Edmond Life and Leisure - November 3, 2022

Decision time

Lots of candidates on Nov. 8 ballot

After the filings, the primaries and the runoffs, Ed mond, and the rest of America finally goes to the polls next week.

If you haven’t already voted by mail or in early voting, next Tuesday, Nov. 8 will be the official day for in-per son voting. Polls are open that day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

A lot is on the line. The nation’s midterm elections have a chance to be historic.

In Oklahoma, several statewide offices will appear on your official ballot.

With the pending resignation of GOP Senator Jim Inhofe, that opened up a spot for someone to fill out four years of Inhofe’s term.

The main hopefuls are the GOP’s Markwayne Mullin, a House representative and Democrat Kendra Horn — Edmond’s former Congresswoman, who was defeated in her re-election bid in 2020.

The woman who defeated her, Stephanie Bice, is now running for re-election. Bice will be running in a newly drawn District No. 5, which is seen by many as friendly to the GOP.

Also seeking another six-year U.S. Senate term is James Lankford, who considers himself an Edmond resident. Lankford won a special election in 2014, with 68 percent of the vote. That vote determined who would serve out Tom Coburn’s term. In 2016, Lankford ran again and also won once again with 68 percent of the vote. He is favored in his election with Democrat

Madison Horn, who is not related to Kendra Horn. The GOP appears to be the favored party in most of the statewide races. Democrats have not won a statewide office in more than 10 years. But they’re hoping to change that and have set their sights on the governor’s mansion. Incumbent Gov. Kevin Stitt is running into strong opposition from state school superintendent Joy Hofmeister. Hofmeister was elected twice to her current post as a Republican. Last year she changed parties, becoming a Democrat and seeking the Governor’s seat. Her campaign has been well funded and she’s billing herself as a moderate.

In county races, the GOP’s Treasurer Butch Freeman and Assessor Larry Stein are seeking re-election. One of the marquee races will be Democrat Vicki Behenna going up against Republican Kevin Calvey for the Okla homa County District Attorney’s job. Both candidates have strong ties to Edmond. They are replacing Edmond Democrat David Prater who served 16 years in the post.

A number of judicial seats, including Supreme Court retention issues, also await attention by the voters.

For any questions, including polling locations next Tuesday, please contact the Oklahoma County Election Board at (405) 713-1515. You can also go online and check out the Oklahoma Voter Portal.

Also, please see Page 4 of this week’s edition for po litical endorsements by Edmond Life & Leisure publisher Ray Hibbard.

— STEVE GUST

Heads up on road work

As part of the Downtown Water and Sanitary Sewer System Improvements Project, the outside lane of eastbound 2nd Street will be closed intermittently in front of O’Reilly’s Auto Parts along with the outside lane of northbound Broadway. The intermittent started earlier this week. Portable message boards will give advance notice about the intermittent lane closures for the north and east bound traffic. Work on this phase of the project is expected to take approximately 2 weeks to complete, with cooperative weather. Permanent paving repairs will be made

once all testing and connections have been made.

Motorists are asked to note the impacts and adjust their routes and travel schedule accordingly.

The project allows allow city contractor Mathew’s Trenching & Construction, Inc. to replace and upsize the water line running north-south along the alley just east of Broadway as it goes under 2nd Street.

This is part of a $4,045,771 project combining water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and streetscape improvements in the downtown Edmond area.

Edmond Women’s GOP meeting

This past year, the community outreach emphasis of Edmond Republican Womens Club has been on our veterans.

Therefore, this year on December 7th, we are excited to be partnering with Warriors for Freedom in assisting one of our veterans who recently found himself the sole support of his four young children.

The event is entitled "A PATRIOT CHRISTMAS" and will be held at the Edmond Historical Museum. Items are now being collected for an online silent auction and also for a live auction at the event. There will also be a Pearl Harbor Tribute with entertainment provided by Cathy Costello and Tom Nix, and also up and coming

Maddox Ross on guitar.

The festivities will begin at 6:00 pm and tickets, $30 per single and $50 for two, must be purchased in advance. Capacity for the event is 100 people, so get your tickets as soon as possible. Dinner will be catered by Running Wild Catering. Please help us to help these beautiful children and their veteran father have the best Christmas ever.

If you would like to donate an item to either the silent auction, the live auction, purchase tickets, or just make a donation, please contact either tonyacoffman@cox.net or erica.walker@warriorsforfreedom.org.

The office number for Warriors for Freedom is (405) 286-9920.

From the

City proposal part of

The November 8th ballot will include important elections at every level of government, including the governor’s office. Voters in Edmond also have a special election to vote on.

The City council has approved a special election on November 8th during the general election as a result of the initiative petition that was filed on property generally located north of Memorial Road and west of West I-35 Frontage Road. This ballot question will address whether to uphold the city council's rezoning from A Single-Family Dwelling District and E-1 Retail General Commercial to PUD Planned Unit Development to include multi-family apartments.

Here is the wording on the ballot:

Proposition Shall Ordinance No. 3832 rezoning certain property generally located north of Memorial Road and west of the West I-35 Frontage Road from A Single Family Dwelling District and E-1 Retail General Commercial to PUD Planned Unit Development which will contain two variances, and (301) multifamily apartments be approved?

A YES vote would be in favor of the city council's rezoning.

A NO vote would be against the city council's rezoning.

But wait, there is more:

A lawsuit held up the special election getting on a ballot earlier in the year. In the delay, the company wanting to build the apartments has pulled out and the plans for an apartment are now cancelled. Plans by the landowner now include retail development similar to what is already developed in that area. Folks against the apartments and the zoning approved by the city council seem satisfied with the property reverting to its prior zoning before the change approved by the city council. A no vote would accomplish this.

What happens if the yes votes win and the zoning for apartments is upheld? That would mean that the landowner would have to come back to the city council to try and get the zoning reversed back to its previous status allowing for the retail development. Homeowners around the project are against the apartment zoning but I believe are good with the retail development.

Clear as Mud? Your no vote means

the retail projects planned for this area can proceed at a normal pace. A yes vote would mean yet another delay for the landowner requiring him to go before the city council to get the property rezoned to what it was before the apartment project was on the table. What a yes vote means beyond that is unclear but will certainly mean a delay on a project that is close to shovel ready. I would hate to put the landowner through this process.

Either way, the problem of having affordable housing to support our workforce in Edmond is going to need to be addressed in the near future.

In other election choices: Forrest Butch Freeman is our pick for Oklahoma County Treasurer. It is the pick we are most confident in this year. The office is important, and we are happy that Freeman decided to run again. With all the uncertainty in government these days, you want your county treasurer to be as solid as a rock and Freeman has been that for Oklahoma County taxpayers. Vote for Freeman with confidence.

Our current Oklahoma U.S. Senator James Lankford is the clear pick again for this term. He is smart and knows how to get things done in Congress. It is not easy, but he manages to move the train forward. We also need his in-

tegrity in this office and clear thinking. We have always been fans but encourage you to return Lankford to finish important work and try and make some sense for us out of our federal government.

We pick Markwayne Mullin for the open seat for U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. Here is why. I do not like the suggestion from Kendra Horn dark money supporters that a plumber is not fit to be in Congress. Not sure where that idea came from, but it made my decision. My dad was a working guy and I believe we could use more of them in office. He was smart and could outwork any white-collar worker I have ever known including me. Shame on the supporters of Horn who think less of plumbers or any other working person.

Oklahoma County District Attorney. Our pick is Kevin Calvey. He has the right skill set to manage the office and deal with the attacks that the office falls under so many times. He can also make hard calls when needed. To be clear, we have a great amount of respect for his opponent Vicki Behenna. We know her and her family and I am surprised that she never called to talk about her running or ask for an endorsement. This firms up our decision that Calvey is the right person for this office.

ballot

Stephanie Bice is the clear choice to be our US Representative for the 5th District. She has proved herself at every level of where she has served the citizens of this state. We know her and can trust Bice to do the right thing in congress. She works with our other U.S. representatives well and this is important for our state.

The office of the Oklahoma County Assessor is important as well and we encourage you to return Larry Stein to that office. We need someone who knows the office and how to run it. Stein is that person and taxpayers need him in this office.

The one judge you actually get to vote on is Associate District Judge and our pick is Richard W. Kirby who currently holds the office. He has a great deal of integrity which means so much for a judge. When it comes to judges I also poll my lawyer friends and they are 100% behind Judge Kirby which means we are too.

Matt Pinnell gets our endorsement for Lt. Governor of Oklahoma. How could you not like this guy. Incredibly positive and our state’s best cheerleader.

You will notice that we have no endorsement for the Governor of Oklahoma. It is because I do not like any of them folks. Our current governor, Kevin Stitt, has us so jammed up with the tribes of Oklahoma I am not sure we will ever get it untangled. I was optimistic for Stitt as a businessperson running our state, but my disappointment has been great. He likes to say he is the CEO of the State of Oklahoma. No, he is the CEO of the executive branch which requires collaborating with other people including the tribes and our Republican controlled state legislature.

Joy Hofmeister made a political move by switching parties to avoid facing Stitt in a runoff and giving her a better chance to beat him in the governor’s race. That is exactly why I cannot support her for the office. We need folks that will do good things and work hard on behalf of taxpayers not candidates that will do whatever it takes to win. Stand for who you are or stand for nothing.

I have no doubt that Stitt will win the race. Here is to hope our governor learns to work well with others and patches the divide he has created with our tribes. They are an important part of this state and do so much for so many whether they are members of the tribe or not. Comprise is not a bad word Governor and you will need to find a path that moves the state forward rather than setting us back.

(Ray Hibbard may be reached by email at ray@edmondpaper.com)

“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

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.

P.O. Box 164 Edmond, OK

Ray Hibbard

UCO leader will be stepping down

The University of Central Oklahoma President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar Monday announced her intent to leave the university, effective Jan. 31, 2023.

“I am sad to leave my wonderful colleagues and friends at UCO. We’ve been through some incredible times over the past 15 years. My love for UCO is inextricably linked to this community of people, and I am proud of what we have achieved together,” Neuhold-Ravikumar said.

Neuhold-Ravikumar intends to move to Kansas City, Missouri, where her wife, Ruki, currently serves as president of the Kansas City Art Institute.

“My wife and I have lived half a country apart for more than five years. Our commitment to each other’s success is what enabled us to live this way for so long. We find ourselves on the flipside of that situation now. It is our commitment to each other’s success that is leading our decision to now live in the same place together,” NeuholdRavikumar said.

She became the university’s 21st president, and its first female president, in July 2019. She has been with the university since 2007, serving in a variety of roles, including vice president for Finance. Her tenure as UCO president has been filled with several advancements and accomplishments for the university, including:

UCO being recognized in the top 10% of schools nationally for lifting the social mobility of UCO students; Paving the way for UCO to be able to offer its first professional doctorate (forensic science), which is currently under consideration for approval; UCO being named among Newsweek’s 2022 America’s Top Online Colleges;

Collaboratively streamlining college pathways for community college students to earn a bachelor’s degree at

UCO;

Top national rankings for programs in organizational leadership, forensic science and software engineering;

UCO’s inclusion in the 2023 QS World University Rankings; Growing fundraising by 170%, with strong engagement from new university supporters;

NeuholdRavikumar

UCO becoming the only school in the nation to receive all eight iterations of TRIO federal grants to help underserved student populations reach college; and,

Leading the strategy to stabilize and strengthen the financial health of the university.

Neuhold-Ravikumar currently serves on the Coalition for Urban and Metropolitan Universities’ executive committee and the board of directors for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, The Oklahoma Academy, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and the Riversport Foundation.

UCO’s governing board, the Regional University System of Oklahoma Board of Regents, will announce a path forward for university leadership in the coming weeks.

“The Regents for the Regional University System of Oklahoma have accepted President Neuhold-Ravikumar’s resignation,” said Connie Reilly, RUSO board chairperson.

“We are grateful for her many contributions and wish her the very best as she prioritizes spending time with her family. President Neuhold-Ravikumar’s 15 years of dedicated service have helped make UCO a top regional university committed to academic excellence and preparing our students for success.”

Engagement, Wedding notices

Do you have a wedding or engagement notice? If so, please contact us at Edmond Life & Leisure, either by phone, 340-3311 or e-mail, news@edmondpaper.com. We will then send or fax you an engagement or wedding form.The cost is $35, which includes a photograph. Payment is due upon submission by noon Thursday.

(The following arrest reports are provided by the Edmond Police Department. Guilt or innocence is determined in a court of law.

Also, CDS is controlled dangerous substance; APC is Actual Physical Control; DUI is driving under the influence.)

Oct. 18

James Richard Longworth, 47 of Edmond. Operate (DUI or APC) a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content level of .15 or more.

Phoenix Chance Dye, 22 of Edmond. Non-assault resisting officer and public intoxication.

Rachel Alex Frans, 28 of Edmond. Felony DUI/APC.

Oct. 19

Brian Dee Wood, 51 of Edmond. Operating (DUI or APC) a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Stephanie Lee Hill, 48 of Edmond. Public intoxication.

Kevin Michael Knez, 50 of Edmond. Failure to carry security verification, driving with license canceled, suspended or revoked and felony DUI/APC.

Zoerina Raechel Swain, 18 of Edmond. Failure to appear.

Risa Gaye Scott, 63 of Tuttle. Possess CDS. Austin Charles Bishop, 42 of Edmond. (Misdemeanor value) receiving stolen property.

Oct. 20

Ronald Newton Pounds 66 homeless. Misdemeanor warrant.

Josey Lind Cooper, 45 of Edmond. Misdemeanor warrant.

Amberlee Ashlee Benavides, 30 of Edmond. A felony warrant and a misdemeanor warrant. Brett Allen Arnold, 53 of Edmond. Felony

DUI/APC.

Gerald Len Whalen, 43 of Edmond. Operating (DUI or APC) a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content level of .15 or more.

Oct. 21

Justin Clark Daggs, 46 of Edmond. Operate (DUI or APC) a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Molly Elizabeth Kaase, 28 of Edmond. Felony warrant.

Joanna Sue Denny, 68 of Oklahoma City. Three felony warrants, a misdemeanor warrant, transporting open container alcoholic beverage, no proof of insurance and driving while privilege has been canceled, suspended, denied or revoked.

Robert James Wright, 68 homeless. Three felony warrants, two misdemeanor warrants and shoplifting.

Scott Lee Long, 43 homeless. Public intoxication.

Oct. 22

Rachell Melinda Landsberger, 41 of Oklahoma City. Obstruction of a police officer and operate (DUI or APC) a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Tristen Scott Ames, 39 of Cashion. (Felony) domestic abuse/assault and battery.

Luke Christopher Hunter, 21 of Oklahoma City. Public intoxication.

Christopher John Davis, 54 of Edmond. Public intoxication.

Lawson Dean Ford, 19 of Edmond. Public intoxication.

Braden David Allen, 21 of Oklahoma City. Public intoxication.

Taylor Davis Barnes, 33 of Edmond. Public intox-

ication.

Kayda Haidan Kahkesh, 19 of Edmond. Public intoxication.

Oscar Garcia Escobar, 41 of Jones. Public intoxication.

Cole Barton Bumgardner, 22 of Oklahoma City. Public intoxication.

Jacob Allen Falter, 36 of Edmond. Public intoxication. M

Colton Stone Jones, 19 of Edmond. Resisting arrest, obstruction of police officer and assault and battery/battery (felony) on police officer or correctional staff.

Jadon Michael Barker, 21 of Piedmont. Public intoxication and possession of marijuana.

Oct. 23

Paige Nichole Hoff, 37 of Edmond. Public intoxication.

Chad Vincent Chadwell, 43 homeless. Driving while privilege is canceled, suspended, denied or revoked.

Matthew Wade Phillips, 39 of Oklahoma City. (Felony) value of receiving stolen property.

Timothy Matthew French, 39 of Edmond. Two felony warrants and three misdemeanor warrants.

Chelsea Mae Peaster, 33 of Edmond. Conspiracy, and possess CDS.

Lexus Nichole Buchanan, 24 of Luther. A felony warrant, misdemeanor warrant, no proof of insurance, expired tag over three months and driving while privilege is canceled, suspended, denied or revoked.

Terrie Kathryn McCoy-Harjo, 61 of Edmond. Possess drug paraphernalia, two felony warrants, a misdemeanor warrant, possess CDS, felony receiving stolen property and possess with intent to distribute CDS.

Weekend calendar of events, Nov. 3-6

What’s Happening

This Weekend Nov. 3-6

---- In the Gallery

---- Edmond Ice Rink

---- Tiny, But Mighty! Exhibit

---- Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe

Road: American Musical Ambassadors

---- Singing Cowboy Radio Show

---- Nerf Battles

---- Fall Festival at the Orr Family Farm

---- Guthrie Haunts

---- Parkhurst Pumpkin Patch

---- Riata Buckle

---- Brigadoon

---- Live Music at Frenzy

---- University of Central Oklahoma International Festival

---- Cycle 66 Tour and Festival

---- Community Ofrenda

---- Kids Take Over the Cowboy: Western Headwear

---- Signature Tour

---- Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park presents: Blithe Spirit

---- OKC Philharmonic presents: Happy 90th, John Williams!

---- American Quarter Horse Association World Championship Show

---- Mistletoe Market

---- Downtown in December

---- Pets on Paseo

---- First Friday Gallery Walk

---- OKC Renaissance and Scottish Festival

---- Oklahoma City Train Show

---- Geekapalooza: STEAM Festival for Kids

---- Claude Hall’s Original OKC Gun Show

Extra Information

In the Gallery

Location: Edmond Fine Arts Institute

Extra Info: Featuring Mark & Jennifer Hustis & William Mantor; Free; edmondfinearts.com

Edmond Ice Rink

Location: Mitch Park

Extra Info: Sat, Nov 5 – Sun, Jan 15; hours vary; edmondicerink.com

Tiny, But Mighty! Exhibit

Location: Edmond Historical Society & Museum

Extra Info: Wed, Oct 5 – Thu, Aug 31; edmondhistory.org

Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road: American Musical Ambassadors

Location: Edmond Historical Society & Museum

Extra Info: Sun, May 1 – Sat, Dec 1; edmondhistory.org

Singing Cowboy Radio Show

Location: Edmond History Museum

Extra Info: Thu, Nov 3; $15; 6:30 –7:30 p.m.; edmondhistory.org

Nerf Battles Location: The Hive Basketball Complex

Extra Info: Fri, Sept. 2 to Sat, Dec 17; 6 – 8 p.m.; $13/hr or $20/2 hr; arena51fun.com

Fall Festival at the Orr Family Farm

Location: Orr Family Farm

Extra Info: Sat, Sep 24 – Sat, Nov 12; orrfamilyfarm.com

Guthrie Haunts

Location: 4524 Riverside Circle, Guthrie, OK

Extra Info: Fri, Sep 16 – Fri, Nov 5; guthriecaregrounds.com

Parkhurst Pumpkin Patch

Location: 720 S Henney Rd, Arcadia, Extra Info: Wed, Sep 21 – Sun, Nov 13; Wed – Fri: 1 p.m. – dark; Sat: 10 a.m. –dark; Sun: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.; parkhurstranch.com

Riata Buckle

Location: Lazy E Extra Info: Wed, Nov 2 – Sun, Nov 6; lazye.com

Brigdoon Location: Oklahoma Christian University – Baugh Auditorium Extra Info: Thu, Nov 3 – Sat, Nov 5; 7:30 p.m.; $20; oklahoma-christian-university.ticketleap.com

Live Music at Frenzy Location: Frenzy Brewing Company Extra Info: Fri, Nov 4 – Sat, Nov 5; Fri: 7 p.m.; Sat: 7:30 p.m.; Free; frenzybrewing.com

University of Central Oklahoma International Festival Location: Festival Market Place and Farmers Market Extra Info: Sat, Nov 5; Free; 11 a.m. –2 p.m.; calendar.uco .edu

Community Through Beer Fest Location: The Patriarch Craft Beer House Extra Info: Sun, Nov 6; $40 ---- $60; 1 – 4 p.m.; allevents.in

Cycle 66 Tour and Festival Location: Downtown Edmond Extra Info: Sun, Nov 6; Adults: $35, Kids: $10; 8 a.m.; cycle66OK.com

Community Ofrenda

Location: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Extra Info: Sat, Oct 1 – Wed, Nov 2; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; nationalcowboymuseum.org

Kids Take Over the Cowboy: Western Headwear

Location: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Extra Info: Sat, Nov 5; 10 ---- 12 p.m.; nationalcowboymuseum.org

Signature Tour Location: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Extra Info: Sat, Nov 5 & Sun, Nov 6; 1 ---- 2 p.m.; nationalcowboymuseum.org

Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park presents: Blithe Spirit Location: Oklahoma Shakespeare on Paseo

Notice on early voting

An extra day of early voting has been added for the November 8 General Election this year thanks to new legislation enacted in 2021, the Secretary of the State Election Board reminded voters last week.

“For the first time ever, early voting will begin on the Wednesday prior to the General Election, adding an extra day for voters to cast their ballots,” said Secretary Paul Ziriax.

Voters can now cast their in-person absentee ballot at their early voting location on through Friday, November 4 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. No excuse is needed to cast an in-person

absentee ballot, but voters should be prepared to show proof of identity when they check in with election workers.

Voters wishing to vote early must vote at an early voting location in the county where they are registered to vote. Early voting locations/dates/times are available on the State Election Board website.

Sample ballots are available through the OK Voter Portal. The election list can be found on the State Election Board website.

Voters with questions should contact their local County Election Board.

Unique event coming to History Center

The Oklahoma History Center is proud to present the Rushmore Four, a program featuring the presidents who appear on Mount Rushmore, on Wednesday, November 16. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt will be portrayed by four living history professionals. Each president will offer stories from his respective era and will answer questions about his service to the United States.

Performances are scheduled for November 16 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. There is no charge for the 2 p.m. performance, but patrons are required to re-

Events

serve a seat. Admission for the evening performance is $10 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $20 for non-members. To reserve a free seat for the 2 p.m. performance or to purchase tickets for the 7 p.m. performance, please visit okhisåtory.org/rushmore.

This program is an education-focused event wholly sponsored by Inasmuch Foundation and coincides with the 17th anniversary of the opening of the Oklahoma History Center, as well as the 115th anniversary of Oklahoma Statehood Day on Nov. 16, 1907. For more information about the Rushmore Four event, please call 405-522-0765.

From Page 6

Extra Info: Fri, Oct 21 – Sat, Nov 5; Thu – Sun: 8 p.m.; Sun: 2 p.m.; okshakes.org

OKC Philharmonic presents: Happy 90th, John Williams!

Location: Civic Center Music Hall Extra Info: Fri, Nov 4 – Sat, Nov 5; okcciviccenter.com

American Quarter Horse Association World Championship Show

Location: Oklahoma City Fairgrounds Extra Info: Thu, Oct 17 – Sat, Nov 19; aqha.com

Mistletoe Market

Location: Oklahoma City Convention Center Extra Info: Thu, Nov 3 – Sun, Nov 6; jloc.org

Downtown in December

Location: Downtown OKC Extra Info: Thu, Nov 3 – Jan 27, 2023; downtownindecember.com

Pets on Paseo

Location: Paseo Arts District Extra Info: Fri, Nov 4; 5 p.m.; facebook.com

First Friday Gallery Walk Location: Paseo Arts District Extra Info: Fri, Nov 4; 6 – 9 p.m.; thepaseo.org

OKC Renaissance and Scottish Festival

Location: OKC Fairgrounds Extra Info: Sat, Nov 5 – Sun, Nov 6; 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; okcrenfest.org

Oklahoma City Train Show

Location: Oklahoma State Fair Park

Extra Info: Sat, Nov 5 – Sun, Nov 6; Sat: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sun: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; okctrainshow.com

Geekapalooza: STEAM Festial for Kids

Location: Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma Camp Trivera, OKC

Extra Info: Sat, Nov 5; 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; metrofamilymagazine.com

Claude Hall’s Original OKC Gun Show

Location: Oklahoma State Fair

Extra Info: Sat, Nov 5 – Sun, Nov 6; Sat: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sun: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; okcgunshow.com

Send items to Melinda Infante at infante318@cox.net

Metro tree lighting event

All are invited to kick off the holiday season and Downtown in December with this year’s Oklahoma City Tree Lighting Festival and Virtual Holiday Special produced by Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership.

The in-person festival, which is free and open to everyone, will celebrate its 21st year and take place in Bricktown outside of the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Thursday, Nov. 17 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event includes family-friendly activities such as photos with Santa Claus, caricatures, balloon art, a Magic Elf, and more.

Engagement, Wedding notices

Do you have a wedding or engagement notice? If so, please contact us at Edmond Life & Leisure, either by phone, 340-3311 or e-mail, news@edmondpaper.com. We will then send or fax you an engagement or wedding form.The cost is $35, which includes a photograph. Payment is due upon submission by noon Thursday.

Rotary clothing drive

Members of Rotary Club of Edmond beat their fundraising goal to help some Edmond children stay warm this winter.

The club raised $1,500 to stock Stan’s Closet at Sunset Elementary School in Edmond as part of a longtime community effort.

The funds are used to provide clothes for students who may not be able to afford them. The club’s goal was to raise $1,000 but surpassed it by $500.

Community Service board member, Barry Bell organized this year’s drive and said he is excited the club exceeded its goal.

“We’re dealing with children. And children are products of the environment they are put in, I think, in general, and anything we can do to help that environment is a good thing and it rings true for the club and that’s why it’s very special for us,” Bell said.

Stan’s Closet is located inside the school, providing teachers and staff easy access to quickly take care of student needs. Many of the items purchased with the donations included most-needed clothes such as boys’ and girls’ sweatpants, track

pants, and underwear. The clothes not only will help low-income children but will be provided to students in the event their clothes get damaged on the playground or because of other unexpected issues.

“Kids, they may have an accident in class, they fall in puddles, they have all kinds of things that can go wrong during recess. You have to have something like this for emergency situations,” Bell said.

Rotary Club of Edmond has participated in the clothes drive for several years since former member Stan Kelley started the project. The effort has remained a sentimental club favorite ever since.

Bell said the effort is important to the club because it meets the Rotary four-way test which asks: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

The Rotary Club of Edmond currently meets at noon every Wednesday on St Lukes United Methodist, Edmond on I35 and Sooner Road and on Zoom. Guests are welcome.

www.edmondrotary.org

PHOTO PROVIDED

The Rotary Club of Edmond exceeded its fundraising goal by $500 to purchase clothes for Stan’s Closet at Edmond’s Sunset Elementary School. In all, the club raised $1,500 to purchase most-needed items for students such as underwear and sweatpants. Club member, Barry Bell and Sunset secretary, Ashley Corbett pose with boxes full of the donated clothes.

Broncho Bites Food Recovery program

The University of Central Oklahoma recently launched, Broncho Bites, an on-campus food recovery program that reduces food waste and provides meals to the Central community. Food left over from Ayers Kitchen, Central’s main dining facility, will be repackaged and rerouted to the Broncho Bites refrigerator, located outside the Central Pantry, a partner agency of the Regional Food Bank of

Oklahoma. The food is available for pick up to all UCO students, faculty and staff to take on the go in compostable packaging.

Any unclaimed meals will be taken to a compost bin provided by compost contractor, Fertile Ground, with plans to install an on-campus commercial composter in the coming year. UCO Facilities Management will use the compost from Broncho Bites

The University of Central Oklahoma received a $32,000 grant from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to fund a new food recovery program that promotes sustainable practices on campus. The program, Broncho Bites, is an on-campus initiative that will reduce food waste and provide meals to the Central community. Pictured, UCO student at the Broncho Bites refrigerator, located on Central’s campus.

Commentary ... We’re on YOUR Side

Campaigns near the end

By Steve Gust

It will be nice when the never ending stream of political ads on TV comes to a merciful end.

The truth is very elusive in most of them.

One of the ads shows a graphic which indicates $25 million in negative ads has been aired against Gov. Stitt.

I don’t care who you are. If someone spends that much money defaming you, it’s tough no matter who you are. Even Abraham Lincoln or George Washington would have a lot of trouble winning.

Also, one of the TV talking heads made a great point last week. How are the Democrats able to pour so much money in these races? Are the Hollyweird folks deeping deep in their pockets? You have senate races where the liberals are outspending the GOP three to one, but are still losing.

And I’m still hoping President

Biden comes to Oklahoma to campaign for his fellow socialists. He can remind everyone of the ridiculous inflation and energy shortages he’s caused.

There’s still no word on when Biden is coming here.

And please don’t forget local elections. We have county offices on the line.

—I read some of Ted Cruz’s new book “Justice Corrupted.” It’s an interesting look at the two-tier system of justice we have.

It also looks at the weaponizing of government agencies against people with conservative political views. It’s disgraceful.

One of those agencies is the IRS. I like Cruz’s solution. He wants the IRS abolished and a flat tax implemented. With a flat tax you could file with a postcard, Cruz says.

It would be nice if someone would seriously consider this notion. It beats the heck out of hiring 87,000 new IRS agents.

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

A word about Vets Day

The 11th hour has become synonymous with Veterans Day, originally called Armistice day, in recognition of the document signed at the 11th hour, or the 11th day, of the 11th month. In reality, the Armistice ending the war to end all wars was signed around 5 am on November 11th. Over the course of the next 6 hours, nearly 3,000 men would lose their lives in the final hours of a war that had already claimed the lives of 20 million military personnel. The final death of WW1 came at 10:59 am one minute before the guns of war would fall silent.

Private Henry Gunther was a German-American drafted in the fall of 1917; most accounts state that his final actions were motivated by Gun-

ther’s need to demonstrate that he was “courageous and all-American.”

A chaplain from Gunther’s unit recounted, “As 11 a.m. approached, Gunther suddenly rose with his rifle and ran through thick fog. His men shouted for him to stop. So did the Germans. But Gunther kept running and firing. One machine gun blast later, he was dead. His death was recorded at 10:59 a.m.

In every conflict, inevitably a final service member pays the ultimate sacrifice. In World War II, Private Charlie Havlat, the son of Czech immigrants, in the closing days of the war, found himself liberating his parents’ former homeland –word of the cease-fire reached his position minutes after he was killed.

Officially, the U.S. has never declared a final casualty in the Korean War; since the armistice was signed, nearly 100 U.S. Soldiers have been killed in combat on the Korean peninsula. On April 29, 1975, Charles McMahon and Darwin Judge were two of a small number of Marines tasked with safeguarding the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. They had been deployed for only 11 days when they were killed by a rocket attack. The U.S. would complete the process of withdrawing from Saigon the following day. Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss was the last of the 2,461 Service Members who died in Afghanistan; he along with 12 of his comrades was killed in a suicide attack during the withdrawal from Kabul.

In every war, there is always one that must fill the dignified but dubious role in history as being the last to give the full measure of devotion.

Each year on the 11th day of the 11th month as a nation we pause, not only to honor those that have given their lives but for all those who believed so deeply in American exceptionalism that they were willing to give their lives to defend it.

For most Americans talking about war is conceptual, something learned through history books, news reports, and movies – those that have served do not have that luxury.

Not only should we remember that the democratic principles we hold so dear have been defended by generations of Americans whom we honor on Veterans Day, but more importantly we should take inspiration from that sacrifice.

Energy independence snuffed out by Biden

By Sen. James Lankford

I remember staring out the window of my mom’s brown Pontiac LeMans as we waited in a two-block-long line at the gas station during the 1970s oil embargo. Even as a kid, I understood energy independence would have alleviated the crisis in which we found ourselves.

Since then, we have innovated our way to energy independence.

Not too long ago, a Democratic President and climate change activist named Barack Obama signed a bill to lift a 40-year ban on crude oil exports after it passed the Republican-controlled Congress. We were producing so much oil, we had enough to sell to other countries.

Five years ago, the phrase “energy dominance” became commonplace thanks to President Donald Trump, whose administration made sure that the United States, not OPEC+, set the global price of oil based on our production.

Then President Joe Biden took office.

The Biden Administration immediately slashed domestic production and implemented burdensome climate regulations to tie the hands of fossil fuel companies. As a result, the US is once again dependent on OPEC+ and foreign countries for oil,

and OPEC+ knows it. Just last month, OPEC+ announced massive production cuts, leading Biden to beg the Saudis to change their minds.

So much for American energy independence or energy dominance.

America needs about 20 million barrels of oil a day to run our economy. We use petroleum for fuel, packing materials, carpet, roofing, tires, pharmaceuticals, paint, manufacturing, school supplies, roads, even the lubricant in wind towers. So, when the Administration makes it harder to produce, transport, or get capital for oil and gas projects, they make everything in our lives more expensive and every company in America more reliant on foreign-produced energy.

Even when it became clear that the Biden Administration’s hostility toward domestic oil production was having grievous consequences on the economy, the response from the White House was not to encourage more energy production — it was to sell off America’s emergency supply of crude oil to try and manipulate gas prices before the election.

Biden’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve sales have dropped our national energy savings account from a month to less than three weeks. Everyone knows

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selling our reserves is a fig leaf, not a solution.

Moreover, depleting the Petroleum Reserve has dire consequences for security. The reserve exists in case we ever find ourselves in a crisis — like we did in the 1970s — that threatens America’s energy supply. Even though that energy supply is not at risk today, it should be safeguarded, not treated like an electoral tool to be used when the president’s party is suffering from poor approval ratings. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is for real emergencies, not Democratic political losses in the midterm elections.

The obvious solution to the energy crisis today is to produce more energy at home. But Democrats refuse to admit that fuels such as oil, gasoline, and coal are still necessary to fueling our cars, warming our homes, and so much more.

They’re wrong, as their own data prove. Just a few months ago, the White House released its annual energy outlook through 2050, which stated, “Petroleum and natural gas remain the most consumed sources of energy in the United States through 2050.” If your own energy estimates show our nation will have a high need for petroleum through at least 2050, how can you cut off permitting, leasing, or energy capital to American energy?

Those of us who recognize the importance of domestic fuel production aren’t anti-clean energy. In fact, my state of Oklahoma is one of the top ten producers of renewable energy in the country. We are a true all-of-the-above state. We have no problem with green energy but have a huge problem with foreign energy dependence and leaders who ignore their own data on this issue.

The Biden Administration’s position, on the other hand, is hypocritical through and through. Biden spends his time cutting American energy production and selling our emergency backup supply to please environmental activists but also begs OPEC+ for more oil production to save our economy.

Steve Gust

Quebec City great for the season

A search for the fall

By Ray Hibbard Edmond L&L Publisher

Regular travel columnist, Elaine Warner, is out this week and she asked me to fill in with a story about my trip to Old Quebec City in Canada. She has big shoes to fill but I will give it my best shot. You can expect her back in the third issue of November.

Fall was not breaking early enough for my wife and me, so we decided to go look for some cool weather and turning leaves. It was also our wedding anniversary. We had been to Quebec in 2017 while I was attending a bank director’s conference. At any such conference the spouse gets to see the town and the one attending gets to go to meetings all day. Lisa suggested we go back so she could show me some of what she discovered in 2017.

Canada has been slow to pull back on COVID entrance requirements but had gotten them down to a level we were comfortable. We left October 4 for our trip and all restrictions to entrance were dropped October 1 which made for easy entry and no extra paperwork to enter Canada or re-enter the United States. It was our first trip out of the country since 2019.

We stayed at the same hotel, the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, as we did in 2017. Prices had fallen greatly and with the U.S dollar so strong against the Canadian dollar we splurged and stayed at the Fairmont Gold level. The rooms are on the upper two floors of the hotel for the best views. In addition, you get private check in on the 14th floor, a lounge where a complimentary breakfast is served as well as evening savory canapes, an honor bar and

some of the best concierge service we have ever experienced. They were able to get us in restaurants that according to their web sites were full.

The hotel is marvelous and one of the major attractions for people visiting Quebec. The main lobby is crowded with tour groups coming to see the hotel and folks coming to eat in the hotel’s many outstanding restaurant. The view from the restaurants over the St. Lawrence is spectacular and the hotel leads to the boardwalk by the river front as well as the funicular going down to the lower city by the river. All this can make it a bit hard to navigate the check-in process so the quiet and comfort of the check-in on

the 14th floor was appreciated.

Listed as a National Historic Site of Canada, the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is among the nation’s most celebrated historic landmarks. This spectacular retreat is located in the heart of Old Québec, which served as the seat of colonial French power in North America over the better part of two centuries. It was from this location that France presided over thousands of acres that stretched from the Great Lakes to the bayous of Louisiana.

Old Québec then became the headquarters in Canada for the British when they wrestled control of the region away from France during the Seven Years’ War. Fairmont Le Château Frontenac resides on the grounds of the former Château St. Louis, which functioned as the main administrative office for both the French and British colonial governments in Québec City until it burnt down in 1834.

William Van Horne, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway, chose the site of the former Château St. Louis as the location for an extravagant hotel. The ambitious railroad magnate had hoped to spur travel along his company’s new rail lines by developing a series of ornate lodgings that could appeal to upscale travelers. As such, he decided to construct what would become the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in downtown Québec City for just that purpose. “Frontenac Hotel” in honor of the region’s legendary colonial governor, Louis de Buade de Frontenanc.

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has since emerged as one of the world’s preeminent holiday destinations. Countless international luminaries have stayed at this spectacular hotel over the years. The hotel’s magnificent architecture and beautiful décor also inspired the famous film director, Alfred Hitchcock, to

See Canada, Page 13

Ray Hibbard

RAY HIBBARD

Murals abound in the lower part of Old Quebec City along with shops, artists and great dining choices. The lower portion is accessible by either steps or a funicular that runs until 9 p.m.

Canada

shoot portions of his classic thriller, I Confess, onsite in 1953. It is truly one of the finest hotels we have stayed in. Not only is it beautiful but the service is simply perfect. They accomplish this by being incredibly friendly and not as formal as you might think. The staff certainly make guests feel welcome. The hotel also has an indoor pool and spa on the sixth floor.

Québec was founded by the French explorer Champlain in the early 17th century. It is the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts, together with the numerous bastions, gates and defensive works which still surround Old Québec. The Upper Town, built on the cliff, has remained the religious and administrative center, with its churches, convents and other monuments like the Dauphine Redoubt, the Citadel and Château Frontenac. Together with the Lower Town and its ancient districts, it forms an urban ensemble which is one of the best examples of a fortified colonial city.

It is a town well suited for what we enjoy which is lots of fresh air and being walkable. The lower section, which can be accessed by funicular or stairs is an incredible arts and crafts district. It was an area not being used except for parking at one time but two builders had a vision and raised the money to renovate the area. When the renovations were complete, they turned the buildings over to an area management district to offer lower rents to artists and to ensure that the items purchased are truly made in Canada. The lower part of the city makes for a great day to get close to the working parts of the river but also see many crafts at work and enjoy an excellent meal. The upper part of Old Quebec City is equally charming. Lots of churches and museums to see while strolling the streets. We are not much for shopping when we travel but from what I could tell the shops are more modern and full of recognizable brand merchandise. Having said that, I did make a purchase on an item due to the great exchange rate. Both Lisa and the shop owner encouraged me, so I caved quickly.

I felt that the restaurant choices were better in the upper part of the city but every place we ate was good. There were some highlights:

Champlain Restaurant – It is the fine dining restaurant inside the hotel. Most times, I skip eating at the hotel but the group of places to dine at Le Chateau Frontenac were exceptional. We picked Champlain for our anniversary night dinner. It is a set menu of the chef’s favorites with seasonal ingredients. A couple of the menu items Lisa could not enjoy due to her fish allergy, but the chef rose to the occasion and prepared an equally wonderful substitute. It was an outstanding meal served in small portion courses, which is perfect for us. The wine selection was outstanding as well.

1608 Bar – This is the main bar also located in the hotel. It is named after the year that the town of Quebec was founded. Wonderful cocktails with an excel-

From Page 11

lent selection of small plates which is perfect for the way we prefer to eat in the evening. We also like trying new cocktails and their menu is extensive. We enjoyed one of the many choices of charcuteries boards.1608 has a tremendous view of the river as well.

Le Saint-Amour - Founded in 1978 by Jacques Fortier and Jean-Luc Boulay, Le Saint-Amour has become a Quebec City institution that aims to be a figurehead for the influence of Quebec gastronomy, offering French haute cuisine inspired by fine local foods. Renowned chef Jean-Luc Boulay presides over the fantastic meal you will enjoy. We split the roasted lamb chops. They were unlike any lamb I have ever enjoyed. Lisa and our waiter gave me permission to dip the bread in the pan juices that are created from the roasting process.

Le Continental – This is one for the books folks and if you go, Le Continental is a must so make your reservations early. It will take you back in time. It is in the heart of Old Quebec, near the Château Frontenac, you can find a real institution since 1956. The restaurant Le Continental will charm you with its intimate places, with a personalized approach and culinary show.

Most of their menu is served table side. We enjoyed the Caesar salad, chateaubriand and cherries jubilee for dessert all requiring flamed up in front of us. It really took me back to when I was a kid, and my folks would let me order Steak Diane knowing full well that I just wanted to see the flambe at the table. The food was outstanding, but it was a fantastic show.

The Illy Café – It is a short walk from the hotel, like all the restaurants we enjoyed. The most notable item for Lisa on the menu was the Nutella hot chocolate. She is not a coffee drinker, and her wakeup call was this incredible drink every morning to get our walking started. The café owner let me watch him make it and I can now make it for her at home. My favorite was Nutella and banana crepe.

We found our fall weather with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the 50’s. The trees were just starting to turn and made great progress throughout the week we were there. The natives called it an extended summer, but we thought of it as fall. There was a day that got cooler, and we called that cold, but it was delightful for walking and seeing the city.

We hired a private guide for a walking tour the first day. It is well worth the expense and much recommended. It gave us so much information about the city and an idea of where things were. Our guide was a valuable source of information for the rest of our stay.

Old Quebec City stands on its own merits but is about as close to being in France as you can get without flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The people are friendly and helpful to visitors. Lots of art, music and wonderful food await your visit to Old Quebec City. Everybody speaks English but I did discover that my French is no better in Quebec then it is in France.

A few of the St. Lawrence river from the promenade that runs just outside of the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Old Quebec City, Canada.

A tense suspense drama that works

By George Gust

“The Good Nurse” follows Amy (Jessica Chastain) a compassionate nurse and single mother struggling with a life-threatening heart condition, is stretched to her physical and emotional limits by the hard and demanding night shifts at the ICU. But help arrives when Charlie (Eddie Redmayne), a thoughtful and empathetic fellow nurse, starts at her unit. But after a series of mysterious patient deaths sets off an investigation that points to Charlie as the prime suspect, Amy is forced to risk her life to uncover the truth.

Netflix has been known to have a certain onscreen look; a cinematography that needs to read on your 85-inch flatscreen as well as the small screen of your phone. “The Good Nurse” doesn’t leap off the screen with a subdued and sterile blue and grey visual pallet that can feel distracting at times but lends to the dark and menacing nature of the film.

“The Good Nurse” is a tense suspense drama that works on multiple levels. It vacillates effortlessly between an emotionally affecting human drama to an interesting procedural thriller and fi-

nally teetering on a tense horror film. And with all these elements this film could easily feel overstuffed, but only a few pacing issues in the third act hinder the overall experience. If anything, the film could have supported a longer running time to let some of the more procedural elements to breathe instead of feeling tacked on.

In terms of performance, Chastain and Redmayne bring the full weight of their movie-star acting personas and are the main attraction. Chastain is empathetic and believable, while Redmayne is

appropriately creepy while still bringing a good amount of likability as well. Redmayne has the unique ability to turn his character’s affability into a menace without becoming a caricature of a villain in an unsettling and effective way.

Overall, “The Good Nurse” is on the higher scale of Netflix movies and provides for a fantastic showcase for two of the better character actors Hollywood has to offer. The story of the film is unsettling and horrifying in a banal and creepy way that is effective in today’s obsession with true crime storytelling. There are suspenseful and creepy moments that can make for a tough watch for some people, but in terms of suspense filmmaking “The Good Nurse” delivers an effective movie experience.

“The Good Nurse” is rated R for language. Now available on Netflix.

3.9 out of 5 stars.

To reach George Gust for a comment on this review, please send an e-mail to him at this address gust.george@gmail.com

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FAI sets artists’s gallery opening

Join us at the Edmond Fine Arts Institute, 27 East Edwards, on Thursday, November 3rd from 5pm to 7pm for Behnaz Sohrabian’s Gallery Opening featuring her unique portraits and abstract paintings.

Born and educated in Tehran, Iran, Behnaz Sohrabian discovered her love of art, freedom and creative expression as a small child, developed a passion for painting and began her professional art career at the age of 10.

Behnaz has earned a B.S. in Applied Chemistry, a B.A. in Painting and a Master of Arts in Art Studies. After completing her Master’s degree she immigrated to the United States in 2010 and became a naturalized U.S. Citizen in 2017.

Looking back in time, Behnaz says, "I've realized how my art is a reflection of my life experiences. Which have been molded through my encounters with different people as well as locations and subject matters. Each leaving a good or bad mark in this overall journey called life!" For more information visit EdmondFineArts.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain star in a based on

livers the unsettling chills.

Increasing self-esteem

By Jamie Prisco-Rudolph M.A., LPC-C Edmond Family Counseling

In positive psychology, it has been theorized that individuals who know and utilize their personal strengths in their daily lives lead happier and more productive lives.

This is because they have a higher level of self-esteem and are more likely to complete their goals successfully. For those with a low sense of self-esteem, it can be difficult to discover ways to increase feelings of self-worth and accomplishment. Increasing overall self-esteem starts with identifying individual strengths, creating a daily or weekly strengths and qualities checklist, and designing a strength-based plan in order to ensure strengths are and skills are being utilized to accomplish personal goals.

The first step to increasing self-esteem is to familiarize yourself with your personal strengths and capabilities, also known as strength-spotting.  Begin the strength spotting activity by asking some questions such as “What am I good at?”, “What do I enjoy doing?”, and “What are some areas in my life where I feel successful?”  This can be achieved by creating a list of activities that provide joy and fulfillment in daily life. This list may include activities such as playing basketball, cleaning, or painting. After identifying tasks that are enjoyable, consider what skills are needed to accomplish these tasks. If someone is good at basketball, that means that they are athletic and coordinated. Someone that likes to clean would be considered organized whereas someone that likes to paint would be considered creative. By identifying enjoyable tasks, it is easy to identify personal strengths.

Another way to increase self-esteem is to complete a daily or weekly strength and quality check-in. For a daily checklist, create a self-esteem journal using some prompts designed to focus on strengths and completing tasks. Each day, try and answer two or three of the prompts; this will help when working on the weekly check-in. Some daily prompts to answer include:

I felt proud today when… Today I accomplished… Something I did well today… A positive thing I did for someone else was…

Today I had fun when…

I had a positive experience with… For a weekly check-in, create a list to reflect on times during the week that

personal strengths, skills, and qualities were utilized. Some examples of things to consider when making this list include:

Compliments I have received

Times I have helped others

Challenges I have overcome Tasks I have completed at work/school or at home

Things I am good at Times I felt happy or accomplished

When making this check-in list, try to think of at least three examples for each category. This will make it easier to identify the strengths and skills being used daily to accomplish tasks. Completing this daily and weekly list will serve as a reminder you are using your personal strengths to complete tasks, even if the tasks seem small or not that substantial.

Creating a strength-use plan is another way to increase personal self-esteem. In a strength-use plan, focus on how personal strengths impact personal relationships, tasks at school or work, and feelings of personal fulfillment.

When picking which strengths to focus on, make sure to target strengths that are likely to be used throughout the week. Different strengths will help you in different areas of your life throughout the week! Once the strengths have been selected, identify two or three times where one of the selected strengths will help with personal relationships. If kindness is the selected strength, an example could be helping a friend move to a new apartment or talking to a friend after they had a bad day at work. Next, identify how another strength will help at a job or at school. If being organized is the chosen skill, an example could be updating a calendar with assignments that are due that week or cleaning out your inbox from your work email. At face value, these small tasks that are completed throughout the day may not seem like much, but remember, every goal that is accomplished serves as an example of your individual strengths and skills. At the end of the week, refer to the plan to see how many times you used your personal strengths to help you complete personal goals and tasks.

Increasing overall self-esteem can be achieved in a few simple steps. By assessing personal strengths, keeping up with a strength check list, and creating plans designed to enhance these strengths, a higher sense of self-esteem and self-worth is within your reach!

Jamie Prisco-Rudulph, M.A., LPC-C is a staff therapist and Intern Coordinator at Edmond Family Counseling. We may be reached at 405-341-3554.

Jamie

Stay balanced with fitness over the holidays

By Brian Attebery

November is here! I love the fall. Cool weather brings in a fireplace, my favorite hoodie and of course ... hot cocoa. November also starts the season of holiday weight gain that occurs for most Americans. Some polls indicate that Americans expect to gain around eoght pounds during the holiday season. A September 2016 article from The New England Journal of Medicine found that most pack on only 1 pound during that time.

I have been a trainer for 25 years and a gym over for 19 years. I think the number may be somewhere in between for most people. In addition, if you quit working out and eat more during the holidays, your “weight” gain may not be a true reflection of your body fat gain. If you lose muscle from lack of exercise while gaining more fat, your actual “weight” gain may not be that significant. For example, if you find out through a body fat analysis test that you gained 5 pounds of fat and lost 2 pounds of muscle, you may only appear to have gained 3 pounds due to the 2 pounds of “weight” loss from the muscle. I would rather you keep the muscle by continuing to exercise even if you are not eating as well as you should be.

Holidays are an example of how we let our mentality and environment influence our behaviors and habits. During the summer, I see people fall of their fitness wagon due to heat. During the colder holiday periods, I see people fall off due to the cold. Hey folks. This isn’t 1850. We have central heat and air conditioning in most gyms. The worst part is the drive from your house or work to the gym. You can make it happen!

Our schedules can be a challenge when we are planning for guests, shopping, and travel. Yes, these are legitimate challenges. This is when I remind my clients that you should not have a “5th Gear” or “park” mentality. Many people think they need to go full force, 100 mph or not at all. Sometimes you need to recognize that your schedule and life may not lend itself to a record setting, marathon workout. Sometimes maintaining is a good goal. If you normally do 45 mins on the treadmill, perhaps you try only 20 mins but at a different level of speed or incline to make more of the 20 mins you can devote. Maybe you typically lift weights 5 days per week but now, the idea is overwhelming. Switch to 3 days per week or shorten the workouts you do normally 5 days per week by increasing the intensity but shaving down some of the volume. Little things like using the machines that utilize pins versus having to load and unload free weights will save you time.

We can’t talk abouthHoliday weight gain without mentioning food. Food is always the biggest factor. Even if your exercise program is identical, you can over eat it. I think it is important to recognize how little things add up to big things. Sugary drinks, alcoholic beverages and deserts that are common right now may be something you are doing more than usual. Try to be aware of them and cut back on other carbs to make up for your extras right now. If you have a party coming up on Friday night, eat light on Thursday and Friday day. It will limit your overeating impact of the Friday night party.

I always want to remind people to make fitness a lifestyle and not a fad. I also think it is important to live life. We need to enjoy life and have breaks, parties, and pastries sometimes too! It is all about balance. Get your workouts in for physical and mental health but have a glass of wine and sugar cookie on occasion too. Enjoy your families and take a deep breath. Life is short. Make the most of it.

(Brian Attebery is a Degreed/Certified Trainer. He owns and operates Results Fitness and Nutrition Center, L.L.C. in Edmond. www.resultsfitnessusa.com)

Attebery

‘I always want to remind people to make fitness a lifestyle and not a fad. I also think it is important to live life. We need to enjoy life and have breaks.’

Brian Attebery

Singer helps raise $665K for OMRF

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation raised $665,000 from an event Sunday featuring a concert by country singer-songwriter and 14-time Grammy Award-winner Emmylou Harris. Proceeds will support medical research at the Oklahoma City nonprofit.

Coupled with a wine and food festival, Harris’ performance headlined the foundation’s annual “241” fundraiser – two events for one great cause.

This was OMRF’s ninth year to hold the benefit since 2012. Cumulatively those events have raised more than $5.9 million for medical research at the foundation. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, this was the foundation’s f2irst 241 since 2019. Traditionally it also has included a golf tournament, a component that is expected to return in 2023.

Funds raised will go toward the recruitment and retention of scientists, aiding the foundation’s efforts to bring the best and the brightest in science to Oklahoma. Proceeds from past events have supported research in cancer, heart attack and stroke, multiple sclerosis and diseases of aging.

“Our scientists work in areas that will impact every family. Events like 241 ensure that this critical research keeps advancing for when each of us needs it most,” said OMRF President Andrew Weyrich, Ph.D. “Oklahomans come together for causes that matter.”

Honorary co-chairs for this year’s 241 were LaRue and Bill Stoller. Judy Hatfield and Meg Salyer served as sponsorship co-chairs. For more information about 241, visit www.omrf.org/241.

Grand Opening noted for Ministries of Jesus

Ministries of Jesus recently held a ribbon cutting with the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce to celebrate their grand opening at 1100 E I-35 Frontage Rd.

A team of church members began seeking, praying, and planning. After 10 months, it was time for ministry to begin and the Ministries of Jesus medical clinic opened in 2001. In 2005, the counseling component was added, providing services for a need much greater than anticipated. In 2009, the dental clinic opened, addressing the connection between good oral health and good physical health. At an evening service a young man wandered in off the street looking for a place of comfort and stumbled into a testimony night about addiction. Afterward, the man

handed a pastor his needle and shared about his addiction and need for help.

With that, God made it clear this was the missing piece at MOJ and in 2009, the recovery ministry began.

During 2020-2021, MOJ embarked on a Campaign for Restoring Hope.

This comprehensive campaign raised $1.5 million for renovation and expansion and an additional $2 million for additional staffing needs over the next few years. God provided in amazing ways and within two years (during the pandemic and difficult economic times), the entire $3.5 million had been raised! All services at MOJ can now double capacity, restoring more hope, to more people in need.

Welcome Early Insurance Agency

Michelle Early Insurance Agency recently held a ribbon cutting with the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce to celebrate their anniversary at 17342 N. May Ave.

Farmers Insurance Agency specializing in Life Insurance, and helping customers identify the insurance coverage that best fits your needs. This process is straightforward and personalized to help make you smarter about insurance. Michelle has over

20 years of knowledge and experience to help better your understanding of coverage options.

With serving the Edmond community she works with neighborhoods like Rose Creek, The Grove, Muirfield Village, Regency Parke, and Valencia. Providing a wide range of options including auto, home, life, business insurance and so much more.

For more information, visit earlyinsuranceagency.com

To learn more about Ministries of Jesus, visit www.moj.com

Singer Emmylou Harris

Grace Allen Design recently held a ribbon cutting with the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce to celebrate their grand opening at 1800 S Boulevard.

While the scope of their projects varies, comprehensive home window treatment design services is the sweet spot. Whether you are a homeowner or interior designer, if you want a dedicated

window treatment professional to walk alongside you, they are here to help. They evaluate not only your interior aesthetic goals, but consider light, heat, view and exterior harmony when formulating a window treatment design plan for your space.

To learn more about Grace Allen Design, visit graceallendesign.com.

Hi and Lois

Shoe

Zits

Family Circus

Beetle Baily

Blondie

Hägar the Horrible

Grand opening for Grace Allen Design

A warm welcome to Grace Allen Design

Program to feed kids raises more than $1 million

The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma's Food for Kids Match has raised more than $1 million to fight childhood hunger in central and western Oklahoma. The Food for Kids Match was made possible thanks to the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma, Mark and Beth Brewer, Chesapeake Energy, David Gorham, Energy Transfer, David and Lezlie Hudiburg, Dolese Bros and Marathon Oil. KOCO News 5 partnered with the Regional Food Bank to promote the match with special programming dedicated to fighting childhood hunger in Oklahoma.

"No child should ever have to face hunger. We feel incredibly blessed to have such passionate support from our sponsors, media partners and everyday Oklahomans who are willing to pitch-in and help put meals on the table for children in our state," said Stacy Dykstra, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank.

The Food for Kids Match kicked off in August and ran through September. Every donation made was matched, up to $265,000, thanks to donations from the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma, Mark and Beth Brewer, Chesapeake Energy, David Gorham, Energy Transfer, David and Lezlie Hudiburg, Dolese Bros and Marathon Oil.

“Good nutrition has a positive impact on student performance, and we want every student to learn and perform to the fullest extent of their potential," said John Logan, executive director of the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma. “We hope our support of the Food for Kids Programs will help these students become successful adults who will help build better communities.”

In total, the Food for Kids Match raised

$1,005,482 for the Regional Food Bank's Food for Kids Programs. Feeding America projects that Oklahoma has the highest rate of very low food security among children in the United States. The Food for Kids Programs are the most expensive programs offered through the Regional Food Bank, costing more than $4 million a year to operate.

For the first time in 2022, KOCO joined the Regional Food Bank as the official broadcast partner of the Food for Kids Match featuring the Food for Kids Programs and highlighting the match during newscasts throughout the month. KOCO employ-

ees also volunteered in Hope's Kitchen, the Regional Food Bank's production kitchen, during the match to help create meals for the Food for Kids Programs.

“We’re thrilled to have expanded our partnership with the Regional Food Bank with the Food for Kids Match this year. Our viewers are the best, and we can always depend on them to recognize the need and donate all they can,” said Brent Hensley, president and general manager of KOCO 5. “For our team at KOCO 5, it’s an honor for us to help Oklahomans in need”.