Sheridan

Vote for Medicine Park!

athensjw@yahoo.com — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:02:00 GMT

Anyone with a review of Fidelity's phone/internet service?

athensjw@yahoo.com — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:14:00 GMT

It seems like I've been seeing a lot of Fidelity Cable's 5 for $85 deal (phone service, long distance, calling features, Internet, and ... um ... oh yeah, extended basic cable). In their defense, I must say the Fidelity folks are showing a lot more polish than the old Lawton Cablevision ownership, who, in all honesty, just couldn't be bothered. Check out the Fidelity Web site and you will see a far more professional product. And the emphasis in branching out into other services will show Fidelity to be at a level the old local owners didn't seem capable of. But before I make the plunge, I'm curious how their phone service and Internet matches up to AT&T service and AT&T DSL service. Anyone got a review?

This is Sheridan with egg on his face

athensjw@yahoo.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:21:00 GMT

OK, I'll admit it. I forgot that sales tax issues don't need 60 percent to pass. The LPS half-cent issue hit 56 percent. The big news was that the bond issue didn't come close to the 60 percent threshold. It didn't even his 50 percent. What that means is that there is very little likelihood that any school bond issue will pass in the foreseeable future. It also means that a significant number of voters split their vote, OKing the sales tax and voting against the bond issue. Most voters are also property owners, and probably see a sales tax as fairer than a property tax.

Predictably the mayor fretted over how Washington will view the vote. Note to the mayor: They don't care. It always amazes me how local officials delude themselves into believing the Pentagon is engaged in Lawton politics. They care even less than Lawtonians do. They have a little thing called Afghanistan to worry about. Hossein Moini said they will come back to the well again for another vote. Hey Hossein, you'll lose again. And this time it looks like even convincing the Legislature to move the finish line back to 50 percent won't help.

The LPS bond vote. Will the questions ever end?

athensjw@yahoo.com — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:57:00 GMT

Did anyone read Barry Beauchamp's Q&A in the Constitution today? Did Barry Beauchamp? It's was entirely too long and entirely too much, a little bit like going for two tax increases on one ballot. They were turned down last year on one tax increase, so this year they ask for two? Do they seriously think they will impress people by doubling their request? And is there any chance one will pass and not the other? Will someone reject the idea of a property tax increase but embrace a half-cent sales tax because it effects everybody equally? And what do you think of the argument that Lawtonians need to raise their own taxes because the feds refuse to cough up impact aid to build schools on Fort Sill? What would Lawton be teaching D.C.? Cut impact aid more so we can raise our own taxes again to educate soldiers' kids?

Chances are both issues will get more than 50 percent of the vote, but I doubt they will hit the magical 60 percent finish line the state Legislature has set for them.

The Invention of Lying -- Lawton moviegoers have options

athensjw@yahoo.com — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:17:00 GMT

It is rare that a movie gets my attention. Most Hollywood offerings these days rotate among the juvenile, the repetitious and the perverse. But the previews for "The Invention of Lying" caught my attention. The premise seemed cute: A world where one guy figures out how to lie, while everyone else cannot. So that sounds like the perfect setup for two hours of mindless fun. It opened in wide release last Friday with quite a bit of commercial promotion. Those are the kind of movies that are guaranteed to show on one of Lawton's 21 big screens, right? Wrong.

We're not talking about "Gandhi" (which Mrs. Sheridan tells me showed at the Vaska for exactly one week) or Chariots of Fire. We're talking about Jennifer Garner on the screen with only mildly cerebral humor.

But no, our precious screen's must show "Jennifer's Body" (hmm. I wonder what that's about.), "Zombieland" (isn't Woody Harrelson too liberal for Lawton?) Fame (How old is Debbie Allen anyway?) Whip it (see "Jennifer's Body") and "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" (a thoughtful documentary about Carmike management.

Put a lid on it

athensjw@yahoo.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:27:00 GMT

Is anybody else out there cynical about the all the roofs being replaced in Lawton? We get a hailstorm and everybody and his brother is now a roofer. People are coming out of the hills (er, the Plains?) to reroof our houses, all at the expense of the insurance company (and by the way, if you put a yard sign out, we'll pay the deductable and call it "advertising"). It's times like these that actually make me feel sorry for mega insurance companies.

By the way, it's pronounced "euro"

athensjw@yahoo.com — Sat, 23 May 2009 03:59:00 GMT

Kudos to the staff of Luigi's for their new Greek-Italian eatery on Cache Road. El Greco was a fine Greek restaurant, but never had a decent location. Luigi's To Go , however, is in the midst of restaurant row and has been jam packed in the two weeks since it's been opened. Seeing the lamb cuts on large skewers is a nice touch.

Dodging raindrops at Arts for All

athensjw@yahoo.com — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:33:00 GMT

The weather mercifully held off for another nice installment of Arts for All. Considering all the rain we've had recently, it certainly could have been worse. No full-blown storms interfered this weekend. But while I was about sampling the wines, it occured to me that, while we all love the dance troupes and barbershop choruses, isn't this festival big enough to pay for at least one name band? While the focus of the festival isn't on the music, it would be nice to have an act sure to draw music lovers from Wichita Falls, Ardmore and points beyond. And no, I'm not talking about country acts of the sort we often see at the Polo Field. I like country music as much as the next guy, but if we're having an arts festival, should we have an artsy band? Someone like Neko Case or a group like Los Lonely Boys?

Press the gas pedal Ethyl

athensjw@yahoo.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:44:00 GMT

Lawton must have America's most law-abiding citizens. We seem to obey traffic laws even when they are not in force. Take our numerous school zones, which on the arterials are posted with flashing light signals. For a precious few minutes at midmorning and midafternoon the insanely low speed limits (usually 20 mph) are not in force and you are allowed to go 40 mph. But inevitably one person in each lane will still go 20, not realizing the lights are not flashing. This is also a problem on holidays when school is out and even during summer vacation. People will still go 20. Another symptom of this disorder is stopping at four-way stops and waiting for everyone else, including people who arrived at the intersection long after you have, to go through. I hope these people never drive the 820 in DFW. They would be massacred.

mansell's folly

athensjw@yahoo.com — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:29:00 GMT

Every Lawtonian should feel a little twinge of satisfaction in seeing the bulldozers dismantle the erstwhile Midtown Square shopping. This building's unburied corpse has been let molder before our eyes because its owner, Bob Mansell, seems to have little regard for anyone aside from himself. In this passion play, lo and behold, the Lawton City Government comes out the hero, engaging in a pitched battle with Mansell for years before, finally, a judge with backbone gives Mansell an ultimatum. Mansell, as he has done throughout this ordeal, did next to nothing. And so down the buildings come. It's going to be strange to see an empty lot there. Mansell still owns the land. I wouldn't put it past him to build the ugliest building possible (perhaps something as ugly as the county courthouse) as the ultimate vulgar gesture to Lawton.