6 minute read
Edmond Life and Leisure - September 5, 2024
From the Publisher
AT&T turns on Boosts Speeds in Edmond
AT&T* continues to expand its 5G network in Edmond and across Oklahoma, giving residents, first responders, businesses, and visitors a big boost in their wireless connectivity.
In Edmond, a new site boosts coverage, capacity and speed near West Simmons Road, Portland Avenue and Bradford Farms Lane, while a second new site improves coverage near Danforth Road and North Coltrane Avenue.
“At AT&T, we are continuing to invest in our mobile broadband network in Edmond and across Oklahoma to make wireless connections easier for residents, visitors, businesses and first responders throughout our state. These new sites connect our customers to greater possibility,” said Jan Moran, area manager of External Affairs for AT&T in Oklahoma.
Other new sites across the state include:
• Calumet, Canadian County, east of Bridgeport just south of US Route 66.
• Granite, Greer County, near Bartlett Street and State Highway 9.
• Pettit, Cherokee County, near Petitt Bay Road, Big Hollow Road and Ranch Lane.
• Colcord, Delaware County, near Main Street and Harrington Road.
• Fletcher, Comanche County, near NE North Road, NE 180th Street and Interstate 44.
These new sites also include Band 14 spectrum, which is nationwide, high-quality spectrum set aside by the federal government specifically for FirstNet® - the only nationwide communications network created with and for public safety. We look at Band 14 as public safety’s VIP lane. In an emergency, this band – or lane – can be cleared and locked exclusively for FirstNet subscribers. When not in use by FirstNet subscribers, AT&T customers can enjoy Band 14’s added coverage and capacity.
AT&T 5G brings fast, reliable and secure connectivity to more than 295 million people in over 24,500 cities and towns nationwide. This helps Oklahomans get the best possible experience over the AT&T network wherever they live, work and play. From 2019 through 2023, AT&T invested nearly $1.5 billion in our wireless and wireline networks in Oklahoma to connect more people to greater possibility. These investments boost reliability, coverage, speed and overall performance for first responders, residents, businesses and visitors to the state.
Where can you find more information? Visit Oklahoma.att.com to learn more about how AT&T is supporting Oklahoma. For more about the value FirstNet is bringing to public safety, check out FirstNet.com.
And for the latest news on AT&T 5G, visit about.att.com/pages/5G.
Straw poll at Around the Corner
The importance of a small, locally owned and hometown café to any community in Oklahoma is great. For decades, Around the Corner (ATC) has been fulfilling that role here in Edmond. Of course, at any of these places in towns all across America, local politics plays an important part of any discussion among customers.
ATC is no different. Co-owner of ATC, Bob Wiess, stopped in the other day to let me know about the main topic of conversation these days at the restaurant. Turns out that the proposed GO bonds for Edmond are at the top of the list. He decided to do something about it to measure what his customer base is thinking. The Edmond city council voted to put the bonds on the November 5, 2024, ballot. The money will be used for traffic including street repair, a new fire station and park expansion. Of course, none of this is free in that if passed our ad valorem taxes will increase. If you missed our August 29, 2024, edition, you should go online and read the extensive information in that issue about the details of these bonds including specifics of what they are for and what kind of increase that the additional tax would amount to for property owners.
Wiess put up a score board on the wall in the restaurant. One side is for folks in favor of the bonds and the other is for folks against the issue. You paste a star on the side where you fall. The side against is overwhelming as demonstrated by the photograph I shot last week. I guess only the honor system keeps folks from voting twice, so it is not scientific in any way. It is also an older population with many on fixed incomes so you would expect that population to be less in favor of any adjustment upward in the taxes they pay on their home.
My concern is the missing information that is going around regarding the tax computation. I have had three people from the group that hangs out every week at ATC quote me what they think the dollar increase will be on the per $1000,000 value of property amount will be. In each case it was three times what the real rate would be.
Social media gets blamed for spreading incorrect information, but the old-fashioned method can be just as deadly for a project. Exaggeration, incorrect numbers and just outright wrong information is nothing new folks. It happens from café customers to neighborhoods even without social media.
Please read or re-read the piece that was in the paper last week. You can read it online to get the facts. Vote yes or no as you see fit but all I ask is that you base your decision on the facts and the truth without information that spreads through the local coffee shop.
We will keep you informed of the straw poll at ATC. I know we like to think of Edmond as a “metropolitan” community but we are still a small town in so many ways and I love it!
UCO flags for football games
When you are in downtown Edmond, please take note of University of Central Oklahoma flags flying through out the streets. We get asked what the purpose is and thought I would pass along to our readers. When you see the UCO flags flying, it means that there is a home game that weekend. Our friend and Director of the Stampede Club, Al Jones, is the guy who takes care of this for UCO. He is probably the number one fan of Broncho sports. He even gives the business outside of where the flags are flown some free tickets to one of the games.
It is going to be a great season for the Bronchos for football. You might want to consider taking your entire family to some of the games. Here is their schedule this fall:
September 7 against Langston at 7 p.m.
September 14 against Central Missouri at 7 p.m.
September 28 against Fort Hays State at 7p.m.
October 12 against Northwest Missouri at 1p.m
October 26 against Pittsburg State at 2p.m.
November 16 against Emporia State at 2p.m.
(Ray Hibbard may be reached at ray@edmondpaper.com)
