Councilor Turner would like to hold an informative meeting on Wednesday, December 13th at the Historical Building located on the Booker T. Washington High School Campus, 1514 East Zion, Tulsa, from 6-7:00pm to discuss the proposed location of the Laura Dester Shelter.

Councilor Turner would like a representative from the Department of Human Services to speak on the plans of the relocation as well as answer questions that the community at large might have.

I realize that this message comes with little notice, and I apologize. I will try to have an agenda available by Monday the 11th.
Please respond if you are able to make this meeting and if you feel that there is someone who should be in attendance, please invite them. Also, if you could have them send me their contact information, I will send the agenda directly to them.


Regards,

John



John M. Fothergill

Administrative Aide

Tulsa City Council Districts 3 & 5

200 Civic Center, Suite 200

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103-3833

918.596.1976

jfothergill@tulsacouncil.org

The Laura Dester Shelter was the facility DHS was proposing to build behind (east of) Albertson's on Peoria at Pine. Had the shelter been located there; the community, including Booker T., would have lost the opportunity to have tax generating businesses located in this commercial zone.
Jackie Z


I wanted to make sure that you know how much I appreciate your willingness to engage in the politics affecting our community. Looks like we won this one, but we know there are other battles ahead and some unfinished that we must work together to make right.

Thanks again for helping us help our community and our people.

Michael Reed

Note: forwarded message attached.

Good Morning everyone:

I write to each of you this morning to share the good news of organizational work within the community.

Good thing I went to Church yesterday, too. Somehow, today's news makes it seem even sweeter, especially after coming home after church services and getting up this morning singing a song that closed yesterday's services, "Oh, How I love Jesus, because he first loved me". It is a song I heard and sang when I was very young, but today, it rang out to my spirit, and the following is the good news I want to share:

The Laura Dester Shelter (DHS) has pulled (Withdrawn) its application for the Board of Adjustments agenda proposed for February 13th, and will not be heard.

Thank God, and many thanks to each of you for standing against this unwanted and deceitful way for trying to propose a building not of the people's will.

I do think that this shelter would have been built illegally and would have destroyed any opportunity for an economic development chance for our area had we not organized and stood against the project.

Thanks to Roscoe for the legal opinions, each of your letters sent to the BOA opposing this project, and the potential of organized voices that were willing to speak unfavorably against this project because you felt it was not good for our community.

The power of organizing and the power of an accumulation of community voices and fighting spirit can and has made a difference as we, today, have witnessed.

We must stay vigilant and actively participate in the destiny of our community, there is much work to be done.

Thanks go to all of you for standing up for our community and its people.

Our next project is to get Mrs. Brenda Barre elected to the District 1 School Board February 13th 2007. Please, if you reside in the district 1 precinct, go vote and pass the word to others you know in that area to support Brenda with their votes. Brenda, will give us the needed strength to move our educational system from the list of poor education for our kids.

Michael Reed