Crews are working on the eastbound lanes, causing the traffic to be reduced to one way in both directions.

This is part of a street improvement project that will resurface 51/2 miles roads throughout the city. The project started May 24.

The top layers of the old asphalt and overlay are being removed and new asphalt will be cover the roadway, said Engineer Harry Fenton,.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation is overseeing the project that is being paid for with federal stimulus money. The cost is $1,797,147.20

The road work is to be completed by June 30 depending on the weather.

Other roads among the projects are:Danforth Road from just east of Kelly Avenue to just west of Boulevard.Kelly Avenue from south of Edmond Road to north of 15th Street, with the exception of the intersection of Kelly and Seventh.Edmond road from the west city limits to west of Fretz, with exceptions at Edmond/Santa Fe Creek, Santa Fe Avenue and Kelly.15th Street from Bryant Avenue to west of Interstate 35, with an exception at Coltrane Road.

The day is a celebration of bicycling as a healthy and fun form of transportation. The event is being held across the metro area. In Edmond, the event is being sponsored by the Edmond Bicycle Committee and Bike Edmond.

A group bike ride will start at 8 a.m. Friday at the University of Central Oklahoma Wellness Center parking lot off  University Drive. It will end at OU Medical Center Edmond on Bryant Avenue. Refreshments and door prizes will be available at the hospital.

Several local League of American Bicyclist Cycling instructors have been working with Edmond Memorial High School on a pilot event to encourage the youth to ride their bikes to school.

There will be group bike rides led by experienced bicyclists traveling from Stephenson, Hafer and Bickham-Rudkin parks starting at 7 a.m.

All Bike to Work events will be cancelled if it rains.

The detention area, located west of the railroad tracks, north of Hurd, is designed to take care of drainage problems in the downtown area.

“This project was crucial for the improvement of our downtown area and the future urban development,” said Councilman Charles Lamb.

The detention area covers 6 acres and cost $2.1 million. Money for the project came from sales tax revenue designated specifically for capital improvements and parks.

City leaders and elected officials, along with employees who played a role in making the detention area reality, will be on hand for the dedication facility.

The actual detention pond is surrounded by large sidewalks for a half mile, newly-planted trees and older trees that have been there for many years.

A bridge and grasses that blow like waving wheat in the Edmond wind covers over a large portion of the area.

There is livestock and a salvage lot off to the north. An oilfield pumping unit and storage units in need of painting are to the east. A heavily-lined creek runs through part of the six area and smaller homes are around three sides.

There is parking too. Eight spaces for anyone and two for handicapped drivers.

A different place for a walk. But definitely one more trail for Edmond residents.

There are a number of unanswered questions about the center that would house police headquarters, a holding jail, public safety communications and emergency management operations.

How will be center be funded, what size will it be and where will it be constructed are tough questions before city leaders.

Voters turned down a $31 million proposal to build a new center that would have increased property taxes. The talk now is to up the sales tax rate for a specific period of time.

People weren’t  happy because the last proposal was to build the new center at Kelly Avenue and Main Street. Opposition wanted it kept downtown. City council members now agree, but where at downtown remains up in the air.

Mayor Patrice Douglas has appointed two committees to study remaining questions about the new center. One committee is asked to study the size and scope and the second will look into financing.

Douglas has recommended that the committees be done with their work in 60 to 120 days.

The first meeting of the scope and scale committee will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the conference room at the City First Conference Room, 24 E First St.

Edmond has experienced a four-year cumulative decline of 65 percent in residential permits from 2006 through 2009.

For the past seven consecutive months, city officials reported that the sell of building permits are on the increase.

Since August, building permits have increased from 115 to 158, a 37 percent increase.

City officials saw a 52 percent increase in the number of building permits during the first two months of 2010. That is an increase from 23 to 35.

City Manager Larry Stevens said, “Hopefully this the start of a new trend and we are getting back into the positive numbers.”

Commercial building permits are down for the first of 2010.

City officials issued three building permits in the first two months of this year. There were 10 for the same period last year.

Mayor Patrice Douglas and the city council plan to honor Edmond’s three high schools for raising $919,739.88 for local charities.

Student leaders will be recognized at the city council meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the city council chambers, 20 S Littler Ave.

This year, each high school took on separate events and organized a fundraiser for charities.

Edmond Memorial High School organized SWINE Week and raised $527,704.88 for the Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Children.

Edmond North High School held BALTO (Bring a Light to Others) Week and rasied $232,000 for Victory Junction Camp, a camp for special needs children in North Carolina.

Edmond Santa Fe High School put on Double Wolf Dare Week which raised $160,035 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma. The organization grants wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

“It is an honor to be mayor in such a city where our young citizens take such pride in civic involvement that ultimately changes lives,” Douglas said. “As city leaders, this type of passion reassures us that our next generation will continue making Edmond a great place to grow.”

Altogether, the students of these high schools together raised more than $900,000 for the charities.

Council members will honor over 50 students from the three different schools.

The annual Edmond economic profile contains demographic information including population, income levels, cost of licing, crime figures, traffic counts and more in the 14-page publication.

The abstract also features information on Edmond’s residential and commercial real estate markets, retail and hotel development, taxable sales statistics and public and higher education information.

“This information is critical to the (authority’s) recruitment efforts and plays a significant role in a company’s decision to expand their business in Edmond,” said Executive Director Janet Yowell. “The abstract provides a convenient way to present Edmond’s impressive demographics to businesses and individuals looking to relocate to Edmond.”

It is published by the economic authority and sponsored by Francis Tuttle Technology Center.

The information in the publication is carefully researched by the economic authority from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, SRC LLC, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, C2ER, the Oklahoma Tax Commission and more.

Copies are available at the Edmond Economic Development Authority, 825 E Second St., or online at www.eeda.com. For more information, call 340-0116.

The classroom and equipment were purchased for the Edmond Police Department with a $150,000 grant from Oklahoma Highway Safety Office.

The statewide Motorcycle Survival Course will mirror Edmond’s course they first offered to more experienced riders in 1978. The free course, offered twice a year, has trained hundreds of  Edmond motorcyclists.

Edmond officers can now take the course around Oklahoma because of the grant money which will partly pay for the officers’ travel and time.

“Motorcycle registrations continue to increase in Oklahoma, so it’s important to provide quality training for motorcycle operators,” said Scott Watkins, safety office director. “The class will also include information for other motorists to enable them to share the road safely with motorcyclists, so it’s a great benefit for all riders and drivers.”

In Oklahoma in 2008, safety office statistics show that 1,978 motorcyclist operators and passengers were involved in creashes. In 2008, there were 115,381 registered motorcycles, according to the Oklahoma Tax Commission. That’s a 14.3 percent increase over 2007.

“The Edmond Police Department has done an excellent job with their civilian motorcycle course, and we’re happy to be able to offer it across the state,” Watkins said. “It’s important that we keep every Oklahoman as safe as possible on our roadways.”

The unveiling will take place during a safety office meeting at Norman’s Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center, 2501 Conference Drive.

Officers went to the apartments 404 times, according to Edmond Police Department’s 2009 annual report released this week.

Rolling Greens Apartments, 400 E Danforth Road, was next in line with 294 calls for an officer during the year. Officers were called to Bryant Place Apartments, 1600 Kickingbird Road, 256 times during the 12-month period.

Coming in fourth and fifth place are two of the city’s busiest intersections. Second Street and South Bryant Avenue with 236 calls and 33rd Street and South Broadway with 226 calls.

Other locations in the top 10 list were Oxford Oaks Apartments, 1920 E Second St, with 202 calls; Walmart Supercenter, 1225 W Interstate 35 Frontage Road, with 197 calls; Oak Ridge Mobile Home Park, 601 Vista Lane, with 186 calls; Crown Ridge Apartments, 2500 Thomas Dr., with 180 calls, and Spring Creek Apartments, 777 E 15th St., with 179 calls.

Officers answered 4,254 alarms and worked 1,876 non-injury accidents.

More information about the police department’s annual report will appear in an upcoming edition of  The Oklahoman in the Edmond/State section this week.

It is published annually by the authority and sponsored by Francis Tuttle Technology Center.

The abstract offers information about Edmond’s residential and commercial real estate markets, retail and hotel development, taxable sales statistics and public and higher education information.

“This information is critical to the (authority’s) recruitment efforts and plays a significant role in a company’s decision to expand their business in Edmond,” said Janet Yowell, the authority’s executive director. “The abstract provides a convenient way to present Edmond’s impressive demographics to businesses and individuals looking to relocate to Edmond.”

The information in the 2010 Economic Abstract is researched by the authority from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, SRC LLC, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, C2ER, the Oklahoma Tax Commission and more.

Pricing information is available online at eeda.com or by calling 340-0116.