Biographies “City history - Tulsa World” plus 3 more

City history - Tulsa World
Current and former Tulsa mayors announce library - Tulsa World
Biographies for kids tell lives with sumptuous illustrations - Asheville Citizen-Times
St. Albert of Louvain - Catholic Online

Posted: 21 Nov 2009 06:50 AM PST

Six former Tulsa mayors and Mayor Kathy Taylor gathered Friday at the BOK Center to tape group and individual video interviews that will be part of the new Tulsa Mayors Library.

The library, paid for with a $16,000 donation from the Lobeck-Taylor Foundation, will open in a room on the 15th floor of City Hall next spring. It will be available for viewing by tour groups and by appointment.

"My family and I wanted to give a lasting gift to the city," Taylor said. "As you look back over the history of Tulsa, the impact that each mayor has had is important for people to understand.

"I really hope this encourages more people to put their names on the ballot and to make a difference in our community."

In addition to the interviews, the library will feature detailed biographies of each of Tulsa's 38 mayors, along with Dewey Bartlett Jr., who is set to become the 39th mayor on Dec. 7. It will also have historical items, including the first City Charter, the original plans for the highway system and financial documents.

Taking part in Friday's taping and luncheon at the downtown arena were former Mayors James Hewgley, Robert LaFortune, Terry Young, Dick Crawford, Rodger Randle and Bill LaFortune. The only other living mayors, Jim Inhofe and Susan Savage, were unable to attend but are expected to record their interviews later.

At 93, Hewgley is the oldest. The Republican served from 1966 to 1970 and said people still call him "mayor."

"It's a title you never really lose,"

he said. "It becomes part of who you are. Being mayor allows you to develop a lot of friendships and a lot of connections that will last a lifetime."

Robert LaFortune, 82, is a Republican who served from 1970 to 1978.

"The scope of the mayor's job is immense," he said. "Every hour and every day, you have a different challenge in front of you. That variety, I think, keeps one focused on doing a good job."

Young, 61, is a Democrat who was mayor from 1984 to 1986 and wanted the job from the time he was on a sixth-grade field trip to City Hall.

"It was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream," he said, noting he hopes he is remembered for aggressively pursuing flood control in the wake of the 1984 Memorial Day flood.

Crawford, 75, is a Republican who served from 1986 to 1988 and said there is "no higher honor" than being Tulsa's mayor.

"When I sit and reflect on my life, that time is a highlight," he said. "I mean that very sincerely. This is a lovely city."

Randle, 66, is a Democrat who served from 1988 to 1992.

"This was a nice community for which to be mayor," he said. "People were considerate and thoughtful. I didn't really encounter too many people who were unpleasant about stuff. Even the most rabid critics were lovable."

Bill LaFortune, 52, is a Republican who served from 2002 to 2006.

"There is no position that can ever prepare you for being mayor," he said. "You have to actually put on the shoes. Once you get the job, it's only then that you realize how difficult it is.

"All of us had a vision for the city and where we wanted to take it. But it's really a balancing act with the daily running of a very complex government."

Advice for Mayor-elect Dewey Bartlett

"Don't lose your sense of humor." — James Hewgley

"Accessibility to me is the most important thing a mayor can have. I would encourage him not to just keep appointments but to get out and be among people." — Robert LaFortune

"Let Tulsa be Tulsa. We are a very unique city." —Terry Young

"It's critical for him to assemble the best staff possible and know that this is a job that will demand sacrifices of him." — Bill LaFortune

"Elections are so expensive, and that means lots of fundraising. Some people who contribute feel like they deserve special consideration. But it is very important for every mayor to remember they are mayor for the whole city, not just those who fill the campaign coffers." — Rodger Randle

"Start courtships to find more jobs. Companies are starting to think about their plans for when the economy turns around. meanwhile, focus on making sure Tulsa's infrastructure is in shape because that's what companies want to see." — Dick Crawford

Brian Barber 581-8322
brian.barber@tulsaworld.com

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Current and former Tulsa mayors announce library - Tulsa World

Posted: 21 Nov 2009 02:47 AM PST

Six former Tulsa mayors and Mayor Kathy Taylor gathered Friday at the BOK Center to tape group and individual video interviews that will be part of the new Tulsa Mayors Library.

"My family and I wanted to give a lasting gift to the city," Taylor said. "As I looked back over the history of Tulsa, the impact that each mayor has had is important for people to understand.

"I really hope this encourages more people to put their names on the ballot and to make a difference in our community."

In addition to the interviews, the library will feature detailed biographies of each of Tulsa's 38 mayors, along with Dewey Bartlett, who is set to become the 39th mayor next month.

It also will have many historical documents, including the first City Charter and the original plans for the highway system.

Taking part in Friday's taping and luncheon at the downtown arena were former Mayors James Hewgley, Robert LaFortune, Terry Young, Dick Crawford, Rodger Randle and Bill LaFortune.

The only other living mayors, Sen. Jim Inhofe and Oklahoma Secretary of State Susan Savage, were unable to attend but are expected to record their interviews later.

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Biographies for kids tell lives with sumptuous illustrations - Asheville Citizen-Times

Posted: 14 Nov 2009 09:32 PM PST

Two new biographies for children pair solid nonfiction writing with gorgeous, full-page illustrations.

Bit by a dead bee

"My Uncle Emily" by Jane Yolen is a story about poet Emily Dickinson and one of her nephews, Gib. "My Uncle Emily" is every bit as elegant and articulate as Dickinson's poetry itself. Written in unrhymed verse, it is based on an incident where Dickinson gave 6-year-old Gib a poem and a dead bee to take to school to give his teacher.

Gib explains, "Sometimes Uncle Emily is like that, / as if she wants me to see the world / one small bee / and one small poem / at a time."

Then Yolen imagines that Gib is teased at school for having such a peculiar aunt. Gib scuffles with the bully and is reprimanded by the teacher. Ashamed, Gib tries to tell his family what happened but he leaves parts out.

It is his Uncle Emily, who, with the gift of another poem, "Tell All the Truth," shows Gib how to tell the whole story "with a certain care, so that / the tale comes around to the truth at last."

Nancy Carpenter's illustrations are awash in warm yellow and lavender. Cross-hatching suggests texture and color and gives the illustrations a distinct 19th century look.

"Uncle Emily" is a story that if not inviolate in fact, is so in spirit. The story illumines the significance of the beloved poet, sister, daughter, and aunt.

Dive in

Author Shana Corey and artist Edwin Fotheringham honor the achievements of another lady in their new book "Mermaid Queen." In it they recount the early career of athlete and de facto advocate for women, Annette Kellerman.

Early in the 1900s, Kellerman pursued what she loved — swimming. Then she combined her exceptional swimming talent with her admiration for ballet. In the water, she "whirled and twirled. She dipped and danced and dived … She loved her new invention. It wasn't quite ballet, and it wasn't quite swimming — it was water ballet!"

She performed swimming and diving feats all around her native Australia, eventually traveling the world as well.

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St. Albert of Louvain - Catholic Online

Posted: 21 Nov 2009 12:02 AM PST

Feastday: November 21
1193

Cardinal and knight, the son of Duke Godfrey III of Brabant and brother of Henry I, duke of Lorraine and Brabant. At the age of twelve he was made a canon of Liege, France, but resigned from that priestly honor at the age of twenty-one to become a knight of Count Baldwin V, an enemy of Brabant. Albert proposed going on a crusade but did not do so, instead resuming his clerical life. He became a canon again and then was named the bishop of Liege. His appointment did not please Count Baldwin, who had one of his own relatives in mind. He appealed to Emperor Henry VI, who deposed Albert and appointed Lothair to the see. In turn, Albert appealed to Rome, and Pope Celestine III declared his appointment valid. While in Rome, Albert was recommended to Reims, where he was ordained and made a cardinal by archbishop William of Reims. The baffle for political control of Liege continued, and in time took a deadly toll. On November 21 or 24, a group of knights from Emperor Henry's court approached Albert, who greeted them with his customary gentleness. As he turned to ask them their purpose, he was stabbed to death. Lothair was excommunicated and exiled for his role in the denial of Albert as the true bishop of Liege. Emperor Henry VI was forced to make public penance for the actions of his knights. Albert's body was taken to the cathedral of Reims, where it reposed until 1612. Then Archduke Albert of Austria had the remains transferred to the chapel of the new Carmelite convent he had founded in Brussels. In 1822, part of Albert's remains were given to the cathedral of Liege.

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Biographies

Saturday, November 21, 2009