Issue 80 - May 14, 2018
OML and OU Institute for Quality Communities Partner on City of Norman Project
Last week, we visited Campus Corner in Norman to get a look at the work being done through our partnership with the  OU Institute for Quality Communities .

The goal of the project was to establish ways to increase visibility of Buchanan St., which is between Boyd and White streets. Buchanan St. features many storefronts and restaurants but gets little traffic when compared to Asp Ave., a mere 300 feet away.

Projects included an interactive mural, prominent signage offering more information, and creating space for people to congregate.
OML Executive Director, Mike Fina throws out the first pitch
at an OKC Dodgers game last week.
This Week’s Community Spotlight Features
The Communities of Midwest City and Anadarko
Historic World War II C-47 Aircraft Returns Home
After coming off the production line at the Douglas Aircraft Plant in Midwest City on March 5, 1944 and having played an important role during World War II, including dropping 17 paratroopers from the 82 nd Airborne Division on D-Day, the restored C-47 Skytrain aircraft has made it back home to Midwest City.

The aircraft is one of over 5,000 that was produced at the Douglas Plant.  Over 10,000 were built nationwide.

Currently, the plane is owned by Friends of the Oklahoma History Center and will be displayed permanently in Midwest City thanks to an agreement between the organization and the city.

The historic and proud C-47 is on display near the intersection of Douglas Blvd and Reno Ave.
City of Anadarko Creates New Downtown Pocket Park
The City of Anadarko recently dedicated a new downtown pocket park, on land that has been donated by John Garland, a long-time local attorney.  The park is in memorial of two of Mr. Garland’s associates, Oris Barney and Leslie Pain.
  
According to City Manager, Kenneth Corn, the park is accomplishing several goals.  Among them, to enhance the downtown area, to be a gathering spot for residents, and to provide a food truck in an area where there are not always restaurants open.

Corn said that he and other city officials attended an OML and Institute for Quality Communities workshop and came away with the idea for the park.  The park has full hook-ups for food trucks, picnic tables, benches, and new street lighting.  Bedrock Nursery, from Lawton, provided the landscape plan and plant installation for the park.

“We are very excited about the new pocket park. We think it brings a new ambiance to our downtown area and even though the park has only been completed a month, our citizens are using it every day,” Corn said.

If you have a story idea about your community that you would like to share with other communities, please email to: Kay Hunt, Communications Director at kay@oml.org .
MCO Mayors Summer Conference - June 20th-23rd
The hotel block cut off date has been extended to June 1st and there is now an agenda available in the planning packet.

Come join your fellow Oklahoma Mayors this summer! The conference is an excellent opportunity to network, participate in educational sessions, tour the new $30 million Enid Wastewater Treatment Facility, and the Vance Air Force Base!
Regional Round Tables
You are invited to be part of something new and exciting! Join the OML Field Staff Team for your inaugural Regional Round Table meeting! The Regional Round Table is a great way to network with other municipalities from your area, share best practices, collaborate on projects and discuss common challenges.

Click the name of your Field Representative below to contact them for more information about your Regional Round Table Event. For more details on these events, please go to the  calendar page on our website.
Oklahoma Today Magazine - Whatever Happened to the Horny Toad?
Whether you know it as a Texas horned lizard or a horny toad, this Jurassic-looking reptile, once a regular backyard dweller, has become harder to find in some areas of the state. Are horny toads disappearing from Oklahoma, or is it all in our heads?

Attention members! OML has partnered with Oklahoma Today Magazine to provide your community an opportunity to promote your events in this award-winning, statewide publication. Please go to the  online form  and submit your events for consideration, six months out. The event listing is free and will be a great way to let readers from across the state know about what is going on in your communities.
Visit SGR For More Training Opportunities