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



Joe Kimball
04-20-2008, 10:34 PM
So it used to be there years ago, three or so water towers emblazened as such (along with distinctive star-spangled "have-a-nice-day" happy faces), and last I looked, the paintings are long missing. Also, what was the origin of such a slogan?

Oh GAWD the Smell!
04-21-2008, 02:17 AM
Weird!

smileamerica.com used to be the city's page, but now the DNS changes that to cityofmoore.com when you punch it in.

I guess they're moving on from it.

Martin
04-21-2008, 05:16 AM
when the tower on 27th & i35 was repainted over a decade ago, i remember that the excuse was that it would cost too much to have the logo repainted.

-M

/nice a mighty wind reference, btw.

Intrepid
04-21-2008, 06:16 AM
The "cylindrical" water tower on 27th is being repainted as we speak.

About a week ago, there was a curtain-like object covering then entire tower.

Now, that is gone and there is what looks like a primer coat in a brick pattern.

OKCTalker
04-21-2008, 08:07 AM
Who remembers the Gene Williams Chevrolet ads, with him standing in front of the water tower? (You'd think that automobile advertising would have evolved since then, not regressed.)

Oh GAWD the Smell!
04-21-2008, 08:10 AM
I-35.......NORMAN!

Intrepid
04-21-2008, 09:15 AM
Who remembers the Gene Williams Chevrolet ads, with him standing in front of the water tower? (You'd think that automobile advertising would have evolved since then, not regressed.)

Sadly, I remember.

bornhere
04-21-2008, 12:44 PM
"Smile America" actually began with Williams-Kilpatrick Shivolay (as they pronounced it) 'on the ole prairie field in southtown' (actually Moore). I think it may have been a syndicated ad campaign before that. The lyrics were generic enough they could be used anywhere for about any product.

The City of Moore picked up the logo and slogan from the dealership. I'm thinking that Gene Williams may have paid for the logo to be put on the water towers originally.

traxx
04-21-2008, 01:35 PM
Speaking of such, do they still have the OK89 on the water tower by lake hefner? Isn't it about time to retire that?

Joe Kimball
04-21-2008, 01:58 PM
Speaking of such, do they still have the OK89 on the water tower by lake hefner? Isn't it about time to retire that?

They do, and I might agree depending---it's true I've become attached to the vanilla-brown-sugar accent against the horizon when going around the lake. Even with its datedness, it certainly beats the old aviation orange and white checkerboard pattern preceding it (and extant on Draper's tower, I believe). I'm not sure how long tower paint lasts, so perhaps they're waiting for the next painting for a new coat (and a hopefully decorative one).

Why are the towers shaped like a sausage, anyway? Is it for more reason than the same contractor? I do like its aesthetics; it's rather unique, like the WSM Blaw-Knox tower.

traxx
04-21-2008, 02:10 PM
I believe (and I may be incorrect) that it has been repainted and touched up since it's original OK89 painting. I'm not saying it looks bad (although I did kind of like the checkerboard) it just seems that we're clinging to some past glory or at least the perception of glory.

I wonder too, what out of towners think when they see that. They don't know that it was in celebration of the olympic trials being held here that summer. I try to always think of how non-Oklahomans view our city and state when passing through or coming for a visit.

Joe Kimball
04-21-2008, 02:19 PM
I believe (and I may be incorrect) that it has been repainted and touched up since it's original OK89 painting. I'm not saying it looks bad (although I did kind of like the checkerboard) it just seems that we're clinging to some past glory or at least the perception of glory.

I wonder too, what out of towners think when they see that. They don't know that it was in celebration of the olympic trials being held here that summer. I try to always think of how non-Oklahomans view our city and state when passing through or coming for a visit.

I read a bit more about tower painting (and on such a beautiful day, sigh. I think maybe I'll go by the lake later to compensate :) ) after I posted that just now, and I realize that it would have to have been at least touched up a bit over the past 20 years. I also remember the tower looking quite dirty after the June 13, 1999 tornado, so it must have been attended to an extent where it couldn't be overlooked that the structure marks the occasion of an Olympic Festival quite honestly long forgotten by many, the efforts of the athletes notwithstanding.

Perhaps there's an agreement for a number of years to have that design up? I too have worried about its presence as a vestige of the times when OKC was in its lull between recognition, as it would seem.

Intrepid
04-22-2008, 08:03 PM
Here's a pic of the tower on 27th street. This is the north side view of the tower:

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/BKTOK72/Misc/ATT00110.jpg

Patrick
04-23-2008, 12:57 PM
It's a good thing Moore got rid of those smiley faces. Those were kind of cheesy.

bwana_bob
04-23-2008, 03:49 PM
As a child, I remember ads for Alan Merrell Chevrolet and thought that he also did business in Moore, perhaps using the water tower as a back drop. Did his operation predate or follow Gene Williams - or am I just mixing together long ago memories? This I am sure of: Merrell had a distinctive style of speech some might compare to Daffy Duck. He always closed his ads by saying, "Thank you for allowing me into your home or place of business."

http://www.moorecentral.org/images/sawink3.gif

bornhere
04-23-2008, 07:29 PM
Alan Merrell Chevrolet, Route 66 in Yukon.

I remember his son, Alan, Jr. ran an expensive campaign for Congress - 1978, I think - and lost the Democratic nomination to a welder named Jesse Knipp who didn't campaign at all. He didn't have to.

dismayed
04-23-2008, 09:12 PM
That poop brown fake brick pattern is really ugly. Bring back the smiley face.

Intrepid
04-23-2008, 09:28 PM
I think I found what's going on with the tower on 27th street.

The blog post below was from over a year ago, so I'm not sure if it's still true, but I haven't found anything out there, that's more recent, stating anything different:

Red Dirt Reporter: Moore to paint "Home of Toby Keith" on water tower (http://reddirtreporter.blogspot.com/2007/04/moore-to-paint-home-of-toby-keith-on.html)

Friday, April 20, 2007

Moore to paint "Home of Toby Keith" on water tower

I was reading the paper version of The Norman Transcript the other day (April 18) and noticed a story headlined: "Moore council OKs repainting water tower with 'Home of Toby Keith.'"

Writes Transcript reporter M. Scott Carter regarding Moore City Council plans to repaint the city water tower at NW 27th and just west of I-35: "The tower does need to be repainted," said City Manager Steve Eddy. "We're going to be doing that; it also has rust on the outside as well as on the inside so we'll be doing some maintenance." The tower was last painted, Eddy said, in '95 or '96, so it does need to be repainted now."

Continuing: "Once covered in a base coat, the tower would have the phrase: "Moore Home of Toby Keith" painted in large, blue letters."
Eddy said he wanted to get the council's opinion on the repainting of the water tower and added, "It (the wording) would be on both sides of it, essentially where you could see what's on there from the southbound and northbound traffic on the Interstate."

Carter ended with the following phrase: The project was approved without debate.

John
04-23-2008, 10:17 PM
Speaking of such, do they still have the OK89 on the water tower by lake hefner? Isn't it about time to retire that?

I was actually hoping that in the previous couple of years they would have repainted it with the Oklahoma Centennial logo. I know water towers paint jobs usually last in the 15+ year range. Might as well have us celebrating the Centennial on into the next century, as opposed to OK89.

:gossip:

edcrunk
04-24-2008, 08:54 AM
i always liked the ok89. i was in high school when we hosted the event and snatched up everything i could find with that logo on it... hah.
i don't mind it since the 1889 date has significance to oklahomans.
however, the centennial logo (as someone mentioned) would be tight as well. too bad that opportunity was missed.

so1rfan
04-24-2008, 08:10 PM
The OK89 water tower has become an icon, no way should we paint over it.

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/172/89tidz9.jpg

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

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/4793/44311301ri7.jpg

brianbusboy
04-24-2008, 10:01 PM
I remember him hawking "79 Malibu Colonade coupes for 29 hundred and ninety five dollars. Proof Positive you get more at Alan Merril Chevrolet"

Free J Toddy
04-25-2008, 10:06 PM
I am new to this community and I had heard recently that the 73170 zip code was the "richest" in the state of OK. Can anyone verify this?

flintysooner
04-26-2008, 09:00 AM
It is a pretty decent zip code and there are many ways to measure different things. Following are a couple of links for further consideration:

City-Data Link (http://www.city-data.com/zips/73170.html)

Mongabay Highest Income Zip Codes in Oklahoma (http://wealth.mongabay.com/cities/OKLAHOMA.html)

Intrepid
04-26-2008, 09:24 AM
Is it me, or has this thread gone off topic?


:backtotop

dismayed
04-26-2008, 10:55 AM
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
07-31-2008, 07:15 PM
What really needs a paint job is the OKC Water works tower

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/4793/44311301ri7.jpg

Where is this tower, anyway?

Martin
07-31-2008, 07:18 PM
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
07-31-2008, 07:30 PM
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!
07-31-2008, 11:15 PM
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
08-01-2008, 07:27 AM
Why are all the Moore threads being moved into OKC Metro? just curious

flintysooner
08-01-2008, 07:33 AM
Why are all the Moore threads being moved into OKC Metro? just curiousSame reason the Starbucks closings thread is in Midwest City.

Martin
08-01-2008, 07:42 AM
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
08-01-2008, 09:25 AM
Maybe I should've started a new thread in the Moore section. :D

Jesseda
08-01-2008, 11:00 AM
start the thread

Joe Kimball
08-01-2008, 11:06 AM
I was kidding. :)

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

traxx
08-01-2008, 02:48 PM
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
08-01-2008, 03:51 PM
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
08-01-2008, 04:36 PM
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
08-01-2008, 08:38 PM
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
08-01-2008, 09:58 PM
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
08-01-2008, 10:09 PM
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!
08-01-2008, 11:29 PM
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
08-02-2008, 07:41 AM
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.

-MI 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
08-02-2008, 07:54 AM
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!
08-02-2008, 08:11 AM
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
08-02-2008, 08:42 AM
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
08-02-2008, 09:46 AM
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.