Edmond Life & Leisure - May 21, 2020

May 21, 2020

Vol. 21, No. 1

In This Issue FOUR SEASONS

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.

New travel column See Page 14

FRIDAY, May 22

PM Thunderstorms High 84° Low 66°

SATURDAY, May 23 Partly Cloudy High 85° Low 68°

SUNDAY, May 24 Thunderstorms High 81° Low 64°

By Steve Gust Edmond Life & Leisure’s unique community approach to presenting the news continues to be as appealing today as it was when it first began 20 years ago.

This week the locally owned and operated Edmond newspaper proudly marks its 20th year of operation. Its publisher, Ray Hibbard, announced last week in his “From the Publisher’s” column that the publication was looking forward to many more years of operation.

He also looked back at the beginning of the operation and his vision for Edmond Life & Leisure.

“We started the newspaper 20 years ago with the idea that the best community journalism comes from a locally owned and operated newspaper.

That has certainly turned out to be true in Edmond with Edmond Life & Leisure,” Hibbard said. “Together with our partner, Chris Hoke, we have worked hard to maintain the trust of our readers and uplift the community. While we would never shirk from our journalistic responsibilities, we also believe there is

far more good news that deserves to be covered in Edmond than bad news.

Good news about people, places and events in Edmond was our editorial goal when we started the paper and it remains our gyroscope today.”

Life & Leisure has also made news over the years as Hibbard in 2005 conducted one of the first interviews with Michael Brown, former Edmond resident and FEMA director. The interview came shortly after Hurricane Katrina plowed into the Gulf Coast, causing massive damage. Brown was criticized by some for the government’s response.

Brown got to give his side with Life & Leisure.

While that story remained big news, it’s the commonplace items that fill our pages and entertain our readers.

The promotion of events, benefits and recognitions are usually what’s featured with Life & Leisure.

Community and business leaders also took the time to comment on the paper’s milestone.

“EL&L gives Edmond a wonderful sense of the quality of life that makes our community so special,” said Janet

Yowell, director of the Edmond Economic Development Authority.

Concurring with that was Edmond City Manager Larry Stevens.

‘We value the strong relationship that the City of Edmond has had with EL&L over the years,” Stevens said. “The consistent support of our Edmond community has been apparent and much appreciated. We also value their candor in expressing opinions, and we believe they value our candor as well.”

Edmond Councilman Josh Moore agreed.

“Congratulations ELL on 20 years!!

From honoring our hometown heroes to covering local events, I’m thankful for all that you do for our community,” Moore said. “Here’s to a bright future of opportunity and success.”

Also benefitting are scores of advertisers who have used L&L to help grow their businesses. One of them is Brent Gibson, a residential designer and owner of the successful Brent Gibson Classic Home Design.

The Edmond Life and Leisure publication has been valuable newspaper for continued on Page 3

Page 2 • May 21, 2020 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Edmond Life & Leisure • May 21, 2020 • Page 3

Cover From Page 1 all the citizens of Edmond over the past 20 years,” Gibson stated. “It keeps us all connected and informed of local events and what Edmond families are doing.

It keeps us a ‘hometown,’ which I love.”

Gibson, a regular advertiser, also values the business relationship.

“The folks that run and write the stories are our friends too,” he said. “I can always pop in to say hello and it’s nice to have friends who really care about

us.”

Hibbard values partnerships with people, such as Gibson, and the many others in the community.

“We believe doing good is some thing that comes back to us many fold and it has been key to our business success,” he said.

“Our advertisers have made our business model possible and we certainly need to thank our readers for the last 20 years.”

And while it’s nice to look back on a pleasant and produc-

tive two decades, the future also beckons.

“We are very much looking forward to what is ahead for our newspaper but most importantly our community,” Hibbard said. “I still believe the future is bright for both. We appreciate all the support from the Edmond community and continue to need it in the future.”

(Please see Page 10 and the editor’s look back at a successful 20 years)

First Edition Spring 2000

PHOTO PROVIDED

The first issue of Edmond Life & Leisure in 2000 featured the three Ogle brothers, Kent, Kevin and Kelly. Each continue to be in the broadcast business and are from Edmond.

Page 4 • May 21, 2020 • Edmond Life & Leisure

From the Publisher

Council OK’s two downtown projects Last week’s Edmond City Council meeting was all about unanimous votes. The fivemember council were either all in or all out on development projects.

They were all in, a Ray Hibbard 5-0 vote, for two projects that will make a great improvement for Edmond. These are truly landmark projects that will become known as a major step for taking development in downtown Edmond to a new level.

The Lark will be a 1.67-acre urban housing development located west of the railroad tracks on First Street in downtown Edmond close to Fretz. It will be a $10 million project and at last Monday’s council meeting they approved a letter of intent between Lark Development, LLC, and the City of Edmond. The development agreement is yet to be finalized and approved but Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is being discussed to pay for the city’s part of infrastructure improvements provided to the development.

Those infrastructure improvements include paving of the alley located on the property including adjacent parking, replacing water lines within the project area and construction of parallel streetscape parking and storm sewer extensions in the project area.

The City of Edmond will be providing all development, construction, and engineering for the infrastructure improvements. Total cost for these improvements is estimated to be $1,875,000. The cost is to be paid for with Capital Improvement Project Sales Tax Funds, but the plan is to replenish the utilized funds with increment revenue if a TIF district is adopted covering the project area.

The housing will be 35 single family homes or urban cottages that will be for sale. They will be a mix of 1, 2, and 3-bedroom configurations of up to 1200 square feet with sales prices ranging from $175,000 to $375,000.

The design was described as a walkable urban design with shared amenities and an overall construction value of at least $10 million. My guess is that the selling price for these properties will be at or over the $375,000 estimate presented to the council which is great by me. We want any housing development in downtown Edmond to be of great quality.

The first step to getting a full development agreement will be for Lark Development to submit the project to the City’s Planning Commission for preliminary plat approval. The devel-

Artist’s conception of the Icehouse Block project.

Inside view of The Lark, housing development. oper intends to initiate the request for the preliminary plat on or before May 31, 2020. Edmond Economic Development Authority (EEDA) executive director, Janet Yowell, said during the meeting that the Downtown Edmond plan calls for residential housing.

The completion of an official railroad quiet zone for Edmond city limits is something that moved this project forward. It is money well spent and will continue to pay off for out town.

The second downtown project that received approval by a vote of 5-0 is not new. It is more of a name change which required reapproval. The development agreement was initially approved under the name of the Railspur but is now being called the Icehouse Block Project. The core building for the development is what was the old Edmond Icehouse or Creamery. The change may be an effort to separate its identity from the recently opened food court nearby named the Railyard. Even some in the media have gotten them confused if you can imagine that folks.

This project is just west of and next to the railroad tracks on First Street.

Edmond Mayor, Dan O’Neil, stopped by and expressed his excitement

about the project. He said it will be the first-time funds that have been set aside for economic incentives by the city will be used. The pavement of the alley will be financed for the project by the City of Edmond from Economic Development funds provided

by Edmond Electric and distributed by the EEDA which is estimated to be $150,000. It is anticipated that the money will be recouped in sales tax revenues generated by the development. If the complex generates $5 million annually in local retails sales for six consecutive years, the investment will be considered recouped by the city.

However, if the retail sales from the project falls short of that number, then the developer will be required to reimburse the city for that part of the improvements. Overall, the city cost for providing infrastructure improvements for the project is estimated at $700,000.

Other business at the Edmond City Council meeting included proclamations for National Bike Month, National Public Works Week and National Police Week. There was also approval of purchases for the Gracelawn Cemetery project which is owned by the city. The expansion is

moving forward and should provide space needs for the cemetery for the next 25 years. Improvements will include adding a covered shelter for gatherings after services at the cemetery.

One thing about working in downtown Edmond is you learn to spot problems that may be coming. Before we shut things down because of COVID-19, I had noticed the pedestrian traffic crossing First Street west of Broadway was picking up. Folks were parking in the designated parking area on the south side of First Street and going back and forth to the new Railyard. I got concerned because large trucks were blocking line of sight for drivers and there were no crosswalks or signage warning drivers about pedestrians popping back and forth.

After a conversation with Edmond City Manager Larry Stevens, I received an email back outlining plans to make the area safer once things open back up. It includes cross walks but many more signage points to keep folks safe.

The city really has done a bang-up job of design on this project. They let me know a simple cross walk does not just happen. There are some other safety requirements that go with it.

I tried to draw a picture of what I saw as the problem when Stevens and I first visited about the idea. He was quick to learn that I am no artist.

In fact, I got through my advertising classes at OSU drawing stick figures. I decided to send our city manager photographs of the area to better explain. He was nice about it and thanked me since my drawings were not giving him a clear idea of what the problem might be. .(Ray Hibbard may be reached by email at ray@edmondpaper.com)

Check out what’s inside!

---- Armstrong Auditorium plans summer shows................................Page 6.

---- Senior News ........................................................................Pages 8 & 9.

---- An editor looks back on 20 years ..............................................Page 10.

---- Edmond Rotary Cllub awards scholarships..................................Page 11.

---- Another honor for UCO ............................................................Page 13.

---- George Gust reviews famed cartoon character ..........................Page 15.

---- Crossword puzzle ......................................................................Page 15.

---- Oklahoma Christian golf & postseason honors ..........................Page 16.

---- Business news ............................................................................Page 17.

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 Deanne York Advertising Director Alexx Harms alexx@edmondpaper.com Contributing Writers Mallery Nagle, Kacee Van Horn, Rose Drebes, and George Gust.

Photographer Melinda Infante

Cover Design Deanne York Legal Counsel Todd McKinnis Ruebenstein & Pitts, PLLC Copyright © 2020 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 • May 21, 2020 • Page 5

Two sets of Edmond siblings post perfect ACT scores Two Edmond Public School students have followed in the footsteps of their older siblings earning perfect scores on the ACT college entrance exam.

The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading, and science.

Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a student's composite score is the average of the four test scores.

Santa Fe High School student William Lawrence, 16, and Memorial High School student Celina Zhao, 17, each scored a perfect 36 on the exam earlier W. Lawrence this year, joining their older siblings Connor Lawrence and Karena Zhao who graduated in 2019 and 2017 respectively.

Remarkably, Zhao took the ACT just one time, just like her older sister.

“I had a goal to get a 36, but it was more for my own achievement and not as much as about matching my sister's score,” said Celina.

“Very few students make a perfect score on the Act college C. Zhao entrance exam the first time they take it, but these gifted siblings did just that,” said Associate Superintendent Dr. Debbie Bendick.

Celina’s also gifted at AP tests and string music. An accomK. Zhao plished violinist, she’s played since age three and has won numerous awards. In many ways, however, she’s a normal high school student who en-

joys school assemblies and her friends.

“I've enjoyed how much school spirit Edmond Memorial has and being able to meet all the wonderful people that I'm close to now,” she said.

Celina has aspirations of attending an Ivy League school and going into medicine. She’ll know just who to go to for career advice, given that her older sister, a student at Yale, just completed the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).

Meanwhile, it’s engineering that has captured the attention of Edmond Santa Fe student William Lawrence. Both of his parents are engineers, and it seems to be a natural career path for him since math comes easily. He took Algebra I in sixth grade, three years ahead of schedule - and trigonometry his freshman year in high school. Along with taking as much math as possible, he credits Advanced Placement (AP) classes for his success on the ACT. “I think that AP U.S. History really helped me improve on my weakest subject, reading, because of all the documents and primary sources we read,” said Lawrence. “Also, AP Chemistry and AP Physics have prepared me for the science section.

SFHS teacher Mrs. Blackwood has done a great job of teaching me both physics and chemistry.”

Lawrence first started to think that his most recent test could be “the one” when he was about halfway through, and realized that he was 99 percent sure of his answers.

“At that point, I started pushing myself to keep the same mindset for the rest of the test. After I finished, I thought back on the questions and realized that I was very confident about all of my answers. I was also very relieved that I had finally lived up to the high standard that my brother set,” he said.

Bendick says while several students in the district have achieved a perfect

Arcadia Farmers Market will open effective May 30 The Arcadia Farmers Market will open for the season at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 30. The outdoor market at Historical Route 66 and Division Street will be open until 1 p.m. or until vendors sell out.

Vendors will include Micah Anderson, McLean Farms, Crystal Teters and Mauch Farms with leaf lettuce, spring greens, green onions, spinach, beets, kale and radishes. McLean Farms will also offer locally-raised pork and beef, chicken and quail eggs and Oklahoma cheese. Amber Rogalski will be selling homegrown mushrooms.

Potted medicinal and culinary herbs and potted flower plants will be offered by Monica Arndt of Skyridge Farms.

Broken Oven Bakery will be on hand with cookies and brownies that are gluten, dairy and egg-free. Ramona Norman will sell homemade quick breads, and Vicki Cook of 4C Ag Farms will offer beef jerky. Ted Stephens will be back with local honey and bee pollen, and Annette McLeod of the Chocolate Chip returns with three-layer cake by the slice.

Proceeds from coffee beans sold

by Flatlander Coffee will help support struggling family farms in Latin Amer-

ican countries.

Pickles, salsa and jelly will be in the Deerwood Farms booth, and Tuckori Farm Commodities will return with mosquito repellant, lip balm, bath salts, hand lotion and body butter.

Laurinn Sheets will sell homemade soap, candles and wax melts.

For hand-sewn items, look to Lisa Boatman and Felicia’s Country Corner for decorative tea towels and Nana’s Wee Togs for 18-inch doll clothes, doll bedding, baby blankets and face masks. Melissa Calvin of the Feathery Crow makes handcrafted jewelry and decorative items. Mckayla Swafford will be selling personalized doormats.

Food trucks will include Brew 66 with coffee and donuts; Snow and Grow with breakfast and lunch items made from locally grown eggs and meat; and Bondi’s, serving Acai bowls with fruit, homemade granola and specialty lemonades.

The market will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday. The property features a vendor pavilion, restrooms and ample parking with a golf cart valet.

For information about vendor space, call Lori Seagraves at 405-2260346 or email admin@arcadiafarmersmarket.com.

Court Clerk’s office in Edmond remains closed until further notice While the Oklahoma County Court Clerk’s Office in downtown Oklahoma City is open and civil trials began this week, the Edmond Office for the County Court Clerk shall remain closed due to the Edmond City Council’s decision to keep City offices closed in Edmond until at least June 1st. The City of Edmond provides office space to the Oklahoma County Court Clerk.

Oklahoma County Court Clerk

Rick Warren encouraged lawyers to file electronically.

“We are open and we welcome folks to our downtown Oklahoma City Office, but social distancing protocols could have an impact,” said Warren. “To avoid delays and possible long lines, I would encourage using our free file by email service.”

Details regarding email filing are can be found at oklahomacountycourtclerk.org

website www.oklahomacountycourtclerk.org

ACT score over the last several years, she is unaware of other pairs of siblings who hold the distinction.

“To have one set of siblings from our district achieve perfect scores is impressive, but to have two sets of siblings earn the distinction is very rare and speaks volumes both about the importance their families place on education as well as the students’ internal drive and commitment to reach this goal,” she said.

A student at Edmond North High School, Abhishek Chataut, 16, joins Zhao and Lawrence in achieving a perfect ACT score this school year.

“To have students from all three high schools achieve perfect ACT scores this year shows that each of our high schools boasts passionate educators, challenging college prep courses and exceptional activities, giving students every opportunity to achieve their goals,” Bendick concluded.

Obituary Notices Robert “Bob” Steele Robert “Bob” Steele was born on May 1, 1938 in Winner, SD and passed away suddenly on May 13, 2020. He lived to be 82 years old before leaving us to be with the Lord.

He is preceded in death by his wife Kaye Steele, father, Arthur Steele, and brother, Don Steele.

He is survived by his 100 year old mother, Eleanor Steele Smith, daughters: Christina Wiggins and husband Charles of Harker Heights, TX and Candace Crown of Johnstown, CO; sons: Eric Steele and wife Kari of Edmond, OK and Aaron Crown of Edmond, OK; 7 grandchildren, Erin, Christopher, Bailee, Carrie, Ashlyn, Brandon, Colton, and 2 great-grandchildren, Victoria and Anna.

His family moved from South Dakota to Edmond, Oklahoma in 1957, where he helped his dad run a furniture and appliance store on 3rd & Broadway. After the sudden loss of his dad in 1962, Bob started servicing appliances for the community of Edmond as Steele Appliance Service and continued the business for over 50 years.

He was well known around Edmond for drinking coffee with his buddies, gardening, fishing, and wood working. He will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved him. Services are under the direction of Matthews Funeral Home.

Thomas “Tom” Nolan Kennedy, Sr. Thomas “Tom” Nolan Kennedy, Sr. claimed victory over this life on May 12, 2020, at the age of 84. He walked with God on this earth and is now comforted by his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Tom was born on September 6, 1935 in Arkansas City, Kansas to Bert Nolan and Martha Marie Kennedy. He attended John Marshall High School in Oklahoma City where he graduated in 1954.

During his time in high school, he met Etta Marie Wells, who attended Edmond High School. Tom was in the Army from 1955 – 1958 and served in the Korean Conflict. After returning home from the Korean Conflict, he attended Central State College in Edmond. He and Etta Marie were married on June 7, 1958 and were happily married for 61 years.

Tom started working at Swanson Tire in Oklahoma City in 1961 and worked there for one year. He then went to work for BFGoodrich Tire Company and worked his way up to District Manager. After ten years with BFGoodrich, Tom went to work for Precision Tire in Oklahoma City as their general manager. Tom worked for Precision Tire for 3 years.

In 1974, Tom opened up his own tire stores. He opened stores in Stillwater, Norman, Oklahoma City and Edmond. Tom owned and operated six tire stores and one body shop. Tom sold all stores except Edmond Tire Center and Ken’s Tire & Auto Service, which was in Oklahoma City.

Tom served as a City Planning member from 1983-1985 and also as a City Council member from 1985-1993. Tom retired from the tire stores in 1988 and Edmond Tire Center later became Kennedy Tire & Auto Service. Tom enjoyed spending time with his family and had many hobbies such as refinishing antique furniture, wood carving, fishing, and traveling.

Tom was preceded in death by his father, Bert Nolan Kennedy and his mother, Martha Marie Kennedy. He is survived by his dedicated and loving wife, Etta Marie Kennedy, his brother, Conard Kennedy and his brother, Richard Kennedy, his two children: his daughter, Tamara Roper, her husband Randy, and children, Kylie Mayes (Jordan) and Lanie Frye (Keeton), his son, Thomas “Tad” Nolan Kennedy, Jr., his wife, Karen, and children, Thomas “Trey” Nolan Kennedy, III (Katie) and Kaci Newton (Grant). He was a devoted member of Henderson Hills Baptist Church since 1964. Services are under the direction of Matthews Funeral Home.

Page 6 • May 21, 2020 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Shows set June 28 & July 5

Armstrong Auditorium presents ‘Celtic Throne’

Golden Globe-nominated composer Brian Byrne

From Golden Globe-nominated composer Brian Byrne (Heartbeat of Home) comes Celtic Throne, a majestic new musical score for a brand-new Irish dance production from Herbert W. Armstrong College and Armstrong Dance. Armstrong Auditorium will host two performances of Celtic Throne on Sunday, June 28, at 2 p.m. and Sunday, July 5, at 2 p.m.

Celtic Throne — The Royal Journey of Irish Dance explores the ancient origins of Irish step dance and celebrates the millennia-long journey of a music-and-dance-loving people as they migrate from the ancient Near East to Ireland, Scotland, England and the United States. Infused with innovative choreography, dazzling costumes, spectacular lighting and projection, Celtic Throne is Armstrong College’s largest production to date.

“Celtic Throne combines Byrne’s powerful, cinematic musical score with hard- and soft-shoe Irish dancing, all set against epic imagery of Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, scenes from the British Empire and traditional America. This show is a stonking celebration of the British Isles and the United States. It is guaranteed to leave audiences thrilled and inspired,” said co-director Brad Macdonald.

“Bring the entire family for an unforgettable experience!”

Irish-born Brian Byrne is a multi-award-winning film and television composer, songwriter and producer whose wife is lyricist Kasey Jones, a native Oklahoman. The couple lives in Oklahoma. Byrne composed music for Heartbeat of Home and has collaborated with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Katy Perry, Bono, Barbara Streisand, Josh Groban, Sinead O’Connor, Kelly Clarkson and Sarah McLachlan, to name a few.

The Armstrong Dance troupe is comprised of over 30 Irish dancers from around the world, including Britain, Australia, Canada and the United States, ranging in age from 22 to just four years old. The troupe is comprised of students from the

Carey Academy in England and the Maguire Academy in America, some of whom have competed with great success in top Irish dance competitions, including Worlds, All Irelands, Great Britain and North American Nationals.

Tickets to Celtic Throne — The Royal Journey of Irish Dance range from $10 to $25, and reservations are required. For more information about ticket options, subscriptions, group rates or current exhibits, please visit Armstrong Auditorium’s website or call (405) 285-1010.

The award-winning Armstrong Auditorium has established itself as a world-class center for the arts in Oklahoma since 2010. The theater has hosted acclaimed local and international performances from a vast array of genres, including classical, jazz and folk music, theater, classical ballet, folk dance and more. Designed to provide an exceptional acoustic experience, only 75 feet separate the stage from the back wall, allowing the 823-seat theater to boast a nine-millisecond initial time delay gap—a measure of remarkable acoustic intimacy. Armstrong Auditorium’s exquisite beauty and warm atmosphere continue to make it an extraordinary venue worthy of its numerous accolades.

Two Performances at Armstrong Auditorium: Sunday, June 28 @ 2 p.m.

Sunday, July 5 @ 2 p.m.

Armstrong Auditorium will follow the State’s health guidelines. Tickets will be fully honored if the show is postponed.

Special radio program is scheduled June 14 The Edmond Historical Society and Museum virtually presents 1940s Radio Comedy Theater: Fibber McGee the Census Taker for free on Sunday, June 14 at 2 p.m.

Step back in time to watch a Zoom performance-reading of this popular radio comedy from the 1940s. During the show, comedian Fibber McGee becomes a Census Taker (Enumerator), visiting various neighbors with his list of official questions. As always, Fibber is bound to get a little off track and ruffle a few feathers!

Prior to the show, museum staff will present a short lecture on the Fibber McGee and Molly radio program, a prime-time situation comedy that ran from 1935-1956. Modern-day Census Enumerator, Andrea Aven, will conclude the show with a patriotic talk about the 2020 Census. It’s all part of a historical celebration of American culture on June 14th, Flag Day. The radio show is directed by Barrett Huddleston, who has directed more than 50 professional and academic productions, including four previous 1940s Radio Comedy Theater productions for the museum.

Make your reservation at https://www.edmondhistory.org/event/fibber-mcgee-census-taker/ to receive a Zoom invitation and password. This show is complimentary, but donations are appreciated.

Museum Information: Edmond Historical Society & Museum plans to reopen on June 2. Hours are 10 a.m. to noon & 1:30 to 4 p.m. Tuesday – Friday, and 9 to 10 a.m. for immune compromised guests. Please visit the museum website at www.edmondhistory.org or by calling the museum at 405-340-0078 to learn more about how the museum plans to operate during Covid-19. Admission is free.

Edmond Life & Leisure • May 21, 2020 • Page 7

Months of fundraising and prep work paid off for students at the University of Central Oklahoma in the form of more than $82,000. Students announced the grand total during the annual BronchoThon event April 25 benefitting the Children’s Miracle Network. Pictured, UCO staff and BronchoThon student leaders virtually announce the amount raised for BronchoThon 2020.

Students raise over $82,000 for Children’s Miracle Network Months of fundraising and prep work paid off for students at the University of Central Oklahoma in the form of more than $82,000.

Students announced the grand total during the annual BronchoThon event April 25 benefitting the Children’s Miracle Network.

The BronchoThon event, part of the national university dance marathon program, serves as the grand finale for months of fundraising, and usually includes an eight-hour dance marathon to pay tribute to the countless hours that nurses spend on their feet and the continuous struggles sick children face in the hospital. The funds raised by UCO students will stay local, helping children at the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital.

However, the finale event looked a little different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 greatly

impacted BronchoThon 2020 from our big fundraising day to the finale event. However, the BronchoThon student leaders met this challenge head-on and quickly adapted to providing an engaging, fun virtual experiences for participants,” said Ellen Engh, assistant director for Student Engagement at UCO. “They planned trivia nights, a friendly game of Family Feud, and taught the morale dance virtually for the UCO community. They looked at the finale event and figured out how they could adapt loved activities to a virtual stage.”

More than 34 student teams and 724 students total participated in BronchoThon.

During the virtual event, which was held via Facebook Live, Miracle families shared their stories, games were played and Miracle children hosted a talent show. The event concluded with a DJ host-

Francis Tuttle’s Warner receives recognition Francis Tuttle Technology Center pre-nursing instructor, Amy Warner, was named the 2020 Outstanding Secondary Advisor by Oklahoma Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA).

Each year, Oklahoma HOSA honors one secondary advisor in the state Warner who demonstrates dedication, care and encouragement to their students and supports the partnership between health careers education and HOSA. “Her students would agree, Amy deserves this award,” said Jennie Croslin, Health Sciences instructional director. “In her eight years at Francis Tuttle, she has provided each of her students with the support and instruction necessary for a successful career in the healthcare field.”

Warner is also the co-camp director for the 2021 HOSA summer program, Camp Ignite.

Francis Tuttle Technology Center serves high school students and adults in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area with career-specific training, in support of developing and maintaining a quality workforce for the region. Francis Tuttle also offers complete business and industry training and consulting services, and short-term training for career development or personal enrichment. With four locations in Oklahoma City and Edmond, Francis Tuttle offers central Oklahoma diverse training programs in fulfillment of the school’s mission to prepare customers for success in the workplace. More information is available at francistuttle.edu or by calling (405) 717-7799.

ing a virtual dance party.

“The BronchoThon student leaders were innovative in engaging participants by sending out surprise packages so for the finale event it felt like we were all together. They knew the kids of Oklahoma could not wait, so they kept fighting and raising funds for them,” Engh added.

For more information about BronchoThon, visit uco.edu/bronchothon.

Page 8 • May 21, 2020 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Some of the many benefits of growing older Many people are quick to think of growing older in a negative light. Although there certainly are some side effects of aging that one may wish to avoid, people may find that the benefits of growing older outweigh the negatives.

Seniors are a rapidly growing segment of the population. In the United States, the Administration on Aging states that the older population — persons 65 years or older — numbered 46.2 million in 2014 (the latest year for which data is available). Statistics Canada reports that, in July 2015, estimates indicated that there were more persons aged 65 years and older in Canada than children aged 0 to 14 years for the first time in the country’s history. Nearly one in six Canadians (16.1%) was at least 65 years old.

With so many people living longer, it’s time to celebrate the perks of getting older rather than the drawbacks. Here are some great benefits to growing old. n Higher self-esteem: The insecurities of youth give way as one ages, and older people have less negativity and higher self-esteem. A University of Basel study of people ranging in ages from 18 to 89 found that regardless of demographic and social status, the older one gets the higher self-esteem climbs. Qualities like self-control and altruism

can contribute to happiness. n Financial perks: Seniors are entitled to discounts on meals, museum entry fees, movies, and other entertainment if they’re willing to disclose their ages. Discounts are available through an array of venues if one speaks up. Seniors also can enjoy travel perks, with slashed prices on resorts, plane

tickets and more. The U.S. National Park Service offers citizens age 62 and older lifetime passes to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites for just $10 in person ($20 online or via mail). n Reasoning and problem-solving skills: Brain scans reveal that older adults are more likely to use both hemispheres of their brans simultaneously — something called bilateralization. This can sharpen reasoning skills. For example, in a University of Illinois study, older air traffic controllers excelled at their cognitively taxing jobs, despite some losses in short-term memory and visual spatial processing.

Older controllers proved to be experts at navigating, juggling multiple aircrafts simultaneously and avoiding collisions. n Less stress: As people grow older, they are able to differentiate their needs from wants and focus on more important goals. This can alleviate worry over things that are beyond one’s control.

Seniors may realize how little the opinions of others truly mean in the larger picture, thereby feeling less stress about what others think of them.

Growing older may involve gray hair or wrinkling skin, but there are many positive things associated with aging.

From the Metro News Service

Edmond Life & Leisure • May 21, 2020 • Page 9

Innovative ways to stay connected Staying connected amid physical distancing can be a challenge. Many seniors face a high risk of feeling isolated. Coronavirus (COVID-19) has led our communities, including Long Term Care Facilities, to make unprecedented changes. On March 13 the federal government, in an effort to reduce spread of COVID-19 in Nursing Homes, instituted temporary changes restricting entrance to facilities of anyone not considered an essential health care worker. This can put our most vulnerable population at a greater risk of isolation. Here are some things you can do to help.

Connect Digitally This is a great time for children to read stories via Facetime.

Host a digital watch party on a streaming platform, there are several free options.

Volunteer Deliver meals to seniors who are homebound.

Contact a local Long Term Care Facility and ask the Director of Activities how you can help.

Rally your church group or social club to paint on the outside windows of a Long Term Care Facility.

Send Mail Draw pictures, send cards, write letters to send to residents.

Get the whole family involved and make it a fun activity for everyone.

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is in place to advocate for elderly Oklahomans who reside in Long Term Care facilities. As our aging population grows, so does the need to make sure our loved ones are being cared for. If you have question or concerns regarding a resident in a long term care facility there are several ways to contact an Areawide Aging Agency Ombudsman. Call 405942-8500 to speak to an Ombudsman Supervisor, visit the agency website at

Keeping personal info safe Americans are spending more time at home, which means they’re likely spending more time online. While their attention is focused on staying healthy, they shouldn’t forget to stay vigilant about cybersecurity either.

The FBI recently warned that cybercriminals are taking advantage of the current environment to steal personal information and money.

Bob Davis, deputy chief information security officer, Cigna, has a few simple steps to protect individuals and families from threats. n Never open email or attachments from unknown senders. Many scams occur when clicking on fraudulent links or attachments in emails.

Sometimes these emails can look similar to those received from legitimate sources, such as a health insurer, making it difficult to notice the difference.

Pay attention to details: does it look like other valid communications? Is the sender email address correct? To check a link’s legitimacy, hover over the text to see where it will redirect.

Also note, when communicating with health

insurers online, it will likely be done through a secure email portal, which automatically encrypts (secures) emails and can only be accessed by signing in using a predetermined password. n Guard personal information. As a general rule, health insurers will never ask for credit card information or account passwords in an email.

Report emails asking for this information to your health insurance company immediately. n Hang up and call back. Not all threats occur online. Be wary of phone calls from someone claiming to be your health insurance company asking for personal information. To confirm legitimacy, simply hang up and call the customer

service phone number listed on the back of the insurance card. n Monitor texts and social media. Many use cell phones as a primary way to communicate, so it should be no surprise that cybercriminals are turning to text messages as a way to steal information. Text messages should be approached the same way as emails.

Page 10 • May 21, 2020 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Commentary ... We’re on YOUR Side

Life & Leisure’s successful 20 years It's a special time around the office these days and it has nothing to do with the virus.

Edmond Life & Leisure turns 20 years old this week. That is a big milestone for us. If you're keeping score at home that's 1,040 issues.

I've been a part of every one of those, with a column on this page each week. It feels good to have a Steve Gust job for that long.

I thank Mr. Ray Hibbard for that opportunity as well as his vision to start this publication.

Since January 2005, I have been further honored to be the editor of this publication. I am grateful for that as well.

We have a particular mission, promoting the community and its people. That includes ideas worthy of publication.

In recent years I've been impressed with the work done at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation as well as some of the other health facilities, such as OU Medical and Integris. We are destined to win this battle against the virus. Worldwide there is simply too much brain power directed at this virus. It will be defeated. But I digress.

Yet we deal a lot with events. We promote them and usually publish photographs of them, when we can. These past few months have been frustrating for us. We are comforted by the knowledge that events will return.

I'm also a firm believer in giving recognition, when recognition is due. There are scores of people in Ed-

mond who excel and deserve to have their photographs and names shared with the rest of the community. People like this make us all stronger. They also serve as examples of what all of us can hope to obtain.

In the past 20 years, I've dealt with many different people in the community. The overwhelming majority have been pleasant. A few have not. That is just something an editor has to expect.

One example was a few years ago. I attended a public meeting and a gentleman from the public spoke and had criticism on a subject. In a few days I decided to follow up and I gave him a call. For whatever reason, this man wasn't quite as proud of his comments as he was at the meeting. I asked if he had anything else to add. He did. He said if I reported a word of what he said he would sue the newspaper.

Whoa. It's odd when someone goes right to the nuclear option that quickly. (I went with the story) I had a similar experience like that when I was business editor at The Edmond Sun. It amazes me people don't understand that their comments at a public meeting are public. If they don't want them reported than they shouldn't utter them. In terms of the most recent incident, I wonder if he actually did consult an attorney. If he did, then he probably was billed a few hundred dollars. And the advice he probably got was that he had no legal recourse against the newspaper.

Like I said, people like that are in the minority.

I get a nice feeling when someone asks for a few extra copies of our paper to share with relatives. Their child's photograph has been published and they want the whole world to know. And the untold secret is

that most adults also like to see their photograph and name in the newspaper. That's the way it should be.

In terms of our commentary page, we have a conservative bent and we don't hide that.

Now if you're not of our opinion, we still invite you to write a letter to the editor. Tell us where we are wrong. We value your opinion.

Overall, that is what Edmond Life & Leisure is about.

Do we make mistakes?

We sure do. We take no pride in mistakes but they happen. A newspaper operation has to sort through many facts. We would like to check every single one of them. The truth is we don't have the time to do that.

That's not to say we accept everything as Gospel. If someone claims they were part of the Apollo Moon landing mission, we'll take a look at that.

But if something is wrong, we'll correct it.

Please also know we're always open to story ideas.

And if you have a news worthy photograph, share it with us by writing to the e-mail address below.

It's been a great 20 years and we're not done yet.

Thank you for reading all of those years. I'd also urge you to support the people who make all of this work. They are our advertisers. They are great free enterprise warriors and they can not be thanked enough. As far as I'm concerned they're all essential businesses.

Again my gratitude goes out for all who read Edmond Life & Leisure. Many blessings for all of you.

(Steve Gust may be reached at news@edmondpaper.com)

‘The Edmond Way’ is truly at risk (Editor’s Note: The following is an open letter to the City Council, pertaining to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Coffee Creek Development.)

To the Edmond City Council The development of the Coffee Creek Golf Course has been snaking its way through the approval system for three and a half years.

Now the head is rising up again with the approval of the Planned Unit Development (PUD) titled Heritage at Coffee Creek Mixed Use Development by the Edmond Planning Commission May 5, 2020.

It was a VIRTUAL meeting. A similar PUD was disapproved in November 2018 in a 3-2 vote by a previous city council. The current PUD went through the legal system that exhausted the Coffee Creek HOA funds. Without legal counsel and in a bitter internal HOA battle to meet a legal deadline, the leadership succumbed to the developer in a forced settlement (not what can be called a win/win situation).

The next VIRTUAL meeting is scheduled for

Letter to the Editor Tuesday, May 26 at 5:30 p.m. by the Edmond City Council. Now after 31/2 years, there is a rush to judgment day with a virtual CC meeting that is not an adequate public forum for this issue. It is not right. It is not right to rob Edmond’s largest investors, the homeowners, of their investment. The developer knowingly bought a golf course in the middle of an established prime neighborhood knowing the promises made to these homeowners to keep them wholewould not be kept. In the developer's own words "the build out will take 20 years." This is complete with the noise of construction, blowing dirt and debris, loss of privacy, and security. They will undoubtedly lose value in both dollars and quality of life.

This was encouraged by the new insidious “Infill Planning Category” in what is known as Edmond Plan 2018. All homeowners should be concerned with this category of planning. If a disaster destroys part of a neighborhood, no one knows what may come in if the "Infill Plan-

ning Category" is laid over that area. A disaster hit Coffee Creek when the golf course was sold and the infill category placed a bull’s-eye on this neighborhood in the Edmond Plan 2018.

All other categories of development are separate from a neighborhood. The Infill Category is inside an established planned neighborhood. In the case of Coffee Creek, it will literally be in their backyards, as most houses on a golf course don’t even have a fence.

Over the years the Edmond City Council has rejected development that did not better their neighbors. The Edmond City Council wouldn't support the project because it wasn’t "The Edmond Way.” Today we have a developer who bought the Coffee Creek Golf Course with the idea of profiting only himself in an established prime area of Edmond’s largest investors at the homeowner's expense.

This PUD is not right. Using the wisdom of a past city council, this isn’t “The Edmond Way.” It is difficult to think that Edmond is notprotecting its largest investors. Some Coffee Creek residents

See Council, Page 11

Edmond Life & Leisure • May 21 2020 • Page 11

Rotary Club awards annual scholarships Each year, the Rotary Club of Edmond recognizes Edmond seniors by awarding up to four deserving students $2,000 each. This year was no different with the Club selecting four Edmond seniors. The Club wishes to congratulate this year’s recipients.

Marissa Morton is a senior at Oklahoma Christian School; she is planning on majoring in Biology at Oklahoma Christian University and then pursue a career in Physical Therapy.

Marissa She hopes to start a non-profit where physical therapists would volunteer their time to help underprivileged student athletes.

Words used to describe Marissa are resilient, thoughtful, and strong with a servant’s heart. In addition to being selected as a Rotary Scholarship Recipient, Marissa was selected for this year’s Charles D. Lamb Service Above Self Award, which gives an additional $500. Marissa’s resilience and ability to look for the positive in devastating life changing situations, make her an ideal candidate for the Charles D. Lamb Service Above Self Scholarship.

Marissa’s future plans are a wonderful example of furthering Charles Lamb’s legacy of being truthful, fair and building goodwill and friendships that benefit all.

----Ngozi Omeke is a senior at Edmond Santa Fe High School; she plans to attend the University of Tulsa and major in Nursing. She then has plans to attend Baylor University to Ngozi become an Anesthesiologist Assistant.

Ngozi has been part of the Bioscience and Medical Academy for the last 2 years and has been part of HOSA. She has also been a part of several mission trips, both domestic and international, as well as served as volunteer at Mercy hospital and her church. She can be described as driven, compassionate and passionate about the spoken word. She understands the importance of the lives and people of her community and she has a desire to serve – through her continued research projects, continued volunteerism and her work in the medical field.

----Mackenzie Goings is a senior at Edmond Memorial High School; she plans to attend the University of Central Oklahoma and major in Healthcare Administration. Mackenzie has spent a lot of hours volunteering with Samaritan House, Miracle League,

The HOPE Center, Wings, and EARC. She has also had leadership opportunities with Youth Leadership Edmond, Edmond Women’s Club and the Edmond Public Schools Foundation. She can Mackenzie be described as friendly and hardworking; someone who will fight what is right. Mackenzie knows that Peace and Goodwill is what the world needs more of – she plans to use her time and energy to make Edmond an even better place to live.

---Joadel Genuzio is a senior at Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy; he plans to attend the University of Oklahoma and pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He Joadel would also like to earn a minor in Electrical Engineering and then move on to an MBA. While maintaining a high GPA he also runs his own lawn mowing business and volunteers at his church, Project 66 Food and Resource Center. One of Joadel’s goals is to help solve the world’s clean water crisis as well as create materials that will help people living in third world countries by providing effective ways to trap heat and cool air, to make their living environment better.

Joadel can be described as articulate, eager, confident and courageous.

Charles D. Lamb Service Above Self Scholarship The principal motto of Rotary, “Service Above Self”, best conveys the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service. The Charles D. Lamb Service Above Self scholarship was awarded to an Edmond student who exemplified “Service Above Self” through his or her contributions to the community and has future potential to continue to further the Rotary mission.

The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

The scholarship, named in honor of Mayor Charles Lamb was awarded to Marissa Morton. Lamb was known to have a servant’s heart. Lamb’s wife Cheri, said that her late husband’s “greatest joy was watching and encouraging young people.”

To find out more about Edmond Rotary Club please visit http://www.edmondrotary.org or https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubOfEdmond/.

Council From Page 10 may have signed on to this, but it is the result of “the lesser of two evils.” They spent a huge amount of money to challenge this change, most of it from contributions from individual homeowners, but they were worn out and out-lasted. This issue has torn the neighborhood apart and there are still many disgruntled violated homeowners. They realize that their quality of life will be changed forever, and not in a positive manner.

They are not “in favor” of this PUD, but they feel they have no real alternative.

As the sole gatekeepers for Edmond's Quality of Life and "The Edmond Way", the city council has a unique opportunity to help these Edmond citizens. The opportunity to

send a message to current and future homeowners, that says “we commit to protect your investment in our city.” This vote will be one that the voters and the residents will not forget. Be responsible to the many, the homeowners, not the few, the developers.

Action today by Edmond residents: contact your ward city councilman. The insidious infill category may be applied to your neighborhood if disaster strikes.

Action required by city council May 26: disapprove the PUD or continue to a REAL meeting in the council chamber.

Respectfully, Ed Moore yourdefense@hotmail.com

Next City Council meeting May 26

Page 12 • May 21, 2020 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Edmond Life & Leisure • May 21, 2020 • Page 13

Scholarships awarded to Edmond students The University of Central Oklahoma College of Education and Professional Studies recently awarded scholarships to several Edmond residents for the upcoming fall and spring semesters in recognition of their academic achievements and outstanding service to the university.

Seth Coleman, a junior majoring in family life education, received the Family Life Education/Alumni Scholarship and the Morgan Family Scholarship.

Sydney Haas, a senior majoring in elementary education, received the Guthrie Scottish Rite Charitable and Education Foundation Scholarship.

Emily Howard, a junior majoring in special education, received the Donna Nigh Scholarship for Special Education Majors.

Lydia Johnson, a senior majoring in elementary education, received the Phi Delta Kappa Education Scholarship.

Brittany Kersh, a sophomore majoring in elementary education, received the Tracy Family Endowed Memorial Scholarship.

Janelle Lawson, a senior majoring in Spanish education, received the Stephanie D. Johnson Endowed Scholarship.

Ashley Maniaci, a graduate student majoring in elementary education, received the McCollam/Howard Family Endowed Scholarship.

Melissa Patton, a senior majoring in elementary education, received the Dr. Pam Plunkett Kuzminski Student Teacher Award and the Hall Family Scholarship.

Chelsea Schafstall, a graduate student majoring in educational leadership, received the Dr. Joann McCarthy Endowed Scholarship in Educational Leadership.

Jaclyn Spomer, a graduate student majoring in school counseling, received the Tommy C. Beavers Endowed Graduate Studies Scholarship in Education.

Bryce Treat, a freshman majoring in occupational safety, received the William G. Walker Endowed Scholarship for Industrial Safety.

"Our students work hard to achieve a high level of academic and professional success during their time at Central and it is important that we are able to honor their achievements," said Donna Cobb, Ed.D., dean of the UCO College of Education and Professional Studies.

"We are grateful to our many generous alumni and friends of the college who make it possible for us to honor our students with scholarship awards to assist in completing their education.”

For more information about the UCO College of Education and Professional Studies, visit uco.edu/ceps.

UCO ranked among the top in nation for Forensic Biology

PHOTO PROVIDED

The University of Central Oklahoma is ranked as a top institution for forensic biology according to a recent national ranking by Forensics Colleges. Central ranked six out of 15 and is the only higher education institution in the state recognized on the list. Pictured, a UCO student examines forensic evidence in the UCO FSI.

The University of Central Oklahoma is ranked as a top institution for forensic biology according to a recent national ranking by Forensics Colleges.

Central ranked six out of 15 and is the only higher education institution in the state recognized on the list.

Programs were ranked in areas based on the hands-on skills with laboratory classes, seminars and internships or field study offered through the program. Other factors that were considered included the facilities at a university, its partnerships and career placement opportunities.

Central offers a Bachelor of Science degree in forensic science with a molecular biology concentration. The program is offered as part of the Central’s W. Roger Webb Forensic Science Institute (FSI) and requires a concurrent degree in biology and 36 additional credits in forensic biology coursework for a second bachelor’s degree in forensic science – molecular biology.

“This recognition illustrates the commitment of the Forensic Science Institute to offer our students an education in forensic biology that prepares them for employment in our nation’s crime laboratories,” said Dwight Adams, Ph.D., director of the FSI at UCO. “We are honored to be named alongside other equally impressive programs in forensic science.”

Upon graduation, students will have satisfied the Quality Assurance Standards for education issued by the FBI for nationwide employment in forensic DNA laboratories. The Forensic Biology degree program at Central is accredited by the Forensic Science Education Program Accreditation Commission (FEPAC).

To view a complete list of rankings, visit www.forensicscolleges.com/blog/resources/15-top-forensic-biology-programs.

For more information about Central, visit www.uco.edu.

Page 14 • May 21, 2020 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Travel writer recalls local spots of interest Editor’s Note: A long-time Edmond resident, Elaine Warner fell into travel writing by accident and, for nearly three decades, never been happier.

In her travels she’s sailed over California’s wine country in a balloon, looped the loop in a glider over Florida orange groves, zip-lined across an arm of Palo Duro Canyon and eaten her way through more cities than she can count. Her passions include art, culture, history and food. In addition to almost 1000 articles, she has written two books, “Insiders’ Guide to Tulsa” and “More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Missouri Women.” She plans to keep on traveling as long as she can schlep her suitcase.

By Elaine Warner Being a travel writer who can’t travel is frustrating. Thank goodness for my car. This past week, my husband Jack and I hit the road – a short trip exploring some cool sites in Oklahoma City, all of which could be enjoyed from the safety of our vehicle.

The following spots – just a few Warner of the many interesting things to see in the city – included old favorites, new places, a bit of history and a lot of beauty. We plotted a handy route heading down Broadway, detouring through Heritage Hills and dipping into downtown, back through a bit of the Plaza District and heading home up Western.

Here’s what we saw: Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center – 11th and Broadway: The sun gleamed off the multiple, shiny, aluminum slats that make up the exterior of the building. My first impression – this structure would feel at home on Superman’s home planet. It’s another creation of architect Rand Elliott whose visions definitely fall outside the box. He’s eschewed right angles and manipulated almost 17,000, threeinch-wide, pieces of aluminum for the exterior. I can’t wait to see the inside!

The Womb – 9th and Broadway: This trippy building, decorated by Brooklyn artist Maya Hayuk, was the original home of Wayne Coyne’s Flaming Lips. It now houses the amazing immersive art experiences created by Factory Obscura. Can’t go in yet, but the web site has some cool coloring sheets.

“Braid” – 9th and Broadway, south side between Broadway and the railroad tracks: One-hundred and thirty feet of color painted by artists Kris Kanaly, Dylan Bradway and Yatika Fields.

W. T. Hales House – 1521 N. Hudson: Heritage Hills is noted for elegant architecture and historic homes. The Hales House is one of the most magnificent. Of Neo-Classical design, it was built in 191516 and was later the official residence of the Catholic Bishop of Oklahoma.

Overholser Mansion – 405 NW 15th: Oklahoma City’s first mansion, built in 1902-1903, is the only historic home in Heritage Hills open (no, not now) to the public.

Slick-Urschel-Kerr House – 327 NW 18th: It was built in 1922 for Mrs.Willie Bass, widow of a successful OKC merchant. She sold it in 1927 to King of the Wildcatters, Tom Slick. After his death, his

The Gold Dome near 23rd and Classen.

The Womb, Ninth & Broadway.

Famous milk bottle at 24th and Classen. widow married Slick’s partner Charles Urschel, who was also her brother-in-law. Oilman Urschel was kidnapped by Machine Gun Kelly’s gang, held for ransom and later released. The house was sold in 1957 to ex-Governor Robert S. Kerr and his wife.

“Life in the Light” – Sheridan and Classen: A straight shot downtown on Shartel brought us to

two of my favorite murals, “Life in the Light.” These huge paintings brighten the West Village Parking Garage. Denise Duong’s colorful and playful works look like the happy love child of Paul Klee and Hieronymous Bosch.

Carey Place – 17th to 21st north of the Plaza District: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this tiny lane, built in the 1930s is lined with charming cottages, many in Mission or Spanish Revival Style. To me it has a very Mediterranean feel. Avoid Halloween – a recurring legend about a murder on the street brings out ghouls and boys scaring one another with a gruesome tale.

Gold Dome – 23rd and Classen: Preservation’s problem child, this iconic building with its geodesic dome was built in 1956 – the height of Mid-Century Modern. Everyone wants to save it but no one knows what to do with it.

Milk Bottle Building – 24th and Classen: Built in the 1920s for Townley’s Dairy, the building has served several uses but the bottle, although re-

See Warner, Page 15

Edmond Life & Leisure • May 21, 2020 • Page 15

‘Scoob!’ doesn’t quite do justice to the franchise

By George Gust Scooby Doo, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, beloved children’s characters that are so engrained in our culture that they’ve been a rite of passage for most American children. For Scooby Doo there’s been a multitude of different incarnations, reimagining’s and spin-offs, some better than others. Now would this week’s home world premiere of “Scoob!” be another straight-to-DVD addition to the annals of Scooby Doo content or the start of something new and exciting?

"Scoob!" introduces new audiences to Scooby and Shaggy (voice of Will Forte) and their young detective friends Fred (Zac Efron), Velma (Gina Rodriguez) and Daphne (Amanda Seyfried). Now Scooby and the gang face their biggest, most challenging mystery ever: a plot to unleash a global "dogpocalypse” by a dastardly new villain.

As a lifelong fan of the original Scooby Doo cartoons, staying up too late watching marathons of spooky mysteries solved by Scoob and the gang, I was disheartened to see how many changes “Scoob!” decided to make to the tried and true Scooby formula. Because while the title and advertising suggests a new introduction to Mystery Inc. to a new generation, what actually transpires is a

backdoor pilot for a Hannah Barbara cartoon shared universe. Where you’d expect there to be a spooky mystery for the gang to solve, there is a superhero plot involving B-Tier Saturday morning characters Blue Falcon (Mark Wahlberg) and Dick Dastardly (Jason Iscaacs) and his legion of cutesy robot minions. There are still the fan service beats you’d expect from a Scooby Doo movie (multiple mask reveals, the Mystery Machine, and “Zoinks!”), but the heart of “Scoob!” felt more in line with the super hero plot than the gang working together to solve a mystery.

And while the “Scoob!” doesn’t deliver a classic Scooby Doo experience, there are still loads of

family friendly sequences, enough Meta references and slapstick comedy for kids to enjoy the movie all the same. The voice work in “Scoob!” is serviceable, but Forte as the new voice of Shaggy was distracting for fans of the classic Casey Kasem or the spot on Kasem imitation of Matthew Lillard.

Kids new to the franchise won’t care, but this change adds to the uncanny feeling that makes “Scoob!” feel off distant from the source material.

Overall, “Scoob!” is harmless fun for an uninspired attempt at jumpstarting an old school Saturday morning cartoon movie universe. There are fun Scooby Doo elements to “Scoob!” but with the majority of Mystery Inc. taking a backseat to the superhero elements this movie ultimately feels like a sequel to a new Scooby movie we never got to see. It might be worth a rental when it’s on sale weeks from now, but there’s no real rush to pay advanced screening prices.

“Scoob!” is rated PG for some action, language and rude/suggestive humor.

2.9 out of 5 stars

Read past movie reviews by George Gust by visiting our web site at www.edmondlifeandleisure.com

PHOTO PROVIDED

Will Forte voices Shaggy in ‘Scoob!’ the newest reimagining of Scooby Doo that's mostly a big 'ruh roh' for fans of the classic cartoon series.

Warner From Page 14 branded, remains. Look on the Military Avenue side for another mural, “Buffalo Goddess,” by Chris Presley.

Western Avenue – Driving back to Edmond, we enjoyed several murals on Western.

Kristin Davis’ “Winds of Freedom” features colorful kites and balloons sailing the south and west walls of Hideaway Pizza just south of 50th Street. Another favorite is “Wilderness on Western” at 71st Street.

Oklahoma animal inhabitants stretch across a long wall. Three-dimensional elements add interest to the work of Nick Bayer, James Clark and Sam Douglas.

Western is a prime street for murals with several others not mentioned here.

I’ve been writing travel stories for almost 30 years, but this is my first travel story for Edmond Life and Leisure.

Opinions are totally mine, based on personal experiences. Full disclosure: most of my out-ofOklahoma trips are press trips – subsidized by destinations or attractions. While there is an unspoken expectation that I will write about them, there is no guarantee. Journalist and publicist are two different jobs and my responsibility is to you, not a client. I’ve been fortunate to be able to travel to many wonderful destinations and I look forward to sharing them with you.

Crossword Puzzle STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: TONY WINNERS ACROSS 1. "A Visit from St. Nicholas" beginning 5. Clock std.

8. U-____ 12. *Webber's "Evita" collaborator 13. Away from wind 14. Boy Scout rank 15. Picnic invaders 16. Digestive aid 17. Change, as in the Constitution 18. *Like Tony Awards 2020 20. Entry document 21. Fill with spirits 22. 10 decibels 23. *"Kiss Me, Kate" composer/lyricist 26. Sound of leaves in wind 29. Before, archaic 30. Admirer 33. "My bad" 35. Garments 37. Barbie's beau 38. Annoy a bedfellow 39. Result of too many drinks 40. Type of tunic 42. F in FWIW 43. Brown's beagle 45. *M in "M. Butterfly" 47. Bar association 48. "Mack the ____" 50. *Tony winner David ____ Pierce 52. *Musical with the most wins, with The 56. *Jellicles' cries 57. Vietnam's neighbor 58. Flu symptom 59. Pond buildup 60. Sunrise point 61. "Just ____ ____" 62. *4-time winner Tom Stoppard's output 63. Tap choice 64. Tallest volcano in Europe DOWN

1. Catch-22, e.g.

2. Brown bagger 3. *Before and after intermission 4. Final six lines of a sonnet 5. Sparkle 6. More than a scuffle 7. Like a ball ready for a drive 8. *Musical with most nominations 9. *Tony nominee, "Rock of ____" 10. Longer forearm bone 11. Bulb type 13. "All ____!"

14. Roof overhang 19. Humble requests 22. Pesky, clingy plant 23. Cribbage pieces 24. Un-written exams 25. Old episode 26. *"La BohËme," reimagined 27. Shower accessory 28. Erasable programmable read only memory 31. Thumbs-up

32. Gridiron official, for short 34. Blood fluids 36. *Coveted destination 38. Mix-up 40. Typically has April 15th as deadline 41. In the thick of 44. Falstaffian in body 46. Base of the decimal system 48. Cattle enclosure in African village 49. Pirate's "necklace" 50. *Setting of Tony winner 'Hadestown' 51. Vinyasa workout 52. #19 Down, sing.

53. *The Grand Slam of showbusiness, acr.

54. The Colosseum, today 55. Pura ____, or pure silk 56. Atlas page

See Answers on Page 19

Answers to the puzzle On Page 19

Page 16 • May 21, 2020 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Lakeside Women’s Hospital to have new leadership Kelley Brewer, President of Lakeside Women's Hospital, will retire Friday, June 5.

Lakeside Women's Hospital opened in October of 1997, and Brewer was there from the start. In March of 1997, she became the Chief Clinical Officer for Renaissance Healthcare which built Kelly and managed several Women's Hospitals. She served in this role supporting two of the Women's Hospitals until January of 2000 when she was named the CEO at Lakeside. In 2013, Lakeside physician owners made the decision to partner with INTEGRIS in order to extend the number of services provided to their patients, and to partner with a health system to help navigate the changing health care landscape. Brewer has continued to serve as the President of Lakeside since the partnership.

Lakeside Women's Hospital enjoys a long legacy of delivering high quality care, with an added personal touch for women. Brewer has played an instrumental role, along with the founding physician partners to create the experience their patients have come to love and recommend time

Brewer

Stacy Decker

and time again. "There are no words to describe what Kelley has meant to Lakeside, to our private practice and to me. She sets the perfect example of leadership, diplomacy, strength, kindness and resilience. Kelley has been our calm in many storms. She has been part of us from the beginning and she will be sorely missed," said Susan Chambers, M.D., Lakeside Physician's Group.

Following Brewer's retirement, Stacey Decker will move into a dual role as President and Chief Nursing Officer of Lakeside Women’s Hospital. Decker, who has been with INTEGRIS for 32 years, joined Lakeside in August of 2018 and quickly excelled in her new role.

Brewer has worked closely with Decker over the past several months to ensure a seamless transition.

For now, EPS plans a July 25 commencement Edmond Public Schools have scheduled graduation ceremonies for Saturday, July 25. School officials are grateful to the Cox Center for their willingness to work with them during this uncertain time. Ceremonies will be held at the following times: ENHS 10:00 a.m.

SFHS 2:00 p.m.

EMHS 6:00 p.m.

Graduation will only take place if the event is safe to do so. Cere-

monies will be subject to the health conditions, and state and local gathering directives prior to and at the time of graduation. There are currently no plans for restrictions, such as limits on the number of attendees, however, we will continue to monitor the course of COVID-19, and national and local health and safety guidelines, and are prepared to make adjustments to the ceremonies if necessary.

(Clockwise from upper left) Andres Brictson, Trevor Norby, David Lynn and Alejandro Armijo were recognized on the All-LSC men's golf list.

OC receives golf honors The Lone Star Conference recognized Oklahoma Christian men's golf David Lynn and three OC players last week, when the league released its AllLSC honors list for the 2019-20 season.

The league's coaches voted Lynn as the LSC coach of the year, the ninth time in he's been recognized with a conference award during his honorfilled career. Five of those awards came from the Sooner Athletic Conference and three from the Heartland Conference, including one for the 2018-19 season.

OC's Trevor Norby and Andres Brictson – named last month to the NCAA Division II All-America and All-South Central Region lists by the Golf Coaches Association of America – each also made the six-man All-LSC firstteam list, while Alejandro Armijo received honorable mention. Sixteen players were recognized overall and OC was one of only two schools with three or more players honored.

"It is extremely rewarding to see Trevor, Andres and Alejandro recognized for their performance on the golf course this season," Lynn said. "The Lone Star Conference is a very competitive NCAA Division II league in men's golf, with four teams currently ranked in the top 30, so nothing comes easy.

"These three guys work so hard day in and day out to perform at a very high level over a long season and I couldn't be more proud of all they have accomplished. I am especially proud of how hard they work together to be great teammates. We feel like we have some unfinished business after this spring and we cannot wait to get another chance to compete again hopefully very soon."

Norby, a senior from Carlsbad, Calif., was a first-team GCAA All-America pick. He finished in the top three in five of OC's seven tournaments this season, winning twice – in the Jerry Hrnciar Invitational at The Territory Golf Club in Duncan and the St. Mary's Invitational at The Dominion Country Club in San Antonio, raising his career total to four wins. He posted an average score of 71.56 over 18 rounds, 12 of which

were even par or better.

Already a two-time All-American, Norby ended this season as the region's top-ranked golfer by Golfstat.com and at No. 11 in Division II. He plans to return for the 2020-21 season as a fifth-year senior after the NCAA granted all Division II springsports athletes an extra season of eligibility.

Brictson, who qualified for last year's U.S. Amateur Championship, finished the shortened season ranked 11th in the region and 45th in Division II by Golfstat.com. He received honorable mention on the GCAA's All-America list and on Tuesday, he was named to the five man Academic All-Conference list by the LSC. Over 19 rounds during the 2019-20 campaign, Brictson – a junior from Merida, Mexico – posted an average score of 72.68 and had four top-10 finishes, including a win in the Ryan Palmer Foundation Invitational at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas. It was his third collegiate win.

Armijo, a sophomore from Rio Rancho, N.M., shined for the Eagles in his first season after transferring from Oregon Tech, where he earned NAIA PING All-West Region honors as a freshman.

Over 19 rounds for OC, he posted a scoring average of 74.00 and had four top-10 individual finishes. He ended the season at No. 17 in Golfstat's South Central Region player rankings.

Lynn, in his 19th season at OC's men's golf coach, already has been named as a finalist for the GCAA's Dave Williams Award, which is given to the Division II coach of the year.

Lynn guided the Eagles to three wins in seven tournaments during the season, which ended in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak. OC was ranked No. 11 in the final Bushnell Golfweek Division II coaches' poll. In their six tournaments against Division II competition, the Eagles won three times, finished second twice and third once.

OC posted an 80-4-1 mark in Division II play and didn't have a losing record against any Division II team.

Edmond Life & Leisure • May 21, 2020 • Page 17

Advice for employees returning to work

Dale Bratzler

As more people return to their traditional workplace environments after the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, OU Medicine is offering guidance and a Backto-Work Toolkit to assist businesses as their employees enter a “new normal.”

Although the number of new COVID19 diagnoses peaked in early April, new cases are still being diagnosed, which means employers should implement strategies to prevent the spread of the virus, said Dale Bratzler, D.O., OU Medicine enterprise chief quality officer.

“The virus is still in our state,” he said.

“One of the most important things we have learned about this virus is that a substantial portion of people who become infected have no symptoms but can still spread the virus. They may feel fine, but they may be shedding the virus. We just

have to assume that anybody we come into contact with could be infected, and take precautions accordingly.”

In addition to having a mandatory mask policy, disinfecting high-touch surfaces, and practicing social distancing among employees, Bratzler recommends that business owners consider several other factors. Employees who are over age 65 or have immune-compromising or chronic health conditions should work from home if possible. He also recommends having a flexible sick leave policy so that people who feel sick don’t feel compelled to go to work, potentially infecting others. In addition, parents of young children may be unable to find child care at this time, but policies that permit them to work from home would also allow them to care for their children.

“I think telework has been an important part of flattening the curve in Oklahoma,” Bratzler said. “But for employees who must go to the workplace, I strongly recommend wearing masks. The reason you wear a mask is to protect the people around you – the mask keeps droplets from coming out of your mouth when you speak, cough or sneeze.”

OU Medicine’s Back-to-Work Toolkit contains a variety of evidence-based resources to keep employees as safe as possible from infection with the virus.

General ongoing recommendations include: n Practice physical distancing, including limiting the number of people in elevators. n Wear face masks at all times unless

See Advice, Page 18

Salesman, at one time deep in debt, involved in PPE deals

By Nolan Clay Oklahoman.com Last November, salesman Anthony Todd Catania was in bad financial shape.

His Edmond home was being foreclosed on. He hadn't received a paycheck in months. He was behind thousands of dollars on his child support payments, credit card bills, homeowner association dues and taxes.

He had 32 cents in a bank account and had taken a job as a delivery driver for FedEx just three weeks before. He sought help with his debts in bankruptcy court but was later denied.

Then the pandemic came and his fortunes changed.

In April, he was the broker in four deals with the Health Department totaling almost $3 million, records show.

Those deals involved surgical masks, surgical

gowns, sterile gloves and swabs.

So how did Catania, 54, go from being down on his luck to a trusted source of PPE for the state?

He said he reached out to the governor's office by email.

As an independent contractor with a San Diego medical ancillaries company, he had access to personal protective equipment and other supplies.

He said he told the governor's office he'd love to be able to help the state out.

"I got a call from the Department of Commerce about a week later and started quoting them prices," he said. "And from what I can tell ... we've done a bang-up job of getting product to the state in a timely fashion at really reasonable prices.

"I'm proud of what we've done to be honest with you. I love my state. ... This just my home. I felt like I kind of had a mission," he said.

He blamed his poor financial condition on a se-

Restaurant group vows safety for its customers Last week the Oklahoma Restaurant Association announced the launch of The Oklahoma Restaurant Promise (ORP). The objective of the ORP is to help restaurants instill confidence with customers as they choose to return to dine-in service at Oklahoma restaurants. The Promise communicates a restaurant’s pledge for the safety of their staff and customers by following the six elements of the Promise.

The Oklahoma Restaurant Promise ties directly to the COVID-19 Food Establishment Reopening Guidance enacted by Gov. Kevin Stitt, effective May 1st, 2020. With restaurants and their customers working together to follow the guidelines, Oklahoma restaurants can reopen and keep employees and the dining public safe.

Led by the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, a task force made up of independent and chain restaurant operators, and Oklahoma health officials provided Governor Kevin Stitt and his team with a recommended set of guidelines to support the reopening of Oklahoma restaurants. Those recommendations were a part of developing what is now known as the COVID-19 Food Establishment Reopening Guidance.

“The Oklahoma restaurant industry has an outstanding track record of pro-

tecting our employees and guests. As a way to help combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, restaurants are more than willing to make these promises and follow the industry-approved sanitation practices, as well as other new helpful practices and protocols provided by state health officials,” said Jim Hopper, President & CEO of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association.

The Oklahoma Promise includes the following six promises restaurants will make, to the extent reasonably practicable, to customers: 1) The availability of hand sanitizer; 2) Cleaning all tables and chairs after every use 3) Proper cleaning or disposing of menus, condiments, utensils and place setting after every use 4) Complying with social distancing guidelines, 5) Continuing to train staff members on proper food safety practices and, 6) Posting the Oklahoma Restaurant Promise sign at the front entrance of the restaurant for customers to view.

Any foodservice establishment that is reopening its dining room and other full-service areas may participate in the ORP by complying with its promises.

Posters communicating the restaurant’s participation in the initiative are available in both English and Spanish and can be found on the ORA’s website.

New clothing boutique opens HABIT, a new locally-owned and operated clothing boutique, officially opened earlier this month. The store is located at 3400 S. Bryant Ave., Suite 140, and offers modern fashion choices for men, women and teens.

Owner Jamicia Wylie has been dressing the fashion savvy community for more than 25 years. For Wylie, HABIT is the accumulation of life experiences and customer intimacy combined into a vision of what a personalized shopping experience can be.

"Our objective is simple: provide a

unique blend of carefully curated, affordable merchandise with an emphasis on personal styling to make sure customers look and feel their best," said Wylie. "We buy a limited number of styles, so you can ensure your look stays yours."

Supplementing the traditional brick and mortar storefront is an online presence at myhabitshop.com, offering the same products and the same excellent customer service that can be found in store.

For more information, visit myhabitshop.com.

ries of misfortunes including a car accident years ago. He said he had been working for a construction company until a couple of years ago when it shut down unexpectedly.

"We have been trying to claw back ever since then," he said.

At issue in the deals is whether health officials checked out Catania's background beforehand. The Health Department did not answer a question about whether Catania was vetted.

The Health Department did defend the deals.

"We can’t speak to someone’s past private business dealings," a spokeswoman said. "What is fact is that Mr. Catania is an Oklahoman who demonstrated himself to be a reliable sales representative that allowed the State to purchase critical PPE products at competitive and reasonable prices, unlike many others who were offering wildly inflated rates and extreme delays in delivery."

Page 18 • May 21, 2020 • Edmond Life & Leisure

UCO ends up No. 11

Advice From Page 17 seated with appropriate physical distance from others. n Wash hands frequently and thoroughly, or use hand sanitizer. n Clean and sanitize surfaces regularly, including door handles, light switches and other high-touch surfaces. n Stay home and call a medical professional if you’re sick.

For meetings, OU Medicine offers several tips, including: n Hold virtual meetings if possible. n Meetings should have 10 or fewer people physically present. n Make sure the room is well-ventilated. n Remind employees to avoid shaking hands. n For in-person meetings, keep a record of the names and contact information of all participants for at least one month.

If a participant becomes ill with COVID-19, this will help public health authorities trace people who may have been exposed.

For shared spaces, such as break rooms and conference rooms, advice

includes: n Wear masks while in shared spaces. n Consider staggering employee shifts to reduce the number of people sharing common areas. n Create a central location for food or other vendor deliveries. n Keep plenty of hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and other cleaning products on hand.

In addition, some employees may face difficulties readjusting to the workplace because of the stress associated with COVID-19. OU Medicine recommends that employers be aware of the signs of physical and emotional exhaustion, such as chronic fatigue, impaired concentration and insomnia, in order to address problems early.

Employers who would like to receive a free Back-to-Work Toolkit can visit oumedicine.com/healthhub and sign up for OU Medicine’s blog. A follow-up email will be sent with a link to the toolkit.

Businesses that want to inquire about physician expertise can email healthmatters@oumedicine.com.

FAI and summer camps offered The Edmond Fine Arts Institute is excited to have Summer Classes and Camps beginning June 1! They look forward to seeing everyone back at FAI! Class sizes will be reduced in accordance with social distancing regulations and safety precautions will continue.

Among the camps offered are: Art Escape Camp & Little Artist Camp Register for Kids Summer Classes Register for Summer Theater Classes Register for Summer Adult Classes For additional information, please contact the group, located at 27 E. Edwards at 405.340.4481 or edmondfinearts.com.

Postseason honors given hockey team Eight members of the University of Central Oklahoma Hockey team received postseason honors from the Western Collegiate Hockey League (WCHL) and the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

WCHL coaches were asked to submit nominations for each of the postseason awards. For the WCHL All-League Team (First Team and Second Team) and All-Rookie Team, coaches were permitted to vote for their own players; however, coaches were permitted to vote only one of their own players for First Team consideration, only one of their players for Second Team consideration and only one of their players for AllRookie Team consideration.

ACHA coaches, whose programs finished top two in their respective conference, were asked to vote on ACHA Men’s Division 1 awards.

These awards were based on regular season play only. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their roster.

“We are especially proud of these young men and their accomplishments this year, both on the ice and in the classroom. They represent the character and integrity of our team and our overall commitment to excellence,” said Michael Rivera, UCO hockey coach.

Team members receiving recognition include: WCHL Awards Nial Mills (forward), a senior from Deloraine, Manitoba, Canada, received All-League First Team; Alex Henry (goalie), a senior from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, received All-League Second Team; Vitali Mikhallov (forward), a freshman from Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast, Russia, received All-Rookie Team; Nils Velm (goalie), a freshman from Hemmingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, received All-Rookie Team; Grayden Hohl (forward), a junior from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, received All-Academic Team;

Alex Durbeniuk (defense), a senior from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, received All-Academic Team; Jared Guffey (defense), a junior from Edmond, Oklahoma, received All-Academic Team; and, Henry Hoffman (defense), a senior from Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, received All-Academic Team.

ACHA Awards, Division 1 Mills received Honorable Mention All-Athletic Team; Hohl received All-Academic Team; Durbeniuk received All-Academic Team; Guffey received All-Academic Team; and, Hoffman received All-Academic Team.

UCO Hockey had a successful regular season – posting a 26-11 record, highlighted with a 12-game win streak going into the national tournament. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the national Tournament was canceled and the season concluded with UCO Hockey ranked No. 11 in the country.

“It was a disappointing end for our seniors, with the national tournament canceled, so it’s great to see some of them receive recognition for their accomplishments,” Rivera said.

Rivera added it is exciting to see several of these players return for the 2020 fall season.

“Having two freshmen on the WCHL All-Rookie Team is promising for the future of the program,” Rivera said.

Central’s hockey team, one of UCO’s many sport clubs, began in 2006. The Bronchos have made seven National Championship Tournament appearances over ten seasons, including two Final Four spots and a 2014-15 National Championship title win.

UCO Hockey is slated to return in September for the 2020-21 season.

For more information about UCO Hockey, visit www.ucohockey.com.

Official reminds public of flood danger

By Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready One year ago, during the late hours of April 30 and the morning of May 1, 17 tornadoes struck Oklahoma. These storms carried 5 to 6 inches of rainfall and thousands of Oklahomans were devastated by flooding that resulted in more than $31 million in estimated losses and almost 6,000 flood claims reported.

In the aftermath of mother nature, Oklahomans did what they do best — we pulled together, volunteered to clean up endless piles of debris and helped the state recover. We came together as one to help our neighbors and demonstrated our state's resilience. Since this time, we have seen an increase in the purchase of flood insurance as a result of this devasting storm. Unfortunately, over time, people start to forget about this disastrous event and drop their coverage.

As another May begins, I’m encouraging Oklahomans to Get Ready now and reminding you of the importance of preparedness. With the spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic, we must take

extra precautions and be extra prepared this year.

Here are three important reasons to consider flood insurance: You Live in Oklahoma Flooding is the number one natural disaster in the United States and is one of the top four disaster risks in Oklahoma. While most standard homeowners’ policies cover tornadoes, hail and wildfires, they DO NOT cover flood. In high-risk areas, there is at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage.

30-Day Waiting Period It typically takes up to 30 days for a policy to go into effect so the time to buy is well before a disaster. That is why you need to purchase or renew flood insurance well in advance. Waiting until you see water levels rise is too late. Get flood coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) today.

Cost of Flooding Flooding can be an emotionally and financially devastating event. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an inch of water in a

home could cause more than $27,000 in damages, and about 33 percent of all flood claims come from outside of high-risk areas. The cost of having flood insurance is a drop in the bucket, compared to the cost of flood damage. In 2019 nationally, the average flood insurance claim payment was $53,301 and the annual average flood insurance premium payment was $674.

People tend to be optimistic and think they’re not going to be the victims of a disaster. And no one could have predicted the impact on each Oklahoman of a global pandemic, but all of us should use these past examples and maybe personal experiences to Get Ready.

While we cannot prevent another flood from occurring, we can get our state financially prepared for the damage when it hits. Let’s make sure that Oklahomans really understand their flood risk.

That where it can rain, it can flood.

If you have questions about other insurance issues, contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department at 1-800-522-0071 or visit our website at www.oid.ok.gov.

Edmond Life & Leisure • May 21, 2020 • Page 19

Paycom employees donate to national health causes Paycom Software, Inc., a leading provider of comprehensive, cloud-based human capital management software, donated $10,000 each to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and to the Johns Hopkins’ COVID-19 Response Fund. Paycom employees individually contributed to the funds as part of regular monthly donation initiatives.

Paycom’s gift to NAMI comes during Mental Health Awareness Month, while the contribution to the Johns Hopkins’ COVID-19 Response Fund will support their ongoing efforts for virus-related research. “Both of these organizations do so much for the medical community and patients across the country,� said AJ Griffin, Paycom’s director of governmental affairs. “Now, more than ever, we want them to know we appreciate their hard work.�

NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. It is an association of more than 500 local affiliates who work in communities to raise awareness and provide support and education not previously available to those in need.

"Mental health needs have become even more acute during the COVID-19 public health crisis due to the need for social distancing and isolation," said James Bost, executive director of NAMI Oklahoma.

"Paycom's gift, made possible through employee contributions, has allowed us to set up virtual support groups and additional outreach within our community. We look forward to continuing this partnership, which benefits all Oklahomans."

Johns Hopkins Medicine is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the highest quality patient health care in the treatment and prevention of

human illness. The organization has teams working around the clock to help patients with COVID-19 and its scientists are tirelessly pressing onward to expose the biology of the disease, advance testing capacity and develop both a preventive vaccine and a curative treatment. “This pandemic is placing extraordinary demands on our people, our resources and our finances,� said Paul Rothman, M.D., dean and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine. “We are working urgently to do all we can to help our patients and our communities, and we very much appreciate the generosity of Paycom for this much-needed support.�

The donations come as part of Paycom’s ongoing giving campaign, in which employees have the opportunity to donate to a variety of local and national causes. Additional ways they give back include volunteer events and service initiatives that

strengthen families and communities.

In the first quarter of 2020, Paycom has given to 55 different organizations across 23 states with missions that serve children, homeless youth, mental health and education.

About Paycom Oklahoma City-based Paycom redefines the human capital management industry by allowing companies to effectively navigate a rapidly changing business environment. Its cloud-based software solution is based on a core system of record maintained in a single database for all human capital management functions, providing the functionality that businesses need to manage the complete employment life cycle, from recruitment to retirement. Paycom has the ability to serve businesses of all sizes and in every industry.

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In light of COVID 19 for the time being, some worship services may be suspended.

Please check with your house of worship for more information.

Page 20 • May 21, 2020 • Edmond Life & Leisure