Edmond Life & Leisure - November 28, 2019

November 28, 2019 Vol. 20, No. 27

In This Issue FOUR SEASONS

Community Meal Thursday

Four Seasons, by Kevin Box, in real life is located in front of the Center for Transformative Learning on the UCO campus, but this week is hidden somewhere in our paper.

Email contest@edmondpaper.com with the correct location to be entered in the weekly drawing.

For more information, see page 4.

Inserted Today!

Our exclusive holiday calendar of events can be found on pages 18 & 19.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29 Thunderstorms High 67° Low 51°

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30 Partly Cloudy High 60° Low 33°

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1 Sunny/Wind High 44° Low 25°

An annual tradition, which serves the needy and brings a community together, is once again scheduled to be held this Thursday as Edmond joins with the rest of the nation in celebrating Thanksgiving.

Once again, the site of the Edmond Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be the University of Central Oklahoma’s Nigh University Center.

Organizers are expecting some thousands of dinners to be served for the event. In addition, an estimated 600 valued volunteers pitch in to make the day special for the community and the people it serves.

Outside of LibertyFest, the meal is one of the most organized events of the year and is made possible by those wishing to unselfishly serve

others.

There will also be about 400 meals delivered to people who can not make it to the Nigh Center this Thursday. Those interested can also call 341-3602 or e-mail ECTD2019@ gmail.com. Then leave your name and phone number so a volunteer can call you back to take your order and home address.

Whatever food is left over is scheduled to be delivered to other non-profit groups, that also assist the needy. Among those are the HOPE Center, Breakfast on Boulevard, the Samaritan House, Mobile Meals, Cook’s Nite Out and the Jesus House.

The Edmond Thanksgiving Day tradition started in 1981 in a small way when the Paradise family

invited some people from their own families to join them for the traditional dinner. Since then, the tradition has grown greatly and only the ballroom at UCO can accomodate all the guests.

For many years the dinner was prepared and hosted at First Presbyterian Church but it was felt that other churches could act as hosts as well. As the dinner attendance grew so did the structure of the group organizing it. A committee with representatives from the other churches was formed to take care of food lists, cooking, volunteer recruiting, equipment moving and the hosting of the dinner.

This year the meal is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday. For more information log onto www.edmondthanksgivingdinner.org or call 341-3602.

Page 2 • November 28, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Edmond Life & Leisure • November 28, 2019 • Page 3

Edmond School Resource Officer Nick Tant speaks to Central Middle School 7th-graders in January of 2019 about the dangers and consequences of irresponsible electronic communication. Edmond police officers will visit all six Edmond middle schools again Dec. 3-12 as the district relaunches its ‘Think Before you Post’ initiative.

FILE PHOTO PROVIDED

EPS students will be reminded to think before posting messages For the second year, Edmond Public Schools has invited Edmond police officers to speak to students about the dangers and consequences of irresponsible electronic communication.

Officers will visit all six middle schools Dec. 3-12 to teach students about their digital footprint, how to responsibly report any safety concerns they view on social media and the repercussions of posting or reposting false information.

Edmond’s “Think Before you Post” initiative mirrors the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s campaign which was launched after the FBI experienced a spike in hoax threats in the aftermath of the deadly shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Since the start of the 2019-2020 school year, two Edmond students have been arrested for making erroneous safety threats toward schools.

“The time, focus and energy it takes to fully investigate each threat drains school and law enforcement

Community Thanksgiving meal volunteers First Presbyterian Church was the site, earlier this week, of volunteers getting ready for the annual Thanksgiving community meal. In one day they were ready to prepare 75 turkeys and 50 gallons of broth. See Page 1 for more information.

DEANNE YORK

resources and creates unwarranted anxiety and panic for parents,” said Associate Superintendent Dr. Debbie Bendick.

Police will speak to students about how to share legitimate information about a potentially unsafe school situation and why embellishing or fabricating information can have serious consequences that can include criminal charges.

Students will learn more about the “Think Before you Post” initiative in their classrooms, school social media platforms and on school websites.

“We hope the visibility of the campaign will encourage parents and guardians to talk to their children about the appropriate use of their personal devices and social media tools and apps available to them. We take very seriously the safety of our students and hope that this initiative will enhance the partnership we enjoy with our students’ parents as we work together to protect them,” said Bendick.

Page 4 • November 28, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

From the Publisher

Stacey Kent tickets for Christmas As always, your friendly, hometown publisher is here to help you out in your Christmas giving again this year. Just when you thought there were no unique gifts left to give, Tres Amigos Production is proud to announce the return of jazz singing great Stacey Kent to the UCO Jazz Lab Jan. 10. There is Ray Hibbard no better gift to give for the person who seems to have everything. Not only will it be a night of incredible music, but it will be a fun experience for you both. Tickets are only $75, and you can call (405) 340-8552 to reserve your ticket today. You should hurry because due to season ticket holder demand there are not many seats left.

Kent has been to the UCO Jazz Lab twice before and her shows have proven to be among the very best concerts in Edmond. She is entertaining and offers up some incredible talent. Kent is a jazz singer in the vein of the greats, with a legion of fans worldwide, a host of honors and awards including a Grammy nomination, album sales in excess of two million, Gold, Double-Gold and Platinum-selling albums that have reached a series of No. 1 chart positions during the span of her career. You will find it a delightful evening from an entertainer who is warm and charming.

Her recent release, “I Know I Dream: The Orchestral Sessions,” (Okeh/SONY) has had more than 20 million streams, received glowing reviews, including a coveted five stars in Downbeat, won ‘Album of the Year” in the vocal category at the 2017 Jazz Japan Awards, and was described by All About Jazz as “intoxicating understatement at its finest ... one more jewel in a discography with many, it's one that deserves singling out for its luster.”

Kent was a comparative literature graduate with a passion for music. She travelled to Europe to further her studies, and after receiving her degree from Sarah Lawrence College in New York, through a series of twists of fate, she found herself in London where she enrolled in a graduate music program at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she met her future husband and musical partner, Jim Tomlinson.

The story I love about Kent and her husband is that they got married long before they shared the fact with family in the United States. It was a time that the world was a little less connected, but they didn’t want to spoil the surprise for the wedding her family always wanted to throw for them. Husband Jim came to the states, met the family, went through a wedding all the time they were already married. Tomlinson not only plays with Kent but helped her in moving her career forward with encouragement and support. They are an incredible couple.

Kent's musical journey began in her childhood with piano lessons. A keen ear and true voice lead her to participate in school musical productions, and she could often be heard singing at impromptu musical events in the college's cafe. However, nothing suggested the shift from her academic career path that has propelled her to international recognition as one of the foremost jazz

French and it is spectacular.

Her second album, 'The Tender Trap' (1999) brought her to the attention of jazz audiences in the USA when ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ and NPR's 'All Things Considered' featured her. After that, albums and awards followed.

Let Yourself Go, a celebration of Fred Astaire was released in 2000, ‘Dreamsville' (2001) led to Kent being awarded the Jazz Vocalist of the Year in the 'BBC Jazz Awards'. 'In Love Again', a collection of Richard Rodgers songs followed in 2002.

'The Boy Next Door' (2003) was Kent's last Candid release and her first album to achieve Gold status.

During this period, Kent cemented her reputation as a singer capable of putting a distinctive stamp on an impressive repertoire of standards.

Her ability to communicate emotion through a nuanced and minimalist approach was showcased on Jim Tomlinson's album, 'The Lyric' (Token) which was awarded Album of The Year at the '2006 BBC Jazz Awards'. This album brought her to the attention of Blue Note records with whom she signed in 2007. With each successive album, Kent’s style has become more honed as her artistic outlook has broadened. Her search for songs had led her to look beyond the Great American Songbook, with French chanson and Brazilian music forming an ever-larger part of her repertoire.

Visiting Brazil for the first time in 2007 to perform at the TIM Festival, Kent vowed not to return until she spoke Portuguese. True to her word, she enrolled with Jim on the Middlebury College Summer Schools immersion program, where she had previously studied French, Italian and German. She returned to study the following two summers and now counts Portuguese among the other languages that she already speaks.

You will thrill someone on your gift list if you buy them tickets to see this incredible artist.

Happy Thanksgiving

Stacey Kent singers of her generation.

‘Breakfast On The Morning Train’ is one of my favorite songs Kent performs which is part of a catalogue of 11 studio albums. It was a Platinum selling and GRAMMY nominated song. Kent has graced the stages of more than 50 countries over the course of her career. Kent paid her dues in the jazz clubs of London, before releasing the first of a series of six albums, 'Close Your Eyes' (1997), for the Candid label. Her ‘The Ice Hotel’ is another favorite song of mine.

She often performs in France including one of my favorite cities in the south of France, Aix en Provence. Seeing her perform there is one of the items left on my bucket list.

I have an album of hers that is sung entirely in

Edmond has much to be thankful for this season. There are so many good things going on especially in downtown Edmond. If you think all these great things have come to pass just recently, think again folks. There are so many that have worked for decades to bring about some of the changes and improvements in our town. We really do owe them a debt of gratitude.

Two come to mind for me. One is our former mayor, the late Charles Lamb. He did so much for our town and just continued giving back by serving our community and volunteering for just about every good project in town over several decades.

The second one is the recently departed Carl Reherman who also served as mayor of our town. He worked hard to help make Edmond what it has become today. We appreciate them both and their families for allowing us to borrow them for so many years.

Lisa and I have so much to be thankful for this year. I bet you and your family can say the same.

We hope you enjoy time with your family this holiday season and from all of us at Edmond Life & Leisure: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

(Ray Hibbard may be reached by e-mail at ray@edmondpaper.com)

Check out what’s inside! n n n n n n n n n

Weekend calendar of events ........................................................Page 8.

A milestone for columnist ..........................................................Page 10.

Big event at B.C. Clark ..............................................................Page 13.

George Gust reviews ‘Frozen II’ ..................................................Page 15.

Crossword ..................................................................................Page 15.

Armstrong Auditorium officials honored ....................................Page 17.

Mercy Hospital opens new facilities ..........................................Page 20.

Business News ............................................................................Page 22.

Worship directory ......................................................................Page 23.

See if you can find ‘Four Seasons’ “Four Seasons” in real life is located in front of the Center for Transformative Learning on the University of Central Oklahoma campus, but this week is hidden somewhere in our paper.

Please e-mail contest@edmondpaper.com with the correct location to be entered in the weekly drawing.

Commissioned as a partnership between UCO, the City of Edmond and the Edmond Visual Arts Commission, “Four Seasons” was created by sculptor Kevin Box of New Mexico and was dedicated on the campus on March 24, 2011.

Kevin is a member of the National Sculptor’s Guild. His Box Studio LLC is a strong supporter of the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle concept, using recycled metal as part of the casting process for his sculptures. All of his work is 100 percent recyclable.

For more information on Edmond public art, please visit http://visitedmondok.com/public-art.php.

Publisher Ray Hibbard Jr. ray@edmondpaper.com Partner Christopher T. Hoke Editor Steve Gust news@edmondpaper.com Production April Burgess, Deanne York Advertising Director Alexx Harms alexx@edmondpaper.com Account Executive Bryan Hallman bryan@edmondpaper.com Contributing Writers Dave Farris, Mallery Nagle, Kacee Van Horn, Rose Drebes, George Gust.

Photographer Melinda Infante

Cover Design April Burgess Legal Counsel Todd McKinnis Ruebenstein & Pitts, PLLC Copyright © 2019 by Edmond Media Publishing 107 S. Broadway Edmond, OK 73034 405.340.3311 (office) 405.340.3384 (fax) Mailing address: P.O. Box 164 Edmond, OK 73083 All rights reserved.

Material contained herein may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission from Edmond Media Publishing. edmondlifeandleisure.com facebook.com/edmondlifeandleisure twitter.com/edmondlifeandleisure instagram.com/edmondlifeandleisure

Edmond Life & Leisure • November 28, 2019 • Page 5

PHOTO PROVIDED/ ERIECH TAPIA EPS

Ginny Raymer, an Edmond parent, looks over the instructional material given to her at the Early Bird class at Will Rogers Elementary.

Early Bird program helps parents jumpstart future of their children Parenting can be a daunting task but educators in Edmond are giving parents the tools they need to help their children succeed even before they enter the school system.

“It is good to be educated on relevant issues,” said Lacey Dobson, a parent attending an Early Bird class at Will Rogers Elementary School.

Early Birds is a readiness program that gives parents and grandparents the ability to learn tips on the best way to prepare them for entering the school system. The program is a partnership with Smart Start of Central Oklahoma.

“It is all about empowering parents to be the best teachers to their children,” said Laura Cudmore, a pre-K teacher at Will Rogers Elementary.

Each year, classes are offered during the fall, winter and spring, and are completely different every time.

Parents receive books, toys and other instructional material on how to increase purposeful play. They also receive information on child development, discipline and self-care.

For Dobson, she also attended other similar programs and said that when she moved to Oklahoma, she was glad to see that it was offered.

The 90-minute free classes are sep-

arated into different age groups and currently offered to parents with children two to four years old. Most classes occur during the evening.

The district is planning to expand the Early Bird program by offering Spanish only classes and prenatal to age two, said Elizabeth Ging, the early childhood instructional facilitator.

“Sometimes you feel all alone out there as a parent and we are here to help,” Ging said.

Parents who implement the instruction will often have higher-performing children once they arrive in pre-K for kindergarten, Ging said.

In January, there will be classes for parents of children 2 to 3 years old on the 14th and 21st. Then on Jan. 8th, 11th and 16th there will be classes for parents with children 3 to 4 years old. On Jan. 16th there will be a class for parents of 4 to 5 years old.

In late March and April, the spring classes will be conducted at various elementary schools.

Individuals interested in the free program can register at smartstartcentraloklahoma.org/early-birds or email elizabeth.ging@edmondschools.net.

Page 6 • November 28, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Bringing awareness to Alzheimer’s disease November is the National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and an important time to reflect on what’s being done locally to provide better treatment options and ultimately find a cure for the disease.

This progressive disease destroys a person’s memory and other important mental functions. According to the Alzheimer’s Association an estimated 5.8 million Americans of all ages are living with Alzheimer’s in 2019.

By the year 2050, that number is projected to rise to 14 million Americans. While treatments can help offset some of its debilitating effects, there is still no cure.

During national Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and throughout the year, teams of Oklahoma researchers are working on ways to improve early diagnosis, expand treatment methods, and identify what may be causing this disease.

Presbyterian Health Foundation awarded a $75,000 grant to OUHSC researcher, Ferenc Deak, MD, PhD for his efforts to study Alzheimer’s.

“Alzheimer’s disease represents a significant

healthcare problem in our aging population, and urgently needs effective therapies” Deak explained in his grant application. He and his team are studying a particular protein to better understand on a molecular level if adjusting its production level may prevent or delay cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients.

OMRF researcher, Michael Beckstead, PhD, has received multiple awards for neuroscience research, including a recent supplemental $400,000 grant from the National Institute on Aging specifically to study Alzheimer’s. Beckstead, a Texas native and former researcher for University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, was recruited to Oklahoma City thanks to a recruitment grant from Presbyterian Health Foundation. He and his team are currently investigating a possible connection between dopamine cells and Alzheimer’s.

PHF has contributed more than $165 million in research funds a portion of which has aimed to accelerate causes of neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Tobacco cessation effort having results More than 40,000 patients have been referred to the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline through an innovative public/private partnership that encourages medical providers to connect patients to resources that could help them break addiction to nicotine.

Last month, Hospitals Helping Patients Quit (HHPQ), an initiative of the Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) funded by the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), reached the referral milestone as part of a comprehensive effort to leverage hospital systems as leaders in health care delivery with tobacco cessation.

“Tobacco use is still the leading cause of death in Oklahoma and this public-private partnership has changed hospital systems across Oklahoma by identifying tobacco users when they arrive for care,” said TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee. “This critical step enables trained medical professionals to offer life-saving advice about quitting tobacco through the confidential and trusted bond of a doctor-patient relationship. Patients who say they are ready to quit can opt into services from the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline while at their visit.

The direct connection to Helpline services removes barriers and makes it easy for patients to start their quit journey.”

HHPQ provides comprehensive support to hospitals and clinics to develop tobacco cessation interventions for patients, which includes creating a proactive referral process to the Helpline. Tobacco users who receive a clinical cessation consult from their health care provider, use a cessation medication and receive follow-up Helpline services are up to twice as likely to successfully quit than those who attempt to quit cold turkey.

“The Hospitals Helping Patients Quit program has helped thousands of Oklahomans quit tobacco and saved countless years of life and health care dollars,” said Patti Davis, OHA president. “We’re very proud of this achievement, made possible by

TSET grant funding and our many hospital and clinic partners.

“We know that hospitals and other front-line health care providers play a vital role in encouraging and helping patients to quit tobacco. This program was a natural fit for OHA to promote to our members. Using evidencebased tobacco treatment programs, we know we have really made a difference and we will continue to push forward with this proven program.”

Currently, HHPQ has over 50 hospital and 250 clinic partners working on cessation in about 30 counties across the state, including INTEGRIS Health.

“INTEGRIS Health is honored to be a participant in addressing this significant health issue in Oklahoma,” said Chris Hammes, INTEGRIS Health executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We believe tackling our statewide tobacco addiction is essential to ensure we improve the health of our communities.

“As the first pilot health system to implement a system change to ensure all patients are assessed and asked about their desire to quit tobacco, we are proud to be making a difference.

INTEGRIS Health will continue to do its part to help combat an addiction that claims far too many Oklahomans.”

The Chickasaw Nation is another partner in the program.

“The Chickasaw Nation Department of Health's partnership with the Hospitals Helping Patients Quit program has been a great success and has elevated our tobacco cessation efforts to the next level,” said Chickasaw Nation Secretary of Health Charles Grim.

“We identified service gaps and developed innovative strategies to ensure no one who desired to quit tobacco was left behind.

“Since beginning our partnership we have decreased our overall tobacco use rates by six percentage points. We will continue to battle commercial tobacco addiction and improve the health of our citizens through partnerships like HHPQ program.”

Edmond Life & Leisure • November 28, 2019 • Page 7

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What’s Happening This Weekend Nov 28 – Dec 1 Thursday, Nov. 28 ---- In the Gallery ---- Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink ---- Luminance: An Enchanted Stroll ---- 2019 Edmond Turkey Trot ---- Turkey Tracks 5K ---- Edmond Community Thanksgiving Dinner ---- Rising Stars of Calf Roping ---- NRHA Futurity & Adequan Championship Show ---- Devon Ice Rink ---- Downtown in December ---- The Polar Express ---- Illuminations: Starry Starry Night ---- Limo Holiday Lights Tours Friday, Nov. 29 ---- In the Gallery ---- Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink ---- Luminance: An Enchanted Stroll ---- Rising Stars of Calf Roping ---- NRHA Futurity & Adequan Championship Show ---- Black Friday w/Big G ---- Evergreen Christmas Tea Party ---- Devon Ice Rink ---- Downtown in December ---- The Polar Express ---- Illuminations: Starry Starry Night ---- Limo Holiday Lights Tours ---- Pollard Theatre presents: It’s a Wonderful Life Saturday, Nov. 30 ---- In the Gallery ---- Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink ---- Rising Stars of Calf Roping ---- NRHA Futurity & Adequan Championship Show ---- Luminance: An Enchanted Stroll ---- Evergreen Christmas Tea Party ---- A Small Business Christmas ---- Hunter Howe Cates Book Signing ---- Pet Photos w/Santa & Small Critter Meet & Greet ---- Santa at Small Business Saturday ---- Moetown Alex & The NightView Band ---- The Polar Express ---- Devon Ice Rink ---- Downtown in December ---- Illuminations: Starry Starry Night ---- Limo Holiday Lights Tours ---- Pollard Theatre presents: It’s a Wonderful Life ---- Territorial Christmas Celebrations Sunday, Dec. 1 ---- In the Gallery ---- Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink ---- Luminance: An Enchanted Stroll ---- Devon Ice Rink ---- Rising Stars of Calf Roping ---- NRHA Futurity & Adequan Championship Show ---- Evergreen Christmas Tea Party ---- Christmas in Downtown Edmond ---- Downtown in December ---- The Polar Express ---- Illuminations: Starry Starry Night ---- Limo Holiday Lights Tours ---- Pollard Theatre presents: It’s a Wonderful Life ---- Territorial Christmas Celebrations Extra Information on Weekend Happenings In the Gallery Location: Edmond Fine Arts Institute Extra Info: Featuring works by Sandy

Springer; beginning Nov 1, featuring works by Behnaz Sohrabian; for information go to: http://www.edmondfinearts.com Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink Location: Mitch Park Extra Info: 3 – 10 p.m.; for more information find them on Facebook 2019 Edmond Turkey Trot Location: Downtown Edmond Extra Info: Free ---- $26; 8 – 10 a.m.; for more information go to Facebook Turkey Tracks 5K Location: 5th St, Downtown OKC Extra Info: For more information go to okcturkeytracks.com Edmond Community Thanksgiving Dinner Location: University of Central Oklahoma Extra Info: Free; 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.; for more information go to Facebook Rising Stars of Calf Roping Location: Lazy E Arena Extra Info: $10; for more information go to risingstarscalfroping.com Evergreen Christmas Tea Party Location: Inspirations Tea Room Extra Info: $24.95/adult, $18.95/child; 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.; for more information find them on Facebook A Small Business Christmas Location: NINE on 33rd Extra Info: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; for more information visit them on Facebook Hunter Howe Cates Book Signing Location: Best of Books Extra Info: 12-1:30 p.m.; for more information find them on Facebook Santa at Small Business Saturday Location: Best of Books Extra Info: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.; for more information find them on Facebook Small Business Saturday Location: Downtown Edmond Extra Info: for more information go to downtownedmondok.com Black Friday w/Big G Location: UCO – Jazz Lab Extra Info: $10; 8 – 10:30 p.m.; for more information find them on Facebook Pet Photos w/Santa & Small Critter Meet & Greet Location: A1 Pet Emporium Extra Info: $21; 12 – 4 p.m.; for more information find them on Facebook Luminance: An Enchanted Stroll Location: Mitch Park Extra Info: Free; 5 – 10 p.m.; For more information go to edmondlights.com Christmas in Downtown Edmond Location: Downtown Edmond Extra Info: for more information go to downtownedmondok.com

Edmond Life & Leisure • November 28, 2019 • Page 9

Theater group putting on ‘Tempest’ production Recover from Thanksgiving at Oklahoma City Community College’s Cinema Sunday with a highdefinition production of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”

The classic play, performed during the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada, is the latest in a series of critically acclaimed performances recorded live and distributed worldwide by National Theatre Live. It will be presented on a full-size cinema screen at OCCC’s 1,000-seat Visual and Performing Arts Center, 7777 S. May Ave. This latest interpretation of “The Tempest” by director Antoni Cimolina puts a new twist into the tale with the return of actress Martha Henry.

Henry’s first played at Stratford in 1962 as Miranda, opposite William Hutt as Prospero. This time, Henry is playing Prospero herself, opposite Mamie Zwettler, as her daughter Miranda.

Even people unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s works will find “The Tempest” to be a good fit in modern pop culture with magic, thrones, ghosts and revenge. It is a drama of loss and reconciliation, with Henry playing a long-deposed ruler who uses magical arts to bring under her power enemies who stole her throne and marooned her on an island.

Prospero has spent her exile establishing dominion over the other inhabitants, including the monstrous creature Caliban and the spirit Ariel. A sign from the heavens promises a fateful confrontation

PHOTO PROVIDED/ DAVID HOU

Martha Henry as Prospero and Michael Blake as Caliban.

and new destiny for Miranda.

The event is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Dec. 1. Doors and concessions will open one hour before the show starts.

Tickets for the performance are $15 for general admission and $5 for students. They may be purchased at the door, online at tickets.occc.edu or by calling the OCCC Box Office at (405) 682-7579.

The Box Office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MondayFriday.

The Visual and Performing Arts Center is enjoying its fifth anniversary since an inaugural performance in 2014. Since then, the center’s visitor and subscriber base continue to grow as OCCC provides the community with the finest in performing arts.

Page 10 • November 28, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Commentary ... We’re on YOUR Side

The 1,000th column Actually this may not be the exact 1,000th Steve Gust column for this page.

That may have actually come a month or so ago.

Still, it dawned on me that in about Steve Gust another six more months we will be approaching the 20th anniversary of Edmond Life & Leisure, easily one of my favorite newspapers ever.

When we mark our 20th year in June 2020, we will have published 1,042 consecutive weekly issues. It's quite an accomplishment.

So far I have been blessed enough to have had a column in every issue we've had. I say "blessing," because not everyone can do something they enjoy for 20 years.

I know many people haven't always agreed with everything I've written in that time. I wouldn't expect everybody to align themselves with me 100 percent of the time.

What a boring world it would be if we all thought alike.

If it's any consolation, I can probably look back at what I wrote 10 or 15 years ago and disagree with my-

self on a few issues.

Most of the time, people with different views have been respectful in their disagreement. There have some exceptions to that but it's to be expected.

We live in a pretty polarized time when people don't seem to have a lot of patience with opposing viewpoints. In California it seems to be impossible to have a conservative speaker at a college campus.

I know many people who don't agree with me. Fortunately we are able to still get along. I wish it was that way everywhere. I wince a little knowing some people get offended with my beliefs. Having said that I don't apologize for my core values.

I believe strongly in traditional America and free enterprise. I also think society would be better if all people regularly attended a church of their choice and vowed to do their best to help others.

And that should be the role of the individual and not the government.

People expect almost everything from their government. A lot of times the government just can’t deliver.

And, like always, if you don't agree with that, send me a letter to the editor at news@edmondpaper. God bless.

Good first step for jail

By The Oklahoman Editorial Board Bit by bit, the Oklahoma County jail is moving closer to being managed by an administrator instead of by the sheriff. A major step forward came this week with the hiring of the new boss.

Greg Williams, deputy chief of operations for the state Department of Corrections, was selected as administrator in a unanimous vote by the nine-person jail trust.

Williams has a big job ahead, but he has succeeded in facing other challenges during his career.

He is a 36-year veteran of the DOC, where he began as a corrections officer. During his career, he noted in his letter to the general counsel for the jail trust, he has worked every security level from community service to maximum security, and has bene-

fited from working with strong leaders.

“These leaders demonstrated why it is important to provide a clear vision for the organization and staff and the necessity of setting and measuring clearly defined goals and objectives,” Williams wrote.

He is inheriting a jail with considerable infrastructure concerns and one that has had to contend with crowded conditions and inmate deaths, all issues that have been highly publicized.

He’s also stepping into a spot where jailers are concerned about their job security due to the changeover, and one in which he will answer to the trust, which hasn’t yet received the funding needed to begin the new operations.

And, where he will be expected to take over in six weeks — Sheriff P.D. Taylor says he’s turning

things over to the administrator Jan. 1, sooner than the trust expected.

Taylor, a member of the trust, said he voted for Williams despite his concerns about hiring an administrator without funding secured.

Williams “is professional and he knows what he is doing,” the sheriff said.

Tricia Everest, trust chairwoman, said Williams’ strong suits included contract oversight, staff retention and development, policy procedures and facility management.

Williams has been a probation and parole officer, an assistant district supervisor of probation and parole, a deputy warden or interim warden at three prisons, and an administrator of several DOC operations.

As supervisor of the Northwest Oklahoma Probation and Parole district early in his career, Williams said in his application, he created “a new vision of helping people succeed and a renewed sense of purpose” that allowed him to succeed “in a district that was at the time considered ‘out of control and without a clear sense of direction.’”

That sounds promising for his new role. In its job posting for administrator, the jail trust underscored the need to be able to juggle the many interests within the jail, and to develop a culture that considers its employees and those who are locked up.

Williams, a graduate of Southwestern Oklahoma State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, said he is passionate about “seeing people and organizations grow, evolve and change.”

How that manifests itself in his new job remains to be seen, but Oklahoma County residents should hope he succeeds with flying colors.

Strong days for U.S. oil production

By The Oklahoman Editorial Board In an interview with CNBC at the start of 2018, Continental Petroleum CEO Harold Hamm said the United States could be a net exporter of crude oil and petroleum products by 2020. It seems Hamm was right.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said recently that, based on preliminary data and model estimates, the United States exported 140,000 more barrels per day in September than it imported; in October, total exports exceeded imports by 550,000 barrels per day.

Said the EIA: “If confirmed in survey-collected monthly data, it would be the first time the United States exported more petroleum than it imported since EIA records began in 1949.”

EIA also said it expects net exports of crude oil

and petroleum to average 750,000 barrels per day in 2020, compared with average net imports of 520,000 barrels per day this year.

It’s good news that continues the remarkable resurgence by the U.S. oil and gas industry.

It was November 2017 that the U.S. oil production surpassed 10 million barrels per day for the first time since late 1970. That peak output nearly five decades ago was followed by a steady decline that made this country more reliant on imported energy.

The turnaround has primarily been due, as EIA put it in a January 2018 report, to “production from tight rock formations including shale and other fine-grained rock using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to improve efficiency.” Put simply: the fracking boom.

Letters to the Editor policy We love mail, especially mail from Edmond Life & Leisure readers with complaints, compliments or comments about what they read here. The rules, even for e-mail letters: 1) You must tell us your full name; 2) You must give us your complete address and phone numbers (but we will identify you only by name); and 3) We reserve the right to edit letters for length, clarity and taste (our taste).

Send mail to Letter to the Editor, Edmond Life & Leisure, 107 S. Broadway, Edmond, OK 73034, or fax to 340-3384 or e-mail to news@edmondpaper.com.

Less than two years ago, the United States was the world’s No. 3 oil producer, behind Saudi Arabia and Russia. Today the U.S. stands at No. 1, accounting for 18% of the world’s production, according to EIA. Saudi Arabia is second and Russia third.

The Oklahoman’s Adam Wilmoth notes that production in Oklahoma during the past decade has followed a pattern like that seen nationally. In January 2010, Oklahoma produced about 173,000 barrels per day. In May of this year, production reached a record high of 627,000 barrels per day.

The oil production numbers offer good news for the country’s national security interests. The United States for many years found itself at the mercy of Saudi Arabia and members and the oilrich OPEC countries — decisions they made about supply had major repercussions here.

That’s no longer the case. Indeed, in September when missile strikes in Saudi Arabia knocked out about 5% of global oil production, gasoline prices in the United States barely moved.

The International Energy Association says it expects OPEC to face a “major challenge” next year due to weak demand and rising non-OPEC supply.

Faith Birol, head of the IEA, said recently that the effects of the shale revolution “have been striking, with U.S. shale now acting as a strong counterweight to efforts to manage oil markets.”

That’s a good thing, and here’s hoping it continues.

From Oklahoman.com

Edmond Life & Leisure • November 28, 2019 • Page 11

Parents Helping Parent meeting Dec. 3 Our speakers on Tuesday, Dec. 3 are four professional counselors.

Their topics cover, "What parents need to know!"

The Edmond Chapter of Parents Helping Parents meets at McLaren's Pantry located at 3414 South Boulevard in the Boulevard Shopping Center located in the SE corner of 33rd and Boulevard in Edmond. The

PHOTO PROVIDED UCentral Radio, 99.3 FM will play nonstop, commercial-free holiday music beginning Nov. 29 and continuing throughout December. Pictured, University of Central Oklahoma student Anthony Mellendorf, a professional media major from Bethany, Oklahoma, prepares for the UCentral Radio holiday kickoff.

Station to air holiday music The University of Central Oklahoma’s student-operated radio station, KZUC 99.3 FM, known as UCentral Radio, will ring in the holiday season with nonstop, commercial-free holiday music beginning Nov. 29 and continuing throughout December.

UCentral Radio normally features Top 40 and adult contemporary music along with local news and sports content from Central’s mass communication students. UCO’s Department of Mass Communication and the UCentral student media network oversees the low-power FM station.

“This will be the fifth year of getting UCentral Radio into the holiday spirit,” said David Nelson, Ed.D., mass communication professor and KZUC faculty adviser at Central.

“We are excited to celebrate this festive time of year with our listeners and provide a fun mix of holiday favorites to the UCO and Edmond community."

The station will also feature holiday wishes and greetings from UCO students, employees and community leaders.

UCentral Radio can be heard throughout the city of Edmond on 99.3 FM, on your computer or mobile device by visiting ucentralradio.com and through the TuneIn radio app.

For more information about UCentral Radio, follow @ucentralradio on social media.

For more information about the programs offered within the Department of Mass Communication, visit mcom.uco.edu.

Calvey endorses Neese for seat Terry Neese, conservative Republican candidate for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District, has secured the endorsement of Kevin Calvey, former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and current Commissioner for Oklahoma County. In a statement released today, Calvey praised Neese for being the only true conservative in this race who shares Oklahoma values and who will fight for a smaller, more accountable government in Congress.

“We need a proven conservative like Terry Neese representing our values in Washington, D.C. – not a liberal Democrat or a wishy-washy Republican,” said Kevin Calvey, Oklahoma County Commissioner. “Terry Neese is pro-life, pro-gun, and a Constitutional conservative who shares our values and is committed to fighting for a smaller, more accountable federal government. We need more

leaders like Terry in Congress who will work with President Trump to keep our nation moving forward, and I am proud to offer her my full endorsement because I know she will get the job done.”

“I am honored to have the support of Kevin Calvey – a highly respected public servant who shares my commitment to keeping government small and protecting our conservative values at all costs,” said Terry Neese.

“The days of having a liberal Congresswoman who supports impeachment and big-government policies are numbered, and I will continue to work hard each and every day to let voters know I am the only conservative in this race who can beat Kendra Horn and deliver the results Oklahoma’s 5th District deserves.”

For more information on Terry Neese or her campaign, please visit NeeseForCongress.com.

restaurant is closed to the general public at 6 p.m. The meeting is from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.

They provide support, resources and hope for parents of addicted children (any age child). This is an anonymous meeting and no cost or reservations required. For more information on the meeting please call 405-642-8198.

Page 12 • November 28, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Edmond Life & Leisure • November 28, 2019 • Page 13

Greeting guests were BC Clark officials, from left, Mitchell Clark, Coleman Clark and Jim Clark.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Hosted by BC Clark Jewelers

Guests, hosts marvel at pieces from the Harry Kotlar collection Harry Kotlar stole the show at the Heart of Oklahoma Diamond reveal. This invitation-only event in Oklahoma City brought past Harry Kotlar customers and special guests to the downtown BC Clark Jewelers location to witness the reveal, discover pieces from the Harry Kotlar 70th anniversary collection, learn the history and creative process, create their own masterpieces and more.

Harry Kotlar was commissioned by BC Clark to create a luxurious piece of handcrafted jewelry incorporating their 18.92 carat Heart of Oklahoma diamond, created to honor the store’s heritage and founding year as well as celebrate the great state of Oklahoma. The superior quality Internally Flawless, Fancy Intense Yellow diamond symbolizes the intense and colorful sunsets that stretch for miles over the Oklahoma plains. The Harry Kotlar masterpiece, which cradles the 18.92 carat diamond, showcases the heritage of Oklahoma with its impeccable ring design.

The Heart of Oklahoma Diamond was placed in a ring setting created

by Harry Kotlar’s master Italian artisans. The setting was created with a geometric design reminiscent of a steam locomotive’s pilot grills with the use of tapered baguette diamonds. This simple, yet elegant piece, is timeless and represents a piece of BC Clark’s history as Oklahoma’s oldest business under the same family ownership.

“BC Clark is honored to have partnered with Harry Kotlar to create this masterpiece,” said Coleman Clark, President of BC Clark Jewelers. “Unveiling the Heart of Oklahoma Diamond Ring at such an elegant and interactive event with Harry Kotlar at

our flagship downtown store with some of our most loyal customers has been a moment I will always remember.”

Guests were given a behind the scenes look at the design process of the Heart of Oklahoma Diamond set in a Harry Kotlar masterpiece as well as the opportunity to create their own Harry Kotlar pieces with a Harry Kotlar illustrator on site. Seven Harry Kotlar masterpieces, one for each decade of the brand’s existence, was showcased in a museum-style exhibit with a unique audio guide. A short film illustrating the Harry Kotlar design and creation process was previewed to guests and Harry Kotlar pieces were featured in every display for guests to appreciate and purchase.

“Bringing this luxurious event to Oklahoma City has been an amazing experience,” says Czarah Cabrera, brand director for Harry Kotlar. “The Heart of Oklahoma Diamond set in a Harry Kotlar masterpiece is something we are very proud to be a part of and we hope this piece will create an appreciation for the beautiful art of jewelry making, its history and beyond.”

About B.C. Clark It was 1892 in Indian Territory, later to become Oklahoma, when B.C. Clark Sr. opened his first jewelry store. Today, BC Clark is Oklahoma’s longest-standing retail store under the same name and ownership. Traditions of quality merchandise and personal service have continued through four generations. The company is now led by B.C.’s great-grandsons Coleman Clark and Mitchell Clark.

With three Oklahoma City stores, BC Clark continues to introduce new products, promotions, and endeavors.

Page 14 • November 28, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Carpenter Square heads ‘Santaland’ for holidays Carpenter Square Theatre celebrates the holiday season with “The Santaland Diaries” Nov. 29 to Dec. 21. David Sedaris’ hilarious comedy, adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello, is about an out-ofwork slacker who takes a job as an elf at Macy’s department store during the holiday crunch. All performances are at the theater, located at 800 W. Main in downtown Oklahoma City.

The holiday elf of Sedaris’s tale is a 33-year-old actor who arrived in New York City three weeks ago, is down to his last PHOTO PROVIDED twenty dollars, and has no soap C.W. Bardsher stars as Crumpet, a hapless opera job waiting – or any job Macy’s department store elf in ‘The Santaland for that matter. When he noDiaries.’ tices an ad placed by Macy’s C. W. Bardsher stars as the hapless Herald Square for “out-going, fun-lovelf in Santaland. Linda McDonald ing people of all shapes and sizes” to guides the production as director, with be at “the center of the excitement” in Santaland, he goes for it. After submit- assistance from stage manager Rosemary Katherine Waits. Rhonda Clark is ting a ten-page application, taking a the costume designer, Mark Fairchild is personality test and drug test, and undergoing two interviews, he’s hired. He the sound designer, while Ben Hall is in charge of the set design and execution, chooses the name “Crumpet,” but almost immediately he realizes he would and Jay C. Schardt serves as lighting designer. rather be far from “the excitement.”

Regular adult tickets are $25 with Studying “The Elfen Guide” with 50 $20 tickets available for seniors aged other elf wannabes, cheerleading for 62 or more, military, and groups of 10 Santa, and trying to master the cash or more. Educator tickets are $10 and register are not the kind of excitement students are only $5. Two-for-one tickhe wants out of The Big Apple. When Santaland opens, Crumpet tries to deal ets may be purchased when presenting the Allied Arts City Card or when atwith other eccentric elves, even more tending Thursday evening performeccentric Santas, and loud-mouthed ances. Reservations are highly parents and children. Luckily, just berecommended for the intimate 90-seat fore his employment ends on Christtheater. For tickets, call 405-232-6500 mas Eve, a truly good-hearted Santa or email csttix@coxinet.net. Visit startles him into the spirit of goodwill www.carpentersquare.com. that he has been missing.

To study lung cancer

Edmond researcher gets federal grant Cancer researchers operate from a fundamental premise: Tumor cells are very smart. Because of their ability to disguise themselves, hide or otherwise evade the immune cells that can kill them, the key to successful treatment depends upon taking away those powers.

A researcher at Stephenson Cancer Center at OU Medicine, Rajagopal Ramesh, Ph.D., of Edmond, recently received a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to explore a means by which tumor cells may be avoiding detection in lung cancer. The study is unique in that it is being conducted on patients in real time Ramesh while they are on a clinical trial receiving an immunotherapy medication. In conjunction with MRI and CT imaging provided by his colleagues who are treating the patients, Ramesh is examining the tumor cells over time to determine if his hypothesis is correct.

The grant is the first of its kind in Oklahoma to investigate the concept of immunotherapy resistance.

“We are very excited to receive this grant because if we can understand why patients are failing therapy, then we can think about when and how to intervene so that their survival increases,” said Ramesh, who holds the Jim and Christy Everest Endowed Chair in Cancer Developmental Therapeutics.

Antibody-based immunotherapy drugs have shown promise in treating lung cancer by allowing the body’s immune cells to carry out their normal job of recognizing an invader and eliminating it.

However, most patients receiving the treatment either respond initially then develop resistance over time, or they don’t respond to the drug at all. The reason for that resistance is poorly understood, Ramesh said.

For this research project, Ramesh is focusing on exosomes – nanometer-sized particles that are produced by normal cells and swirl through the body’s circulation in the billions. However, tumor cells also produce exosomes, and in larger numbers. Each type bears a marker describing its origin, either normal or cancerous.

The exosomes produced by cancer cells also produce a protein called PD-L1, which many immunotherapy drugs already target. Ramesh’s hypothesis is that PD-L1 has the ability to “coat” the surface of the immunotherapy antibody, thereby neutralizing its ability to detect the tumor cells.

“We believe that these cancer cell exosomes, through PD-L1, are covering up the antibody, and because of that, it never sees the actual tumor cell,” he said. “So the tumor cells continue to grow.”

Edmond Life & Leisure • November 28, 2019 • Page 15

Review of film ‘Frozen II’

A worthwhile sequel to classic

By George Gust If you've been in presence of a young child in the past six years you've probably been exposed to the cultural and marketing phenomenon of the 2013 animated Disney film "Frozen."

Especially this time of year, it seems like the stars of "Frozen" along with Christmas decorations are everywhere you go. The original film was an aberration in the Disney Princess category with a focus on familial love over romantic love, strong and independent leading female characters, not to mention a chart topping, Oscar winning power"Frozen II" is a shining example of what pitch perhouse ballad. Now six years later, would "Frozen II" fect casting the first "Frozen" had. All members of the be able to recapture the magic and emotion of the core cast getting a moment to showcase their talents. first film?

Gad was impressive as the more contemplative Olaf Anna (voice of Kristen Bell), Elsa (voice of Idina who could have been just an annoying sidekick but Menzel), Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff), Olaf was ultimately a comedic yet emotionally resonant (voice of Josh Gad) and Sven leave Arendelle to character in the movie. And the singing talents of the travel to an ancient, autumn-bound forest of an entheatrically trained Groff and Menzel are on full dischanted land. They set out to find the origin of play with Groff getting a cheeky 80's power ballad Elsa's powers in order to save their kingdom. and Menzel bringing the house down with a couple Being the father of a toddler-aged girl, I am of powerhouse songs that appear in the most pivotal rather familiar with the original "Frozen." The points in the movie. songs, the story beats, the throwaway lines of diaOverall, with an epic narrative scope and impreslogue, from top to bottom, I've studied it all over sive animation, "Frozen II" is a more than solid sucthe course of countless re-viewings. cessor to the cultural phenomenon that Therefore, going into "Frozen II" not knowing all surrounded the first movie. The complexity of the its secrets, and discovering a larger ‘Frozen’ world mythology and darker tone of this film may go was a fun experience. The story, much like the audiover the heads of the youngest in the audience, ence who grew up loving the original movie, is but over time (and countless re-watchings) this semore mature and deals with more complex probquel will only grow in esteem. lems. The scope of the movie's story is much more “Frozen II” is rated PG for action/peril and some epic in scale featuring new groups of characters and thematic elements. larger than life adversaries but retains the emotional 4 out of 5 stars connection between the series' two sisters.

However, the addition of the mythology of the source of Elsa's power and the geopolitical unrest between Arendelle and their neighbors in the north forest can go over the head of some of the younger children in the audience, but the top notch animation and comedic stylings of a naive anthropomorphized snowman still bring enough entertainment to It's an epic return to the 'Frozen' fjord with Elsa (voice of Idina Menkeep the youngest of movie zel) and crew, this time with a more mature tone and even more imgoers satisfied. pressive animation in ‘Frozen II.’

Library will be closed temporarily The Edmond Library building located at 10 South Boulevard is set for temporary closure from Dec. 9 through March 2020.

The building, owned by the City of Edmond, houses the Edmond Library which is managed by the Metropolitan Library System.

The closure is taking place for renovations to the building that was constructed in 1973 and last renovated in 2016. The renovations will include significant updates to the HVAC system, roof, ceiling, lighting and flooring.

During the closure, a temporary library space will open beginning Dec. 16 at 1030 S. Bryant next to Pelican Bay. The “Edmond Express Library at Pelican Bay” will be a limited service location where customers can pick-up holds and return items.

The total cost of the improvements to the facility is $2.126 million The contractor for the project is A.C. Owen Construction.

For additional information regarding the Edmond Library, please visit their website at https://www.metrolibrary.org/locations/edmond.

Crossword Puzzle STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: 20TH CENTURY INVENTIONS ACROSS 1. Observation point's attraction 5. Included for large parties?

8. 252 gallons of wine 11. Soprano's song, e.g.

12. Pakistani tongue 13. Word with foster or health 14. Lancelot and Mix-a-Lot 15. Unstable particle 16. Orangutan, biologically speaking 17. *Car safety invention 19. Caspian Sea, e.g.

20. They flock together?

21. "____ the ramparts..."

22. *RisquÈ garb named for atoll 25. *Bakelite was first one made from synthetics 29. RNs' org.

30. Like a pumpkin on Halloween 33. Ä 34. "To Kill a Mockingbird" protagonist 36. Columbus Day mo.

37. Unlock 38. Without, in Paris 39. Limestone landscape forms 41. Broke bread 42. *Synthetic for a diabetic 44. Putin's currency 46. *Willis Carrier's invention conditioned it 47. *Aspartame-based sweetener 49. Hard tale to believe 51. *Scuba diver's gear 54. "It's still Rock and Roll" to him 55. The Colosseum, e.g.

56. Stage part 58. Bohemian 59. Gold coating 60. Fishing rod attachment

61. Sticky stuff 62. Make a choice 63. Big Bang's original matter DOWN 1. Military hospitals 2. Fleur-de-lis 3. Irish word for Ireland 4. Sushi restaurant "burner" 5. Set straight 6. Objects of worship 7. Fourth down option 8. *Little Willie or T-34 9. Egg on 10. Opposite of paleo12. Perugia region 13. Make less refined 16. Court bargain 18. Touch of color 21. Antediluvian 22. Low in La Scala, pl.

23. Relating to Quechuan people 24. Unstable mesons 25. Four-legged friends 26. ____ Ligation 27. All worked up 28. Apple leftovers

31. Multicolored horse 32. *Acronym that revolutionized TV-watching 35. But not always 37. Like some suspects?

39. CrËme de cassis plus wine 40. Like Ferris Bueller 43. Monet's water flower 45. Out of focus 47. Provide with gear 48. Cover with a story to tell?

49. Beginner 50. Charlie Parker's sax 51. Golden Fleece ship 52. Season to be jolly 53. High school club 54. *Air____, vehicle restraint 57. Freddie Krueger's street

See Answers Page 23

Answers Page 23

Page 16 • November 28, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

PHOTO PROVIDED

The EEDA presented a commemorative arrow to Beth DeGraffenreid, president of PC Executive Services, for being the July 2019 Featured Business in The Arrow.

EEDA shines the spotlight on PC Executive Services The Edmond Economic Development Authority (EEDA) recently featured PC Executive Services, Inc. in a recent issue of EEDA's newsletter, The Arrow. The Arrow is a monthly newsletter emailed to approximately 2,000 subscribers. Featured businesses also receive a commemorative arrow to recognize their participation.

"The featured business portion of The Arrow was created as an outlet for the EEDA to further support and promote the Edmond business community," said Janet Yowell, EEDA executive director. "We were pleased to feature PC Executive Services and highlight the company's Mon Abri Business Center."

PC Executive Services offers flexible workspace solutions for businesses. The company has three shared space locations in Oklahoma, including the Mon Abri Business Cen-

ter at 2524 N. Broadway in Edmond.

"Edmond has a thriving economy and wonderful business community so choosing a location in the city was an easy decision," said PC Executive Services President Beth DeGraffenreid. "I appreciated the opportunity to share more about the Mon Abri Business Center in The Arrow."

To read the full PC Executive Services feature in The Arrow, visit www.eeda.com/archives. To subscribe to The Arrow, visit www.eeda.com.

The EEDA exists to offer resources that stimulate the growth of Edmond's economy by creating and maintaining an optimum environment for both new and existing businesses, offering services that facilitate the growth and expansion of those businesses and generating opportunities to increase the sales tax base of the city of Edmond.

Edmond Life & Leisure • November 28, 2019 • Page 17

Armstrong Auditorium accepts honor Armstrong Auditorium announced last week it has been named a Hall of Fame winner in the 2019 TripSavvy Editors’ Choice Awards. New to this year’s awards, TripSavvy unveiled its first-ever Hall of Fame winners, businesses that have won two years running and represent only 0.3 percent of businesses reviewed worldwide.

TripSavvy Editors' Choice Awards takes a two-step approach in selecting winners. First, its award-winning data team uses machine-learning technology to pinpoint outstanding businesses from data sources from reviews across the Internet and audience metrics from TripSavvy.

The team compares those insights against TripSavvy's expert content to identify businesses and destinations that outrank competitors in quality, considering elements such as customer service, value, and category fit. Finally, TripSavvy’s seasoned editors and writers scour the results, highlighting the most special, noteworthy, and trustworthy businesses.

Armstrong Auditorium opened in 2010 in Edmond and has earned a reputation for outstanding quality, both for its superb acoustics and hi-caliber cultural programs. It is home to the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation’s performing arts series, now in its twenty-first season.

"Our Hall of Fame winners are best-in-class," says Molly Fergus, VP & General Manager of TripSavvy. "Our writers and editors are tasked with discovering the best in travel, and Armstrong Auditorium has stood out year after year.

We are thrilled to recognize them."

“We are honored to be recognized among such an elite class of destinations around the world,” says Shane Granger, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Armstrong International Cultural Foundation. “We are grateful to our patrons, members and staff who passionately support our mission to bring monumental cultural experiences to Oklahoma. Armstrong’s success is their success.”

The TripSavvy Editor’s Choice Awards celebrates excellence in travel, tourism and hospitality. For the full list of TripSavvy Editors’ Choice Awards winners, including this PHOTO PROVIDED year’s Hall of Fame honorees, visit TripSavvy’s winner Accepting the Editors’ Choice award, are, from are Ryan Maloine, front and, in the back, Shane Granger, left, and Wayne Turgeon. page or TripSavvy.com.

Page 20 • November 28, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

PHOTO PROVIDED

Edmond gained additional medical facilities last week with Mercy’s official grand opening.

Mercy clinic & ER open Mercy has again expanded services in Edmond with the addition of a new emergency department and primary care clinic. The new facility is now open just south of the original facility on Mercy’s Edmond I-35 campus.

Mercy broke ground on the $30 million, 49,000square-foot building in January 2018. The facility is two levels. The first level ER is an extension of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City’s emergency department and features 11 exam rooms, ultrasound, imaging services, full laboratory services, an infectious disease isolation room and a generator that allows the facility to run on full power in the event of an outage.

Fifteen emergency medicine physicians, 20 nurses and several support staff will take shifts serving patients around-the-clock. Patient care will be streamlined thanks to the ER’s modern design and dedicated, in-house lab and imaging services.

On the second floor, Mercy Clinic will have 16 primary care providers including family medicine and pediatrics.

Dr. Jesse Campbell serves as chief administrative officer for Mercy Clinic and has seen patients as a primary care physician at Edmond I-35 since the first building opened in 2014.

“We have had multiple patients come into our I35 facility looking for an emergency room,” said

Dr. Campbell. “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to call an ambulance to take those patients to an emergency department, ultimately delaying their care. Now, we’ll be able to take those patients downstairs from the primary care clinic or across the parking lot from the specialty care clinic building for the appropriate, convenient care they need.”

Through Mercy’s comprehensive electronic health record, care team members at the new Mercy Edmond I-35 facility will have immediate access to patient records, electronically creating a seamless experience for current Mercy patients.

“Over the last two years, we know most Edmond residents have visited a Mercy hospital or clinic,” said Jim Gebhart, president of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City and regional strategy officer. “By expanding our Edmond I-35 campus, we are now able to serve even more people and make a significant impact in our growing community.”

The original Edmond I-35 facility features an outpatient surgery center, imaging, laboratory, specialty physician offices, a first-of-its-kind wellness center and Mercy Sports Performance powered by EXOS. The new Mercy Edmond I-35 facility is located at 2301 W. I-35 Frontage Road in Edmond.

PHOTO PROVIDED

A big crowd of well wishers turned out for Mercy’s official grand opening last week.

Feds assess economic signs The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City released the October Services Survey last week. According to Chad Wilkerson, vice president and economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, the survey revealed that Tenth District services expanded moderately in November and expectations for future growth also increased.

“Regional services activity grew moderately in November after declining slightly in October,” said Wilkerson.

“This continued a trend of up and down activity in the sector in 2019.”

Edmond Life & Leisure • November 28, 2019 • Page 21

Autumn Life fills director’s post Curtis W. Rawls, M.S., L.P.C., has joined the multidisciplinary healthcare team at Autumn Life Center as director of Behavioral Services. Housed within OU Medical Center Edmond, Autumn Life Center offers inpatient behavioral health programs for senior adults.

A licensed professional counRawls selor with a master’s degree in human resource counseling, Rawls’ educational background also includes sociology and criminal justice. He comes to Autumn Life from McAlester Regional Health Center, where he held a similar post with Signet Health.

Rawls has specific expertise with mental/behavioral health in community and rural settings across the state. In addition to proven administrative and management skills, Rawls specializes in assessment and evaluation; individual, family and group therapies; crisis management and intervention; and adolescent and geriatric acute psychiatric care.

“One of my goals is to encourage deeper understanding that mental and physical health needs aren’t mutually exclusive, but rather coincide greatly,” Rawls said. “We have a unique capacity to treat the mental health needs of our aging population. Currently, we offer inpatient and intensive outpatient resources to treat and stabilize people 55 years of age and older. Eventually, we hope to offer a full continuum of mental health care that affords the benefits of other available treatment options unique to senior adults, such as our senior clinic at OU Medical Center Edmond.”

Autumn Life Center for Geriatric Behavioral Health offers specialized senior behavioral health care focusing on diagnosis, stabilization and treatment using individualized treatment in a dedicated setting while having full access to the medical care of OU Medical Center Edmond. The 17-bed unit is located on its own floor within the hospital to assure privacy, confidentiality and comfort. For more information, call (855)-625-1680.

New location opens & franchising offered

Family leads sushi surge Nhinja Sushi, Edmond's family-owned sushi chain has opened a sister concept, Nhinjo Sushi and Grill in Moore on Nov. 19. It has also began offering the opportunity for franchising.

The restaurant chain is looking to expand corporateowned stores as well as grow franchised stores. The next store will open in Norman.

Kang and Mary Nhin plan to use Nhinjo Sushi in Moore as the franchise model for all future franchises. Nhinjo is named after their youngest son, Joseph Nhin. “With three young boys at home, we battled whether this was the right route for us and prayed for eight years”, says Kang Nhin, CEO of Nhinja Sushi. A conPHOTO PROVIDED cept that began in 2010, Pictured from left to right are Joseph Nhin, Mary Nhin, Kobe Nhin, Nhinja Sushi serves the Kang Nhin and Michael Nhin holding their sushi dishes at Nhinjo Sushi needs of a community who look for fresher, healthier alNhinjo Sushi offerings include sushi, Chinese wok’d ternatives in the vast, fast food landscape. Nhinja items, salads, and kid’s items. Nhinjo Sushi’s vision Sushi blossomed into five locations over six years is to share simple yet high quality sushi with neighfrom 2010 to 2016, opening one a year. The sister borhoods and towns around the country. Nhinjo concept, Nhinjo Sushi, is an express version of believes eating healthier should always be accessiNhinja Sushi without sacrificing quality. ble and affordable.

Kang Nhin says, “I believe now is the right time Nhinjo Sushi in Moore is located at 12301 S. to share sushi with the masses.” He believes he’s Western in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The locagrown a lot since his days of Kang’s Asian Bistro, a tion is within walking distance to WestMoore High concept he owned for 14 years from 2005 to School. Nhinjo is now seeking motivated appli2016. cants for its first store. To learn more about Nhinjo Currently, there are five Nhinja sushi restaurants Sushi, visit www.nhinjo.com.). located throughout Oklahoma and Nhinjo Sushi in Note: Details available in the Nhinjo Sushi Franchise DiscloMoore will be the first store of the sister concept. sure Document

Edmond Realtor addresses effects of new marketing law Brad Reeser is an Edmond Realtor and member of the Oklahoma Association of Realtors.

who walked into an open house nor have a drawing to incentivize individuals to like their social media page.

How will SB 104 change What is Senate Bill 104? the real estate landscape?

The new law created by In short, it allows Realtors Senate Bill 104 clarifies lanto properly market themselves guage in the current Real EsReeser and their business in ways simitate Code that restricts lar to what other businesses Realtors from many common do. Instead of barring many methods marketing practices for themselves of marketing, the new law will proand their businesses. The new lanhibit any efforts that are directly tied guage rectifies the problems caused only to someone buying or even makby the current law while still upholding an offer to buy a property. For ing the ethical safeguards it was inexample, a closing gift is permitted, tended to enforce. but you can’t tell perspective homebuyers they will get a free iPad if they How does SB 104 affect profesmake an offer on a house. sionals working in real estate?

When can the public look forward The current Real Estate Code uses to this change? language that prohibits the use of As Nov. 1, real estate licensees, prizes to influence a “purchaser” or agents and brokers now are allowed “prospective purchaser” of real esto participate in more modern-day tate. The interpretation of this law reached such extreme levels that vari- marketing efforts, such as giveaways on their social media pages, to propous innocent marketing efforts were erly market themselves and their businot allowed. For example, a Realtor ness. could neither give something as simFrom Oklahoman.com ple as a bottle of water to anyone

AAA: Holiday travel nears record Nearly 50 million travelers are making plans to hit the highways and byways this Thanksgiving holiday season with a trip of 50 miles or more away from home. This will be the second-highest Thanksgiving travel volume since AAA began tracking in 2000, trailing only the record set in 2005.

Unfortunately for some motorists, the busy travel week will include inconvenient and potentially dangerous roadside vehicle breakdowns, adding delays to plans to get to Thanksgiving dinner.

AAA is expecting to rescue 368,000 motorists nationwide during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday period. Over the Thanksgiving holi-

day travel period*, AAA Oklahoma’s Roadside Rescue team is projecting it will come to the aid of 2,466 stranded motorists in the Sooner State.

Those motorists can face many challenges. Dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts will be the leading reasons drivers will experience car trouble. AAA recommends motorists take their vehicles to a trusted repair facility to perform any needed maintenance before heading out on a road trip. Checking battery charge, checking tire tread and pressure, and ensuring other key vehicle systems are road trip-ready can help avoid breakdowns and lost Thanksgiving holiday time with friends and family.

Page 22 • November 28, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Make it a healthy holiday

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For many of us, lack of sleep, elevated stress and increased travel are as much a part of the holidays as turkey and stuffing or hanging stockings over the fireplace. So how can you set yourself — and your loved ones — up for a healthy holiday season?

Count sheep Studies show that people who get eight hours of sleep are three times less likely to catch colds than those who average fewer than seven hours.

Sleep deprivation also causes stress hormones like cortisol to rise, signaling the body to go into fat-storage mode by slowing your metabolism.

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Hand-y advice Think of all the hands will you shake at holiday parties and how many surfaces you will touch at the airport. Touch your mouth, nose, food or face, and you’re susceptible to the bacteria and viruses you just picked up.

“The more germs you come in contact with, the greater the risk of catching a cold, the flu or other illnesses,” said Prescott. “But there’s a simple defense: Wash your hands often.”

Good old soap and water work best, but hand sanitizer helps in a pinch.

Fit in fitness A great way to neutralize the some negative holiday effects is to stay active.

“Too often, taking a little time off is the start of falling away from your exercise program entirely,” said Prescott.

Exercise does more than help avoid weight gain. “Even light exercise can lower blood pressure, strengthen bones and improve your mood,” he said. “It also decreases the risk of catching a cold or the flu. And who wants to be sick during the holidays?”

Minimal exercise can lead to good health

Get your flu shot Flu season has arrived, but it’s not too late to get your vaccination.

“The U.S. flu season doesn’t fully hit its stride until December,” said OMRF President Stephen Prescott, M.D. “But the sooner you vaccinate, the more time your body has to build immunity so you are primed and ready.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that last year’s flu outbreak affected up to 43 million Americans and resulted in, or contributed to, between 36,000 and 61,200 deaths. “Even though the flu shot isn’t perfect, it’s still your best chance to avoid this potentially deadly virus,” said OMRF immunologist Eliza Chakravarty, M.D.

And when you’re sleepy, you eat more, which can put you on a slippery slope with all the extra treats around this time of year.

By Brian Attebery Thanksgiving.

What a Holiday!

More importantly, what a great word.

Are we really understanding the level of thanks and appreciation many of us should have? Are you healthy? Do Attebery you have food available and a roof over your head? Most do.

Our health is truly the most important thing to be thankful for.

While health can be affected by bad luck, tragic events and genetics, most of our health is a direct result of what we CHOOSE to do with it.

How hard do we have to work to benefit from exercise?

There are 33 major illnesses associated with obesity. Heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and triglycerides and even arthritis are just a few associated with excessive body weight. Many Americans claim they, “don’t have time to exercise.”

Yes, life’s busy and it’s hard to get exercise in but we need to understand that you don’t have to work out hours per day to see health benefits. Nutrition is important too. It takes the same amount of time to order a grilled chicken sandwich with a side of apples and an iced tea as it does the burger, soda and fries. It is a choice. You choose your health by making time and stop making excuses.

Do you walk around? Most of us do to one degree or another. Intentionally walking just 30 minutes per day has an amazing cascade of benefits. Dr. Justin Sparkes, of Integris states, “Walking can lower blood pressure, reduce stress and help with weight loss.” Walking has also been associated with a better nervous system due to the physiological benefits plus social benefits that can occur when you walk with friends and family and enjoy the positive interactions that can occur.

Lifting weights is another form of exercise that is misunderstood a lot as well. People still think of competitive bodybuilders or cross-fit athletes as what weightlifting is supposed to be. Everyone can benefit from strength training at different levels of fitness and goals. Even individuals with who have higher goals don’t have to spend hours in

the gym. Lifting weights is more about intensity and less about time.

Using Mid-range strength workouts that involve 5-8 reps can be a very productive way to get maximum results in a short amount of time. If you are doing 5-8 repetitions instead of 10-16 reps, it will take half the time and can produce better results due to the challenging of the nervous system to produce strength and muscle tone as the body recruits more of your muscle fibers to lift the weights involved. Some will say, “That is not enough for me…”

That same person then doesn’t come to the gym at all because they claim to not have time. Understand that we are discussing a way to get it done by keeping your time to a minimum in the gym while still benefiting. There are definitely more advanced programs that may produce greater results but we are not talking about being an advanced athlete per say. We are talking about the average person with general fitness goals.

One of the goals I have as a Personal Trainer and gym owner is to educate people on not only the physiology and how to do the exercises properly but to also teach them how to adjust their workouts based on their schedules as the year goes on. If I train a C.P.A., we know the first of the year through April 15th needs to be a program that takes less time. Once that is over, we might increase the days and time spent in the gym again.

Fitness is ever-evolving just like our schedules. Changing things up by being more efficient in the gym is necessary for most people. Sometimes you must have the mentality that maintaining is good enough for now. This is much better than going backwards and having to dig yourself out of the hole of bad health because you claim you could not do any exercise due to time constraints.

Start today during the busy Holidays with a short work out and see how much better you feel!

(Brian Attebery is a Degreed/Certified Trainer. He owns and operates Results Fitness and Nutrition Center, L.L.C. in Edmond. www.resultsfitnessusa.com) Make sure to follow Brian Attebery regularly every other week in Edmond Life & Leisure newspaper.

Edmond Life & Leisure • November 28, 2019 • Page 23

Community Chorale concert Edmond Community Chorale cordially invites you to attend their Holiday Concert on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at First Christian Church, Edmond (201 E 2nd St), 7 p.m.

Under the direction of Rondal J. Wallace, the concert will feature A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten, along with other holiday favorites.

One of Britten’s best-known and most-performed work, A Ceremony of Carols is a collection of ten carols framed by the chant Hodie Christus Natus Est (Today, Christ is born) at both the beginning and the end.

This innovative, exciting, and

Scheduled Dec. 10 stunningly beautiful piece is a true holiday treasure.

Admission to the concert is free; guests are asked to bring an unwrapped toy (or monetary donation) to benefit the Red Andrews Christmas Dinner. An Oklahoma City Christmas Day tradition since 1947, the Red Andrews Christmas Dinner provides warm meals and toys to thousands of people each year.

Be sure to mark your calendars to join ECC for their Holiday Concert, as they celebrate the season and support a worthy cause.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Accompanist John L. Edwards, left, and artistic director/conductor Rondal J. Wallace lead the Edmond Community Chorale, which performs their annual Christmas concert on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Check out other upcoming events in Holiday Happenings Pages 18 & 19

Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi Good Shepherd Anglican Church (Traditional Episcopal) 1000 N. Broadway, Edmond •314-8715 Sundays - Holy Communion 8:00 & 10:00am Animal Friendly Parish “If you have people who exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have those who deal likewise with their fellow human being.”

St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

www.anglicancgsedmondok.com 1928 Book of Common Prayer • anglicancgesedmondok.com

SCRIPTURE • TRADITION • REASON

Page 24 • November 28, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure