Thoughts on Moore (Howe: home, theater, new construction)

[flintysooner]

There is a good article about Moore in the January issue of Moore Monthly. Besides the web you can find them scattered around town I think. The Moore Rising article is pretty accurate as I recall from personal experience.

[peggydavis]

I would read the article, but I couldn't get it to open.

[Jammie]

Home | Moore Monthly

Peggy, see if this link will open.

[peggydavis]

The link works, but then I couldn't read the article about Moore rising.

It is true that Moore has had a big rise in status in the Metro area. There is a lot of nice new housing built in Moore, and more stores are going in also. Moore has a convenient location between Norman and OKC.

[flintysooner]

The article isn't available online, sorry.

Moore dates from the land run of 1889 as a community and earlier as a train stop. It was incorporated as a town in 1893. During the next 70 years it enjoyed some growth because it had a post office and the postal roads were maintained so people could get there and back.

In the early 1960's there was both a significant increase in land size as the City annexed property surrounding it and a population boom. The annexation largely occurred because Oklahoma City and Norman were annexing everything in site. Development overwhelmed the small town and to say it was not very well planned and executed is an understatement. The population grew from an optimistic 1500 in 1960 to nearly 20,000 in 1970 and nearly doubled again by 1980. Moore now has approximately 50,000 residents.

The decades of growth were exceptionally good examples of what city government should not be. Those who served probably tried really hard to do a good job but the problems were enormous, the solutions few and difficult, and the leadership was ineffective at best.

The article in the Moore Monthly begins by recalling the end of those years when the current Mayor, Glenn Lewis, was elected. He relates how Ron Norrick, then Mayor of Oklahoma City, would say "God bless you son" referring to Moore's problems and frequent and notorious televised arguments between City council members and everyone else. It was a tumultuous time with great needs and no money and a dearth of leadership.

But the election of Lewis marked the beginning of positive change in Moore. For one thing Lewis had grown up in Moore and gradually other people who had lived in the area for a long time came forward to take various leadership positions. The bickering and public fighting gave way to cooperation and community participation.

Not too many years ago a real effort was begun to attract retail businesses to the area because there was a need for revenue from sales taxes and the residents really wanted to be able to shop and dine in nearby establishments. The young woman who was hired as the director of economic development has done an amazingly good job in my estimation.

The obstacles were huge and seemed insurmountable at some points including the collapse of banking, oil, and real estate and a stagnant or worse agricultural sector. The May 3, 1999 tornado that came through Moore was devastating to the City. But again the leadership and the community came together in a way that was just amazing.

Now there are so many places in Moore for residents to shop and dine and use that it is startling to those of us who have been here a long while. It is even more startling that Moore's leadership and community participation is recognized as exemplary.

I will never again take for granted what can be achieved when honest and caring leadership is added to citizen participation.

Today Moore is a surprisingly diverse community. It is small and land locked by its larger neighbors. It will never be an Oklahoma City or a Norman but the people who live in Moore have managed to make it a distinctive place to live and, increasingly, work.

[peggydavis]

Thanks so much for posting that, Flintysooner. Moore does have an interesting history. The article goes to show that one person can make a big difference in a city.

I remember after the 1999 tornado that the leadership of the city of Moore was very organized and quick to respond appropriately to the needs of the community. Many places would have been done for after an event like that, but Moore made a great comeback. Thanks again for reminding us.

[Bobby H]

I'm looking forward to the opening of the Warren Theatres Moore 20. I probably won't see a movie there until May when the "summer movie" season begins.

Usually March and April are fairly slow for the movie theater business. Oscar winning costume dramas are playing in some theaters and movie studios are clearing their shelves of throw-away "wait for the video" quality movies.

The Moore 20 theater is going to be very attractive. But it's also going to have quite a lot of "kick" to it where it counts: movie presentation quality.

All 20 screens are going to be THX certified. Warren is known for installing top of the line equipment in the projection booths. Sound and picture quality in all theaters should be great.

This new movie theater may have digital projection installed on all of its screens as well. Warren Theatres is currently in talks with a number of D-Cinema providers on choosing a particular system. Warren could go with 4K Sony SXRD systems, Dolby Digital Cinema packages or the Christie/AccessIT system used in many Carmike Cinemas locations.

Whatever digital projection system is picked, some custom design will have to built out of it. The largest theaters in the Moore 20 are reported to have screens 70' to 80' wide.

Harkins' Bricktown 16 theater will have to play catch up to match what will be unveiled at the Warren 20. All other theaters in the OKC area will just seem like a joke by comparison. The Warren Theatres Moore 20 not only seems likely to be the best movie theater in Oklahoma, but may be one of the very best multiplex sites in the entire nation.

[aamoore03]

Moore has changed and is a great place to live. You might check out The Fairways and The Greens. Affordable apartments in a great location. I've lived in Moore all my life and I love it. I travel and other places are nice but it's great to get back to Moore. Everyone is friendly and helpful. I remember when the only place to shop in Moore was Wal-Mart and Anthony's. We've come along way. It stilll has a smalller town feel with bigger city amenities. I hope this helps.

[aamoore03]

I removed the post. Please just post a short synopsis and a link to the article in the future..

Below is a short version and link to the article. Thanks for posting aamoore03.

Kansas.com | 01/31/2008 | Warren theaters begin to go digital (broken link)

Warren theaters begin to go digital
BY BILL WILSON
The Wichita Eagle

Warren Theatres is spending more than $6 million to put hybrid digital projection systems in the company's 61 auditoriums.

The new system, designed by Warren's technicians with a projector by California-based Christie Digital Systems Inc. and servers by Dolby, is already in place in one auditorium at the east-side Warren.

Short-term plans call for the new system on each of the 14 screens in Warren's new Moore, Okla., facility opening in early April.

[Bobby H]

I thought the new theater in Moore was going to have 20 screens. Not 14.