Our City Council Election Guide Will Get You Ready to Vote on February 9 NEW
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Suggested $2 Donation OKC’s Street Paper Issue 70 • January 2021 Our City Council Election Guide Will Get You Ready To Vote On February 9 NEW SEE MORE OF OKLAHOMA CITY BY BIKE $1 to unlock Rides are just 12¢/minute. Dockless Lock to any DASH friendly bike rack. Easy to access Use cash, BCycle app, or key fob. Find and Unlock DASH with the App. Visit spokiesokc.com/downloads.html NEW A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR JANUARY 2021 >> Nathan Poppe discusses a new year, finding hope and creating a tribute for Bennie Edwards. 4 J.D. Baker shares how city council impacts your daily life 8 Get an inside look at the new Curbside Flowers shop SEE MORE OF 18 Our latest election guide focuses on the Feb. 9 city council race OKLAHOMA CITY BY BIKE 34 Jeff Tweedy shares an excerpt from his new book “How to Write One Song” 36 On the Move highlights Colton who recently secured housing 38 Saying goodbye to members of the homeless community we lost in 2020 Curbside editor Nathan Poppe standing on a chalk illustration created by artist Nicole Poole on the Homeless Alliance campus. [Photo by Nathan Poppe] o be perfectly honest with you, this column is generally the last $1 to unlock puzzle piece of every issue. It gives me the opportunity to think back Cover illustration by: Scott Hill Rides are just 12¢/minute. on what it means to arrive at the final product. It also challenges me to squeeze out what’s left of my brain — sorta like the last days of a Scott has been focused on creating visual T identities for the past decade, truly toothpaste tube. 2020 rocked my world. 2021 is probably going to approaching the task with a “for love of the do the same. So, when Nicole Poole — who you might remember from her chalk art- game” attitude. Being a part of the rebrand work that closed our December issue — asked to visit the Homeless Alliance again to of Curbside Chronicle, alongside his team share some inspiring messages, I couldn’t resist. What harm could a little more hope at Switch Creative, only affirmed his do after a challenging month? admiration for the mission of the organization. For a minute, I thought city council voting in favor of appealing the anti-panhandling ordinance to the Supreme Court would be the worst thing to happen last month. I “The opportunity to design the was wrong. A video popped into my Twitter feed late in the afternoon on Dec. 11. cover is an honor and moreover a OKCPD had shot and killed a man named Bennie Edwards. Like many other videos pleasure to get to again work with the Curbside team,” Scott said. depicting police brutality, I didn’t want to watch it. We all know the ending, right? Stavian Rodriguez’ death was still fresh on my mind, too. But when I learned Bennie was the same man who’d sell flowers outside of the post office I drive by every day Dockless on the way to work, I had to watch. It was heartbreaking. Lock to any DASH friendly bike rack. By now, I’m sure you’ve heard some details about Bennie’s life and his history of ex- periencing mental illness and homelessness. My biggest hope for his family and our community at large is for something like this to never happen again. It’s easy to point fingers and get more upset. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized that the worst thing that could happen already happened. A man died. The second worst thing I can imagine is letting this tragedy divide people further. Argue the Director Ranya Forgotson details all you want but nothing gets better without concrete change. And things Editor-in-Chief Nathan Poppe need to change in Oklahoma City. My plan is to collect stories that illuminate Bennie’s Advertising Whitley O’Connor life — from the barbershop he’d visit to the flower market where he picked up his plants. I want to show how his life was bigger than what happened during a single Vendor Coordinator David Delgado afternoon. Look for that in February and reach out to me if you have something to share about Bennie. He mattered. I hope you think so, too. — Nathan Address: 1724 NW 4th St. OKC, OK 73106 General inquiries: 405-415-8425 Vendor assistance: 405-628-2367 Easy to access Email: [email protected] The Curbside Chronicle is Oklahoma City’s street paper. It was Use cash, BCycle app, or key fob. created to provide both a voice and employment for people experiencing homelessness. Our vendors buy magazines at 75 Follow us on social media at @CurbsideOKC cents per issue and sell them for a suggested $2. They keep the Find and Unlock DASH with the App. profit. Thanks for your support in ending homelessness in OKC. A PROGRAM OF THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE Visit spokiesokc.com/downloads.html GOOD TO KNOW Practical advice from passionate people — not only by being the policy makers for our municipal government but also What does your by acting as the direct line for constit- uents to interact with the city. When COVID-19 struck our city on that fate- By J.D. Baker city council do? ful Wednesday night at the Thunder game, it was our public health officials at OKC-County Health Department that helped respond. Most of that organiza- > Welcome to our column, GOOD TO KNOW. The idea is to explore topics — in a quick tion’s board is appointed by Mayor Holt and easy way — that can be part of your everyday life. We hope it'll both entertain and and approved by city council. educate a broad collection of readers who are mindful about everything from food and fun to politics and public transportation. Your property taxes help fund their operations. As we’ve gone throughout the year, the Council has directed how we utilized the $114 million our city Take a metaphorical walk with elections to verify your voter registra- received from the federal government me to a bathroom and turn on tion and ward. through the CARES Act. Those funds the faucet. That water didn’t get have been used for contact tracing, free testing and pending vaccinations. there by accident. Do you know Next month, half of OKC will have an opportunity to select who they want to how it got purified? I forgot to lead our city. Wards 1, 3, 4 and 7 actual- Beyond policy, councilmembers set the mention you’re in your own ly represent four different counties. And tone for who we are as a city and who home, and you just woke up. It’s for the next four years, they will have we desire to be. Our city councilmem- time to get dressed. You’re also input on matters like the implementa- bers work within the city, well beyond late for work because we spent tion of MAPS 4 as well as the final proj- the policies they approve on the formal agenda. They’re also working to create that time staring at the sink. ects of MAPS 3. They will determine the solutions to numerous problems. As Don’t forget to roll out the trash future bond issues that will build new bike lanes, sidewalks and roads. They public leaders, they are helping facil- bins on your way out. Who do you will have input on public safety issues, itate work in our community and con- think helps collect that? public transit, parks and recreation, necting people together. On the nation- and economic development. al stage, they are promoting our city for Don’t overthink it because it’s time to what we do well, and they are learning hit the road. Bike or car today? Let’s Under a council-manager structure of from other cities what we can do better. say bike. You had three enchiladas for government, Mayor David Holt and dinner last night. Who painted that new eight councilmembers represent OKC’s Although people are the heart of our green bike lane and wanted you to feel eight different wards. Holt has served city, our mayor and city council serve safe on the road? Perhaps you don’t feel as mayor since April 2018 and serves as the face of our city. This was never safe on your bike. Who can help fix as the “Chief Executive of the City” and more true than 25 years ago when the that? “President of the Council.” Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was bombed. Former Mayor Ron Norick The answer to most of these questions As a voting member of the city council, united our city and state’s leaders from is the City of OKC. My name is J.D. Bak- the mayor presides over its meetings a moment of heartache toward a path er, and I have a front row seat to how and makes appointments to boards and of healing. Today, we are stronger be- our city government serves people ev- commissions. Along with the city coun- cause of those leaders. Who we choose ery day. I wanted to focus this column cil, he leads the city and hires the city to lead today plants the seeds for the on why local elections are important manager to drive the everyday oper- fruit we hope to harvest tomorrow. and the work that’s specifically done by ations of the city. City Manager Craig However, they cannot and should not the Oklahoma City Council.