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Sunday, March 23, 2014

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SPOTLIGHT

Making room for new students

Middle Earth development center partners with NPS Bright Beginnings program
For The Transcript Middle Earth Child Development Center has partnered with Norman Public Schools Bright Beginnings Academy. To make room for up to 40 new students, board members and staff recently had a cleaning day. Middle Earth is proud to become a part of the Bright Beginnings Academy and we look forward to working with Norman Public Schools, said Claudia Griffith, Middle Earth Board chair. We had years and years worth of old files to clean out so we have room for those new smiling faces. Republic Bank & Trust also partnered with Middle Earth to help. By attending Republics Shred Fest
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Resident on board
GableGotwals has named Norman resident Rob F. Robertson to its 2014 board of directors, the Oklahoma law firm announced. Robertson received a bachelors degree with special distinction from the University of Oklahoma in 1984 and his juris doctorate with highest honors from the OU College of Rob Robertson Law in 1987. Robertson specializes in administrative and regulatory law, banking and corporate finance law, energy law and oil and gas law. Super Lawyers recognized Robertson for his work in environmental, business litigation and energy and natural resources law. Having practiced complex litigation in a wide variety of areas for more than 20 years, Robertson has actively represented energy companies before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission on matters ranging from public utility rate-making cases to environmental complaints. Robertson also has represented secured lenders and other creditors in commercial foreclosure, loan enforcement and bankruptcy and insolvency matters.

FYI
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Housing uptick

Trifecta staff recognized

Trifecta Communications Vice President of Sales Aleta Wheelbarger and Business Development Director Armand McCoy recently received awards. Wheelbarger received a Silver Stevie Award for exceptional sales in 2013, and the Oklahoma City Advertising Club named McCoy the 2014 Young Advertising Professional of the Year. The Stevies recognize outstanding performance Aleta in the workplace worldWheelbarger wide by honoring organizations and the people behind them. Wheelbarger was specifically honored for her efforts in dramatically increasing sales in the Moore Monthly print magazine and successfully migrating advertisers to TheMooreDaily.com website through innovative Armand McCoy sales packages. The Young Advertising Professional of the Year award recognizes young men and women who make extraordinary contributions to the central Oklahoma advertising and communications community. McCoy was recognized for his work assisting the city of Moore with communications following the May 20 tornado, among other things. He assisted the citys communications staff with international media relations and planning.

Joy Hampton / The Transcript

A dominant 87 percent of housing in Moore is single-family homes. Multi-family comprises only 9 percent of the housing sector at this point.

Single-family homes dominate Moore housing market following May 20 tornado

By Joy Hampton
Senior Staff Writer

The biggest share of Moore housing 87 percent is single-family detached homes. Multi-family comprises only 9 percent of the housing sector at this point, and duplexes and mobile homes are even smaller percentages. Most people in Moore 69 percent own their homes. Only 26 percent of homes are renter occupied. Thats below national average, said Taylor Yewell, senior associate at RKG Associates Inc. More people here own their homes than nationwide. Yewell reported to the Moore City Council recently on the Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis RKG completed for the city of Moore. You are growing, and you are adding jobs, he said. Demographics indicate that the highest percentage of Moores population is between the ages of 25 and 44. Yewell said

the quality schools in Moore attract young families to the community. Youve got a lot of young householders here, he said. He said the city has nice, steady job growth, and reported that the population growth is expected to continue and will put demand pressure on the housing market. The median age is 32 and young, working-age households dominate the Moore housing market. While those age 65 and older is the smallest demographic, it is also a group showing a large percentage of growth, and those people need appropriate housing. Yewell said developers are responding to the need for more senior housing and 126 units are in the development pipeline. Older populations are demanding age-restricted apartments with amenities. Yewell said many of those people are still working. The aging population also needs nursing homes. Nursing homes are a real

important housing sector because people want aging relatives nearby, he said. Like the rest of the county and the nation, a majority of Moore residents fall into the $50,000-to$70,000 income range. People in Moore are overall more prosperous than in the county and the state, Yewell said. Moore experienced 14.4 percent job growth from 2002 to 2011, outpacing Cleveland County and the state. We looked at where people work, Yewell said. People dont drive very far to go to work. They can live here and take advantage of the schools and have a short drive to work. Moore has added jobs in retail but also has added jobs in higher-paying sectors. Despite the job growth, the largest share of Moore residents are commuters. As of 2010, 3,002 people who live in Moore also worked in Moore. A large number of people 10,729 live elsewhere and commute to Moore to work,

but the largest number 21,641 live in Moore and commute to work in other cities. Oklahoma City is the top job provider to Moore residents with 15,959, or 55.5 percent, of Moore residents jobs. Norman is also a large employer of Moore residents, based on the 2011 statistics presented by Yewell. According to that data, 2,560 Moore residents commute to Norman to work. Much of Moores employment base is in retail, entertainment, hotels and restaurants along the Interstate 35 corridor, but only 16 percent of that work force lives in Moore. Yewell said that is a demographic future housing could accommodate. Local developers are responding to the apartment demand, Yewell said. Seven hundred and two units are in the pipeline being developed. Moore experienced a huge building boom in the 1970s. While current numbers trail that,
See HOUSE Page B9

Local attorney elected to foundations board

The Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma has elected Crowe & Dunlevy attorney Karen Rieger to serve as president of its board of directors for 2014. Rieger has served on the board of directors for the organization for six years and served as president-elect in 2013. The foundations mission is to procure and build endowment funds while Karen Rieger serving as a permanent organization for the management and administration of funds given to the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City for the advancement and expansion of the Roman Catholic Church in central and western Oklahoma. Rieger will serve alongside 27 other board members and officers. Rieger serves as director in the Oklahoma City office of Crowe & Dunlevy and is chair of the firms health care practice group. Her practice focuses on representing health care institutions and practitioners throughout Oklahoma and surrounding states on a broad range of health law issues. She has experience in structuring acquisitions, joint ventures and contracts involving health care providers. She received her juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

Safeco seminar

Hospice announces grand opening in Norman

For The Transcript McCortney Family Hospice announces the grand opening of its Norman office at 623 N. Porter Ave., Suite 200, just south of Norman Regional Hospital. The McCortney staff have nearly 100 years of hospice experience in and around Norman, including nurses who are certified in providing highly skilled hospice and palliative care. The McCortney Family Hospice team also offers home health aide, spiritual, social worker and volunteer services to its patients. In February, the company earned its national accreditation from the Community Health Accreditation Program. Each member of the McCortney staff maintains strong professional and personal ties to the Norman community. As a small, family-owned hospice, our staff focus solely on the welfare of our patients and their families, said Greg McCortney, McCortney Family Hospice owner and administrator. A former hospice chaplain and Norman resident, McCortney and his wife, Ashley, established and still operate the original McCortney Family Hospice in Ada, where he currently serves as mayor. He is a member of Gov. Mary Fallins Hospice Advisory Board, and a two-time president and active member of the Oklahoma Hospice & Palliative Care Association. The McCortney Family serves patients within a 50-mile radius. For more information, call 3602400.

Tracey Talley, CEO of Wall Street Insurance, attended a seminar in Oklahoma City presented by Safeco Insurance Company. The seminar, Managing Homeowners Businsess Through Periods of Pricing Volatility, focuses on the difficulties that agencies face with homeowners policies in the current market.

Tree care
Oklahoma Electric Cooperative representatives received recognition for tree care at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City during the statewide Arbor Day celebration. OEC has participated in the Tree Line USA utility program for eight years. The Tree Line USA program exists to recognize best practices in public and private utility arboriculture, demonstrating how trees and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities and citizens. Five core standards require quality tree care, annual worker training, tree planting and public education programs, a formal tree-based energy conservation program and sponsorship or partnership in an annual Arbor Day event at the community level. OEC is among five public utilities, 21 cities and two Air Force bases that have been designated as a Tree City USA community or Tree Line USA utility in Oklahoma this year. In addition, seven See Page B9

Photo Provided

Members of the McCortney Family Hospice team include, from left, Staci Elder Hensley, volunteer coordinator; Greg McCortney, owner/administrator; Kerri Hyland, home health aide; Tom Amos, chaplain; Linn Potter, social worker; Dr. Paul Plusquellec, medical director; Jennifer Cary, RN case manager/vice president of operations; Dr. John Krodel, medical director; Carrie Ellis, RN case manager; and Kerrie McDaniel, RN case manager.