THE BEST OF THE BEST 2016 VOTING OPENS DECEMBER 1 AT WWW.OKMAG.COM! DECEMBER 2015
12
STYLISH
OKLAHOMANS
ON WHAT INSPIRES THEM INCLUDING OKLAHOMA CITY
THUNDER’S
2015
REASOR’S CEO JEFF REASOR On building the family business
ANTHONY MORROW
OKLAHOMA’S
NEWEST
PLANNED
COMMUNITY
LUXURY LIVING
in the Sooner State
Red Ribbon Gala Returns
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Features December
2015 Oklahoma Magazine Vol. XIX, No. 12
48 Great Companies to Work For
This fifth annual survey of companies who offer employees great benefits and incentives includes 34 businesses and organizations headquartered in Oklahoma. We also chat with Jeff Reasor, the CEO of Reasor’s Foods, a more-than-50-yearold company that has changed the grocery game in northeast Oklahoma.
74 People with Style
An Ideal Spot to Land
Oklahoma’s newest resort town is Carlton Landing, a storybook community tucked into a small cove on the shores of Lake Eufaula. The new township –incorporated in late 2013 – is the brainchild of town founder and Oklahoma City developer Grant Humphreys and his family.
DECEMBER 2015
82 The Wants You Need Luxury brands are easier than ever to come by in Oklahoma. From clothing and food to cars and homes, find out where to find those extra-special items that cost a pretty penny.
Special Section 89 Senior Living Facilities 2
OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
expanded articles and stories that don’t appear in the print edition.
12
STYLISH
OKLAHOMANS
ON WHAT INSPIRES THEM INCLUDING OKLAHOMA CITY
THUNDER’S
2015
REASOR’S CEO JEFF REASOR On building the family business
ANTHONY MORROW
OKLAHOMA’S
NEWEST
PLANNED
COMMUNITY
LUXURY LIVING
in the Sooner State december cover 2015.indd 4
Want some more? Visit us online. MORE GREAT ARTICLES: Read
THE BEST OF THE BEST 2016 VOTING OPENS DECEMBER 1 AT WWW.OKMAG.COM! December 2015
Meet 12 Oklahomans who have great taste. From classic styles to offbeat fashion, with inspirations like Kanye West, Gwen Stefani and Jackie O, these individuals know what it means to make a statement.
68 Red Ribbon Gala Returns 11/11/15 5:01 PM
ON THE COVER: OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER PLAYER ANTHONY MORROW IS ONE OF 12 OKLAHOMANS FEATURED IN THIS YEAR’S PEOPLE WITH STYLE.
PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS
MORE PHOTOS:
View expanded Scene, Fashion, Taste and Entertainment galleries.
MORE EVENTS: The online calendar of events includes even more great Oklahoma events.
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ALL THINGS OKLAHOMA
27
13 The State
Two amateur collectors made the discovery of a lifetime, the result of which would lead them on a fight to preserve the dinosaur bones that belonged to the people and the land of southeastern Oklahoma. Acrocanthosaurus atokensis (dubbed “ACRO” by paleontologists) was named the official state dinosaur of Oklahoma in 2005 and put a small museum in Idabel on the map.
16 18 20 22 24
Happening People OK Then Sport The Insider
27 Life & Style
Surviving those holiday get-togethers becomes easier with a proper understanding of table manners and etiquette. We talk to two experts about the dos and don’ts to make holiday dinners more bearable.
30 32 36 40 42 44 46
Art Living Space Style Destination Your Health Scene Spotlight
13
95 Taste
Provision Kitchen provides Oklahoma City residents another option for healthy cuisine on the go.
96 To Your Health 98 What We’re Eating 100 Sweet Tooth
103 Entertainment
Downtown Oklahoma City transforms into a winter wonderland this month as Devon Energy brings back Downtown in December, a celebration of the holiday season.
104 In Tulsa/In OKC 106 Calendar of Events
112 In Person
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
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103
Thank you for trusting us with your healthcare. From the day Saint Francis Hospital opened in 1960, we have been committed to one mission: to extend the presence and healing ministry of Christ in all we do. His caring is the model for how we serve patients, families and each other in Tulsa and the surrounding areas. Over the decades, we have expanded and adapted to the growing needs of the region and to ongoing changes in the healthcare industry. Thank you to the physicians, nurses, employees and volunteers for their dedication to serving patients and for making the mission of Saint Francis a reality.
saintfrancis.com
OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA PRESIDENT AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR DANIEL SCHUMAN
OKLAHOMA
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WELCOME TO MY WORLD
In the lead role: John Travolta, movie legend and aviation aficionado. Guest star: the legendary North American X-15 that smashed all speed and altitude records and opened the gateway to space. Production: Breitling, the privileged partner of aviation thanks to its reliable, accurate and innovative instruments – such as the famous Chronomat, the ultimate chronograph. Welcome to a world of legends, feats and performance.
CHRONOMAT 44
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
T
“
hey don’t have to match. They blend.” My mother often reminds me of this line, which I uttered when I was a second-grader and attempting to justify wearing five different shades of pink in one outfit, when we are shopping or telling fun, “Remember when?” stories. This was in the late 1980s, when floral harem pants worn with matching vests were in style. It was a time of perms, hair spray and bows to match every outfit. This memory is what I consider my first “fashion moment.” Good or bad, it is my first remembrance of caring about what I wore and backing it up with questionable assertions. We put a question to each of our 12 individuals featured in “People With Style,” (p. 74): “What was your first ‘fashion moment?’” The answers, each very entertaining, range from discovering bowties (Charlie Zeeck) to watching a Bjork video on MTV (Samantha Ruble) to the realization that “fashion” and “style” are two completely different concepts (Don Daniel). Style is something that we all have. Good
or bad, casual or glammed up, we utilize style to dictate how we present ourselves to the world. The 12 Oklahomans featured in “People With Style” definitely have their own stylish looks and approaches to life. And thankfully, I’ve moved beyond pairing multiple shades of pink in an outfit. Also in this issue: Our fifth annual “Great Companies To Work For” listing (p. 48) highlights employers in Oklahoma that provide a wonderful work environment and excellent benefits to company employees. CEOs of the companies recognized know much about providing a great work environment; in a conversation with Reasor’s Foods CEO Jeff Reasor, we discuss the benefits, challenges and advantages of expanding a family-run business while still providing a great work environment for thousands of employees. Most of the companies included this year have plans of hiring in 2016; if you’re in the job market, keep an eye on these “Great Companies To Work For,” and maybe you’ll be able to join a recognized top-notch work environment in the new year. Jami Mattox Managing Editor
AT A YOUNG AGE CHARLIE ZEECK HAS MANGAGED TO CREATE HIS OWN SIGNATURE STYLE. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS
OKLAHOMAN OF THE YEAR
Plenty of Oklahomans work hard each year to make this state a better place. Help us honor them as a 2016 Oklahoman of the Year. Advertising opportunities available. Contact advertising@okmag.com Call 918.744.6205
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA 11/8/15 12:20 PM
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Elephant Trunk Luggage and Gift Store’s Shane Lewis stops by to give readers a few tips on the most efficient ways to pack a suitcase. Learn how to utilize the maximum amount of space in your suitcase, get tips on important items to pack and discover the best brands in suitcases and travel bags.
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Voting for Oklahoma Magazine’’s The Best of the Best opens December 1.
They’ve Got Style View expanded photo galleries of all 12 of our People With Style at okmag. com.
BY CASTING A BALLOT, YOU HAVE A VOICE IN THE YEAR’S MOST ANTICIPATED ISSUE.
VISIT OKMAG.COM
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
Planning a holiday lights tour with the family? At okmag.com, view an interactive map of the must-see light displays around the state.
11/8/15 12:03 PM
Patient-Centered Cancer Care
OKLAHOMANS NO LONGER NEED TO TRAVEL OUT OF state to receive world-class cancer care. The Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma provides cancer care teams that are redefining patient-centered care in a new state-of-the-art facility.
As nationally recognized leaders in research and patient care, experts at the Stephenson Cancer Center are exploring new treatments and breakthroughs with advanced research and clinical trials right here at home.
The Stephenson Cancer Center annually ranks among the top five cancer centers in the nation for patients participating in National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trials, and it is one of 30 designated lead cancer 800 NE 10th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73104
centers in the Institute’s National Clinical Trials Network.
Phone (405) 271-6822 Fax (405) 271-5797 stephensoncancercenter.org
The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
Jane Elterman Lung cancer patient at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® and LUNG FORCE Hero
THE SIGNS OF LUNG CANCER
As dangerous as lung cancer can be, it is treatable and survivable. MORE THAN 400,000 PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER ARE ALIVE TODAY.4 Your best chances of successfully fighting lung cancer start with early detection. To learn more about lung cancer screening, visit LUNGCANCERSCREENINGSAVESLIVES.ORG. WARNING SIGNS If you experience any of the following symptoms, see your doctor right away:
A COUGH THAT DOESN’T GO AWAY, OR COUGHING UP BLOOD
What every woman should know about
LUNG CANCER Yes, lung cancer. Many women are concerned about breast cancer. But did you know: LUNG CANCER IS THE CANCER KILLER OF WOMEN1
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IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED Education is empowering, so learn about your type and stage of lung cancer and the latest treatment options. Find a team of experts with whom you feel comfortable, one that will take the time to answer all of your questions and explain the alternatives. And don’t delay.
LET’S STOP LUNG CANCER! #ShareYourVoice. To donate or learn more, visit LUNGFORCE.ORG.
LUNG CANCER HAS INCREASED AMONG WOMEN SINCE 1978 3
98%
While women are more likely to develop breast cancer, lung cancer is far more dangerous. It can strike anyone, at any age, even if they have never smoked.
CTCA is proud to support LUNG FORCE by the American Lung Association.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) is a national network of five hospitals that offer an integrative approach to care that combines advancements in genomic testing and precision cancer treatment, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, with nutritional counseling, naturopathic medicine, mind-body therapy and spiritual support to enhance quality of life while reducing side effects both during and after treatment. Consistently rated among U.S. hospitals that deliver the highest quality of care and patient experience, CTCA® provides patients and their families with comprehensive information about their treatment options and encourages their active participation in treatment decisions. Learn more at cancercenter.com or call 800-333-CTCA. References: 1. cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/women.htm 2. lungforce.org/womens-lung-health-barometer-infographic
UNEXPLAINED RECURRING SHORTNESS INFECTIONS SUCH OF BREATH OR AS BRONCHITIS WHEEZING OR PNEUMONIA
3. U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute: SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1973-2011 4. lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html
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The State
ALL THINGS OKLAHOMA
addition of a complete cast of the fossil to Idabel’s Museum of the Red River put a small, ethnographic museum in southeastern Oklahoma on the map. “It’s been a great boon for the museum. It tripled our attendance the first year, and we’ve consistently doubled the attendance since before ACRO,” says Henry Moy, the museum’s Quintus H. Herron Director. What those kids found in 1982 was a fossilized bone jutting out of the riverbank. They knew they had a fossil of something, but a fossil of what? It stumped local experts. It was eventually sent to the University of Oklahoma, where it was positively identified as ACRO. Word got out.
SID LOVE AND CEPHIS HALL UNEARTHED THE DISCOVERY OF A LIFETIME IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. PHOTOS COURTESY MUSEUM OF THE RED RIVER.
The Dinosaur No One Wanted
The Tall Tale of ACRO
Two amateur collectors made the discovery of a lifetime in the ‘80s, the result of which would lead them on a fight to preserve the dinosaur bones that belonged to the people and the land of southeastern Oklahoma.
S
ome kids go fishing at a river in McCurtain County in 1982. Acrocanthosaurus atokensis (dubbed “ACRO” by paleontologists) is named the official state dinosaur of Oklahoma in 2005.
The story that lies between these two events belongs in a book, and it’s spawned at least two. The tale of the recovery of the most complete ACRO fossil found to date is riddled with anecdotes, rumors and half-truths, but one thing’s for certain: The
Cephis Hall, a log-cutter and amateur geologist with no college education who resided in Broken Bow, couldn’t believe the news. Hall had been looking for “the big one” all his life. As a kid in school, he didn’t play sports. There was no baseball, basketball or football for him. There were rocks and fossils. They were his thing, and he spent all of his free time collecting them. He checked out the site for himself. After a lot of digging, he came up with a leg bone. He brought in his partner, Sid Love, another amateur anthropologist, to take a look. They reached the conclusion that there was more to be found. “He was just really excited. He couldn’t wait to get back down there and go digging more, and when he found his first bone, he called his partner, Sid Love, in,” recalls Joyce Hall, Cephis’s widow. “They started working on it. They’d cut logs from five in the morning until six in the evening, and then they’d work on the weekends, anytime they could. He just kept after it. He didn’t let up. He kept on until he got the last piece.” They worked on the sly, fearing that amateurs, if they heard about the dig, might want to take a look themselves and contaminate the site. It was crucial to both Hall and Love that ACRO be extracted as professionally as possible, and the techniques they used were those of trained paleontologists. It was done with shovels, picks and equipment occasionally loaned to them by a local company. Professors at OU were aware of the find but showed no interest in committing university resources to the dig. “No one has ever questioned the quality of DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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The State
work that Cephis and Sid did in terms of the excavation,” says Moy. They excavated at great personal risk. At one point, they found themselves crawling through a horizontal hole 12 feet under unstable ground. It could have collapsed at any time. But the risk paid off, especially when they found the skull. It was a success that expert paleontologists around the nation had told them they’d never achieve. The enormity of their undertaking can’t be overstated. Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, meaning “high-spined lizard found in Atoka” (where the first ACRO bones were unearthed in 1940), was the largest carnivorous predator of its time. It was 40 feet long and weighed in at seven tons, slightly smaller than the much younger Tyrannosaurus rex. Some of the bone packets extracted by Hall and Love weighed a half-ton. The excavation took three years, from 1983 to 1986. “The most exciting thing was that he was told by professors that he would never find the skull,” says Hall. “You’d have to know my husband to know that you don’t say ‘never’ to him. When he found that skull, and he called one of the professors and told him, ‘Well, Doc, I’ve found that skull,’ the phone just went dead. Cephis thought he’d hung up on him. Cephis sent him some Polaroids, and that professor went berserk. That’s the first one ever to be found.” After a legal battle, won by Hall and Love, with the corporation that owned the land where the bones were found, the fossil found its way to the University of Texas to be prepared. But the university lacked the technology. Building a new lab would cost millions, dollars that the university wasn’t willing to pay. But the school held the bones, unwilling to return them to Hall and Love.
A Theft, And Salvation
Hall traveled to the university to get his bones back. He was told they’d get to it, eventually. But eventually never happened, and Hall burgled the lab in Austin to remove the bones. The theft set off a dragnet. The Texas Rangers, in cooperation with the Oklahoma State Police, went on a dinosaur hunt. Hall’s house was searched. His son’s house was searched. Other locations were searched. But an army of cops couldn’t find the dinosaur. Hall had taken the bones to Arkansas, where they were held by a distant relative. Eventually, things settled down, ownership was resolved, and Hall and Love had their dinosaur back. Hall then sent the bones to the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research in Hill City, S.D., the best fossil preparation lab in the country. A series of sales took place, with Hall and Love getting $50,000 for their find.
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
MEASUREMENT OF AN ACRO BONE AT THE SITE.
PHOTOS COURTESY MUSEUM OF THE RED RIVER.
The bones ended up at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, where overeager friends of the museum purchased the bones without doing their research. ACRO had never been traced to North Carolina, but the museum wanted an impressive centerpiece for a new facility. They got one – at a cost of $3 million, the second highest price ever paid for dinosaur bones. “[The paleontological significance of this find] is that it was the most complete Acrocanthosaurus found to date. It still remains the most complete. It gave us an understanding of the skeleton that was better than what we had,” says Kenneth Carpenter, director of the Utah State University Eastern Prehistoric Museum and author of Acrocanthosaurus: Inside and Out. Along the way, Hall and Love had been promised a complete cast of ACRO. It was delivered and sat in a barn for two years, unassembled. Meanwhile, the citizens of McCurtain County were getting a bit rowdy. The bones were found in McCurtain County, they said, and should be displayed there. The only exhibiting facility within a 200-mile radius was the Museum of the Red River. The museum posed to the community a simple challenge. Raise $50,000 and we’ll take care of the rest. The clamor, says Moy, came primarily from local school kids and their teachers. The kids went trick-or-treating with milk cartons with pictures of ACRO on them. Bake sales and cake walks were held. There were rummage sales. School kids collected spare change, and the museum
has photos of red wagons full of coins being pulled to the local banks where the hauls could be counted. The coin counters at both local banks were broken by the sheer volume of change. And at the end of the day, with more community donations and matching funds, the kids didn’t raise $50,000; the kids raised $154,000. The museum lived up to its end of the deal, contributing another $500,000 (and, over the years, more) to erect a building to hold the cast. A team from the Black Hills Institute was brought in to articulate and assemble the cast. The full story of the McCurtain County ACRO can be found in Russell Ferrell’s Acrocanthosaurus – The Bones of Contention, The True Story of Cephis Hall and Sid love The Arkansas Hillbilly and the Choctaw Indian Who Outsmarted the Corporation and Saved the Dinosaur. Joyce Hall swears to its accuracy. In 2004, the museum led the charge to have ACRO named the state dinosaur. It was blocked the first year by Norman legislators whose Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History held the official state fossil, Aurophaganax maximus. But in 2005, the legislature passed the measure despite opposition, and ACRO was named the official state dinosaur of Oklahoma. Today, there are more than 20,000 pieces of art at the Museum of the Red River. Only one is a dinosaur. But it’s a big one, and it’s worth seeing. PAUL FAIRCHILD
The State
HAPPENING
OKLAHOMA’S 2015 CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT
Friends of the Mansion, an Oklahoma City-based nonprofit aimed at preserving and improving the historic Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion, has announced the 2015 Oklahoma Christmas ornament. This year’s ornament is a replica of the capitol building that celebrates the Capitol project and effort to relight the dome. The ornament will be a great addition to Christmas trees all over Oklahoma and is the 19th annual ornament that Friends of the Mansion has issued. The sale of the 2015 ornament benefits Friends of the Mansion and the preservation and improvement of the Governor’s Mansion.To purchase a 2015 ornament or learn more about Friends of the Mansion, visit www.fomok.org.
NEW FINDINGS ON DIET SODA
The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) has released the findings of a University of Illinois study linking diet soda consumption to an increased intake of foods loaded with cholesterol, fat, sodium and sugar. Study results show there is no scientific evidence that diet drinks increase the cravings for these type foods; individuals may use them to justify having that large order of fries, an extra piece of cake or another slice of pizza. While consumers of diet beverages take in fewer calories overall, the research indicates that the majority of people will replace those calories with junk food. People reach for diet drinks because they think it’s healthier, but the rest of their food choices may be extremely poor. The study suggests that switching to diet drinks is not necessarily a path to successful weight loss, and may, in fact, contribute to a new problem.
A NEW ADVENTURE
Oklahoma City’s Lake Overholser recently celebrated the grand opening of the new Riversport Adventure Park located in the Boathouse District on its east shore. A project of the OKC Boathouse Foundation, the new park includes the renovation of two existing boathouses and the addition of adventure activities that include a free fall experience, zip line, extreme swing and climbing wall, as well as kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and pedal boats. The park was made possible through a $1 million gift by The Ann Lacy Foundation. The Lake Overholser boathouse has both indoor and outdoor spaces and boasts an interactive fitness area. The Kayak Café inside the boathouse will offer coffee, smoothies and snacks. The Stroud House boathouse now features the addition of a covered deck known as the Lacy Landing. The facilities are available for rent for private The Price Tower Arts Center’s New Year’s parties or corporate retreats. Eve Olive Drop celebration in Bartlesville returns for its 11th year and invites you to ring in the New Year by attending one of the most unusual New Year’s traditions in the country. The celebration inside the Price Tower Arts Center runs from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., and will include a dance party, hors d’oeuvres, live According to a recent study from music, a front row view of the Olive Drop SmartAsset, a New York financial ceremony and a complimentary glass of technology company, Oklahoma City champagne. Just before midnight, an enorand Tulsa rank tops in Oklahoma when mous Styrofoam olive weighing roughly 40 it comes to managing debt. The study pounds will begin a 55-second, 15-story detook into consideration four factors: scent into 2016, landing in a seven-foot-tall credit score, average personal loan martini glass at the base of the skyscraper, debt, credit utilization and mortgage which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. foreclosure rates at the city level. The “drop” itself will take place outside and is open to the public at no cost.
WHO’S BEST AT DEBT?
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S PRICE TOWER, PHOTO BY MARC RAINS”
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BEALL TRAINS FOR THE IDITAROD, WHICH WILL KICK OFF IN MARCH 2016 IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA.
PHOTOS COURTESY PATRICK BEALL.
PEOPLE
Oklahoma Mush
An Edmond native enters Alaska’s famed Iditarod, a test of skill and endurance.
T
here’s no way I’m coming in last. No way! I’ve sacrificed too much in the way of money and relationships to come in last,” says Patrick Beall, with a tone of hard grit in his voice. The 26-year-old University of Oklahoma graduate is speaking of the sacrifices he has made in order to enter Alaska’s famed Iditarod Great Sled Race this March. Proclaimed “The Last Great Race on Earth,” the Iditarod covers 1,049 miles through a silent and cold wilderness made up of remote, native villages, stark spruce forests, blizzards, white-out conditions and wind-chill factors touching -100 degrees. Endurance is the key, as the course usually takes experienced mushers eight to 11 days to run. Beall has already had one brush with death last winter working at the Dallas Seavy Kennel in Willow, Alaska. He was preparing for the March event. “It was -20 degrees, and a buddy and I were out training the dogs when we came across a 30-yard wide, open stretch across a creek,” Beall recalls. “At first I got my
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
feet wet up to my ankles and then my whole body fell into the water. I was completely soaked.” Beall was 25 miles from the nearest shelter, which he had to walk to. By the time he had made the trek back to warmth, he had two frost-bitten toes. “We had to take a small blow torch to my boots to get them off,” Beall says, who now laughs at the close call. He had met Dallas Seavy, the youngest man to have ever won the Iditarod, while working for Bettles Lodge in northern Alaska and was able to get hired on at his kennel as a dog handler. “You really don’t get days off as a handler,” Beall points out. “You’re scooping poop from a hundred dogs every day of the week.” He also exercised and trained Seavy’s younger dogs, running them, by his own estimation, more than 2,500 miles in one winter to get them, as well as himself, in shape. Besides using his work experience as a training ground, Beall has already raced in two qualifiers for the Iditarod – the Chat-
anika Challenge 200 and the Copper Basin 300 – where he placed 28th out of 50 competitors. He scraped together $3,000 from his meager savings to cover the entry fee for the event. Only four years ago, the Edmond native was walking across the stage at OU to receive his diploma in environmental studies. That summer he assisted a scientific team from Argentina and Bolivia in setting up a field research station in southern Oklahoma to study migratory bird patterns, in particular Oklahoma’s state bird, the Scissortail Flycatcher. From there he traveled to Bar Harbor, Maine, where he spent the winter as a logger for a tree service. He returned home to Oklahoma briefly in 2012, rejecting a job offer from an oil company so he could work for a nonprofit, Living Lands and Waters, whose mission is to clean up America’s river system. Beall found himself on a barge in the middle of the Mississippi River, traveling from Memphis north to Minnesota. While on the river, someone suggested he check out Alaska. Beall did just that, finding a job with the Bettles Lodge, a fly-in-only
location nearly a hundred miles north of Fairbanks and 60 miles north of the Arctic Circle. He was hired on as an outdoor guide and placed in charge of 10 sled dogs. “It was like the Bad News Bears,” Beall says. “I didn’t know what I was doing. They liked my attitude though. People like to hire people from Oklahoma. They work hard.” A 9-year-old girl showed him how to harness his first dog team at the lodge. The title of “guide,” in truth, meant that he did everything – set up hunting camps, sail up-anddown nearby rivers picking up guests and fueling planes, all in addition to tending to the needs of the 10 dogs placed in his care. While he was there, the lodge became a base for National Geographic as they filmed the TV show, Ultimate Survivor. Seavy had just won his first Iditarod race and was at Bettles as a technical advisor. His father, Mitch, had won the Iditarod in 2004 and later in 2013, while Seavy’s grandfather was one of the organizers of the first race in 1973. “We ended up hanging out together at campfires talking and getting to know each other,” says Beall. One would think this would be the end of his odyssey to the Iditarod, but everything that had taken place so far had merely laid the groundwork for Beall. What set him on the path to the starting line of the Great Race was following friends to Oregon to become a ski bum. Arriving at Mount Bachelor ski slopes in Bend, Ore., Beall confronted a fundamental fact. “I just didn’t have the money to be a ski bum,” he says. He began looking for a job. He heard of a small firm that provided sled dog rides to tourists. The company was managed by Rachael Scdoris, who had raced in the Iditarod four times and is the only legally blind per-
son to have ever competed in the event. After hounding them with phone calls, Scdoris finally hired him to tend to 120 dogs. “They talked about the Iditarod and nothing else,” says Beall. “I learned to run the dogs, but, after hearing about the Iditarod over and over again, I didn’t want to be a guide. I wanted to race.” For the qualifying races, Beall was able to field the required 12-dog team, and after running a total of 750 miles competitively, only had to drop one dog from his team due to injury. In the Iditarod, Beall will have to cover 100 miles with 12 dogs in a matter of 10 to 12 hours, then feed and bed the animals, resting them for the next leg of the race. The race itself starts at 10 a.m. on March 5 in downtown Anchorage. His mother has made arrangements to be in Nome, Alaska, to see Beall cross the finish line. “It will probably take me 11 days,” Beall speculates. “I think I should place somewhere in the high 30s.” MIKE COPPOCK
DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
19
The State
OKLAHOMA COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY BRADLEY WYNN DISPLAYS AN ARTIFACT AT THE OKLAHOMA COUNTY JAIL. WYNN IS WORKING TO PRESERVE THE ARTIFACTS THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY.
OK THEN
The Road To Badges & Brass
PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.
A deputy works to preserve the untold story of the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office.
T
he functions of the office of Sheriff in Oklahoma County date back more than 100 years. Located in present-day Oklahoma City, this sheriff’s office was in existence pre-statehood, then-Oklahoma Territory of 1890. “It appears that we may be the oldest organized police department in the state,” says Bradley Wynn, a full-time deputy and the office’s historian. In operation since 1890, it makes sense that the office has been working on a project collecting and recording photographs, documents and artifacts representative of the agency’s 125-year, 22-sheriff tenure. Sheriff John Whetsel initiated the idea of researching and recording the past, rich in historical trivia, in 1997. Wynn knew that there was a story to be told and approached the sheriff in 2013 to write a book titled Badges & Brass: The Untold Story of the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office. Whetsel officially named him the office’s historian, and Wynn went to work. While researching for the book, Wynn rediscovered thousands of photos, clippings, journals and numerous artifacts. The growing project now needed a dedicated work space. “Sheriff Whetsel graciously offered me a rarely used office in the county jail’s administration area,” says Wynn. “The downside was that I would have to keep everything stored in plastic totes to prevent damage from the inevitable ceiling leaks caused by the inmates on the upper floor.” The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #155 purchased and donated protective totes for the collection. All needed office equipment and funding has also been donated, along with Wynn’s donated time. “I am only able to work on the collection as a volunteer during my days off, or after hours from my full-time work schedule,” he says. Resurrected records from Oklahoma’s shadier side include infamous killer Roger Dale Stafford and notorious 1920s gangster George “Machine Gun” Kelly. “I’ve found original files from cases like that of Theodore ‘Ted’ Cole, who would become most famous for escaping from Alcatraz in 1937,” says Wynn. “The files contain his fingerprint cards, mug shots and a handwritten rap sheet from 1924 to the day of his escape.” Among the articles that have been donated back to the cause are sheriff identification cards and badges from the 1950s, and a Winchester riot shotgun manufactured in 1907. Most recently discovered are six file cabinets filled with fingerprint cards, mug shots and FBI records from the 1920s and ‘30s, “an amazing era in crime fighting,” adds Wynn. He says the most impressive part of the collection thus far is
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
hand-written jail ledgers and journals found in the basement; among them are those that were kept by the territorial-elected Sheriff C.H. DeFord, who took office on June 30, 1890. “We’ve learned about a sheriff we never knew existed,” says Wynn. “And even a murder,” as was the case with Sheriff George Washington Garrison who was shot and killed in Blaine County while attempting to arrest a wanted man in 1908. The handling of the pieces has been limited to Wynn and an intern, Jason Knight, from the office’s Police Explorers program. “The majority of what we are working with is in a fragile state, so it is not something that we can just let people physically handle,” says Wynn, adding that the lengthy process of digitally preserving the century-old documents has begun. The goal is to make all of the information available to the public. Wynn has consulted history professionals and visited numerous museums to learn how to preserve collections similar to this one. “I am hoping our future jail will incorporate some public use for a museum about our history that can be seen and experienced by guests,” says Wynn. LAURIE GOODALE
Ed. note: To view photos and other information visit www.facebook. com/badgeandbrass.
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The State
KEITH HUDSON SENDS HIS STONE DOWN THE ICE AT A RECENT GATHERING OF THE OKLAHOMA CURLING CLUB. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.
SP ORT
Brooms, Bonspiels and Buddies
A curling club in Edmond introduces the unique sport to Oklahomans.
M
ost Americans only think of curling every four years when tuning in to the Olympics. When they do, they are bound to be intrigued by what is happening on the ice. One person carefully sends a heavy granite stone down the lane while his or her teammates quickly sweep a path for it to follow. Ultimately, the goal of this game, known as “chess on ice,” is to get the stones closest to the center of the target, called the house. Originating in medieval Scotland, curling has a rich history and tradition. It first appeared in the Olympics in 1924 but wasn’t officially added until 1998. While the sport is played in several countries, it is especially popular in Canada, where the majority of curlers can be found. Now, interest is growing in the Sooner State. The Oklahoma Curling Club (OKCC) was founded in 2010 following the Vancouver Winter Olympics. The members soon discovered that the “Spirit of Curling,” the legacy of good sportsmanship that accompanies
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
the game, is what makes the game special. “My favorite part of curling is the social aspect. It’s a game that starts with handshakes and ends with the tradition of the winning team buying the first round,” says club member Ryan McGhee. “You have time to talk to your teammates and the opposing team during play, and I’ve met some of my best friends through the curling league.” McGhee says the group’s public events see a surge in interest right before and shortly after the winter Olympics. During this time, attendance jumps from 10 to 20 people to more than 100. “These Learn to Curl events serve as an introduction to the sport, and we have U.S. Curling Association-certified instructors in our club who can help those who want to get started,” he says. “All you need to bring is loose-fitting clothing and rubber-soled shoes. For these events, we provide all the specialty equipment that’s necessary. And like golf or bowling, it’s something you can learn quickly and take a lifetime to master, and it’s something you can do at any age.” The events and league games are held at
the Arctic Edge Ice Arena in Edmond. The next Learn to Curl session is scheduled for Dec. 6. “As a so-called ‘arena’ curling club, our challenge is ice time,” says McGhee. “We share our ice with hockey and figure skating and schedule our league’s events at times that are fair to everyone. We are very fortunate to have a good relationship with Arctic Edge, but if we had a dedicated curling facility, it would give us more flexibility in scheduling.” OKCC isn’t letting the limited ice time keep them from playing. For the last three years, the club has sent members to compete in the USCA Arena Curling National Championships, and members compete across the country at curling tournaments, called bonspiels. “Most bonspiels are for the love of the game,” McGhee explains. “You have a group of people who come together who already have curling in common, and you can just enjoy a weekend of competition and camaraderie.” BETH WEESE
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The State
OKLAHOMA NATIVE BRANDON JENKINS IS ENJOYING THE SUCCESS OF TWO RECENTLY RELEASED ALBUMS. PHOTO COURTESY BRANDON JENKINS.
THE INSIDER
Explosive Sounds
Oklahoma native and Texas country artist Brandon Jenkins releases two albums recorded nine years apart.
T
hirty years ago, give or take a few months, a new doublerecord album appeared on the shelves of Oklahoma music stores. Featuring a trippy line-drawing cover by Tulsa-based, poprock hero Dwight Twilley – who by then had scored internationally with the hit songs “I’m on Fire” and “Girls” – the package
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
featured tracks by rock, pop, blues and reggae acts, most of them known to Tulsa-area music fans of the time. It was the first LP release from Tulsa’s Explosive Records, which had previously put out some 45s by the Bridge Climbers, a group whose members included a couple of Explosive’s principals, Pride Hutchison and Dale Lawton. About a decade later, when vinyl albums
had given way to compact discs, Sand Springs-based singer-songwriter Brandon Jenkins saw the release of his first record, a contemporary country effort called Tough Times Don’t Last. Unlike the tough times of the title, Jenkins has lasted. Working out of Austin for the past several years, he has been one of the primary Oklahoma artists on what has been called – illustrating the Texas penchant for absorbing music from our state into their own – “Texas country.” Here, we’d call it Red Dirt music, an Oklahoma-based genre combining the visceral escapist joy of Bob Wills’ western swing with the social consciousness of Woody Guthrie’s trailblazing compositions. Explosive Records has lasted, too, having been based primarily in southern California for the past several years, where Hutchison and Lawton found work as musicians, engineers and producers, and another Explosive founder, Pride’s brother Scott Hutchison, became a prolific songwriter, working with the likes of Warner Bros., Polygram and BMG. In the early part of this decade, Pride became a partner in Radio Recorders, the legendary L.A. studio where the likes of Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, Nat “King” Cole and Bing Crosby recorded a ton of classic tunes. As is common with Tulsa artists of relatively similar ages, Jenkins and the Explosive guys were friends, even though their music careers had taken them to different parts of the country. Jenkins paid his first visit to Radio Recorders in 2006, at the invitation of Scott Hutchison. “I was down doing my Texas-country thing, in between records, and Scott had been telling me forever about his brother’s studio, and all the great people who had recorded in that room,” recalls Jenkins. “It was amazing, all the different stuff, from ‘White Christmas’ to songs for the Elvis movies. He said, ‘There’s so much vibe in this room. I’d love to get you to come out here and do some songs, just you and your guitar.’ I said, ‘Well, that’d be awesome.’ So I went out there and spent a few days cutting songs, running through all this historic equipment. And then it just kind of progressed.” “Brandon was thinking, ‘Well, I want to do an acoustic record,’” adds Pride. “So we brought him out, and he cut that record at Radio, the magic place that it is, and we thought, ‘You know, it’s cool with just you playing the guitar, but let’s get a vibe on it.’”
ROBERT
So Pride, a drummer, brought in Teddy Jack Bridges to play electric guitar, bass and organ, and the two of them ended up helping create a Brandon Jenkins disc like no other before or since, which helps explain why the new album, Brandon Jenkins @ Radio Recorders, has just been released by Explosive. “In 2006, I was really getting into that whole Texas-country thing down here in Austin,” Jenkins explains. “The vanguard of that scene was all the Okie guys, like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Great Divide, Jason Boland, Stoney [LaRue] and myself, and it was hard to think about what to do with a record that was so different. I mean, Pride had come in and played all these different African drums, and we had Teddy Jack, and it was like, ‘Well, I don’t know if we could put this out to radio. I don’t know if they’d play it.’ So one thing led to another, and it just got put on the back burner.” “Nine or 10 years later, Scott and I were having coffee in Tulsa, and he said, ‘Man, we really should do something with that Radio Recorders record.’ I hadn’t actually heard everything that Pride had done to it. So I sat down with it and thought, ‘Wow. This really needs to come out. It’s just too good.’ In 2006, it had been such a departure that it was strange to me.” Scott co-wrote half of the album’s 10 cuts with Jenkins, including the rollicking “Back in Tulsa.” “What I like about this record,” says Scott, “is that Teddy Jack had also spent some time in Austin, so he was ‘Austin-ized’ a little bit, like Brandon. But we took the Austin vibe, what was happening there, and then the West Coast vibe with Pride and Teddy Jack. But it also has Tulsa roots. So it really has a different feel.” Bridges’s Tulsa connection comes from his dad, Leon Russell. At the time of the recording, notes Pride, “Teddy Jack had leased one of the studios [at Radio Recorders] and he was an in-house resident producer and songwriter. It was like a family there, you know?” That family feeling is the same thing Pride has been working on since moving back to Tulsa a year ago and opening his own studio. Although Radio Recorders shut down in 2008, Pride has maintained his California connections, so that if he and Explosive need facilities beyond what he has in his home town, he can take what he called, “the two-day trip to Glendale.” That’s where his former Radio Recorders partner, Michael Dumas, co-owns a studio with former Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. Both he and Scott continue to work on new projects with such Tulsa-connected stars as Steve Pryor and Jamie Oldaker, among others. Jenkins, meanwhile, is back in Austin, where he just released another album, Blue Bandana, recorded with yet another Tulsa expat, producer-engineer David Percefull, who has a studio about 45 minutes away from Jenkins’s home. Recorded in a day, Blue Bandana is far from a perfect record, which is exactly what Jenkins and Percefull were going for. “In this new [recording] paradigm, where everything is autotuned and overly processed, people want something real,” Jenkins explains. And, he adds, his fans are also responding very favorably to the “different” album he recorded nine years ago that’s just now seeing the light of day. “I’ve recorded a lot of those songs on subsequent records, so people are getting a fresh, different take,” he says. “Pride took some of those songs in such different directions than I did when I produced them, later on. People are getting a kick out of that, and so am I.”
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DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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Life & Style
A M A P TO L I V I N G W E L L
With Salt Comes Pepper Surviving those holiday get-togethers becomes much easier with the proper understanding of table manners and etiquette.
T
he holidays seem to be the best time for relaxing meals and conversation with family and friends, right? After all, that’s what we see in movies, on TV shows, or on all those sappy commercials. However, we all know that the holidays can be a rough time to navigate the manners and etiquette of family get-togethers and dinners. Knowing proper table manners is the first step to letting your cousins and aunt know you weren’t raised in a barn. “Manners are simply about being polite and considering the comfort of others,” says Jana Christian, president of the Etiquette School of Oklahoma. Growing up, we all heard about the “no elbows on the table” rule. According to Christian, this is one rule we all should still follow, even though it might seem old-fashioned. “The guideline for elbows is, where the wrists bend, that is always acceptable to be on the table,” says Christian. “Mid-arms may rest sometimes on the table, for example if you are in conversation and
DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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Life & Style
are leaning in; however, full elbows are never appropriate on the table.” Etiquette can prove trickier when someone asks for the salt. “Always pass salt and pepper together,” says Christian. “If a person asks for just one, pass both anyway.” Now, which fork to use? Most of us have sat down for an informal dinner with our families and have used just a knife, fork and spoon. Maybe a salad fork was thrown in. However, at most formal dinners, at least eight pieces of silverware are present. “Depending on the style desired and the number of courses, it could be a simple setup of rolled silverware and a stack of plates next to a buffet, to individual place settings with multiple flatware and wine glasses per person,” says Angel Gonzalez, a faculty member of Oklahoma State University’s School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. “One rule of thumb for knowing which utensil to use if you find yourself at a more formal occasion is to start with the one farthest from the plate and work your way in,” says Gonzalez. Christian also endorses that technique, but says whether it’s formal or informal, it is important to pay attention to how you are holding your silverware.
“What you should know about using utensils, is that they should be held like you hold a pen or pencil,” says Christian, which means the thumb and index finger should grip the utensils towards the end of the handle. “Avoid clutching the utensil with your hand looking like a fist,” says Christian. “Remember, it’s a fork, not a shovel.” For hosts setting the table, Christian recommends taking the formality of occasion into consideration as well as the number of courses. Gonzalez gives similar advice. “For a nice, sit-down dinner, the minimum should include a plate, fork, spoon, knife, napkin and glass,” says Gonzalez. What if you don’t have fine china? No problem, says Christian. Today, it is acceptable to mix and match. “It doesn’t matter if you have fine china or expensive silver,” says Christian. “Just keep in mind, you want to stay with the same style of dishes throughout each course.” For example, it is acceptable to use different patterns and styles of fine china on the table at once, but everything should be fine china, explains Christian. “You wouldn’t want to mix fine china and stoneware, but it is okay to be creative with your table settings,” she adds. She also encourages hosts and hostesses to
use real plates instead of paper. “Again, be creative, decide what style you would like to use and visit antique stores or thrift stores until you have the number of settings you need. A good rule of thumb is to always have three to four extra place settings, just in case you have extra guests or you break a dish.” Gonzalez also recommends decorating the table with linens, lighted candles and fresh flowers. “Softened lighting makes for a better dining atmosphere,” says Gonzalez. “Music at a low volume is important so people can enjoy both the music and the conversation.” Conversation should include everyone present, adds Christian. “Strive to include everyone at the table, unless it is a large group, then only those closest to you. Mealtime should be enjoyable, so the conversation should be kept light,” she advises. Family dinners can be fertile ground for arguments, so if a disagreeable topic arises, simply agree to discuss the topic later or change the subject. “Avoid engaging in conflict,” says Christian. “The table is not the place for a heated discussion. If things are headed in the wrong direction, change the subject.”
L A N O I T A N INTER
, 2016 7 1 y r a u n Through Ja
spop #dallasgoe
International Pop is organized by the Walker Art Center. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. Major support for the exhibition is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation, the Prospect Creek Foundation, the Terra Foundation for American Art, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and the Margaret and Angus Wurtele Family Foundation. Additional support is generously provided by Judy Dayton, Lyn De Logi, Marge and Irv Weiser, and Audrey and Zygi Wilf. The DMA’s presentation is made possible with major support provided by Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management. Jackson Pollock: Blind Spots is co-organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and Tate Liverpool. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. The exhibition is co-presented by Bank of America and Texas Instruments. Additional support is provided by The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Inc. Marketing support for both shows is provided by the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Texas Monthly.
Barring amiable discussion on a hot topic, both experts agree that being polite is not exempt from the dining table. “In my opinion, you are not going to change a person’s opinion by entering into an argument with them,” says Gonzalez. “It’s best to avoid difficult or challenging topics.” Finally, it is always a thoughtful gesture to take a host gift when invited to someone’s home for a meal or party, says Christian. “If you take wine or food, don’t expect the hostess to use it with the meal,” notes Christian. “They probably have everything all planned. Instead, suggest they enjoy it later.” When trying to decide what to take for the host, think about what they enjoy, says Christian. Books, flowers, candles, wine or stationery are usually good ideas. “Being a professional in the hospitality industry, I believe that it is necessary to always bring something with you,” says Gonzalez. “Wine is appropriate if you know that the host enjoys it. Flowers or a small gift are a nice touch as well.” Lastly, remember to say thank you. “If someone has invited you to their home for food and drink, always send a handwritten thank you card within the week after your visit,” says Christian.
GUIDE
SAY IT IN 7 LANGUAGES
“Merry Christmas,” “Season’s Greetings” and “Happy Holidays” are uttered this time of year around the world. Impress your holiday guests this year by expressing the greeting of the season. Feliz Navidad Spanish for: “Merry Christmas.” Froehliche Weihnachten German for: “Jolly Christmas.” Gesëende Kersfees Afrikaans for: “Merry Christmas.” Nollaig Shona Duit (NO-Lihg HO-nuh ghwich) Irish for: “You have a happy Christmas.” Kala Christouyenna Greek for: “Merry Christmas.” Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu omedeto. Japanese for: “Happy New Year. Merry Christmas.” Suksun Wan Christmas Thai for: “Merry Christmas.”
SHARON MCBRIDE
CO-PRESENTED BY
THROUGH MARCH 20, 2016
Both presentations in Dallas are made possible by TWO X TWO for AIDS and Art, an annual fundraising event that jointly benefits amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and the Dallas Museum of Art, and by the Contemporary Art Initiative. The Dallas Museum of Art is supported, in part, by the generosity of DMA Members and donors, the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Texas Commission on the Arts. IMAGES: Tadanori Yokoo, film still from Kiss, Kiss, Kiss (detail), 1964, 16 mm film transferred to video, courtesy the artist and Nanzuka Gallery, Tokyo, © Tadanori Yokoo; Painter Jackson Pollock, cigarette in mouth, dropping paint onto canvas
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Oklahoma Expressionist
ALAINA STEVENS
Artist Bert Seabourn injects humor and everyday observance into his vibrant works of art.
A
s a child, Bert Seabourn dreamed of a career as a cartoonist. Today, remnants of that dream live on in the internationally renown artist’s paintings. An American expressionist, Seabourn grew up in Purcell, Okla., and began his career as a Navy journalist and artist during the Korean War. He later became an illustrator, graphic design artist and art director for Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company. He remained there for more than two decades before dedicating his time to becoming a full-time artist. The Oklahoma Hall of Fame at Gaylord-Pickens Museum currently features 34 pieces of Seabourn’s latest works of art. The artist has gone through many phases, but in the last few years his work has become a hybrid: It showcases his inner cartoonist as well as abstract and realist sensibilities. “It seems my paintings have changed over the years,” Seabourn says. “It could be me, it could be the influences. I’m influenced by every good piece of artwork I see.”
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
ABOVE: BERT SEABOURN’S CURRENT EXHIBIT, BERT SEABOURN: AMERICAN EXPRESSIONIST, IS ON DISPLAY AT THE OKLAHOMA HALL OF FAME. SEABOURN’S CHILDHOOD DREAM OF BECOMING A CARTOONIST, ALONG WITH INFLUENCES OF ABSTRACT AND REALIST ART, CAN BE SEEN IN HIS CURRENT WORKS. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.
PHOTOS BY BRENT FUCHS.
Life & Style ART
Every artist needs motivation, and Seabourn says he discovers his in daily life. “I find my inspiration wherever I can,” he says. “It might be in a magazine in the doctor’s office, or another artist inspires me.” Seabourn also sketches for inspiration and has hundreds of sketch books that include drawings that often become the paintings he exhibits, like those in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame gallery or in permanent collections around the world. His work is featured in locations like the Vatican, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Moscow State University, the American Embassy in London, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Seabourn says that his artwork is creative expressions of his everyday life, and thus, he likes to have a little fun. “My artwork is more humorous these days,” he explains. “I hate doing anything that looks like a regular face. I also often think my titles are better than my paintings. I have one that features a priest holding an empty wine glass that is titled, Another Blue Nun Please.” He has been married to his number one art critic, his wife, Bonnie, for 65 years. Bonnie says her husband can easily get lost in his work, but that isn’t a bad thing. “He gets so absorbed in his paintings,” she says of the greatgrandfather to eight. “He can feel bad, or be tired, and go paint and come back feeling better.” Seabourn is not only a painter; he is a printmaker, sculptor and teacher. He regularly teaches at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in Oklahoma City and the Institute of Fine Arts in Edmond. Seabourn has also also received several notable honors. He is a designated Master Artist by the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee and has received the Governor’s Arts Award; he also holds an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Oklahoma City University. His current exhibit, Bert Seabourn: American Expressionist, features new works from the artist and will be on display until Jan. 9, 2016, at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame at Gaylord-Pickens Museum, located at 1400 Classen Dr., Oklahoma City.
curious minds challenge the world
Rebecca Hilburn | Harrah, Oklahoma | Elementary Education Oklahoma’s Public Liberal Arts College Nationally Recognized for Affordability and Quality Rigorous and Distinctive Interdisciplinary Core Curriculum
Double Wedding Ring Quilt, 1940. Pieced cotton plain weave top, cotton plain weave back and binding; quilted. Gift of the Pilgrim / Roy Collection, 2014.1945. Photograph © 2015 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
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05-3064 © 2015 Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), a subsidiary of NM, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, and member of FINRA and SIPC. Lance P Franczyk, General Agent(s) of NM. Managing Partners are not in legal partnership with each other, NM or its affiliates. Lance P Franczyk, Registered Representative(s) and Investment Advisor Representative(s) of NMIS. NCAA® is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. SNL Financial historical data; is limited to ordinary and group life insurance dividends. Dividends are reviewed annually, subject to change and not guaranteed.
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Life & Style
AS PART OF THE RENOVATION, SPARKMAN ELIMINATED A HALFWALL AND BUILT A STAIRCASE THAT CONNECTS THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS IN THE LIVING AREA. LEFT: THE HOME’S DRAMATIC ENTRYWAY PROVIDES GLIMPSES INTO THE DOWNSTAIRS COMMON AREAS, INCLUDING THE LIVING ROOM AND KITCHEN.
L I V I N G S PA C E
A Designer’s Fixer Upper Tulsa-based designer Lori Sparkman looks past the outdated character of a south Tulsa home and realizes the property’s potential.
H
Photography by Scott Miller
ow does one transform an older home with a dated interior into a contemporary showplace? That was the challenge interior designer Lori Sparkman faced when she first saw the 1962 ranchstyle home that had been renovated in traditional
fashion. “The architectural bones of the house were fabulous,” Sparkman, owner of furniture and design store Fifteenth and Home, recalls. “But the interior was in dire need of updating. What was appealing was the heavily wooded area surrounding the home. Even though it’s near 71st Street, we felt like we were in the country.” Also appealing was a creek running through the north side of the property and a city-owned bird sanctuary bordering the property to the south. “My husband, Steve, wasn’t as enchanted with the property as I was,” Sparkman says. “At first glance, he said, ‘No way.’ I think the backyard won him over, on faith. He trusted I could make the inside good.” The moment they received house keys, they tore out a large builtin bookcase in the main hallway that blocked the view outside. Next, Sparkman walled in the living room built-ins and replaced those with an oversized mirror reflecting the outdoors. Then they tore out
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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Life & Style ABOVE: THE MASTERBEDROOM IS A HAVEN FOR THE HOMEOWNERS, COMPLETE WITH A COZY FIREPLACE. RIGHT: THE EXISTING KITCHEN WAS DISCARDED, AND SPARKMAN AND TULSA BUILDER DAVID TREBILCOCK REDESIGNED THE SPACE TO INCLUDE A 10-FOOT ISLAND. BELOW: HOMEOWNER LORI SPARKMAN WAS DRAWN TO THE COUNTRY-LIKE OUTDOOR SETTING OF THIS 1960S RANCH HOME IN TULSA.
ENHANCE YOUR HOME
As the owner of Fifteenth and Home, Lori Sparkman encourages her clients to be true to their own tastes. “It’s wise to ask for professional help if renovating or building a new home. I love helping people with their home,” she notes. “Everyone’s home is usually a complex mix of things acquired through the years. Some may be valuable heirlooms, and others, flea market finds. The distinctive collection tells a story about who people are. “For me, the design challenge is to edit and mix the old with the new,” she adds. “The final design isn’t an expression of my taste, but an interpretation of theirs. My most important job is to listen to my clients and interpret their vision.” – M.V.
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
a half-wall next to the fireplace to add stairs in the living area and removed all the carpet, wallpaper, crown molding, traditional fixtures and dated draperies. They also changed the appearance of the home’s interior entry. Now, instead of a cloistered first impression, guests enter a lounge that gives them a glimpse of the kitchen and living and dining rooms. “The biggest renovation was the kitchen, a tiny, isolated space on the front of the house,” says Sparkman. “I collaborated with [Tulsa builder] Dave Trebilcock for the fabulous end product. We took down an entire wall, raised the ceiling and added a 10-foot island so the kitchen would be open to the home’s common areas.” Those included the dramatic living room with floor-to-ceiling paned windows that offer spectacular views of the back lawn and pool, framed by the woods. It is a pictureperfect view. “I’m so glad the architect had the foresight to do the entire living room wall of windows. That’s the most dramatic, spectacular thing about that living space. I never tire of sitting in the living room and looking outside,” Sparkman says. That also was a major design accomplishment. Sparkman likes open spaces, especially for the style of entertaining she and her husband enjoy. They favor areas in which people can transition easily from room to room and still feel part of the crowd. “We do enjoy entertaining.” she notes. “When the family gathers, there are usually at least 30 people. We’ve also started hosting house concerts with traveling musicians who perform everything from classical to bluegrass. We open our house, move furniture around, let the musicians take over and entertain 50 to 75 guests. It’s a great new entertaining trend.” Sparkman especially loves the architectural design of the lower level, which features the master suite at the south end of the home and three bedrooms on the north. One bedroom was renovated for her art and design studio. For all the pleasure she finds in the renovations, Sparkman says her favorite place is the backyard, complete with the waterfalls and casual landscaping. The garden and pool are shrouded by mature trees and enhanced by plantings including azaleas and oak leaf hydrangeas. A fire pit, a man-made waterfall and brook are further embellishments. “I wake up every morning, go outside, have coffee and listen to the birds sing,” Sparkman says. “We often end the day outside, sipping wine and listening to the soothing sounds of the creek. Steve says I could live outside forever, and he’s probably right.” M.J. VAN DEVENTER
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Life & Style
STYLE
Prime Time To Shine
Holiday parties are a great time to showcase those extra-special outfits. Whether the outfit is formal or casual, simply elegant or beaded bliss, an extra pop of sparkle in the form of a bag, shoe or jewelry offers more reasons to be merry. ST. JOHN SATIN TWIST NECK GOWN, $1,695, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
NARCISO RODRIGUEZ FLOOR-LENGTH GOWN, $2,995, ABERSONS.
ALEXIS BITTAR BANGLES, $145-$155 EACH, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
LA PETITE ROBE DI CHIARA BONI MELANIA OFF-THE-SHOULDER GOWN, $995, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE. CARMEN MARC VALVO EMBROIDERED V-NECK GOWN, $1,090, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
JIMMY CHOO ALARA SHIMMER METALLIC LEATHER CLUTCH, $895, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
RENE ESCOBAR DROP EARRINGS WITH DIAMONDS, $3,125, ABERSONS.
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
MANOLO BLAHNIK SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL CHAIN SANDALS, $925, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
JIMMY CHOO SATIN CLUTCH, $950, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
DANA KELLIN DIAMOND AND SPINEL EARRINGS, $1,500, ABERSONS.
VALENTINA CARRANO BLACK PUMPS WITH METALLIC HEEL, $695, ABERSONS.
JIMMY CHOO MILLA METALLIC CROCODILE EMBOSSED CLUTCH, $825, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
ALEXIS BITTAR LUCITE AND CRYSTAL DROP EARRINGS, $155, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
PHOTOS BY NATALIE GREEN.
JIMMY CHOO LAMÈ SANDALS, $750, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
AIDAN MATTOX BEADED AND SEQUINED GOWN, $540, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
FUN AND FLIRTY
Ready for wherever the night takes you. ALEXIS BITTAR AMETHYST, PYRITE AND CRYSTAL DROP EARRINGS, $145, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
DIANE VON FURSTENBERG RED LIP DRESS, $598, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
SUSAN HANOVER TEAR DROP EARRINGS, $440, BALLIETS.
ERIN FETHERSTON JACQUARD V-NECK FITIN-FLARE CRANBERRY DRESS, $325, BALLIETS
AIDAN MATTOX EMBELLISHED FIT AND FLARE DRESS, $475, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
RENE ESCOBAR OPAL AND DIAMOND EARRINGS, $2,000, ABERSONS.
MIL L $245 Y MET , SA ALLI KS F C CL IFTH UTC AVE H, NUE .
LISA FREEDE UPPER MANHATTAN BRACELET, $145, BALLIETS.
LOEFFLER RANDALL METALLIC CLUTCH, $250, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
SALVATORE FERRAGAMO SUEDE BOOTIES, $975, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
MANOLO BLAHNIK METALLIC LEATHER PUMPS, $595, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
NEST PYRITE DROP EARRINGS, $95, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE. JIMMY CHOO CANDY SEQUINED ACRYLIC CLUTCH, $895, BALLIETS. ALSO AVAILABLE AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
JIMMY CHOO METALLIC PLATFORM SANDALS, $895, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE. PARKER FRINGED RESS, $4
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JIMMY CHOO LEONDRA GLITTER & METALLIC LEATHER CUTOUT SANDALS, $895 BALLIETS.
OVER THE SHOULDERS
Stay warm in style.
ALBERTO MAKALI TIE-FRONT FEATHER BOLERO, $170, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
JOSEPH RIBKOFF BLACK BOLERO SWEATER WITH FUR CUFFS, $172, DONNA’S FASHIONS.
FRANK LYMAN SEQUINED JACKET, $304, DONNA’S FASHIONS.
ALBERTO MAKALI FAUX FUR SHORT-SLEEVE BOLERO, $138, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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CAROLINA HERRERA SHIFT DRESS, $2,290, ABERSONS.
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ALEXIS BITTAR CRYSTAL BAGUETTE DROP EARRINGS, $245, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
Picture-perfect for any occasion.
Life & Style
CARMEN MARC VALVO SHIFT DRESS, $680, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
JASON WU BELTED DRESS, $1,595, ABERSONS.
RICKIE FREEMAN HONEYCOMB LACE DRESS, $485, BALLIETS.
CARMEN MARC VALVO EMBELLISHED COLLAR PEPLUM DRESS, $595, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
ALEXIS BITTER CRYSTAL MATRIX BAQUETTE COCKTAIL RING, $195 SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
JOSEPH RIBKOFF BURNT-OUT LACE DRESS, $218, DONNA’S FASHIONS.
ALEXIS BI TT CHEVRON AR CU $295, SAKS FF, FIFTH AV ENUE.
CAROLINA HERRERA BLACK BELTED DRESS, $2,990, ABERSONS.
JIMMY CHOO CHANDRA WOVEN TEXTILE & LEATHER CLUTCH, $1,450, BALLIETS.
NARCISO RODRIGUEZ BLACK PUMPS WITH SNAKESKIN HEEL, $695, ABERSONS.
GOLD CUFF BRACELET, $250 BALLIETS.
ALL GOLD 3 IN ONE BRACELET, $225, BALLIETS.
JIMMY CHOO ABEL GLITTER PUMPS, $625, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
JIMMY CHOO ALANA SUEDE RED, $750, BALLIETS.
MANOLO BLAHNIK SUEDE & CRYSTAL PUMP, $1,055, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.
COCKTAIL CHIC
After-five never looked so good.
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
RENE ESCOBAR LABRADORITE, DIAMOND AND IOLITE RING, $1,625, ABERSONS.
ALEXIS BITTAR LABRADORITE AND CRYSTAL FRINGE EARRINGS, $195, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE AND BALLIETS.
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Life & Style D E S T I N AT I O N
New Year, New Orleans A long weekend in the Big Easy is the perfect way to ring in the New Year.
W
hen a trip to New Orleans comes to mind, often it is associated with the French Quarter, revelry in the streets, parades and beads. And though Mardi Gras is without a doubt the preeminent event in the city, museums, activities and attractions await to be explored year round. With New Year’s Day falling on a Friday, consider taking off to New Orleans for a long weekend full of fun, festivity and freedom.
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
STAY IN STYLE
Omni Royal Orleans Hotel A Four-Diamond luxurious hotel located in the French Quarter. www. omnihotels.com Le Pavillon Hotel An historic hotel in the French Quarter that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. www.lepavillon.com 1896 O’Malley House A celebrated bed and breakfast nestled near New Orleans’ hottest attractions. www.1896omalleyhouse.com
LEFT: HISTORIC JACKSON SQUARE IS LOCATED IN THE FRENCH QUARTER OF NEW ORLEANS. BELOW: A RESIDENT OF THE WORLD OF PRIMATES AT THE AUDUBON ZOO IN NEW ORLEANS.
PHOTO COURTESY WWW.NEWORLEANSONLINE.COM.
RIGHT: BOURBON STREET IN THE FRENCH QUARTER IS THE HUB OF NEW ORLEANS’S NIGHTLIFE. PHOTO BY COSMO CONDINA AND COURTESY WWW. NEWORLEANSONLINE.COM.
BELOW: BIKING THROUGH THE CITY IS A GREAT WAY TO LEISURELY TAKE IN THE SIGHTS.
ENJOY THE NIGHTLIFE
The House of Blues in New Orleans teems with live music and raucous fun. On New Year’s Eve, hometown heroes Better Than Ezra will entertain crowds with hits from the past and present. Upgrade a visit to the House of Blues by booking a space in the Foundation Room and enjoy specialty VIP treatment and touches of traditional southern hospitality. www.houseofblues.com/neworleans Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar is named for the sailor, diplomat, entrepreneur and hero of the Battle of New Orleans. The bar is a favorite of both visitors and locals, and it is steeped in history: The building is alleged to be the oldest structure to house a working bar in the country. Enjoy classic cocktails along with specialties, like the hurricane, in this casual establishment. www.lafittesblacksmithshop. com Bars, restaurants and clubs line Bourbon Street, located in the heart of New Orleans’s French Quarter. New Year’s Eve is guaranteed to be boisterous in the Quarter and will be ideal for visiting a few of clubs, enjoying live music and imbibing in tasty sips.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY ATTRACTIONS
The Audubon Zoo features areas for various species, including the World of Primates, the Louisiana Swamp, the Jaguar Jungle, the African Savanna and the Audubon Aviary. On Dec. 31, Audubon Zoo celebrates Zoo Year’s Eve, complete with a countdown to noon, and provides a great way for the whole family to ring in the New Year together. www.auduboninstitute.org Another family destination to celebrate the New Year, the Louisiana Children’s Museum celebrates New Year’s Eve Kids’ Countdown to Noon on Dec. 31. For a $10-per-family-member pass, visitors gain access to the event’s confetti toss and balloon release, along with the sounds of the Red Hot Brass Band. Come for the countdown, and stay to explore the museum’s various educational and playful exhibits. www.lcm.org Explore the history and culture indigenous to New Orleans at the Backstreet Cultural Museum. View collections of Mardi Gras costumes and regalia, and exhibits that showcase the New Orleans parade culture, jazz funerals and social aid and pleasure clubs. www. backstreetmuseum.org
REST AND RELAX
A long weekend is the perfect way to unwind and recharge those batteries for 2016. Though New Orleans offers a vibrant nightlife, there are ample ways to enjoy the more peaceful side of the city. Fishing Many charters offer visitors the chance to fish the abundant waters of the Gulf coast for flounder, redfish and red snapper. Easy access to freshwater lakes surrounding the area provides anglers the ability to catch trout, redfish and more. Biking A biking tour of New Orleans is a great way to take in the sights and sounds on a pretty day. Bike rental opportunities are mainly concentrated in the French Quarter, while a few offer access to exploration of the city’s beautiful natural lake areas. Unwinding Day spas abound in NOLA, with facilities specifically for men and women. Enjoy everything from massages and facials to pedicure, manicure, styling and cosmetic services. JAMI MATTOX
DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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Life & Style YO U R H E A L T H
Don’t Eat What Ails You
The physical impact of food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances is growing. Unfortunately, weeding out these problem foods can be tricky.
WHEAT VS. GLUTEN
F
or those living with food allergies, the risks can vary from an uncomfortable rash to a sudden, life-threatening event. The common culprits responsible for the majority of allergic reactions, known as the “big eight,” are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. However, it’s wheat that’s been a hot topic in recent years amidst the popularity of wheat-free and gluten-free diets to address health concerns. “In general, there are two different types of wheat allergy,” says Dr. Timothy Nickel, a board certified allergist and immunologist and a partner at the Allergy Clinic of Tulsa. “The first is an immunoglobulin E mediated reaction involving the classic allergic response, where very small amounts of protein may cause serious and, rarely, life-threatening allergic reactions. Symptoms of this type of allergy occur very quickly after ingestion and include hives, itching, wheezing, flushing and immediate gastrointestinal symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.” Nickel explains that with this type of allergy, patients are generally only allergic to wheat and may tolerate most of the other cereal grains, such as barley and rye. However, approximately 20 percent of these patients may have a coexisting allergy to these other grains. This wheat allergy is generally diagnosed with a skin test, and treatment involves strict avoidance of all wheat proteins – even in small amounts. Patients also require an emergency action plan in case of a reaction, consisting of injectable epinephrine. “The second type of wheat allergy is a cell-mediated reaction called celiac disease,” says Nickel. “This reaction is more delayed and is actually caused by an allergy to the alcohol-soluble fraction of the wheat protein called gluten. Because of the delayed nature of this reaction, patients may not always associate their symptoms with wheat intake, as this is fairly ubiquitous in the diet. This protein is also found in other grains, such as barley and rye. Therefore, patients with celiac disease must also avoid many of these other grains unlike those with wheat allergy.” With celiac disease, the allergic reaction occurs in the small intestine, and the resulting inflammation causes symptoms like abdominal pain, cramping, chronic diarrhea (in half the
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
cases), fatigue, joint pain and sometimes a chronic blistering skin rash. Due to the malabsorption of food nutrients, weight loss and nutritional deficiencies such as anemia can follow. “Celiac disease is generally diagnosed by a blood test or endoscopic biopsy of the small bowel showing villous atrophy,” says Nickel. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, it’s estimated that celiac disease affects one in 100 people worldwide and that 2.5 million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications. “As people become aware of celiac disease and with the increase of screening by primary care providers and gastroenterologists, the diagnosis and prevalence of celiac disease has definitely increased over the past couple of years, but not as much as the gluten-free market,” says Dr. Camilla FragaLovejoy, a pediatric gastroenterologist with OU Physicians in Oklahoma City. “Most people who seek a gluten-free diet do not have celiac disease but are trying different food eliminations in an attempt to improve different symptoms. Those patients may have non-celiac gluten sensitivity and have improved symptoms with either decreasing the amount of gluten ingested or gluten elimination.” Fraga-Lovejoy says that individuals can have a non-celiac gluten sensitivity that’s characterized by intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms. “Unfortunately, some of the symptoms of celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity are similar to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and lots of patients have this diagnosis,” she says. “It’s important to keep in mind that different dietary changes have been used in the treatment of IBS patients, and gluten elimination is only one of them. Not every patient will have the same results, as is opposite of patients with celiac disease that need a gluten-free diet for life.” Fraga-Lovejoy emphasizes that it’s important for patients to seek medical advice to rule out celiac disease before starting a gluten-free diet. “Celiac disease has lifetime implications and possible complications if not treated, and it will be harder to identify this disease if the patient is already on treatment for it [with a gluten-free diet],” she says. “Patients on a gluten-free diet should also be followed by a dietitian to make sure all recommended nutrients are met on this diet.” REBECCA FAST
Vaginal Health
Dr. Melanie R. Blackstock, M.D. 6465 South Yale Ave. Suite 310 918.236.3000
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Dr. Blackstock and her staff cordially invite you to attend an open house reception on Tuesday, December 8, 5-7 p.m. You can drop in and meet our professional staff, have your questions answered regarding the Mona Lisa Touch and learn about special offers now available to our patients. Please RSVP by calling 918.236.3000 MonaLisa Touch is a trademark of DEKA M.E.L.A. Srl – Calenzano - Italy.
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Life & Style
Scene CAROLYN AND BOB DICKSON, 2015 OKLAHOMA GOLF HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY.
KEN BUSBY, CINDY CAIN AND STEVE WRIGHT, UNCORKING THE CURE FOR MS, NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY.
STEPHEN AND JACQUI BACK, SHERRI WISE AND STEVE COOPER, WINTERSET LAUNCH PARTY.
LARRY MCATEE, WARREN FILLEY, JAMES MORLEY AND MAUREEN HEFFERNAN, JAMES R. TOLBERT III CRYSTAL ORCHID AWARD, ORCHIDS IN OCTOBER, MYRIAD BOTANICAL GARDENS.
PAULA AND GERA RD CLANCY, COOK IRON GATE. ING FOR A CAUS E,
CESAR PENA-RAMIREZ, TINA PENA, NANDA THOMPSON AND ROBIN STEWART, MITA’S FOUNDATION CHARITY BANQUET.
TINA PATEL, KEITH BALLARD AND PETE PATEL, 2015 CLAREMORE HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY. JULIE AND JOHN NICKEL, TULSA BOTANIC GARDEN CIRCLE DINNER.
NINA MAWBY, ELSIE URUETA AND FRANCISCO TREVINO, EXCELENCIA AWARDS GALA, TULSA HISPANIC CHAMBER.
ERIC KUNKEL, LEIGH B. GOODSON, GOV. MARY FALLIN AND EILEEN BRADSHAW, KICK OFF FOR 2015 FEEDING OKLAHOMA FOOD DRIVE. MARK GRAHAM, CARON LAWHORN, LOUANNE JOHNSON AND SUSAN CRENSHAW, WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP COUNCIL RECEPTION, TULSA AREA UNITED WAY.
TRENNEPOHL DORWART, MARY ANN HILLE, GARY THE REV. DR. JOHN WOLF, FREDERIC ING HIS MOTHER, THE LATE DOROTHY DEWITTY), AND DELBERT DEWITTY (REPRESENT OF FAME. INDUCTEES OF THE 2015 TULSA HALL
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
TAMMY FAIRCHILD, JEA KERRY GILBERT, MCDAZZN ANN HANKINS AND MCDONALD HOUSE CHA LE FUN BALL, RONALD RITIES OF TULSA.
DANIEL TIDEMAN, STUART PRICE, THOMAS CONNER AND MIKE TURPEN, OKLAHOMA CHANGING WORLD PRIZE, WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER.
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Life & Style
Painted Pony Ball
Spotlight
Grammy Award-nominated country act The Band Perry provided high-energy entertainment at this year’s Painted Pony Ball, benefiting The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis. In addition to entertainment, guests enjoyed dinner and dancing while raising money for a good cause.
REID PERRY, CATHEY BARKLEY, KIMBERLY PERRY, MIKE BARKLEY AND NEIL PERRY.
TOM NEFF, LAUREN LANDWERLIN AND MARTINA HUM.
THE HON. TERRENCE KERN, JEANETTE KERN, KATHY HENRY AND JAKE HENRY JR.
LYNN SUND AND MARK EDMISTON. MAYOR DEWEY AND VICTORIA BARTLETT.
THE HON. TERRENCE KERN, JEANETTE KERN, JULIE SHELLEY AND BART SHELLEY.
RAY SANDERS AND JANICE BAMFOR D.
Green Leaf Gala
Presented by Up With Trees, the sixth annual Green Leaf Gala brought together Tulsans to focus on the creation of an Urban Forest Master Plan. Patrons enjoyed dinner and drinks, a live auction and performances by Perpetual Motion Dance Company and Lost Wax.
BOB SHIPLEY, STEVIE SHIPLEY AND TERRIE SHIPLEY.
BONNIE KLEIN AND PAT GORDON.
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
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Great
Comp Ask 100 people
what makes a great company, and you’ll get 100 unique answers. Health insurance, paid time off, retirement contributions, a company car – these are some of the perks enjoyed by those employed by great companies. Then there are the values that are hard to quantify: a convivial work atmosphere, an environment that fosters creativity and recognition of a job well done. The positive attitude of a company and its management is crucial to promoting an amenable workplace, and it’s just one reason why the 34 companies recognized in this year’s Great Companies To Work For made the list. The companies recognized in the following pages range from manufacturing and construction firms
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to law offices and health systems. They build our infrastructure, keep us in good health, assist us in making good consumer choices and support citizens. Reasor’s Foods CEO Jeff Reasor said in a recent interview for Oklahoma Magazine (the contents of which can be found in the following pages) that as the grocery retailer’s brand expanded, it became harder to get to know each and every employee by name, and that was a challenge for the owner of this company that prides itself on fostering a small-business feel. But a great company – and a great CEO – knows how to adapt to changing work cultures. “It’s that challenge of hiring people and trying to perpetuate what you do well that’s the most difficult,” he says. “You know
anies TO WORK FOR
what? By gosh, we’ve got job security because we’re never going to get it done. So it’s the same job every day. We’ve got job security.” Reasor knows that one of the keys to his successful company – Reasor’s has operated for more than 50 years – is employees that are invested in the business’s success. Zac Carman, CEO of ConsumerAffairs, a company that makes its debut on this year’s list, says that rewarding employees for their dedicated efforts is a portion of what makes his company such a desirable one. “Kevin Durant can, by and large, do whatever he wants because he’s consistently a league MVP candidate, which takes a combination of talent, self-moti-
vation and dedication to winning,” says Carman. “At ConsumerAffairs, our talent works hard and wins, and as a result we have the freedom to take whatever time is needed to recharge, or we can play Xbox at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday. And, in turn, this is why we all bring 110 percent during game time, because losing sucks.” Those selected for Great Companies To Work For 2015 were judged on benefits, incentives, community involvement and employee satisfaction. The companies are presented in alphabetical order and should not be considered ranked. – Jami Mattox
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Great Companies JEFF REASOR ASSISTS A CUSTOMER AT REASOR’S FOODS AT 41ST AND PEORIA. PHOTOS BY SCOTT MILLER.
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The
GROCERY Guy By Paul Fairchild Photography by Scott Miller
Reasor’s Foods CEO Jeff Reasor discusses growing a business while keeping that family feel.
Jeff Reasor works in a world of constant change. The floors shift, the walls move and the ceilings lower, like a clever prehistoric trap in an Indiana Jones movie. The native Oklahoman and CEO of Reasor’s Foods, an independent grocery retailer in northeast Oklahoma, labors in a highly competitive, rapidly changing, often-ruthless industry. But Reasor has managed to take a small chain of grocery outlets started by his father in 1963 and turn it into the 45th largest employee-owned company in the country and the third largest grocery store chain in the state. “I’ve watched Jeff as he’s moved through the company, starting as the farthest sacker in the back. I’ve seen him move up through the ranks and then take over the company. Jeff is committed to details. He’s committed to looking the process through down to how it affects the customer – all the way down to how an ad reads or how a customer gets through the checkstand,” says Reasor’s Director of Advertising and Branding, Dennis Maxwell. Reasor learned that work ethic from his father, Larry, who opened a store in Tahlequah, on this premise: Sell the customers what they want, not what you want them to buy. It wasn’t just lip service. It was a prescient exploitation of his major competitor’s weakness.
‘They’re All Our Customers’
The future CEO rose from humble beginnings, coming from a working class family in Tahlequah. The family vehicle was a 1957 Chevy, and Larry Reasor often drove a three-wheel scooter to work. The first Reasor’s was only 8,000 square feet, a small affair competing against a Safeway on Main Street that had a 35-foot front. In 1963, Safeway, with two stores in Tahlequah, controlled the local grocery market, much as they did in many other communities. The larger company adopted a policy of pushing its house brands – “private labels” – on customers, dropping mainstream brands. “They stopped selling the Del Monte green beans and Nabisco crackers and the Keebler cookies,” says Reasor. “Everybody had a DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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Great Companies
sprinkling of private labels, but Safeway, all of a sudden, had four options, and three of them were their products. They trimmed the variety for some of those things people had grown up on.” That was Larry Reasor’s chance. In 1972, against the advice of friends and colleagues, he opened his second location in Tahlequah, forming the first two links in a chain that would eventually grow to be 19 stores strong. As a kid, Reasor spent a lot of time in that first store. It was only a few blocks away from the junior high he attended, and he worked there after school, sometimes paid, sometimes unpaid, but always learning. His first job was sorting pop bottles for return to distributors. Reasor often worked until 8 p.m., when his father closed down the store. It was on one of these evenings, after diligently separating Coca-Cola bottles from the Pepsi and Dr. Pepper bottles, and watching the sun set on the sleepy streets of Tahlequah, that his father taught him that the customer is king. As his father counted down the tills, preparing for the next day of business, he threw a pile of 20s, 10s and fives in a basket. He turned to his son and said, “Reach in there and grab something.” Confused, Reasor reached in and pulled out a $10 bill. “Where’d that come from?” Larry Reasor asked his son. “A customer,” Reasor responded. “Tell me about the customer.” “I don’t know. It could have been any of a lot of people shopping here, Dad.” “That’s it,” said Larry Reasor. “When these people come in, I don’t care if they’ve got mud on their boots, holes in their pants or
if it’s one of the guys down at the bank that comes in wearing a suit. You treat every one of them just alike because you don’t know where that money’s coming from, and it doesn’t matter. They’re all our customers.”
Taking Over Business
As Reasor made his way through junior high, he dreamed of being a professional football or baseball player. He didn’t think too much about entering the family business. That came later, in high school – where he established himself as a football star – with college approaching fast. He entered Northeastern State University on a football scholarship and banged out required courses quickly during his freshman and sophomore years. In his junior year, now thinking seriously about working for his father, he changed up the curriculum, moving into classes about taxes and accounting and swinging emphasis toward business. He left NSU before his senior year to become a fulltime Reasor’s employee. “We hit a growth spurt along in there,” Reasor says. “And people who started [at Reasor’s] after me and who were younger than me were moving ahead of me because football and other college activities kept me pretty busy. I felt like I was going to miss out on some big things. Now, I jokingly tell people that I didn’t graduate from Northeastern, but I did graduate from Larry’s school of hard knocks. If I wasn’t doing things right, I got a lot of one-on-one training, I can tell you that. It was about hustle and determination, but it was also about humility and understanding.” Reasor’s decision to leave college was a difficult one, but it was the right one for him. The company’s growth spurt resulted in four
more stores, expanding the chain into Miami, Langley, Bristow and Owasso. As the company grew, Reasor witnessed firsthand the biggest challenge the business faced and continues to face today – maintaining the company culture, the tone of commerce established by his father in 1963. “There are a lot of us that have worked our way up, so it’s a family,” says Maxwell. “There’s just an incredible number of people who have been here 20, 25, even 30 years. That just fosters an amazing culture, and there’s a camaraderie here because we have a lot of people who are all working toward the same goal.”
The Company Culture
Larry Reasor never showed his son any favoritism. Reasor says – and his colleagues will back him up – that he worked just as hard, and sometimes harder, than anybody else to get his position. College degree or no, he showed an aptitude for business and honed it every step of the way. And he knew the company culture. After all, he’d been there while his father built it. Reasor names the maintenance of that culture as one of the company’s biggest adversities and admits that the company still struggles with it, especially as it enters a new round of growing pains with its new store on 41st and Peoria in Tulsa’s Brookside District. But even though Reasor doesn’t know everybody he employs – the number of Reasor’s employees has grown to 3,000 during his tenure – hiring, even at the lowest levels, depends on a candidate’s willingness to embrace the company’s customer-focused culture. In an effort to reward longtime employees that fostered that culture, Reasor moved the company from family-owned to an employeeowned model in 2007. An idea first broached
REASOR DISCUSSES PRODUCTS WITH EMPLOYEES AT THE CHEESE COUNTER OF THE BROOKSIDE LOCATION OF REASOR’S FOODS. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: ONE OF THE EARLIEST REASOR’S LOCATIONS IN TAHLEQUAH. LARRY REASOR ADDRESSES A CROWD IN 1999. THE NEWEST LOOK OF REASOR’S FOODS: THE GROCERY CHAIN RECENTLY RENOVATED THE LOCATION AT 41ST AND PEORIA. PHOTOS COURTESY REASOR’S FOODS.
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by his father, Reasor calls it a “glorified 401(k),” in which the asset owned by the employees is the company. For years, Reasor and his father sought a way to give longtime, loyal employees more than a gold watch when they retired. But every time they did, the employees got hammered with taxes. So now there are more manageable financial rewards for longtime employees, but it’s also a matter of passing a legacy to the right people.
Market Changes
“I’m 60 years old,” he says. “I won’t be here forever. I’ve delegated and stepped aside in some areas to allow other people, some within the company and some new, to perform. We’re going through another round of growing pains because of that. The challenge of hiring people and trying to perpetuate what you do well is the most difficult.” Reasor doesn’t know what the company will look like in 10 years. The grocery market is too volatile to make predictions that far out. He knows there will be new stores, but what they’ll look like is anybody’s guess. Change in market conditions is already reflected in the look, feel and layout of the new Brookside store. “That store represents a completely different concept than anything we’ve done before. We’re going back now and remodeling some of our stores to look more like that,” says Maxwell. Market changes are also reflected in the products offered at Reasor’s. Few shoppers, for instance, know that Reasor’s sells more organic produce than any other chain in Oklahoma. And that’s no easy thing to accomplish. The company partners with 50 ranchers and growers, sending out its own people to guarantee not only that the products are organic, but that they’re safe. “We have more than you think, but we don’t
“Football is a team sport. We see a lot of emphasis placed on this player or that player these days, but it is a team sport, and business is a lot the same way,” he says. “I tell people that all the time. We have 3,000 employees, and people give me a lot of credit for doing this or that. And I have to say, ‘No, listen, it’s those people right there at the store,’ because if they don’t continually do it for the customers day in and day out, the customers won’t come back. It’s a team deal.” get credit for it,” Reasor explains. “That’s part of the image that we’re going to be working on moving forward.” Over recent years, the company broadened its selection of products. While people are creatures of habit, says Reasor, they’re also becoming more experimental. Family sizes have shrunk, but those families travel more. When they travel, they find new foods they like and they want access to them at home. Restaurants don’t just serve steak and hamburgers now. He points to sushi, a staple in Reasor’s delis, as an example. If somebody had predicted 50 years ago that grocery stores would offer sushi, Reasor would have stopped going to that somebody for predictions.
But if it’s got to be sushi, then sushi it will be. That’s a fairly predictable reaction from a free-market proponent who, like his father, sees every dollar spent in the store as a vote for
this or that product. “Our thought, and it’s how we ended up with bigger stores, was to put it all out there and let the customer pick and vote,” he says. “Then we’ll pare our mix down to whatever they’re telling us they like. As new items come on the market, we’ll put them out there and give them a fair chance. That’s how we got where we are today.” There are, of course, challenges that come with that philosophy. Heirloom tomatoes, for instance, are not always perfectly spherical, and they’re not always red. They don’t look like what customers are accustomed to buying, but they taste amazing. Getting customers to try them, leading them to that discovery, is a difficult endeavor. “We all have our mindsets about things. It’s not a marketing, advertising or public relations thing. It’s just that sometimes Reasor’s hasn’t done the job of telling the story. For instance, I think over time we’re going to try to do a better job of telling people why we use a company called Scissortail Farms in Tulsa. They grow hydroponic, organic lettuce. They’re about five miles from our newest store. We’re selling them exclusively at the Brookside store. There’s a process of telling that story and enlightening people about what we’ve got and where we get it. We’ve got to figure out how to get people over the hump. We’re just trying to provide them with good, fresh, wholesome food,” he says. Reasor will always be on the lookout for the traps and challenges a capricious market presents. But he will never look away from his working-class roots in Tahlequah, the lessons his father taught him or even the lessons he learned on the football field. PAUL FAIRCHILD
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Great Companies
Bad Boss Poor management can affect the bottom line.
Being employed is a great thing, but working for a boss from hell can dampen that enthusiasm. A TIME magazine article discussing bad bosses gave several traits of those who don’t manage well, including burning the midnight oil at all times, failing to admit responsibility or mistakes, failing to delegate and demonstrate trust and thinking that employees have all the answers. We asked Oklahoma Magazine readers to tell us about some of their horror stories with bosses, and they didn’t disappoint. COMPILED BY JAMI MATTOX
“I once had a boss who would talk about overweight individuals in a disparaging way, call them ‘fat’ and say that if they would just put a little effort into themselves, they wouldn’t be so unhealthy. This was often when I, an overweight woman, was in the room. She would then look over at me and say, ‘Well, at least you try to eat well.’ What an awful person.”
“I worked for a retail chain right out of college as a sales manager. The store manager was walking my department floor and noted, “Your floor is sure getting dark.” My natural thought was to look up at the lights, but none of the lights were out. I looked at him quite puzzled. He pointed to one of the checkout registers that was staffed by a young African American male. I had hired several young black men in the recent past. It blew my mind. It was the first time I had witnessed racism like this in the workplace. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the last.”
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“The president of a company I worked for called me to his office and, while playing on his miniature office putting green, told me they were laying off employees and that I could stay or give up my position for a list of specific co-workers who were about to be laid off. He never even looked me in the eye, just kept putting away. This was less than a month before Christmas. I decided to keep the job...then walked out the door two months later in the same week that three vice presidents did the same.”
“I worked at an office that was possibly going to be shut down, so the owner told us all to start looking for new jobs. We were told that we could go to interviews during the workday. I went on an interview, and the office manager decided she was going to call the office I interviewed at to see if I actually did have an interview. She ended up accusing me of not going to the interview, but then found out she had called the wrong location. She sort of apologized but made me start bringing notes from the places I was interviewing at. Seriously. Luckily, I got out of there soon after.”
A Sample of Great Companies To Work For division of Health Care Service Corporation, the country’s largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth-largest health insurer overall. Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America Tulsa Health Care www.cancercenter.com/ southwestern
GABLEGOTWALS EMPLOYEES INSTALL CHALKBOARDS IN THE PLAY AREA AT CAP TULSA.
American Fidelity Assurance Company Oklahoma City Insurance www.americanfidelity.com
Employees (OK): 1,200 Hiring in 2016? Yes American Fidelity Assurance is one of the largest private, family-owned life and health insurance companies in the nation. American Fidelity colleagues work together to support the community through several fundraising campaigns and through individual projects. Employees have ample opportunities to become involved and seek support for organizations they are personally involved with. American Fidelity also partners with organizations to support educational and wellness initiatives.
The Bama Companies Tulsa www.bama.com
Manufacturing
Employees (OK): 770 Hiring in 2016? Yes Since the 1960s, Bama has been an innovator of wholesale bakery products that cater to the needs of the largest and most recognizable restaurant chains in the world. Today, the company supplies baked goods to the number one hamburger chain, pizza chain and fried chicken chain in the world. Bama serves custom-made, ovenready products to customers in more than 20 countries.
Bank of Oklahoma Tulsa Banking and Finance www.bankofoklahoma.com
Employees (OK): 2,830 Hiring in 2016? Yes Bank of Oklahoma provides services like banking, loans and mortgages to customers throughout the state. More than a financial institution, BOK is committed to building communities and has built relationships with more than 800 nonprofit partners in the eight states the organization has presences in. The three goals of BOK are to take a leadership role in the community to help guide important local and regional causes; to financially support key civic activities that are critical to the viability of the community; and to encourage and support employee volunteerism.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma Tulsa www.bcbsok.com
Insurance
Employees (OK): 1,021 Hiring in 2016? Yes Throughout its 75-year history, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma has been committed to meeting the healthcare financing needs of Oklahomans. As the state’s oldest and largest private health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma provides healthcare benefit plans for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is a
Employees (OK): 764 Hiring in 2016? Yes Cancer Treatment Centers of America provides specialized treatments and support for those fighting cancer. The Mother Standard of Care is at the heart of how CTCA treats patients, caregivers and each other. This provides a unique foundation and value set for those who work at Southwestern Regional Medical Center. Stakeholders typically express high favorability toward overtime pay and benefits programs and highly value the specific roles and sense of accomplishment they receive from delivering care to patients.
Cardinal Engineering Oklahoma City Engineering Services www.cardinalengineers.com 25 Cardinal Engineering provides civil engineering, construction management and surveying services. Cardinal distinguishes itself by leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver high-quality, detailed design, project management services and environmental compliance solutions to its clients. Employees (OK):
Cherokee Nation Businesses Tahlequah Tribal Enterprise www.cherokeenationbusinesses.com
Employees (OK): 9,000+ Hiring in 2016? Yes Cherokee Nation Businesses strives to grow and strengthen the economy of the Cherokee Nation through job creation in sectors like manufacturing, health care and telecommunications. Along with competitive wages and benefits, employees are passionate about providing excellent
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Great Companies
Get Noticed For The Right Reasons
Most new college grads entering the workforce have aspirations of a successful career; a mental road map of time-lined goals is in place. Unfortunately, discovering that the climb up the proverbial corporate ladder is not always a clear and easy one can be a hard pill to swallow. Marsha Egan, a professional coach and CEO of The Egan Group, a corporate consulting firm, provides tips on how to be a model employee in today’s competitive workplace:
First and foremost, model employees embrace the vision of the organization.
“Ideal employees care about the organization as much as their leaders do,” says Egan. “It is those people who get promoted. They don’t focus as much on their individual role, but on the organization’s role as a whole. Embracing the culture of your organization is a ‘win-win’ situation.”
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OU PHYSICIANS EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEER FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
customer service and quality products that result in funding to the tribe. Employees enjoy representing a company that prides itself on giving back to the community through teams that volunteer on special projects, partnerships with national nonprofits and helping area schools with needed supplies.
Chickasaw Nation Ada Tribal Enterprise www.chickasaw.net
Employees (OK): 11,000+ Hiring in 2016? Yes Led by Gov. Bill Anoatubby, the Chickasaw Nation has built an economically diverse base to produce funds that support tribal programs and its citizens. Monies generated in business are divided between investments for diversification of enterprise and support of government operations, programs and services for the Chickasaw citizens. The unique system keeps the Chickasaw Nation
DITCH WITCH EMPLOYEES TAKE PART IN A SEMINAR.
self-sufficient, and determination helps ensure the Chickasaw Nation and its people thrive.
Choctaw Nation Durant Tribal Enterprise www.choctawnation.com
Employees (OK): 6,500 Hiring in 2016? Yes The Choctaw Nation generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually through gaming, hospitality and other services. The funds support programs for the tribe’s citizens, community and charities. Choctaw Nationowned companies in Oklahoma include Choctaw Global Staffing, Choctaw Defense, Choctaw Defense Services, Texoma Print Services, Choctaw Archiving, Choctaw Bookstore and Choctaw Casinos.
Great Companies
MEMBERS OF INTEGRIS HEALTH’S ICREW WORK WITH REBUILDING TOGETHER OF OKLAHOMA CITY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HOME OF A DISABLED WOMAN.
Do your homework.
“If you want to climb the ladder of your organization, you have to know the goals and the numbers,” says Egan. “What is the organization trying to achieve? You have to care about that – it can help to pave your way.” Egan also recommends building strategic alliances within the organization to create a synergy that gets things done.
ConsumerAffairs Tulsa Consumer Service www.consumeraffairs.com
At the base of office etiquette is respect.
Successful employees abide by a standard of ethics and integrity, and they focus on excellence. “The best employers have good guiding values,” notes Egan. “Just about every written guide notes the core value of respectful behavior. When we are talking about etiquette at work, being polite never goes out of style. “Model employees respect those around them. This includes communicating clearly and not ‘throwing people under the bus.’ Respect your co-workers’ authority, space and rules – it can be very beneficial to your own success.”
The age-old “dress for success” adage still holds true.
“Dress for your next job – the one that you aspire to,” says Egan. “I’m an advocate of authenticity and being yourself, but you must manage your impression with the people that
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Employees (OK): 138 Hiring in 2016? Yes Consumer Affairs provides news and recommendations to consumers and customers through compilations of reviews and information. Company employees enjoy health care for family and domestic partners, free parking in downtown Tulsa, digital devices that can aid employees in communication both in and out of the office, paid maternity and paternity leave, a bonus for current employees who refer a successful hire and unlimited paid time off.
Ditch Witch Perry Manufacturing www.ditchwitch.com
Employees (OK): 1,400 Hiring in 2016? Yes Ditch Witch manufactures equipment utilized by the underground construction industry. Ditch Witch is a one-stop source for trenchers, vibratory plows, electronic guidance and utility locating tools, horizontal directional drilling systems, drill pipe, downhole tools, chain, teeth and sprockets, vacuum excavation systems and mini skid steers.
Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson
Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Norman Law Practice www.dsda.com
89 attorneys and staff, 23 partners Yes Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson provides business and litigation services through firms throughout the state. Employees enjoy benefits, involvement in and service to the community, quality work assignments, advanced technology and a solid infrastructure.
Employees (OK): Hiring in 2016?
Echols & Associates Oklahoma City Family Law www.echolslawfirm.com
Employees (OK): 11 Hiring in 2016? Yes Echols & Associates offers legal services and advice in family law cases. In the firm’s environment, attorneys, paralegals and support staff function as a team and not in competition with one another. All attorneys and staff are viewed and treated as partners in the firm’s efforts to provide for all clients.
Flintco Tulsa www.flintco.com
Construction
Employees (OK): 288 Hiring in 2016? Yes With corporate headquarters in Tulsa, Flintco offers commercial construction services throughout the country. Flintco’s divisions provide preconstruction, construction management, design and build services,
At LWSL, our mission is simple - solve the problem. And we do. Case by case, client by client, with expert legal counsel that is responsive to your needs when you need it.
10441 S. Regal Blvd. Suite 200 Tulsa, OK 74133 | 918-970-2000 6701 N. Broadway Extension Suite 203 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 | 405-242-4145 lwsl-law.com
Great Companies
matter; they may be older than you and a little more conservative. “When employers evaluate their employees, they look at the entire package. Decide who you want to be at work and strive to be that person every day.”
GableGotwals Oklahoma City and Tulsa www.gablelaw.com
Volunteer and volunteer quickly.
When it comes to getting noticed, Egan gives this piece of advice. “Ask for additional responsibility – volunteer to chair a task force or campaign. Part of being noticed is to do excellent work. The next part is to take on tough and visible assignments. Being an energetic, positive and willing participant gets you noticed,” she says. Egan does offer a word of caution on this subject: “Don’t over-commit. Some people volunteer too much and then can’t get their core work responsibilities done. You do have to find a balance.”
Don’t make these classic mistakes.
“No backstabbing,” says Egan. “Many times, employees are positive in a meeting, but are then negative outside of it. Having been a boss myself, I know that management usually recognizes who is truly onboard.” Another classic mistake made by employees is assuming that excellent work and timely task completion is all that is necessary for success. “Go to lunch with people – socialize professionally after hours,” advises Egan. “Let me tell you a story of two employees. The first one, who actually did better work, was hard-working but ate lunch at her desk and never participated in work-related events. The second one made it a point to go the extra mile, socially. The first employee was overlooked for a promotion because the
project and program management and general contracting in offices located throughout the country.
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Law Firm
Employees (OK): 147 Hiring in 2016? Yes GableGotwals is a full-service firm that represents a wide variety of clients in litigation matters, regulatory and licensing issues and transactional matters. With a low turnover rate, many employees celebrate milestone anniversaries at the firm. The culture is one of great professionalism and courtesy with the knowledge that the firm is here to help clients solve problems and manage new opportunities.
Oklahoma City Health Care www.integrisok.com
Employees (OK): 9,424 Hiring in 2016? Yes INTEGRIS is Oklahoma’s largest health system and offers a variety of services through facilities across the state. INTEGRIS employees take pride in INTEGRIS’ unwavering commitment to high quality standards and a personal ownership in the mission to improve the health of the people and communities INTEGRIS serves. Long recognized as Oklahoma’s pioneering, innovative healthcare provider, INTEGRIS employees embody the system’s guiding values of love, learn and lead.
Latham, Steele, Wagner & Lehman Tulsa www.lwsl-law.com
Hall Estill Statewide www.hallestill.com
INTEGRIS Health
Law Firm
Employees (OK): 215 Hiring in 2016? Yes Hall Estill represents clients in state and federal courts in litigation and transactions. While Hall Estill employees could cite wonderful benefits packages and vacation policies as a reason for the firm’s success, the people are what make the firm a great company. Staff activities include a campaign to raise funds for local United Way chapters, parties for staff, children and grandchildren, annual picnics and more.
Law Firm
Employees (OK): 49 Hiring in 2016? Yes Latham, Steele, Wagner & Lehman is a full-service law firm that provides the best possible service and commitment to developing strong client relationships. While serving clients’ needs is the most important job of an attorney, LWSL instills that this can be done while maintaining a healthy work/ life balance with emphasis on family. LWSL strives to accommodate the pressures of being a parent by finding practical and flexible solutions to these challenging issues.
CHEROKEE NATION BUSINESSES EMPLOYEES WORK WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS AS PART OF OUTREACH.
Great Companies
employer wanted a leader. It’s more than just work; it’s creating working relationships.” Lastly, never assume that your boss will automatically notice your good work. “Sometimes you have to let them know what you’ve been working on,” says Egan. “There is a difference between ‘brownnosing’ and simply sharing information. Find a way to say how excited you are with the results of your project, and explain how it will benefit the company. Not, ‘Hey look at me and what I did!’ You have a duty to let your boss know what you have been working on because, many times, they are too busy with other things to notice your individual contribution.”
ONEOK EMPLOYEES TAKE PART IN TULSA AREA UNITED WAY’S DAY OF CARING.
Manhattan Construction Statewide Construction www.manhattanconstructiongroup.com
Is it possible to be successful at work and still maintain a healthy work/ life balance? “I totally believe it is possible to be successful in your career while maintaining a work/ life balance. Matter of fact, most of the best companies to work for promote it,” says Egan. “Maintaining the balance is in your control. It means being intentional about how you spend your time. Don’t keep all of you windows open 24/7.” Egan notes that she has actually been hired by companies to conduct training sessions on how to turn digital devices off. “It is healthy for you to switch tasks and switch focus,” she says. “By doing so, employees go back to work the next day refreshed and ready to work.”
About Marsha
Marsha Egan, PCC, CSP is a keynoter, facilitator, author and ICF-certified workplace productivity and business leader coach. She serves as CEO of The Egan Group, Inc., a professional coaching firm in Nantucket, Mass. LAURIE GOODALE
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Employees (OK): 927 Hiring in 2016? Yes For more than 100 years, Manhattan Construction has managed large commercial construction projects across the nation. Manhattan has been recognized by Engineering News-Record as a top general builder and has received numerous industry honors for quality and safety. Manhattan fosters a culture of bettering self and community. It offers above-average benefit packages for employees and families and strongly encourages employees to become involved in community activities. Manhattan team members’ involvement helps in the collective goal to make a positive and lasting impact in the communities in which employees work and live.
Melton Truck Lines Tulsa Transportation www.meltontruck.com
Employees (OK):1,200+ Hiring in 2016? Yes Melton is an industry leader, employing more than 1,200 professional drivers available. The company continues to convey an attitude and feeling of family. Melton recently opened a new headquarters in Tulsa that features an open layout, a health-focused cafeteria, onsite health clinic and fitness equipment for employees.
Mid-America Christian University Oklahoma City www.macu.edu Employees (OK):
300+
Higher Education Hiring in 2016?
Yes
A REASOR’S EMPLOYEE READIES ITEMS IN THE BAKERY.
Since 1963 21634 Reasors.indd 1
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The compliance group at GableGotwals has the unique strength of understanding complex compliance and regulatory issues as well as routine day-to-day legal, compliance and operational issues. Our clients include public and private companies in a variety of industries that need help navigating compliance responsibilities under the myriad of state and federal laws and regulations. With firsthand general counsel and chief compliance officer experience, our knowledge means less time educating us and more time solving our clients’ problems with the confidence that we understand the real world implications to their business. We recognize the particular resource, structural, and market limitations of our clients, and work to develop solutions that not only fit our clients’ current circumstances but that are also scalable as those circumstances change. GableGotwals…Solving Problems and Managing Opportunities.
We Are Compliance Law
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OKLAHOMA CITY
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www.gablelaw.com
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Great Companies
4.4% Oklahoma’s Unemployment rate as of September 2015
5.8%
National Unemployment rate as of October 2015
5,780
Number of CEOs in Oklahoma SOURCE: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
1.6 Million
Oklahomans employed SOURCE: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
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MACU embraces its tradition of scholarship and service and welcomes all faiths in a culturally rich community that is dedicated to student welfare and success. Men and women pursue academic excellence through a rigorous curriculum that focuses on students’ intellectual, moral and spiritual development to prepare them to become effective leaders in service to their communities. The successful business operations and reputation of MACU is building upon the principles of fair dealing and ethical conduct of employees.
Muscogee (Creek) Nation Okmulgee Tribal Enterprise www.muscogeenation-nsn.gov
1,180 Hiring in 2016? Yes Muscogee (Creek) Nation is a federally recognized tribe that provides support to its citizens, who are located across the United States. Industries that support the Nation include gaming, oil and gas and health care. Employees (OK):
NORDAM Tulsa www.nordam.com
Aerospace
Employees (OK): 1,800 Hiring in 2016? Yes NORDAM specializes in the manufacturing, repair and overhaul of components of aerospace products. NORDAM has a familyfocused, servant leadership culture based on an open-door policy, mutual respect, team work and fun. Stakeholders participate in community events and volunteer opportunities, including the Tulsa Area United Way Day of Caring, STEM education mentorship, Junior Achievement, Heart Walk and more.
Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma City Professional Sports Team www.nba.com/thunder
Employees (OK): 506 Hiring in 2016? Yes The Oklahoma City Thunder is the state’s premier professional sports team and consistently sells out home games at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Thunder promotes a corporate culture that is driven by a philosophy of teamwork and humility. The organization recognizes that each person employed plays an integral role in contributing to their corporate success. One of the pillars of the organization is providing an outstanding fan experience.
ONEOK Tulsa www.oneok.com
Energy
Employees (OK): 1,404 Hiring in 2016? Yes ONEOK is a production, processing, gathering and storage transmission company for oil and natural gas. Employees enjoy career enhancement through personal and professional development opportunities, as well as an education assistance program, which helps cover the expense of furthering education in job-related fields, including the cost of tuition and books. ONEOK is committed to promoting diversity and opportunity for all employees on the basis of individual qualifications and job-related competencies.
SEMGROUP EMPLOYEES TAKE PART IN JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT’S JA IN A DAY.
Choctaw Nation Faith Family Culture
There has been a resurgence in efforts to preserve and strengthen the Choctaw Nation’s culture and heritage. Language programs to learn Choctaw are provided from elementary school through college, as well as online programs for adults. Historical games like stickball and traditional Choctaw dances are taught to the youth. A registry of Choctaw artists who have preserved traditional skills, such as beadwork, making baskets, gourds, pipes and wood sculptures to list a few, is maintained by the tribe.
Moving Energy and
Growing Value. Energy like ours doesn’t stand still. We’re focused on growth. The success of SemGroup Corporation® and Rose Rock Midstream® is founded on our decades of industry experience and more than 1,100 hard working employees.
Chief Gary Batton
800-522-6170
Assistant Chief Jack Austin Jr.
Choctawnation.com
21642 Choctaw.indd 1
Thank You
Together, our companies are committed to safety, integrity and growing both our business and your returns.
11/9/15 11:43 AM
for naming Manhattan a great company to work for!
Atlanta | Dallas | Fort Myers | Houston | Oklahoma City Naples | Tampa | Tulsa | Washington D.C. www.manhattanconstructioncareers.com
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NYSE: SEMG | NYSE: RRMS 6120 S. Yale Avenue, Suite 700 Tulsa, OK 74136 semgroupcorp.com | rrmidstream.com
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Great Companies
Osage Nation Pawhuska Tribal Enterprise www.osagenation-nsn.gov
565 Hiring in 2016? Yes The Osage Nation is the governmental body of the Osage tribe and provides support, employment opportunities and other services to its citizens. Seven Osage Casinos recently underwent renovation, and are enjoying expanded gaming and hotel options. Privately-owned tobacco shops are also a significant source of tax revenue for the Osage Nation through its tax commission. Employees (OK):
OU Physicians Oklahoma City Health Care www.oumedicine.com/ouphysicians
893 Hiring in 2016? Yes OU Physicians employs more than 600 doctors who provide care in nearly all adult and pediatric specialties. They support Oklahoma with quality patient care, medical education and research. They see a full range of patients, from premature babies to critically ill seniors. The physicians work alongside skilled teams of members of various backgrounds from across the world, and the team has earned an international reputation for excellence, innovation and positive outcomes. Employees (OK):
Reasor’s Foods Tahlequah www.reasors.com
Grocery Store
3,000 Hiring in 2016? Yes As Oklahoma’s premier food retailer, Reasor’s serves the greater Tulsa market and surrounding communities with full-service stores that feature expanded nutritional, gluten free, private label and gourmet products and services. With an eye to wellness and healthy lifestyles, Reasor’s fresh departments are second to none within the state and feature the highest quality cakes and desserts. Supporting these offerings are dedicated employees whose goal is to deliver an exceptional customer experience one customer at a time, while striving to achieve Reasor’s mission of, “Depend on us to be the best place to work and shop.” Employees (OK):
Saint Francis Health System Tulsa Health Care www.saintfrancis.com
8,200 Hiring in 2016? Yes Saint Francis Health System is a not-for-profit, Catholic organization that consistently provides Employees (OK):
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excellence in health care delivered by highly skilled medical professionals. Saint Francis Health System has a comprehensive benefits package that is competitive in the marketplace. Parents with young children utilize the onsite childcare services and appreciate its close proximity to the hospital. Talented, caring employees join Saint Francis Health System because it provides a high level of medical services for adult and pediatric patients.
St. John Health System Tulsa Health Care www.stjohnhealthsystem.com
Employees (OK): 8,000+ Hiring in 2016? Yes St. John’s mission is to be our patients’ partner through every stage of life through its healthcare system’s eight hospitals in northeast Oklahoma and southern Kansas. St. John offers a work environment where employees feel welcome, respected and have a sense of belonging to the St. John family, and it is simultaneously professionally and spiritually fulfilling. St. John associates share in the mission of quality health care and compassion for those in need in the community. The core values of service, presence, human dignity and wisdom are visible every day in the actions of healthcare professionals and support staff.
SemGroup Tulsa Energy www.semgroupcorp.com
297 Hiring in 2016? Yes SemGroup is a midstream company specializing in moving energy. Assets are located in growing oil and gas producing areas and connected with key markets and logistics centers. Employees work hard, are innovative and care about one another. SemGroup represents a booming sector of Oklahoma’s economy. Employees (OK):
BANK OF OKLAHOMA EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEER TO COLLECT SCHOOL UNIFORM DONATIONS.
SMG Tulsa Tulsa Venue Management www.bokcenter.com, www.coxcentertulsa.com
Employees (OK): 587 Hiring in 2016? Yes The BOK Center and Cox Business Center are owned by the City of Tulsa. SMG, a world leader in venue management, marketing and development, manages these facilities. SMG Tulsa provides quality entertainment, superior guest service and creates positive, memorable experiences to all guests who visit the facilities.
University of Oklahoma Norman www.ou.edu
Higher Education
12,200 (2014 information) OU is a public research university founded in 1890. The university attracts outstanding faculty from throughout the world, as well as dedicated staff to provide the best possible educational experience for its students through excellence in teaching, research and creative activity and service to the state and society. Employees:
The University of Tulsa Tulsa Higher Education www.utulsa.edu
1,283 full-time employees TU is a forward-thinking, private university where dedication, excellence, commitment and integrity are central to its mission. With dozens of areas of expertise represented among four colleges across its campus, there are many opportunities for employees to find their niche. TU also stresses the importance of community service and allows all faculty and staff paid time off each month to volunteer with charitable organizations through the True Blue Neighbors program. Employees also may receive a generous tuition assistance benefit and are eligible for several wellness initiatives aimed at keeping them as healthy and productive as possible. Employees (OK):
THE PULSE OF TULSA
FOOD • HEALTH • ENTERTAINMENT Your guide to the most interesting people, places and food in Tulsa.
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DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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By Tara Malone
Carlton Landing, Oklahoma’s newest resort town, offers community and comfort on the shores of Lake Eufaula.
The morning line at Starbucks and the numb commute. The screech of tires as motorcycles race each other down thoroughfares. Barking dogs, trains, ambulance sirens. The dull thrum of nearby highway traffic so familiar that it’s barely noticeable until it’s gone. Sound familiar? It does if you are an urban resident. Living in the city has its conveniences, but sometimes, peace and quiet are hard to come by. Picture this instead: A sky so dark you can count the stars, on a night so quiet the owls seem like your only neighbors. Days spent under fans on long porches, over-looking wide green spaces where children play tag and Frisbee. Strolling a few short minutes to boats and kayaks, or to a town barbecue or outdoor movie. Deer running across your path on an early morning walk, hummingbirds hovering in wildflower patches along the way. It’s a real place, and it’s right here in Oklahoma. Oklahoma’s newest resort town is Carlton Landing, a storybook community tucked into a small cove on the shores of Lake Eufaula in Pittsburg County. The new township – only incorporated in late 2013 – is the brainchild of town founder and Oklahoma City developer Grant Humphreys and his family. Charmed by the serene luxury of Seaside, Fla., Humphreys envisioned a very special Oklahoma community: a haven for Oklahoma families built on the principles of hospitality, comfort and sustainability.
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CARLTON LANDING IS A PLANNED COMMUNITY ON THE SHORES OF LAKE EUFAULA. THE COMMUNITY OFFERS HOUSING, SHOPPING, DINING OPTIONS AND EVEN A SCHOOL. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY CARLTON LANDING
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“We see a need to offer a place where life can be well-lived,” Humphreys says of the town’s creation. “Unfortunately, the cultural norm today is a lifestyle that is too busy, stressed out, relationally disconnected and out-of-balance. Folks spend too much time, energy and money chasing after things that don’t meet their most important needs. We wanted to offer a place where people can enjoy time together, spend good times with friends and family, reconnect with nature and recharge their batteries.”
Conscientiously Comfy
The inception of Carlton Landing was inspired both by Humphreys’ time in Seaside and by memories of golden childhood summers with his grandparents on Lake Eufaula. These memories not only determined the name of the village, but also set the tone for the character of its community. “My grandfather’s name was Jack Carlton Humphreys,” Humphreys remembers. “We just called him Poppy. In his honor, I was given the same middle name of Carlton. He and my grandmother built a lake house on this portion of Lake Eufaula back in the early ‘70s, and that lake house turned out to be a real blessing, as our family grew exponentially over the next four generations. Back in 2007, when we were trying to come up with a name [for the town], we loved the idea of honoring Poppy with a namesake. We felt that his kindness, generosity, personality and character were worthy of a town being named after him. And it’s interesting to see how the culture of Carlton Landing, in many ways, points back to Poppy. Folks are joyful, generous, hospitable, kind and easy-going. These are all qualities my grandfather was known for.”
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ONE OF THE FOCUSES OF CARLTON LANDING IS SLOW LIVING, WITH EMPHASIS ON SUBSTAINABILITY.
Everything about the freshman township, from architecture to gardens, has been curated to craft a fairy-tale community. Humphreys and designer Andres Duany, from urbanist firm Duany Plater-Zyberk – locations in Miami, Washington, D.C., and Charlotte – were inspired by the planning philosophy of New Urbanism. Despite the name, the concept itself isn’t new. Since the 1980s, urban planners and developers have been casting nostalgic eyes upon the walkable, economically diverse and regionally rooted towns of the pre-automobile world. New Urbanism incorporates these tenets, along with a commitment to green building, limited urban growth and a community-centric layout. In Florida, towns like Seaside, which readers may recognize as the picturesque setting of The Truman Show, are textbook examples of New Urbanism in practice. With the founding of Carlton Landing, Humphreys plans to bring that conscientiously comfortable living home to the heartland. “New Urbanism is the idea that communities should be designed around people rather than the automobile,” Humphreys says. “It’s really how communities grew organically before World War II. If you look at European villages or the older portions of cities which were developed before the 1940s, you’ll find a diverse community with different tax brackets and life stages on the same block. You’ll find a variety of home types, styles and price points integrated into one neighborhood rather than segregated to different gated communities. And you’ll find goods and services conveniently located within a five- or 10-minute walk of your front door. New Urbanists have figured out how to recreate these kind of places, and the track record established over the past 35 years since the Seaside master plan was first conceived proves that human nature hasn’t changed. People still prefer to live in community over isolation. They prefer to have the option to walk rather than be forced to commute by car. They prefer a rich and diverse community over demographic homogeny.” Humphreys concedes that New Urbanism is gaining in popularity, but it is still the exception, and not the rule. “Unfortunately, in our culture today, whether you’re talking about how we eat, how we’re entertained or how we develop land, many people accept the easiest, cheapest and most
ABOUT GRANT HUMPHREYS
Though Carlton Landing may be his most ambitious project to date, Grant Humphreys is not new to the real estate industry. He has been involved in investment and development deals in Oklahoma for the past 17 years. His future plans include to build upon the work already done to create Carlton Landing. “Carlton Landing is a long-term undertaking that will continue to be built out for the next 30-plus years. With more than 2,500 homes projected, it will have a rich town center and several neighborhood centers,” Humphreys says. “Between these mixed-use and commercial hubs will be more than 2,500 homes and cottages. The planning and vision casting for this is a great creative outlet for me.” Six years ago, Humphreys began a home building company called Traditional Craft Homes. The company will build about half of the homes in Carlton Landing, around 40 to 50 per year. “We have a great team running that shop, but I stay involved and really enjoy being directly involved with construction,” he says. In addition to his construction endeavors, Humphreys remains involved in The Humphreys Company, his family’s business, and as part of that, The Humphreys Fund, which owns investment-grade real estate in 13 states and partners with top developers in select markets. “We’ve got a great team of guys who find deals and help raise equity. When I’m not working on Carlton Landing, I enjoy staying connected with that work,” Humphreys says.
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utilitarian option offered,” he continues. “I think that’s sad, because there’s a rich life – a better option – but only some take the time, or do the work, to bring it about. So it’s not for everyone, but for those who appreciate a life well-lived, it’s definitely for them.”
How To Build A Community
To turn his vision of a New Urbanist haven in Oklahoma into reality, Humphreys purchased 2,000 acres of land on the southern shores of Lake Eufaula, about 10 minutes from the eponymous town. Once past the gates, a one-way road snakes its way through dense forest thick with game birds and deer. Signs guide visitors and new residents deeper into the woods, past the beginnings of an organic farmstead and flocks of sheep and pigs (diligently guarded by a wary Great Pyrenees dog), higher up the ridge until a lookout point emerges. There, just outside the town center, sit two chairs waiting for occupants, overlooking a sweeping vista of the lake. These miles of shoreline may be part of the town, but houses will never stand there. Instead, the homes of Carlton Landing – craftsman, rural gothic, Italianate, Victorian – will all be constructed slightly inland, walkable from the shore, but leaving the town’s prime real estate intact for common grounds to be shared by all. One of these common spaces is slated as the home of the forthcoming nature center, complete with an outdoor amphitheater, wildlife exhibits and a network of trails. “As stewards of the natural world, we should take great care in the way we develop and construct the built environment,” Humphreys says. “Carlton Landing is located on more than 2,000 acres of gorgeous, wooded, rolling hills. Streams and creeks flow through the woods and wildlife is abundant. So it’s a special place with a great deal of natural beauty. We want to show how Carlton Landing can combine economic growth, with 2,000 homes eventually, with natural preservation. So we design our green spaces around the existing creeks and site hydrology. We preserve the natural shoreline and use native plantings around the trail system in the Nature Center. As we continue to grow, we’ll integrate the organic farm into the master plan, showing how a self-sustaining local food system can be incorporated into a larger scaled master-planned community.” Deeper in the lakeside forest sits the town center, where about 100 homes stand fully built (30 occupied by full-time residents, the rest by part-time weekend residents or currently for sale), with more under construction. Eventually, these homes and more will comprise the town, complete with distinct districts. The Boardwalk District evokes visions of sand and shore, while homes in the Urban District have the chic brick façades associated
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with urban luxury apartments. Forthcoming homes include examples of the “tiny house” trend. Already, a green town center and several parks exist, where residents and visitors gather beneath pavilions for town cookouts and twilight concerts, flanked by a community pool and a small general store. Steps away is Carlton Landing Academy, a private school that town leaders plan to transition to a charter school. A two-minute walk from the school takes pedestrians to the courtesy dock for the Boat Club, where kayaks and rafts are available for free use at any time, and the two town’s vessels wait for club members to take them on the water. Soon, there will be an entire fleet. But Humphreys says the town is about more than living the lake life. “Most lake communities have the lake as the sole amenity,” Humphreys says. “In Carlton Landing, the lake is a major amenity, but I think people choose Carlton Landing for the lifestyle and the sense of community first, then for the lake. We have pools, parks, a community garden. Homes share common green spaces that allow you to walk around the neighborhood on trails or sidewalks, so there’s a real sense of walkability. With our community programming, we have food events, outdoor dinners, art showings, open-air concerts and movies in the park. People are able to make a lot of great memories out here. Nothing too fancy or sophisticated. Just good, down-home living and special times with family and friends.” The town’s planners are hoping to make Carlton Landing an attractive lure for more tempo-
OKLAHOMA RESORT COMMUNITIES
Though the newest, Carlton Landing is by no means the first planned resort community in Oklahoma.
COMMUNITY IS A POINT OF EMPHASIS FOR CARLTON LANDING; AS THE TOWNSHIP GROWS, HUMPHREYS EXPECTS AN INFLUX OF BOTH PERMANENT AND VACATIONING RESIDENTS.
Medicine Park (Comanche County): For nearly a century, the cobblestoned paths of Medicine Park have guided guests at the foot of the Wichita Mountains. The community was founded on July 4, 1908, by Oklahoma State Senator Elmer Thomas. Beginning as a small recreation area that had a few swimming and camping spots, the town soon flourished, as people were drawn from the surrounding areas to experience the stark beauty of the Wichitas and the local wildlife. Hotels, spas and businesses began to spring up. Soon, one of the town’s best-known attractions, Bath Lake Park, was added. Over the past century, Medicine Park has hosted everyone from celebrities like Will Rogers and Bob Wills to outlaws like Al Capone, Pretty Boy Floyd and Bonnie and Clyde. Today, Medicine Park continues to be a thriving presence in the mountains of southwest Oklahoma, complete with music festivals, art galleries and, of course, one of the best swimming holes in Oklahoma. Flint Ridge (Delaware County): In the foothills of the Ozarks near Flint Creek – a swimming hole to rival Medicine Park’s Bath Lake – looms Flint Ridge, a resort community overlooking the Illinois River. The town hosts miles of nature trails, a golf course, camping and cabin rental, and a private canoe launch. Multiple club houses provide memorable views of the Illinois River. A volunteer fire department, a church and a restaurant round out the sleepy mountaintop community. Amenities in this gated village are for residents only, but good news: There’s plenty of property for sale. Monkey Island (Delaware County): Contrary to its name, Monkey Island is a six-mile-long peninsula on Oklahoma’s storied Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees. Traversed easily by State Highway 125, which ends at its southern tip, this tiny community is home to multiple lake resorts and amenities, including boating, horseback-riding, swimming and best of all, affordable housing. Permanent residents enjoy these activities, as well as the churches and dining options on the “island,” as can vacationers.
rary visitors as well. Already planned for the near future are a boutique hotel, sumptuous shared condos, restaurants, a conference and retreat center, and a destination wedding chapel. Although prospective residents and visitors alike are welcome in the resort town, luxury is definitely the name of the game. An approximately 1,000-squarefoot home in the town will set buyers back at least $250,000, while the forthcoming tiny houses will start at around $175,000. But the sticker price hasn’t stopped interested parties, and the budding village continues to attract families looking for a bit of relief from the city’s daily grind. “Now, with about 100 homes completed and occupied, we are in an exciting season where the vision for Carlton Landing is actually being realized,” Humphreys says. “After setting the stage and getting the project off the ground, we get to see how life actually happens in Carlton Landing. Dinner on the front porch, kids playing in the street and movies in the park are not just an ideal that looks good on Pinterest. It’s real life here.” DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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People With
Style By Jami Mattox
Kathleen Shannon takes her inspiration from postapocalyptic movies. Thunder guard Anthony Morrow finds fashion off the court in Oklahoma City boutiques. Samantha Ruble stays sartorial with a capsule wardrobe. Second-grader Charlie Zeeck rocks tuxedos. Style takes all forms.
Melissa KeyArtist • Tulsa Where do you shop? Everywhere from vintage stores to Saks Fifth Avenue. What is the most stylish spot in town? My backyard! It’s very relaxing, inviting and has a boutique hotel feel. What is your guilty pleasure? Wine in the evenings with my neighbors. Who is your style inspiration? I love the Old Hollywood era and ‘70s style. I love outfits that have a pop of something that is interesting. What is your first “fashion moment?” For my first art opening in Dallas, I bought a pair of Valentino shoes and rocked them all night. I own too many…shoes. One trend I wish would go away is…seeing girls who show their midriff with cropped shirts.
PHOTO BY NATHAN HARMON.
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Charlie Zeeck Second Grader Oklahoma City
Where do you shop? I don’t shop. My mom does. And I don’t know where she shops. What is the most stylish spot in town? Vast (on the top floor of the Devon Energy Tower). What is your guilty pleasure? Video games. What was your first “fashion moment?” When I started wearing bow ties. Dress up or dress down? In the middle. I own too many…collared shirts. One can never have enough…bowties. One trend I wish would go away is…inappropriate T-shirts.
PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS. SPECIAL THANKS TO R&J LOUNGE AND SUPPER CLUB.
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Anthony MorrowNBA Athlete Oklahoma City
What is the most stylish spot in town? The Factory in Oklahoma City is for sure. They have some brands that I already wear, including Zanerobe. I have a good relationship with them. Who is your style inspiration? I like the ‘90s era for fashion, but obviously I like to mix it in with today’s fashion. Kanye [West] and Tupac [Shakur] are huge inspirations, and also my teammate Russ [Westbrook], of course. What was your first “fashion moment?” My mom bought me a FUBU jersey and a pair of Karl Kani boots when I was in sixth grade. I felt like I was ahead of the game because nobody had those boots yet, but I got made fun of a little because they weren’t Timberlands. I own too many…pairs of shoes, but I don’t regret buying or receiving any of them. One can never have enough…hats.
PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS. SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FACTORY.
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Susan Parrott
Community Volunteer •Tulsa
Laura Parrott
Designer; Community Volunteer •Tulsa Where do you shop? Locally, I shop for clothing and accessories at Brookside and Utica Square. I also shop online and when I’m traveling. What is the most stylish spot in town? I love getting to see everyone dressed up, so I would say the Cox Business Center, because that is where many nonprofit fundraisers and black tie events take place. Who is your style inspiration? I’m inspired by lots of things, not just people. I inherited my sense of style from my grandmother; we like all the same things. A few shared obsessions are gold, fringe and vintage jewelry. What is the oldest thing in your closet? I have a lot of antique jewelry. I wear a lot of vintage coats and belts. It’s amazing how some pieces are more fashionable 50 years later. I have a lot of accessories, so there’s an art to mixing old and new. One can never have enough…jewelry. It’s not wasteful because you can pass jewelry on to future generations. One trend I wish would go away is…cut-outs, especially when it comes to black tie. Cut-outs have been the ruin of so many cute dresses.
Where do you shop? I do the majority of my shopping in Aspen, Colo. I love Prada, Dior and Gucci. Locally, I enjoy shopping in Utica Square and at Abersons. What is the most stylish spot in town? I really enjoy the Brady District. Who is your style inspiration? Jackie O. Who doesn’t love her style? What was your first “fashion moment?” When I took a trip to NYC with my mom and my daughter, and we were able to shop in all of the beautiful stores on Fifth Avenue. What is the oldest thing in your closet? I think the oldest thing in my closet is a pair of leather pants. I don’t keep a lot of clothing items for very long…I give a lot of it away. However, I think that leather pants will always be in style, so I hang onto them. Dress up or dress down? Dress up, definitely! It’s so much fun. I own too many…shoes. I have 120 pairs, and most of them are uncomfortable. I can’t bring myself to get rid of them because they look so pretty in my closet. One can never have enough…friends and jewelry.
PHOTO BY ROGELIO ESPARZA.
Bonnie Klein Homemaker •Tulsa Where do you shop? Utica Square. What is the most stylish spot in town? Utica Square. What is your guilty pleasure? Buying too many shoes. Who is your style inspiration? My daughter, Susan Parrott. What is the oldest thing in your closet? My deceased husband’s cashmere sweater. Dress up or dress down? Dress up. I own too many…shoes. One can never have enough…accessories. One trend I wish would go away is…jeans with holes.
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R. Scott Vaughn CEO, GlobalHealth Holdings, LLC •Tulsa
Where do you shop? Saxon Judd. What is your guilty pleasure? Rocky Road ice cream. Who is your style inspiration? “People respond to how you dress…” Harvey Specter, Suits. What is the oldest thing in your closet? A Green Bay Packers sweatshirt my wife bought me when we started dating. Dress up or dress down? Dress up. I own too many…ties. One trend I wish would go away is…casual dress in a professional work environment. PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.
Kayla Vaughn Community Volunteer • Tulsa
Where do you shop? Net-aporter.com What is the most stylish spot in town? Abersons. What is your guilty pleasure? Wine. Who is your style inspiration? Kate Moss. Dress up or dress down? Dress down. I own too many…black dresses. One can never have enough… cool kicks. I collect sneakers! One trend I wish would go away is…boyfriend jeans.
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
Kathleen Shannon Co-owner, Braid Creative & Consulting; co-host of the Being Boss podcast • Oklahoma City Where do you shop? Shop Good and Blue Seven – I like to keep it local as much as possible. What is the most stylish spot in town? The style you find around the Plaza District, especially at Empire Slice, is inspiring. Who is your style inspiration? I always joke that I’m dressed for the post-apocalypse, so my style inspiration comes from movies like Mad Max. My style crushes are Gwen Stefani and Kanye West. What is the oldest thing in your closet? My favorite pair of Frye boots are about 7 years old, and I’ll keep them forever. I own too many…gray deep-V-neck T-shirts. One can never have enough…confidence. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS. SPECIAL THANKS TO ELEMENTAL COFFEE.
Samantha Ruble Owner, Shop Sam’s Closet
• Tulsa
Where do you shop? When I am not shopping in my own store, I love shopping at Rope, BCBG Max Azria and Saks Fifth Avenue, and I love thrifting. I do get a lot of pieces of mine from Feathers in Austin, Texas. But my golden rule is if something new enters my closet, something must leave. I only own 33 pieces and want it to stay that way. Who is your style inspiration? Rachel Zoe. I love Boho glam! But I also am obsessed with Leandra Medine, Ashley Olsen, Garance Dore and Sarah Jessica Parker. I pull inspiration from all these women. What is the oldest thing in your closet? My grandmother’s vintage fur jacket...I keep having to get it repaired. It’s definitely showing its age, but I cannot part with it. I own too many...leather jackets. One can never have enough...pairs of sunglasses. One trend I wish would go away is... anything ombre. We just need to let it rest in peace. PHOTO BY ROGELIO ESPARZA.
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Berna Goetzinger
Community Volunteer • Oklahoma City Where do you shop? I love shopping at upscale stores, as well as also getting bargains at less expensive stores. I have fun mixing it all up together. What is the most stylish spot in town? Classen Curve. What is your guilty pleasure? A pair of Christian Louboutin shoes. Who is your style inspiration? Audrey Hepburn. What was your first “fashion moment? ” I learned all my fashion sense from my elegant and stylish grandmother. I grew up shopping with her all the time. It became our hobby. In grade
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school, she bought me my first pair of little-heeled, hot pink patent Candies brand shoes. I can still picture them. That is when my love of shoes first began. Shoes are the staple I bud my outfits around. What is your oldest thing in your closet? A fitted vintage Roberto Cavalli black suede/leather coat with a multicolored fur collar and flared arms. I found this on one of my trips to NYC at A Second Chance Designer Resale Boutique. I own too many….shoes and handbags. One can never have enough...true friends.
PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.
Don Daniel
Entrepreneur • Oklahoma City Where do you shop? I’ve become an all-online and custom shopper as of late, but Hugo Boss Black and Hugo Boss Red Label have become the faithful of my wardrobe, along with Banana Republic’s Monogram line. What is your guilty pleasure? I like to keep my guilt out of my pleasures in the same manner I like to keep decaf out of my coffee. Who is your style inspiration? Sydney Poitier, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart. I used to sneak home and watch The Twilight Zone on my lunch break from school; I loved the mark of grace and aesthetics in that era, which, conversely, made growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s quite confusing. What is the oldest thing in your closet? I have a Comstock and Company leather jacket that I love in the way men love old motorcycles. I own too many...ties, lapel pins, belts, boutonnières, pocket squares and any number of other accouterments, and I’m okay with that. One can never have enough...quality friendships. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS. SPECIAL THANKS TO THE DRAKE AND A GOOD EGG DINING GROUP.
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$
WANTS YOU
THE
WHAT IS LUXURY IN OKLAHOMA? For some, it’s a six-figure truck; for others, it may be a highend home in a gated neighborhood. Boats, jewelry, custommade clothing and exotic food are all items that can be considered “LUXURY.”
Those material possessions that qualify as luxury items are available in Oklahoma. With the right connections and the magic number in a bank account, luxury can be yours in the Sooner State.
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From luxury cars and suits to homes and caviar, there’s plenty of ways to indulge in the Sooner State.
UNEED By Paul Fairchild and Jami Mattox
SWEET RIDES
Nothing says luxury like a sweet ride. America loves its cars, and – when they have the money – Americans love to display their wealth on four wheels. It’s practically a tradition. The most luxurious car on the market these days may be the Mercedes Benz Maybach. Jay-Z drives one. Kanye West drives one. What higher endorsement could there be? Amenities in the Maybach include an extended wheel base, making the ride as smooth as possible; reclining back seats, embroidered pillows for the back seats, televisions and other goodies. Options include panel roofs, refrigerators in the back and a long list of other items to make it even more luxurious than it already is. But be prepared to lay down about $200,000 for it. “This is a true luxury car. It’s got more than 520 horsepower, but it’s not meant to be a zeroto-60 car. I mean, it’ll do it in five seconds, but it’s smooth and quiet. It’s a luxury car,” says Ryan Knotts, sales manager for Mercedes Benz at Tulsa’s Jackie Cooper Imports. Need something to haul all that cash around? Try a truck. Or, rather, the truck. Oklahoma City’s Bob Moore Ford ordered three of the new Shelby F-150s. In production now, they’ll show up early next year. A limited edition vehicle, only 500 will be made. The sticker price: a cool $98,900. “It’s going to have every amenity inside that you can imagine, as well as all the power you’d expect. All the Shelby stuff will be there. It’s probably the most interesting truck we’ve ever had here,” says Steven Schroeder, general manager of Bob Moore Ford. The Shelby F-150 sports a five-liter motor that generates 700 horsepower. With a variable suspension, it’s made to drive under any conditions and over any obstacle, anywhere, anytime. Many of the amenities are provided by Tuscany, a company well-known among truck enthusiasts for its high-end aftermarket luxury products. The vista roof provides a panoramic view all the way to the back seat, ensuring that passengers won’t miss the scenery, too. If speed is your game, Knotts recommends Maserati’s Gran Turismo. It’s got a Ferrari motor, but don’t look for a lot of technological bells and whistles that get in the way of the driving experience. Maserati wants you to feel the road, not the onboard computer system. Expect to spend between $140,000 to $220,000 depending on the options. “It’s a really exotic car. You can spend a lot of money on a Mercedes or a Porsche, but you still don’t get the thumbs-ups and the high fives at the gas station like you do with a Maserati,” says Knotts. David Litzinger, general Manager at Tulsa’s Don Thornton Automotive, recommends – if money really is no object – a Bugatti Veyron. With 12 cylinders and four turbos, it hits a top speed of 268 miles per hour. It starts at $1 million but can go to $2 million faster than it goes from zero to 60. One set of tires costs $30,000, and they have to be replaced every 5,000 miles. “If you want to spend a million on this car, you better have a little pocket change laying around for the maintenance,” says Litzinger.
LEFT: THE MASERATI GRAN TURISMO BEGINS AT $140,000. PHOTO COURTESY OF JACKIE COOPER IMPORTS.
RIGHT: THE BUGATTI VEYRON HAS 12 CYLINDERS AND CAN HIT SPEEDS OF MORE THAN 260 MILES PER HOUR. MAX EAREY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
SAPPHIRE RING COURTESY BRUCE G. WEBER PRECIOUS JEWELS.
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AN EMOTIONAL PURCHASE Tulsa Realtor Peter Walter says that the journey clients buying a luxury home take is no different from that of a first-time buyer. “I ask them to tell me what they want, and frequently, they don’t know what they want,” says Walter. He recently had a client that wanted a very traditional home, but she ended up purchasing a home with clean lines and a contemporary feel that had some traditional features. He says buying a home at any price point is an emotional experience. “People are looking for what
they like, but they don’t always know what they like,” he says. “They’re looking for something they have an emotional connection to, something they can work with or change. There are so many different reasons that people buy, but a lot of it has to do with something that they connect with.” Walter says that most luxury homes have one thing in common: good location. “Location is important,” Walter says. “And upgrades and updates are often there, although often just a quality, well-designed house has potential to be turned into something that someone can work with.”
Nothing screams luxury more than a wellmade suit. It’s not an easy process, but there are designers in the Sooner State who will cater to any desire for a special, one-of-akind garment. Ty Hirtzel, an Oklahoma City bespoke menswear designer, creates such pieces for men with discerning tastes. The process of having a custom suit made is simple, but it can take some time, Hirtzel says. “I’ll typically go to the client for their convenience, to their home or office, and we sit down and look through fabrics and make appropriate choices for what they’re needing,” he says. “We talk about fit and style preferences.” Hirtzel will take many measurements, then order fabric from Italy. Once the fabric is received, it is packaged with the measurements and sent to New York to be crafted by hand. The finished product is then sent to Hirtzel, who again meets with the client for a final fitting. Small adjustments are handled by a local tailor. The finished product is then hand-delivered to the client. From consultation to receipt of the final product, the process can take two months. Hirtzel says that most clients request twopiece suits, which begin at $1,800, but the price goes up depending on fabric. Threepiece suits, tuxedoes and single pieces, like trousers or a sport jacket, are also available.
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PHOTO BY CHOATE HOUSE AND COURTESY TY HIRTZEL.
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CAVIAR TASTE Would you believe that some of the world’s finest caviar comes from the freshwater lakes and rivers located in northeast Oklahoma? Brandon Brown, paddlefish research and caviar coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, believes that the caviar, salvaged from paddlefish that are abundant in Grand Lake, Neosho River and other freshwater bodies, is one of the state’s best-kept secrets. Traditionally, caviar is harvested from sturgeon fish. Problems with overfishing have left sturgeon scarce in some areas. Paddlefish, have roe that are similar in quality, look and taste. Though the fish is native to as much as one-third of the United States, only a few states boast robust populations of the prehistoric fish, and Oklahoma houses one of the largest populations of any state. Brown says that about a decade ago, the Wildlife Department noticed a worrying trend of paddlefish poachers. Because the paddlefish had not traditionally been fished for as vigorously as other species, the department had not put much effort into document-
ing the state of the paddlefish population in Oklahoma. “We had no data on paddlefish populations,” Brown says. “Being a state agency, we wanted to manage paddlefish but couldn’t because we’re funded by license dollars, and those buying licenses wanted bass and crappie, so those were the populations we concentrated on.” Today, the paddlefish program operates on Grand Lake in Miami, Okla. Anglers are allowed to catch two paddlefish per year using a hook and line. The program is voluntary for anglers, but it offers benefits for both parties involved. Once anglers snag a paddlefish, they can bring their catch to the fishery for processing. There, Wildlife Department workers clean the fish and package it for the anglers.
$12.5 BILLION annual economic output of Oklahoma’s aerospace industry.
They also get to inspect the fish caught and measure various parts, which gives them an idea of the health and size of the paddlefish population. While they’re at it, they salvage the females’ eggs to sell. Brown says that the paddlefish eggs are sold in 1,000-pound units to the highest bidder; they usually fetch around $100 per pound. Those bidders then prepare and repackage the caviar for sale around the world. He says that companies in Japan are consistently top bidders. One hundred percent of the profits from caviar sales goes back into the Wildlife Department’s paddlefish program and general fund and for conservation efforts. “The caviar that we produce is known to be the best paddlefish caviar in the world,” says Brown. “It’s really surprising that Oklahoma has the reputation it does in the caviar world.” Riva boats are enjoyed around the world. Celebrities like George Clooney and Sean Connery and politicians like George W. Bush and King Hussein of Jordan have been spotted navigating waters on these Italiancrafted luxury boats.
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S E N I O R L I V I N G FA C I L I T I E S
When The Time Comes
Selecting the right housing during the golden years can make the aging process easier and
I
t’s a fact that we will all get older, and one thing that we can always count on is change. It’s never too early to plan for retirement because, sooner or later, we will each be faced with the tough question of, “What do I do now?” Remember entering the world of adulthood? We couldn’t wait for our childhood to end. Most of us soon learned that the responsibilities that accompanied the title of adult were somewhat overrated, and we sometimes found ourselves longing for the childhood that we just couldn’t wait to leave behind. So here we are at another crossroads – retirement – and there is no doubt that big changes and hard questions will accompany us across the threshold.
much more enjoyable. As we age, our health may begin to decline, we want to live closer to our children, or we want to downsize our life when it comes to property and responsibilities – trade in the lawnmower for a glass of wine, the Cadillac for a golf cart and live the relaxing life that we’ve worked so hard for. “Aging in place,” as some senior care experts call it, is the choice of the majority of older adults – living independently in their own, memory-filled home as long as possible. As long as they are able to care for themselves or can get by with family help or a few hours a day of paid help, this is also the most affordable option. However, it may not always be the best, safest option for some. There are those individuals who simply cannot bear the thought of moving away
from their home and familiar life pattern. Ultimately, they wait until the death of a spouse or a medical condition forces them to consider immediate alternatives to their living situation. The need for a quick decision doesn’t always allow them or family members the time needed to make the best one. In making the decision to move to a retirement community or assisted living facility, the aging population is faced with a multitude of both pros and cons. Keep in mind that cost is not the only factor to consider; there are many good reasons for older adults to remain in their homes and many good reasons to move. Although millions of senior adults are happily living in retirement communities and assisted-living facilities, some regard the lifestyle negatively, feeling that it is DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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“healthier” to live in a community made up of various age groups. Other negatives include concerns regarding homeowner’s associations (HOAs), restrictions regarding guests and pets, the inability of some individuals to adjust to group living, the high cost of personal care that isn’t always included in the package deal, results of the recent real estate melt-down and incidence of financial misappropriation. Regardless of criticisms, many will continue to choose the kind of active lifestyle, housing arrangements, security, availability of 24-hour assistance, transportation availability and recreation that the majority of these communities provide. Financially speaking, in comparing the expense of in home care assistance to residential living, according to calculations by some senior care experts, when the assistance needed becomes full-time, or continuous 24-hour care, the cost comparison grows. Over time, in-home care can become as expensive – even more expensive – than residential care. Additionally, if one is eligible for financial assistance, such as Medicaid or veterans’ benefits, moving to an assisted living facility may offer access to significant financial benefits, some of which aren’t available for home care. How does one, then, decide what’s right (or necessary) for themselves and loved ones? The answer boils down to what your specific interests and needs are–not just today, but tomorrow, next week, next year and so on. There are many different varieties of adult communities. The trick is to do your research and find one that best suits your lifestyle, health needs and financial situation.
BENEFITS OF RESIDENTIAL OR ASSISTED LIVING
Low maintenance and hassle. No need to climb stairs, mow the lawn or shovel snow. More comforting to live in close proximity to other people.
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Active Lifestyle. Choose a very active place, and you can have a varied and interesting life. Explore new hobbies and easily meet likeminded folks.
Flexibility to adapt to changing needs. Things can change quickly as an older adult’s health declines. With the flexibility of multiple levels of care, assisted living offers a variety of options so a family is not caught unprepared in a crisis. Source: Caring.com.
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
THE PROFESSIONALS ROOFER
FINANCIAL ADVISOR
How do I know my roof is ready for winter? Your home may be your biggest investment you will ever make. Your roof is the first line of defense through all storms, especially during the winter. We all know how snow and ice can affect our lives during the winter, from pipes freezing, RICKY HANKS hazardous driving conditions, to ice damming on the roof. It is important to have your roof inspected before the harsh winter to ensure you have adequate roof/attic ventilation to help prevent ice damming that may occur. Most importantly, you do not want to enter the winter season with storm damage currently on your roof from the previous hail/ wind storms. Snow and ice on your roof can cause severe unwanted damage to your home. So please call for your free roof inspection and I will be glad to send one of our boys in blue to assist you.
Ricky Hanks T-Town Roofing 5770 E Skelly Drive Tulsa, OK 74135 ricky@t-townroofing.com 918.445.4400
INSURANCE PROFESSIONAL Why is uninsured motorists’ coverage important? According to the Insurance Information Institute, as many as one in four drivers in Oklahoma drive without auto insurance. So, if you’re in an auto accident with an uninsured driver and you get injured, you RUSS IDEN could be left with medical bills, a car you cannot drive, or worse. All coverages are important on your auto insurance policy, but uninsured motorists often gets overlooked. This coverage pays for personal injuries that you, your family or passengers suffer if you’re struck by an uninsured motorist, an underinsured motorist or a hit-and-run driver. Although uninsured motorists’ coverage doesn’t repair your car, it can help in covering medical expenses, loss of wages and other costs related to your accident. The cost of this coverage is small compared to the trauma and economic impact that an accident causes.
WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST
Is it possible for me to retire early?
DAVID KARIMIAN CFP®, CRPC®
Early retirement allows more time to pursue interests while you are still in good health. The downside is that it can create a financial strain over time. When considering early retirement, ask yourself four key questions: Do you have a realistic plan to generate income for decades? Accounting for all potential sources of revenue and making realistic projections about how much income you can draw from it over a lifetime
really matters. Do you have outstanding debts to pay? If you continue to carry a home mortgage, automobile loan, credit card debt or home equity loan into retirement, ongoing payments need to be accounted for in your monthly budget. Are you going to claim Social Security benefits early? Most people are first eligible to claim Social Security benefits when they reach age 62. However, the monthly benefit is reduced if you begin collecting Social Security before your full retirement age (which varies between 65 and 67, depending on your year of birth). What is your plan for health care? One of the costliest aspects of early retirement is paying for health insurance and related expenses. You aren’t eligible to enroll in Medicare until age 65, so you’ll need to find another form of insurance coverage in the meantime.
David Karimian, CFP®, CRPC® Karimian & Associates A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise 7712 S. Yale Ave. Suite 240 Tulsa, OK 74136 918.388.2003 • David.x.Karimian@ampf.com www.KarimianAdvisors.com
PR & MARKETING CONSULTANT What are some of the new trends in communications? Infographics can make a significant impact in your marketing goals. In today’s work environment, we have become used to absorbing large amounts of information visually. Consequently, we’ve become a little lazy reading text and copy. Your JESSICA DYER audience would rather look at a photograph or a graphic illustration that represents your concept immediately. Used correctly, a smart, colorful infographic can convey your message in all of your communication materials, whether for a brochure, case study or product launch. When using an infographic, remember to keep it simple and clean. Resist the urge to inundate your client and audience with too much information and too many visuals. Keep words and graphics simple for stronger appeal. You can’t make a chart for everything, but a good infographic can sell almost anything.
This time of year I want to look my best for the holidays, but between errands, shopping, relatives visiting and the kids out of school, I'm having a hard time justifying doing anything for myself. The holidays are a hectic time for all of us, and everyone is under time constraints. At BA Med Spa, we understand busy schedules, and that’s why we created our 12 Days of Christmas. This gives our patients the opportunity to purchase services and products at reduced prices to use now or after the first of the year when time is more readily available. If you can’t carve out time this season, reward yourself in the new year! Whether you want to diffuse crows feet, restore volume or just refresh your skin with a lunchtime peel, we have our best pricing of the year just in time to face the holidays and ring in the new year looking your best. Call us at 918.872.9999 or visit us at www.baweightspa.com to learn more about our fantastic holiday offers. MALISSA SPACEK
Dr. James R. Campbell D.O. and Malissa Spacek, Founder BA Med Spa & Weight Loss Center 500 South Elm Place Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74012 918.872.9999 www.baweightspa.com
PHYSICAL THERAPY Any advice on how to avoid that holiday weight gain this year? Don’t get overstuffed like the jolly guy in the red suit this holiday season. The key to surviving holiday weight gain is to not take a six-week vacation from your healthy lifestyle. It’s okay to enjoy SEAN GARNER the pecan pie, but keep it to one slice on one day and return to your normal routine the next day. Take a 30-minute walk or go to your gym first thing each morning – this jumpstarts your metabolism and puts you in a healthy-eating mindset for the rest of the day. Drink lots of water, which will help you eat less, and don’t “party graze” unless it’s on the veggie or fruit trays. Regular workouts can cover up many eating mistakes, so don’t get off the daily exercise track. Stay active through the holidays, and the New Year’s resolutions won’t seem so daunting!
If you have questions about uninsured motorists’ coverage or any other auto coverage, call a AAA agent near you.
Russ Iden AAA Oklahoma 918.392.4214 800.222.2582, x4214 russ.iden@aaaok.org
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Jessica Dyer, Emerge Marketing & PR 539.777.6087 Jdyer@emergempr.com www.facebook.com/EmergePR
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Views expressed in the Professionals do not necessarily represent the views of Oklahoma Magazine, Schuman Publishing Co. or its affiliates.
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
To be included in the Professionals, call 918.744.6205. ATTORNEY AT LAW
HOSPICE CARE
I am still working full-time, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing that. Should I file for my social security now? In order to be eligible for social security disability, the first question is, “Are you working?” If so, then ESTHER M. SANDERS you are probably not disabled. Generally you must be unable to earn substantial gainful income for a period of one year or more in order to be eligible for social security disability benefits. You must prove that you can’t do the work that you have done in the past, and that there is no other work that you would be able to do on a sustained basis. There are some exceptions to these rules. Therefore you should always contact an attorney with any questions regarding disability benefits.
Esther M. Sanders Sanders & Associates, P.C. 1015 S. Detroit Ave. Tulsa, OK 74120 • 918.745.2000 Telephone 800.745.2006 Toll Free
DEVELOPMENTAL OPTOMETRIST Is 20/20 really perfect vision for children? 20/20 is eyesight which only covers about five percent of total vision skills necessary for efficient learning and reading. Good vision involves much more than seeing clearly with or without glasses. The other 95 MEGAN percent of vision skills comes from (KIRKPATRICK) FORD, OD the three pillars of vision, which include: eye teaming, eye tracking and eye focusing. If needed, these pillars can be strengthened through training (Vision Therapy). Most children usually receive a brief screening at school that only checks their distance vision using an eye chart. Each year thousands of children suffer from undetected vision problems that make school and life challenging. Many are misdiagnosed as having a learning disability or ADD. Children with poor visual skills may struggle to read, have short attention spans, perform poorly in sports, develop low self-esteem, and have doors closed to future careers.
Megan (Kirkpatrick) Ford, OD South Tulsa Vision Development Center 8988- D1 S Sheridan Tulsa, OK 74133 918.992.2343 www.tulsavisiondevelopment.com
AVA HANCOCK
A friend of mine shared with me that Grace Hospice offers free support groups during the holiday season to help people dealing with grief or loss. I recently lost my husband and am not sure how I can face this holiday season. Can you share more about the group?
I completely understand. Holidays can be a difficult time when you are experiencing loss or grief. At Grace Hospice, we have ongoing free support groups all year, but during the holiday season we offer special groups. It is called “Coping through Christmas and New Year’s holidays” A chaplain will lead a special session that will provide a safe place to share your feelings with people who truly empathize with you, get advice and coping mechanisms to handle holiday grief. They are scheduled for Monday, Dec. 14 from 6 to 7 p.m. or Thursday, Dec. 17, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. These groups provide you the opportunity to talk with others who are going through a similar experience. Please contact Grace Hospice at 918.744.7223 for more information.
Ava Hancock Grace Hospice of Oklahoma 6400 South Lewis, Suite 1000 Tulsa, OK 74136 918.744.7223 www.gracehospice.com
PERSONAL TRAINER Why can’t I shed this weight? 1. Poor nutrition. No matter how hard you train, you can’t lose those pounds without proper nutrition. You must stop skipping meals, yo-yo dieting and eating processed foods. Also stop the intake of caffeine, cola and corn. Refined foods, JOHN JACKSON white rice, alcohol, processed and pasteurized foods serve to make you fatter. 2. Overtraining. There are detrimental aspects of traditional cardio training. Too much will create a hormonal environment that is not conducive to building muscle or weight loss. Also, if you are nutritionally depleted you will only drain your body more by exercising with no energy source. 3. Health and function. Make sure you have been assessed by a health professional who can properly assess adrenal, thyroid, sleep and digestive dysfunction. 4. Limits. It’s important to stress the body differently at all cost, but remember to listen to your body. 5. Balance. You must balance nutrition and smart exercise to eliminate fat. Also it is important to appreciate the body you are given.
John Jackson, Personal Trainer St. John Siegfried Health Club 1819 E. 19th St., Tulsa, OK 74104 918.902.4028 jljackson70@hotmail.com
MEN’S STYLE CONSULTANT
LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR
I am one of those guys who is very comfortable wearing bold colors and patterns, but what is acceptable for the professional atmosphere? Please don’t be afraid to let out your personal style; this is one of the greatest components of dressing successfully. AUTUMN POHL I steer fashionably adventurous men away from the basic color box (blue and white) and open their eyes to pink, yellow, lavender, jade, etc. The key with colors like these is to choose one that complements skin-tone and goes with a softer shade so it doesn’t stand out. The subtler, the more respect is earned. Guys are looking at other men, sizing them up, and the last thing you want a business associate to think is that you are completely consumed with yourself. So keep it low key and focus in on one detail. Whether it’s the color or pattern, make sure that it fits your personality flawlessly. And if you ever hesitate or doubt your color/pattern choice, mix it with something more classic and familiar so your extreme confidence is what is noticed only second to your impeccable personal style.
Autumn Pohl Independent Style Consultant J.Hilburn Men’s Clothier 918.407.4024 www.autumnpohl.jhilburn.com Autumn.pohl@jhilburnpartner.com
My 17-year-old daughter seems excessively self absorbed. She is constantly on her phone posting videos and pictures of herself. She goes crazy if she can’t have her phone. Is this some new kind of addiction for teens? It seems we have entered an age of selfabsorption and need to be cautious to not steer too far away from the importance of character. With changes that have occurred in the information age, we have shifted to a culture of display: displaying our work, our thoughts and our images. It appears the measure of worth to many teens is how many “likes” they get on Instagram. Whether this is good or bad is a very lengthy discussion, but it is important for all parents to continue to foster within their children a sense of humility, restraint, creativity and self-worth. Individuals who possess character and a strong sense of selfworth do not feel an extremely strong need of validation from others or a sense of amplification of self. We all like compliments and accolades, but there is a difference between appreciation and need. Most teens are engaging in very trendy behavior, but it is up to parents to find the balance for their children. AMY KESNER, PHD, LPC, LADC
Amy Kesner, All Things Psychological 5500 S. Lewis, Suite 5505, Tulsa, OK 74105 918.691.2226 www.amykesner.com dramykesner@gmail.com DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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WORKING FOR YOU
BRIAN SANDERS
KAREN LARSEN
WEEKNIGHTS 5:00 / 6:00 / 10:00
Taste
F O O D, D R I N K A N D O T H E R P L E A S U R E S
THE EMPHASIS ON PROVISION KITCHEN IS FRESH AND LOCAL.
PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.
her love for cooking with her passion for giving Americans the option of eating safe and local meals with convenience. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners are all available to pick up at Provision, and a salad bar full of locally grown, organic fruits and vegetables is open to customers. Even the drinks are organic, from coffee to a delicious raw honey lemonade – the quality is evident in each sip. “We wanted to make local, organic meals easily accessible to people and their busy lifestyles,” says McClendon. “A lot of people come in and buy meals to last them through most of the week. All of our meals have a three-day shelf life, and we have a quick pick-up service, so this is very convenient, especially for busy parents.” Provision’s most popular dishes include bowls and quinoa fried rice – fresh quinoa served with organic chicken and fresh, locally grown vegetables. And for breakfast lovers, Provision has a wide selection of loaded scrambled eggs and banana pancakes to enjoy at any time of the day. Although Provision Kitchen caters to people who are on the go and ready to eat local, customers can also grab a meal and eat in the restaurant’s large seating area. “It’s amazing to see how many people want to still eat their meals in our restaurant with their friends,” says McClendon. Provision also caters to those who are trying to eat locally as a lifestyle. Just in time for the New Year, Provision is offering a meal plan program and curbside pickup for weekly meals for those who feel they are too busy to come inside and pick out their meals. Whether you have an on-the-go lifestyle or just want to have a sit down meal with friends, Provision Kitchen provides a great opportunity to do so. 6443 Avondale Dr., Nichols Hills. www.provisionkitchen.com JANELLE ARCHER
Kitchen With A Vision
A new grab-and-go eatery in Nichols Hills provides complete meals with an emphasis on fresh and local.
A
large seating area accommodates diners who choose to eat their meals inside the store. Located in the heart of Nichols Hills Plaza lies a pristine new restaurant with a unique twist – homemade fresh, local meals, cooked to go. This innovative restaurant, Provision Kitchen, opened in October, and because of its delicious meals and convenience, has proved itself a hit in the city. Whitney McClendon, the managing partner of Provision Kitchen, was inspired to create a new type of restaurant in Oklahoma City after having previously worked in cancer research. She wanted to combine
REFRIGERATED CASES HOLD PREPARED ENTREES AND SIDES FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS
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T O YO U R H E A L T H
EVOLVE PALEO CHEF
Whether or not you live a dairy-, gluten- or sugar-free lifestyle, Evolve Paleo Chef provides high-quality juices and prepared meals to satisfy any taste. For those unfamiliar with the Paleo food movement, the name stands for “Paleolithic” and is used to describe a hunter/gatherer type of diet. Evolve Paleo Chef’s location offers cold-pressed juices, grab-and-go meals (called adult Lunchables), snacks, juice cleanses, sauces and gluten-free baking mixes. Evolve also serves local Hoot Owl coffee in nitro and drip forms as well as bulletproof coffee, which is coffee with butter stirred in. Freshly prepared meals, like coq au vin and pork lettuce wraps, are available from a changing menu that includes a variety of breakfasts, soups, salads, entrees and desserts. Evolve Paleo’s Tulsa store is the Kansas City-based company’s fifth location. All of the company’s storefronts are no more than four hours from its prep kitchen, which allows pre-ordered meals from its website to be quickly delivered the same day that they are made to maintain optimal freshness. Still not convinced that Evolve Paleo Chef is for you? Stop in and ask for a juice flight or sample of Paleo Balls. The staff will be more than happy to introduce skeptics to its healthy products. 3023 S. Harvard Ave., Tulsa. evolvepaleochef.com – Mary Beth Ede
SANDWICHES, WRAPS AND SOUP ARE ON THE MENU AT NORMAN’S HOLLYWOOD CORNERS. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS
COLD-PRESSED JUICES ARE JUST ONE OFFERING AT EVOLVE PALEO CHEF.
PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.
T H E B UZ Z
HOLLYWOOD CORNERS
A 1920s-era service station, Hollywood Corners was once a destination for those seeking everything from fuel to snacks to minnows. Now, with the help of Norman resident and country superstar Toby Keith and grocer and entrepreneur Bob Thompson, Hollywood Corners has been given a new look and a new purpose. The deli and bar opened in July and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and keeps a large cooler packed with beer for those who need a six-pack on game days. Daily specials include hot and cold sandwiches, along with soups, wraps and more. Breakfasts include sandwiches, burritos and a quesadilla. A bakery supplies diners with treats like large, sticky-sweet cinnamon rolls, along with cookies. 4712 N. Porter Ave., Norman. 405.701.4990. – Jami Mattox
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
FEBRUARY 2016
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Taste
FUSION CAFÉ: WING IT SPECIALIZES IN KOREAN-STYLE CHICKEN WINGS. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.
FUSION CAFÉ: WING IT
If you’re in the mood for authentic Korean food, Fusion Café: Wing It’s newest location in Norman serves spicy, sweet, salty and scrumptious options. Having served Moore, Okla. for eight years, Fusion Café has mastered its artistry, bringing the same great tastes to Norman’s Main Street. Offering guests a small, focused menu, Fusion Café pays special attention to each dish. The result is big, bold flavors that continue to stir up applause. Known for Korean-style wings that come in six, 12, 18 and 24 pieces, Fusion Café also serves bulgogi and teriyaki dishes that include chicken, tofu, pork and beef. Also enjoy hot pot options or the veggie mix. Step one: Pick a dish. Step two: Pick a sauce. Kick up the flavor, and dose your dish with garlic, spicy teriyaki or hot sauce. There’s no going wrong with the flavor combinations created here. 760 Main St., Norman. 405.217.2477 – Brittany Anicetti
TRENCHER’S DELICATESSEN
“Making really good stuff from scratch” is, according to Trencher’s owner/chef Zach Curren, the name of the game at the deli. Breads, pastries, smoked and cured meats, sauces and sides are all made fresh in-house and cover a wide variety of tastes. Breakfast, which is served all day, features house-made bagels, french toast with maple-apple compote and a vegan scramble. Sandwiches are available as house specialty combinations or as “make your own” and are served with house-made chips. Unique fillings like carne vnha d’alhos (wine-braised pork shoulder), eggplant caponata and corned beef are all made from scratch to ensure fresh, full flavor. The same care and preparation put into Trencher’s daily menu also extends to Thursday and Friday night offerings. Stop by for authentic, organic Peruvian chicken that is marinated for a full day in fragrant spices before being cooked on a rotisserie. A generous portion of chicken is served with spicy mayonnaise (as is traditional) along with crispy, hand-cut french fries and a kale citrus salad. The current dinner schedule offers Peruvian chicken on Thursdays, while Friday evenings include the regular weekday menu. Future plans to expand evening offerings to include specialty dishes Wednesday through Saturday night are in the works and may roll out as soon as the end of 2015. Cassoulet and Ethiopian fla
W H AT W E ’ R E E AT I N G
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TRENCHER’S PERUVIAN CHICKEN IS SERVED WITH SPICY MAYONNAISE, CRISPY FRIES AND KALE SALAD. PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.
vors are likely to appear on a menu that will change with the seasons. To keep up with the deli’s weekly specials and menu additions, Zach Curren suggests checking out the restaurant’s Facebook page, which also
includes photos and some hilarious videos – imagine a rap about lobster rolls - from the staff. 2602 S. Harvard Ave., Tulsa. www. trencherstulsa.com – Mary Beth Ede
Karen Weidner, R.N. and Kristen Rice, M.D. Advanced skin treatments and cosmetic dermatology.
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918-712-3223
1325 E 35th Street Suite B
Coping with Grief During the Holidays The holidays can be a difficult time when you are coping with a loss. Grace Hospice of Oklahoma offers free support groups to help people who are dealing with a loss. A trained Chaplain will lead the groups and they are free and open to anyone in the community.
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through Jan. 17, 2016 Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe, 1967. Screenprint. Collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. ©2015 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ ARS, New York, NY. Support for the exhibition has been made possible by a grant from The Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation
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10/20/15 11:30 AM
PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.
Taste
SAVOY RESTAURANT
SWEET TOOTH
Roll-up Breakfast
Holiday mornings are perfect when enjoyed with an ooey-gooey cinnamon roll.
BROWN’S BAKERY
PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.
Cinnamon rolls taller than your mouth can handle are what makes Brown’s Bakery in Oklahoma City, a great place for holiday morning treats. A mixture of cinnamon and sugar melds in the pinwheels of the roll, while a decadent, sweet glaze drips down the warm roll’s sides. They’re not fancy, they don’t have high-end ingredients or extra-special finishes, which is why customers at Brown’s clamor for them, fresh out of the oven, day after day. 1100 N. Walker Ave., Oklahoma City. 405.232.0363 – Jami Mattox
For many Tulsans, the Savoy Restaurant has become synonymous with fresh, gooey cinnamon rolls. Unbeknownst to many, this 90-year-old establishment is far more than a single decadent breakfast sweet. The restaurant originally opened in downtown Tulsa under the name Kelamis Café, named for its Greek immigrant owner, Nick Kelamis. In 1954, when looking to have a new storefront sign made, the sign maker offered Nick’s son Tommy a great deal on a Savoy sign that had been ordered but never picked up. Fifty years and a move to south Tulsa later, the renamed Savoy Restaurant added the signature cinnamon rolls to the menu – a recipe created by then-owner Bill Kelamis. Following family tradition, Evan Kelamis now runs the Savoy, and while the menu is evolving, the weekday specials and attention to quality is staying the same. In addition to making all of their baked goods from scratch, Savoy Restaurant also offers healthier options like homemade Greek yogurt with homemade granola, as well as seasonal items like pumpkin spice pancakes. On any given day it is not uncommon to see former owner Bill Kelamis in the restaurant talking with customers. 6033 S. Sheridan Road, Tulsa. www.savoyrestaurant.com – Mary Beth Ede
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PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.
BIG SKY BREAD
Big Sky Bread makes cinnamon rolls for the truly hungry. Warm and yeasty and sticky with sugar and cinnamon, these cinnamon rolls utilize whole-wheat flour and imported cinnamon for extra-special flavor. The treat costs just over $2 and is perfect enjoyed with a warm cup of coffee on Christmas morning, surrounded by loved ones and scraps of ripped wrapping paper. Of course, Big Sky has other offerings, including cookies, scones and fruit breads, all made fresh daily, along with classic, specialty and European breads. Call-ahead orders re ncouraged, especially if you’ll be feeding a crowd this holiday season. 6606 N. Western Ave., Oklahoma City. www.bigskybreadokc.com – J.M.
Holiday Gift Guide B-Sew Inn
Massoud’s
A Season for Joy!
Reliable and durable, the Baby Lock BL9 has a variety of stitches and adjustable stitch lengths, plus a free arm to easily reach hard-to-sew areas, . Free guide classes, plus a 25-year warranty (MSRP $399). B-Sew Inn The Farm Shopping Center 5235 S. Sheridan, Tulsa 918.664.4480, 800.750.4480 www.bsewinn.com
A Fine Jewelry Design Studio
$99
Handcrafted original, old world service. The Farm Shopping Center www.ringmakers.com 918.663.4884
Located in the Farm Shopping Center 51st & Sheridan Road | Tulsa, OK 74145 918.794.7889
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THE NUTCRACKER
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Entertainment
G R E AT T H I N G S TO D O I N O K L A H O M A
Celebrate The Season
PHOTO COURTESY OF DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY
S
The annual Downtown in December celebration gives residents events to look forward to all month long.
ince 2002, Oklahoma City has been the host of Oklahoma’s largest Christmas spectacular. Presented by Devon Energy, the 14th annual Downtown in December celebration features an array of holiday activities, from ice skating in the Myriad Botanical Gardens and zip-lining at the Oklahoma River, to free water taxi rides on the Bricktown Canal and a Santa run. This month-long, family-friendly adventure attracts thousands to the city’s 10-block polar playground. In its inception, the festival started off small, with just a couple of light displays, an ice rink and snow tubing. Now the festival boasts 25 holiday-themed events that are sure to get attendees in the holiday spirit. Saturday, Dec. 12, put on a white beard,
running shoes and Santa hat for the SandRidge Santa Run. Beginning at 9:30 a.m., runners can prance around downtown Oklahoma City in the 5k race. Registration is $35 and includes a costume contest with a grand prize of $150. When looking for a thrill, the Snow Tubing Winter Festival is just the right speed. The Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark houses Downtown in December’s gigantic snow tubing slope. Starting from the upper level behind first base and landing near second base, this winter slide is an adventure that you don’t want to miss. In the spirit of competition? Zip-line while dropping presents into chimney targets, climb to the North Pole and then zoom down a 72foot slide. In its fifth season at the Myriad Botanical
Gardens, the Devon Ice Rink is open seven days a week and offers a chance to channel your inner Dorothy Hamill. Champagne, cocktail dresses and glitter are de rigueur at the annual Glitter Ball at Dunlap Codding in historic Film Row. The gala features a variety of live performances, heavy hors d’oeuvres, a premium bar and more surprises. The event will also feature an art auction to benefit the Oklahoma City Girls Art School. Tickets for the whimsical ball are $100 for general admission and $200 for VIP admission and can be purchased online at www.kindtevents.com. Whether you are looking for a traditional family holiday outing or wanting to indulge in the party scene, be assured that Downtown in December has it all. NEHEMIAH ISRAEL
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Entertainment
IN
WIN WITH WINTERFEST
Cap off a festive night at the premier event of the Tulsa holiday season. During Winterfest, downtown Tulsa, along with the BOK Center, transforms into a winter wonderland. Enjoy ice-skating, holiday light displays and horse-drawn carriage rides through downtown Tulsa.
PHOTO BY KENNETH JONES AND COURTESY TULSA PAC.
TULSA
A-Caroling We Will Go
A must-see holiday production is the classic A Christmas Carol presented by the American Theatre Company. The musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ enduring Christmas tale is in its 39th year. This heartwarming holiday musical chronicles money-hoarding Ebenezer Scrooge, who believes personal wealth is far more important than the happiness and comfort of others. Scrooge summates his feelings of Christmas tidings and charitable giving, but he’s forced to face his selfish ways when three ghosts on Christmas Eve lead him through After the show, go for a cup of joe. his past, present and future. Enjoy Located inside the hip retail sanctuary this holiday classic with the entire Dwelling Spaces, Joebot’s Coffee Bar family beginning Dec. 10 at the serves fresh, hot Topeca selections that Tulsa Performing Arts Center, 110 will warm the body on a frigid night. Some E. Second St. www.tulsapac.com in-house favorites include the pour-over, the Americano, Bigfoot and the chai tea latte. While you wait, peruse Dwelling Spaces for Tulsacentric merchandise.
BOT BAR
IN
OKC
SHOP POP-UP
THUNDER HUNGER
After viewing the latest Modernist Spectrum exhibit, head to Kd’s Southern Cuisine for honey-fried chicken, country-fried steak, gumbo and more. Bursting with flavor, the crispy coconut chicken salad is filled with artichoke hearts, avocados, tomatoes, red onion, almonds, croutons, field greens and topped with, tasty honey-lime dressing and raspberry sauce. 224 Johnny Bench Dr., Oklahoma City. www.kdsbricktown.com
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Tease Your Mind
Holiday traffic can prove to be a burden on people trying to finish their holiday shopping. So, instead of heading to the mall, stimulate your mind at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in The Modernist Spectrum: Color and Abstraction exhibit. Practitioners of this eclectic art form often look to create something that the eye has never seen. American artists reinvented abstract art, through a peculiar manipulation of color, shapes and lines. The colorful art displayed in the exhibit explores the distinction of abstract art. Catch the elusive exhibit through Dec. 31 at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. NEHEMIAH ISRAEL
PHOTO COURTESY OF OKCMOA.
PHOTO COURTESY FEATUREFLASH / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Now that your tummy is full, holiday shopping can be more bearable. On the northeast corner of 10th Street and Hudson Avenue, Oklahoma City’s Holiday Pop-up Shops has a variety of locally owned retailers for your shopping pleasure. These shops offer merchandise, crafts, apparel and more. Shops include LootB, Cargo Room, Urbane, Betsy King Shoes and many other locally owned boutiques.
RED RIBBON GALA 2016 CO-CHAIRS JAY KROTTINGER (LEFT) AND RYAN TANNER WITH HONOREE PATRICIA CHERNICKY. PHOTO BY TONY LI.
SPECIAL PROMOTION
Red Ribbon Gala See red for a good cause at the 19th annual event.
M
ore than 5,000 Oklahomans live with HIV and AIDS. Bringing awareness to the disease and the stigma associated with it, that still exists today, is the reason for the existence of the annual Red Ribbon Gala, which is in its 19th year. The gala will be held Feb. 27, 2016, at the Cox Business Center in Tulsa. The fundraiser benefits Tulsa CARES, which offers social services to people affected by HIV and AIDS. This year’s event will honor Patricia Chernicky, who has served Tulsa CARES in many capacities for more than 15 years. “During that time, she has remained one of our most loyal donors and has served on the board of directors as chairperson and president,” explains Ryan Tanner, gala co-chair-
man. “She has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Tulsa CARES and has inspired hundreds of our patrons to continue believing in what we do.” Tanner says that this year’s gala will not be the typical fundraising event for the more than 500 anticipated attendees. “For years, Red Ribbon Gala was known for an intimate cocktail party before the dinner, live auction and dancing,” Tanner says. “We are thrilled to say we are bringing this experience back, and in a surprising way. Red Ribbon Gala is not an event; it is an experience.” The evening event will focus on the clients – the heart and soul of the fight – and the donors and patrons. “We will take this opportunity to educate on this disease and its financial impact on our
community; we will speak to the stigma and shame attached to living with HIV/AIDS,” Tanner says. “We will illustrate the power and joy of giving and changing – even saving – lives.” Right around the same time as the Red Ribbon Gala, Tulsa CARES will open the doors of its new home. Currently underway is the construction of the new facility, the Charles Faudree Center, which will be completed in March 2016. “What we do here is in our mission statement,” says Shannon Hall, executive director of Tulsa CARES. “We’re creating a community for those affected by HIV/AIDS through empowerment, inclusion and resources. We’re also working to end the stigma of HIV.” The center offers housing, case management, mental health and medical and nutrition services for people living with HIV and AIDS. Tulsa CARES currently serves more than 500 people, but the new facility will allow the program to grow to serve at least 1,000. “It will enhance the experience for our clients,” Hall says. “It will allow for a better nutrition program, more socialization of clients, better case management, on-site testing to move clients directly into care and expansion of our mental health services.” Hall says the new facility is important because those living in or close to poverty are twice as likely to be infected with HIV. The services Tulsa CARES offers deal with the issues of poverty and living with HIV and AIDS. “Our job is to make sure our clients are adherent to their drug treatments,” Hall explains. “Treatment is prevention. Keeping our clients adherent to treatment results in lower viral loads and that can reduce the probability of transmission by 96 percent.” This disease and the stigma that comes with it affects many, but there is hope. “It is a chronic disease, but you can live a normal life if you stay healthy and adherent to treatments,” Hall emphasizes. “When you consider the life cost of someone living with HIV/AIDS, you realize how expensive it is and what we do here is worth it.” ALAINA STEVENS
RED RIBBON GALA
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016
Cox Business Center in Tulsa Benefits Tulsa CARES For ticket information, visit www.redribbongala.org.
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PERFORMANCES • IN CONCERT • SPORTS • FAMILY • ART • CHARITABLE EVENTS • COMMUNITY
PHOTO COURTESY OKC BALLET
Entertainment
Calendar
PERFORMANCE
The Nutcracker Remember going to your grandparents’ house and noticing a collection of wooden soldiers clad in a red military ensemble? Those stiff soldiers have a story that is traditionally shared during the holiday season known as The Nutcracker. For nine nights, the Oklahoma City Ballet brings the classic holiday story to the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall. In the story of The Nutcracker, a young girl befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King. The original story by author E.T.A. Hoffman is more sinister than the version that reached the stage. The holiday fantasy originally premiered in Russia in 1892 and migrated to the U.S. on Christmas Eve in 1944 when it was performed by the San Francisco Ballet. The Nutcracker opens Dec. 12 at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall with special activities for the whole family to enjoy before and after the performances. For more information, visit www.okcballet.com.
PERFORMANCES Peter and the Starcatcher Dec. 1-31 A wildly innovative, Tony Award-winning retelling of how an angst-ridden orphan became the immortal Peter Pan. www. waltonartscenter.org Brown Bag It: Tulsa Festival Ringers Dec. 2 A cheerful holiday performance by the Hand Bell Choir. www.tulsapac.com School of Music: Symphony Orchestra Dec. 2 A night of classic Christmas music by UCO students. www.music.uco.edu Home for the Holidays Dec. 3 Downtown Tuttle, Okla. lights up with the Christmas spirit with Home for the Holidays. This family-friendly event features live music, vendors, crafts, live performances, food and much more. www.cityoftuttle.com The Christmas Show Dec. 3-5 Bring the whole family and experience Oklahoma City’s original Christmas show. www. okcciviccenter.com The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Dec. 3-6 & 10-13 Christmas magic helps bring a family, as well as the rest of the town to a new understanding of the holiday season. www.clarkyouththeatre.com OKCPhilharmonicPresents:TheChristmas Show Dec. 3-5 This show is a family favorite and features special guest stars and favorite holiday tunes. w w w. okcphilharmonic.org Alcoholidays Dec. 3-20 A mature tale of a couple dealing with the ins and outs of the holidays. www.okcciviccenter. com So You Think You Can Dance Live Dec. 4 The Fox television dance competition
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goes live in theaters for a tour. Look for it at the Brady Theater. www.bradytheater. com The Four Elements Dec. 4-Dec. 22 Watch four artists reinterpret the four elements
Kevin Gates
OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
of the ancient world. www.livingarts.org Naughty, Nice and a Little Bit Nuts Dec. 5 A performance that will surely get you into the holiday cheer. Join a festivity-filled evening of holiday favorite tunes sung by
some of UCO’s finest vocalists. www. ucojazzlab.com Home for the Holidays Dec. 5 Tulsa Symphony is joined by area choruses, handbell choirs and soloists for a holiday community event. www.tulsasymphony. org Alcoholidays Dec. 3-20 A mature tale of a couple dealing with the ins and outs of the holidays. www.okcciviccenter. com Greg Fitzsimmons at ACM@UCO Performance Lab Dec. 5 Enjoy the comedic works of Emmy Award-winning writer and comedian Greg Fitzsimmons. www. acm@uco.edu Canterbury Christmas Dec. 6 One of the highlights of holiday traditions in Oklahoma City. Featured with a traditional holiday carol sing-a-long with the audience, as well as a variety of musical guests which add to the spirit of this time of year. www.okcciviccenter.com G2K Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella Dec.4-6 The timeless tale of a sweet kitchen maid who wins the heart of a prince is told through this G2K presentation. www.tulsapac.com Ragtime: The Musical Dec. 8 The stories of an upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring, young Harlem musician unfold. www.brokenarrowpac.com A Christmas Carol Dec.10-20 This heartwarming musical traces moneyhoarding Ebenezer Scrooge’s triumphant overnight journey to redemption, illuminating the meaning of the holiday season. www. tulsapac.com
Tulsa Ballet: The Nutcracker Dec.11-13 A young girl’s fantasy unfolds in this remarkable production that mixes the visuals of a Broadway show with the heartwarming story of a fairytale Christmas. www. tulsapac.com Dreamgirls In Concert Dec. 11-20 Three young girls’ wildest dreams come true after being discovered at a local talent show by an ambitious manager. www. tulsapac.com Jane Austen’s Christmas Cracker! An Interactive Ball Dec. 11-19 A portrayal of Jane Austen, this production brings romance to the holiday season. Enjoy tea, holiday pastries, and participate by sharing a dance, or a song, with your favorite romantic hero or heroine. Regency costumes are encouraged. www.okcciviccenter.com The Nutcracker Presented by Devon Energy Dec. 12-22 Create special family memories as the fanciful Oklahoma City Ballet presents The Nutcracker. The story of Clara, her Nutcracker prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy will enchant with 10 performances this holiday season. www. okcballet.com TheTenTenors:HomefortheHolidays Dec. 15 A magical experience for the whole family that will dazzle, delight and captivate. www.brokenarrowpac.com Christmas In Tulsa Dec. 18-19 The magic and wonder of Christmas fills the Tulsa air with the Signature Symphony. www. signaturesymphony.org Disney’sBeautyandTheBeast(Tulsa) Dec. 22-23 This classic musical love story is filled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers. Experience the romance and enchantment. www.tulsapac.com Shen Yun 2016 Dec. 23-24 Shen Yun brings to life 5,000 years of Chinese civilization through classical Chinese dance and music in an exhilarating, new show you will never forget. www.okcciviccenter.com AVeryBrassyChristmas Dec.24 Celebrate Christmas with a night of phenomenal choirs, bands and artistic expression. www. ambassadorschoir.com Kevin Hart: What Now? Tour Dec. 27 A night of star-studded, stand-up comedy by the world famous Kevin Hart. The Real Husbands of Hollywood star will have you laughing out of your seat. www.winstarworldcasino.com
IN CONCERT This Christmas Dec. 1 www.waltonartscenter.org Kevin Gates: The Islah Tour Dec. 1 www. cainsballroom.com KingDiamond Dec. 2 www.bradytheater. com Hear in Concert Dec. 3 www.choctawcasinos.com Will Hoge Dec. 4 www.acm.uco.edu Lyle Lovett Dec. 4 www.riverspirittulsa. com An Evening with Gaelic Storm Dec. 3 www.cainsballroom.com Dwight Yoakam Dec. 5 www.winstarworldcasino.com TobyMac Dec. 6 www.bokcenter.com The Neighbourhood Dec. 7 www. cainsballroom.com A Melinda Doolittle Christmas Dec. 8 www.occc.edu August Burns Red Dec. 8 w w w. cainsballroom.com Pokey LaFarge Dec. 8 www.acm.uco. edu Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience Dec. 9 www.bradytheater.com Digitour Slaybells-Fire Dec. 9 www.
diamondballroom.net Hot Club of Cowtown Dec. 9 www. cainsballroom.com Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum Dec. 11 www.diamondballroom.net Travis Linville Dec. 11 www.woodyguthriecenter.org Tyler Farr Dec. 11 www.cainsballroom. com Reckless Kelly Dec. 12 www.diamondballroom.net Randy Houser Dec. 12 www.choctawcasinos.com Kim Walker Smith Dec. 13 www. bradytheater.com Scott Weildand and The Wildabouts Dec. 15 www.diamondballroom.net Edge Christmas Concert Dec. 16 www. bradytheater.com The Sword Dec. 17 www.acm.uco. edu Mt. Eden Dec. 17 www.cainsballroom. com Hinder Dec. 18 www.diamondballroom. net Texas Hippie Coalition Dec. 18 www. cainsballroom.com Penn & Teller Dec. 18 www.winstarworldcasino.com Cody Johnson Dec. 19 www.diamondballroom.net John Fullbright Dec. 19 www.cainsballroom.com Donny & Marie Osmond Dec. 19 www. winstarworldcasino.com Robert Earl Keen’s Merry Christmas From The Fam-O-Lee Dec. 20 www. cainsballroom.com Trans-Siberian Orchestra Dec. 23 www. chesapeakearena.com Justin Adams Dec. 25 www.thevanguardtulsa.com TheTurnpikeTroubadours Dec. 26 www. cainsballroom.com CHICAGO Dec. 26 www.winstarworldcasino.com Robert Earl Keen’s Merry Christmas Dec. 29 www.okcciviccenter.com Black Label Society Dec. 29 www. bradytheater.com Frankie Vali & The Four Seasons Dec. 31 www.winstarworldcasino.com Clay Walker with Restless Heart Dec. 31 www.choctawcasinos.com
IN CONCERT
Donny & Marie Osmond Before the Jonas Brothers, there was the Osmonds. Not only did they make the leap from child stars to adult performers, they dabbled in a variety of genres, including R&B, pop, disco, soft rock, country and more. They were the squeaky clean kids who never indulged in the temptations of show biz. Following the Osmonds’ international success, the younger siblings, Donny and Marie, began to emerge as solo acts. They both recorded solo albums before joining forces to record a string of hits like, “I’m Leaving It Up to You” and “Morning Side of the Mountain.” The duo has collectively recorded 142 albums, selling more than 100 million copies with 51 gold and platinum recordings. Donny and Marie have sold out shows internationally, broken box office records and received numerous awards. On Dec. 17, Donny and Marie Osmond perform holiday classics along with some of their chart-topping hits at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. The duo will bring along a Las Vegas band and dancers, making it a production of complete entertainment for the young and the old. Tickets start at $85. For more information, visit www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com.
to both the futurity and derby champions. Enjoy fast-paced barrel racing action at this world championship event. www. bfaworld.com SandRidge Santa Run Dec. 12 Prance in the streets of downtown Oklahoma City in this year’s SandRidge Santa Run. As part of Downtown in December, the holiday run includes a 5k race, a one mile Fun Run and a free Santa Claus Kids’ Dash, plus a warm-up with Rumble the Bison and the Thunder Girls. www. downtownindecember.com Big 12/SEC Challenge Dec. 20 Check out an exciting women’s basketball doubleheader as Texas plays Arkansas, followed-byOklahomaandTexasA&M. www. chesapeakearena.com
SPORTS Oklahoma City Thunder www.nba.com/ thunder, v. Sacramento Dec. 6 v. Atlanta Dec. 10 v. Utah Dec. 13 v. Portland Dec. 16 v. LA Lakers Dec. 19 v. Chicago Dec. 25 v. Denver Dec. 27 v. Milwaukee Dec. 29 v. Phoenix Dec. 31 Oklahoma City Blue www.oklahomacity. dleague.nba.com/ v. Idaho Dec. 1 v. Idaho Dec. 3 v. Westchester Dec. 5 v. Santa Cruz Dec. 12 v. Reno Dec. 15 v. Austin Dec. 20 Tulsa Oilers www.tulsaoilers.com v. Rapid City Dec. 2 v. Utah Dec. 3 v. Idaho Dec.10 v. Idaho Dec. 11 v. Missouri Dec. 13 v. Wichita Dec.18 v. Wichita Dec. 19 Tulsa Football www.tulsahurricane.com v. UCF Nov. 7 v. Navy Nov. 21 OSU Men’s Basketball www.okstate.com v. Tulsa Dec. 2 v. Missouri State Dec. 5 v. Longwood Dec. 15 v. UMKC Dec. 26 OU Men’s Basketball www.soonersports.com Dec. 7 v. Villanova v. Oral Roberts Dec. 12 v. Creighton Dec. 19
ART Beauty and the Beast
Hot Club in Cowtown v. Washington State
Immortales: The Hall of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums, Rome Thru Dec. 6 A selection of 20 busts from the collection of the world’s oldest museum, the Capitoline in Rome, comes to the U.S. for the first time. www.ou.edu/fjjma, The Best of the Best: Contemporary Wildlife Art Exhibit Thru Dec. 31 If you have a great appreciation for wildlife and nature, you don’t want to miss out on this fantastic display at Bartlesville’s Woolaroc Museum. As you tour this astonishing collection, you’ll see the stirring works of painters Ken Carlson, Bob Kuhn, James Morgan and Tucker Smith, and sculptors Ken Bunn. www.woolaroc.org Shared Space: Photography From 1987 and Beyond Thru Dec. 18 Jump in a time capsule to explore the social landscape of 1987 through photography and videos and other time-based media curated entirely from the Bank of America Collection. The artists included in this exhibition hail
Dec. 22
TulsaMen’sBasketball www.tulsahurricane. com
v. Oral Roberts Dec. 5 v. Iona Dec. 8 v. Oregon State Dec. 19 v. Northern Arizona Dec. 22 v. SMU Dec. 29 ORU Men’s Basketball www.oruathletics.com v. John Brown Dec. 9 OU Women’s Basketball www.soonersports.com v. UALR Dec. 2 v. UTSA Dec. 9 O S U Wo m e n ’s B a s ke t b a l l www.okstate.com v. Texas-Rio Grande Valley Dec. 5 v. North Carolina Dec. 14 v. Savannah State Dec. 27
v. Baylor
Dec. 30
Tulsa Women’s Basketball www.tulsahurricane.com
v. Grambling State Dec. 2 v. Indiana State Dec. 6 v. Oklahoma Dec. 9 v. East Carolina Dec. 30 O R U Wo m e n ’s B a s ke t b a l l www.oruathletics.com v. Lyon College Dec. 15 v. Missouri Dec. 6 National Reining Horse Futurity Thru Dec. 5 The National Reining Horse Futurity is the most elite reining event in the world. More than 127,000 visitors from 20 different countries will pour into State Fair Park for this year’s competition. www.nrha. com World Barrel Racing Futurity Dec. 8-13 Championship saddles, cash bonuses and other awards are presented
DECEMBER 2015 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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Entertainment
Focus On Favorites: Masterworks for the Gilcrease Collection Ongoing This Gilcrease Museum exhibit highlights the treasures, art, artifacts and historical documents cherished in the museum collection and reflective of the American experience. www.gilcrease.utulsa.edu In The Spotlight: The Art of Clancy Gray Thru Dec. 30 Award-winning Osage artist Clancy Gray is featured during a one-man show in downtown Oklahoma City’s Red Earth Art Center. The exhibit features the Tulsa artist’s his award winning sculpture and jewelry pieces. www. redearth.org
SPORTS
Oklahoma City Thunder v. Chicago Bulls The NBA gifts the Thunder nation with a matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Christmas Day this year. Last season, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant suffered a foot injury, which plagued him for the entire season. With Durant’s absence, Oklahoma City failed to reach the playoffs after making it to the postseason in the previous five years. On the other hand, the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose has been plagued with injuries his entire career. After missing all of training camp because of a fractured left orbital bone, Rose led the Chicago Bulls in a victory against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in October. In the Thunder’s 112-106 victory against San Antonio Spurs, Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 33 points and 10 assists, while Durant scored 22 points in their regular-season opener. With Durant and Rose returning to their true form, the Thunder and the Bulls are both poised for the post-season, making this a matchup you don’t want to miss. For more information, visit www.nba.com/thunder.
from across the globe, including the U.S., Canada, Czech Republic, Germany and muchmore. www.oklahomacontemporary. org Native American Bolo Ties: Vintage and Contemporary Artistry Thru Jan. 3 American Indian jewelers and silversmiths bring individuality and creativity to this art form, offering a broad range of unique
and artistic options. www.gilcrease. utulsa.org Off the Wall: Street Art by Thomas ‘Breeze’ Marcus Thru Jan. 5 Thomas ‘Breeze’ Marcus creates larger-than-life murals as well as small-scale paintings on paper, wood panels and even vinyl records. www.philbrook.org The Jerome M. Westhelmer, Sr. & Wanda Otey Westhimer Distinguished Visiting
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
Artist Chair: James Surls Thru Jan. 3 Explore Surl’s investigation of the natural world through his sculptures made from wood, steal and bronze. www. ou.edu/fjjma Painted Journeys: The Art of John Mix Stanley Thru Jan. 3 Explore John Mix Stanley’s artwork depicting the American West. www.gilcrease.utulsa.edu Bert Seabourn: American Expressionist Thru Jan. 9 After being an illustrator, graphic designer and art director for a major Oklahoma energy company for 23 years, Seabourn becames a full-time painter and has since received many high honors for his work. Now his art will be on display at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. www.oklahomahof.com Enter the Matrix: Indigenous Printmakers Thru Jan. 17 This exhibit explores how printmaking has become a matrix for cultural and artistic exchange, the critical sites of engagement and key figures. www.ou.edu/fjjma In Living Color Thru Jan 17 See the colorful works of Andy Warhol alongside Richard Diebenkorn, Chuck Close, Edward Ruscha and Keith Haring. www.philbrook. org Through the Eyes of the Lynx: Galileo, Natural History and the Americans Thru Jan. 18 This exhibit showcases the written works of The Academy of the Lynx, one of the world’s earliest scientific societies, stretching the understanding of the life sciences, and its most well-known member, Galileo Galilei. www.samnoblemuseum.ou.edu Birds in Art Thru Feb. 7 Artists from around the world find inspiration from birds, their artworks on display within this exhibit. www.gilcrease.utulsa.edu The Secret Life of the City Thru Feb. 12 For this exhibit, eight artists have each created a piece of art the size of a small billboard, which will be on display at the Invited Artists Gallery in the Underground. www.downtownokc.com BarbizonandBeyond Thru Feb. 28 Explore
CHARITY Women’s Auxilary Christmas Fashion Show Dec. 1 Set aside a day for high fashion, shopping and more with Tulsa media celebrities modeling looks from Miss Jackson’s to benefits holiday programs. www.coxcentertulsa.com Women Who Care Share Luncheon Dec. 2 In 2014, YWCA raised approximately $100,000. The funds are critical to YWCA Oklahoma City, to keep providing the life-saving services that we do on a day-to-day basis. www.ywcaokc.org Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award Dinner Dec. 5 The trust awards a renowned author Rick Atkinson at this annual black-tie dinner and ceremony at the Librarium in downtown Tulsa. www. helmerichaward.org Children’s Holiday Party Dec. 5 Children visit with Santa Claus through sign language and voice at this party that includes games, refreshments, crafts and fun for families. First United Methodist Church, Jingle Bell Run-Walk Dec. 12 Get in the holiday spirit with hundreds of other walkers in Tulsa for a holiday-themed trot around downtown Tulsa followed by festivities and Santa. www.arthritis.org/ oklahoma Philbrook Festival Thru Dec. 13 The museum comes alive with local art and
Dwight Yoakam
French landscapes through the displayed mid -19th centurypaintings and prints. www. philbrook.org Interludes Thru March 27 Uncover more than 20 paintings, drawings and prints by Oklahoma printmaker Doel Reed. www.tulsalibrarytrust.org Off the Wall Thru May 15 Discover ThomasBreeze Marcus’s larger-than-life murals and paintings in this Philbrook exhibit. www.philbrook.org Identity & Inspiration Thru June 29 This exhibit features nearly 200 objects of 20th century American Indian art. www. philbrook.org On Common Ground Ongoing Through the mixing of these many works of art and cultural items depicting a great variety of people, one is reminded that all human beings have similar needs that bring us to a common ground. www.gilcrease. utulsa.edu
festive holiday events. All proceeds support Philbrook educational programs. www.philbrook.org Red Feather Gala Dec. 15 The 11th annual fundraiser that’s also a cultural event benefits the health center as it entertains with dinner and American Indian dance and honors community leaders and supporters. www.okcic.com Falalala Ball 2015 Dec. 20 Celebrate the holidays with Oklahomans for Equality to benefit the Parish Church of St. Jerome’s food bank. A Friend for a Friend and Our House Too, which have programs assisting persons living with HIV and AIDS. www. okeq.org Oklahoma Lawyers for Children Chips for Children & Venetian Ball Dec. 26 This year’s 4th annual gala features dining ,roving mistrals, live music for dancing, live and silent auctions and casino play all while supporting Oklahoma County’s
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ART
Shared Space: Photography From 1987 and Beyond Through Dec. 18, time travel to the year 1987 with the Shared Space: Photography From 1987 and Beyond exhibit at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. The exhibition acts as a time capsule, navigating the social landscape from 1987 to the present through photographs and videos. Photographers featured in this exhibit hail from around the globe, including the United States, Canada, Germany, India, Iran, Mexico and more. Each artist interprets this period of transition from his or her own unique perspective. Along with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, these events marked the end of the Cold War and ushered in an age of globalization. Many of the artists document vast landscapes shot from a great distance and from a bird’s eye view. For more information, visit www.oklahomacontemporary.org.
december.com Deck the Halls at the Oklahoma History Center Dec. 5 Deck the Halls with the Oklahoma History Center. This family event includes activities and a chance to meet a variety of historical Mr. and Mrs.
Clause. www.okhistory.org Merry & Bright Dec. 6 Every Sunday evening witness the beauty of the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory during the holidays. Enjoy charming holiday light displays and beautiful plant exhibits
designed especially for the holiday season. www.oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com Cascia Christmas Walk Dec. 6 This year’s Christmas Walk will include exquisite homes in Midtown Tulsa. Each home will
be beautifully decorated and ready to sparkle and shine through the Christmas season. www.cascialhall.org Glitter Ball Dec. 6 This event features a variety of live performances, heavy hors d’oeuvres, a premium bar and several
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Dashing to Durant Dec. 1 Kick off the holiday season in Durant with a Christmas tree lighting and parade. www.durantchamber.org Salvation Army Women’s Auxilary ChristmasLuncheon&FashionShow Dec. 1 The 63rd annual Tulsa SAWA features 500 silent auction items. Fashions from Miss Jackson’s will be featured and modeled by local TV personalities. www. coxcentertulsa.com Christmas in theVillage Dec. 1-31 Experience Christmas as it was more than 100 years ago with the sights, smells and sounds of the holiday season at Christmas in the Village in Enid. www.csrhc.org Red Earth TreeFest Dec. 1-31 Featuring seven Christmas trees adorned with ornaments created to showcase the Native cultures that make Oklahoma unique. www.downtownokc.com Christmas Parade of Lights Dec. 3 Bundle the family up to enjoy this annual holiday tradition. The Stillwater Christmas Parade of Lights runs through downtown spreading Christmas cheer. www.travelok.com Chickasha Main Street Christmas Parade Dec. 3 This old-fashioned holiday parade features marching bands, floats, antique cars, horses and more. Come to the annual Chickasha Main Street Christmas Parade to see floats and cars decorated with lights for this festive nighttime parade. www.chickasawcountry.com Home for the Holidays Dec. 3 Downtown Tuttle, Okla. lights up with the Christmas spirit with Home for the Holidays. This family-friendly event features live music, vendors, children’s crafts, live performances, food and much more. www.cityoftuttle. com FestivalofLightsParade Dec. 3 Okmulgee gets you into the holiday spirit with one of the state’s oldest nighttime parades with more than a million lights. www. okmulgeeonline.com Pat Taylor Memorial Parade of Lights Dec. 3 Join local community members as they line eight city blocks of downtown Ada for a lighted, nighttime Christmas parade. www.travelok.com Christmas on the Western Frontier Dec. 3 Christmas on the Western Frontier features an old-fashioned Christmas parade with more than 50 floats, along with evening festivities that include trolley rides, storytelling, Santa’s workshop, strolling carolers, children’s craft projects and the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree. www.elrenotourism.org Bethlehem Walk Dec. 3-6 Enjoy a 45-minute guided outdoor walk through one of the region’s most realistic living nativity scenes. www.christview.org Dog Holiday Party at Midtown Mutts Dec. 4-6 Bring the family pup and enjoy a holiday party at the Midtown Mutts Dog Park. Take photos of your dogs with Santa and enjoy milk, bones and cookies. www. downtownindecember.com Christkindlmarket Dec. 4-6 The German American Society of Tulsa brings the German tradition of holiday markets to Tulsa for a three-day shopping event that includes traditional German foods, ornaments and more. www.gastulsa. org Ugly Sweater 5k Dec. 5 Do the Ugly Sweater 5k and you won’t even have to purchase one! Your run shirt will be a fun christmas sweater design. www.runnersworldtulsa.com NHRA Futurity & Adequan Championship Show Thru Dec. 5 This show is one of the most elite reining events in the world with more than $2 million in purse and prizes and more than 20 countries represented. www.nrhafuturity.com Little Willie’s Triple Dog Dare Dec. 5 The fourth annual Little Willie’s Triple Dog Dare will be held at Leadership Square. This stair climbing event is open to people of all ages and keeping it in line with the “Little Willie’s spirit. www.downtownin-
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Christmas in T-Town It is, once again, the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas lights, festive parades, spectacular events and family traditions are but a few ways to celebrate the season in Oklahoma. While the state is home to dazzling Christmas light displays, the Tulsa Christmas Parade has become a main attraction for Tulsans and visitors from neighboring communities. Each year, the Tulsa Christmas Parade gets bigger, and the 2015 organizers hope to draw more than 50,000 people to the holiday spectacular. While everyone enjoys viewing the drill teams dance to the hard-hitting beats of the marching band, the gigantic helium balloons have become a crowd favorite. The Christmas parade kicks off in downtown Tulsa on Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. with a route beginning on Seventh Street and Boston Avenue and ending on Third Street and Boulder Avenue. Following enjoyment of the Christmas parade, take in the sights of downtown Tulsa as it is transformed into a winter wonderland during the annual Winterfest. In 2014, more than 150,000 visitors enjoyed Winterfest, solidifying its place as a Tulsa holiday tradition. The festival runs through Jan. 17 and features downtown carriage rides, a fireworks display and the main attraction, a 9,000-square foot ice skating rink. The ice rink is open daily to the public, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. For more information, please visit www.smgspecialevents.wix.com.
OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
MARKETPLACE signature surprises. www.downtownindecember.com Mini Masters-Cuckoo for Colors Dec. 8 Explore the power and excitement of colors in artwork at the museum. www. gilcrease.utulsa.edu Museum Babies Dec. 10 Designed to nurture the needs of parents and their infants. www.gilcrease.utulsa.edu Half & Half Marathon Dec. 13 Runners gather at the iconic Turkey Mountain for a half marathon. www.runnerworldtulsa. com Junie Bin Jingle Bells, Batman Smells Thru. Dec. 18 See the Oklahoma Children’s Theatre tradition this holiday season. www. oklahomachildrenstheatre.org HolidayPop-UpShopsatMidtown Thru-Dec. 20 Visit 38 Oklahoma-owned shops and an urban Christmas tree lot. The holiday shopping village is open each weekend, starting Black Friday. Entry is free, shopping is encouraged. www.okcpopups.com Woolaroc Wonderland of Lights Thru Dec. 20 Embark on a winter adventure to the Woolaroc Ranch, Museum & Wildlife Preserve near Bartlesville for the annual Woolaroc Wonderland of Lights. www. woolaroc.org WinterShoppesPresentedByProdigal Thru Dec.20 The North Plaza transforms to a quaint winter shopping village.Wander amid charming clear-glass chalets featuring a curated collection of goods and gift ideas for everyone on your list. www.oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com A Territorial Christmas Carol Thru Dec. 20 This production mixes the classic tale of redemption and brotherly love in Charles Dickens’ novel with the Oklahoma Land Run. The Oklahoma classic is sure to delight your whole family. www.thepollard.org Lights on the Hill Thru Dec. 27 Chandler Park will be shimmering with sights and sounds of the holiday spirit during the Christmas season. Drive through miles of bright lights and whimsical displays in celebration of Christmas during the city’s annual holiday Lights on the Hill event. www. chandleparklights.com MidwestCityHolidayLightsSpectacular Thru Dec. 30 Celebrate the magic of Christmas as over one million lights transform Joe B. Barnes Regional Park into a majestic winter wonderland at the Midwest City Holiday Lights Spectacular. www.midwestcityok. org Fantasy Land of Lights Thru Dec. 30 Bring the family out for this drive through Christmas light show at Johnstone Park. Enjoy music, sychronized lighted tunnel, animated displays and thousands of lights decorating the park. www.fantasylandlights.com Christmasin thePark ThruDec.31 Celebrate
Christmas with one of Oklahoma’s best light displays. This event features millions of lights and hundreds of festive displays every night, as well as Christmas music. www. visitelkcity.com Castle Christmas Thru. Dec. 31 One of the world’s largest collections of holiday inflatables at this year’s Castle Christmas. Take a drive through the kingdom’s winter wonderland and enjoy over 2,000 displays in various holiday scenes ranging from four to 20 feet in height. www.okcastle.com Snowman Wonderland Thru Jan. 1 The city of Seminole comes together to set the evening sky algow for Snowman Wonderland. www.travelok.com Garden of Lights Thru Jan. 1 Experience more than one million shimmering lights at Muskogee’s annual Garden of Lights. Drive through Honor Heights Park and view 120 acres of trees, bushes and water areas decorated for the holiday season. www. muskogeeonline.org Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink Thru Jan. 3 Get in the holiday spirit and glide around the Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink. Experience fresh air, laughter and sounds of holiday glee with friends and family. w w w. edmondoutdooricerink.com Santa’s Adventures on the Oklahoma River Thru Jan. 3 Christmas-themed activities await you and your family on the Oklahoma River. Race down the Santa Zip, then head over to the indoor Candy Cane Rock Wall to scale it as high as you can go. “ www.boathousedistrict.org Winterfest Thru Jan. 17 Downtown Tulsa tranforms into a winter wonderland during this annual holiday tradition. Bring your friends and family together for holiday festivities and share the joyful spirit of the season. Experience the thrill of outdoor ice skating, see Oklahoma’s tallest outdoor Christmas tree, take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, listen to live entertainment and browse beautiful holiday light displays. www. bokcenter.com
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An Organization That Can Child Abuse Network executive director celebrates 25 years of service to Tulsa County’s most vulnerable residents.
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2015
the center. CAN is currently working on a capital campaign to expand the space at the Children’s Advocacy Center. Originally built with the plan to serve only 40 children a month, the center is currently seeing 50 children a week. “It is difficult to see beyond the campaign, but I am certain that the future means helping more children by stopping their hurt and beginning their healing,” says Findeiss. Hopefully, the future also holds good things for Findeiss personally. “Like everyone else, I’ve found the challenge is to not let go of my commitments or passions, but recognize that they all have their time and place,” says Findeiss. “My children (daughter and son) are grown, and my husband and I are expecting our first grandchild in December.” SHARON MCBRIDE
PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.
U
nfortunately, for many children, home can be anything but a safe haven. One in four U.S. children will experience some form of abuse, according to some estimates. Child Abuse Network, Inc. (CAN) in Tulsa, reports that the number of children who will be involved in an abuse or neglect investigation has increased to one in 17 from one in 25. CAN’s purpose is to join forces with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, law enforcement agencies and other interdisciplinary teams that investigate allegations of child abuse and neglect. During a typical investigation, the teams conduct forensic interviews and medical exams, as well as mental health consultations and referrals. “Before our program came into being, children frequently endured stressful examinations and numerous interviews, often in cold, sterile facilities,” says Barbara Findeiss, executive director of CAN. Today CAN delivers a highly effective alternative that enables medical, mental health, investigative and legal professionals to work together in a single, comforting environment at its Children’s Advocacy Center located at 2829 Sheridan Road. Quite simply, CAN exists to reduce the trauma that a child abuse investigation can pose for the child. In 1988, CAN was incorporated and funded by the Junior League of Tulsa as a four-year project with only two employees – Findeiss being one of them. Twenty-six years later, the organization’s staff has increased to 14 and its work continues at a rapid pace. In the past decade, the Tulsa agency has seen a 65 percent increase in the number of children it has worked with, and a 47 percent increase in the number of services it provided to those children. CAN still serves as Tulsa County’s only nonprofit child abuse intervention service. “It is a place where new beginnings are possible,” says Findeiss. “The center was designed as a place of hope.” There are numerous benefits to detectives, social workers, doctors and lawyers having the ability to work as a team in a single location to determine whether child abuse has happened and the next best steps for keeping children safe. “No one agency has all the answers, but together, with different perspectives, more input helps make better decisions,” Findeiss explains. Findeiss is celebrating her platinum anniversary with the organization. She joined CAN in July 1995, and 20 years later it continues to be an important part of who she is. “Helping abused children is the type of job that becomes part of your soul,” she says. Going forward, good things are expected both for Findeiss and
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