A Virtual Tour of Our Area: Far North and Turley

Here are the notes on the places we tour during our introductions of our service area to others, and ourselves. It is important for people who seek to partner with us, to get a glimpse of our sense of place, to see the big picture even as we do small acts of justice with great love. This is part of our vision, not a complete picture, because each of us here adds to our Vision, each person carries gifts for new partnerships and projects of renewal. It is good for all of us who live here to be able to see beyond our own part of the area too, to see the connectedness of our community, Turley and Far North together, as it is for us to see how we are connected with North Tulsa and it with other areas; we have much to learn, and to teach, one another. This Virtual Tour is a call to come be with us and we will tour with you, or come be with us as you can.

Far Northside Community Renewal Leadership Conference

The “Getting Worse and Better At The Same Time” Tour

Guide Notes

Ron Robinson, Executive Director, A Third Place Community Foundation

1.      The Welcome Table Community Center: Has been a community facility since a brush arbor built here in 1909 for what became known as Turley United Methodist Church. A wooden church building in 1910 was later moved to Sperry for a church there and is now a part of the funeral home there. This red brick complex was begun in 1925; in 1940 the north bldg. was added and in 1952 the south bldg was added. There is also an abandoned residence that was the parsonage. In the mid-60s TUMC moved west to Johnstown Ave. and the Witt Memorial Indian Methodist Church used the building. In the mid 1980s they merged with another Indian Methodist Church in Tulsa and the building was sold to Zion Baptist as church and child care center; in the early 2000s the pastor was shot and killed in a school parking lot; the building went into foreclosure and abandoned; they later set up the Zion Plaza on 46^th St. A part time clothing ministry was in the building for a while but it was mostly empty and used by squatters; it was vandalized just before we purchased it at the end of December, 2010. The vision for use of the building will develop depending on the future of our other community projects and possibilities; currently used for food pantry (mobile food van days four to six times a year too) and legal aid counseling and pastoral listening, clothing room, crafts room, sewing circle, Turley Community Studio artspace, library, computer center, community meetings, office space, and storage; we plan to use the south building for a community room and a kitchen and may move many current projects into it and develop remaining space for arts and meditation and classes and offices.

2.      Nearby the Center: Dr. Martin’s clinic, he is a D.O. who used to have his clinic full time here, is mostly unused except for one morning a month to see existing patients who live in the area. To the south of the Center is a house that is currently unoccupied and for sale; we are trying to negotiate to buy it to complete our ownership of the block and use it as a house of hospitality for people who are coming to work with us, or for some new project of ours.

3.      Old Turley MainStreet Business District and Old Grocery Stores. The rock bldg. at Owasso Ave. and E. 60^th Pl. N. is the old Hamiltons Grocery Store that was operational until the early 1960s. Around the corner from it was a limestone building that was one of the first and oldest buildings in Turley until it was gradually falling down and then cleared out last year after being used as a place for dumping trash; it had housed the original Cullison’s Grocery. Also in this area on E. 60^th St. was Bussman’s Store, old hotel, hardware, post office, beauty shop, lumberyard, church. All vacant now. Note constant trash in street alongside Trail.

4.      Osage Prairie Trail, used to be Midland Valley Train that ran into the early 90s, now a bike and pedestrian trail from downtown Tulsa to Skiatook area; some beautiful land but also plagued with stray animal packs and lack of lighting; also not supposed to be used by motorized vehicles but little enforcement; we planted wildflowers at one point on the trail; our plan is to put up signs directing people to turley venues, to also have lemonade stands for cyclists, to hold a Trail Day where the communities and neighborhoods along the Trail host cyclists and others to promote the use of the Trail and advocate for its improvement. On again off again Walking Club to promote the trail and health. Note the burned out buildings along the trail here in Old Turley district, all within the past year and a half; only the church that was burned has been cleared so far.

5.      Welcome Table Community KitchenGardenPark and 40plus Fruit Tree Orchard Area: Miracle Among the Ruins project. A block of abandoned houses and trashed properties on top of scenic overlook hill, in midst of other abandoned and rundown or soon to be rundown houses and overgrown weedy properties (the kind that has been lately attracting arsonists). An example of effective three-legs of stool foundation for anti-poverty project: local grassroots effort, and supported by nonprofits (a third place community foundation, indian health care resources food for life grant, Tulsa community gardening association also, Tallgrass Resource and Conservation District grant support, National Fruit Tree planting association, Up With Trees, local churches and Texas church on mission trip) and by government (federal stimulous funds through county and INCOG for removal of abandoned properties, part of some 25 removed recently in the unincorporated Turley area; also support from OU Tulsa graduate social work, graduate design studio, OSU Extension) and by private companies (local Freedom Bank sponsored grant from Federal Home Loan Bank Program, and orchard grant and work support by Edy’s Fruit Bars). Waiting to find out if we won a Tom’s of Maine Grant for next phase of construction of KitchenShelterPavillion and rainwater collection system; also currently applying for federal ArtsSpace grant to turn it into a community art location. Hope to get new chickens to replace ones stolen; to build Stage and Deck, and complete veggie playhouse huts and garden art for kids, signage art, chainsaw art, new welcoming Table at entrance. Besides families in area having garden beds, we also have share beds, and produce healthy food for use in our Food Pantry. A bridge location serving both city of Tulsa and old Turley residents who share low income status and issue of abandoned houses; increasing multi-ethnic neighborhoods on both sides but still weighted African American on city side and White and American Indian on county side; growing Hispanic presence in both.

6.      Home-Made Trail, Native Prairie Land. Residents have made own trail to connect Suburban Hills edition to the west with the business district to the east, and used to use it for children to go to Cherokee School and back home; push shopping carts. No lighting. No sidewalks anywhere as you walk to grocery store and businesses and community center, etc. The land to the north of the trail by the cedar trees is a currently wonderful native plants area when not mowed; we would like to gain ownership of it to use as an educational area and rest area for those who use the home-made trail, and for an addition to the park usage; we began our demonstration community gardening in this site thanks to partnership with the Methodist church. Their building is a wonderful 1960s era structure; they partner with us on special Garden Days; they have space to be used for new outreach programs.

7.      61^st St. and Frankfort; one side is city and one side of 61^st is county; this is a constant illegal dump site; note recently burned abandoned house, one of several lately. Usually since the owners are not local and don’t carry insurance, the houses sit burned and as hazards for years. To the north loop: beautiful view of Turley Hill, the rural edge of proposed city of turley boundaries.

8.      Suburban Hills: City of Tulsa, 60s development was predominantly white during school segregation days. Blend of well kept properties alongside and running into abandoned houses. 58^th St. sample.

9.      In The Lighthouse School Area: Correctional Facility, Turley Residential Center, pre-release private owned facility for women. Meeting space can be used by community. Interested in a garden on site. In past women have worked on litter clean up days. Small commercial strip uninviting appeal. Lighthouse Charter School, TPS sponsored, private arts-infused currently in first year here, K-4 adding one grade each year is the plan, in building that was Horace Greeley Elementary School that was closed this past summer. In our immediate Turley area now where there was Cherokee and Greeley, and before that Cherokee and Morse elementary, the public default elementary school is now Gilcrease Elementary which was originally a junior high. We had done the landscaping at Greeley and supported with monthly pizza lunches for student of the month celebrations; partnering now with The Lighthouse and looking for ways to deepen it. Somee 65 former Greeley students remained at The Lighthouse; interested in finding out the current zipcodes of current students.

10.  Northgate addition: Another late 60s developed addition, predominantly white during school segregation days. Notice where green space has been opened up with abandoned houses torn down; the prominence of abandoned houses still in some sections. Boulder Ave. and Elwood as examples.

11.  Vining Park, city park historically neglected and under-equipped and has recently begun improvements, and awarded recent community development block grants.

12.  Turley Hill 66^th St., Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd becomes Cincinnati Ave. again at this point northward; encourage people to drive past on it around the hill, beautiful area but also illegal dump areas and animals dumped; a small rural housing along OakCliff Drive west of Cincinnati Ave. You can take 76^th St. and wind back to Peoria Ave. or go to 86^th St. and take direct street back to Peoria Ave. We will stay on 66^th St. views of downtown, also of dumping. Back to Peoria Ave. Most houses in this area are on bigger lots or small acreages until you get back closer to Peoria. The hill is undeveloped, no utilities, have heard hard to get water wells, some have lived off the grid at very top; a quarry now uses the top of the hill for a dump. Local legend: The Turley Viking Runestone. At 66^th and Peoria on north side is where the former Smith’s grocery store was located, and also the original site of National Bank of Turley which is now Freedom Bank with branch in Skiatook too, around the corner.

13.  Peoria 66^th to 76^th St. Corridor: local restaurant King Taco, great tamales, was site of historic drive-in burger joints in our area; where the bldg. is with Sheriff sale banner was a series of restaurants and was original Lions Club bldg. when that civic group was active. Currently Odd Fellows only civic group or lodge left and many of its members now live outside Turley; it is located on Quincy behind the Cullisons store area but we won’t go by it today; although they are partners and do monthly breakfasts and dinners.  Most businesses are automobile related and biggest is Salvage; some environmental complaints both for smell in past and also for pushing salvaged materials over into the trail area; at first when trail was put in they were also victims of thefts by people using the trails. Salvages often patrolled by sheriff’s working on catching copper thieves and others with stolen vehicles. Salvage also provides source of income for residents who get main income from scrapping, Will go past old Star Café abandoned building where Star Sign pole is out front; mix of residential homes along here too. The Daylight Donuts is popular remaining gathering spot for morning visits. We did a beautification on the corner of the donut store with beautiful flowers but a water project disrupted it; need to re-do it. We also had done a beautification project in a planter out front where King Taco is now; also need to re-do it with the new owners. And we had done a beautification project on the Turley sign across from Donut Store area but it was mowed over though sign improvement we did here and at other turley sign near 56^th st. with small grant from Keep Oklahoma Beautiful. More can still be done on these.

14.  Golden Hills addition. 75^th St. sample from Peoria to Victor. Note again the blend of well kept homes struggling alongside abandoned burned overgrown and trashed out properties some also occupied. As throughout our area, we also have mobile population, also high percentage of registered sex offenders who locate here because restrictions elsewhere prevent them especially now with the closing of Cherokee School. Along Victor back to 66^th St. in Golden Hills you will pass the vacant land to the east of Victor where the Samuel Morse Elementary School was once, all pre-fab buildings, closed in 1965; was used as a dump site by TPS until this past year when original owners purchased it back for grazing. Also pass the Rodeo Grounds and the old Community Center building (round top roof falling in) and where oil pumpers are now used to be little league diamonds just north of the rodeo grounds, some evidence remains)

15.  66^th to Lewis Ave. New business Crown Hill Funeral Home has gone in where Cornerstone Church was; a halfway house was proposed for that site but resident opposition defeated it; funeral home has been welcomed by community; they also own the Crown Hill cemetery, a historic African American cemetery located just east of Highway 75 on 66^th St. To the south is city owned property for water and sewer (much of turley, east of Peoria, uses Tulsa Sewer; it buys water from Tulsa but has private nonprofit company that manages the water distribution); Creek subsidiary from Delaware and Bird Creek that cuts through Turley and ends up in new fishing lake by the trail off 56^th st. At the intersection of 66^th and Lewis, a busy one where people coming from Highway 75 come into our area, we have taken over its management because it was neglected overgrown and trash-strewn with periodic poisoning to kill grass; we are working to develop it with planting, paths for those crossing, and welcome sign).

16.  O’Brien Park and Recreation Center, Park Meadows Mobile Home Community. County park partner, the recreation center constructed in mid 1960s, hosts community meetings, classes, gym, walking trail, golf course, sports facility, recently rebirth of a north Tulsa youth baseball and softball program after years of not having one local so that the facilities were mostly used by people outside the community; this was facilitated by the removal of several shelters that served local residents in order to put in golf course, but now a few more shelters in the works. We support the citizens advisory board there and are also members of Oklahoma Recreation and Parks Society. A great resource but limited by access to many residents without convenient transportation. Has a pool but budget cutbacks threaten it; need to have one year-round for health of residents who take water aerobics etc but this year problems cut it back to just a few weeks use; often pattern of cutting back service then saying not enough usage to keep it open (same as in post office recently closed); we support the park with pool parties for local residents and this summer helped it to have biggest turnout for one event of any pools in county parks. Mobile Home Park needs tornado shelter; there is not one anywhere in our area; Obrien Center is an evacuation site now but it is not a shelter.

17.  GreenPark Tulsa, Vann Industrial, 61^st St. An industrial park where tax incentives and property incentives are used to try to attract businesses to locating in our area; free land for certain number of employees, though most employees don’t come from our area but drive in and out to work from other locations, just as our residents to get jobs with companies have to get back and forth to them outside of our area. They are expanding by soon acquiring the old VFW building that recently closed and has been abandoned. Even after VFW closed property was used for Turkey Shoot events. Boyer Hill on Utica and about 59^th, high point, scenic but also constant illegal dump site, especially bad on road going back to Vann and when trying to entice businesses to the GreenPark.

18.  56^th St. to Highway 75 area. We will go along on the southside, or city of Tulsa side of the Street the Newsome Community Farms and North Tulsa Farmers Market and other sustainable projects, a partner of ours, two story green-colored house with hoop house and gardens and orchard and a compostable toilet demonstration built by Architects without borders. Near Highway 75 is the new city SkatePark. East of 75 is the new city Soccer Complex. Vision 2025 funding. At both 56^th and 66^th Street entrances and exits to Highway 75 we did roadside wildflower planting with the state transportation dept; they have since closed that program they did with the state native plant society and matching funds from us, but by not mowing they allow it to be naturally seeded and look nice. To the north on the county side is the Turley Trash Mountain, a landfill that has grown from nothing in the past 15 or so years to becoming one of the highest landmarks of the area; it is currently shut down for environmental reasons as it was polluting into Bird Creek. Has burned for months at stretches in the past. With its closing, for good reasons, also came increase in illegal dump activity. We have held Turley CleanUp Litter Pick Up days where we have worked on cleaning up illegal dump sites; need to again; also need way to constantly bring to attention of county highway dept because they are getting good at response for dumping of all kinds of materials one will find, including dead animal dumping. Notice there is no Turley sign on Highway 75 directing traffic to it from 56^th and 66^th St. as there is for Owasso and Sperry; on old Highway 75 there was one but it was removed and the state has refused to put one up for Turley now; took three years to get the small Turley designated green sign at 56^th St. and Peoria.

19.  46^th and Lewis corner of our service area. Quick Trip busy place. Go west to Victor turn north and go into Berry Park neighborhood where Monroe School and Penn School area also. Monroe was jr high then closed then used by both TPS for adult education and GED classes and testing and by Margaret Hudson program for educating unwed moms, and now is used by Pre-K to 1 dual immersion Hispanic and English classes plan to add a year each year and by middle school demonstration school, both current small enrollments; also community and parent outreach programs for the area housed there. Penn is elementary. Sarah’s Residential Living and 53^rd St. stretch of abandoned houses. Sarah’s is innovative nonprofit taking abandoned houses and fixing them up to be used for small homes for seniors who do not need intensive care but watching and helping companions.

20.  Back to 46^th St. and past the original St. Jude’s Catholic Church site and where Neighbor for Neighbor started, the Dan Allan Boulevard. West past old Suburban Acres Shopping Center that is now Zion Plaza with some child care and other uses also still much empty, pass Suburban Acres Library community asset and partner, past Louisa May Alcott school which was abandoned in 2011, past good burger joints, past the Dream Center operated by Victory Christian Church located on southside; many programs within it; we have some overlap with its service area. Carriage Trails addition: many abandoned houses, also will go by one resident’s house where nicely gardened and with an open space behind her where house was removed she has expanded beautification for community enjoyment.

21.  Chamberlain Recreation Center, addition. Notice difference in house and lot size and improvements from just across MLK Blvd where we came in Carriage Trails. Also as you get away from this area into Valley View more abandoned houses again. Take 53^rd back to MLK Blvd. Across is Bunche Early Education Center which used to house Houston Elementary which was closed in 2011.

22.  56^th St. Corridor to Peoria beginning with Gilcrease, now elementary school, a community school model year round school,especially noteworthy the new Tulsa Health Dept North Regional Wellness Center with a Primary Care Medical Clinic also from OSU-Tulsa, partnering with us. It has community kitchen, plans for community garden, classes, has clinics, offices. Empty church building caught up in dispute over community development block grants. Abandoned Post elementary School closed many years ago but was used until recently by YWCA and by Health Dept, now vacant again. New Greater Grace church, with its own school and community programs sponsored.

23.  The Far North Main Street Corridor and Vision. 46^th to 66^th North Peoria Ave. Go up to 46^th and Peoria into space of Generation for Destiny (mostly unused, see same dispute over federal funds). By Walgreens, which recently purchased MedX which is closing as we will see in McLain Village. Between here and 66^th St. on North Peoria is a corridor of businesses that once connected McLain High School and Cherokee School (elementary and junior high). Imagine it now with continuous redbud trees and planters as beautification to tie it together as one again, attractive to business serving the neighborhoods again, and walkable and bikeable small communities given the transportation problems with cars that residents face and with public transportation bus line to the full area, and with the proximity of the Prairie Trail bike path nearby). Signs marking this as a special neighbhood area ala Brady Heights etc, sculpture and entrance, better and consistent bus stops. And the development of a Far North Peoria Economic Development Association acting as a kind of chamber of commerce. Highlighted by McLain (now a 7-12 grade school and both struggling but with great success stories, and a new foundation and renewed alumni association support, with greenhouse and other programs underway and new statewide focus). Note abandonment of Northridge Shopping Center, where movie theater once was just north of McLain, and just a few shops and child care in it now, and also the demise of the McLain Village Shopping Center, with MedX soon to close; only shops are on southside, but include great carryout restaurant Heart and Soul. This project could help spur development and community pride as outlined also in PlanIt Tulsa project. Note stand alone abandoned commercial structures along this stretch; for years rundown abandoned Wilshire Bar and adjacent building were right across from McLain but finally got them torn down. Vacant church building where Northside Christian Church originally was and with sign out front we have been thinking of partnering to take over and beautify; At 56^th and Peoria note old Bussman Corner house that is abandoned and overgrown and an entrance visible for the turley community; auto places across the street have improved some in not being too junky; Note recent burned building across from Cherokee School; we wonder how long it will be open to kids and others like that?; Ruby D’s great consignment shop; busy Turley Tag Agency, smaller businesses, formerly vacant businesses on east side (feed store and old fire dept building) have recently been auctioned and should see some use again soon. Water Dept. building. The used appliance business is community sorepoint as its junky appearance used to be on both sides of the Peoria but now just on one side; and when not open the junky front is more visible than when refrigerators block it, but often appliances spill over near Creek. Current Feed Store and Cullison’s as family owned independent hardware store one of community’s treasured assets and community supporters. Simple Simons pizza is only carryout but community supporter. Warehouse Market is biggest sales tax revenue potential, and spot where most people intersect. Gas station also 24 hour busy; across from it is another blight and hazard building that has been unsecured abandoned with glass and more for years; closed restaurant that was the local eating place; Shorty’s great burger joint with new spaces now in its new place for more sit-down eating. Laundramat and Funeral Business and a new business going in, a flower shop, where post office was located for about 30 plus years before it was shut down last year (mailboxes left but service is reduced to two sites either northside station on Apache fourplus miles away or Sperry same distance north). The corridor would end with the Bank on one side and the commercial center and Bobby Cooper’s sign shop residence on the other.

24.  The Turley Center Vision (where Cherokee School currently is) One of the anchors for this economic development and community renewal corridor would be to put into the community again the Cherokee School which was originally Turley Schools site from 1908, with high school built in 1920. In mid-30s the high school and independent district was closed and merged with Tulsa Schools; high school students went to Central and then later in 1959 to McLain; the junior high was closed in 1965; the elementary was closed in 2011. We have a chance to purchase it for very low price compared to its estimated appraised value, as a local community nonprofit venture only, and we would like to see it become a Far North one-stop shop for wide variety of non profit services, a Healthy Food Hub, a place for community meals daily for both over 60 and under 18 (none anymore in our area), for an inter-tribal Indian Event Center for pow-wows and programs indoors and outdoors, for a business incubator for food oriented small businesses like Mobile Healthy Food Trucks and caterers, and possible City of Turley City Hall if incorporation were to happen, a renewed Turley area historical society display as used to be in when it was a school, commemorating its history as a school. Many possibilities for sharing the building and properties include art studio space, office space for county depts like Sheriff's substation, and for adult education center with G.E.D. classes, job skills, life skills, and more, including such ventures as aquaponics or other "green ventures."

 

 

Renewing Turley & Far Northside Conference Sat. Oct. 13 Free. Get Informed. Get Inspired. Get In Touch with Others Working to Make A Better Quality of Life In Our Neighborhoods

Informed. Inspired. In Touch.

Renew Turley & Far Northside

a conference event open to all, for free

Sat. Oct. 13, 9 am to 4 pm

Come for all or a part At The Welcome Table Community Center 5920 N. Owasso Ave.

(behind tag agency) 918-691-3223 www.turleyok.blogspot.com

Morning Tour. Free Lunch. Q&A. Talks. Connecting Residents and Partners. A Third Place Community Foundation. Growing Healthy Lives and Neighborhoods. Remember the past, understand the present, imagine and work for the future.

Speakers:

Terry McGee, northside business leader and activist

 

 Ann Patton, author of Dan's War on Poverty about Father Dan Allen and beginning of Neighbor For Neighbor

 

  Ron Robinson, Turley native and current resident and executive director of A Third Place Community Foundation, local non-profit in Turley and Northside

 

Community Art Days in Turley/NorthTulsa: Starting with Tye Dye Saturday

Come Join Us At the Free Fourth Annual Taste of North Tulsa Thursday Oct. 11 5:30 pm at McLain High School; we are one of the sponsors for the event

 4th Annual Taste of North Tulsa
"Better Choices, Longer Life"
Thursday, October 11, 2012 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m
FREE to the Public
McLain High School 
4929 N Peoria Ave, Tulsa, OK 74126-3400SPONSORS INCLUDE: McLain School Foundation, Sweet Lisa, A Third Place Community Foundation, Osage Casino, Healthy Corner Store, American Heart Association, Morton Health Center, with Tulsa Health Department in the gym conducting health screenings, and a community organizations with information booths.  Indian Health Care Resource Center, OSU Medical

Enjoy the tastes of North Tulsa’s favorite restaurants,including Oklahoma Style BBQ, Elote, Platt Culinary, Tropical, Sweet Lisa, Evelyn's, Big Daddy's BBQ, and Live Cooking Demonstration by American Heart Association 

healthy menu items, health education, and FREE HEALTH SCREENINGS Blood Pressure Body Mass Index Private consultation with each individual to interpret results and further coaching if necessary.

great music by Charlie Redd
For more information call 918-346-3788

or e-mail: kplohocky@gmail.com

For more information: Connie Berson 918-595-4075 cberson@tulsa-health.org

 

Five Major Community Renewal Events In October Here, plus The Halloween Party; We Need You As Partner, Planner,Participant

Come Fight Poverty

In The Far North Tulsa and Turley Area

Featuring Five Free Oct. Community Events

1. Tues. Oct. 2. "The Line"
Watch “The Line”, the most important film you’ll see this year. http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/09/06/watch-line-most-important-film-youll-see-year Free dinner 6:30 pm. Film at 7 Livestreaming Chat from Washington, D.C. with Sojourners Magazine 8 pm. At The Welcome Table Community Center, 5920 N. Owasso Ave. Come be inspired, come learn, come share how we can be "Partners Against Poverty.

2. Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5:30 to 7:30 pm "OU-Turley" Class
Come to our community center to greet graduate students who are working with us in our area this semester to imagine what might be, to address issues we face, to talk about those things so many others wish to avoid, to brainstorm and connect. Bring a dish to share, but just come and welcome.

3. Thursday, Oct. 4, 3:30 pm "Grow Turley Area"
Meet at the new Tulsa Health Department North Regional Wellness Center, 56th and N. Cincinnati, as we tour the facility, as we get updates on efforts to incorporate a City of Turley, about next steps on the Turley Disaster Response Network, about hopes and possibilities for Cherokee School, about abandoned and neglected and hazardous properties, and more.

4. Thurs. Oct. 11, 5:30 to 8 pm Fourth Annual Free “Taste of North Tulsa” with Meal Catered by Several Local Restaurants and Chefs, plus Community Fair and Health Event, McLain High School, 4949 N. Peoria Ave. One of our big community events of the year. We are one of the sponsors for this, and if you can help by volunteering at our table or helping with the event, please let me know.

5. Sat. Oct. 13, 9 am to 4 pm, “Far North Tulsa and Turley Community Renewal Conference. Come for any or all of this Major Event which we hope our residents and particularly all our partners and possible leaders will participate in so that all can learn the history and contemporary issues and cultural factors of our region. Tour, Free Lunch and Q&A on History and Current Issues, Presentations by business leader and activist and community leader Terry McGee and by Ann Patton, author of “Dan’s War on Poverty” about the northside Neighbor for Neighbor beginning and the late Father Dan Allen. Followed by Small Group Action Discussions. At The Welcome Table Community Center, 5920 N. Owasso Ave. RSVP that you and/or a representative from your group will be attending, but come regardless.

An Awakening of Hope: Far Northside Notes

Hi all. First, a quote from the new book, "The Awakening of Hope" by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove: "The mission of the church is always to connect God's story with society's deep need...True revival is not something you can plan and orchestrate on five successive weeknights with a guest preacher from out of town. Still, revival happens when hope grabs hold of you and won't let go. When justice begins to flow down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, the river of faith swells its banks and you do what you can to hold on for the ride. You've been caught up in something bigger than yourself--something you can't explain."

 It feels like a revival stirring new movements and new creations all over our neighborhoods here...Come and see for yourself...The week ahead highlights, links to sermons and more: See these glimpses of what it means to be in a missional community.

....And don't forget we need your online vote every day until Oct. 9 to the Facebook page of Tom's of Maine 50 States For Good contents which will reward one nonprofit with a $50,000 grant or five more with $20,000 grants. Support our Miracle Among the Ruins Project for our community kitchengarden park and orchard where abandoned houses once dotted a block. For more info on voting and the project go to: http://turleyok.blogspot.com/2012/09/here-is-why-we-at-athird-place.html.

1. Saturday, Sept. 29, 10 am to 5 pm a Community Art Day at our Welcome Table Center, 5920 N. Owasso Ave., for all ages, come and imagine and help create our Artspace, and find its healing touch, with Clara Corn, a graduate art therapy student from Kansas beginning a series of events this year with us....At the same time we will be having a special work day for any at the Welcome Table Community KitchenGardenPark and Orchard; constant harvesting for our food pantry and helping others grow food for their families.

 2. Saturday, Sept. 29, 11 am to 3 pm Grand Opening Ceremony and Festivities at the new Tulsa Health Department Wellness Center for our area, 56th and N. Cincinnati. I will be bringing the blessings for the facility. See it at http://turleyok.blogspot.com/2012/09/blessing-of-new-tulsa-health-dept.html

3. Sunday, Sept. 30, come to church on the road as we leave the community center at 8:30 am for Stillwater Unitarian Universalist Church where I will preach and lead worship on new monasticism, Thomas Merton's example, and the Inward/Outward life of the Spirit. This past Sunday I preached on "The Servant Church" at the Turley United Methodist Church. That sermon is linked to here: http://www.progressivechurchplanting.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-servant-church-sermon-for-this.html

4. Tuesday, Oct. 2, free meal at 6:30 pm at the Community Center followed by a 7 pm showing of the film about fighting poverty, "The Line" and then a 8 pm livestreaming discussion from Sojourners in Washington, D.C. Get more on the film and national discussion here: http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/09/06/watch-line-most-important-film-youll-see-year. Come for any or all and bring friends and partners.

5. Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5:30 to 7:30 pm come welcome a class of OU Tulsa Graduate Social Work students who will be doing projects in our far north and Turley service area; talk with them about the issues and conditions facing our neighbors. Free meal.

 6. Thursday, Oct. 4 3:30 pm at the Community Center, the Grow Turley Planning Meeting open for all partners and residents: we work on city incorporation of the area to provide self-government and resources here; we will update all on our news about putting together a partner cooperative to purchase and provide programming and services at the abandoned Cherokee School on North Peoria Ave.; we will address the abandoned houses and environmental hazards in our area, and the next steps underway in our Turley Disaster Response Network organizing; as well as hearing updates from our partners and coordinating programs.

 7. Thursday, Oct. 11, 5:30 to 8 pm, we are co-sponsoring and will have a booth at the Fourth Annual free Taste of North Tulsa event at our neighborhood McLain High School, 4929 N. Peoria Ave. Great local healthy food from area restaurants and others like our partners, the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, with great music, and health screenings and more community partners. Also we need your support for the McLain School Foundation we partner with; both as partners, volunteers for the Taste of North Tulsa event, and for the many projects filling in the gaps, the very large gaps, for projects at McLain: send donations to McLain School Foundation, c/o Principal Kirk at the school, or to me and I will pass them on. Our McLain meetings are the third Friday of each month at 4 pm at the school library.

8. Saturday, Oct. 13, 9 am to 4 pm, we are inviting and strongly encouraging all our partners and local residents and those who want to work in our area with us or to go deeper into the life of our area to join us for a Far North Tulsa Renewal Conference. Come take a tour of our area, find out about the many transformations underway and also the continuing struggles and issues faced here, learn our history, hear keynote presentations from Ann Patton, author of Dan's War on Poverty about the birth of our northside Neighbor for Neighbor organization and the vision and ministry of Father Dan Allen, and from our community business leader and activist Terry McGee, with take home sessions afterwards about how to continue partnering with us and our partners. Free lunch.

 9. In October our Sunday missional community worship gatherings will focus on the Shane Claiborne book, Jesus For President. And Oct. 7 our worship will celebrate World Communion Sunday. Each Sunday we have check-in, study, communion worship, and common meal. In November and December, our Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas gatherings will explore the new DVD curriculum and book mentioned above, The Awakening of Hope. For more on it go to: http://jonathanwilsonhartgrove.com/

10. Come to our Food Pantry on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am to noon, check in with our legal counselors from Legal Aid Society of Eastern Oklahoma, and with our spiritual counselor, the Rev. Debra Garfinkel. Explore our many items we still must sell left over from the auction. Use the library or computer center or free clothing room. Consider joining a crafts coop and sewing circle. Keep our community art going. Find out how you can volunteer to clean up and transform our area.... Special events will include the Sat. Oct. 13 community breakfast by the Odd Fellows Lodge at 8 am, a good kick off meal before our Renewal Conference. Go to their building at 6227 N. Quincy Ave....And stay tuned or let us know if you want to help plan our biggest event of the year, the Community Old Fashioned Halloween Festival to be held on Wednesday, Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 pm.

To support these important events, and the life of our community focused group, as we take each month and put all our resources into mission for others and go broke by intention each month, in radical trust and grace, make donations at www.turleyok.blogspot.com. or send checks to A Third Place Community Foundation, c/o The Welcome Table Center, 5920 N. Owasso Ave., Turley, OK 74126.

To be with us in prayer, daily, go to www.missionalmonastics.blogspot.com or www.progressivechurchplanting.blogspot.com or www.missionalprogressives.blogspot.com Return often as we grow our resources to grow our souls and the soul of our community. Support also the ministry of www.uuchristian.org and www.ptstulsa.edu and you support us.

Follow us daily at facebook through friending me at www.facebook.com/revronrobinson or our page at www.facebook.com/athirdplace

Thanks, blessings, and more soon, Ron

918-691-3223, 918-430-1150

Blessing of the New Tulsa Health Dept. Wellness Center, Sat. Sept. 29, 11 am

Eternal Spirit, of LovingJustice and Healing Community, known in many traditions, it is in deepest thanksgiving we come today. Thank you for this day, and thank you for the lives who have come to celebrate here today and to commit ourselves on this day to growing healthy lives and communities, especially here in our place of great vulnerability and suffering and despair. Thank you for those who could not be here, but whose vision and dedication have helped us to reach this milestone event for all of our region. May we keep their vision alive and growing. Thank you for those who have worked with their hands and hearts and souls to build this building and open it up so the lives of others may be saved and transformed. May we all treat this space as holy space worthy of the care and attention and respect for which the blood sweat and tears of many in many ways have gone into its creation.

Bless all those, employees and volunteers and persons seeking help, who will give of themselves in this place, as they pursue the mission of healing with all those considered “the least of these” whom so many others seek to neglect and turn away from. Open our hearts and guide our actions as we strive to make real Your presence in all we do and with all we come into contact. Be with those, too, who hold the purse-strings and the power of the budget that they will always create a place at the table for the poor, the hungry, the sick, the imprisoned and impaired, and that they put them, and their homes and families, and neighborhoods first in their minds and hearts and decisions as do You at your Welcome Table. Remind us to be humble, remind us of the blessings of our imperfections, for we know that as we are a human community that even in our great ideals and hopes we will break our hearts and those of others with our acts of commission and omission, so may Your heart of forgiveness and mercy hold us all in those times and help us ever to move forward, renewing our community.

 For those who walked this land before us, for those among us whose suffering has called forth the mission of this building, for those who will walk through these doors in pain and in promise, for those who serve, every day doing small acts of justice done with great love, for us and our neighbors right around us in this community of strength and spirit despite its statistics and stereotypes, and for those who will come long after we are gone, we ask blessings of peace and goodwill, of compassion and courage, and always Your Love. Amen.

This is the blessing I will give at our new Tulsa Health Dept. facility on Sat. Sept. 29 at 11 am. followed by tours, free food, wonderful music from Soul Revolution, and more.  Welcome them to our neighborhood.

Justice In Action Every Day: News and Reports and Events from the Far North Side

Hi all. Tomorrow, Wednesday Sept. 19 at 10 am we will have a tour again of the Cherokee School building and property, ahead of a meeting with school officials on Thursday, Sept. 20. We are looking for potential nonprofit and profit groups that might like to join a consortium of services for the 74126 and northside area as a possible re-purposing use of the building. We have had a few interested folks, particularly related to working on a joint mission of food justice, community meals, food pantry, healthy foods, but are open to all kinds of partners. If you would like to come let me know or just show up at the school for the tour, 6001 N. Peoria Ave. If you are interested but can't make the tour, let me know too; we can arrange an alternative time for you.

 

Don't Forget We need your daily vote now and until Oct. 9 and sharing of our entry in the 50 States For Good competition. We are the nonprofit selected for Oklahoma in the contest. Help us win $50,000 for our CommunityKitchenGreenhouseShelterPavillionRainwaterCollection Area at the GardenPark and Orchard here in the 74126. To vote go to www.facebook.com/tomsofmaine and click the cast your vote link. For more on why to vote for us go to http://www.turleyok.blogspot.com/2012/09/here-is-why-we-at-athird-place.html

 

Our Auction this past Saturday was a good community event with music and helping us organize our new Community Room space with items for sale and the auction, but it was a bust as a fundraiser as very few showed up for the auction of so many of our great office and home furnishings and more; so we will be having all the items still for sale anytime someone wants to make arrangements to come view them; and we will be taking the best items we hope to a consignment store; and holding more garage sale for the rest of the donated pieces in the next few weeks as we work to clear the space for its new use. You can help by "buying a virtual auction item" by donating to us at $20 per "item" at www.turleyok.blogspot.com So think of the wonderful items we will be helping someone else get for almost next to nothing and "sponsor" that item with your donation: $100 sponsors 5 items for people, etc. This is vital at this time of the year as We were counting on the auction to help us not only pay for auction expenses but for our increased programming and projects and meet our monthly budget (remember that we are basically an entire volunteer and all into mission organization; the only person paid is a very few hours staff person at the food pantry; all else we do by volunteer and contracted). Thank you in advance. Checks are always welcome too made out to A Third Place Foundation, sent to us at 5920 N. Owasso Ave. Turley, OK 74126. See below for what the funds go toward....

 Upcoming Events Not To Miss and To Partner With Us, beyond our weekly gatherings and food pantry and legal clinic and recovery groups and community center and community gardening park and orchard events (we have the new greenhouse shed underway at the park too; and are there on Mondays and Thursdays at 6 pm and Saturdays at 8 am working, volunteering, and harvesting for the food pantry and with neighbors)

 

Tonight, Turley Area Disaster Response Network meeting number two, 6 pm Fire Dept building, 6408 N. Peoria Ave., following an early meeting today with a new partner, Heather Morgan who is a doctoral student and who is working with Tulsa Partners on emergency management and will be assisting us. Free meal included.

 

McLain High School Homecoming Friday, Sept. 21, game at 7 pm, we will be there most of the afternoon with the McLain Foundation table and meeting other alumni and spreading the news about how we support the students and teachers.

 

Cherokee School Reunion, Saturday Sept. 22 from 9 am to 4 pm. I will be giving the invocation and benediction and have a booth set up about our community work and ideas for the school.

 

Sunday, Sept. 23, Worship Service at Turley United Methodist Church, 6050 N. Johnstown Ave., as I will be guest preaching on "The Servant Church" and Mark 9:30-37. This will be our regular worship gathering on Sunday. Then going to the Northsiders Reunion Picnic at Mohawk Park from 1 to 4 pm, and I will be attending the ordination service at 4 pm Sunday for the soon to be Rev. Elizabeth Cartmell Ladd at Hope Unitarian Church.

 

Tuesday, Sept. 25, the last orientation session for the disaster response network, 6 pm at O'Brien Park followed by the Turley Town Hall at 7 pm.

 

Saturday, Sept. 29, we will have a Community Art Day at the Community Center, the beginning of a crafts coop and sewing circle, and from 11 am to 4 pm we will partner with the Tulsa Health Dept. in its Grand Opening Fair at the new neighborhood North Regional Wellness Center near us at 56th and N. Cincinnati. I will be bringing the blessings on the new facility. Tours and health screenings and great music by Soul Revolution, Zumba demonstrations and free food at the event.

 

Sunday, Sept. 30 I will be guest preaching at the UU Church of Stillwater, OK.

Tuesday, Oct. 2, 6:30 pm free dinner at our Center, 5920 N. Owasso Ave., followed by a 7 pm showing of the new anti-poverty movie "The Line" followed by livestreaming of discussion by Sojourners Magazine from Washington, D.C.; www.sojo.net. Come learn and share latest insights on fighting poverty.

 

Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5:30 pm the OU Tulsa Graduate Social Work Class will meet at our Community Center to discuss community issues and connect with community resources on a variety of issues facing our 74126 and far North Tulsa area; come connect your group, agency, or special issue with students who will be helping us address these struggles and celebrate our strengths. Free meal included. I recently taught two class sessions at OU Tulsa about our area and am glad to see the continuation of the service learning on the ground in our neighborhoods here; come support and meet this new generation of community change agents.

Thursday, Oct. 11, 5:30 to 8 pm Taste of North Tulsa, community health event at McLain; we are a sponsor again this year and will have a booth.

Saturday, Oct. 13, 9 am to 4 pm with free lunch included, Far North Community Renewal Conference, featuring a tour of the area, presentations by Ann Patton and Terry McGee, and small action groups.

 

Thanks, blessings, and see you soon, Ron Robinson

www.turleyok.blogspot.com Growing healthy lives and neighborhoods on the far northside

Welcome Health Dept to Our Area Sept. 29 Grand Opening Ceremonies 56th and N. Cincinnati Ave.

A major event will take place in the Turley and Far North area on Saturday Sept. 29 from 11 am to 4 pm when the new Tulsa Health Dept. Facility has a grand opening ceremony and festival for the whole family at its new site at the corner of 56th St. N. and Cincinnati Ave.

THD is one of our community health partners and we are thrilled to welcome them and be a part of the blessing of their new building. Ron Robinson, our Executive Director, will bring the official blessing during the ceremony. We are looking forward to continuing partnering with them on many events for families in our area.

On this day, Sept. 29, there will be music celebration, free food and drink, tours of the building, health screenings, Zumba exercise demonstrations, a Jupiter Jump, Mascot dance off, and more for all persons and families.

Come help us welcome them as new neighbors; they have had a presence near us in the old Wiley Post School building but this new facility will enable them to expand their services in our area. Please share this news with all you know and come celebrate this major step forward for the Turley and far north Tulsa region.

Free October Events Fighting Poverty and Illness in North Tulsa and Turley

Come Fight Poverty

In The Far North Tulsa and Turley Area

Featuring Five Free Oct. Community Events

1.               Tues. Oct. 2.  "The Line"
Watch “The Line”, the most important film you’ll see this year. http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/09/06/watch-line-most-important-film-youll-see-year Free dinner 6:30 pm. Film at 7  Livestreaming Chat from Washington, D.C. with Sojourners Magazine 8 pm. At The Welcome Table Community Center, 5920 N. Owasso Ave. Come be inspired, come learn, come share how we can be "Partners Against Poverty.

2. Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5:30 to 7:30 pm "OU-Turley" Class
Come to our community center to greet graduate students who are working with us in our area this semester to imagine what might be, to address issues we face, to talk about those things so many others wish to avoid, to brainstorm and connect. Bring a dish to share, but just come and welcome.

3. Thursday, Oct. 4, 3:30 pm "Grow Turley Area"
Meet at the new Tulsa Health Department North Regional Wellness Center, 56th and N. Cincinnati, as we tour the facility, as we get updates on efforts to incorporate a City of Turley, about next steps on the Turley Disaster Response Network, about hopes and possibilities for Cherokee School, about abandoned and neglected and hazardous properties, and more.

4.               Thurs. Oct. 11, 5:30 to 8 pm Fourth Annual Free “Taste of North Tulsa”  with Meal Catered by Several Local Restaurants and Chefs, plus Community Fair and Health Event, McLain High School, 4949 N. Peoria Ave. One of our big community events of the year. We are one of the sponsors for this, and if you can help by volunteering at our table or helping with the event, please let me know.
 

 

5.               Sat. Oct. 13, 9 am to 4 pm, “Far North Tulsa and Turley Community Renewal Conference. Come for any or all of this Major Event which we hope our residents and particularly all our partners and possible leaders will participate in so that all can learn the history and contemporary issues and cultural factors of our region. Tour, Free Lunch and Q&A on History and Current Issues, Presentations by business leader and activist and community leader Terry McGee and by Ann Patton, author of “Dan’s War on Poverty” about the northside Neighbor for Neighbor beginning and the late Father Dan Allen. Followed by Small Group Action Discussions. At The Welcome Table Community Center, 5920 N. Owasso Ave. RSVP that you and/or a representative from your group will be attending, but come regardless.

 

Sat. Sept. 15 Our Major Spectacular Auction and Sale and FunFest 10 am at the Community Center, 5920 N. Owasso. Come and bring Friends and See All We Do Too

Come to The First Ever Big Auction and Sale and FunFest to help us raise funds for our community and our projects and partners, and to prepare space for the new Community Room, turning a vandalized abandoned building into a valuable community strength again for our area. We can only do it with you and your support. Come support and get great bargains.

 

Come from 8 am on to look over the auction items; at 10 am the auction starts; we have a great Jupitor Jump for the kids, facepainting, lots of community information. Refreshments for sale.

 

We have a surplus of great desks and chairs from a law firm, office and home furniture, appliances, building materials, clothing, books, and a few antiques and a hospital bed and all kinds of miscellaneious goodies that we do not need in our building. Many of these are quality pieces that came from law firms and other donors. We need to auction them off to raise funds, to have fun, and prepare space for our expansion so we can serve more people in the far northside zipcodes of our area. This is our Big Fundraiser for the Year. 

 

We need your participation. Spread the word about the Big Event. This is our first ever Auction. Get the bargains and quality items while you can. Please share with others. If you have quality items to donate for the auction let us know too. We will have auction of major items, estate and garage sale type purchasing of many other items. We need big turnout. The new "community room" in our complex begins with this auction and then the remodeling can begin into a kitchen, healthy cafe, library, games, computer room, event space etc.

Vote For Us Daily Now to Oct. 9 in the 50 States For Good National Competition by Tom's of Maine; help us to continue growing the Miracle Among the Ruins Project

Here is why we at A Third Place Community Foundation need your vote at https://www.facebook.com/tomsofmaine in the Tom’s of Main 50 States for Good online facebook competition for $50,000 grant money to first place or $20,000 for the second through sixth place finishers;

Here is why We have been selected as one of the finalists in the competition; we are the only organization in the contest from Oklahoma; we will use the funds to build a  Community Kitchen Greenhouse Shelter Pavillion and Rainwater Collection System at our Welcome Table Community Park raised from the ruins of abandoned homes at 6005 N. Johnstown Ave. on the edge of north Tulsa and Turley communities in which we live and serve.

here is why our volunteer-based grassroots organization has raised the funds to buy the block of abandoned homes and trashed properties and transformed them into our Miracle Among The Ruins community garden and our community orchard and why we have our community center and our community food pantry and have coordinated daily summer meals for children under 18 years old, and why we are partnering with other agencies to do the same for seniors 60 and over in our area that has life expectancy 14 years below that of the area just six miles away from us; and why we need you to vote especially daily because so many of our own neighbors because of their poverty do not have access to internet to vote themselves:

These Food Statistics from the survey we conducted with the OU Graduate School of Social Work in 2009 of residents in our two mile radius area of far northside Tulsa and Turley. For more complete demographics on our service area, and for more on the many ways we are building community where others have given up, see the posts below. Please share with others.

...55 percent worry about the amount of food they have
...6 percent use spoiled food
...29 percent use a food pantry
...31 percent receive food from church
...35 percent borrow food from family
...25 percent borrow food from friends
...25 percent adults skip entire day from eating
...29 percent adults skip meals
...26 percent did not eat and are hungry at time of survey
...43 percent eat less than they should
...60 percent eat low cost foods
...52 percent cannot afford nutritious meals
...57 percent run out of food
...60 percent cannot afford healthy food

The Food Environment:
...29 percent have no affordable source of food in community
...63 percent know about a food pantry
,..56 percent rate the food quality in Turley area as fair or poor
...59 percent indicate food in Turley area expensive or very expensive relative to budget

Overall Health:
...56 percent not currently healthy
...41 percent health is fair or poor
...54 percent are overweight
...66 percent should weigh less
...47 percent smoke or use other tobacco

For more information on the Miracle Among the Ruins project here, go to this link of combined links of news stories and reports and videos: http://turleyok.blogspot.com/2010/08/miracle-among-ruins-needs-you-link-of.html

Vote and Share and Come and See...