HUB Dec 13

C O M M U N I T Y

It’s a Wonderful Life: A live radio play

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DECEMBER 2013 Vol. 4 Issue 5

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CONTENTS

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Guest Writer

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Photography

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FEATURES

10 It’s a Wonderful Life

A rticles and advertisements in the Ada Hub do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or Twelve Media Group, Inc. Twelve Media Group, Inc. does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising by Ada Hub does not constitute endorsement of the products, services or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service that is fraudulent or misleading in nature. Ada Hub assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

18 Holiday Traditions

4 Recipe 5 In Shape 8 Shop Ada 14 Marketplace 17 Health & Wellness

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DECEMBER 2013

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RECIPE

When should you have your hearing checked?

Christmas Ham Ingredients • 1 Ham • ¼ cup brown mustard • 2 cups dark brown sugar • 1 ounce bourbon (poured into a spritz bottle) • 2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper Preparation Preheat oven to 2500 F. Remove ham from bag, rinse, and drain thoroughly. Place ham, cut side down, in a roasting pan. Using a small paring knife or clean utility knife set to the smallest blade setting, score the ham from bottom to top, spiraling clockwise as you cut. If you’re using a paring knife, be careful to only cut through the skin and first few layers of fat. Rotate the ham after each cut so that the scores are no more than two inches across. Once you’ve made it all the way around, move the knife to the other hand and repeat, spiraling counter-clockwise. The aim is to create a diamond pattern all over the ham—don’t worry too much about precision here. Pour half the Dr. Pepper over the ham. Tent the ham with heavy duty foil (covering without touching) and cook for three to four hours, or until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the meat registers 1400 F. A digital probe thermometer is best so that you can monitor the temperature as it cooks but any thermometer will work. Remove the ham from the oven and use tongs to pull away the diamonds of skin and any sheets of fat that come off with them. Heat oven to 3500 F. Dab the ham dry with paper towels, then brush on a liberal coat of mustard, using either a basting brush or a clean paint brush—as in nevertouched paint. Sprinkle on brown sugar, packing loosely as you go until the ham is coated. Spritz this layer lightly with bourbon. Place back in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the brown sugar has made a nice glaze, then pull the ham out and let it rest for half an hour before carving. Pour the remaining juice into a sauce pan with the other half of the Dr. Pepper and let it slowly reduce until you have a nice glaze to serve with the sliced ham. Fair warning, if you cook the ham properly, you will be asked to cook it agian. *Cook’s note: A city ham is basically any brined ham that is packed in a plastic bag, held in a refrigerated case and marked “ready to cook”, “partially cooked” or “ready to serve”. Better city hams are also labeled “ham in natural juices”.

VINCENT WILLIAM // CHEF Oak Hills Country Club 4 • www.adahub.com

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1 DON’T SKIP THE GYM 2 WASH HANDS OFTEN

It is common to put your health on the back burner until January rolls around, but if you adopt that attitude, a lot of damage can be done over the holidays. Here are 12 quick health tips to keep you on the right track through December.

3 EAT MINDFULLY

during holiday gatherings, be sure that food is not left out at room temperature for more than two hours

4 THAW FOOD IN THEREFRIGERATOR

(or in the microwave if you are going to cook immediately). Never thaw food at room temperature!

5 IT IS COMMON TO CONSUME 6,000 CALORIES

on days of holiday celebrations, so make sure you make good choices on non-celebration days

6 MAKE HEALTHY INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

when possible (whole grain pastry flour for enriched, lower fat dairy, oil for butter, etc)

7 IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR METABOLISM,

don’t skip the strength training

8 THE HOLIDAYS ARE ABOUT FAMILY

the perfect place for christmas

so make your health a family affair by getting everyone on board

9 FREEZE LEFTOVERS AND CONSUME SLOWLY

decorations, gifts, and treats

over the next few months instead of trying to finish them off in a few days

10 DO NOT CONSUME RAW EGGS IN EGGNOG OR BATTERS 11 BEWARE OF CONSUMING EXTRA CALORIES sweet shop USA truffles

beware of calories in drinks (pop, coffee, alcohol, egg nog, etc). Drink water and unsweetened drinks www.adahub.com • 5

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DARK

BY: SUNNIE DAWN SMITH

HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS SHOPPING Christmas is that time of year when we get to gather together with our families. In addition to the delicious meals and quality time spent together, we also have a chance to pick out that special something for our special someone. Unfortunately, many think that this means traveling out of town, braving the malls and the traffic to find the perfect present. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Here in Ada, we can find almost anything we need. This is the focus of a new advertising campaign from the Ada Area Chamber of Commerce and the Ada Jobs Foundation: Shop Ada. Sarah Jane Johnson, Sr. Vice President of the Ada Area Chamber of Commerce states that, “This campaign is a collaboration between both entities because it is important for both of them to promote and retain the businesses in our community.” This is important for many reasons. For one thing, these businesses provide jobs to the community, but, even more important, they produce the sales tax that helps operate the city. “...these businesses provide When you shop in Oklahoma City or Texas, your dollars are going to their road, jobs to the community, but, their police, their firemen. Why do that even more important, they when you can find whatever you need produce the sales tax that here, without the crowds and the traffic? helps operate the city.” It is more than a casual shopping preference; it is survival. If we want our town to continue to grow and prosper, we need to shop locally. Roughly 25% of the disposable income that Ada residents have is spent elsewhere. If we can reduce that to 15%, that means the city would collect an additional 200,000 dollars a month, which adds up to 2.4 million in a year. A city can do quite a bit with that money and needs it in order to operate as we want it to. The Shop Ada campaign is striving to make us understand what our shopping choices mean in a tangible way. They put it in terms of products we commonly purchase. For example, the sales tax on 32,000 pairs of shoes will pay a firefighter’s salary for a year. That’s a lot of shoes. Also, the tax on 600,000 cheeseburgers will pave a city block. The money from your purchases means something to the local businesses, but also to the city itself. We might not always realize how much our Ada stores have to offer. But think twice before you buy products elsewhere. If you want a particular product and do not know where to go, you have a great resource in the Ada Chamber of Commerce. Their website has a retail section that you can browse, or you can simply call the Chamber and ask them. If it is available in town, they can direct you to the right shop. We have retailers out here that are offering a service and a product but they are also providing jobs. All are important, both the locally owned businesses and the big corporations because they all invest in the community. People from neighboring areas might come for the larger stores, but they will also probably make a day of it, visiting other establishments as well, both retail and dining.

So this holiday season, you don’t have to brave the mall and the interstate in order to find that perfect gift. Shop Ada first. You can visit their website, www.adachamber.com and like their Facebook page for information on upcoming events and bargains in the Ada area. On Facebook you can also check out their cool video clips and even change your profile picture to support the Shop Ada campaign. Information is also available by phone at (580) 3322506 or by emailing Sarah Jane Johnson at sjohnson@adachamber.com. As Sarah says, “All the business owners in town have a stake in our community and want the same thing—a better Ada.” This is a common goal of more than just business owners, so next time you shop, Shop Ada. •

SARAH JANE JOHNSON

www.adahub.com • 7

SHOP ADA Brown’s Pharmacy & Gifts 1800 Arlington Deriek L. Patterson 221 W. 12th St Ada, OK 74820 580-332-4020, ext. 2630 405-379-3307, ext. 2630

Common Sense Investing Founded on Academic Research Have you ever had a friend, neighbor, or financial advisor recommend an investment that will “considerably increase your return/interest with seemingly no additional risk”? If so, I would like to remind you of a simple investment truth: “Risk and Return Are Related”. If Investment “A” is expected to earn 2% and Investment “B” is expected to earn 6%, then “B” is exposing you to higher potential risk(s) than “A”. Does this mean one is better than the other? Absolutely not, however, it does mean Investment “B” must reward investors with a higher expected return in order to compensate them for taking the additional risk(s). Be aware that there is a Risk/Return tradeoff for any investment you make. If you hang on to this simple truth, you will be more likely to pursue your long term financial goals with greater success.

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It’s a Wonderful Life: A live radio play BY: SUNNIE DAWN SMITH

Christmas traditions vary by family. One tradition that many share, though, is watching the 1946 Frank Capra classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. Families welcome Jimmy Stewart into their homes, sharing in George Bailey’s life, tribulations, and triumphs. Another tradition, though lost now to many generations, is the live radio play. Families in the 1940s would gather around the radio and listen to their favorite shows, sharing the excitement with each other. It’s a Wonderful Life was also involved in this part of history. It was so beloved that a year after it was released, the first radio play adaptation was introduced. This December, however, families have a chance once more to experience this long forgotten part of history by watching the live radio play of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry at the McSwain Theater. It all began with the Arts and Humanities division of the Chickasaw Nation. They had previously done live radio plays in their black box theater. For Halloween they performed The Tell-Tale Heart and The Canterville Ghost. For Christmas they put on A Christmas Carol. The cast was always comprised of members and employees of the Chickasaw Nation. This year, however, they wanted to do something different, with a larger cast. After much searching, director James Wallace, finally decided on It’s a Wonderful Life. Since this was a larger play, though, they decided to open up auditions to the public, which was a tremendous success. Sixty-one people auditioned, with fewer than twenty being children. In the end, they cast fourteen adults and four children. Some are from local businesses, others from ECU, and a few even have previous radio experience. Though most are from Ada, a few are even driving in for rehearsals from Marietta and Elmore City. >

www.adahub.com • 11

cont. from page 11

James Wallace

Radio plays have different challenges than stage plays, however. Though the actors spend their time stationary at microphones, they also have the challenge of playing multiple characters. Of the cast, only a handful plays a single character. This adds the difficulty of not only making the characters believable, but also making them different enough so that the audience will be able to tell them apart. This is also one of the many aspects of the play that audiences will enjoy, though. The audience will get to see the transformation of eighteen people into many. This production will give the audience the rare opportunity to step back into the 1940s. The actors will be wearing costumes indicative of 1940s and the McSwain will be transformed into a radio station from that time period as well. Musical interludes will further enhance this experience. It will be like stepping back to a time before television and CGI. Instead of computer generated effects, the audience will get to see a Foley artist create the sound effects right there on stage. Instead of having a picture moving before them, they can imagine the story unfolding before them just through the simple act of listening. Whenever you go to a play, you are transported to another world.

James Wallace, the director, says that what he loves about theater is that, “You do a show and for an hour or two hours people get to escape to a different place.” This might even be more true for a radio play since your own imagination fills in what is absent onstage. In the case of this play, you are not only invited to another place, but another time as well—picturing Bedford Falls in your own mind, while also being in a 1940s radio station. This is the kind of show that will appeal to all age groups. Older audience members can remember listening to radio shows when they were young, while younger members will marvel at the hand crafted sound effects so different from our digital age. It is an experience for the entire family to enjoy. There will be three shows: 7:00 on Friday, December 13th, and 2:00 and 7:00 on Saturday, December 14th. Five dollars buys you a ticket, popcorn, and soda. Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone, or at the McSwain Theater box office. If you show up an hour before the matinee on Saturday, you can also have your picture taken with Santa for five dollars—a fundraiser for the Ada Arts Council. So bring your whole family and step into the past for a heartwarming tale of the holidays. •

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TEDFORD INSURANCE BY: SUNNIE DAWN SMITH

The prospect of owning your own business is a common degree in and she likes that she still gets to use the same spirit dream. However, many difficulties lie in between the dream that led her to her degree. Though her main focus in Jenks and the reality. One of the most daunting possibilities is the was small businesses, she will work with you no matter how chance that something unexpected might happen. A worker small or large. In Oklahoma, businesses have to have workers might get injured, company cars can get wrecked, high winds compensation if they have full time employees. But general could damage the roof, a customer might slip and fall. These liability, though not legally necessary, is incredibly useful. For worries can turn the realization of a dream into nothing instance, if you own a store and someone comes in and falls more than anxiety. This is where Malorie Thompson, of Teddown, you are liable for this accident as the owner. Or, if you’re ford Insurance, can help. a landscaper mowing someone’s lawn and a rock flies from unMalorie began working for Tedford Insurance’s home ofderneath and hits a car or breaks a window. These can be costly fice in Jenks when she was seventeen years old. She began accidents, and general liability insurance can help. as a file clerk. However, she continued If you are interested in finding the working for them as she completed her coverage that’s right for you and your college degree at ECU, and then continbusiness, call or visit Malorie Thomp“A s a n insu ra nce agent son. Her office is located at 730 E. Main ued after college. For Malorie, Tedford isn’t just an insurance company; they’re you pray that your clients St., Suite 105. It is on the corner of Main family. They are family owned and opernever need the insurance but and Stonewall, in the back of Perfect ated but also treat their employees as Blend Coffee Shop. You can also contact also you want to make sure her by phone at (580) 789-9818. You can family. They get together for Thanksthat they don’t have to go also email her at Malorie@tedfordinsurgiving, Christmas, the Fourth of July, and other major holidays. And, most imance.com or visit the website at www. out of business.” portantly for Malorie, they were willing tedfordinsurance.com. She will help you to help her find a career and a path of find the insurance that’s right for you.• her own. Since she began working for them, she has done so consistently except for ten months when she and her husband moved to Laredo, TX because of his work in oil and gas. When they decided to come home, and he was offered a job in the area, she contacted her old employers once again, to see if they could help her out. She wanted to work with commercial insurance, and she wanted to do it in Ada. They thought it was a great idea so the Ada branch of Tedford Insurance opened this past June. Malorie is very service oriented. Her biggest goal is to be able to find the perfect fit for each business owner, not just what is price effective but also what is best for their business. She wants to make sure that they are totally covered. Malorie says, “As an insurance agent you pray that your clients never need the insurance but also you want to make sure that they don’t have to go out of business.” She enjoys working with businesses because she has a true appreciation for entrepreneurship. That is what she got her Malorie Thompson 14 • www.adahub.com

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Action LIMB AND BR ACE BY: ADAM FLANAGAN

In the unfortunate event when someone loses a limb or the ability to move comfortably, there is still hope. That hope might just be closer than you think. Action Limb & Brace is located at 2727 Arlington right here in Ada. They specialize in Orthotics and Prosthetics to aid their patients in gaining back the freedom of movement. Charles and Christie Nordan are the owners of Action Limb & Brace. Charles grew up in a family who was dedicated to this type of work in the medical field. His grandfather was an orthopedic surgeon and his father was also in the business. Charles remembers working with his dad in the afternoons once school was out and continued to work with him after he graduated. With over 20 years experience, Charles is CP, BOCPO, LPO, board certified and State Licensed to practice Orthotics and Prosthetics. He began working with the Hanger Orthopedic Group in 1994 until he moved to Ada in 2002 where he started at Action Limb & Brace. Charles and his wife, Christie, bought the business in August of 2012 and he continues to practice there today. They are a full service business with a wide range of offerings. They do everything from the evaluation to the follow up. There services include artificial limbs, custom design limbs, orthopedic braces custom design braces, custom fit pre-fabricated braces, custom fitting for both and even complete fabrication. They have a good balance between orthotics and prosthetics. They cast, fit and fabricate the braces and artificial limbs right in their office. They can even transfer scenes, patterns or words into the artificial limbs. Charles can take any t-shirt with a design and put it boer the last layer to transfer the design onto the prosthetic. “I once spent a whole day in Oklahoma City finding different shirts for one of my patients to choose from for the transfer,” Charles said. This is the length they will go to as they strive to exceed the expectations of their patients. They use carbon graphite and fiberglass so the pieces are extremely light and extremely strong. It is a terrible occurrence when someone loses a limb or the ability to move comfortably. Unfortunately, it does happen. Action Limb & Brace exists to help people gain back their

freedom to move. One patient had gone to four of five other practices and just couldn’t get the help she needed. She came to Action Limb & Brace and Charles was able to custom fit her and now she is feeling great. “My favorite thing about the job is to see a person enter my office in a wheelchair, and after doing my job, see them leave my office walking,” Charles told me. If you are having trouble with mobility or are in need of a prosthetic limb, don’t drive to the city, instead visit Action Limb & Brace right here in Ada. You can give them a call at 580-332-7275 or even follow them at facebook.com/actionlimbandbrace. • www.adahub.com • 17

Holiday Traditions BY: ADAM FLANAGAN

Take a deep breath in through your nose. Do you smell it? Ahhh...warm apple cider, fresh baked goods in the oven or perhaps the unmistakable scent of a real authentic Christmas tree. The holiday season is upon us and there are so many sights, sounds and smells that trigger our senses. Some even remind us of a time when we were just a child, and it causes us to reflect on all of those moments we spent enjoying our family traditions during this special time of year. Different families have different traditions. Some have been passed on through many generations and others are beginning this season. We have taken a look at a few families and we would like to share their holiday traditions with you.

The Miller’s (Johnny, Tami, Kali, Jillian, and Gwenlee) Advent is a fairly new tradition in our family, or at least using an Advent calendar or study to celebrate is. In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we wanted a way to really focus on what Christmas means to our family, the celebration of the birth of Christ. Last year we did the Jesse Tree Advent Celebration as a family. Each night, counting down the days until Christmas in December, we would open an envelope containing that days study, and a special ornament for our Jesse Tree. (Jesse Tree is a free download, and can be found here http:// www.aholyexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ Jesse_Tree_Advent_Celebration1.pdf) We would read scripture, and also have a simple activity to do as a family. We are looking forward to this years Advent countdown and celebration, and want this to be a tradition we continue as we raise our kids and one they can continue when they have families of their own. 18 • www.adahub.com

The Schilreff’s (Jason, Jessica, Malachi and Braylon) Well, for Christmas Eve, we always buy the boys new pajamas. So, on Christmas Eve the boys open them up and then we eat soup, play games, watch movies and have snacks. After that, we put out reindeer food and the boys climb in bed. On Christmas Day we wake up early and see what Santa has brought. The boys open their gifts and then later on in the day, the rest of the family comes over for food and we exchange gifts with them as well. I am sure by now you might share something in common with one of these families. We do seem to all share similar traditions. It is fun how different families put their own special spin on common traditions. We might share similar traditions, however each family may do things just a little bit differently.

The Urlaub’s (Ron, Maria, Maddie and Morgan) One tradition is we have a big wooden advent calendar and the girls take turns opening a door each day. They always look forward to seeing what’s behind the door. Also, one night each week during the season, we bake Christmas goodies, cakes, cookies and candy. I believe it is safe to say that each family has a special tradition with a meal. I know a lot of people eat ham or turkey on Christmas Day. I know others who like to change it up each year with food from different countries. I remember one year have Arabic and Lebanese food for Christmas and it was very tasty. I also remember growing up wondering what the round guy in the red suit was going to leave for me on Christmas morning. It was such good fun and it is a real treat to share those traditions with my wife and son today. Here is what another family does during the holiday season.

The Emerson’s (Rick, Stacey, Alaina, Ava and Ali) Christmas traditions at the Emerson household don’t begin until the day after Thanksgiving. We want to teach our girls to not “skip through” the season of thankfulness and having an attitude of gratitude. It all begins with our Elf on the Shelf, Sparkle, the day after Thanksgiving. Soon after that, we make homemade sugar cookies and we have a decorating night. We also build a gingerbread house with our girls. Each year we buy a new Christmas CD to listen to during the season. We participate in Operation Christmas child as a family. The girls enjoy buying toys and things for other little children. When Christmas Eve comes around we go to a candlelight service at our church and then we do a reading of the Christmas story and we open one present that night. On Christmas morning, we use our family recipe and make mini ham puffs for breakfast. Our Christmas meal is non-traditional consisting of sausage cheese balls, homemade tamales, veggie bars, enchilada dip, jumbo shrimp and cocktail sauce and of course egg nog. •

Maybe you have something in common with these families. Maybe you will get a new idea for your family. Maybe you have something you could share with us on our page at www.facebook.com/adahub. We would love to hear from all of you, so please take a moment and share what makes your holidays so special. You might just give someone their new favorite family tradition.

Merry Christmas! www.adahub.com • 19