Welcome!
As the next phase of the storm recovery begins, I want to update you on the current status of the City’s response to the ice storm.
As you know, the severe storm that hit Tulsa on December 8th has been declared a federal disaster. Our response team pulled together and we have worked to get thousands of Tulsans power restored. The City, with the help of social service agencies, PSO, private electricians and members of the faith community worked together and the results nothing short of amazing.
Now that power has been restored to almost every home, our next priority is removing the debris left by the storm. Currently, we are working with State and Federal officials to manage the massive amounts of debris removal throughout our city. It is estimated that there will be 800,000 to 1 million cubic yards of tree debris to be removed. We have contracted with a company to begin the process of going throughout Tulsa - neighborhood by neighborhood and street by street.
The logistical plan for this operation is being designed and implemented now, but we know that another challenge will arise. I know that many people who are elderly or disabled will need help moving the tree limbs from their yards to the curb for pick-up. Legally, City workers and contractors cannot enter private property. They can only pick up debris that has been placed at the curb.
I am asking for your help. I am asking you to help identify those in your neighborhood who need assistance getting the debris from their yards to the curb. A volunteer effort will be needed to help those who cannot physically help themselves.
I also just want to take the time to thank you for all you have done to help Tulsans through this difficult time. At the City, we have worked to remove the obstacles to restoring power, but we still have much work ahead of us. Let's all pull together to clean our city. With your help, I know we can have Tulsa looking better than ever!
Sincerely,
Mayor Kathy Taylor
Storm Update
The next stage in the City of Tulsa’s response to the December ice storm is now primarily focused on tree limb and debris removal. Power has been restored to thousands of homes and electricians continue to assist homeowners who called the Operation Power Up hotline about damage to their weatherheads.
Mayor Kathy Taylor is working with state and federal officials to prepare information on the Tulsa storm damage to assist the state in its report and request to President George Bush for a federal disaster declaration that would provide individual assistance. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials were in Tulsa last week to inspect damage in neighborhoods in the hardest hit areas.
Read the full story: Storm Update
TU Victory Over Bowling Green
Congratulations to the Golden Hurricane on their 63-7 victory over Bowling Green! TU beat out the Falcons during the 2008 GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on Sunday evening. Mayor Taylor was in Mobile, AL, for the game and recorded this message.
Mayor Kathy Taylor Seeks Youth Mentoring Volunteers
January is National Mentoring Month. The Mayor’s Mentoring to the Max initiative is currently looking for volunteers to mentor Tulsa’s great kids and make a difference in their young lives.
Mentoring to the Max is an outgrowth of the September 2006 “Building a Safer Tulsa” Summit which addressed gang violence and focused on building a safer Tulsa for our children. Last January, Mayor Kathy Taylor implemented Mentoring to the Max with the idea that mentors would spend an hour a week to help nurture a child in need of a positive role model. Mentoring has been proven to reduce crime, help kids miss fewer days of school and improve their grades.
Young people are our most valuable treasure and their success is directly linked to the success of Tulsa. Call the 2-1-1 Helpline today or visit www.mentoringtulsa.org and sign up to mentor a child. Spending just one hour a week mentoring a child, can change a life forever!
See the Video: Mentoring to the Max!
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Events
Mayor Kathy Taylor would like to invite Tulsans to join her in taking part in two events that remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Martin Luther King Day Commemorative Parade on Monday, Jan. 21, will begin at 10 a.m. The parade will cap a weekend of memorial activities including a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Service at 6 p.m. on Sunday, January 20 at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church.
The keynote speaker will be Reverend Terrell Davis, Pastor of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Wichita, Kansas.
The parade will form Monday morning at the corner of Pine and Cincinnati and proceed east on Pine to Greenwood, and south on Greenwood through Greenwood Business District.
The 2008 MLK Parade theme is "Dr. King's Dream: Wake Up and Work It Out!" For more information contact Emonica Reagan-Neeley at 918-594-8234.
Martin Luther King Jr., is the 20th century's most influential civil rights leader. King promoted non-violent means to achieve civil-rights reform and was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
Tulsa International Airport Offers
Hospitality to Military Personnel
A lounge just for military personnel and military veterans, equipped with Internet computers, television and other comforts, is now available at Tulsa International Airport.
Mayor Kathy Taylor and Tulsa International Airport Director Jeff Mulder, officially opened the Military & Veterans Resource Lounge in ceremonies during the Holidays. Creation of the new lounge is one of several initiatives that have come about in recent months since the creation of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Veterans Affairs. It was a project overseen by Matt Stiner, a mayoral staff member who is the liason with the veterans council.
The lounge will serve personnel in all branches of the military – active duty, National Guard, reserve, retirees, veterans and authorized family members. Families of qualified users can also obtain security passes from Transportation Security Administration officials so that they can wait in the lounge with their veteran or active duty service members until their flights depart.
Read the full story: Veteran's Lounge