MeMe's Pizzeria opens on Chautauqua

James Clifford and his father Paul have opened MeMe's Pizzeria at 2804 Chautauqua Ave. in Norman. The pizzeria is south of the 7-Eleven and is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The store offers take-out and delivery and pizza by the slice all day. They feature thick crust, deep dish pizzas and can be reached at 364-6363.



Thunderbird Liquors moves

Thunderbird Liquors has moved from its location at 2101 Classen Boulevard to the new East Village on 12th Avenue SE and Lindsey Street.

Owner Terence Heckart said the new location is twice the space of the old Phillips 66 Station he occupied 21 and a half years. He said the new space is welcome.

"I couldn't bring any new products in because I didn't have enough space," he said. "This place is wide open. We can do lots of things and have lots of new products here that we couldn't do in the old location due to space."



Ideal Homes, Principal Technologies receive awards

The Oklahoma Business Ethics Consortium has handed out its Compass awards to BKD, LLP, Ideal Homes of Norman and Principal Technologies Inc., for efforts to promote integrity at work.

Todd Lisle, partner for BKD, LLP, accepted honors for the large company category. Vernon McKown, president of Ideal Homes of Norman, accepted the award for mid-sized companies and Pam Fountain, CEO of Principal Technologies Inc., received the honor for the small business category.

The Compass Award program was developed in 2003 by the Oklahoma Business Ethics Consortium, a statewide non-sectarian, non-profit organization consisting of nearly 600 business leaders in Oklahoma City, Norman and Tulsa.

The purpose of the award is to promote the sharing of best practices in business ethics. ?



Iowa Street property sells

W. Mark Hyde II, Equity Commercial Realty, LLC, was the selling associate and Brad Worster, CCIM, JR Fulton and Associates was the listing associate on a transaction at 516 Iowa St.

Mark and Teri Wesley were the sellers and Chad and Helen Bartlett was the buyer. The commercial building was purchased for $154,000. The property will be used for a daycare. Betty Cummins of First American Title and Trust Services closed the transaction.



Classen, Constitution site sells

A 1.73 acre tract at Classen Boulevard and Constitution Avenue was recently sold for $1,055,000.

BES Investments LLC, was the seller and Family Video Movie Club Inc., was the buyer. The parcel was purchased for investment purposes.

Eric C. Fleske, Equity Commercial Realty LLC, was the listing broker and Dan Gitre, Waterland Properties L.P., was the selling broker.



Manufacturing report shows continuing contraction in April

NEW YORK -- U.S. manufacturing activity contracted in April at the same pace as in the previous month, stalled near its lowest level in five years, a private trade group said Thursday.

The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, said it manufacturing gauge was steady at 48.6 last month, unchanged from March.

But it beat economists' expectations for a reading of 48, according to the consensus estimate of Wall Street economists surveyed by Thomson Financial/IFR.

A reading above 50 shows the economy is growing, while a reading below 50 signals contraction.

"The economy seems to be muddling through," said David Resler, chief economist for Nomura Securities. The narrow range the manufacturing index has stayed in over the past five months is a good sign, he said.

"Usually, when the economy is going into recession, the ISM moves below 50 and it keeps heading lower," he said. "It's not followed that pattern yet."

-- Transcript Staff and AP reports