Heading out for Heaven Fest; clarification on Web site work

We are leaving on a trip in the morning that hopefully we all will remember for a long time to come. Eight teenagers and me. If they don’t remember it, I know I will.


Tomorrow morning we’ll cram into two cars like sardines and spend 10 hours on the road with stinky feet, the stench of Corn Nuts and, I’m sure, … potato chip farts. Six boys and three girls? You know there is bound to be some farting going on.

Dumb publisher has dumb friends

For those readers who think they can just make copies of my blog willy-nilly and circulate them at their own free will around the Grant County Courthouse, I’d like to introduce you to a little well-known concept called copyright law. That link will tell you that you should have asked my permission before you decided to self-publish my work. This link will tell you that what you thought you knew about material on the Internet being fair game ... is completely wrong, much like your use of the county courthouse as your personal forum is completely wrong.


Did you make those copies at home, or did taxpayer dollars pay for them? Just curious, because the wording at the top indicates they were faxed from the Grant County Treasurer's Office at 4:45 p.m. - after hours ... on election night. Interesting.

Help me claim my inheritance!

I remember the first time I realized the "Dead Bird Picture" was actually a picture of dead birds. I was in the fourth grade.

I had stared at that picture many times, wondering what it meant. I couldn't quite grasp it. The browns and grays and yellows swirled and mixed and faded into the heavy frame. The dim lighting of the living room only added more camouflage to the mirage. I strained my brain trying to unpuzzle its complexity. Why on earth would my parents hang such a smeary muck on the wall as decoration?

Then I got glasses.

'I can do everything through Him who gives me strength'

It’s in this quietness I think the most. Amidst the loud hum of the computer tower and occasional pounce of the robust cat I ponder God’s plan for me. I know I am in the right place, but should I be moving? I feel like I am getting ready to be moved, like it or not.

Congratulations to one of Oklahoma's finest journalists!

Publishing five community newspapers definitely deserves some kind of award! There is none more deserving than Jeff Mayo.

http://www.nnaweb.org/?%2Fnnaweb%2Fnnanews02%2F1594%2F

NWOSU gains not-so-good national attention

Northwestern Oklahoma State University's claim that a federal privacy law prohibits it from disclosing which students receive scholarships funded by Alva's sales taxes is another example of why the statute is "broken," said the executive director of the Student Press Law Center.

To read the full posting: http://foioklahoma.blogspot.com/2010/06/nwosus-ferpa-claim-for-secrecy-garners.html

NWOSU cries FERPA for scholarship recipients

An Alva city councilman last week questioned the claim by Northwestern Oklahoma State University officials that a federal privacy law prohibits them from disclosing which students receive scholarships funded by the city's sales taxes, The Alva Review-Courier reported Sunday.

NWOSU officials had provided the names for the past decade under a 1999 agreement with the city.

NWOSU also requires students receiving the scholarships to sign a FERPA form permitting the school to notify their hometown newspapers, reported Helen Barrett of The Alva Review-Courier and an FOI Oklahoma board member.

The Alva city attorney -- who is married to the NWOSU president -- told the councilman he could cited for violating a federal law if he gave the list to folks not on the Council.

The blog posting explains why FERPA wouldn't seem to apply.

http://foioklahoma.blogspot.com/2010/06/nwosu-claims-ferpa-prohibits-disclosure.html

The next excuse for denying access to government records?

The next excuse for denying access to government records?


The Lawrence city payroll, obtained by the Boston Herald under the state public records law after a two-month battle, was delayed while officials made sure no “enemies” were behind the request.

City Attorney Charles D. Boddy Jr. said he was “sitting on and forgetting about” the Herald’s request for weeks while he studied the paper trail.

Lawrence has “a lot of enemies,” he said, and must take its time probing every request.

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100518city_blames_delay_of_records_release_on_enemies/

Terrill sneaks in "dangerous and wrong" language

Legislators Thursday approved a Senate bill intended to improve the state medical examiner's office but that also would restrict public access to autopsy reports because of last-minute language added by Rep. Randy Terrill, reported The Oklahoman this morning.

For details and a link to the story: http://foioklahoma.blogspot.com/2010/05/terrill-sneaks-in-dangerous-and-wrong.html

In response (by Mark Thomas): I read the bill several times. The language has been out there for quite a while. I think Terrill is correct; it only says the ME doesn't have to release partial or incomplete details of an autopsy - even to DA's or Law Enforcement! The language simply looked like statutory construction language and not any attempt to close anything.


The bill also has language that the ME's office will always be independent from any other state agency (not under control of law enforcement) and that they can contract with third party vendors "except OSBI" without the express consent of the legislature.

The ME's office needed a total makeover and this bill was an honest attempt to do that, in my opinion.

Mark Thomas
Executive Vice President
Oklahoma Press Association

My former college cries FERPA

Yes, I have a semester under my belt at this very college.

(From FOI Oklahoma -- Thought this would be of interest given our universities' broad reliance on FERPA for denying records.)
WYOMING--A Wyoming judge ruled Tuesday to dissolve a temporary restraining order against the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and the Cheyenne Herald that prevented the newspapers from publishing a leaked report concerning the president at Laramie County Community College.

A new way to get Grant County news

Grant County is working on a new and better way for citizens to get Grant County news! For now, the county will utilize the District 2 Web site to release news stories regarding commission meetings, projects, staff, etc. However, in the near future, the county will have its own Web site to publicize county business.

Much more to come. This is just the beginning of what could be a great asset to Grant County folks! I'm excited to be part of these exciting new changes!

Please check out the District 2 Web site to get just a taste (a very, very small taste) of what the future will look like: http://www.grantdistrict2.com/index.htm

A good woman to have on our side

(The following is Helen Barrett's e-mail exchange with Rep. Randy Terrill over the DOB issue. Helen is a news editor/reporter for the Alva Review-Courier and a member of the FOI Oklahoma Inc. board of directors.)

Helen caught a little flak from OPA Executive Vice President Mark Thomas for sending the e-mail, but someone needed to say something. If we know these legislators on a personal level, it is our responsibility to call on each of them as real people would - not give them a candy-coated plea that gets lost in the shuffle.

Spending records will go online

In the final votes required for both bills, state senators unanimously agreed Tuesday to put online the details of state spending and tax credits while House members approved posting school spending on the Internet.


For details: http://foioklahoma.blogspot.com/2010/05/legislators-approve-government.html

A moving 'memorial day'

Received this e-mail from Jennifer Gilliland at OPA today about a story written by one of Oklahoma's finest professors, who not only has been my mentor but also my friend:

Dr. Terry Clark recently accompanied the Oklahoma Honor Flight when it took 99 World War II veterans to visit the WWII monument in Washington, DC.

Terrill determined to prevent public access

Rep. Randy Terrill on Tuesday added language preventing public access to government workers' birth dates and employee identification numbers to the conference committee version of the Omnibus Corrections bill.


For details: http://foioklahoma.blogspot.com/2010/05/rep-randy-terrill-tries-again-to-stop.html

DOB bill as persistent as Phoenix

It looks like the effort to make public employee DOBs confidential has been resurrected, this time as part of the DPS dash cam bill, HB 3382.

Tulsa World story:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspxsubjectid=12&articleid=20100520_16_A11_OKLAHO230732

DataWatch blog http://bit.ly/biiEZS

Benefit dinner for fire chief and family

Please join the Deer Creek Fire Department in helping Chief Benito Gonzales, who recently lost his wife, Maria, to cancer. Proceeds will help with medical bills and funeral expenses.

Benefit Lunch for the family of Maria Gonzales. Sunday, May 23rd, Noon--?, at Christ's Church (former Mennonite Church Building), Deer Creek.

There will also be a silent auction of many donated items with all money going to the Gonzales family as well.

Sponsored by the Deer Creek Fire Dept

Don't like Oklahoma's new license plate? You may be all alone

The Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) has honored the new Oklahoma license plate with the Best Plate Award for new plates first issued in 2009. This is the third time Oklahoma has won this award since its inception in 1970, which means the state joins only three other states to have won three times.

Oklahoman: traffic tickets just part of getting an education

OU and OSU officials are defying common sense by claiming that parking tickets issued to students are confidential educational records, The Oklahoman said in an editorial Saturday.

"The federal law was designed to protect students’ academic records, not such things as tickets issued to students for parking in the faculty lot," the newspaper said.

For background and a link to the editorial, read: http://foioklahoma.blogspot.com/2010/05/newspaper-criticizes-ou-osu-for-keeping.html

'Stiff opposition' kills autopsy bill

State legislators won't be voting again this session on a bill that would have restricted access to portions of homicide autopsy reports.

Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Tuttle, pulled HB 3155 because of stiff opposition on the House floor, The Oklahoman reported today.

For background and the story link, read: http://foioklahoma.blogspot.com/2010/05/legislator-withdraws-bill-restricting.html

Thank you to Mark Thomas for successfully fighting this bill.