STILLWATER, Okla. — Click here to watch an OK Horizon video on a neighborhood project in Oklahoma City.
Unfair?
I believe the NewsPress opinion piece on the preservation efforts under way in the Westwood area was unfair to those working to keep this historic neighborhood viable.
Rather than criticize OSU President Burns Hargis' interest in maintaining the neighborhood’s attractiveness, I believe he should be commended for recognizing that for most Stillwater visitors OSU is their window into our wider community. Maintaining those homes surrounding the university is not only beneficial to OSU but to the entire town.
Those who work in economic development will tell you that livable neighborhoods are just as important as good schools in attracting industry and a vibrant workforce.
For the city of Stillwater to make the significant strides many are working towards, we need to look at our hometown with the critical eye of an outsider.
Cars parked in yards are not only bad for property values, they are bad for the environment. They kill lawns and trees and contribute to water pollution from the subsequent stormwater run-off. Our city codes are antiquated and need to be tightened.
I have attended the Westwood neighborhood association meetings and at no time have they been anti-student. All of us who live in this neighborhood choose it in part for its proximity to the university.
Creating a student ghetto surrounding the university benefits no one except a small handful of out-of-town landlords that profit by cramming too many people into single-family homes falling into disrepair.
Renovating established neighborhoods like Westwood is a trend around the nation. In many ways it is the ultimate in recycling.
Rob McClendon
Stillwater
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
Twiggy, the Water Skiing Squirrel
Sailor Surprises His Mom At Her CU Denver Graduation Ceremony
Official: ‘Amazing’ No One Was Killed In CT Train Crash
Coffee Stop Leads To Arrest Of YouTube Sensation Wanted For Murder
Bearded Dragon Reunited With Owner
Marine Reunited with Warzone Companion
Beyonce Is Pregnant!
SF baseball player overpaid $500,000 RETURNS money -- and team says KEEP IT
Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises family during Rays' first pitch
See Jennifer Lopez's New $10m Hamptons Mansion
Woman tricked into taking abortion pill
Emma Watson Goes Pantless
IRS scandal: Republicans seek to tie Obama to agency's woes
Play of the Day: Flipping to Safety
Pregnant Kim Kardashian Squeezes Her Swollen Feet Into Stilettos
Top Videos of the Week: Angry Taco Bell Guy, Glacier Moves on House, Dog Hates Baths
Cindy Crawford Stuns At Cannes
