I just wanted to remind everyone Mayor Mick Cornett will be speaking at our monthly Urban Neighbors meeting next Thursday evening at the Skirvin. The public is more than welcome to attend and is encouraged to!

Mayor Cornett will be speaking promptly at 5:30. Guest MC will be Alex Cameron from News 9. The Mayor will be answering pressing questions that face downtown OKC. It's possible he might talk a little regarding MAPS3. If you're around next Thursday night, you don't want to miss this free event. (cheap plug)



Mayor Mick Cornett to address the U.N.
Urban Neighbors welcomes the Mayor to our next social, Thursday, April 10. Mayor Cornett will be the guest speaker at this month's social. He will be taking questions from U.N. members regarding downtown OKC.

If you have questions you would like to submit for the Mayor, please email it to us.

Thursday, April 10, 5 - 7 p.m.; Skirvin Hotel in the Crystal Room; Free appetizers and cash bar; Mayor will be there @ 5:30pm


Downtown Home Tour in May
Presented by Downtown OKC, Inc. and sponsored in part by Urban Neighbors: On Saturday, May 3, from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., there will be a free tour of downtown condos, apartments, lofts and townhomes; 11 properties total. Shuttles will take participants to each stop. Free parking and programs will be available.

Also, the U.N. will be providing volunteers to assist with the home tour. Volunteer positions will include shuttle bus guides and greeters at the various locations. We need to get a bunch of volunteers for this project, so please email us right away if you're available for a couple of hours that day.

Downtown Cycling News
Open House: April 3 - Bicycle Alley invites you to an open house for the new location at 1015 N. Broadway Avenue. Activities to include demos by Specialized Bicycles, a bicycle clothing fashion show at 6pm, free beer, wine and appetizers, door prizes and drawings. Open 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Ribbon Cutting at 5pm.

Social Bike Rides on Wednesdays
Starting Wednesday, April 16th, Bicycle Alley's group ride returns. It will be every other Wednesday, at 6 pm from Bicycle Alley, 1015 N Broadway. These are casual, no-drop rides that usually have a local bar as the destination.


Other U.N. Links
Did you know the U.N. has several other websites you can get plugged into? Get connected at any of these sites - MySpace, Facebook, Linked In.


Pay Online
Now you can join Urban Neighbors online, as well as pay membership dues or make donations. Check it out here.


UPCOMING DOWNTOWN EVENTS:
Oklahoma Redhawks Opening Day is this week, April 3.


BON JOVI at the Ford Center with special guest Daughtry, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - 7:30 PM

Festival of the Arts 2008
April 22-27, Downtown Oklahoma City, the Festival is a community celebration of the visual arts, performing arts and culinary arts.

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
Sunday, April 27; Full marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, 5k walk and kids' marathon


May Social
Mark your calendars for the May social. On Thursday, May 8 the Park Harvey Athletic Club will host us from 5 – 7 p.m. As always, there will be free appetizers and a cash bar.

Just a reminder, our FREE meeting is at the Skirvin Thursday night. Here's an article by Steve in today's paper.

Ask Mayor Cornett the tough questions | NewsOK.com (http://newsok.com/article/3226848/1207623213)

Ask Mayor Cornett the tough questions
By Steve Lackmeyer
Main Street

If you could ask Mayor Mick Cornett any question about downtown Oklahoma City, what would it be?

Downtowners will get their shot when Cornett attends the monthly meeting of Urban Neighbors at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

Surely someone has a question or two about the upcoming Ford Center renovation or maybe the pending arrival of an NBA team to call the arena home.

The mayor has been very involved in planning for Core to Shore, the blighted area between the current alignment of Interstate 40 and the Oklahoma River. So he certainly has a few things to share about how that area might develop — especially once the new alignment of I-40 opens in a few years.

The question asked most often of the mayor, said aide David Holdt, is about parking. Cornett doesn't necessarily share the concerns voiced in those questions, so don't be surprised if not anybody likes his answers.

But how about hitting the mayor with some hardballs? Here are a few fun ones I'd be glad to let others claim and call their own:

•If the Bricktown Canal is considered one of the most photographed areas of the city, why the delay replacing trees lost in the recent ice storms? Can't MAPS maintenance funds be used to bring back the greenery?

•Are you aware of the buildings in MidTown and Bricktown that have had broken windows for years, and if so, aren't these properties in violation of the city's code ordinances?

•What is the timetable for moving the city's detox center, which is surrounded by condominiums and apartments in Deep Deuce?

•Civic leaders often point to the Santa Fe Parking Garage as a good alternative to parking in Bricktown. But do you think the lighting and pedestrian access along E.K. Gaylord Boulevard is inviting to such use?

•If given a choice between the building designs in Lower Bricktown and those used in Edmond's Spring Creek shopping center, which do you think stands out as superior architecture?

•In light of Devon Energy planning to build a new corporate headquarters downtown, do you have a favorite skyscraper you would love to see mimicked in Oklahoma City?

•How difficult is the task ahead for a full revival of fortunes at First National Center?

•Would you like to see the NBA practice arena built downtown?

•When do you think MAPS 3 might be pitched to voters?

•Do you still believe MAPS 3 will likely include a proposal for a convention center, light rail and river improvements?

•If you could live at one of the new downtown housing projects, which one would you choose?

•So if parking isn't a big problem downtown, where do you park when going to Bricktown on a busy night?

Just wanted to remind everyone of this FREE meeting at the Skirvin tomorrow night. This is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. I know many of you often express you'd like to attend events like this, but they're not open to the public, so I just wanted to clarify.

This won't be an open Q&A to the public though. It's not an open debate. The questions were soliticted from members of U.N. but they still apply to downtown and some even to the city as a whole. Mayor Cornett is anticipated to talk on MAPS 3. I still encourage you to attend if you can. It's a great way to start getting plugged into the core of the city. And hey, it's free at the Skirvin with free appetizers and a cash bar.

I'd rather listen to a presentation than an open Q&A, which can get bogged down by irrelevant questions. I wouldn't miss this for anything. Thanks!

betts, I look forward to meeting you.

Wish it was later as my calendar is full tmorrow eve. perhaps another time.

Sorry I'm going to miss this, but I will be at the Neighborhood Leaders For Today graduation dinner at Iron Starr!

betts, I look forward to meeting you.

Likewise.

So Steve L. at the Oklahoman got it wrong? "This won't be an open Q&A to the public though."

Correct, alhtough in all fairness to Steve, I don't see anywhere in the article he said "open forum". I do see how you could have interpreted that though. This isn't an open forum, it is a Q&A but the questions were pre-solicited from UN members (benefit of membership). Some of the questions being asked are general questions many of the public had as well. This will not be a debate as you tried to make the last UN meeting with Roy Williams. You're welcome to attend, just keep it polite please.