The Edmond Way of Honoring Veterans

These renderings, produced by Beck Design and SWA Group, are preliminary concepts for the proposed veterans memorial project and are subject to some modifications.

By Amy Dee Stephens

The Edmond Way of Honoring Veterans

Military veterans have been part of Edmond’s population since its founding. Some of the original homesteaders were former Civil War and MexicanAmerican War soldiers. Edmond’s college students have been heavily recruited for every major conflict, and Edmond’s location near Tinker Air Force Base and the National Guard headquarters has resulted in an on-going military presence in Edmond in recent times.

Although 10 individual statues pay tribute to the military services, citizens have long discussed building a substantial memorial in Edmond; a destination honoring all branches, in wartime and in peace. So, in June 2018, an advisory group was formed, comprised of both military and non-military citizens. This committee began to grapple with the monumental task of designing a monument--one that felt right for Edmond.

“The late mayor, Charles Lamb, said that he hoped the veteran’s memorial would pay tribute to Edmond veterans, and do it in an Edmond way,” said Natalie Evans, City of Edmond representative on the task force.

Uniquely Edmond

But what makes the memorial uniquely Edmond? After two years of engaging with citizens across Edmond, a clear consensus emerged: Edmond does not want a lot of concrete!

First, Edmondites want something more than just a wall etched with names. Instead, interactive technology in a covered plaza will list the names of people who have served. It can be searched, and it can be updated. “If there’s a different conflict, which it seems there will always be, then that can be added,” said Casey Tarp of Beck Architecture, the firm hired to design the memorial.

Second, Edmondites do not want a concrete-paved park. They prefer to pay homage to the nature and walking trails of the existing Bickham-Rudkin Park at 33rd and Boulevard, the location designated for the memorial.

“It’s a beautiful park, and based on feedback, we are keeping the memorial to a minimal amount of paving,” Tarp said. “We’ve kept the original trails, and we’ve only added 1.6% concrete paving to the entire project.”

Flags, Flowers and Blackberries

The design, which will not affect the current dog park, includes a few simple pieces: a flag plaza, gathering pavilion, a history walk that includes panels of Edmond’s military story, and a Heroes Journey path that meanders through a grove of trees. Each trail leads to the lake’s edge and a new fishing dock. “We want the park to be experienced in all seasons. We’re retaining the naturalness of the park; enhancing the perennial gardens and keeping the wildflower meadow and blackberry bushes,” Tarp said. “We plan to add over 200 new trees, planted like a regimented row of soldiers.”

“There are thousands of veteran parks around the country, but this one will be uniquely Edmond,” said Mustafa Koprucu, a veteran on the committee. “We’ve engaged Edmond historians to tell, not only the story of the enlisted men and women, but also the citizens who stay home.”

Mayor Darrell Davis, who served on the Parks and Recreation Board for 15 years, applauds the work of the citizen-led committee so far. “It pays homage to our veterans and to the natural attributes of that location. And we’re keeping the blackberry bushes—so I can still have pies.”

“We’ve planned areas of quiet and formality, and areas to gather within the park,” Tarp said. “Our concept is not a morgue, it’s a place of celebration, of gathering, and of Edmond history.”

It will be uniquely Edmond.

To learn more, visit www.edmondok.com/vets

By Amy Dee Stephens

Jude’s Joy of Dancing

Jude Flurry dances with a nimble precision that impresses audiences. His fancy footwork of Irish tap steps and kicks draws the eye, but the genuine smile on his face is equally captivating.

Jude began Irish dancing in Edmond at the age of six, joining some friends and his sister, Vienna. In Jude’s teen years, he spent five years in the United Kingdom training under John Carey, a world-renowned dancer who was in the first Riverdance cast – the most iconic Irish dance production of all time. Now, nineteen-year-old Jude has a stellar track record of leading roles and competitive awards. Within the first year of working with Carey, Jude moved from twentieth place in the World Championship to third place, and he has also placed in the top ten in almost every major Irish Dance competition.

Jude returned to Edmond in 2019 to attend college, and the rest of his family followed shortly. Jude reunited with many of his former dancing friends—and the idea for a show emerged. What about a Riverdance-style performance highlighting the talents of this crew of young dancers who grew up training together?

Jude’s parents and another dancer’s father developed the storyline about Irish dancing through the millennia, calling it Celtic Throne. They asked Brian Byrne, a Golden Globenominated composer to write the musical score. Next, Jude, Vienna and their cousin Alexa Turgeon each choreographed the different dance numbers and began teaching them the cast, whose ages range from four to twenty-one.

Covid-19 delayed production nearly a year, but the cast spent time perfecting the show, costumes and lighting. Celtic Throne is now nearing the end of an 11-show tour of the southwest, with the final show at Armstrong Theater in Edmond on July 11th. Audience reaction is a driving force for all the dancers, but Jude, who is the lead in the show, particularly enjoys connecting with the people he is entertaining. “It’s especially satisfying when the audience erupts into cheers, and it’s a number you’ve choreographed yourself.”

According to Shane Granger, one of the show’s publicists, Jude is not only a talented dancer, he’s a 4.0 student, he’s an accomplished piano player, and he’s humble. “Much of an Irish dancer’s life is spent in isolation, either practicing, traveling, or competing in front of a judge. The fact that Jude has worked with his friends to create an artform that thousands of people can enjoy is uniquely special.”

Jude loves being on tour. “All my closest friends are in the show, and we all treat each other like family – even the ones I’m not related to. We worked together to create a cohesive show that works, because we are all dancing together,” Jude said. “We get on a bus, go to a hotel room and head to a theater to do our job—and it’s really fun!”