ionOklahoma Online - June/July 2018

ionOK.com

Tom McDaniel,

JUNE/JULY 2018

MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board Chairman

Vince Gill and Johnny Mathis coming to Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall

SMART HOME For Senior “Connected Independence” by COX

Express Employment Professionals Annual Survey of the Unemployed

Lifestyle … Culture … Entertainment

RECO RECOGNITION OGNITI = RETENTION Nominate a young oung professional you know that is deser ving recognition. Just go to

un under der

nextgenunder30.com

oklahoma oklahoma

DO YOU KNOW

OVER-ACHIEVERS/UNDER OVER-ACHIEVERS/ -ACHIEVERS/UNDER UNDER 30

doing amazing things in Oklahoma.

The he next generation of leaders in Oklahoma will be recognized at the Eighth Annual NextGen Under 30 Oklahoma awards. Nominate innovative, creative-thinking and inspiring young individuals who push the boundaries aries beyond their years. ears. TTo o nominate a candidate, cand go to nextgenunder30.com All nominees must be 30 years or younger at sometime during 2018.

Applications must be submitted by Fridayy, August 1, 1 2018. Award winners will be notified on September 7, 2018 and recognized at the NextGen Award Ceremony Friday November 2, 2018 Embassy Suites Hotel Norman.

A state-wide event, with talented, high-achieving ories as Oklahoma’s Millennials nominated in 15 categories best and brightest hope for the future These high achievers are nominated by members of their communities.

Distinguished judges select 15 winners in each category.

Day At The Capitol Monday October 1, 2018 10:30 – 12:00 NextGen Networking Luncheon 1:00 – 3:00

oOK on nK O magazine i

ion Oklahoma Magazine 20 W. Wilshire Blvd Ste F2 Oklahoma City OK 73116 Office: (405) 607.0930 (405) 816.3338

405.495.4423 sales@ideasinice.com

Make your event

THE ONE people will talk about

publisher : Don Swift assistant : Joni Yeager editor : Tim Farley editiorial assistant : Darian Woolbright videographer : Jeremy Gossett director of photography : Michael Downes web site developer : Patrick Moore with Set Sail Media web site developer : Nina Jones, Data Design Inc. illustration : Rosemary Burke graphic design : Wendy Mills Advertising Sales Tina Layman Photographers Jeremy Gossett Hugh Scott, Jr. Tracy Reece Jerry Hymer

Advertising Consultants Peter Preksto Contributors fashion : Linda Miller art : Joy Reed Belt people : Peggy Gandy social issues : Robbie Robertson community : Lauren Wright contributing writer : Sandi Davis contributing writer : Greg Horton contributing writer : M.A. Smith contributing writer : M. J. Van Deventer contributing writer : Julie York

14

Contents COVER STORY 14 MAPS 3 Oklahoma City

by Don Swift

ART

22

Prix de West offers smorgasbord of American Western art

by M. J. Van Deventer

PEOPLE 28 Purses Hold Power for Oklahoma Women

by M. J. Van Deventer

46

FASHION 31 White Out!

by Linda Miller

TRAVEL 36 History Lesson: an interesting summer getaway for adults and children

by Linda Miller

54

Galveston’s Old City Cemetery full of intrigue, mystery

by Linda Miller

80 72

Travel memoirs of a phtographer: my adventure trip to Scotland

by William S. McIntosh

EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT 46 2018-2019 Performing Arts Series at OCCC 50 Oklahoma celebrates America’s birthday with food, music, parades, fireworks 72 Myriad Botanical Gardens brings movies, fitness, dancing, camping and more to Downtown OKC

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HISTORY 41 Grisso Mansion: a landmark for the ages. Now it hosts weddings, corporate retreats, receptions and more 91 George Washington’s Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in company and conversation BUSINESS 45 Express Employment: Study of the Unemployed MUSIC

62 67

Vince Gill — Saturday, August 18th, OKC Civic Center Johnny Mathis: SUPERSTAR – 62 Years of Romantic Pop coming to OKC Civic Center, September 6th, 2018

41

by Bud Elder

DINING

60

Old Germany Restaurant to reopen: Turek’s Tavern welcomes people back

by Ryan Horton

COMMENTARY 70 It’s no surprise Oklahoma charter, magnet schools rank so high

86

by John Thompson

SPORTS 27 OKC Energy 2018 Schedule 34 OKC Dodgers 2018 Schedule TECHNOLOGY

86

Smart Home for Senior “Connected Independence”

by COX and 4 Corners Homes

june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 9

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Welcome to the world of ion Oklahoma Online Magazine — we are all about the Oklahoma Lifestyle, people, places, events and travel. 2018 is an election year and for many Oklahomans living in our cities and towns across the state they will need to become much more knowledgeable about the critical issues and how they are negatively affecting our lives. More specifically all Oklahomans need to understand the importance of getting out to vote.

The Oklahoma lawmakers need to hear that we expect them to come together in a bipartisan way and pass the educational reform that our state desperately needs and then balance the budget. Lawmakers need to understand teachers aren’t the only ones pleading for more state revenue even though they have been grabbing all the headlines.

Many other states have been confronted with these same type budget problems and with strong leadership in their 10 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

state governments found successful solutions. Oklahoma legislators need to do A MUCH BETTER JOB and step up to find those budget solutions for Oklahoma in 2018.

Oklahoma is a state that offers a very affordable quality lifestyle and many opportunities for entrepreneurial young people. Adequately funding education in Oklahoma must be priority one in 2018. Oklahoma’s economy needs to become more diversified by attracting other industries.

I would like to congratulate both Oklahoma City and Tulsa for being recognized nationally again in 2017 as two of the top cities in the nation for small business startups.

Are you one of those who get much of their daily information over the Internet and on your computer or smart phone? Ion Oklahoma Online www.ionok.com can be easily saved as one of your favorite news-entertainment websites.

If you enjoy reading about many of Oklahoma’s success stories involving the progress Oklahoma and its people are making then you will want to bookmark ion Oklahoma. So many great things happening in Oklahoma don’t get much media coverage because of all the negative news being reported every day. Let us hear from you regarding any feature stories about Oklahoma you would like for our editors to review, as we are always looking for those special stories to share with our ion subscribers.

Sincerely, Don Swift Publisher, ion Oklahoma Magazine www.ionok.com

“Like” us on facebook facebook.com/pages/IonOklahoma-Online

Follow us on twitter @IonOklahoma

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COVER STORY

MAPS 3 O K L A H O M A

Tom and Brenda McDaniel at Scissortail Park

14 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

C I T Y

BY DON SWIFT

leading mega-size organizations is nothing new for Oklahoma City businessman and former college president Tom McDaniel.

He has done just about everything one could imagine.

But in 2010, he received an unexpected telephone call from then-Mayor Mick Cornett. Cornett wanted to know if McDaniel would accept the role as chairman of an 11member Citizens Advisory Board for the widely popular MAPS 3 projects.

Without any fanfare, McDaniel accepted the volunteer post that would eventually consume his life and thoughts.

Eight years later, some of the MAPS 3 projects are nearing completion with all projects slated for completion by 2021.

Senior wellness centers have opened, the modern streetcar will soon be operational and trails and sidewalks continue to be built. The largest MAPS 3 projects – a downtown convention center and the 70-acre park – are still in the planning stages.

McDaniel and the advisory board didn’t embark on this endeavor alone. There is a subcommittee for each of the eight projects whose members oversee their own project

and then report to the Citizens Advisory Board who in turn report to the City Council.

Cornett knew McDaniel was the perfect person to lead almost 80 people involved with the MAPS 3 Advisory Board and subcommittees.

Oklahoma City businessman and activist Lee Allan Smith commented, “Tom McDaniel is a great consensus builder among the many talented people working on these projects.

As many of the community leaders would have differing opinions from time to time Tom is an excellent facilitator

june/july 2018 ionOklahoma 15

and good at keeping everyone happy and focused on the outcomes of their projects.”

McDaniel said he and his fellow board members have been tasked with managing multi-million dollar budgets on each of the projects.

“One of the biggest challenges was to manage the overall budget and not become overextended at any time with cost overruns when compared to the sales tax revenue being collected and set aside for MAPS 3 projects,” McDaniel said.

“I was very happy in December 2017 to know all the MAPS 3 money ($800 million) was collected and in the bank.”

David Todd, MAPS program manager, said McDaniel is a good communicator and has always been open to new ideas from everyone. Those ideas, however, must be consistent with the goals of each of the projects, Todd said.

McDaniel mentioned that all MAPS 3 projects are Pete White Sr Health and Wellness Center

16 june/july ion Oklahoma

important but the “crown jewels” of all the projects will be the 70-acre downtown Scissortail Park located next to the new convention center and the new convention center hotel.

The Scissortail Park will include a lake, a 20,000 seat amphitheater, walking trails, gardens and something all Oklahoma Citians and their families will enjoy.

McDaniel knows the Oklahoma City business world better than most people.

He became president of American Fidelity Foundation on September 1, 2011, after having served as president and chancellor of Oklahoma City University from July 1, 2001 to August 31, 2011.

He retired as vice chairman and director of Kerr McGee Corporation in 2000 and then served as president of Northwestern Oklahoma State University, becoming the first graduate of that school to ever serve as its president. He holds a business degree from Northwestern, a Jurist Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma, and an Honorary

OKC Convention Center confetti ground breaking

Doctorate of Humane Letters from OCU. He is active in the community, serving on numerous boards and commissions.

McDaniel and his wife, Brenda, were selected 2010 “Treasures of Tomorrow” by the Oklahoma Health Foundation. Among his recognitions he was recently named Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEO in large non-profits. In 2006, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. In 2017, Leadership Oklahoma recognized him with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Historical review of all MAPS Programs As residents may remember, the year was 1993 and Oklahoma City community leaders and voters made the bold decision to address many struggling city issues at the time by approving a new tax on themselves.

A $350 million sales tax funded initiative was created to revitalize the OKC downtown area including an area of empty warehouses, improve Oklahoma City’s national image

and provide new and upgraded cultural, sports, recreation, entertainment and convention facilities.

By funding the projects with a limited term, one-cent sales tax, the projects are built debt free. The U.S. Conference of Mayors noted, “Using a pay-as-you-go structure allowed Oklahoma City to build world-class facilities without the burden of debt for future generations and city leaders.

Oklahoma City citizens made the historic decision to invest their own money in the city they called home.”

Now almost 25 years later all Oklahoma Citians are enjoying the benefits of a successful city transformation under the Original MAPS program and that it has elevated the community nationally to what Cornett has named a “big league” city.

Due to the overwhelming success of MAPS and recognizing the needs of the city’s struggling public schools, Oklahoma City proposed a second MAPS initiative. MAPS for Kids went before voters in 2001 and passed with a 61 percent majority. [CONTINUED ON PG 20] june/july ion Oklahoma 17

Clockwise from top Final Upper Park; Boat District; Maps3 Senior Center

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Clockwise from above: Will Rogers Trail Opening; Maps 3 sidewalk project; Boat District...

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Bennett Event Center Ribbon Cutting

[CONTINUED FROM PG 17] The new sales tax generated $514 million along with a $180 million Oklahoma City Public Schools bond issue, which was used for school facility

20 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

improvements, technology and transportation projects. Seventy percent of the sales tax funds were disbursed to the Oklahoma City Public School District and 30 percent to

surrounding suburban districts.

When the last facility is constructed, the program will have built or renovated 70 Oklahoma City Public School buildings and provided funding for hundreds of other metro area school projects.

In 2008, residents approved another short-term, one-cent sales tax after the MAPS for Kids tax expired to fund improvements at the downtown Chesapeake arena and build an offsite practice facility to accommodate the new NBA franchise, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

MAPS projects are built debt free, and over time the money is collected and spent efďŹ ciently, without burdening future taxpayers. Every

MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board Chairman Tom McDaniel (At-Large) President, American Fidelity Foundation Dee Morales (At-Large) Television Journalist/Freelance Producer

MAPS initiative has essentially been a 10 to 12-year process, and the same is expected of MAPS 3.

MAPS 3 was planned as a capital improvement program again using the one cent limited term sales tax to pay for debt free projects that would improve the city and quality of life. MAPS 3 will clearly define Oklahoma City as a major league city.

Maps 3 projects include a convention center, downtown public park, modern streetcar and transit system, Oklahoma State Fairgrounds improvements, senior health and wellness centers, Oklahoma River improvements, trails and sidewalks.

MAPS 3 construction started in 2012 and is expected to be completed in 2021 at a total budget of $777 million.

One of the major reasons these MAPS Programs have been so successful is the oversight process created by the City Council. The 11 member MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board was established to review all projects and make recommendations to the City Council.

Each of Oklahoma City’s eight City Council members nominate one person to represent their ward. Two at-large board members are appointed upon nomination by the mayor. One advisory board member is a city council member, who is appointed by the mayor and confirmed by a council vote. The council member serves a oneyear term, and another council member then takes over on a rotating basis.

Eight subcommittees comprised of more than 60 members provide additional input to the Citizens Advisory Board. Two members of the advisory board serve as the chair and vice-chair of each subcommittee.

All advisory board and subcommittee meetings are open to the public. Meetings are generally held once a month or as needed. n

Temporarily vacant City Council representative (rotates annually) Susan J. Hooper (Ward 1) Educational Consultant, SHooper Consulting Michael Dover (Ward 2) Retired (former CEO, Variety Care Foundation) Kimberly Lowe (Ward 3) Principal/Creative Director, The Lowe Group LLC Zane Boatright (Ward 4) Plans/Resources Division Chief, Tinker AFB Michael G. Adams (Ward 5) Retired (former Vice President, Corporate Controller, LSB Industries) Nathaniel Harding (Ward 6) Harding Shelton Energy Consulting Cecilia Robinson-Woods (Ward 7) Superintendent, Millwood Public Schools Bob Nelon (Ward 8) Attorney, Hall Estill

june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 21

ART

Prix de West offers smorgasbord of American Western art

BY M. J. VAN DEVENTER

Art patrons attending the annual Prix de West Invitational Art exhibition at the national Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum were treated to a smorgasbord of American Western art at the event’s opening weekend june 8-9.

John Coleman, The Healer, Bronze 22 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

With 300 artists exhibiting more than 1,200 works of art, the 46th annual event was truly a feast for the eyes.

The show, which continues through August 5, is the best of the West in the American art world. It features works ranging from historical subjects to more contemporary and impressionistic artistic expressions.

Historically, there are images that range from the Oregon Trail to vignettes of the Buffalo soldiers. Lush landscapes are also prevalent. A visitor to this prestigious exhibition can also experience all kinds of climate change – from ice and snow to spring and summer prairie blossoms.

It’s also a high class circus of Wild West animals. Coyotes, bears, foxes, antelope and buffalo are tamed and honored to roam the canvases for this show. One year, a well-crafted slithering lizard won the show’s top honor – the coveted Prix de West Purchase Award. That sculpture is now among the 46 works of art comprising the Museum’s special gallery of purchase award winners. Wildlife has always reigned as an inviting aspect of this show.

So have still lifes. Prix de West artists have always had a

Above, Bill-Anton’s oil on linen received the Express Ranches Great American Cowboy Award.

Right, George Carlson, Winter In Monochrome

fascination for Native American artifacts – from baskets and pottery to moccasins and kachina dolls. Those paintings and sculptures are a reminder of the trading posts that once marked the landscape of the American West. The few that remain still provide today’s artists with a wealth of subject matter for their art.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a western art show without a cavalcade of cowboys on horses riding through the galleries’ canvases. Cowboys on horseback are painted or sculpted in situations that range from branding or herding cattle in the rain or at a spring roundup.

The Prix de West opening weekend is not only a feast for the eyes; it’s also an educational event with a variety of seminars and art demonstrations touting Western theme subjects. june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 23

Len Chmiel, An Early Bloomer

Each year, at least one artist is invited to join this illustrious group. This year, Robert Griffing received that honor. Traditionally, the Prix de West art has focused on Native Americans from the southwest and western regions of the country. Griffing is noted for his paintings of Eastern America woodland Indians. His art sheds light on this somewhat neglected time period of America’s artistic romance with the American West.

Also participating this year were two other guest artists, Joel Johnson and Benjamin Wu, who represents a growing interest among Oriental artists who have found the West as a fascinating subject for this show. As an artist of Oriental heritage, Wu is not a newcomer to the Prix de West venue. As 24 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

early as the 1990’s, the late Chen Chi reigned as one of the Prix de West’s premier Oriental artists. This show also includes work by Kang Cho, Z.S. Liang and Mian Situ.

Natalie Shirley, recently appointed as the museum’s president and chief executive officer, said, “The exhibition and sale is both a visual and social showcase of how the Museum celebrates the American West through incredible art. It is our honor to host famed principal artists along with their paintings and sculptures of the highest quality found in today’s studios, galleries and museums.”

The Prix de West show is the Museum’s largest fundraiser.

In addition to the fixed price auction, the weekend events include a lively bid auction for a smaller exhibition by

participating artists. That segment of the show is perfect for beginning art collectors to put their toe in the water and begin a love affair with western art.

For stay at homes, the entire art collection can be viewed online at nationalcowboymuseum.org/media-pics/.

What a great way to experience an armchair view of artists’ perspective on the great American West.

Walter T. Matia, Two for the Road

Prix De West Award Winners 2018 Prix de West Purchase Award: “Blasting A Route Through The Sierra Nevada Mountains, 1865, Central Pacific Railroad,” Oil on canvas painting by Mian Situ. This painting becomes part of the Museum’s permanent Prix de West Collection.

Sponsored by Roberta Eldridge Miller.

Jackie L. Coles Buyers’ Choice Award: “The Healer,” a bronze by John Coleman. This award is chosen by patrons attending the Saturday night final gala event and is sponsored by the estate of the late Jackie L.Coles.

Frederic Remington Painting Award: “Winter in Monochrome,” Oil on linen painting by George Carlson. This award is chosen for the best painting in any art medium, oil, watercolor or acrylic. Sponsored by Donna Holt, Jan Provine and Terri Sadler in memory of their parents, Russ & Dortha Sadler, lifetime members and National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum docents.

Major General and Mrs. Don D. Pittman Wildlife Award: “Feathers and Dust,” Oil on linen painting by Greg Beecham.

This award honors any wildlife work of art, painting or sculpture; sponsored by the estate of the late Major General and Mrs. Don D. Pittman.

James Earle Fraser Sculpture Award: “Two For The Road,” Bronze sculpture by Walter T. Matia. This award honors the best sculpture in any medium, bronze, marble, wood; sponsored by the Charlie Russell Riders in honor of Steve Rose.

Robert Lougheed Memorial Award: Len Chmiel. This award is chosen by the participating artists to honor one of their own whose work exemplitfies the spirit of the American West. It is sponsored by Roger and Barbara Simons in memory of Faydra and George Simons, true Western enthusiasts.

Express Ranches Great American Cowboy Award: “Who’s Got The Cards?” by Bill Anton, an Oil on linen painting. This award honors the best of any work of art that expresses the cowboy spirit and lifestyle; sponsored by Robert A. Funk, owner of Express Personnel.

Donald Teague Memorial Award: “Cowboy Cadillacs” by Bruce R.

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Greene, a Conté on paper painting. This award honors the artist whose work best exemplifies the spirit of one of the late founders of the Prix de West show; sponsored by the Scottsdale Art Auction.

Wilson Hurley Memorial Award: “Under the Tall Cottonwoods”

by Brent Cotton, an Oil on linen painting. This award honors the memory of the artist who created the five larger-thanlife murals of the American West in the Museum’s Special Events Center. Sponsored by Bob and Margaret Mills.

Special recognition was extended to Prix de West artist Tim Shinabarbger who designed the 2018 Souvenir Bolo Tie, a bronze ram’s head.

The 2018 Prix de West event closed with a spirited bid auction featuring the art of Greg Beecham, Tom Browning, Brent Cotton, Josh Elliot, Walt Gonske, Jeremy Lipking, Kyle Polzin, Kyle Sims, Daniel Smith and Curt Walters, who received the Prix de West Purchase Award in 2007.

Brief Bio on Prix de West Award Winner, Mian Situ, who was born in Southern China in 1953, and his award winning Prix de West Purchase Award painting: “Beginning in 1865, the Central Pacific Railroad, which was the western end of the Transcontinental Railroad, hired Chinese immigrants to do the dangerous job of opening a route over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Chinese used two methods they had previously used doing similar jobs back home in China.

“When working on the sheer cliff sides of the Sierra Nevada range, the workers would be lowered in straw baskets from the mountain ranges with long ropes. Secured by the ropes, they would dig holes in the side of the mountain to plant dynamite used for blasting away the granite.”

PHOTOGRAPHS OF ALL THE ART IN THE SHOW ARE AVAILABLE ON THE MUSEUM’S WEBSITE or through Tara Carr by calling (405) 478-2250. n

Top to bottom: Len Chmiel, May Day; Bruce R. Greene, Cowboy Cadillacs; Mian Situ, Blasting a Route for Central Pacific Sierra Navada Mountain1865.

POR 7PM

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TEAMS COS / Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC FRE / Fresno FC LA / LA Galaxy II LAS / Las V egas Lights FC OC / Orange County SC PHX / Phoenix Rising FC POR / Portland T imbers FC 2 RENO / Reno 1868 FC RGV / Rio Grande V alley FC Toros RM / Real Monarchs SLC SAC / Sacramento Republic FC SAN / San Antonio FC SEA / Seattle Sounders FC 2 SPR / Swope Park Rangers STL / Saint Louis FC TUL / T ulsa Roughnecks FC

PEOPLE

Purses Hold Power for Oklahoma Women

BY M. J. VAN DEVENTER

D

oes a woman’s purse have the power to change the corporate world?

Donna Miller says, “Yes. Definitely!”

An Edmond resident, Miller believes women’s purchasing power is the key to driving some of the most important changes women have been working toward for decades.

Miller and her sisters, Dr. Karen Nern, of Edwards, Colorado, and Dr. Phyllis Pennington, of Buena Vista, Colorado, were on vacation in Miami, Florida in 2014 when Miller broached her concerns about the lack of women at the top of corporate America.

She also voiced her worries about the continuing prevalence of domestic violence. The trio began considering what could be done, rather than focusing on any barriers that might get in the way of change.

The three sisters realized some important facts: • Women make up to 85 percent of all purchasing decisions.

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• They spend $7 trillion annually in the United States.

• They control 51 percent of the private wealth in the United States.

• They make, or influence, 67 percent of the financial investment decisions.

Miller says, “Although women are the primary consumers in most industries, they hold less than six percent of Standard & Poor’s 500 CEO positions and only 20 percent of board of director seats.”

Sadly, Miller adds, “One out of four women is also a survivor of domestic violence or sexual assault. Our mother was one of those women. We realized if we could get women to buy products and services from companies that support women, it would drive others to make sweeping changes or lose market share.”

“We also believed we could create an ongoing revenue stream to fund domestic violence prevention programs at the same time and Purse Power was born,” Miller notes.

It was a concept this dynamic trio of sisters had been

From left are Jan Peery, Donna Miller, Dr. Karen Nern, Martha Burger, Linda Haneborg and Jennifer Grigsby.

considering for several years.

The catalyst came from an unexpected Facebook post.

Rebecca Shook, a retired attorney and 60 plus-year-old grandmother in Hawaii, expressed her frustration with the 2016 election. She wondered if women could march on Washington D.C. during the Presidential Inauguration events. Hundreds of women were inspired by her comments and headed for D.C. for the January 21-22, 2017 events.

Donna Miller was one of them.

Miller was not going for political reasons. She knew women at the march would care about using their purchasing power to drive positive change. In less than two weeks, she had 50,000 pins made bearing the slogan “Purse Power! We have it. Let’s use it.” Arriving at the march, Miller and eager volunteers distributed 30,000 pins in three hours and Purse Power had struck a national chord.

Before founding Purse Power, Miller had a 30-year career as a human resource executive and small business owner.

Since leaving the corporate world, she has worked to help

increase the number of women in leadership positions.

Working with Martha Burger, Melissa Cory, Debbie Fleming and Barb Crandall, she created the “Women in Leadership” conference at Oklahoma City University, which celebrates its ninth anniversary this year.

Miller also serves as the chairman for the Oklahoma Chapter of the Women Presidents Organization, an international non-profit peer-advisory group for women who own and operate multi-million dollar enterprises. WPO has more than 2,000 members and 136 chapters worldwide.

She says Purse Power has exciting future plans.

“Those plans include obtaining funding and creating a technology platform that will enable women to identify companies and brands that support women at the point of sale. We have the leadership to bring our vision to fruition,” Miller says.

For more information on “Purse Power,” visit www.pursepower.com or contact Donna Miller at (405) 255-9289 or dmiller@pursepower.com june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 29

FASHION

WHITE OUT

BY LINDA MILLER

WHITE LOOKS GOOD any time of year, but it feels right when temperatures start heating up.

Lace-up peasant style top and white slim pants

by Worth New York.

White blouse with elbow-length sleeves and tie front with white slim pants by Worth New York.

A great fitting white T-shirt is the perfect complement to shorts and sandals, but it can add a cool casualness under a tailored jacket, too.

White jeans are a welcome alternative to blue denim. And, of course, a white shirt should be a staple in every woman’s wardrobe.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 31

Left: White slim pants and fringed circular lace top, all the ease of a T-shirt transformed into a statement piece by Worth New York.

Below: Sunburst blouse and white pants by Worth New York.

And let’s not forget white on white. It’s like a breath of fresh air.

“Head to toe white is the quintessential summer look,” said Cindi Shelby, a representative and stylist for Worth New York.

“Love its versatility. It can be crisp and cool for warm weather days and also timeless and very glamorous.”

White was a favorite for Grace Kelly,

32 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

White linen tunic by Worth New York.

American actress and Princess of Monaco, who once said all one needs for summer is white and a coral lipstick.

For a twist, mix shades of white and cream for a chic and monochromatic look, said Shelby, who oversees Worth sales in Oklahoma, Arizona and Nevada. “What could be more ionic for summer?� n

june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 33

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| CHICKASAW BRICKTOWN BALLPARK OKLAHOMA CITY DODGERS | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73104 | 405.218.1000 2 S. MICKEY MANTLE DR.

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TRAVEL

HISTORY LESSON

BY LINDA MILLER

Want an easy and quick summer getaway that’s interesting for adults and children? look no further than Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur. It mixes history and education with fun, and it’s just a 90-mnute drive on Interstate-35 south from Oklahoma City.

The center shares and celebrates Chickasaw history and culture through demonstrations, powerful performances, collections and exhibits. It’s the largest tribal cultural center in the U.S. Check out the historically accurate replica of a Chickasaw Village, sky pavilion (the village and sky pavilion are favorites with children), outdoor amphitheater, honor garden, café, 350-seat theater, art gallery and exhibit center.

Along with permanent installations, two new exhibits – “Te Ata” and “Sculpting Cultures: Southeast and Southwest Native Pottery” — continue through Sept. 2.

Mary “Te Ata” Thompson Fisher was a wellknown Native American storyteller whose career spanned six decades. She [continued on page 34] Moccasins in the “Te Ata” exhibit.

36 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

Above: Traditional village replica at Chickasaw Cultural Center.

Left: Turtle pottery in the “Sculpting Cultures” exhibit.

OTHER SIGHTS TO SEE While you’re in the area, stay a while longer and check out: • Bedre Fine Chocolate in Davis (bedrechocolates.com) • Ziplining at 777 Zip (turnerfallszip.com) and Air Donkey Zipline Adventures (airdonkeyziplinecom) • Turner Falls Park (turnerfallspark.com) • Lake of the Arbuckles (nps.gov/chic/planyourvisit/loa.htm) • Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Suphur (nps.gov/chic/index.htm).

For more ideas, go to chickasawcountry.com.

june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 37

Pottery on exhibit at Chickasaw Cultural Center.

[continued from page 32] performed for school children, European royalty and a president of the United States. Born in Indian Territory, she loved the stories her father shared about the Chickasaw people and their culture. She adapted those stories and performed them in dramatic fashion. See artifacts owned and worn by her as well as memorabilia and props from the movie “Te Ata.” The exhibit is in the Aapisa’ Art Gallery.

“Sculpting Cultures” is a cross-cultural exhibit that

38 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

celebrates the diverse styles within Native pottery making.

The exhibit features historic Pueblo pottery from the Keres language family and modern pottery from Five Tribes Artists.

Look for the Laguna water jar hand-crafted in 1880 and a Chickasaw effigy pot shaped like a bear. The pottery is on exhibit in the Aaittafama’ Room.

For hours, cost and more information, go to chickasawculturalcenter.com. n

Storyteller Te Ata is the subject of an exhibit at Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur.

HISTORY

Grisso Mansion: a landmark for the ages Now it hosts weddings, corporate retreats, receptions and more

T

he Grisso Mansion, commanding a hilltop on State Highway 9, in Seminole Oklahoma is not only an attractive landmark, but on the national Register of Historic Places.

The mansion was a “dream home� built by W.E. Grisso for his wife Maggie. Today, however, the Grisso Mansion is used for weddings, parties, historical tours, catered luncheons, corporate retreats and receptions. It provides unforgettable celebrations full of the 1920s charm that Maggie Grisso envisioned. june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 41

The stone surround on the front entry is very ornate.

Construction on the home began in 1926 and concluded in 1928 in time for Thanksgiving dinner.

Grisso, a visionary who believed in the future of Seminole and the state, was a physician, a pharmacist, rancher, oilman and land conservationist.

He was also the catalyst for building State Highway 48, now State Highway 99 and US 377, and stumped throughout the state for better roads and highways.

Although the house has been lived in by several other families over the past several years, it was continuously occupied by Grisso family members from 1928 until it was sold after Maggie Grisso’s health failed in 1976.

Although subsequent owners had made improvements and needed upkeep, the house remained basically the same. Many improvements have been added to the house and property in recent years.

42 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

The entry door faces a working fountain, set into the wall and framed by Italian tile.

The house has a total of eight gas fireplaces.

It is set on a terraced landscape which was the original site of the Grisso farm and now occupies four acres.

Modern additions include a matching six-car garage which boasts heat and air conditioning and a three-quarters bath.

One garage stall was built to accommodate a motor home.

Other outbuildings are used for storage and to keep the sprinkler system running. A two-story garage/servants quarters are located to the back of the house.

Built at a cost of $750,000, the 26-room mansion has many unique features, including elegant walnut hand-carved doors, which are nine feet tall and over 2 inches thick.

Ironwork on the Italian Renaissance home was handmade and floors were covered with imported tile or wood parquet.

Rugs were hand-crafted in England, with newer carpets handmade in Oklahoma City by a decorator.

Each room in the house has a slightly different theme and sconces match the fixtures in design.

Door sills are of brass, guttering outside is solid copper.

Even inside doors of the house are extra thick and walls, constructed of hollow tile, brick and plaster, are 15 inches thick, reinforced with steel bracing in some places.

The Moorish woodwork is black walnut and carries out the theme of roses carved in door frames and on ceiling tiles.

Most window sills are of imported marble. Brightly colored ceramic tile was used in the kitchen and baths.

The house boasts eight fireplaces, but all are gas powered.

Mrs. Grisso, family members say, said she had carried wood for heating and cooking all her life and she “never wanted to see another stick of firewood.”

Built around a central courtyard, the home also has a greenhouse, fish pond and storm cellar.

Windows in the living room are two stories high and are draped in pale green. A visitor’s eyes are immediately drawn to the enormous brass chandelier set in the two-story cathedral ceiling.

The entry door faces a working fountain, set into the wall and framed by Italian tile.

The curving stairway takes one up to a long hallway marked with minstrel balconies overlooking the downstairs.

Downstairs includes a music room, with crystal chandelier; a sunny yellow kitchen which looks like a cook’s june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 43

VIews of the gazebo and three of the bedrooms

dream; butler’s pantry; sunroom; a dining room which could accommodate a very large dinner party; half bath; and breakfast room.

Upstairs, the guest bedroom has fixtures which match the sconces and the fireplace.

It has its own full bath (with heated towel racks) and dressing room. Closets are all cedar lined.

The master bedroom boasts a walk-in cedar lined closet with pull-outs for hangers and drawers. The sitting room offers a view of the grounds. The study-library has access to a second story patio.

The full basement contains a large laundry room and drying room, a room-size cedar closet for off-season storage, a kitchen, game room with full-size pool table, and a guest bedroom with two queen size beds and bath.

The basement’s main feature, though, is the ballroom with a hardwood dance floor and raised wood parquet stage for a small orchestra. Ceiling fans circulate the air.

Historical tours of the mansion are available by appointment for a cost of $10 per person. Discount rates are available for groups of 10 or more. Call 405-382-2445 to schedule a tour. n 44 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

BUSINESS

EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT

STUDY OF THE UNEMPLOYED

A

fter a recent release of express employment Professional’s fifth annual survey of the unemployed conducted online by The Harris Poll, express is taking a closer look at older Americans, in particular, those who are giving up searching for a job and why they make up a larger portion of the long-term jobless.

Among the U.S. unemployed, 42 percent report being out of work 24 months or more. But among 35- to 54-year-olds, the percentage rises to 46 percent, and among those 55 and older, it is 54 percent. The unemployed population surveyed does not include those who are retired, choose to stay at home or are unable to work due to long-term disability.

While 42 percent of all individuals surveyed agree with the statement, “I’ve completely given up looking for a job,” 50 percent are 55 and older.

In the Words of the Unemployed Based on open-ended responses to questions in the survey, some of the themes that emerged among older workers who are

on the sidelines include: Declining health Caring for elderly family members A lack of skills due to age or the perceived mismatch of skills Respondents volunteered some of the following observations in response to questions about why they are unemployed and why they have given up looking for work: “[Taking] care of my mother” “Heart surgery” “Taking care of my dad” “[Taking] care of wife full-time” “I am 60.5 years old, and employers are not interested in us older people who are educated, have a strong work ethic, can perform well and be a team player.”

“I feel age discrimination.”

“I guess no one wants to hire someone over the age of 65.”

“Health.”

“I am 56 years old, I think employers do not want to hire me because of my age, and they will go with someone younger and less experienced to fit their pay scale.”

“My high school diploma and out-of-date june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 45

computer skills are no longer valid in the current workforce.”

“After I became unemployed family members became ill and needed my help so I am unable to return to work.”

“Because no one wants to hire me because of my age and my ability to work” “I’ve found that in today’s world I am not skilled enough. There is tremendous prejudice towards age. I am a dinosaur.”

Elder care was one of the key barriers to employment that Express covered in a January white paper, “Battle of the Barriers.“ 46 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

Express Experts Weigh In “It’s common for older workers to have a gap in their resume due to elder care. I think this has become as accepted as a pregnancy leave,” said Anne Woods, an Express franchise owner in Santa Fe Springs and Covina, California.

Janis Petrini, an Express owner in Grand Rapids, Michigan, agrees.

“Taking care of aging parents in poor health is a financial burden on Baby Boomers,” she said. “We do see many people returning to our area to care for aging parents and leaving their jobs from another state to do this.”

The costs of elder care, though, can lead

to some Boomers staying in the job market longer, even if that means taking lower-skilled jobs traditionally filled by younger workers, even teenagers.

“They can’t sustain themselves without working and so this becomes a shared burden with other family members while everyone works and cares for their aging parents in poor health,” Petrini said.

Daniel Morgan, an Express owner in North Birmingham, has some advice for older workers.

“Workers must find a way to differentiate themselves as they get older,” he said. “Gain a set of skills that allows you to still be a value in other ways than just hard labor. Be a leader and do little things that are valued. Show up on time, stay late and offer to teach younger workers. This makes you valuable and will allow you to still be employable in blue collar jobs without being required to do the same manual labor that was done earlier in your career.

“If someone believes that companies want younger workers because they are good with technology, then make sure you have your experience with technology highlighted on your resume.”

The skills issue cuts both ways, though. In other cases, older workers may be excluded from lowerskilled jobs because they seem over-qualified.

“Older workers are finding it difficult to get past the automated applicant tracking systems and human resume readers, because on paper their experience or education is considered too much,” said Lee Wenninger, an Express franchise owner in Fisher, Indiana.

“Even as the American economy gains strength, our society and our workforce are undergoing some dramatic shifts, and those forces can leave people displaced and feeling like there are too many barriers standing between them and a job,” Express CEO Bill Stoller concluded.

“Understandably, this can be particularly frustrating for older workers who never expected to have to care for an aging parent or to have years of work experience treated as a liability. To get more people off the sidelines and help our economy reach its full potential, we need to listen to the unemployed—and find ways to remove these barriers.”

About the Survey This study was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals and included 1,500 U.S. adults aged 18 or older who are unemployed but capable of working (whether or not they receive unemployment compensation benefits).

Excluded are those who are currently retired, choose to stay at home or are unable to work due to long-term disability. The survey was conducted between March 28 and April 10, 2018. n

june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 47

ENTERTAINMENT

2018-2019 Performing Arts Series at OCCC

The Golden Dragon Acrobats

O

klahoma City Community College (OCCC) Cultural Programs has announced its 2018-2019 Performing Arts Series (PAS) lineup for the college’s Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC) Theater.

From Broadway to classical to modern dance to Rockabilly music, there is a show for everyone. In addition to the Performing Arts Series this year, there will be additional performances as part of the Ad Astra Foundation Series (AAFS).

The Performing Arts Series kicks off with The Capitol Steps, co-presented with KGOU. The Capitol Steps return to OCCC 48 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

Jim Brickman returns with his Joyful Christmas program Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018

Sir James and Lady Galway

with their program “Make America Grin Again,” Thursday, Aug. 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Their unique blend of musical and political comedy and satire is guaranteed to leave both sides of the political spectrum laughing. There’s never a shortage of good material in politics!

OCCC and CityRep Theatre co-present everyone’s favorite musical, The Music Man, in a Concert Version, Friday & Saturday, Sept. 28-30, 2018, 7:30 p.m., Sunday Matinee, 1:30 p.m. Meredith Willson’s six-time, Tony Award-winning musical comedy has been entertaining audiences since 1957. Starring one of Oklahoma’s most celebrated actors Jonathan Beck Reed, this unique concert version will be a hit with the entire family.

OCCC is excited to present musical royalty Sir James and Lady Galway Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018, 7:30 p.m. Sir James, the “Man with the Golden Flute,” with his inimitable Irish charm and brilliant musicianship, enthralls audiences with a colorful array of musical morsels ranging from serious works to lighthearted fare. Lady Jeanne Galway, who is also an accomplished flutist, will also perform. One of the leading female flute soloists of the decade, Lady Galway brings to the audience her unique style and virtuosity.

OCCC and City Rep Theatre team up again to present Stephen Lang in “Beyond Glory,” Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018, 2 p.m. In his acclaimed solo show about war veterans, Stephen Lang

portrays a series of former servicemen recounting their combat experiences and the acts of courage that won them the United States’ military’s highest award, the Medal of Honor.

The Golden Dragon Acrobats take the stage Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, 8 p.m.

This award-winning troupe combines acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music and theatrical techniques to present a show of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty.

GENTRI: The Gentlemen Trio perform Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, 7:30 p.m. Established in 2014, GENTRI is comprised of three dynamic tenors who all have extensive backgrounds in musical theatre. Pioneering a signature sound they call “Cinematic Pop,” the june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 49

Stephen Lang in “Beyond Glory”

music of GENTRI is transfused with lush, epic orchestrations and rich, dynamic three-part harmonies. GENTRI will be accompanied by the Oklahoma Community Orchestra.

For dance enthusiasts, Parsons Dance will perform Thursday, March 28, 2019, 7:30 p.m. The New York Citybased modern dance company is internationally renowned for creating and performing contemporary American dance of extraordinary artistry that is accessible and enriching to diverse audiences.

The Performing Arts Series concludes with Stray Cat Lee Rocker Thursday, April 11, 2019, 7:30 p.m. Lee Rocker made his mark singing, playing, standing on, spinning and rocking his giant upright bass in the legendary music group, The Stray Cats, which were music video pioneers at the infancy of MTV, and repeatedly brought Rockabilly music to the top of the charts.

This season Cultural Programs presents THE AD ASTRA FOUNDATION SERIES, which consists of six additional outstanding performances not included in the PAS Series.

50 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

The Broadway touring production of the beloved Sound of Music, Friday, Nov. 2-3, 2018, 8 p.m., Saturday Matinee, 2 p.m., will fill hearts with love and laughter. It is based on the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. OCCC and Painted Sky Opera present The Bel Canto Trio, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018, 7:30 p.m., which celebrates the 70th anniversary of the original operatic Bel Canto Trio that featured Mario Lanza, George London and Frances Yeend, which toured the United States in their 1947/1948 season.

The hit-making songwriter/pianist Jim Brickman returns with his Joyful Christmas program Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, 7:30 p.m. His distinctive piano style and captivating live performances have revolutionized the popularity of instrumental music.

Looking for something different? Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2019, 7:30 p.m., OCCC presents Todd Mosby, an innovative guitarist, composer and improviser, who creates an intriguing combination of new age, jazz, folk and world music

Sound of Music

and features his Imrat guitar.

Experience virtuoso Chase Padgett in “6 Guitars” Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 7:30 p.m., in which he delivers a unique performance, as he becomes 6 different guitar players, each with their own distinct voice, views and musical style (Blues, Jazz, Rock, Classical, Folk and Country).

The 2018-2019 season concludes with International First Lady of Piano Teresa Walters, Thursday, May 2, 2019, 7:30 p.m. Described as ‘The International First Lady of Piano’ by The New York Times, her mesmerizing performances on today’s international stages earn worldwide praise.

Single tickets for all shows in both series go on sale July 16. Season ticket packages for the Performing Arts Series are also available in packages of 8, 5 and 3 (pick your own shows).

All performances will be held in the VPAC Theater located on OCCC’s main campus at 7777 S. May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK, 73159. For ticket information, visit tickets.occc.edu or call the Box Office at 405-682-7579.

Be sure to also download the new OCCC Cultural Programs app, “VPAC at OCCC,” now available in your favorite app stores. Check out upcoming events, purchase tickets and get notifications and updates.

OCCC enrolls more than 20,000 students and is currently the largest adult basic education provider in the state.

OCCC offers a full range of associate degree programs that prepare students to transfer to baccalaureate institutions while other degree and certificate programs prepare students for immediate employment. At OCCC, students receive a quality education with small class sizes, dedicated professors and leadership opportunities. Students can choose from more than 80 major fields of study and participate in any of the 40+ clubs and organizations. For more information about OCCC, visit www.occc.edu. n

june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 51

EVENTS

OKLAHOMA CELEBRATES America’s birthday with food, music, parades, fireworks

Editor’s note: Following is a list of events celebrating America’s birthday. Most are free, but some have admission charges.

July 1 FREE Rockets Over Rhema at Rhema Bible College (1025 W Kenosha, Broken Arrow) features a car show, inflatable games, outdoor concert, face painting, concessions and one of the largest fireworks displays in the area. Activities begin at 5 p.m.; fireworks, 10 p.m.

God Bless America – America Bless God Concert at Crossings Community Church (14600 n Portland Ave) features a patriotic concert with a special recognition for those in the Armed Forces and first responders and more. $10. 6 p.m.

July 2 FREE Blanchard’s Independence Celebration (ne 10th & HWy 62, Blanchard) features fireworks, food, live music and special activities just for kids including a carnival and inflatables. Begins at 6 p.m.; fireworks, 10 p.m.

52 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

Uncle Sam in Yukon 2017

July 3 FREE 4th of july Festival at Magnolia Park in Seminole is a day of family fun including food, games, inflatables, entertainment and fireworks. 5 p.m.

FREE Red, White & Boom!

Independence Day Concert at State Fair Park (3001 General Pershing Blvd) features a FRee concert followed by a spectacular fireworks display. Bring lawn chairs to enjoy the show. entry & parking are FRee. Concert begins at 8:30 p.m.; fireworks, 10 p.m.

July 3 & 4 FREE Freedom Fest at Chisholm Trail Park (500 W Vandament, yukon) & yukon City Park (2200 S Holly, yukon) is a twoday festival honoring veterans while celebrating with the community featuring live music, rodeo, children’s decorated bike contest, car show, barbecue cook-off, stunt show, triathlon, swimming, hot dog eating contest, free watermelon and ice cream, fireworks and more.

July 4 FREE Cajun Festival at the Grove Civic Center in Grove features Cajun music, food, dancing, arts & craft vendors and more. 10 a.m.

FREE Old-Fashioned Independence Day Celebration at Red Bud Park (Main St, Marlow) features a parade and all-day festival with fireworks. 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

FREE Bethany Freedom Festival at eldon lyon Park (7400 nW 36th, Bethany) celebrates our nation’s independence with

a parade, pony rides, inflatables, carnival rides, games, festival food, car show, shopping, live music and fireworks.

10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

FREE Celebration in the Heartland 4th of july Festival at Buck Thomas Park (1903 ne 12, Moore) features live entertainment, vendors, food, inflatables, children’s activities, music, car show and more. Fireworks at dusk. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

FREE Stillwater’s Boomer Blast at Boomer lake Park (Washington & lakeview, Stillwater) features a family fishing tournament, FREE inflatables, food trucks and a fireworks show. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; fireworks, 9:35 p.m.

FREE norman Day Celebration at Reaves Park (2501 jenkins Ave, norman) in norman includes fun activities like a doggie parade, inflatables, food vendors, live music, fireworks and more. Activities start at noon. Fireworks around 9:45 p.m.

FREE Choctaw Independence Day Celebration (Gilbert & First, Choctaw) features food, a beer garden, music, water slides, carnival games and a cornhole tournament. noon - 4 p.m.

FREE Downtown 4th Fest in the Boathouse District (725 S lincoln Blvd) features a local Dj, lawn games, food trucks and more, as well as the RIVeRSPORT Adventure activities. Free to attend, participation prices vary. 4 – 9 p.m.

FREE 4th of july Celebration & World Champion Watermelon Seed Spitting

Contest at Wacker Park in seating will not be provided. 6 Pauls Valley features food, - 10 p.m.; fireworks, 9:20 p.m.

FREE Duck Creek live entertainment, Fireworks (32894 S 4507 watermelon seed spitting Rd, Afton) features a large contest and fireworks. 6 fireworks display synchrop.m.

FREE Piedmont Freedom nized to patriotic music and a Festival on Piedmont vintage aircraft display and Road (713 n Piedmont fly-over. 6 - 11 p.m.

Bricktown 4th Fest (Reno Rd, Piedmont) features Ave) features music by a live inflatables, face painting, Dj at the Fountains in Central exotic & farm animals, FREE watermelon, food Bricktown from 7 - 9:30 p.m., vendors, a parade and an Oklahoma City Dodgers fireworks show. Activities game vs the Iowa Cubs at begin at 5 p.m.; parade, 7:05 p.m., and immediately 7 p.m.; fireworks at dusk. following the game a FREE Yukon children's parade from 2017 FREE Folds of Honor fireworks show.

FreedomFest at Tulsa July 6 & 7 River Parks (1875 S Boulder Ave & 2100 S Blackberry Festival at the Mcloud High School jackson Ave, Tulsa) features live music, Athletic Complex (12780 W Seikel, Mcloud) inflatables, a bicycle parade, family picnics and features all kinds of blackberry themed items fireworks along the Arkansas River. Activities, 5 from fresh blackberries to blackberry cobbler, p.m.; fireworks, 10 p.m.

FREE 4th of july Stars & Stripes Funfest sodas, and teas, live music, a parade, food and Celebration at the expo event Center (4500 uSfireworks. After the Parade, kids can enjoy a 270, McAlester) features live entertainment, carnival and games. Free to attend. Friday, 5 – 11 games, fireworks and more. 5:30-10 p.m. p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. Fireworks: Fireworks at dusk.

Saturday, 10 p.m.

FREE Tribute to liberty at joe B. Barnes July 7 Regional Park (8700 e Reno Ave, Midwest City) FREE Saturday for Kids at the national Cowboy features musical concerts, food trucks and a & Western Heritage Museum (1700 ne 63rd St). fireworks display. Activities, 6 p.m.; fireworks, Celebrate Independence Day at the Museum’s 9:45 p.m.

FREE Artesian Hotel 4th of july Celebration turn-of-the-century frontier town. With music, (Muskogee St, Sulphur) features family friendly dancing, children’s activities, a cake walk, and more, there is certain to be something for guests entertainment, live music, food vendors, local n of all ages. 10 a.m. – noon. retailers, fireworks and more. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets as 54 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

The Bestselling Book by Kent Frates

Oklahoma’s Most Notorious Cases Six cases that remain the talk of the courtroom Oklahoma has had more than its share of sensational legal battles with national ramifications, but for the first time in one volume, attorney/historian Kent Frates reveals the facts behind six cases that helped shape the history of the state—and the nation.

From bloody murders, to political scandal, to the horrific act of domestic terrorism known as the Oklahoma City Bombing, OKLAHOMA’S MOST NOTORIOUS CASES captures the stories, the times, and the import of these landmark trials.

Read the book that inspired the serial podcast We Will Always Remember (RealMysteries.us | weekly Feb. 12 to April 23) www.

Order now by visiting

OkMostNotoriousCases.com

or calling toll free 877.536.7634

Only

$24 Includes 16 pages of historic photos!

available at Full Circle Bookstore, OKC Best of Books, Edmond The Bookseller, Ardmore The Book Place, Broken Arrow and Barnes & Noble

TRAVEL

Galveston’s Old City Cemetery full of intrigue, mystery Ghosts supposedly haunt cemetery on certain days of the year

BY LINDA MILLER

M

any of the grave markers are leaning or cracked, the result of hurricane-strength winds. Some inscriptions so worn and weathered with age, they’re illegible. Most mausoleums still stand tall though the rooftop of one is barely visible, its bulk buried so deep it’ll probably never be raised.

This is Old City Cemetery in Galveston, where an estimated 48,000 people are buried, including many of those who perished in the devasting Great Storm of 1900. Established in 1839, it’s the place of stories and history. Visitors come to explore and get a glimpse of Galveston’s past and those who lived here. The colorful characters, those who loved and helped build this coastal town, once the largest in Texas, and the famous and infamous.

Like Elize Roemer Albreti who in 1894 poisoned four of her children and later was buried alongside them.

After receiving treatment in an asylum, she committed suicide. And Nicaragua Smith, a Confederate Army deserter who asked to be buried face down just moments before he was executed by firing squad.

Newspaper accounts say he fell into the coffin and

One of the many mausoleums in Old City Cemetery in Galveston, Texas.

56 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

Above: Many of the markers are leaning or cracked.

Below: Yellow flowers blanket the cemetery in May.

june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 57

was buried where he laid in an unmarked grave. His ghost is said to haunt the cemetery and curse his executioners on the anniversary of his death.

There’s also Newton Taylor, a beloved grave digger who died in 1905. He not only dug hundreds of graves, he attended funeral services, played the organ at Trinity Episcopal Church and performed magic tricks for school children. He always wore a silk top hat to work, his way of showing respect for whoever’s grave he was digging.

Hollywood film buffs may be familiar with actress Charlotte Walker who died in 1958 and her daughter Sara Haden, also an actress, who also was buried in the cemetery in 1981.

The cemetery also is the final resting place for many prominent early Galvestonians, including John Clement Trube. He and his wife Veronica Durst Trube built their 21room, 7,000 square-foot castle in 1890. Trube, who was from Kiel, Denmark, lived in Houston and purchased property

A mausoleum stands out among the smaller markers.

58 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

there and in Galveston, as well as a grocery store. He retired at age 35 and lived on his income from rental property. He and his wife built the Danish-inspired Trube Castle in Galveston when they were in their 50s. Trube died in 1925 at the age of 88.

Old City Cemetery is intriguing yet peaceful, even with all the traffic on the busy street. Initially the cemetery was on the outskirts of town. Now it’s in the center of activity. As tourists come into Galveston, it’s one of the first sights that grab attention, especially in May when the cemetery is a blanket of yellow flowers. Really, it’s impossible to miss the cemetery any time of the year with all the grand markers and memorials from angels to statues obelisks in varying sizes and materials from sandstone, slate, marble, limestone and granite.

It’s estimated 12,000 markers, a mix of old and new, are visible in the cemetery but even more mind-boggling is that

Markers of all sizes and materials fill Old City Cemetery in Galveston, Texas.

the space is really seven cemeteries that grew together. When the first cemetery was full, some of it was filled in to make room for another layer. And then another layer and so on. The cemeteries have been raised a time or two in different areas, and when the markers were lost during the raisings, the plots were resold for another burial. Only the top three layers are visible to visitors today. The last raising was in the 1920s.

Old City Cemetery is separated into sections with a central driving lane through the middle, making it easy to park and explore as much or as little as time permits. It’s a must-visit for anyone who enjoys history or old cemeteries and it won’t disappoint those who are simply curious.

Old City Cemetery, or Broadway Cemetery Historic District, is located between 40th and 43rd streets on Broadway. For information on graveyard tours and other things to see and do in Galveston, go to galveston.com . n

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DINING

Old Germany Restaurant to reopen Turek’s Tavern welcomes people back

BY RYAN HORTON

A

“soft opening” was hosted june 14 as Turek’s Tavern in Choctaw reopened to the public with a limited menu.

The tavern was busy from open to close as the public came out to show support for the nearly lost eastern Oklahoma County community staple.

Turek’s Tavern will remain open to the public daily, while the popular Old Germany Restaurant side of the building undergoes renovations.

Work had already begun by the June 14 tavern opening, and construction is expected to be complete by Aug. 1. At that point, the wall separating Old Germany and Turek’s Tavern will be removed and a grand opening celebration will mark the beginning of a new era in the restaurant’s long history.

Choctaw’s Old Germany Restaurant closed its doors on April 16 after 42 years of business.

Less than two months later the beloved dining establishment reopened. Making the event easily memorable, the reopening coincided with the opening round of the 2018 World Cup. The eastern Oklahoma County community along with patrons from around the country were stunned to hear of the sudden restaurant closure and festival cancelation.

Following the news, many reached out to the Turek family to offer condolences and well wishes, while one Choctaw couple reached out offering something more, a solution.

Tylar and Kristin Colton, of Choctaw, stepped in as investors 60 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

Miek and Sammi Turek, center, are flanked by customers.

to allow the restaurant to reopen and move forward with needed renovations and menu modifications.

“They saw the outpouring on social media after we closed down, and they came to us and said ‘We can’t let that happen. What do we need to do to reopen Old Germany?’” said Mike Turek. “I explained what we needed and the changes we needed to make.”

Among changes slated is the removal of the wall separating Old Germany and Turek’s Tavern.

Turek believes a more bright, open and overall inviting floor plan combined with a new menu, that will appeal to new and loyal patrons alike, will allow the local favorite to rebound and possibly surpass its former glory.

“Our hybrid menu will be simplified and more price conscious. It really just needed an update. The concept of

Diners enjoy the “soft opening” hosted at Turek’s Tavern on June 14

the old world German cuisine just got stale, and it wasn’t being embraced by the younger crowd. So we needed to change that, but I need to keep enough of the old menu to keep our regulars, that have supported us over the years, happy and coming back,” explained Turek.

The same menu will now be served throughout the entire establishment. Food will be prepared in the main kitchen throughout the day, and after 9 p.m. the small tavern kitchen will continue to serve a light menu.

“I’m just elated these two people, Tylar and Kristin, came in as guardian angels and are now going to be part of the family. It’s just neat to see that they stepped up to the plate and said they’re not letting it go away after 42 years,” said Turek. “There were people interested in buying the land for other purposes, but these two really wanted to keep this tradition going. It’s still going to be a family business, and they’re just next in line as family.”

Turek says the reopening of the tavern went smooth, and guests can expect the same quality of service they’ve come to expect as renovations are completed.

“A core group of our staff will be coming back so there’ll be some familiar faces and we won’t miss much of a beat,” said Turek. “This is a family business, and the staff that have been here the longest are a part of that and they’ll be back. It’s good to see our tradition here continue as well as the things we do with the community.”

Oktoberfest 2018 scheduled Choctaw Oktoberfest will continue for a 28th straight year as the event has been slated for Thursday, August 30 to September 2.

“We’re just going to do four days this year, because we’re already in crunch time to get enough stuff ordered from Germany. Now we just have to get with Ashley Bower, our volunteer coordinator, to get the troops rallied so we don’t lose this great event,” said Turek. “It will just be four days this year, but should make for a great event.”

Ryan Horton is editor of The Choctaw Times, which initially published this story. june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 61

MUSIC

VINCE GILL

62 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

Oklahoma’s Favorite Son To Play Civic Center

BY ANDREW THEISS

H

ere’s a term which seems to have left the lexicon – “favorite son,” which is someone from any particular area who goes on to world acclaim based on the values of their home.

Of course, Oklahoma has long professed Will Rogers as its favorite son and, while the late humorist still resonates with modern audiences, there is no doubt those from the Sooner state would select as a modern incarnate Vince Gill, who will appear in concert Aug. 18 at the Oklahoma City Civic Center.

Vincent Grant Gill, born in Norman, Oklahoma April 12, 1957 is an American country singer, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as front man to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a vocalist and musician have placed him in high demand as a guest vocalist and a duet partner.

He has recorded more than 20 studio albums, charted over 40 singles on the U.S. Billboard charts as Hot Country Songs, and has sold more than 26 million albums. He has been honored by the Country Music Association with 18 CMA Awards, including two Entertainer of the Year awards and five Male Vocalist Awards. As of 2017, Gill has also earned 21 Grammy Awards, more than any other male country music artist. In 2007 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. On February 4, june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 63

2016 Gill was inducted into the Guitar Center Rock Walk by Joe Walsh of the Eagles.

Gill attended high school at Oklahoma City’s Northwest Classen High School.

While there he performed bluegrass in the band Mountain Smoke, which built a strong local following. After graduating from high school in 1975, he moved to Louisville, Kentucky, to join the band Bluegrass Alliance. Afterwards he spent a brief amount of time in Ricky Skaggs’s Boone Creek band before moving to Los Angeles to join Sundance, a bluegrass group fronted by fiddler Byron Berline.

Gill debuted on the national scene with the country rock band Pure Prairie League in 1979, appearing on that band’s album Can’t Hold Back. He is the lead singer on their song “Let Me Love You Tonight”.

In 1989, Gill signed with MCA Records, where he sold over a million copies of his label debut, “When I Call Your Name,” of which several songs, including the title track, made the U.S. Country charts’ Top Ten / Top Twenty. This was followed by the similarly successful albums, “Pocket Full of Gold” and “I Still Believe in You,” of which the title track went to U.S. Country No. 1.

Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s Gill continued to release highly successful albums, capitalizing on the virtuoso quality of his electric and acoustic guitar playing, his pure, high and soulful tenor voice, and the excellent quality of his songwriting.

According to his biography on AllMusic, Gill has won more CMA Awards than any

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performer in history and as at 2018 has also won 21 Grammy Awards, which represents the most ever by a country artist.

While many of his stature are content to live off their previous success, Gill continues to enhance his artistry by adding his not inconsiderable talent to other concerns.

Namely, The Time Jumpers.

The Time Jumpers was established in Nashville in 1998 by an assemblage of high-dollar studio musicians who wanted to spend some spare time jamming with their sonically gifted buddies. The notion of building a rabidly devoted following was the last thing on their minds. But that’s what happened. Learning that Monday evenings were the slowest in the week for the Station Inn bluegrass club, the super pickers settled into that fabled venue at the start of each

week and set up shop. Pretty soon Monday nights were sounding a lot like Saturday nights— and drawing commensurately lively crowds.

As word spread along Music Row that something special was happening at Station Inn, big stars began dropping by, some to sit in with the band, others just to enjoy the vast array of country, swing, jazz and pop standards The Time Jumpers rejoiced in playing, especially western swing and honky tonk.

The group was already beyond successful when a new member joined – Vince Gill.

The Time Jumpers are an American phenomenon. Tickets to their Nashville shows are impossible to obtain and on the rare occasions that their schedules allow them to tour, they never play to an empty seat.

june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 65

The group has performed in Oklahoma on several occasions, most recently at the induction ceremony for Tulsa’s Fiddler Hall of Fame. It was their appearance at Cain’s Ballroom, however, the home of their collective idol Bob Wills, that raised their already considerable game and for all who attended, it was a night of musical magic.

For that show, Gill took the lead on the Wills’ classic “Corinna Corinna,” and Oklahoman Hank Thompson’s “Six Pack to Go.” In the summer of 2017, Gill joined the Eagles for summer concerts following the loss of the group’s co-founder Glenn Frey.

“In my mind, I always thought I’d have made a good Eagle,” Gill told the L.A. Times.

“But in a million years, I never would have seen this coming. It’s pretty surreal. I turned 60 recently, and to get to be a part of this amazing legacy of songs, that’s the greatest part of all this for me.”

Gill, who has been extremely loyal to his home state, will appear in concert August 18 at the Oklahoma City Civic Center where he will prove to one and all that he is indeed Oklahoma’s Favorite Son. n

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MUSIC

SUPERSTAR Johnny Mathis and 62 Years of Romantic Pop Coming to OKC Civic Center in September 2018

BY BUD ELDER

F

or those who have followed his career for some 62 years, that’s right, 62 years, there are two facets to the career of johnny Mathis. Who is gracing Oklahoma City with his presence, for the first time in many years on September 6, 2018.

For some, Johnny Mathis is the fresh faced keeper of the flame in the mid-1950s, a big band crooner in an age when those artists were in short supply. His songs were the stuff of legend, “Chances Are,” “Wonderful, Wonderful” and “It’s Not for Me to Say.” Then there is the Johnny Mathis of the 70s through now – a hit making machine – “Too Much Too Little Too Late,” “The Last Time I Felt Like This,” “Life is a Song Worth Singing” and “Coming Home.”

And those albums. On Columbia his whole career.

Seventy-three of them on the charts.

Johnny Mathis is the third largest selling vocalist in American history, behind Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. He’s in the Grammy Hall of Fame, along with many, many other honors and awards.

He’s 82, and still commands the stage and sings like the legendary crooner he is. But more about that later.

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John Royce Mathis was born on September 30, 1935 in Gilmer, Texas to Clem and Mildred Mathis. As a small boy, the family moved to Post Street in San Francisco. It was there that he learned an appreciation of music from his father who taught him his first song, “My Blue Heaven”. At age eight, his father purchased an old upright piano for $25. When he brought it home, it wouldn’t fit through the front door. So that evening, Johnny stayed up all night to watch his father dismantle the piano, get it into the small living room of their basement apartment and then reassemble it.

While attending George Washington High School, Johnny was known not only for his singing ability but his athleticism as well. He became a star athlete on the track and field team as a high jumper and hurdler and played on the basketball team.

In 1954, Johnny enrolled at San Francisco State College (now called San Francisco State University) with the intention of being an English and physical education teacher. While there, Johnny set a high jump record of 6’-5 1/2”. This is still one the college’s top jump heights and was only two inches short of the Olympic record of the time. Just as when he was in high school, Johnny’s name was frequently mentioned in the sports sections of the northern California newspapers. During Johnny Mathis and Bud Elder at the Riverspirit concert in Tulsa April 2018.

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one meet at the University of Nevada Johnny beat Russell’s highest jump attempt that day. He was often referred to as “the best all-around athlete to come out of the San Francisco Bay Area”.

In early September of 1955, Johnny landed a job singing weekends at Ann Dee’s 440 Club. After repeated attempts, Helen convinced George Avakian, then head of Jazz A&R at Columbia, to see him. Avakian came to the club, heard Johnny sing and sent the now famous telegram to his record company: “Have found phenomenal 19year-old boy who could go all the way.

Send blank contracts.”

But Johnny Mathis was also a high jumper and, in 1956, Johnny was asked to attend the trials for the 1956 Olympic teams that would travel to Melbourne, Australia. At the same time, Columbia Records requested that Johnny come to New York for his first recording session.

Music won.

“Johnny Mathis: A New Sound In Popular Song” was the first album and included jazz musicians Gil Evans, John Lewis and Teo Macero and songs like “Angel Eyes”, “Easy to Love” and “Babalu.” Wisely, the studio then recognized that Mathis could sing a romantic ballad with the best of them.

In June of 1957, Johnny appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show where he was introduced to the record buying public and became a national celebrity and household name. After only two years,

Johnny surrounded by fans in the 60s.

Snapshots of a lifetime.

“Johnny’s Greatest Hits” was released, which was the first of its kind to hit record stores. Oh yes, that particular record spent some 490 weeks on the Billboard Charts. That’s almost 10 years.

Johnny Mathis has had Top 40 hits in every one of the decades he has performed.

And whether singing his own hits or lending his impeccable style to the tunes of the Great American Songbook, Johnny Mathis is, without a doubt, beloved.

Here’s a particular favorite album – Mathis and legendary musician/arranger Henry Mancini performing songs from “The Hollywood Musicals” – where Mathis’ precise, smooth voice is matched with Mancini piano and arrangements on such timeless melodies as “Time After Time” and “It Might As Well Be Spring.”

Personal privilege - I saw Johnny Mathis perform this past spring at the River Spirit casino. He was magnificent, obviously still entranced by the music he performs with his own full orchestra.

Sure, his hits were included but the 90-minute show included such melodies as Mancini’s “Charade” and “The

Days of Wine and Roses”; the Stylistics’ “I’m Stone in Love with You” and “Betcha By Golly Wow” and his own hit “99 Miles From L.A.” And here’s a story. My brother Todd’s wife, Kathy, loves Johnny Mathis. So does her whole family. They play his records at weddings, family gatherings and hanging around.

So I reached out before his show to see if Mr. Mathis, the legendary Johnny Mathis, would read a very short script that I could shoot with my phone, giving the whole bunch of them a shout out.

He did, gladly. He also signed albums for everyone and chatted with me for about 15 minutes. Johnny Mathis was welcoming and flattered his audience who still loved him after all these years.

Then he whispered a secret to me – his grandmother was born in McAlester. Would I help him find out about her? I’m on it now.

I’m a Johnny Mathis fan, one of millions. Don’t miss this rare Oklahoma City appearance. At 82, Johnny Mathis is still selling out performances on his concert tour all across America. He is a true music legend. n

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COMMENTARY

It’s no surprise Oklahoma charter, magnet schools rank so high

BY JOHN THOMPSON

I

s anyone surprised by the u.S. news and World Report high school rankings?

Who would be shocked that Harding Prep (#1), Dove Academy (#2), and Harding Fine Arts (#5) charters; and Classen (#3) and Southeast (#11) magnet schools are listed in the state’s top 11 high schools?

The 12 highest-ranked schools are in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metropolitan areas, but only two are in Tulsa and its surroundings. They all are great schools, so it is no insult to recall the basic fact of why they have such high rankings. Their geographical locations largely account for their top ratings.

Neither is it a surprise that 5/6th of the top schools don’t come close to being a high-poverty school. Only Dove and Southeast serve about as many low-income students as the Oklahoma City School System. OKCPS data from 2017 shows that about 15 percent of Southeast High School students are on special education Individualized Education Plans, which is pretty close to the district average, but only 3 percent of Dove’s 6th through 12th grade students are on IEPs. This means that only Southeast, which has a long history as a great application school, serves a population that is representative of the OKCPS. The details of such a ranking aren’t worth worrying about 70 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

because there is one overriding factor which explains their excellence, as compared to other schools. They are all choice schools. The two OKCPS traditional public schools are magnets. Affluent parents chose to live in prosperous suburban and exurban areas. The charters choose which students to retain.

It is no insult to their faculties to remember that the schools’ outstanding successes are based on the students who were given the choice to attend great schools, and the quality of teachers who choose those schools - not the way that the schools choose to hire and retain teachers.

If the teachers at Harding Prep and Classen, traded places with their colleagues at the two lowest performing neighborhood schools, Centennial and Douglass, could anyone say with a straight face that the outcomes would change very much?

But let’s change the subject to something more positive. What does the existence of so many great schools in the metropolitan area say about the families and districts that created them? Common sense and my experience say that those systems have also built a large number of good and very good schools, and had they received adequate funding we would have produced even more excellence. n John Thompson is a retired Oklahoma public school teacher.

ENTERTAINMENT

MYRIAD BOTANICAL GARDENS

brings movies, fitness, dancing, camping and more

to Downtown OKC

Myriad Gardens Dancing in the Gardens (2017). Photo: Doug Hoke

M

yriad Botanical Gardens packs the july calendar with tons of outdoor excitement, from learning activities and fitness fun, to the first campout on The Devon lawn’s soft grass under the stars.

Every day offers a new chance to spend quality time in 72 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

downtown’s most beautiful destination — whether it’s spreading out blankets for SONIC Movie Nights, or dancing the night away to hip hop music, Myriad Botanical Gardens is the place to get active, build new experiences and celebrate summer in the city.

For more information and to register online at www.myriadgardens.org or contact (405) 445-7080.

EVENTS Dancing in the Gardens: 90s Hip Hop

u Seasonal Plaza u Friday, July 6, 7-8pm: Dance Lessons; 8-10pm: FREE Dance u FREE, all ages welcome!

Dancing in the Gardens continues with one of your favorites—Hip Hop! Join us as we transform the Seasonal Plaza into an urban dance space. Beginning at 7 p.m., instructors from RACE Dance Company will give a dance demonstration followed by a FREE lesson for all. At 8 p.m., D.J. Brian Smith will crank up the 90’s hip hop tunes to get the FREE dance started. Guests are encouraged to dress up in their favorite 90’s attire. Drink and food specials will be offered to highlight the night from Pitchfork in the Park.

NEW this year: Face Painting with Pilar Designs range from $5-$10. Final dance: Friday, August 3—Country Western

Barre3 FREE Workout in the Gardens

u Monday, July 9, 7-8pm u The Devon Lawn and Band Shell u Bring yoga mat and water u FREE Barre3 continues at the Gardens for another season of FREE community outdoor fitness. Barre3 mixes athleticism, grace and the latest innovations designed to balance the body.

Meet at The Devon Lawn. We’ll be led by an amazing team from Barre3. Bring your own yoga mat, water and plenty of

gusto! This is an amazing workout. Other dates are Mondays, August 6 and September 10, 7-8pm. Final date of the season is Monday, October 8, 6-8pm.

Howl at the Moon Sponsored by Midtown Vets

u Mondays, July 9, August 13 & September 10, 8-10pm u Presented with help from A-1 Pet Emporium u Myriad Gardens Dog Park u FREE, suggested for ages 21 and older Want to socialize with your pooch? Join us once a month on Monday’s in the Myriad Gardens Dog Park for beers, corn hole and fun for both the owners and the dogs. Blue Jay’s Happy Wagon and Kona Ice will be onsite for beverage purchases throughout the evening. This month is adoption awareness month. Our friends from The Underdogs Rescue, The Boxer Rescue of Oklahoma, Friends of Mustang Animal Shelter and Wags to Whiskers will be onsite with furry friends that need a home or a foster family! A-1 Pet Emporium will also be handing out food/adoption bags to guests and DJ Brian Smith with Mutt Radio will provide your tunes for the evening.

Wine Down Free Yoga Class

u Sponsored by Tinker Federal Credit Union and Stephenson Cancer Center u Giveaway Sponsor Athleta u Tuesday, July 10, 5:45pm u The Devon Lawn u Late arrivals not accepted after 5:50 p.m. u FREE, all ages welcome!

WINE AND PALETTE portion of the evening u 7-9pm on The Devon Lawn u Member $30 register by calling 405-227-0230 Nonmember $35 wineandpalette.com/calendar.asp Join us for a FREE yoga class with Lisa Woodard from This Land Yoga! This class is good for guests of all experience levels so bring a mat, water and a friend or two. Yogis that are 21 and up should join us for a Wine and Palette class starting at 7 p.m. directly after yoga, those who participate june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 73

in yoga will receive the member price for the course at $30 per person for a 16x20 canvas. Those who do not attend yoga will be charged the non-member price of $35 per person for a 16x20 canvas to create their own Buddha yoga.

of food trucks. New this year face painting offered every week—prices vary between $5-$10. For movie descriptions, entertainment and food truck lineup for each movie visit myriadgardens.org.

Camp Out OKC Presented by Floyd’s RV Sponsored by Fowler Automotive

SONIC Summer Movies. Photo: Doug Hoke

SONIC Summer Movie Night presented by SONIC Drive-In

u Sponsored by Casady Square Orthodontics and Platt College u The Devon Lawn u Pre-Show Activities 7pm u Movie begins at 9pm when the sun sets NO MOVIE on 4th of JULY July 11—Paddington 2 July 18—Space Jam July 25—Muppet Movie August 1—Oklahoma! 1955 Version Presented by SONIC Drive-In. Join us each Wednesday on The Devon Lawn for movies, activities, food and lots of fun.

Thanks to SONIC these movies screenings are completely FREE. Come early to get a great seat. Blankets on one side, chairs on the other. Bring a picnic or enjoy food from Pitchfork in the Park or enjoy food from our line-up 74 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

u The Devon Lawn and Band Shell u Saturday, July 14 to Sunday, July 15, 7pm-8am u $50 per family of 4 + $10 per additional person (BYOT-bring your own tent) u $60 per family of 4 (Homma Camp Co. Tent provided) Come experience the Myriad Gardens in a new light! The Devon Lawn will be transformed into an urban campground for families. We will begin the evening by learning camping basics with the Land Run Rally ladies followed by activities on the Lower Lake. The evening will continue with Disc Golf provided by Fowler Automotive, scavenger hunts and extended hours to enjoy the Thunder Fountain. Once the sun sets, we will have an outdoor movie showing of Pixar’s Up (2009) for our Wilderness Explorers, flashlight games, s’more’s making and ghost stories. In the morning participants can enjoy a hot breakfast from Tasty Beats Food Truck. Space is limited, so be sure to register by Friday, July 13 at noon.

Painting in the Gardens for Camp Out OKC

u The Devon Lawn and Band Shell—outdoors! u Saturday, July 14, 5-7pm u Member: $20 register by calling (405) 227-0230 u Nonmember: $25 wineandpalette.com/calendar.asp Join Wine and Palette on The Devon Lawn to create a unique piece of art on a 11”x14” canvas. Guests can choose between two paintings—Camp Out or Stranger Things.

Full Moon Bike Ride and Run

u Presented by Stephenson Cancer Center u Sponsored by OK Runner, Schlegel Bicycles, Ride OKC and Athleta u Meet at the Band Shell by The Devon Lawn u Thursday, July 27, 8pm run, 8:30pm ride u Monday, August 27, 8pm run, 8:30pm ride u Monday, September 24, 7pm run, 7:30pm ride u $5 per person to participate, register and fill out your liability waiver in advance at www.myriadgardens.org Runners and cyclists, take your mark!

Our Full Moon Bike Ride and Run continues. Runners will be led by OK Runner through a scenic 5K through downtown at sunset. Cyclists will cruise a onehour leisurely ride through a downtown route planned by Schlegel Bicycles.

Kid's garden camp July 23-24

Need a bike? Rent one from Spokies Bike Share or Ride OKC! Lights and helmets are required. #FullMoonOKC OK Runner, Schlegel Bicycles and Ride OKC will lead ride and run safety workshops 15 minutes prior to the event start time.

Schlegel Bicycles and Ride OKC will be onsite one hour prior to the ride for quick bike maintenance and learn how to bike lessons near the Sheridan Lawn.

Foodie Friday’s with Hall’s Pizza Kitchen

u Seasonal Plaza u Friday, July 27, 8-10pm *Must be 21 or older to attend: Beer included with meal thanks to a generous donation from Coop Ale Works u Member: $25; Nonmember: $30 u Register online at myriadgardens.org Join us for an evening of pizza, beer, trivia, lawn games and music under the stars. Each guest will receive two slices of pizza and a dessert from Hall’s Pizza Kitchen, a 12 oz. beer from Coop Ale Works and a commemorative beer glass to

take home. Additional food and drinks can be purchase at the Hall’s Pizza Kitchen food truck, Pitchfork in the Park and the bar from Double Shot Bar Services. Space is limited so be sure to register by Thursday, July 26 at noon.

YOUTH AND FAMILY PROGRAMS Weekly Walkups

u Week days through August 10, Monday-Friday, 10am Noon u Children’s Garden Porch Drop-in activities; $2 suggested donation per child Come to the Children’s Garden for some fun activities that explore the world of plants. Groups of 10 or more please contact Lily Christman, at 405-445-5162, for more information about group activities.

• MAKE-IT MONDAYS: Each Monday children will “make and take” something home using a variety of natural and craft materials. We’ll make a summer full of fun garden crafts like wind chimes, chia heads, and seed bombs. june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 75

• TASTY TUESDAYS: Don’t miss this fun morning where you’ll get to play with food! Combine different shapes of fresh veggies, fruits, and herbs to create edible animals like cucumber bumble bees and cauliflower sheep! This activity is a great way to turn a “yuck” into a “yum” and to learn about these foods and where they come from.

• READING WEDNESDAYS: It’s that time of year when Reading Wednesdays moves back out into the garden!

We’ll be reading nature-inspired books that connect children with what is growing and changing in the garden each week and then make a craft.

• “THINK GREEN” THURSDAYS: This day of the week is devoted to fun crafts that focus on the 3 R’s of environmental kindness: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

We’ll upcycle unused or discarded items to make something new and cool like transforming a plastic bottle into a bird feeder!

• FIND-IT FRIDAYS: This is a self-guided scavenger hunt, leading you on a discovery of nature in the Children’s Garden with all of its shapes, textures, and beautiful colors. Use fun tools like magnify-ing lenses and binoculars, as you wind your way through the

garden!

Little Sapling Series

u Every other Tuesday u July 3, 17, 31; August 14, 28; September 11, 25, 10 – 11am u Children’s Garden Porch (South Lobby Reading Nook in inclement weather) u Member $3; Nonmember $4 u Best for ages 2 to 5 u Register by Friday before at myriadgardens.org Join us in the Children’s Garden for an hour of songs, games, and interactive nature fun. Toddlers (and parents!) will get to learn about the exciting world of gardens in an engaging and educational way. Each week features a new theme with corresponding activities and learning opportunities. Every Little Saplings event begins with a song, ends with a sensory bin, and includes a hands-on craft.

BUG OUT! Sponsored by Goldfish Swim School u Friday, July 13, 10am-1pm u Children’s Garden (*note new location) u Member $3; Nonmember $4 per container of ladybugs u All Ages Welcome Help us release thousands of polka-dotted hungry helpers in our Children’s Garden and Prairie Garden so they can chow down on pests that are bugging our plants! Create a lady bug craft, check out the Insect Safari to see bugs up close and learn about other beneficial bugs for your garden. Lady bugs will be available for release on a first-come, firstserved basis. Limit one container per person.

Tropical Treats

u Wednesday, July 18, 1- 2pm u 2nd Floor Conference Room u Member $8; Nonmember $10 u Best for ages 6 to 10 u Register by Friday, July 13 at myriadgardens.org

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Learn about the plants we use to make tasty tropical popsicles and ice cream as we explore the Crystal Bridge Conservatory. We’ll go on a scavenger hunt for plants such as the chocolate tree, the coconut tree and the vanilla orchid, then make a colorful craft and end with a refreshing, tropical popsicle from Pitchfork in the Park.

Family Workshop: Sun Prints Saturday, July 21, 2-4pm 2nd Floor Conference Room Member $10; Nonmember $11 Jeanne Parkhurst, local educator and teaching artist Best for ages 6 to 10 Register by Tuesday, July 17 at myriadgardens.org Take advantage of summer’s sunny days! Jeanne will teach participants about sun prints, also known as blue prints or cyanotypes. This simple process was one of the earliest forms of photography without using a camera. We will use the conservatory as inspiration to create our own images for sun soaked pictures. Cool drinks and shady areas will be provided while our prints do their thing outdoors!

Leafy Living: Garden Camp for Kids Monday, July 23 and Tuesday, July 24, 8am- 12pm 2nd Floor Conference Room and Garden Grounds Member $60; Nonmember $70

Best for ages 6 to 10 Register by Wednesday, July 18 at myriadgardens.org Kids will become expert garden adventurers in this camp focused on healthy living and nature. Each day will include a gardening lesson, basic cooking class, nature scavenger hunt and crafts. Kids will head home with the enthusiasm and skills to continue exploring nature, staying active, helping out in the garden and creating their own, healthy snacks.

Adults Yoga Series Sponsored by Tinker Federal Credit Union and Stephenson Cancer Center

u Tuesdays, 5:45pm u Giveaway Sponsor Athleta u Members: $5; NM: $10 u Late arrivals not accepted after 5:50pm Meet in the North Lobby for check-In— location varies, you must collect a wristband from the South Lobby in order to participate This is a great, all-levels class led by Lisa Woodard from This Land Yoga.

Class participants should bring a yoga mat and water. Class participants will meet in the south lobby for check-in each week. Drop in for a session or two or enjoy the entire series!

Myriad Kitchen: Homegrown Summer Delights

u Saturday, July 14, 2018, Noon2pm

u Park House Event Center u Member $20; Nonmember $27 u Pam Patty, RD/LD, Community Wellness Dietician for Integris Health u Register by Thursday, July 12 at myriadgardens.org \Don’t let your diet decisions eat you alive. Instead, choose to make this summer a turning point in your wellness. Partake in this hands-on workshop to learn how a few small choices in food selection and preparation can make a big difference in your health. These homegrown dishes are certain to delight your palate and improve your wellbeing.

Please bring a kitchen apron, as you will be preparing food.

Ladies’ Night Out: Floral Designs

u Friday, July 20, 7-8:30pm u Park House Event Center u Chelsea Hughes, Asst.

Maintenance Supervisor, Calvert’s Interior Plants u Member $45; Nonmember $55 u Register by Monday, July 16 at myriadgardens.org Gather your friends, sisters, and mother for a party with light refreshments and soothing tunes as you learn the basics and finer points of fashioning floral arrangements. No experience necessary! Please bring pruners and a bag to take your arrangements home.

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Designing Your Fall Garden

u Saturday, July 21, 2018, 10am-Noon u 2nd Floor Conference Room u Member $14; Nonmember $19 u Lori Coats, My Raggedy Herbs u Register by Thursday, July 19 at myriadgardens.org Fall vegetable gardening can be one of the most pleasant times to grow your own food in Oklahoma, yet often overlooked. In this class, Backyard Kitchen Gardener and owner of My Raggedy Herbs, Lori Coats, will guide you in planning an autumn garden space, identify proper planting dates and select the best-suited varieties for Zone 7. Once you understand how wonderful gardening can be in cooler temperatures, you may expand your garden!

Smart Gardening: Growing Food Made Easy

u Saturday, July 28, 10am-Noon u 2nd Floor Conference Room and Garden Grounds u Member $10; Nonmember $12 u Dale Spoonemore, From Seed to Spoon u Register by Thursday, July 26 at myriadgardens.org Growing your own food is a smart choice. Just ask Dale Spoonemore, a self-taught horticulturist, who transformed his once empty backyard into an efficient organic food farm.

By growing his food, Dale has saved money and improved his health. Listen as Dale explains how he embraced innovative gardening approaches to expand nutritional selections for his young family. Dale’s self-designed sustenance gardening smartphone app will be one of many tools he will exhibit, so you too, can easily grow your own food.

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Coming up in August: Internet Cat Video Festival

u Sponsored by Midtown Vets u The Devon Lawn and Bandshell u Saturday, August 18 u Pre-Show Fun at 7 p.m. u Movie Screening at 9 p.m.

The Internet Cat Video Festival is back by popular demand!

It is a raucous, 75-minute romp through the Internet’s finest cat video offerings and the shared hilarity with thousands of cat lovers is not to be missed. Films starts at 9 p.m. but put on your whiskers and cat ears and enjoy pre-screening festivities complete with food trucks, live music, drinks from Double Shot Bar Services and more. Don’t have your cat ear?

Stop by our cat ear headband craft for a $2 suggested donation.

FOOD VENDORS: Yum Yum Bites, Cookin It Up, Kona Ice, dOugh MG and Pitchfork in the Park. Non-Food Vendors: Central Humane Society, Earthwise Pets, A-1 Pet Emporium, Yarn and Whiskers and more. n

TRAVEL

MacKintosh of MacKintosh, Lachlan MacKintosh

TRAVEL MEMOIRS OF A PHTOGRAPHER:

MY ADVENTURE TRIP TO SCOTLAND

BY WILLIAM S. MCINTOSH, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA

B

y the late 1970s the high schools accepted the color slide shows set to music I had introduced in the assemblies. The students liked and eagerly anticipated them as entertainment. By the late 70s, this enabled me to include a brief travelogue with comments on different countries to the student assemblies.

My second effort included photographs I had made in Scotland. I read an interesting article with beautiful Scottish pictures featuring Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands.

My birth mother and father both hailed from Scotland, and the Highlands held my attention in terms of photographing them. A close friend, Charles McDuffie, serious about his Scottish ancestry to the degree he helped form the local St. Andrew’s society in 1975, indicated he would like to go with

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me to learn more about his lineage. We agreed to travel in September when the whole counrtyside, covered with the purple blossoms of heather, reached its peak.

We toured the highlands for 11 days. One of our first destinations included Oban, a fishing village, which held much character. Oban, in 1973 not crowded with tourists, allowed us to stay. Early the next morning I made some photographs of the fishing boats.

We spent the next night there after dinner in the bar in the hotel. Dull as you can imagine, we asked for the action in town. The clerk said a pub popular with fishermen located close to the hotel showed promise of a fun-filled evening. We entered the pub and realized a celebration was about to happen, as more patrons arrived and the pub became totally packed. On TV the regional football (rugby) team was about to beat a big time rival. In a short time their team won. The group began to sing their victory rugby song and weave to the right and left en masse. I felt a hand on my head

A little girl danced a Scottish reel.

Me with a lass at the pub.

followed by a foot on my shoulder; one of the pub people needed to go to the toilet, but the pub was so packed, he could only crawl over the crowd.

Another adventure with a crowded room occurred at night in a hotel where a Saturday night traditional dance called Ghillie Callm took place. A little girl about seven years old danced a rapid solo to a Scottish reel between two large swords placed crossways on the oor. The audience clapped and had a good time.

Charlie and I were standing just in front of the food table that looked ready to present. When they announced time to eat, Charlie and I turned toward the table and were quickly overtaken by the crowd. As the group moved around us, three young women moved close to our back. Intimately, I thought. What a warm, friendly people. I turned to talk to them, but quickly discovered I stood in their way of getting to the food. They ďŹ lled their plates, ignored us, and moved back to their places in the room. Eating and drinking with the revelers, they accepted us as part of the festivities and Charlie took a picture of me with one of the lassies curious about Americans.

Isle of Skye The next morning Charlie and I continued our trip. We stopped by a sheep ranch where they were preparing for a sheep auction. We chatted with a couple of farmers and I took their picture. Moving on, we decided to take the ferry to The Isle of Skye.

I made a picture of one of the crewman who advised us on a good hotel. There are 95 inhabited Islands in Scotland with a population total of 99,600; many tourists consider them one of the most beautiful areas in Europe.

We took a ferry to Skye and drove around looking for scenes to photograph the next day.

We found a great hotel overlooking a lake I thought would become a speculator background for a picture at dawn. I was up just before sunrise, had some coffee, scouted the best angle for the scene and within a short time made one of the most beautiful pictures of the entire trip. june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 81

People of the Isle of Skye

We spent the day making more picturesque images of the island.

The next day on the Isle of Skye, Charlie, whose main interest in the Scotland trip concerned tracing his ancestors, discovered a book on Scottish genealogy.

He found they came from the Isle of Ilay and did not have a Chief of the Clan. In reading further he found the Chief of the Clan MacKintosh lived in Inverness.

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He looked up my mother’s family McNair and discovered the officials banned them from Scotland in 1840 for stealing sheep. We got a big laugh out of it and Charlie said, “maybe some of your heritage has influenced you.” I said, “well at least I have never been accused of stealing sheep.” Charlie let us quit while we were ahead, I didn’t need to know any more.

He called an official on llay and there were no living

members of the McDuffie clan on the island. The water was too rough to make the trip by ferry to the Isle of Ilay for several days so we decided to go to Inverness, the city where the MacKintosh Clan resided.

We arrived before noontime, and Charlie looked up the Mac-Kintosh phone number. Naturally, he saw several pages of Mac-Kintosh numbers but none said Chief MacKintosh. We did find Lady MacKintosh, and Charlie called her — inquiring about my ancestors. The Chief’s mother graciously gave us the Chief’s number. Charlie called the Chief; his title is MacKintosh of MacKintosh, Lachlan MacKintosh, and Chief of the Clan. Charlie spoke to Mr. MacKintosh and said we were photographing the Highlands and were also curious about our ancestors, we just wanted to chat with him briefly, shake his hand and not take too much of his time. The chief said he could see us the next morning. We had not planned on spending the night, but decided it would be worth it.

We had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and found it amusing that the background music played Glenn Miller’s big band rendition of Chattanooga Choo Choo.

The next morning we arrived at the entrance to his Manor house. Surrounded by a stonewall enclosing the home and property with the gatekeeper’s stone house standing the entrance and the Mackintosh coat of arms sculpted into the front of the house. The keeper announced us. He opened a large black wrought iron gate with the letter M in the middle, and we drove some distance to the entrance of the owner’s house.

Top to bottom: Dawn on the Isle of Skye; Loch between mountains in the Highlands; The hills were covered with heather june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 83

At the entrance, half a dozen walking canes stood in a container; some had interesting animal heads carved on their handles. Mr. Mackintosh met us at his front door. He received us by wearing his traditional Scottish attire, a jacket, vest, tie and kilt with a purse on his waist called a Sporran to take the place of absent pockets on a kilt. A ceremonial dagger fit into his stocking. His efforts pleased us and made us feel welcome.

He escorted us next door to his modest Mackintosh museum and told us about the Mackintosh clan history.

He is the 30th chief of the clan that began in 1179. A Mackintosh plaid covered one wall and from left to right, top to bottom, an artifact of each of the previous Chiefs enhanced its beauty. Some artifacts such as engraved swords, ceremonial daggers — called the Sgian Dubhn, shields with the coat of arms and other interesting articles interested us.

We had a very pleasant hour and a half and as a parting gift he gave us booklet of the history of the Mackintosh Clan. Charlie, an avid admirer of Scottish history, deemed it to be the highlight of our trip.

We took our leave and journeyed on to investigate more Highlands scenery. Driving North West to Gairlock we drove through glens and hills covered by the glorious beautiful purple flowers of Heather the legendary flower of Scotland.

Gairlock WE ARRIVED AT GAIRLOCK late afternoon; it was the coldest place we had visited. The beach was a surprise.

There was no sand, just rocks, from small to medium size.

We checked into a small bed and breakfast went next door to a restaurant, had dinner and returned to the house. We chatted with several more guests in the lobby and then went to our small room on the top floor with a Top to bottom: A sheep rancher from the Isle of Skye; I had to stop to photograph this beautiful country church; This farmhouse and stream offered a painterly view that I could not ignore

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The Gairlock Beach

dormer window to turn in.

Soon a large woman came in with a heated bedpan with a handle and passed it under our blankets to warm our beds. When we got under the covers we were pleased for the service, the room was cold, but the bed was warm.

We slept well until we could her heavy footsteps coming up the stairs.

The same lady that came last night brought a tray and without a word placed it on the night table between us and left us with the most wonderful scones and hot tea I had ever had.

After a wonderful Highlands journey it was time to go home. Our last place to visit on the trip is Edinburgh. We expected to arrive in the evening and leave the next day. Walking around Edinburgh we met two teenagers with typical Scots red hair. I thought the visit would not be complete without including typical native Scots physical characteristics like red hair. Only 5% of Caucasians have red hair but the percentage of the Scots and Irish population is much higher.

Charlie and I returned home after a wonderful adventure in Scotland. I made one my most popular slide presentations that received many compliments. n

Edinburgh is one of the United Kingdom’s most beautiful cities ... And has a lot of red-heads

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TECHNOLOGY

COX AND 4 Corners Homes SHOWCASE SENIOR SMART HOME

“CONNECTED INDEPENDENCE” in Edmond on June 28, 2018

BY DON SWIFT

Many people today from the Baby Boomer generation are being confronted with elderly parents and relatives who are happily living longer lives than ever before.

As we all know, our elders are going to be in need of assisted living type services as they get older, which can be very expensive.

By 2020, it is estimated that over 119 million seniors in America will be researching their options of how they will spend the remaining years of their lives. Recent research surveys indicate almost 90 percent of adults over the age of 65 want to stay in their current home as long as they can.

The other alternative would be to move in with family members or a retirement home as they age.

My wife and I have recently experienced many of these 86 ion Oklahoma june/july 2018

challenges in our family as two of our parents lived well into their nineties. It was very insightful to tour the Smart Home in Edmond and view all the technology being demonstrated for seniors who want to live independently in their homes with telemedicine, voice activated technology, virtual reality, smart safety products, smart homelife care smart security technology smart CableLabs, and much more.

Cox Communications and 4 Corners Homes partnered with senior living experts to showcase a new era in digital living that provides older adults with the ability to live safely and independently in their own homes. Cox Communications are really to be commended for their investment in the future of senior smart home technology.

Cox understands the value and benefit they can provide their customers as they grow older with this Smart Home

technology, which can allow seniors with the ability to leave longer independently in their own homes and at a huge cost savings when compared to other assisted living options.

The event featured national and OKC-based senior living innovators, businesses and experts. More than 50 interactive demonstrations, powered by Cox Communications’ broadband network, ran simultaneously throughout the home, including: • Virtual reality – the Rendever virtual reality platform allows seniors to “travel” to their favorite destinations.

• Telemedicine sessions –Trapollo telemedicine services let doctors diagnose and treat seniors from the comfort of their home.

• Smart cooking devices like a WiFi slow cooker and june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 87

Sous Vide showcased by food blogger, Whitney Bond https://whitneybond.com/.

• Voice-activated devices make life easier for seniors, allowing them to interact with their smart home without the worry of controls, dials or switches.

• Mobile apps – CK Life allows families to prescreen and select from a local network of qualified caregivers to provide a number of caregiving services from the convenience of a smart phone.

• Cox Homelife Products including Smart Window and Door Sensors, Smart door locks, thermostats, lightbulbs and more.

• LiveFine Automatic Pill Dispenser – Helps seniors stay on schedule with their medications. Helps prevent forgotten dosages or mixed medications.

• Clarity P300 Handset Landline Telephone – Makes sounds louder and easier to understand.

Seniors can call people by pushing a photo button.

• GeniCan – Garbage can that scans items as they’re thrown away. The GeniCan app builds a shopping list based on what needs to be replaced, and schedules home delivery through Amazon Dash.

• Additional stations included a WiFi vacuum, Wi-Fi cat (Joy for All Orange Tabby Cat), electronic pet 88 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

Cox Contour & GIGABLAST Internet.

feeder, electronic fork that tracks eating habits, as well as Smart Door locks and video cameras, glass break sensors, water/flood sensors, motion sensors and other safety devices.

“By connecting healthcare providers, caregivers and families to innovative

care services through the smart home environment, families can prolong the quality of life at home and lower healthcare costs without sacrificing peace of mind,” Peck said, adding that reliable high-speed internet is essential for multiple devices to work properly at the same time.

Smart Technology Security

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and home security and automation services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable company, Cox serves approximately six million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and digital media june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 89

ranked among DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity 12 times. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com. n

Smart Technology Kitchen The Reserves at StillMeadows Smart Home.

advertising.

Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in broadband, voice and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For nine years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; Cox has Cox Homelife Care

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George Washington’s

HISTORY

Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior

In COMPAny AnD COnVeRSATIOn

B

y age sixteen, Washington had copied out by hand, 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.

They are based on a set of rules composed by French jesuits in 1595.

Presumably they were copied out as part of an exercise in penmanship assigned by young Washington's schoolmaster. The first english translation of the French rules appeared in 1640,

and are ascribed to Francis Hawkins the twelve-yearold son of a doctor.

Today many, if not all of these rules, sound a little fussy if not downright silly. It would be easy to dismiss them as outdated and appropriate to a time of powdered wigs and quills, but they reflect a focus that is increasingly difficult to find. The rules have in common a focus on other people rather than the narrow focus of our own self-interests that we find so prevalent today. Fussy or not, they represent more than just manners. They are the small sacrifices that we should all be willing to make for the good of all and the sake of living together.

These rules proclaim our respect for others and in turn give us the gift of self-respect and heightened self-esteem.

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Richard Brookhiser, in his book on Washington wrote that "all modern manners in the western world were originally aristocratic. Courtesy meant behavior appropriate to a court; chivalry comes from chevalier – a knight. Yet Washington was to dedicate himself to freeing America from a court's control. Could manners survive the operation? Without realizing it, the Jesuits who wrote them, and the young man

who copied them, were outlining and absorbing a system of courtesy appropriate to equals and near-equals. When the company for whom the decent behavior was to be performed expanded to the nation, Washington was ready. Parson Weems got this right, when he wrote that it was 'no wonder every body honoured him who honoured every body.'"

The Rules: Treat everyone with respect.

1st Every Action done in Company, ought to be with Some Sign of Respect, to those that are Present.

2nd When in Company, put not your Hands to any Part of the Body, not usually Discovered.

Be considerate of others. Do not embarrass others.

3rd Show Nothing to your Friend that may affright him.

4th In the Presence of Others Sing not to yourself with a humming Noise, nor Drum with your Fingers or Feet.

5th If You Cough, Sneeze, Sigh, or Yawn, do it not Loud but Privately; and Speak not in your Yawning, but put Your handkerchief or Hand before your face and turn aside.

6th Sleep not when others Speak, Sit not when others stand, Speak not when you Should hold your Peace, walk not on when others Stop.

7th Put not off your Cloths in the presence of Others, nor go out your Chamber half Dressed.

8th At Play and at Fire its Good manners to Give Place to the last Commer, and affect not to Speak Louder than Ordinary.

9th Spit not in the Fire, nor Stoop low before it neither Put your Hands into the Flames to warm them, nor Set your Feet upon the Fire especially if there be meat before it.

10th When you Sit down, Keep your Feet firm and Even, 92 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

without putting one on the other or Crossing them.

11th Shift not yourself in the Sight of others nor Gnaw your nails.

12th Shake not the head, Feet, or Legs roll not the Eyes lift not one eyebrow higher than the other wry not the mouth, and bedew no mans face with your Spittle, by approaching too near him when you Speak.

13th Kill no Vermin as Fleas, lice ticks &c in the Sight of Others, if you See any filth or thick Spittle put your foot Dexterously upon it if it be upon the Cloths of your Companions, Put it off privately, and if it be upon your own Cloths return Thanks to him who puts it off.

14th Turn not your Back to others especially in Speaking, Jog not the Table or Desk on which Another reads or writes, lean not upon any one.

15th Keep your Nails clean and Short, also your Hands and Teeth Clean yet without Showing any great Concern for them.

16th Do not Puff up the Cheeks, Loll not out the tongue rub the Hands, or beard, thrust out the lips, or bite them or keep the Lips too open or too Close.

17th Be no Flatterer, neither Play with any that delights not to be Play'd Withal.

18th Read no Letters, Books, or Papers in Company but when there is a Necessity for the doing of it you must ask leave: come not near the Books or Writings of

Another so as to read them unless desired or give your opinion of them unasked also look not nigh when another is writing a Letter.

19th Let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave.

20th The Gestures of the Body must be Suited to the discourse you are upon.

21st Reproach none for the Infirmities of Nature, nor Delight to Put them that have in mind thereof.

22nd Show not yourself glad at the Misfortune of another though he were your enemy.

23rd When you see a Crime punished, you may be inwardly Pleased; but always show Pity to the Suffering Offender.

Don't draw attention to yourself.

24th Do not laugh too loud or too much at any Public Spectacle.

25th Superfluous Complements and all Affectation of Ceremony are to be avoided, yet where due they are not to be Neglected.

26th In Pulling off your Hat to Persons of Distinction, as Noblemen, Justices, Churchmen &c make a Reverence, bowing more or less according to the Custom of the Better Bred, and Quality of the Person.

Amongst your equals expect not always that they Should begin with you first, but to Pull off the Hat when there

is no need is Affectation, in the Manner of Saluting and resaluting in words keep to the most usual Custom.

27th Tis ill manners to bid one more eminent than yourself be covered as well as not to do it to whom it's due Likewise he that makes too much haste to Put on his hat does not well, yet he ought to Put it on at the first, or at most the Second time of being asked; now what is herein Spoken, of Qualification in behavior in Saluting, ought also to be observed in taking of Place, and Sitting down for ceremonies without Bounds is troublesome.

28th If any one come to Speak to you while you are are Sitting Stand up though he be your Inferior, and when you Present Seats let it be to every one according to his Degree.

29th When you meet with one of Greater Quality than yourself, Stop, and retire especially if it be at a Door or any Straight place to give way for him to Pass.

30th In walking the highest Place in most Countries Seems to be on the right hand therefore Place yourself on the left of him whom you desire to Honor: but if three walk together the middest Place is the most Honorable the wall is usually given to the most worthy if two walk together.

31st If any one far Surpasses others, either in age, Estate, or Merit yet would give Place to a meaner than himself in his own lodging or elsewhere the one ought not to except it, So he on the other part should not use much earnestness nor offer it above once or twice.

32nd To one that is your equal, or not much inferior you are to give the chief Place in your Lodging and he to who is offered ought at the first to refuse it but at the Second to accept though not without acknowledging his own unworthiness. june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 93

33rd They that are in Dignity or in ofďŹ ce have in all places Precedency but whilst they are Young they ought to respect those that are their equals in Birth or other Qualities, though they have no Public charge.

34th It is good Manners to prefer them to whom we Speak before ourselves especially if they be above us with whom in no Sort we ought to begin. When you speak, be concise.

35th Let your Discourse with Men of Business be Short and Comprehensive.

36th ArtiďŹ cers & Persons of low Degree ought not to use many ceremonies to Lords, or Others of high Degree but Respect and highly Honor them, and those of high Degree ought to treat them with affability & Courtesy, without Arrogance.

37th In speaking to men of Quality do not lean nor Look them full in the Face, nor approach too near them at lest Keep a full Pace from them.

38th In visiting the Sick, do not Presently play the Physician if you be not Knowing therein.

39th In writing or Speaking, give to every Person his due Title According to his Degree & the Custom of the Place.

Do not argue with your superior.

Submit your ideas with humility.

40th Strive not with your Superiors in argument, but always Submit your Judgment to others with Modesty.

41st Undertake not to Teach your equal in the art himself Professes; it Savours of arrogance.

42nd Let thy ceremonies in Courtesy be proper to the Dignity of his place with whom thou converses for it is

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absurd to act the same with a Clown and a Prince.

43rd Do not express Joy before one sick or in pain for that contrary Passion will aggravate his Misery.

When a person does their best and fails, do not criticize him.

44th When a man does all he can though it Succeeds not well blame not him that did it.

When you must give advice or criticism, consider the timing, whether it should be given in public or private, the manner and above all be gentle.

45th Being to advise or reprehend any one, consider whether it ought to be in public or in Private; presently, or at Some other time in what terms to do it & in reproving Show no Sign of Cholar but do it with all Sweetness and Mildness.

If you are corrected, take it without argument. If you were wrongly judged, correct it later.

46th Take all Admonitions thankfully in what Time or Place Soever given but afterwards not being culpable take a Time & Place convenient to let him him know it that gave them.

Do not make fun of anything important to others.

47th Mock not nor Jest at any thing of Importance break [n]o Jest that are Sharp Biting and if you Deliver any thing witty and Pleasant abstain from Laughing thereat yourself.

If you criticize someone else of something, make sure you are not guilty of it yourself. Actions speak louder than words.

48th Wherein you reprove Another be unblameable yourself; for example is more prevalent than Precepts.

49th Use no Reproachful Language against any one neither Curse nor Revile.

Do not be quick to believe bad reports about others.

Never break the rules in front of your subordinates.

59th Never express anything unbecoming, nor Act against the Rules Moral before your inferiors.

Some things are better kept secret.

50th Be not hasty to believe flying Reports to the Disparagement of any.

60th Be not immodest in urging your Friends to Discover 51st Wear not your Cloths, foul, ripped or Dusty but See a Secret. they be Brushed once every day at least and take 61st Utter not base and frivolous things amongst grave heed that you approach not to any Uncleaness. and Learned Men nor very Difficult Questions or 52nd In your Apparel be Modest and endeavor to accomSubjects, among the Ignorant or things hard to be modate Nature, rather than to procure Admiration believed, Stuff not your Discourse with Sentences keep to the Fashion of your equals Such as are Civil amongst your Betters nor Equals. and orderly with respect to Times and Places.

62nd Speak not of doleful Things in a Time of Mirth or at 53rd Run not in the Streets, neither go too slowly nor the Table; Speak not of Melancholy Things as Death with Mouth open go not Shaking your Arms kick not and Wounds, and if others Mention them Change if the earth with R feet, go not upon the Toes, nor in a you can the Discourse tell not your Dreams, but to Dancing fashion. your intimate Friend.

54th Play not the Peacock, looking every where about you, A person should not overly value their own to See if you be well Decked, if your Shoes fit well if accomplishments. your Stockings sit neatly, and Cloths handsomely.

55th Eat not in the Streets, nor in the House, out of Season. 63rd A Man ought not to value himself of his Achievements, or rare Qualities of wit; much less of his Associate with good people. It is better to be alone riches Virtue or Kindred. than in bad company.

64th Break not a Jest where none take pleasure in mirth 56th Associate yourself with Men of good Quality if you Laugh not aloud, nor at all without Occasion, deride no Esteem your own Reputation; for ’is better to be mans Misfortune, though there Seem to be Some cause. alone than in bad Company.

65th Speak not injurious Words neither in Jest nor Earnest 57th In walking up and Down in a House, only with One Scoff at none although they give Occasion. in Company if he be Greater than yourself, at the first 66th Be not froward but friendly and Courteous; the first give him the Right hand and Stop not till he does to Salute hear and answer & be not Pensive when it's and be not the first that turns, and when you do turn a time to Converse. let it be with your face towards him, if he be a Man Do not detract from others nor be overbearing in of Great Quality, walk not with him Cheek by Joul but giving orders.

Somewhat behind him; but yet in Such a Manner that 67th Detract not from others neither be excessive in he may easily Speak to you.

Commanding.

Always allow reason to govern your actions.

Do not go where you are not wanted. Do not give unasked-for advice.

58th Let your Conversation be without Malice or Envy, for ’is a Sign of a Tractable and Commendable Nature: And in all Causes of Passion admit Reason to Govern.

68th Go not thither, where you know not, whether you june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 95

Shall be Welcome or not. Give not Advice without being Asked & when desired do it briefly.

If two people disagree, do not take one side or the other. Be flexible in your own opinions and when you don't care, take the majority opinion.

69th If two contend together take not the part of either unconstrained; and be not obstinate in your own Opinion, in Things indifferent be of the Major Side.

Do not correct others when it is not your place to do so.

70th Reprehend not the imperfections of others for that belongs to Parents Masters and Superiors.

71st Gaze not on the marks or blemishes of Others and ask not how they came. What you may Speak in Secret to your Friend deliver not before others.

72nd Speak not in an unknown Tongue in Company but in your own Language and that as those of Quality do and not as the Vulgar; Sublime matters treat Seriously.

Think before you Speak pronounce not imperfectly 73rd nor bring out your Words too hastily but orderly & distinctly.

74th When Another Speaks be attentive your Self and disturb not the Audience if any hesitate in his Words help him not nor Prompt him without desired, Interrupt him not, nor Answer him till his Speech be ended.

75th In the midst of Discourse ask not of what one treateth but if you Perceive any Stop because of your coming you may well intreat him gently to Proceed: If a Person of Quality comes in while your Conversing it's handsome to Repeat what was said before.

76th While you are talking, Point not with your Finger at him of Whom you Discourse nor Approach too near him to whom you talk especially to his face.

77th Treat with men at fit Times about Business & Whisper not in the Company of Others.

96 june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma

Don't compare yourselves amongst yourselves.

78th Make no Comparisons and if any of the Company be Commended for any brave act of Virtue, commend not another for the Same.

Do not be quick to talk about something when you don’t have all the facts.

79th Be not apt to relate News if you know not the truth thereof. In Discoursing of things you Have heard Name not your Author always A Secret Discover not.

80th Be not Tedious in Discourse or in reading unless you find the Company pleased therewith.

Do not be curious about the affairs of others.

81st Be not Curious to Know the Affairs of Others neither approach those that Speak in Private.

Do not start what you cannot finish. Keep your promises.

82nd Undertake not what you cannot Perform but be Careful to keep your Promise.

83rd When you deliver a matter do it without Passion & with Discretion, however mean the Person be you do it too.

84th When your Superiors talk to any Body hearken not neither Speak nor Laugh.

85th In Company of these of Higher Quality than yourself Speak not til you are asked a Question then Stand upright put of your Hat & Answer in few words.

86th In Disputes, be not So Desirous to Overcome as not to give Liberty to each one to deliver his Opinion and Submit to the Judgment of the Major Part especially if they are Judges of the Dispute.

87th Let thy carriage be such as becomes a Man Grave Settled and attentive to that which is spoken.

Contradict not at every turn what others Say. 88th Be not tedious in Discourse, make not many Digressions, nor repeat often the Same

manner of Discourse.

Do not speak badly of those who are not present.

89th Speak not Evil of the absent for it is unjust.

90th Being Set at meat Scratch not neither Spit Cough or blow your Nose except there's a Necessity for it.

91st Make no Show of taking great Delight in your Victuals, Feed not with Greediness; cut your Bread with a Knife, lean not on the Table neither find fault with what you Eat. 92nd Take no Salt or cut Bread with your Knife Greasy.

93rd Entertaining any one at the table, it is decent to present him with meat; Undertake not to help others undesired by the Master.

94th If you Soak bread in the Sauce let it be no more than what you put in your Mouth at a time and blow not your broth at Table but Stay till Cools of it Self.

95th Put not your meat to your Mouth with your Knife in your hand neither Spit forth the Stones of any fruit Pie upon a Dish nor Cast anything under the table.

96th It's unbecoming to Stoop much to ones Meat Keep your Fingers clean & when foul wipe them on a Corner of your Table Napkin.

Don't take so big a bite that you must chew with your mouth open.

97th Put not another bit into your mouth till the former be swallowed. Let not your morsels be too big for the jowls.

98th Drink not nor talk with your mouth full; neither gaze about you while you are drinking.

99th Drink not too leisurely nor yet too hastily. Before and after drinking, wipe your lips; breath not then or ever with too great a noise, for its uncivil.

100th Cleanse not your teeth with the table cloth napkin, fork, or knife; but if others do it, let it be done without a peep to them.

101st Rinse not your mouth in the presence of others.

102nd It is out of use to call upon the company often

to eat; nor need you drink to others every time you drink.

103rd In the company of your betters, be not longer in eating than they are; lay not your arm but only your hand upon the table.

104th It belongs to the chiefest in company to unfold his napkin and fall to meat first, but he ought then to begin in time & to dispatch with dexterity that the slowest may have time allowed him.

105th Be not angry at the table whatever happens & if you have reason to be so, show it not; put on a cheerful countenance especially if there be strangers, for good humor makes one dish of meat a feast.

106th Set not yourself at the upper of the table; but if it be your due or that the master of the house will have it so, contend not, least you should trouble the company.

Show interest in others conversation, but don't talk with your mouth full.

107th If others talk at the table, be attentive but talk not with meat in your mouth.

108th When you speak of God or his attributes, let it be seriously & with reverence. Honor & obey your natural parents although they be poor.

109th Let your recreations be manful not sinful.

Don’t allow yourself to become jaded, cynical or calloused.

110th Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.

Finis Note: Original spelling is unchanged. n

june/july 2018 ion Oklahoma 97

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