Another "wha' happened?": "Moore Says 'Smile America' " on I-35 water towers...

[dismayed]

Free J Toddy, there was an article a few years ago that talked about the richest zip codes in Oklahoma, I forget from which paper. I remember that the richest zip code in the state was actually in Tulsa in an old oil baron type neighborhood. #2 was in the south OKC / Moore area... it could very well have been 73170. It was an accurate study, the data came from either the IRS or the Census, I don't remember which anymore. I remember that the writers looked into it and decided the reason for the zip code's wealth had to do with a large number of the people living there having six-figure jobs at Tinker AFB or with related contractors.

Just a side note, keep in mind this deals with earnings. That doesn't necessarily mean it is truly the richest neighborhood in our metro. I'm sure there are people living in Nichols Hills who haven't earned a paycheck in 20 years who are setting on millions or more... they wouldn't factor into an earnings survey.

[Joe Kimball]

What really needs a paint job is the OKC Water works tower

Where is this tower, anyway?

[Martin]

noticed the other day that the 'big cylinder' water tower on 27th is all repainted... now it says something along the lines of 'home of toby keith'

i threw up a bit.

-M

[bornhere]

That is, I think, the first water tower the city ever had. It's next to the Overholser treatment plant, which is nowhere near Lake Overholser, but down at about NW 6th and Penn. At one time that one tower provided water to the whole city, or at least the people who weren't on their own wells.

That would have been in the 1920s, I think. They piped the water from Overholser to the treatment plant, ran it through whatever treatment process they used back then, then pumped it up into that tower to feed by gravity out to the customers.

If they do paint it someday, I hope they keep the "Oklahoma City Water Works" signage.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

noticed the other day that the 'big cylinder' water tower on 27th is all repainted... now it says something along the lines of 'home of toby keith'

i threw up a bit.

-M

Gah...I noticed that too.

[metro]

Why are all the Moore threads being moved into OKC Metro? just curious

[flintysooner]

Why are all the Moore threads being moved into OKC Metro? just curious

Same reason the Starbucks closings thread is in Midwest City.

[Martin]

why are all the moore threads being moved into okc metro? just curious

afaik, this thread hasn't been moved anywhere. last i checked, moore is in the okc metro area.

-M

[Joe Kimball]

Maybe I should've started a new thread in the Moore section.

[Jesseda]

start the thread

[Joe Kimball]

I was kidding.

Seriously though, I don't suppose I can stop anyone else from starting one if they wanted.

[traxx]

noticed the other day that the 'big cylinder' water tower on 27th is all repainted... now it says something along the lines of 'home of toby keith'

i threw up a bit.

-M

I don't understand the knock against Toby Keith. Is it his politics, his music? I suppose that if OKC had a water tower that said Home of The Flaming Lips everyone would be excited about that.

BTW, saw the Lips on VH-1 honors The Who (or should that be honours since their brits) and they didn't sound good at all. Maybe they are just able to do their own music and not cover anyone else's music. Not a shining moment for the OKC band. But the Foo Fighters sounded good.

[Martin]

i don't understand the knock against toby keith.

sorry... didn't mean to come across as uncivil. if you like toby keith, that's cool by me. i don't have any real beef with him or his politics. to me, though, the image he projects is a bit 'redneck' for my tastes. guess my first reaction is that moore endorses that image by painting his name on a water tower. perhaps i'm just too 'city' for his 'country'... so it's more along the lines of conflicting tastes rather than conflicting ideals.

if it's any consolation, i'm not a big fan of the flaming lips' music, either.

-M

[flintysooner]

afaik, this thread hasn't been moved anywhere. last i checked, moore is in the okc metro area.

What should go in the Moore forum or is the forum structure now discouraged?

[Joe Kimball]

What should go in the Moore forum or is the forum structure now discouraged?

Metro area residents at large travel by the towers daily, so I decided to post this question (answered, BTW; thanks!) in what I considered to be the appropriate forum in this light. If my question dealt with an out of the way location, then I could better see a reason for posting this in the Moore forum.

My follow-up question posted the other day does deal directly with the OKC limits, so perhaps this will provide the resistance needed in this battle that appears to have risen.

[Martin]

sigh.

obviously the forum structure serves as a handy way of keeping topics organized... but i think we're taking it way too seriously. maybe if this topic had been posted in 'food court' or something else totally oddball maybe there'd be a point in bringing it up... but i think people are getting a bit too worked up about what should be posted where.

but... if you reallllllllly think something is in the wrong place, the best way to bring it to our attention is to use the 'reposrt post' feature. that way the thread doesn't get blown off topic about where it best fits within the forum structure.

-M

[Luke]

Does anyone really even read it separated out into groups? I always just click "new posts" and they're all jumbled up anyways. If we didn't have groups I wouldn't know anyways.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

I don't understand the knock against Toby Keith. Is it his politics, his music? I suppose that if OKC had a water tower that said Home of The Flaming Lips everyone would be excited about that.

BTW, saw the Lips on VH-1 honors The Who (or should that be honours since their brits) and they didn't sound good at all. Maybe they are just able to do their own music and not cover anyone else's music. Not a shining moment for the OKC band. But the Foo Fighters sounded good.

I don't care for his music, and like mmm said, he projects an idiot redneck image of us. We've got enough of that crap. As far as his politics...Well...He's using his celebrity and his music to get on a political soapbox. That's a douchwaffle move right there. So was that stupidity with the Dixie Chicks.

[flintysooner]

sigh.

obviously the forum structure serves as a handy way of keeping topics organized... but i think we're taking it way too seriously. maybe if this topic had been posted in 'food court' or something else totally oddball maybe there'd be a point in bringing it up... but i think people are getting a bit too worked up about what should be posted where.

but... if you reallllllllly think something is in the wrong place, the best way to bring it to our attention is to use the 'reposrt post' feature. that way the thread doesn't get blown off topic about where it best fits within the forum structure.

-M

I wasn't criticizing the moderators.

I also find the thread drift annoying. I am certain it is more an issue for me than it is for others as is obvious.

Folders and categories are pretty much archaic anyway having given way pretty much to tags and labels.

Apologies for bring it up.

[flintysooner]

I don't care for his music, and like mmm said, he projects an idiot redneck image of us. We've got enough of that crap. As far as his politics...Well...He's using his celebrity and his music to get on a political soapbox. That's a douchwaffle move right there. So was that stupidity with the Dixie Chicks.

I don't know him personally but I do know that he has been extremely generous with both time and money to the community and that he has done it with no fanfare or publicity.

He speaks his mind. If you spent some time here with us you would find there are quite a few of us that will also speak what's on our mind. And we may not agree with you but we'll still listen to you.

He's never shied away from his Moore or Oklahoma heritage. He came from a working man background as did most of us here in Moore. We aren't ashamed of being roofers and farmers and cafeteria workers just as we are proud of our lawyers and executives and doctors. He graduated from Moore. He still has connections to Moore. It is by choice that he maintains those connections to the community. We understand that and we respect it.

Most of us here in Moore disagree with each other about something. But it is our community and he is one of us and we are proud of him and we are proud for him for having achieved some fame and success in his field.

But mostly he is just one of us.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

I grew up in Moore, I graduated from Moore, my parents and his parents knew each other, and I used to go to his house on the 4th of July every year for the free concerts he did (I lived about 1/4 mile from him). I've also met his wife many times. She's very sweet.

That doesn't mean I have to like him.

[Martin]

apologies for bringing it up.

no apologies necessary... just figured that the subject needed a bit of clarification.

he's never shied away from his moore or oklahoma heritage.

i will give him that. i may not like toby keith's image, but i do respect the fact that he's stuck by his hometown/home state. and to me, at least, 'redneck' isn't so much about an occupation (roofer, farmer, cafeteria worker, etc.) as it is how a person projects himself.

-M

[flintysooner]

Redneck is a stereotypical label much like Okie. I understand the use of the term, redneck, in this context as a pejorative term meant to express disdain and contempt.

I can assure you from personal experience that certain occupations are very much considered "redneck" and there are plenty of people who are more than happy to assign the label.

Using pejoratives is an easy way to assume superiority.