"But I have promises to keep....and miles to go before I sleep....and miles to go before I sleep"

30 minutes starting now…

…Tick tock, tick tock…

Should you be so inclined to journey to middle America and pay me a visit in Bartlesville – the directions are simple: From I-44 in Tulsa, hook north to Highway 75 and it’s a straight shot for 30 miles. When you see the Microtel Hotel on the right hand side you’ve entered the outskirts; Hang a right at the gas station (to Highway 60) across from the Sonic if you want to stop by my house; If you have some time, turn left just past the K-Mart for damn near the best BBQ in the state; and if you’ve passed the Ford dealership across from the plumbing supply then you’ve already left Bartlesville – and two hours later, you’ll probably forget you’ve even came (unless, of course, you stopped for the BBQ). This is an all too common trend throughout Oklahoma (and arguably many other small communities across the nation) – they have become placeless drive-thrus with no individual character or discernible characteristics, save for their downtown areas. And if these downtown areas are indeed the heart, soul, and history of these communities – mine in particular – shouldn’t we do all in our power to protect, preserve, and most importantly promote this historical lifeblood?

….tick tock, tick tock….

The downtown are of Bartlesville is on the verge of becoming a ghost town – a shell of its former self. As growth of the town continued, auto freedom increased, and transportation patterns evolved the downtown became less a center of social, economic, and entertainment. Business and services followed the growth to the outskirts and residents had less need for downtown thus the cycle perpetuated itself. I contend that to maintain the spirit of place and maintain (or cling to?) the history of my town, the downtown needs to become a destination place once again, for its current residents, my friends as they pass through, and for future residents not yet on this Earth.

…tick tock, tick tock…

There are numerous case studies published analyzing various methods that similar sized small towns have, to varying degrees of success, enabled exactly what I’m proposing. A curious trend I’m noting, however, in analysis of these case studies are their seemingly contradictory information as to what works and what doesn’t work. If brilliant planner A says “X emphatically works, but Y is just a silly notion”, then conversely brilliant planner B methodically details how “Y is the answer, and X never works”, how then am I to synthesize that?

…tick tock, tick tock…

I propose then, rather surprisingly to myself even, that it isn’t the downtown area itself that needs correcting – all of the pieces for a successful downtown are already in place, and nothing I can inject there can realistically affect any change. The answer, rather, lies in rethinking our entire concept of town and development, of auto-mobility, of cluster zoning, of setbacks, of parking, and the creation of destination centers. In order to revive the downtown back to its glory of bustling activity – of people lined streets, with variety of goods, services, and entertainment within a ½ to 1 mile zone – we must inject that model throughout the entire community. The downtown cannot be successful as a single stand alone anomaly anymore, we have evolved too far from that model. However, if the preservation and promotion of old downtown is indeed a noble cause, then we must step back, reset our thinking, and look at what got us to this point.

…times up….

Edit: With a mere 2 weeks and 2 days yet to go, and the seemingly insurmountable pile of deadlines staring us all in the face - I thought I'd link this up from YouTube for a bit of inspiration.



My favorite scene, from one of my favorite movies "Any Given Sunday"



Warning - There are a couple F-bombs in here - after all it is Pacino. But I encourage everyone to take 4 minutes and 32 seconds from their lives and give it a watch.



Dedicated to each of you who have made this an truly unforgettable experience....and Herb you are my Coach D'Amato



Pacino Peace by Inches Speech