WHAT IS A MICROPOLITAN?
Site Selection Magazine recently ranked the Oklahoma cities of Durant, Enid, Bartlesville and Miami as four of the nation’s “Top 100 Micropolitans.” According to the article, a micropolitan is defined as one or more adjacent counties that have at least one urban core area with a population of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000. It must also have an adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured by commuting ties.
MEET OKLAHOMA’S KID GOVERNOR
MEET OKLAHOMA’S KID GOVERNOREight-year-old Justin Evers of Oklahoma City has recently been appointed as the state’s first Kid Governor by Sunbeam Family Services and the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA). Justin was one of 19 children ages 7 to 11 who submitted videos for the “Vote 4 Kids” campaign. The Kid Governor’s term began in April and will end in November at the 2016 Oklahoma Kids Count Conference. Evers says he wants Oklahomans to pay attention to children’s issues in the state, specifically foster care.
MORE KICKS ON 66
A dedication ceremony was recently held for a new piece of artwork at the Route 66 West Gateway Plaza — part of the Vision 2025 Master Plan of Development. The 9-foot-tall and approximately 8-foot-wide sculpture, titled “Floating Hanger,” portrays oil field equipment with mosaic tiles representing different facets of west Tulsa history and its prominent role in oil and transportation. The artist, Eileen Gay from Sparks, Nevada, features the Tulsa sculpture on her website, mosaicsbyeileen.com.
MOTHER’S DAY FLOWER FACTS
MOTHER’S DAY FLOWER FACTSAccording to aboutflowers.com, one-fourth of the nation’s holiday floral purchases are made in correlation to Mother’s Day. In 2015, approximately 35 percent of adults bought flowers or plants as gifts for Mother’s Day in 2015 — $2.3 billion worth of flora! Popular flowers in high demand include sweetheart roses and orchids.
TULSANS VALUE HISTORIC PLACES
Tulsa is a Preserve America Community, focusing on cultural heritage and ways to repurpose and bring new life to old buildings. The Tulsa Preservation Commission is offering a series of free, public lectures that will feature speakers from across the country. Topics will include sustainable design and adaptive reuse, historic tax credits, entrepreneurial success in older neighborhoods with smaller buildings and the economic and cultural benefits of preserving Route 66.
BASEBALL TO BICYCLES
BASEBALL TO BICYCLESUSA BMX has announced that they will be moving their national headquarters from Arizona to the corner of 21st Street and Yale Avenue in Tulsa — the former home of the Tulsa Drillers. The move is projected to bring more than 50 jobs and $10 million annually in additional economic impact to the Tulsa area. The $15 million project is a result of the recently approved Vision Tulsa tax extension economic development proposal.
SNEEZE SEASON
SNEEZE SEASONUnsurprisingly, both Tulsa and Oklahoma City rank in the top 25 worst cities in the nation for springtime allergies, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The findings were based on three factors: pollen score, allergy medication usage and the availability of allergists. The warm weather entices Oklahomans to go outdoors where they are forced to face the season’s biggest culprit — tree pollen. Keep those tissues handy!
