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

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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.

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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

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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?

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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