time. But it looks like if you want a place to ride out tough times, Norman's a pretty good home base.

(Anybody got guesses on who is hiring all those extra people? It can't all be Embassy Suites!)

*Yes, I'm aware of the tremendous jinx potential of this post.

Read more on this article...

Tea Party Held On OU Campus

Oklahoma blogger Jason Fritts documented quite nicely the tea party at OU on Monday. For those of you who don't know what these 'tea parties' are all about: They are gatherings of taxpayers and voters who believe the federal government is overstepping its bounds relative to spending and power.

The concept is rooted in revolutionary history, of course, but ignited by Rick Santelli's cable television rant of a few weeks ago.

Jason writes that there were about 100 to 150 people in attendance, and he lamented that there weren't more folks in attendance given the population near campus.

To read his complete report on the event (with tons of photos), visit http://iam.jasonfritts.com/.

Read more on this article...

Norman 'Tea Party' Set For Wednesday, 5 P.M. At Train Depot

You've probably heard about such-and-such 'tea parties' on talk radio and wondered, "What in the world?" Well, these are basically grass-roots movements state to state, city to city to protest governmental overspending and bailouts.

There's a big one set for Oklahoma City on April 15 (tax day), but did you Normanites know there is one scheduled for Norman? It's at 5 p.m. at the historic Santa Fe Train Depot, and the group's e-mail address is normanteaparty@yahoo.com.

To learn more about these tea parties and what they stand for, visit okcteaparty.webs.com.

And if you happen to go, please snap a shot or two or take a video and e-mail me at thenormanfiles@gmail.com so I can post to the site.

Read more on this article...

Executive VP For Harpo Offers Advice To OU Students

Nice piece on the OU Daily's Web site on Monday regarding a Friday talk from Erik Logan, an executive VP for Oprah Winfrey's Harpo, Inc.

He talked to journalism students about what it takes to be successful.

Two of his secrets are not really secrets in the professional world, yet they are undisputable truths: First, one has to find something one loves. Second, one must work his butt off.

Believe it or not, the first of these two things is often difficult for people. I know plenty of people who have no idea what they want to do, and they're like 40. On the other hand, I know some people who would rather eat mud than work a 12-hour day.

Anyway, this guy was spot on and, frankly, a good read/watch for anybody wanting a professional vitamin.

Read more on this article...

Norman City Council: Ward 1, 2 Meeting Set For April 20

City councilmembers for Norman's first and second wards are hosting a meeting at council chambers (201 W. Gray Street) next Monday at 6 p.m.

If you're not familiar with your wards here in Norman, here's a map. Ward 2 essentially encompasses southwest Norman around Lindsey Street and Ward 1 is southeast around Lindsey.

Your Ward 1 councilman is Bob Thompson, who owns the wonderful Midway Grocery & Deli on W. Eufaula Street. Your Ward 2 councilman is the newly elected Tom Kovach (took office in July 2008), and he's a customer service manager for an optics company.

On a side note, I worked with Tom 20 years ago at Homeland here in Norman, when I was in college. I knew at that time this guy was meant to lead people, to be in government in some capacity.

Among the topics of discussion will be:

• Norman Regional Hospital


• Neighborhood Watch Program and CAFEE


• Development of Voluntary Neighborhood Associations


• Stormwater Master Plan


• Ethics Police for Boards, Commissions

Read more on this article...

Part Of Acres Street Closed Next Couple Of Weeks

A Norman street will be closed for a couple of weeks for sewer repairs, city officials said.

Acres Street is closed from Pickard Avenue to Berry Road for at least two weeks, weather permitting.

Drivers can use either Dakota or Hughbert streets as alternate routes.

Signs were to be placed by Action Safety Supply Company to assist drivers.

Read more on this article...

Odds On Vista Restaurant Reopening Don't Appear To Be Good

Owners of the Financial Building in downtown Norman say they just about have some basic bracing up. In a Sunday story in the Norman Transcript, a construction project foreman said that the building strengthens for each floor that gets braced, meaning the overall structure can withstand higher gusts.

However, the owner of the space formerly occupied by the Vista Restaurant didn't sound terribly optimistic that the bar and grill would reopen. About 30 jobs were lost.

Take a tour of the inside, courtesy of the Transcript:

Financial Center close to stable
Uploaded by normantranscript

Read more on this article...

How To Know If There Is A Burn Ban In Cleveland County

Because of the nature of my day job, which is also in news, there will be times that I have to step back from my hyperlocal blog efforts to take care of my primary duties. Last week, that meant wildfire coverage.

Thankfully, Norman wasn't affected.

The latest information I have is that the wildfires that destroyed dozens of homes in Midwest City and Choctaw were intentionally set. Furthermore, I have heard some unreleased and therefore unconfirmed details that would indicate that it was malicious arson.

However, it could have just as easily been started by a cigarette butt or a homeowner burning trash. The former should never, ever happen because cigarette butts should never for any reason ever be thrown from a car.

However, a lot of homeowners in the country are going to burn their trash. Normanites are going to grill or use the chiminea, too. So, we have to be aware of when a burn ban is in effect.

Thankfully, the Oklahoma Forestry Service has a site with color-coded maps showing which counties are under a burn ban and which aren't. You can visit it here.

And according to the map, Cleveland County is in the clear. For now.

Read more on this article...

U2, Black Eyed Peas Will Be In Norman On Oct. 18

Barcelona, Milan, Glasgow ... Norman.

Legendary rock band U2 will be in Norman, Okla., on Oct. 18 with the Black Eyed Peas in what should be a concert this town talks about for years.

According to 'The Norman Transcript,' a pre-sale of tickets will happen on April 14-16 for those who are subscribers to U2.com.

I'm cynical about that, so I checked it out. Subscribers to U2.com actually get quite a bit besides pre-sale access. There are remastered albums, interviews, streaming U2 music anytime you want and more.

Seems to me that if you're a mega-U2-head, this might be worth it to you.

The Oklahoma Family Gaylord Stadium (or whatever we call it these days) holds almost 90,000 people, and I would have to imagine the sounds will be audible across much of central Norman.

As for the Black Eyed Peas, this concert will mean that Fergie will be in town. Let us all be good Normanites and show her some hospitality by making sure she knows where the bathroom is.

Read more on this article...

James Garner Is 81

From the "where does time go" category of the files, our roundabout namesake turned 81 years old today.

'The Norman Files' is a take-off, namewise, to the 1970s television show 'The Rockford Files,' which starred famous Normanite actor James Garner. There is a James Garner Plaza in Norman, a James Garner Avenue here.

James' voice is used in the 'This is Oklahoma football' videos that play before Sooner games on Saturdays.

Norman's celebration of James Garner isn't one of those obligatory gestures cities pay to rich or powerful people. No, we actually like him. One of the coolest actors of his generation.

In fact, The Norman Transcript set up a form where you can wish James a happy birthday.

Read more on this article...

OUPD Crime Report April 3-5

Among the items of interest in the April 3-5 weekend edition of the University of Oklahoma police report:

Only a handful of issues at or near the Medieval Fair over the weekend, but they all seemed to come in like a two-hour period on Saturday:

• 2:58 p.m. > Fender bender in the Lloyd Noble Center parking lot


• 3:28 p.m. > PUblic intox at the LNC


• 3:33 p.m. > Public intox at the LNC

Aside from that excitement, it appears to have been a quiet weekend on the fair front.

Perhaps that's because OU students were studying, er, partying in their dorms. OUPD officers were called just after 2 a.m. Friday to Couch Center, 10th floor West, to deal with a "drug violation."

A report was made, but the OUPD log does not indicate any arrests.

Speaking of partying, a fight was reported at Boyd Street and Jenkins Avenue just after 2 a.m. Sunday.

No reports of injuries, YouTube videos or Twitter pics.

If you're ever aware of a campus-area crime we should look into -- and it's for REAL -- e-mail us at thenormanfiles@gmail.com.

Read more on this article...

Fire Causes $5,000 In Damage To Norman Apt. Complex

Preliminary damage is estimated to be about $5,000 after a Sunday night fire at a Norman apartment complex.

The Norman fire department responded to an apartment fire at 8:42 p.m. at 1111 Oak Tree Ave. Smoke was seen coming from Building C, and heavy flames were spotted on the north side of the building.

Fire officials said the fire had engulfed the breezeway portico and extended three floors up the siding to the attic.

The building was evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

The cause of the blaze is currently under investigation.

Read more on this article...

Rivalry Soccer Monday Night

It's not Bedlam. It doesn't have a clever name like the Moore War.

But when Norman North and Norman High get together, it always matters to the folks involved.

Tonight, the soccer teams take the field at North for their battle (postponed from a March date that conflicted with playoff basketball).

Varsity girls play at 6, followed by the boys.

Read more on this article...

Storm Water Master Plan Public Meeting Monday Night

From the city of Norman Web site:

A Public Forum will be held on Monday, April 6, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building, City Council Chambers located at 201 West Gray, Norman, Oklahoma. This meeting is being held to provide a progress report on the Plan and to receive public input.

This is the 4th forum in a series of public meetings on the topic of Storm Water Master Plan. The master plan is in the final draft stage.

The City's consultant, Post, Buckley, Schuh, & Jernigan (PBS&J), will make a presentation describing the final draft of the Storm Water Master Plan. Subjects will include Storm Water Phase II regulations, Trails/Greenbelt Master Plan, new flood plain mapping, capital improvement projects, proposed water quality enhancements, drainage easement issues and financing options. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and to make comments or recommendations. Printed copies of the Storm Water Master Plan are available for review at four locations as follow:

• Norman Public Library, 225 N Webster Avenue


• Norman Chamber of Commerce, 115 E. Gray Street


• City of Norman, City Clerk's office, 201 West Gray, Main Municipal Building


• City of Norman, Public Works Department, 201 West Gray, Building A

Following the public forum, the City Council will meet in Study Session on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. to review the final draft of the Storm Water Master Plan. Future actions regarding adoption of the Master Plan will be determined by the City Council. Please contact the Department of Public Works at (405) 366-5453 if you have additional questions.

Read more on this article...

Norman Public Schools Art Show Tuesday

Artwork from Norman students and NPS visual art faculty will be on display early Tuesday night.

The event happens from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Nancy O'Brian Center for the Performing Arts, which is adjacent to Norman North High School on Stubbeman Avenue.

Read more on this article...

Medieval Fair: Millions Of Dollars Pass Through Norman

There is no official word on the amount of money brought into Norman via the 33rd annual Medieval Fair this weekend, but judging from traffic on what turned out to be a beautiful Saturday, I'd guess millions if not tens of millions of dollars.

Rarely have I seen Lloyd Noble Center's parking lot so full.

The weather was all over the place with moderate temps on Friday, downright warm highs on Saturday and blustery and cool on Sunday. The wind was so stiff at times on Sunday, it was laborious just to be outside.

My favorite events or booths at the fair centered on scantily clad women, animals and food. The belly dancing was intriguing as usual, and there was even a belly dancer who was like 8 or 9 months pregnant. Videos of several of the activities will be posted in the next few days.

Kids were able to get camel rides, and the camels are just huge.

Last but not least, there was a ton of food at the fair, and I'm proud to say I resisted the Indian tacos and funnel cakes and smoked turkey legs, opting instead for a plate of Indian food from a Taste of India here in Norman, whose fare is always wonderful.

Read more on this article...

OUPD Crime Report April 2

Among the items of interest in the March 31 edition of the University of Oklahoma police report:

It appears that three people were arrested because of a fight at O'Connell's Irish Pub early Thursday. At least that's my guess as to what three entries in the OU police report for the same incident would indicate.

The fight happened after 1:30 a.m. Thursday. There is no word as to the cause of the fight or any injuries sustained.

A hit-and-run collision was reported along the Parrington Oval sometime between 10:15 and 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

No word on what was hit or who was running.

You can see the University of Oklahoma police department report on their Web site each day right here. That link will work for you every day.

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Get Your Weather Radio Programmed From 9-3 Saturday At Wal-Mart

Severe weather season is upon us, and it can be a life-or-death issue, particularly when it comes to the potential for nighttime tornadoes.

That's why every meteorologist recommends you have a weather radio.

But not just any weather radio -- one that is programmed with information for your locale. The problem is that it's not the easiest thing in the world to program these suckers.

That's why the city of Norman Office of Emergency Management has partnered with local Wal-Mart stores not only to offer weather radios at a discounted price but also to help you get them programmed.

The event is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, at both Wal-Mart locations in Norman.

If you don't have a weather radio, you owe it to yourself to spend the money to get one. We're talking just a few dollars. This is a heck of an opportunity to get some help programming it while you're at the store.

Volunteer groups represented include: South Canadian Amateur Radio Society (SCARS), the Norman Emergency Response Volunteers, the University of Oklahoma’s Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (OU SCAMS), and the Cleveland County Medical Reserve CORPS.

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Frensley 5k This Weekend

A few weeks ago I was running down Boyd Street, set to turn onto Classen. The railroad bars started to come down and I thought, "Hey, I can make that."

Then I remembered Blake Frensley, who apparently thought the same thing once. Except he didn't beat the train, and he lost his life.

In his honor, the Beta Theta Pi fraternity presents the 4th annual 5k run in his honor Saturday. It starts at 9 a.m. in front of their house at 800 Chautauqua. $23 day-of registration, and it looks like you get a shirt.

Unfortunately,their site doesn't have much information, including a course map. But you can make a pretty attractive and flat course up around fraternity row.

If you've done this race, let us know in the comments what you think of the organization and the course.

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Guide To 33rd Annual Medieval Fair Of Norman April 3-5

The largest weekend event in the state of Oklahoma is being prepped for the 33rd time in Norman as the Medieval Fair kicks off Friday.

Dedicated to recreating the Middle Ages with a wide variety of expos and entertainment, the Norman fair is listed by the Events Media Network as one of the top 100 events in the nation.

Admission is free, and the fair's hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If you happen to go and would like us to post your photos or videos, we'd be glad to. Just e-mail us at thenormanfiles@gmail.com.

If you're curious about the weather for the weekend, initial forecasts have Friday's high at 68, Saturday's at almost 80 and Sunday back down in the 50s. Definitely some varied weather.

In the interim, here is some information and media about this year's fair:

How to get here:

MedievalFair.org directions

Google map

Yahoo! map

How about a map of the fair itself? The Norman Transcript put this one together. Pretty cool.

2009 Stage Schedule:

Friday's schedule

Saturday's schedule

Sunday's schedule

I've been to the Medieval Fair several times and have always stuffed my face with lots of calorie-rich goodness. However, if you'd like to come into Norman for some dinner or to hang out somewhere or, heck, even spend the night, the Norman Convention and Visitor's Center has put together a heck of an online resource with links.

As popular as the Medieval Fair is, you know tons of people have already documented it over the years with video. Here's a link to some of the videos we found:

- Watch the Rogues perform

- Video done for Norman Public Schools

- Juggling acrobats wielding FIRE!

However, this video by a couple of guys from back in 2006 was by a mile the best out there. Not only does it capture the spirit of the fair, the activities and food available, but it also captured the joie de vivre of the event and the friendliness of Norman:

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Gusty Winds Force Evacuation Of Businesses Near Norman's Vista Building

Anytime spring Oklahoma winds gust beyond 50 mph, the question gets asked around Norman: Is today the day the Vista building comes crumbling down?

Norman fire officials evacuated four businesses for more than four hours on Thursday because of high wind gusts, weeks after an engineering firm's warning that the Vista building in downtown Norman was not only leaning but also structurally deficient.

The businesses evacuated included Bison Witches sandwich shop, Broce Construction Company, Rawhide and Winans Fine Chocolates and Coffees. A clear zone was established in and around a several-block radius of 111 N. Peters Ave.

On the home page of the Vista Bar & Grill's Web site, general manager Skay McCall said there is no timeline for the building's reopening. The Vista is one of Norman's best pubs, and it sits atop the downtown financial building, providing patrons with the best view in Norman.

City officials have not indicated whether the building can be repaired or would have to be torn down. There has also been no word how the upcoming Norman Music Festival, which takes place downtown later this month, could be affected if winds were particularly gusty.

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East Norman House Fire Causes $13,000 In Damage; Nobody Hurt

Firefighters put out a blaze on Wednesday in the back rooms of a home in east Norman, according to city officials.

Crews were called to 115 W. Hughbert St. at 12:38 p.m. and found smoke coming from the residence. They were able to extinguish the flames coming from the back rooms.

Nobody was hurt in the fire, but investigators said it caused about $12,000 to the structure and $1,000 to its contents.

The fire is under investigation by the Norman Fire Marshal's office.

Photo courtesy of the Cleveland County Assessor's Office Web site.

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OUPD Crime Report: April 1

Among the items of interest in the April 1 edition of the University of Oklahoma police report:

OUPD officers were called to help with traffic at a Norman intersection on Wednesday after box car was separated from a freight train.

Norman Deputy Fire Chief Jim Bailey told the Norman Transcript that the derailment happened at 8:55 a.m. Wednesday when the car came loose just south of Lindsey Street.

Nobody was hurt in the incident, and according to the OUPD daily report, campus officers worked traffic at Constitution Street and Oak Tree Avenue.

***

A report was taken by OU police at 1:23 p.m. on an obscene or threatening communication at Walker Tower, on the 2nd floor's west side.

No report was taken on the same type of incident at Bizzell Memorial Library at about 12:15 p.m. Wednesday.

There is no word as to what constituted obscene or threatening.

***

Campus police officers were called to the Barry Switzer Center on Wednesday night after reports of motion-sensitive intrusion alarms going off. The April 1 OUPD report notes that it was a false alarm, and it was unknown as to what tripped it.

You can get view the OUPD police report each day at http://www.ou.edu/oupd/media.pdf.

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Report: Capel NOT Headed To Arizona

ESPN.com com is reporting Wednesday night that Tim Floyd will be the next head basketball coach at Arizona, not OU's Jeff Capel.

One of their radio affiliates reported that Floyd is working things out with UA officials tonight and that an announcement was expected on Thursday.

Capel is still loosely linked with an opening at the University of Georgia. However, the concern among OU fans had been the opening in Tucson, Ariz.

Led by all-everything Blake Griffin, the Sooners made the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament this season before falling to North Carolina 72-60.

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Norman's Flood Street Bridge Officially Closed (With Video)

The Flood Street Bridge into Norman (Hwy. 77, business) closed on April 1 for construction and isn't expected to reopen until August 1.

Traffic the night before had been horrendous at about 7:15 p.m., but that was primarily because construction crews had cut off two lanes.

However, by the time crews got the bridge closed off, only one lane needed to be closed. Traffic flowed like butter.

A pair of YouTube videos are posted, the first documenting the traffic on Tuesday night and the second on Wednesday night. Our YouTube channel is http://www.youtube.com/thenormanfiles. We'll post videos from time to time to supplement coverage on 'The Norman Files' -- and, yes, the quality of these videos will improve, particularly if not shot from the car while driving ...

Traffic on March 31:

Traffic on April 1:

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Norman Farm Market Opens Saturday

Oklahoma's oldest farmer's market opens Saturday for yet another season of delicious homegrown goodies.

The Norman Farm Market is open from 8 a.m. until noon every Saturday and Wednesday from April 4 until Oct. 31. Among the items to be featured during the first few weeks of the market are:

• asparagus


• hothouse tomatoes


• greens


• lettuce


• radishes


• spinach


• herb


• vegetable


• flower bedding plants

Things like honey, herbs, cut flowers, trees, shrubs, perennial and annual plants and hanging baskets will be available all season.

For those of you who suffer from seasonal allergies, buying honey cultivated as close to home as possible can help build immunity against local allergens. Locally grown honey is a miracle drug, and it knocks out a sweet tooth to boot!

For more information, visit the market's Web page by clicking here.

YouTube user "envirohist" posted this video last October from a day at the market. Look at those bell peppers. Yum.

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Lost Pet Report: April 1

One of the public services The Norman Files will provide is information about lost pets. If yours is lost and you think it's in Norman, Okla., (that's our criteria in a nutshell), e-mail us information and a photo to thenormanfiles@gmail.com.

Three lost-dog notices are posted as of Wednesday night at the Homeland grocery store on Main Street:

>> There is a $150 reward for the return of this small, tan chihuahua, belonging to somebody on 12th Street SE. Phone number is 625-9276 if you happen to know where this dog is.

>> A 5 1/2-week old rottweiler puppy was lost on Feb. 20 at about 8:15 p.m. on West Apache Street. This dog was a present for a toddler. No questions asked for his return.

Please call 366-6293 if you know the whereabouts of this pup. The flyer indicated a reward, but TNF has not confirmed that. There was no photo provided.

>> A reward has also been offered for the return of Lucky, a tan and white male pit bull mix. He weighs 70 pounds and is not neutered.

There was no indication on the flyer where it was last seen.

Please call Andrea at 429-3029.

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Obscene, Threatening Communication Reported At Sarkeys

Among the items of interest in the March 31 edition of the University of Oklahoma police report:

OUPD officers were dispatched to the Sarkeys Energy Center because of "obscene/threatening communication." No word as to the nature of the communication.

At 11:49 p.m., a theft was reported at Evans House (Honors housing), located at 1300 Asp Avenue. The report indicates the theft happened between 2:45 and 10 p.m. No word on what was taken.

Police reports are updated each day and posted **only** for that day on the OUPD Web site at http://www.ou.edu/oupd/media.pdf.

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OU, ODOT To Do Road Test On April 23

University and state officials will be testing experimental pavement material along a Norman road starting on April 23.

Norman city officials said Timberdell Road between Asp and Jenkins avenues will be closed to traffic starting at 7 a.m. on April 23 and should reopen by 7 p.m. on April 24.

The University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation will be testing the pavement material along a 500-foot-long segment of roadway.

Detour signs will be installed to direct drivers.

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Rock Creek Road Closed In NW Norman

Sanitary sewer line installation will force the closure of part of Rock Creek Road starting on Thursday weather permitting, officials said.

Urban Construction will be installing it along Rock Creek Road between 12th Avenue NW and Stubbeman Avenue as part of the Industrial Interceptor Project.

Norman city officials said it will require about 300 feet of the eastbound south lane of Rock Creek Road to be closed during normal work hours.

The lane will be reopened at night and on weekends, officials said.

City officials expect the project to be completed by 5 p.m. on April 10.

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Flood Bridge To Close On April 1

For those of you who commute to Norman from north of town, perhaps you're used to taking 77 back into town via the Flood Street Bridge.

That option is no longer available starting Wednesday. Construction is expected to last through August 1.

Traffic Tuesday night was already tighter than usual with the closure of an extra lane at about Indian Hills Road. The delay was an extra 12-15 minutes at 7:30 p.m.

Feel free to post a comment letting us know how much the closure of the bridge is adding to your commute.

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Norman's Best 'Easter Egg' Hunt

From the desk of Carol Coles:

Norman’s “Best” Easter Egg Hunt for children 8 and under will take place on Friday, April 3rd at Andrews Park.

Activities, including moon bounces and free pictures with the Easter Bunny (bring your own camera!), will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the Hunt will take place at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Bunny will also be roaming around the park to meet and greet the kids. This event is presented by the Norman Parks & Recreation Department and is sponsored by Ferguson Pontiac, Buick, GMC.

For more information you can call us at 366-5472 or go to www.normanfun.com.

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Skate Park Closed For Maintenance

From the desk of Carol Coles:

The City of Norman Parks and Recreation Department will be performing routine maintenance on the Blake Baldwin Skate Park located in Andrews Park on Friday and Saturday, April 3rd & 4th. The Skate Park will re-open on Sunday, April 5th.

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New Generation Of Neighborhood Journalism In Norman

It's just about midnight in Norman, Okla. Do you know where your children are?

Kidding. However, as promised, a new generation of digital journalism for our wonderful city is born in 'The Norman Files,' an idea I birthed last fall and have recreated this spring.

The publishing format is as a blog, no doubt. However, make no mistake: This is a news site. And, the goal with this site is to provide information, coverage, items of interest to Normanites that might not get as much coverage in mainstream press.

My hope is that 'The Norman Files' is at once quirky, grass-roots and useful.

I'm a journalist by trade, but in this effort, I'll be using the most basic of tools. My vision is that you the fair reader will share what's on your mind, not to mention your photographs and videos, press releases, events, etc.

If there's new construction on your street, I'd like to know about it.

If you've lost a pet, send me a photo and a name, and we'll post it.

If you're trying to raise some money for a good cause, by all means, let us know.

E-mail us anytime at thenormanfiles@gmail.com.

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We're Back April 1: No Foolin'

It's been almost eight months since I temporarily abandoned the idea of a hyperlocal news blog.

It wasn't due to lack of interest on my part or traffic. It was because I knew I didn't have a site put together that would serve the Norman community.

Specifically, I created The Norman Files as a neighborhood news site for those who live close to campus.

Each evening, I'd post and post and post, but the site was lacking several things that could make it not only a resource for visitors, but also more interesting and fresh without me having to slave over it. Ideally, I might post only 1-2 things a night and still have a site of use or interest to the community because of all the other resources.

Long story short, The Norman Files is back starting April 1.

What's new about the site?

• Google Groups linked at the top of the site where you can talk about Norman news, sports, events and review restaurants, bars and stores in the area.


• Links on the left-hand side of the page to useful Norman resources such as city phone numbers, the daily OU police report and even a link where you can go pay your water bill.


• Fresh headlines from other sites, aggregated by Google in the upper-right hand corner, keyword: Norman.


• Social Media. The Norman Files is on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Heck, we're even up to speed with 1995 and have an e-mail address now: thenormanfiles@gmail.com, where you can send us a news-tip or information about your Norman-area event or business.

Maybe once we grow a bit you'd even like to sponsor us.

Baby steps.

Between now and April 1, we'll be tweaking the site and preparing for launch. In the interim, why not check out some of the posts from our first run of The Norman Files from last fall.

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