On December 8th, you residents of OKC will be going to the polls to vote on MAPS3. The firefighters and police done announced what they are voting, what will YOU be voting? Post here.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

What done the firefighters and police announce?

It was on channel 9 at 6pm it's a big NO!!!!!! And they are not happy........

 Randy       

       DIRT TRACKIN
"When it's wet slide it in"

To bad only okc residents can vote on it. I sure hope we don't loose a huge piece of history. Memory's wont be enough.

JIMMY MINTER 'AKA'dirtrack234                  
Yesterday 
is history, 
tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That is 
why they call it the present.

join the fire fighters and the police, vote no and save the speedway.

Jayson Ellis

I need to find a vote NO sign and put it in my yard...

 Randy       

       DIRT TRACKIN
"When it's wet slide it in"

If you aint first
Your last

The first step is to Vote "NO" December 8th. And be sure to tell everyone you know or meet daily to do the same. I have spoken with many people who are not regulars at SFS but have attended in past years that did not have a clue that the Track was in jeopardy by a "YES" Vote for MAPS 3 Project. They have all expressed that it would be a shame to lose another piece of Oklahoma City's History.

The second step is to get the Track registered with the Oklahoma Historical Society. They are not that hard to work with and are all about preserving Historical sites. They can over-ride city, or county ordinances. I have worked with them in the past to keep and preserve historical buildings Sinage.

For example, Will Rogers Theater on N. Western (now a japnese restuarant) wanted to restore their sign, also the Tower Theater on N.W. 23rd, Master Cleaners on N. Classen Blvd. just to name a few were all rejected permits by OKC's Planning Dept. only to be over ruled by the Oklahoma Historical Society. Don't get me wrong it took attending City Council Meetings and some were harder than others, but with the help of the Historical Society this also brought State and Federal Grants for improvements needed for these projects.

I don't know if this will work for our cause, but it's damn sure worth a try.

We need a Committe, and a Spokesperson who can speak intelligently, be able to attend some City Council Meetings, and be able to work with the Historical Society.

I thank on Thursday nights its open topic rant night on news channel 4. Allot of us should get on there rant page on are computers about loosing the SFS track if it was to pass. Just a idea.

JIMMY MINTER 'AKA'dirtrack234                  
Yesterday 
is history, 
tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That is 
why they call it the present.

http://www.nomaps3.com/

Saw this thread on here & thought I would post this link.

Is anyone sure that there is a correlation between the Speedway and Maps 3?

"I'd pay $15 to watch a sprint car sit still."

Maps3 includes what is projected to be a $280 million convention center that would go up in the current parking area between the Norick arena and the speedway. Common sense tells us that the parking would then have to come from the area of the track.

IF that is the case then the midway for the fair would be gone. Not that big of loss I do not go to the fair anymore after they got rid of the races.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen 

Whether MAPS 3 passes or not has nothing to do with the speedway. The speedway has 2 more years left, the 2010 & 2011 seasons. Lanny's lease expires at the end of the 2010, but will most likely run the track in 2011. The court has stated that the grandstand must be brought up to ADA compliancy by Jan.1st 2012. The fair board from a business sense will not invest the money that it will take to bring the grandstand up to code. The grandstand needs alot other work to be done besides the ADA, such as plumbing & electrical. As was stated to me by someone on the fair board, the grandstands are not in the long term interest of the fair board. This does not mean that the fair board is against racing, as matter of fact the fair board would like to see racing continue until it is absolutely not possible anymore. They could have not renewed Lanny's lease several times and shut the place down and started on their agenda. The grandstand does not qualify as a historic landmark nor does it qualify for any grandfather clause. If there had not been a lawsuit against the city then we could have had many more years of racing at SFS. The lawsuit is a "good excuse" for the fair board and city to start what they had plans to do at a later date.

Silver not to disagree with you b/c those are very good points to bring up. I do not know if you have lived in the Okc metro any in your life. But, for the people that have lived in the metro area have learned that the city govt. is very sneaky and very backhanded. So if there was anyway things could be handled differently they would not try it b/c I am sure there are those in the racing community that would help to bring things up to code. However this is a good reason for the city to tell those that are uneducated about that is this best for everyone in the city.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen 

Silver nailed it as those are exactly the same things that I was told as well.

But my poll is not to save SFS as the writing is on the wall I feel. Mine does have to do with the MAPS3 and the ignorance even trying it during these times when schools, businesses and our public saftey officials are struggling. I am sure a one penny sales tax for that would make alot more sense then a convention center that we already have and a new park that will still not make me happy and will not better my quality of life.

Now if it would generate another HOOTERS in OKC, complete with a patio to watch the HOOTERS girls wash cars for people, I may vote for that if I was a city residence.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

Kenny, Thank you. You have enlightened alot of us as to the underlaying issues concerning the conditions of the Grandstands. I just hate the fact that our Track has the same the same fate as ASCOT, and Manzitita with all of the history only to be turned into a "parking lot". I grew up at Fairgrounds Speedway as well as you did, and it's heart breaking to know we are losing a part of our childhood.

This goes along with losing the Mono-Rail since it's Hub (starting and stopping point) was atop the Grandstands. So why other than a Law Suit does the MAPS Program not include improvements to the Grandstands facility instead of Demolishing the recently renovated Cox Center to pave the way for a New rarely used Hall. I mean how many events have been held at the Cox Center since the Ford Center was built new and then renovated to accomidate a losing Proffesional Basket Ball Team.

There are plenty of other issues in OKC that need to be resolved such as Street and Bridge improvements, the delapidated Water and Sewer system causes problems on a daily basis, so this only tells me that some College Educated Kid thats is smarter than we is has determined this is the direction that OKC needs to move in.

I am a tax payer who lives in OKC and I will VOTE NO on December 8 simply because we do not need another "Test Tube" park or Convention Center in Downtown OKC.

Sorry to Rant, but I was just trying to fill in for OKCFan12 since we have'nt heard from the boy lately.

Here is the correlation, as copied directly from the MAPS 3 website www.okc.gov/maps3/

Oklahoma State Fairgrounds

Cost: $60 million

Description: This project will upgrade publicly-used facilities at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, especially those used by the public during the annual State Fair of Oklahoma. It will consolidate various structures that are in excess of 50 years old.

Background:

• Through horse shows, the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds are an economic driver for tourism.
• Through regional events like Affair of the Heart and the annual State Fair, the Fairgrounds are a major local amenity.
• The State Fairgrounds are perhaps the most widely-used public facility in Oklahoma City.

Please note: MAPS also includes $17 million in contingency funds.

Please note: MAPS will be subject to Section 38-488 of the Oklahoma City Municipal Code (revised by the Council on September 15, 2009) requiring that one percent of the budgeted construction cost of new City building and parks be set aside for public art.

A note regarding cost estimates: Cost estimates for each project are approximate. It is expected that some projects may cost more than estimated, and some may cost less. Just as in the original MAPS, the cost estimates for individual projects are not included in the legal documents, they are merely guides the Mayor and Council use to calculate the necessary length of the tax collection.

A note regarding the revenue estimate: The estimate that a one-cent sales tax for seven years, nine months will raise $777 million is merely that, an estimate. However, in 2001, City staff came within $2 million of correctly estimating the ultimate sales tax revenues of the seven-year MAPS for Kids sales tax.

____________________________________________________________________________

It would be great if those plans included remodeling or refurbishing the grandstand of the Statefair Speedway, but most fear (including myself) that it willbe demolished to make way for more horse facilities.

It's not HOW fast you go, but how you GO fast.

www.myspace.com/bucky65c

I believe that maps3 and the speedway do correlate with one another. Im willing to bet if it passes that the speedway will have its last season in 2010. I truly hope it fails, Im from Enid and have seen some awesome racing at SFS over the years. I have called all my friends in the OKC area to let them know to vote no. This maps3 has to fail, then everyone must come together and donate time and material to bring this place up to code. Im a painter, by trade, and know quite a bit about all aspects of buildings. I will help in any manner that Im able.

Sincerely,

Jayson Ellis

Jayson Ellis