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josh moore candidate city council ward 2 big o’s barbeque charles lamb
TableOfContents Vol.11 2019 Jan
Production Staff Sherri Hultner Trevor Hultner Advertiser Inquiries Sherri Hultner sherrih@edmondactive.com 405-315-7325
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AroundEdmond 04 CityBuzz 06
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MayorLamb 10 SisterCity 14 LocalEdmond 17 LocalCalendar 19 ShopEdmond 20
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LifeHappens 22
copyrighted (2009-21) Shop Edmond & Around Edmond are Trademarked 2009-2021 including hashtags. EA is NOT responsible for any claim made by any business or contributor.
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AroundEdmond
Hi everyone, hoping you are back on track after the holidays. It’s mid January, and to be honest, I feel like it’s already the end of February, as so many events have happened since the beginning of December. One event that occurred was that our Mayor, Charles Lamb, suddenly passed in early December 2018 unexpectedly. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of his close friends and family and to everyone impacted by his kindness, generosity and skill as a public servant. My oldest son, who studies journalism, was lucky enough to work at the City when Mayor Lamb was on the City Council, and Trevor got to know him a bit. When Mayor Lamb first became Mayor, Trevor sat down with him to discuss the State of Edmond n 2013, and you can read that interview in this issue. It’s very interesting to see all of the projects he was passionate about that we are all enjoying now. Also, the last interview we did with Mayor Lamb was about something he and former Chamber of Commerce President, Ken Moore were passionate about along with Cathy White at the Edmond Visitor’s Bureau, the Sister Cities Program, and I have provided that insightful interview in this issue as well, along with photos forwarded to me directly from Mayor Lamb. Citybuzz features information about
the $93 million dollar bond initiative set for vote February 12, 2019, that does not raise taxes and is expected to provide two new elementary schools and other necessary upgrades. In Local Flavor this month, Big O’s, owned by Coach O of Santa Fe High School and famed food truck, has opened on Edmond Rd and Santa Fe where Mutts Hotdog’s used to reside, and I have to say I am so excited for he and his family, as it is almost always packed! And, lastly, our Life Happens column discusses social media and the odd isolation it is creating in our teens. Thanks to all of you for visiting our social networks this last holiday, we had record traffic and the support you show the businesses that support EdmondActive is so appreciated! Keep your eye out in 3 ½ weeks for the Annual Romantic Edmond issue! See you around Edmond, Sherri
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Stop by Emory Anne Interiors to see whats in store for the Holidays! Fresh. Fun. Unique.
Company C for Norwalk furniture and coordinating fabrics are now in stock!
Emory Anne Interiors has a full Bridal Registry! Advertise your business and utilize Edmond’s largest online network of over 30,000 people to reach more local residents! Call Sherri at 315-7325
HOURS: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm Saturday 10am-5pm 405.753.4466 www.emoryanneinteriors.com 120 NE 150th Street, Edmond (at 150th and Santa Fe)
CityBuzz
Mark your calendars for February 12, to vote for the Edmond Public Schools bond proposal that would fund the construction of new schools and classroom additions, increase school security and upgrade school buildings. This $93 million bond issue will not raise taxes. At this time, no new high school is being considered, only expansion of Memorial High School, and the building of Edmond West and Edmond East Elementary Schools. For more information about this bond issue, visit Edmondschools.net.
The Citizen’s Bank of Edmond Team in attendance at the YMCA OKC Annual Meeting and Celebration Friday January 11, 2019.
Nashbird Hot Dang Chicken is set to arrive Summer of 2019 on 5th St. across from Stephenson Park. This Chef owned hot chicken joint will feature patio dining and a place to kick back and hang out with family and friends.
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LocalFlavor
If you’ve ever been to Heard on Hurd, you’ve tried Big O’s BBQ, or at least smelled the wonderful aromas coming from the brightly wrapped Big O’s red trailer. If you haven’t yet tried this amazing BBQ through the trailer yet, you’re in luck. Coach Owen, associate football coach at Santa Fe High School worked hard to open his first brick and mortar restaurant at 285 Santa Fe, which is open now Tuesday’s through Saturday’s 11-9 pm. You can expect the typical BBQ menu of turkey legs, BBQ sandwiches, ribs, fried okra to pulled pork nachos and more. All of it is delicious (I secret tested it throughout 2017 at Heard on Hurd!). With a hole left in this location by Mutt’s Hotdog’s, Coach O has come in and made an inviting atmosphere and great place for locals to satisfy their BBQ cravings while supporting a local business and family! The restaurant is family friendly, affordable and has outdoor seating on one side of the restaurant and a lit patio on the other side. Catering is available, you can inquire within when you visit or call the store at 405-657-2235. Hoping all of you will visit often so we can keep this treasure available for a long time!
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InMemoriam
Remembering Mayor Charles Lamb by Trevor Hultner It’s easy to find yourself jaded, especially in this political climate. When everyone else has a hidden agenda, the assumption goes that you must have one as well. While this might make for a good politico’s fantasy world, or maybe a third-rate spy novel you buy at the airport before your domestic flight, in the real world, it’s simply exhausting. And once you get to a certain level of politics - namely, the municipal level it doesn’t really make sense to emulate the schemers in Washington, or even the grifters at the state capitol. Every once in a while, someone comes along and shirks all expectations of what a politician - local, state, national, whatever - must be. This person has a vision and comes by it honestly. Their goals might be simple to onlookers, but they’re not made lightly. If enacted well, those goals might change their environment for the better. Charles Lamb was that person for Edmond. Over the course of his long, storied career, Mayor Lamb worked with the City Council, the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority and other groups in an effort to simply improve the place he lived. And this wasn’t something Lamb just did willy-nilly: in 1996, Lamb spearheaded a citizen’s panel tasked with the goal of bringing
Edmond into the 21st century called “Tomorrow’s Edmond.” The panel produced a guidance document detailing future infrastructure development in Edmond, with sustainability and resident friendliness foremost in mind. Whether he was pushing for sustainable energy or walkable zones throughout Edmond, Lamb was a populist in the truest sense of the word. At the end of the day, he was still simply an Edmond resident. But he was the shining example of what we could all be, if we were driven by a love for the places we live. Lamb served on the City Council from 1993 to 2011, and was Edmond’s mayor pro-tem from 2005 to 2011. He officially ran for mayor in 2013. His start in municipal politics dates back to 1987, when he first held a seat on Edmond’s Board of Adjustment and Appeals, and since then he served on at least six other committees and boards. His longest-running board appointment was on the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority, which he joined in 1993 and was the current chairman over when he died. In a statement, OMPA General Manager David Osburn said, “OMPA and Public Power in Oklahoma has lost a true champion. As Chair, Charles always
promoted fairness, transparency, and collaboration. He believed that OMPA’s true value came from serving all members equally and that OMPA was only as strong as the weakest link. His leadership and friendship will be greatly missed.” Lamb was a lifetime member of the Edmond Historical Society and an Oklahoma Municipal League Hall of Famer for Town and City Officials, and the OMPA’s 103-megawatt natural gas generation plant in Kay County is named after him - the Charles D. Lamb Energy Center. I only met Lamb a handful of times in various capacities - once, in passing when I was interning at the City of Edmond in their marketing department, and a couple of times as a working (college) journalist. One time, I visited him at his office for an interview, and it remains one of the best interviews I’ve ever had the opportunity to do. He had an incredibly warm disposition, and he answered all of my questions, some of which I certainly stumbled through, with the utmost candor. He was always friendly, and always focused on turning Edmond into a truly great place to live. Charles Lamb passed away on December 11, 2018. He was 72. We’ll miss him deeply.
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MayorLamb
In 2013, Trevor Hultner sat down with Mayor Lamb to get his very first State of the City after he was first elected as Mayor. He appears to have achieved his goals and we will all benefit for years to come. It’s quite interesting to read 6 years later. According to Edmond’s mayor, Charles Lamb, the city has “turned a corner” on the economic downturn of 2008. Lamb, who was reelected by a wide margin on April 2, said during a conversation with Edmond Active that this was due to a unique budget technique that Edmond uses where the City Council plans five years ahead, instead of the requisite year in advance. Lamb has been Edmond Mayor for 18 months, replacing Patrice Douglas when it was announced that Douglas had been chosen to fill the outgoing Corporation
Commissioner’s office. Lamb beat his opponent, Richard Prawdzienski, with a nearly 82 percent lead at the polls. Here are his thoughts on the state of Edmond’s economy, energy sector and infrastructure, what he would like to see happen in Edmond over the next few years, and more. EA: What have you accomplished as mayor of Edmond that you are most proud of? CL: Well, as the mayor I’ve only been on that job eighteen months, but I have been on the City Council for sixteen years. EA: Want to talk about that? CL: In terms of accomplishments, individual accomplishments are rare, but there have been some things we have done while I was on the team. We completed a vision project in 1996 called “Tomorrow’s Edmond.” That one I’m pretty proud of. EA: What is “Tomorrow’s Edmond”? CL: It’s a vision statement about the direction of the community, what we wanted our community to be. The vision statement itself has actually been incorporated into the strategic plan that the Council does, um, now we’ll be doing this on an annual basis. But it is, “Edmond strives to be a diverse and innovative hometown, committed to excellence through leadership, balanced growth and cooperation. These high standards will only be accomplished with full community participation.” Our vision has changed just a little over what the vision statement says. That was a modification that the prior mayor wanted to make. EA: How has Edmond been doing over the past year or 18 months? CL: Economically, I believe we have turned the corner on the downturn of 2008-2009. We had basically negative revenues to expenditures for one year. We expected to make three percent and we made a negative three percent, so we were down six percent. Edmond has some unique financial tools that we use. When we
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MayorLamb budget, we have to do an annual budget according to state law. But when we budget, we sit down and look out four years for all of those budget categories, which gives us an opportunity to kind of forecast beyond the one year, plan our expenditures, look at our proposed revenues, and make some adjustments as necessary to avoid starting something you couldn’t finish. That particular technique is kind of rare for cities to do; some have started doing three years, but we have been doing the five year budgeting since around, uh, 2000. It’s been a lifesaver through this downtime. We never laid anybody off or furloughed anyone. We never had any major cutbacks. We just slowed down a few things that we had planned. EA: That’s interesting that you’ve never laid anybody off, or given anyone a furlough, considering what’s happening nationally right now. CL: Right. There’s a second component to that. Nationally – well, I’ll put it this way: in Oklahoma, cities are restricted to sales tax for their general revenues. Most states, if not all states, allow cities an ad valorem component, where they just sort of use the property values as a way to base their revenues for their budget. And when property values began to plummet, the revenues began to plummet, and they weren’t in control. When we have to live by sales tax, where we are a little bit more accustomed to the variability of people’s spending habits, it sort of forces you into the conservative approach to your finances that, when they had an ad valorem, seemed to climb every year. They didn’t have that discipline. EA: Let’s say you’re talking to someone from out of state who is thinking about moving to Oklahoma. What is your sales pitch to convince them to move to Edmond? CL: We have a high quality of life here. We have very good schools, all the way through college and graduate schools and well-regarded public schools. We have good parks. We have a very high community safety component. We are ranked in the top 10 cities our size for safe communities. Those are things that draw people to a community, and would interest them if they were thinking about bringing their families. EA: How has the economic recovery been going in Edmond for the last four years?
CL: We are seeing investments – we saw the hospitals, and those are bringing their own synergies of additional investments in terms of clinics and other medical facilities. The City has made an investment in land purchases to create a conference center and a hotel, which this community can benefit from the types of meeting that a conference would hold. It’s a 20,000 square foot conference center with a 10,000 square foot primary space. And we can handle the 800 who sit down for dinner. This is an event that would help offset some of the pressure on UCO bringing visitors. Thanks to the investments we’ve made in our sports facilities like the soccer complex, we’ll be seeing three major regional soccer tournaments come to Edmond over the next six years. We build the facilities first – this is Steve Commons’s comment – we build the facilities first to serve the needs of the community, but then they’re built with the idea that they can also serve tournament scale. This applies to the pool complex that we’re building out in Mitch Park. It’s built for 50 meters, so it’s competitive-sized. The original design discussion was like, well, let’s build 30 meters. Well, no, why not build it the right size so we can bring the state tournaments here. EA: That’s been a big problem with the high school and college swim tournaments is that, they’ve either had to go to South Oklahoma City or Oklahoma Christian. CL: The last high school state tournament was held in Jenks, but it was held when they had school, so they had a parking problem. We won’t have a parking problem, because it’s on a park site. So, we’ve been doing that; what that does is it allows us to see events and tournaments come to town; visitors come, stay, they spend money, that’s part of our economic development thrust. EA: What is the argument for buying locally and keeping sales tax dollars in Edmond? CL: The sales tax that we collect here does all of these things: two cents go to the general fund. That pays for your salaries, your overhead, your public safety, all of the things it takes to make a city run. We have one-eighth of a penny dedicated to parks and park development, we have one-eighth dedicated to the police public safety, one-fourth dedicated to fire, and three-fourths of a cent
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MayorLamb dedicated to capital projects, and right now, half a cent for five years for the public safety center. So those are things that will benefit Edmond, and if we don’t spend our money in Edmond, we don’t have the revenues to do the projects that I just outlined. EA: What are some of the biggest issues facing Edmond in the coming years? CL: Maintenance of all that infrastructure we’ve been building. Making sure that we keep it as good as we can. If you drive on our streets, you can see what weather does and what traffic volumes do. Those require regular maintenance at intervals to continue to extend the life – you see them go out sometimes and grind the road off and then they’ll lay a new surface? That adds five to 10 years to the life of that road and roadbase. So we plan, where can we best expend that money, so maintenance is a big issue because we’re building more roads, and more roads mean more maintenance. Uh, water supply, keeping up with our water supply needs as the population grows – that’s a longer-term problem but a very definite one that we’re addressing. We are concerned about the drought, and we are going to be employing the mandatory rationing again. The citizens of Edmond were very responsive this last summer to that. We have a unique position in that half of our water supply is groundwater wells and the other half is Arcadia Lake, but we also have a connection to Oklahoma City when we really need peak water. We can produce about 24 million gallons in a day, but during those really bad summers, it can exceed that, and we – if we strain our system to run that 24 million for very long, we start to have breakdowns. So we started buying Oklahoma City water and bringing it in when those events are on the horizon. But when they ration, we’re supposed to ration as a part of the contract, so we’ll be doing that if that’s what has to happen this year, but because they’re primarily a surfacewater source for their water supply, they’re more effected by the drought than we are with the groundwater that we’re able to take for part of our supply during the summer. EA: Edmond utilities have been making strides towards wind and other forms of alternative energy recently. Would you talk about that? CL: We have a relationship with an organization called 12
OMPA – Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority. It’s a joint-action agency. OMPA provides the generation resources and the transmission to get it to Edmond Electric and the other 39 cities under the agency. OMPA invested in wind before anybody else did in Oklahoma. We have recently put more wind on the grid with our farm out by El Reno. We have [hydroelectric power], although, with the drought, it hasn’t been very effective because there hasn’t been much water behind the dam. So, hydro’s been kind of a low production point for the last couple of years. We have some coal in our inventory and some natural gas. And we recently added a little three-megawatt facility for landfill gas generation. EA: What is that? CL: It’s where they take the methane that a landfill creates, pipe it, and run it through generators and generate electricity. It is a true green project. I believe it’s in Sand Springs, where this facility is at. But we get three megawatts pretty much 24/7. It’s not much, but it’s green. It’s a recyclable resource for sure. EA: Has the city ever considered a moratorium on building strip malls, what are your thoughts on the subject, and is there any sort of push to bring businesses in to fill the empty strip malls, or is that up to landlords? CL: Well, the Economic Development Authority is our retail and development arm that does the promotion. We have never really talked about a moratorium because it’s hard to apply that fairly. The economics of a business climate have a lot to do with the landlord, the location of the property, the condition of the property, and what we’re trying to do is keep a good retail climate. CL: There are some empty malls, but they’re empty for reasons outside the City Council’s ability to affect. It could be an absentee landlord that’s not as interested in developing the property, or doesn’t want to pay the capital cost to upgrade the property. But if you look around Edmond, and I’ve lived here since I was 13 or 14, there are properties today that were shells of buildings when somebody moved somewhere else. The Mardel at 33rd and Boulevard used to be a Hobby Lobby. And then Hobby Lobby moved across the street, and then over onto Broadway. Those are economic choices made by the retailer and developers. Those sites will fill up. It’s a matter of the right mix of conditions. But we don’t talk edmondactive.com
MayorLamb moratoriums. That kind of gives a negative spin on the idea of a growing community. It’d be like, a guy comes along and says, “I want to build to your new standards,” and we say, “No, you can’t because we want to use up the old standard stuff first.” EA: Yeah, it doesn’t make sense. CL: Especially if the old ones are, you know, antiquated, the buildings are worn out, the landscaping’s worn out, they’re not very attractive anymore. They need to be reinvested in. And if you look around, there are other even smaller centers that have gone through makeovers. Over by where the bowling alley is, the property in front was kind of an ugly-looking building for the longest time, well, they did a nice upgrade and makeover. Good landlords will reinvest to keep the property upgraded and improved to attract the right tenants to their mix. Not all property owners are motivated the same. EA: What would you like to see in Edmond over the next years? CL: Well, inside the infrastructure projects that we’re doing on our end, we’re doing them with an application of geothermal heating and air conditioning systems. And what that means is that we’ll be taking the Earth and using it to, uh, provide a sink, if you will, for the heat and to pool the cool. What that does for Edmond Electric is it improves the load shape. During the winter, you’re generating and selling power down in this curve, but you have all of these resources you built to generate the power in the summer. That difference is what’s called your load factor. We’re trying to bring that down. Because when we put the geo systems in they can bring the peak down for the system, but they can also bring up the consumption in the winter months, so you can level out the production. You’ve got the iron in the ground to make the energy. Making more efficient use of it all year long is what we’re after with geothermal. We’ll be making a little bit more aggressive push to bring that into commercial and residential applications for the same reason. Some simple math – and I had some people run this for me at OMPA – one percent load factor improvement can result in an additional net $1 million to the general fund for
other stuff. So, if I get an additional couple of years to work on it, we’re going to push that a little bit more. It’s good for the business that Edmond owns. EA: From a more commercial/retail standpoint, what would you enjoy seeing in Edmond? CL: On the I-35/Covell project, one thing we don’t have much of at this point in time is businesses that attract the traveler on I-35 to stop and spend money and move on. We’ll see some of that at I-35 and Covell, what they call “highway retail,” or “interstate retail.” We have Braums and we have a Conoco down on 15th, but that’s really about the extent of that, where they’d stop to eat at a Braums. But they have plans to do quite a bit more of that at I-35 and Covell. There’s 300 total acres there. That’s where the conference center is going to be, and then there’s a 150 to 160 thousand square foot indoor sports complex there as well. So, we’ll be seeing some more of that retail service, highway retail, that we don’t have in Edmond now. The benefit there is, that’s pure economics: they stop, spend their money, and move on. Leaving their money here provides services to the citizens who live here. EA: With small entertainment and shopping districts becoming more popular in the Oklahoma City area, and who are vying for Edmond residents’ sales tax revenue, what is Edmond’s plan to entice its residents to eat, play and shop in Edmond? CL: Well, there are certain venues Oklahoma City’s doing that we’re not going to try to repeat or duplicate, but we can keep families here. We have a lot of good restaurants now, and we’ll see more coming, because, along the interstate there’s talk of other things of that kind. But the, uh, primary engines would be from the standpoint of athletics, parks, things that are more recreation based. The idea of a large movie theater is on the table, but one has not pulled the trigger yet. But the I-35 site would seem to be the logical place for a choice like that. We’re down to the economics of builders and owners and operators of theaters that would dictate that; not us. The space is available, and the traffic flow would be available to serve that. For more information about the City of Edmond, go to edmondok.com.
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SisterCity
By Sherri Hultner Kyle Dillingham contacted Edmondactive in 2017, to alert me to the fact that he and his band Horseshoe Road are set to act as a cultural ambassador for Edmond’s Sister Cities program this September in Qingyang, China as a cultural ambassador. The Sister Cities program is designed as a means for cultural exchange. A community of any size decides to join with a community in another nation to learn more about one another. Therefore, a sister city, country, oblast, prefecture, province, region, state, territory, town, or village relationship is a broad-based, officially approved, long-term partnership between two communities. Sister City relationships begin for a variety of reasons. Generally sister city partnerships share similar demographics and town size. Partnerships may arise from business connections, travel, similar industries, diaspora communities, or shared history. For example,
Portland, Oregon and Bologna, Italy’s partnership arose from shared industries in bio-technology and education, an appreciation for the arts, and a “similar attitude towards food”, whereas Chicago’s link with Warsaw,
Poland began with the city’s historic Polish community. Sister Cities International also recognizes ‘Friendship City’ affiliations. These are a less formal arrangement that may be a step towards a full Sister City affiliation. ‘Friendship City’ is also the Chinese term for ‘Sister City’. In September 2017, I was fortunate enough to sit down with Horseshoe Road’s Kyle Dillingham, Mayor Lamb and former Edmond Chamber President Ken Moore to help inform those in our community who may not be familiar with this program. I specifically wanted to deliver the message of this program’s inclusion and show the similarities of community members belief in community diversity and community collaboration on a global scale, and how that relates to all of us in Edmond. Here is my last interview with Mayor Charles Lamb about this project he was so endeared to: EA: What is a Sister City Program? Charles Lamb: A Sister City
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SisterCity the Cultural and Educational aspects of the program, not so much the business aspect, although if that happens, then that is an added benefit. Our second Sister City effort is in Qingyang, China. After visiting the representatives from Qingyang who visited OU, we attended a significant event in 2016, where over 90 countries attended, and where we signed a Sister City letter of intent. The most important part of the Sister City Programs are to understand the similarities and differences of the two communities participating. We believe the group that this program will have an impact on from this program will start with the now 25 to 35 year old generation. What we are focusing on is cultural and educational connections. In Qingyang, they have been studying English for years so they will be able to come over and easily communicate with us. One of the largest foreign populations at UCO is Chinese, so this collaboration between our two communities will help gel this connection. This generation is not bound by historical events, and have more an interest to connect through diversity and culture. Technology is improving such as with skype Program is meant to connect community to community, country to country. This program has been going on for a very long time, and it actually started in Germany. Edmond has been involved in this program since 2008. This program isn’t just a City program, it’s a partnership with the City, UCO, OCU, the Edmond Public School District, the Edmond Fine Arts Institute, the Edmond Chamber of Commerce, the Edmond Economic Development Authority and Francis Tuttle. Our first Sister City endeavor was with Engels, Russia, which is
a German city settled within Russia and to which has an organization here in Edmond, which was interesting because we were looking for a German city to partner with. They have visited Edmond numerous times and have brought several students over to Edmond some that are still studying at UCO and Mayor Lamb and I have visited Engels numerous times, as well. We collaborated with Engels to achieve mutual understanding of each city’s cultural, educational and economic similarities and differences. We are concentrating our program on
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SisterCity
opportunities, and David Goin was with us on a trip to Engels, Russia, and he was thoroughly impressed by their student population and their ability to interact with us, and this technology helps connect the kids. Places like UCO have programs in place that are quite intentionally trying to bring these international students together with Edmond students, in a way that allows for a very natural development, and for some students who will develop careers within international networks. Who Matches City to City? Sister Cities International (SCI) is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between communities in the United States and those in other countries, particularly through the establishment of “sister cities”. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world. The organization “strives to build global
cooperation at the municipal level, promote cultural understanding and stimulate economic development”. As the official organization which links jurisdictions in the U.S. with communities worldwide, Sister Cities International recognizes, registers, and coordinates sister city, county, municipalities, oblasts, prefectures, provinces, regions, state, town, and village linkages. The U.S. sister city program began in 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a people-topeople, citizen diplomacy initiative. Originally a program of the National League of Cities, Sister Cities International became a separate, nonprofit corporation in 1967, due to the growth and popularity of the U.S. program. The organization’s mission is to “promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation — one individual, one
community at a time.” Sister Cities International’s stated goals are to: • Develop municipal partnerships between U.S. cities, counties, and states and similar jurisdictions in other nations. • Provide opportunities for city officials and citizens to experience and explore other cultures through long-term community partnerships. • Create an atmosphere in which economic and community development can be implemented and strengthened. • Stimulate environments through which communities will creatively learn, work, and solve problems together through reciprocal cultural, educational, municipal, business, professional and technical exchanges and projects. • Collaborate with organizations in the United States and other countries which share similar goals.
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LocalEdmond
Josh Moore For Edmond City Council Ward 2
the same heart for community. Community is just one thing that will always make Edmond a special place to live and I don’t want that to change. In high school I lived in the Rocky Mountains and explored hiking trails that lead to the bluest of blue skies. I learned toappreciate nature and this beautiful world that God has made. Edmond has a lot of natural beauty in our parks, trails, open spaces, and water features. I want that beauty to continue in all aspects as we examine future projects for our growing community. After graduating from college at UCO I accepted a job in Edmond economic development. I began to meet City leaders and learned what it takes to fund a thriving community. I learned that it takes a network of council, city administrators, committee members, and business owners to work in harmony toward the same goal. We all want to live in a safe place that provides living, working, and learning opportunities for all ages and all backgrounds. I’m ready to be a part of the Edmond city council to show my kids that we are building a Great city for them. I’m ready to show young professionals and young families that we can have a seat at the table, we can be reasonable, and we can have positive conversations with everyone. I’m ready to show all Edmond residents that traffic, police and fire, small business, smart growth, parks and recreation, education, and healthcare are priorities that make Edmond a wonderful place to live! I appreciate your vote for Ward 2 – Edmond City Council.
Hello, my name is Josh Moore. I am a husband, father of kindergarten twins, UCO graduate, and Edmond business owner. I build custom homes and develop small real estate projects that I want my family to be proud of for many years to come. I’m also running for Ward 2 - Edmond City Council seat that Elizabeth Waner has diligently served for 12 years. I, among many, am so thankful for the thousands of hours Elizabeth has given to our community! I am also thankful for this opportunity to introduce myself and explain why I want to be your next Ward 2 - Edmond City Councilman. I’ve really had a fun and blessed life. I wasn’t raised with a silver spoon, but I never went without. I grew up as a preacher’s kid in Hooker, Oklahoma getting to watch my dad lead groups of all ages, while listening to no less than a million sermons. When you have the Oklahoma panhandle in your blood you understand that the secret to a tight-knit community is simply looking after one another. After my dad was in a bus accident paralyzing him from the waist down, I learned what it is like to have an entire town come together and build a handicapped accessible home for your family and hand over the keys with a smile. Edmond is much larger than Hooker, but it doesn’t take long to meet neighbors that share edmondactive.com 17
LocalCalendar January 2019 Carrie the Musical Thu, January 10 – Sun, January 13 Upstage Theatre Blackbox Edmond
January Double Page Layout Class Thu, January 24 – Fri, January 25 Paper Arts
Kicker Arenacross Fri, January 11 – Sat, January 12 Lazy E Arena
Jewelry Design Class for Kids Fri, January 25 Heart Studios
Family Fun Weekend Blitz Sat, January 12 Mercy Fitness Edmond I-35 Parent’s Night Out - Vision Board Party for Kids Sat, January 12 Heart Studios Mac Barnett Book Signing at Best of Books on Jan. 15 Tue, January 15 Best of Books Simon Bucking Stock Sale Tue, January 15 – Wed, January 16 Lazy E Arena Nitty Gritty! Opening Reception Thu, January 17 University of Central Oklahoma Grown Ups Paint Night Fri, January 18 Unpluggits Paint & Play YA Author Kiersten White Coming to Best of Books Fri, January 18 Best of Books Vigils Fri, January 18 – Sun, January 20 UCO - Mitchell Hall Theater Broncho Pep Band Days Sat, January 19 UCO - Athletic Fields UCO Broadway Tonight: Voctave Sat, January 19 UCO - Mitchell Hall Theater
Valentine Gnome & Sign Class Fri, January 25 Paper Arts Transcendence: Contemporary Op Art by Jason Wilson Mon, January 28 – Fri, March 1 UCO - Mitchell Hall Theater Swan Lake Tue, January 29 Armstrong Auditorium Constance Squires Signing on Jan. 31 Thu, January 31 Best of Books
February 2019 April Henry Book Signing on Feb. 1 Fri, February 1 Best of Books Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association Swim Regionals Fri, February 1 – Sat, February 2 Mitch Park YMCA/Edmond 1920’s Tea at the Rodkey House Sat, February 2 Rodkey House Event and Education Annex Bad Kitty Author Nick Bruel at Best of Books on Feb. 2 Sat, February 2 Best of Books Brushes & Bon Bons Sat, February 2 Heart Studios
History Speaks with Andrew Young Mon, February 4 Oklahoma Christian University Hair Wed, February 6 – Sun, February 10 UCO - Mitchell Hall Theater Symbiotic: Opening Reception Thu, February 7 UCO - Mitchell Hall Theater The Great Board Game Swap of 2019 Thu, February 7 Denny’s 1920’s Tea at the Rodkey House Sat, February 9 Rodkey House Event and Education Annex Gifts for Mom: Jewelry Design Class (Valentine’s Day Edition) Sat, February 9 Heart Studios Pawfectly in Love Celebration Sat, February 9 Best of Books Ties & Tiaras Daddy Daughter Dance Sat, February 9 Hilton Garden Inn & Edmond Conference Center Lazy E Red Dirt Classic - World Series of Team Roping Sat, February 9 – Sun, February 10 Lazy E Arena Cabaret-A Taste of Broadway Tue, February 12 – Sat, February 16 Oklahoma Christian University - Judd Theater Lance Graves International Championship Barrel Race Wed, February 13 – Sun, February 17 Lazy E Arena Julian Bliss Septet
Thu, February 14 Armstrong Auditorium Oklahoma State Swimming Championships Fri, February 15 – Sat, February 16 Mitch Park YMCA/Edmond UCO Broadway Tonight: Ailey II Sat, February 16 UCO - Mitchell Hall Theater Complex Dialogues with Bryan Stevenson Mon, February 18 Oklahoma Christian University - Hardeman Auditorium BALTO 5K Wed, February 20 Mitch Park Watercolor Workshop for Kids Fri, February 22 Heart Studios Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra Sun, February 24 Armstrong Auditorium Chamber Orchestra Concert Mon, February 25 UCO - Radke Fine Arts Theatre Mark Greaney Book Signing on Feb. 26 Tue, February 26 Best of Books UCO Symphonic Band Concert Thu, February 28 UCO - Mitchell Hall Theater
March 2019 Spring Sing 2019 Fri, March 1 – Sat, March 2 Oklahoma Christian University - Hardeman Auditorium UCO Symphony Orchestra Mon, March 4 UCO - Mitchell Hall Theater UCO Wind Symphony:
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LocalCalendar Fantastic Circuitry, and Sounds Thu, March 7 UCO - Mitchell Hall Theater
Canadian Brass Tue, April 2 Armstrong Auditorium
2019 Cinch Timed Event and Jr. Ironman Championship Fri, March 8 – Sun, March 10 Lazy E Arena
Book Signing & Live Music with Robert Hunter Thu, April 4 Best of Books
Kim Ventrella, Brad McLelland, & Melanie Sumrow Book Signing Sat, March 9 Best of Books
Trojan Woman Thu, April 4 – Sat, April 6 UCO - Radke Fine Arts Theatre
Andy Griffiths Coming to Best of Books on March 10 Sun, March 10 Best of Books Celtic Nights Mon, March 11 Armstrong Auditorium Art in Public Places Tour Thu, March 14 MAC in Mitch Park USTRC Oklahoma Winter Championships Team Roping Fri, March 15 – Sun, March 17 Lazy E Arena Lazy E Mounted Shooting Classic Fri, March 22 – Sun, March 24 Lazy E Arena
Art in Public Places Tour Tue, April 9 MAC in Mitch Park Barrel Bash Fri, April 12 – Sun, April 14 Lazy E Arena UCO Opera: Cosi Fan Tutte Fri, April 12 – Sun, April 14 UCO - Mitchell Hall Theater
Chris Neal’s Future Stars Calf Roping Fri, May 24 – Mon, May 27 Lazy E Arena
June 2019 Oklahoma Route 66 Corvette Round Up Sat, June 1 Hafer Park CMSA Mid Central Regional Sat, June 1 – Sun, June 2 Lazy E Arena CMSA Central U.S. Championship Wed, June 5 – Sat, June 8 Lazy E Arena
Farmer’s Market Opening Day Sat, April 13 Festival Market Place & Plaza
20th Annual UCO Endeavor Games Thu, June 6 – Sun, June 9 University of Central Oklahoma
Central Theatre Short Play Festival Fri, April 19 – Sat, April 20 UCO - Radke Fine Arts Theatre
Zoetis AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse World Show Tue, June 18 – Sun, June 23 Lazy E Arena
USTPA Spring Round Up Fri, April 19 – Sun, April 21 Lazy E Arena
LibertyFest 2019 Sat, June 22 – Thu, July 4
Jason C. Wagner Foundation Golf Tournament Fri, March 29 Oak Tree National
Miss Latina UCO Scholarship Pageant Sat, April 20 University of Central Oklahoma
Kaleidoscope Dance Company Spring Concert Fri, March 29 – Sun, March 31 UCO - Mitchell Hall Theater
Art in Public Places Tour Thu, April 25 MAC in Mitch Park
Oklahoma/Kanas Border Bash Rodeo Fri, March 29 – Sun, March 31 Lazy E Arena
Sat, May 11 Downtown Edmond
May 2019TOP Lazy E Red Dirt Reining Thu, May 2 – Sun, May 5 Lazy E Arena
Art in Public Places Tour Sat, March 30 MAC in Mitch Park
Greater Oklahoma Hunter Jumper Association Thu, May 9 – Sun, May 12 Lazy E Arena
April 2019
RED Day 5K Run
USTRC Oklahoma Championship Thu, June 27 – Sun, June 30 Lazy E Arena
July 2019 National Little Britches Rodeo Association Finals Tue, July 2 – Sun, July 7 Lazy E Arena Bonus Barrel Race Regionals Fri, July 26 – Sun, July 28 Lazy E Arena August 2019TOP Lazy E Red Dirt Classic - World Series of Team Roping Sat, August 3 – Sun, August 4 Lazy E Arena
OCA 35th Annual Ranch Rodeo Fri, August 23 – Sat, August 24 Lazy E Arena Jared Lesh Truck and Trailer Sorting Fri, August 30 – Sun, September 1 Lazy E Arena September 2019TOP All Star Team Roping Finals Fri, September 6 – Mon, September 9 Lazy E Arena Conquer Youth Obstacle Course Sat, September 7 Mitch Park Greater Oklahoma Hunter Jumper Association Thu, September 19 – Fri, September 20 Lazy E Arena Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Expo Sat, September 28 – Sun, September 29 Lazy E Arena
October 2019 Western Dressage Association World Finals Wed, October 2 – Sun, October 6 Lazy E Arena Hearts Open Team Roping Fri, October 25 Lazy E Arena USTRC Guthrie Shoot-Out Team Roping Sat, October 26 – Fri, November 1 Lazy E Arena November 2019TOP BFA World Championships Fri, November 15 – Sat, November 23 Lazy E Arena
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ShopEdmond We offer affordable & stylish accents, re-styled furniture, fun jewelry, unique holiday and home decor & gifts and we have an Etsy like atmosphere! Stop in now to see all of the latest decor & gifts and accessories for you and your home. Find Serendipity Market at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest! Our Location: 917 E Danforth Rd, Edmond (Across from Ted’s Cafe Escondido) and you can call us at 405-340-8869 Hours: M-Sat. 10-6:30 Holiday hours on Sunday: 1-5:30
Emory Anne Interiors is one of the trendiest stores in Edmond, with a fantastic selection of new high end to affordable pieces for your entire home, very unique home accessories, including a full line of Company C and Norwalk Furniture, Thibaut fine fabrics, wallpaper and custom furniture. and more! Emory Anne’s also offers fabric by the yard and design services in store. Be sure to stop by to visit this store first when redecorating on any budget. You can find Emory Anne Interiors at 150th & Santa Fe Open M-F 10 am to 6 pm and Sat. 10-5 pm. Be sure to follow at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest for sales & inspiration and online at www.Emoryanneinteriors.com! If you have any questions, you can call the store at 405-753-4466.
Tis the Season to save on something new with Edmond Wine Shop’s Employee Picks! Cases are discounted, too! Be sure to follow Edmond Wine Shop on social networks at Twitter, Instagram & Facebook @EdmondWineShop! Located on 15th & Boulevard Hours: Mon– Sat. from 10 am until 9 pm! You can also call in any order at 405-341-3122 for a later pick up, visit Edmond Wine Shop online at EdmondWine.com.
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ShopEdmond Enjoy the arrival of Fall in the country at any one of the 5 cozy cottages at Arcadian Getaways, formerly Aaron’s Gate, in Guthrie! Located just a few minutes north of Edmond, on a beautiful wooded 10 acre property, you can relax with the outdoor jacuzzi’s or just relax indoors in front of the fireplace and wake up to a beautiful candlelit breakfast of pumpkin pancakes and Martha’s World Famous Vanilla Butter Sauce. Be sure to check out the 4 and 7 day packages online at www. Aaronsgate.com to discover the cottages & to reserve your getaway, or call 405-282-0613.
2 Doors Down Furniture Consignment is now accepting select gently used brand name quality furniture and accessories. If you’re looking to make a change in your home, this store is the place to check first as their stock is unique, trendy, and affordable, but you have to check in often as their inventory changes daily. Be sure to stop in to 2 Doors Down, located at 15020 Bristol Park Blvd Ste 400, off 33rd Street, between Kelly & Santa Fe, and take a look around, great owners and great pieces! You can also find them at Facebook & Instagram at 2DoorsDownEdmond or by calling them at 405-254-5175 if you see something you’d like to place on hold! Store hours are M-F 10-6 and Sat. 10-5 Paper Arts is a scrapbook and art boutique that provides top of the line supplies for scrapbooking, card making and other fun projects, classes and one-on-one instruction, as well as, ready to buy gifts. We love scrapbooking, card making and all things paper crafting. We also love to share our creations and the products that we find with our customers. There is nothing more satisfying to us than to hear the joy in a customer’s voice as they learn a new technique or find the perfect product for their projects. Paper Arts 632 W. Edmond Rd. Edmond, OK 73003 (405) 330-2055 Store hours are T-F 10-6 Sat. 10-4
Oops I Arted offers art classes to those of all ages. We create masterpieces in clay, acrylics, watercolor, mixed media and other child friendly mediums. We also offer classes in cardboard weaving, cardboard sculpture and a multitude of other creative and fun endeavors. oops i arted is centrally located iat 15200 Traditions Blvd. in the Traditions Business Centre, which is easily accessible to Edmond , OKC and surrounding areas. You can visit online at OopsIArted.com for more information or to schedule a class call or text Risa at 405-476-9211.
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LifeHappens Teens are more depressed because they’re more isolated Chad McCoy, M.A., LPC There are some things that you cannot live without. Food, water, air, relationships, safety, belongingness, just to name a few. Without these things, we literally cannot survive. Of course, outside of the biologically imperative needs, we also have psychological and sociological needs, many of which follow a hierarchy. The most mandatory of which: A smartphone. It’s an interesting idea that with the world at your fingertips, you could feel so isolated. With today’s technology, you can visit the Great Wall of China in the same day you visit Death Valley. You can connect with friends across the globe, or across the house. However, more teens are expressing increased levels of loneliness, decreased levels of happiness, and increased reports saying they feel depressed and overwhelmed. Maybe they should watch “Gladiator” again and really ponder Russell Crowe’s question: Are you not entertained? Simply answered: Not always. In a discussion with Sheila Stinnett, our executive director, she described a young man who expressed that his phone was the “greatest source of joy and also, the greatest source of pain in his life.” Additionally, I shared in a conversation with a 16-year old female client that she would “literally starve herself if she had her phone taken away.” That’s such an extreme commitment to a relatively new evolvement of technology. In 2016, 77%of adults and 92% of young adults reported that they owned a smartphone. Social media has become a necessity for young adults to stay connected, even when that connection is
harmful to them. With even younger generations leaning heavily on social media and technology, that number will only grow. I’d even offer this: The disconnect and loneliness younger individuals characteristically feel may be more to do with the purposelessness of their interactions with others. Sure, taking a snap chat and sending it is purposeful on some level, but planning a time to meet with somebody, driving to meet them, and purposely engaging with them takes planning and thought. A decline in face to face social interaction can give some conclusory evidence to the increase of depression and unhappiness. As Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D. writes in her Psychology Today article: “Given the undeniably negative trends in teens’ mental health and the evidence suggesting smartphone use is at least partially behind them, it makes sense to limit kids’ and teens’ smartphone use. As with any intervention, the risks of doing something versus doing nothing must be considered. There doesn’t seem to be much risk involved in limiting smartphone use to 90 minutes a day or less. However, doing nothing and having teens continue to spend six-plus hours a day with new media risks having these negative mental health trends continue.” It would be an improbable feat to remove technology from our life all together, but the ability to limit it and increase social involvement for younger generations could definitely be done. Before you take on this adventure, I’d wonder how much time you spend on your device versus how much time your child spends. I’d guess they’re spending far much more time. Well would you look at that? I got a Tweet. Please know, that our agency is deeply committed to furthering issues of mental health in the community. Edmond Family Counseling’s doors are always open to you and your family and your support is appreciated. To learn more, check out http://edmondfamily.org or our Facebook page: http://facebook.com/ edmondfamilycounseling.
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