Shawnee Outlook April 2016

Shawnee Dancer Finds Meaning in Movement |

League of Their Own

APRIL 16

Vol. 13 Number 2

7th Annual Arts Trek

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CONTENTS

APRIL 2016

Publisher

29

FEATURES 9 How CASA Makes a Difference for Children 10 Upcoming Foster Care Awareness Events

Advertising Sales

Brad Carter

Managing Editor

Mindy Wood

Creative Direction

Layers Media, Inc.

Cover Photo

Layers Media, Inc.

Writers

Andrea Beck Tim Farley Kristi Prince Angela Rowland Thresa Swadley Mindy Wood

Distribution

The Shawnee Outlook is delivered FREE by direct mail to 25,000 homes and businesses. Distribution includes Shawnee, Tecumseh, McLoud, Meeker & Prague.

Comments or

Suggestions?

Write to: Shawnee Outlook PO Box 1365 Shawnee, OK 74802 Website: www.shawneeoutlook.com E-mail: info@layersmedia.com

13 DEPARTMENTS

Michael Keith

To Advertise Call Brad at (405) 445-3033.

6 KEEP THE CHANGE 6 NUTRITION 101

13 Shawnee Dancer Finds Meaning in Movement

20 SONIC CONTEST 26 SHAWNEE HISTORY

18 Redbud City “Night on the Bricks”

28 GREEN THUMB

21 League of Their Own

30 EVENTS

25 Shawnee Free Clinic

30 ART GUIDE

Volume 13, Number 2 Shawnee Outlook is a publication of Layers Media, Inc. © 2016 Layers Media, Inc.

Articles and advertisements in Shawnee Outlook do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or Layers Media. Layers Media does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising by Shawnee Outlook does not constitute endorsement of products, services, political candidates/parties or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service that is fraudulent or misleading in nature. Shawnee Outlook assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

29 7th Annual Arts Trek

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KEEP THE CHANGE

Online Thrifting

NUTRITION 101

Banana Bread What makes this recipe so different than the others? A hidden vegetable!

You can never get in too many vegetables, especially when they taste like this. It even passed the toddler test!

I know one of the best ways to save money is to buy used, but as a home-schooling mom of four little ones, getting out to garage sales or thrift stores isn’t exactly easy. That’s why shopping from my couch is one of my favorite things to do. These are my favorite online thrifting options: • The easiest way to buy used from home is eBay. It’s been around for awhile, but it has evolved over time. Once known as simply an auction website that required waiting for auctions to end and speed in getting in the last bid, there are now easier options for eBay shoppers. Many items offer a “Buy it Now” feature that takes away the anxiety-inducing auction aspect for those who don’t want the hassle. This is a great source if you have a specific need and don’t want the hunt. And if you’re interested in books or movies, check-out their subsidiary: Half.com. These two are my current top choices, because of the ease of transaction and the fact that the items are shipped.

• VarageSale, a popular Facebook app, is a great online garage sale site. This site helps you stay local, so it’s easier to find people in your area. And because it’s connected to Facebook, it’s easier to see who you are buying from. Communication with the seller is also easy through VarageSale.

• Schoola.com is a recent favorite of mine for shopping for used clothing on-line. All proceeds go directly to schools for the aid in building art and music programs. They also often have sales offering free shipping and/or 50% off. And when you sign up, you automatically get free money to spend, which, combined with a free shipping sale, can equal clothing 100% free. It doesn’t get easier than that!

Angela Rowland is an OBU graduate and a stay-at-home mother of four. She enjoys finding new ways to stretch the paycheck and even posts some of her favorite tips and deals on her blog (steadfaststeward.blogspot.com)

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Ingredients: • 2 large ripe bananas • 1 egg • 3 Tbsp Canola oil • 1/8 cup packed brown sugar • 1/3 cup sugar & stevia blend • 3 Tbsp honey • 3 ½ tsp baking powder • 1 tsp salt • ½ tsp cinnamon • ¾ cup nonfat milk • 1 ¼ cup almond meal/flour • 1 ¼ cup flour • 1 ¼ cup oats • ½ cup + 2 Tbsp butternut squash puree Directions: To puree squash: cut squash in half and scoop out seeds.

Peel off skin and cut into chunks. Place into oven at 400̊ F for about 12 minutes. Place squash into food processor with enough water to blend until smooth. This will take about 2 minutes. You can always add more water if the squash is not blending well. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set oven to 350̊ F. Mash bananas in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add all the ingredients listed from the egg through milk and stir until well combined. Add in flour, almond meal, and oats and stir. Scoop the squash into the batter and stir. Add mixture to the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let set in pan for 5-10 minutes. Makes: 10 servings Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 281 - Total Fat: 12.5g - Saturated Fat: 1g - Cholesterol: 19mg Sodium: 419 mg - Carbohydrates: 41g - Fiber: 4g - Protein: 7g Nutrition 101 Tip: Don’t let the thought of making your own bread seem daunting. The most time consuming part was the puree which can be done ahead of time. You can also make many loaves of this bread and freeze it for a later date. A frozen loaf can make for that perfect something to pull out when guests come over.

Andrea Beck, a Registered Dietitian, received her Master’s in Nutrition and Dietetics from UCO in Edmond. She offers her nutrition consulting services and strongHER workouts through Anytime Fitness and teaches nutrition at St. Gregory’s University. Andrea is an active member of Junior Service League. Visit www.strongherfitness.net for more information.

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How CASA Makes a Difference for Children Sue Dyke has been the cool aunt and the doting grandmother the past 26 years in her role as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children in Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties.

She began volunteering her time and energy as a CASA in 1990 and has served as the children’s confidant, role model, and most importantly, their advocate in the courtroom. In many cases, CASAs are the only impartial link between the child and the judge who must decide where a child lives and who they live with. In some extreme instances, parental rights of both mother and father have been terminated, leaving the child with foster parents, in a shelter, or with extended family members.

In most instances, the volunteer CASA is the only constant in the child’s life, which often is marred by addiction from one or both parents, neglect or abuse. “We give children someone who is stable,” Dyke said. “We develop a close relationship and sometimes keep it going after the case is over.”

In one case, a girl and four brothers were removed from their home because of neglect and abuse. The children were sent to different foster homes after the biological fathers terminated their parental rights. The parental rights of the mother were terminated when she was sent to prison.

It took a few years, but the sad story has a happy ending. “All the foster families adopted the children into their homes and all the families still get together so the siblings can see each other as much as possible,” Dyke said. “A lot of times, older children, especially after they reach 18, stay in touch with their CASA. To the younger children, it’s a blur with everything that happens.”

But as CASA Director Joani Webster points out, the agency needs more volunteers like Dyke. “We have 13 right now, but we need many, many more,” she said.

APR

CASAs undergo extensive background checks and receive specialized training, which typically amounts to about 30 hours over a five-week period.

The training is available in a classroom, online, or through independent study and is accompanied by monthly follow-up training sessions with Webster.

“We have eight kids that are on a waiting list,” said Advocate Supervisor Nikki Rieves. “It (training) is so feasible, even if you’re working full-time. We also have retired people who want to give back.”

CASAs, which are assigned one case at a time, must visit with the child or work on the case at least 10 hours a month, including personal visits, telephone calls, and courtroom appearances.

Special outings can include shopping, fishing, trips to museums or the zoo, dinners, or trips to see siblings who have been separated.

“You get to have fun with these kids,” Dyke said, after sharing a story about a recent shopping trip to purchase an Easter dress and shoes for a young girl she represents.

Webster talked about one retired male volunteer who accepted a case with four boys and would attend all of their sports and academic activities. “He goes to all of their award ceremonies.

It’s like they’re his grandkids. He’ll come in and say, ‘look what my boys did’ and talk about their awards. He also buys them Christmas presents,” Webster said. “CASAs really love these kids. It may be the first time these kids have had that feeling.”

An overburdened child welfare system and a lack of social workers created the need for more CASAs. “We want people who are thinking about it to step up and be part of the solution,” Webster said.

“There are not enough social workers for every child to have their own. That’s why the CASA program is so important. It gives the child their

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personal advocate who is dedicated to them and gives them a voice in the legal system. Sometimes, the advocate is the best thing in the system.”

As a longtime CASA, Dyke said judges appreciate the input advocates give in court. “They want us quoting the child because the program is geared toward the best interest of the child,” she said. “Oftentimes, we are the ones who keep the child safe and happy.”

The CASA program in Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties faltered over a period of years due to lack of funding. But last year, Webster and Rieves were hired after the program received a two-year Victims of Crime Act grant through the Oklahoma District Attorney’s Council. The grant pays the salaries for Webster and Rieves, the only two paid staffers at the CASA program.

Still, donations are needed to keep the program operating, Rieves said, and can be made by calling the Shawnee office at 275-3340. Information also is available on the program’s Facebook page, which is CASA for Children of Pottawatomie and Lincoln Counties.

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Upcoming Foster Care Awareness Events Two events coming up in April and May will help the many Pottawatomie County children in the foster care system. The need for foster care families and support services for those families who do take in children is significant.

The state of Oklahoma currently has nearly 11,000 children in the foster care system. Twohundred and fifty-two of those are in Pottawatomie County and are being served by 113 approved DHS homes under the care of six foster workers. Though DHS is able to place close to half of these children with other family members or friends, far too many of the young fallout victims of troubled families are shuffled from place to place leaving them feeling insecure, voiceless and empty.

In Pottawatomie County, a child’s average stay in the foster system is 21 months. Unfortunately, there are many who spend years in the system.

Oklahoma governor, Mary Fallin, and the Department of Human Services have established the “Oklahoma Fosters” initiative to recruit more foster and adoptive families. The first goal of the initiative is to help DHS recruit more than 1,000 new foster families statewide by the end of June 2016.

“This is a crisis that government alone cannot solve. We must have the help of businesses, nonprofits and philanthropic foundations, along with our current community and faith partners.

There is a role for everyone and it will take all of us working together to take care of Oklahoma’s children,” stated DHS director, Ed Lake.

Family of Faith will host a recruitment event on April 30. Registration is at 9:30 and the event will run from 10 a.m. to noon. A panel of speakers including former and current foster and adoptive parents, as well as mental health therapists will answer questions related to foster care and adoption through DHS. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shawnee, and Luggage with Love will also be represented to make attendees aware of other areas of service.

May is National Foster Care Month and Pottawatomie County DHS wants to make Shawnee and surrounding communities aware of the great need to rally together to support foster children and families. On May 14 they will be sponsoring

by: Kristi Prince

Finding Forever Families, a 5K and fun run. “The purpose of the event is to recruit homes and raise awareness in our county,” said DHS Adoption Transition Supervisor, Scott Sullivan.

The sanctioned event will be held on the USATF certified course at Heritage Church, 2100 N Bryan Ave. in Shawnee. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. with the run starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending at Noon. Participants who register online at www. fff5k.itsyourrace.com by April 22 receive a t-shirt.

There will be several vendors, and inflatables and activities for children. Area sponsors include, Vision Bank, Shelter Insurance, Tinker Federal Credit Union, the Avedis Foundation, Frontline Church, and Heritage Church. “Last year we had 60 race participants and passed out several dozen informational packets. This year we are hoping to double that number,” Sullivan added. DHS still needs sponsors, donations of bottled water and food items, and volunteers to help man stations.

There are many other ways the community can help. The most critical need is for loving families to step up and be willing to provide homes. DHS also needs respite and alternative caregivers that can give foster parents an occasional break. These require a background check and home assessment.

Other things to consider would be adopting a DHS assigned foster family to support. DHS is not allowed to take monetary donations, but would greatly appreciate donations of gift cards, blankets, bottles, formula, diapers, toiletries, towels, and washcloths. $5 gift cards to local fast food restaurants help foster workers feed children who may be hungry when they are removed from a home.

DHS is thankful for businesses like Shawnee’s Chick-fil-a who partnered with them to provide gift cards. Another local business donated Christmas gifts for foster children. Businesses might consider offering foster families discounts on services and goods. Local churches can volunteer to host awareness events.

For information on events, volunteering, donations, foster care or adoption, please contact Pott. Co. DHS recruiter, Andrea Stasyszen.

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Shawnee Dancer Finds Meaning in Movement

R

achel Smart dances, not for the love of the stage or the limelight, but for a passion to help others. The Shawnee native will pursue certification with the American Dance Therapy Association at Lesley University in Massachusetts this fall.

Smart has danced and taught modern dance techniques throughout the Midwest and more recently, in Europe.

According to the ADTA, dance therapy functions on the premise that the body, mind, and spirit are interconnected; they define it as “the psychotherapeutic use of movement to further the emotional, cognitive, and social integration of the individual.” Mental health and physical therapists use dance therapy in nursing homes, day care centers, forensic hospitals, and other facilities to enhance care.

Smart started taking dance classes when she was three, and by high school was teaching others.. She studied at Tecumseh Dance Academy, the Jim Paul Dance Company, and the Dance Factory where she

studied under Julie Busler, a former soloist for Ballet Magnificat.

Smart created a dance class as part of a missional worship conference which travels throughout the world known as “The Burn 24/7.” In her travels with the Burn, she began to see the need for dance as a way to express pain or trauma.

Dance therapy helps those who have experienced trauma such as PTSD. “Trauma leaves its imprint on both mind and body,” according to ADTA. “Research demonstrates effective treatment requires involvement of both.”

Smart agrees, based both on her own traumatic experiences and seeing the positive effect dance has had on trauma victims.

She was a victim of early childhood sexual trauma, and as a young wife, she suffered the humiliation of spousal betrayal and the loss of divorce.

Smart said she overcame the painful episodes of her life both through her faith >

by: Mindy Wood

“I’ve always been interested in the connection between movement and meaning.

So I had already started developing classes where I was trying to help people pair the movement with the meaning, or at least the connection between the heart and mind while dancing.”

www.shawneeoutlook.com

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continued from pg. 13

and dance. She wondered how dance might help women and children, but it wasn’t until she met a fellow student in a dance class that she learned about dance therapy.

“I didn’t realize I was already doing it,” said Smart who had been teaching modern dance techniques for several years. “I’ve always been interested in the connection between movement and meaning. So I had already started developing classes where I was trying to help people pair the movement with the meaning, or at least the connection between the heart and mind while dancing.”

With this knowledge, Smart wanted to use dance as a way to bring hope to women trapped in the sex industry. She has danced for and interviewed female prostitution victims in the U.S. and Germany. In Hungary, she and her team taught dance and performed for mentally challenged adults and low income children in Romani families.

Last summer, she and a dance team met several sex workers in Germany where prostitution is legal. She was struck by the way these women, and men, were sold like meat in a grocery store. There were “aisles” of people who fell into categories. “This woman took us to the red light district and she told us, ‘this is

the Hungary section, Russian section, and so on. The body is used, it’s bought and sold and so it’s very interesting to come in as a dancer to be saying the body can be used to heal and not hurt, to reconcile one to oneself and not disconnect. They have to disassociate themselves to survive what they’re going through.”

One woman in Germany was so sick she could barely walk. She had refused hospital treatment and rescue from a team trying to get her out of the business. After Smart and her team completed a scheduled dance, they met and in spite of the language barrier, she said there was a connection. Ultimately, she said the woman agreed to treatment.

“Even if just one percent of her decision had to do with the dance and what we shared with her, I would be pleased,” said Smart.

Dance therapy can be applied in so many therapeutic settings, Smart isn’t sure where her area of focus will be but said she is keeping an open mind. “I’ve seen so much in sexual trauma and that’s something as I move forward in my degree I’d like to research more. I’m really just interested in working with people who have had trauma.”

For more information about dance therapy, visit ADTA.org.

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WADASE SOARS ON THIRD

There’s a day in April that is highlighted in bright yellow on the aviary’s calendar. It was marked not as reminder, but as a countdown to celebrate yet another milestone for Wadasé Zhabwé.

On April 16, 2016, 1,095 days will have passed to mark three years since Wadasé’s release. She has surpassed all expectations as we continue to learn valuable information from the telemetry she still wears.

Experts in the field continue to

marvel at the incredible amount of data gathered and her continued progress. With flights reaching heights above 9,000 ft. or 1.7 miles and speeds over 65 mph, it is safe to say Wadasé has mastered the sky.

She is able to carry our prayers to the Creator, Mamo-Gosnan, and for that we are grateful and honored to continue to share her story. Below is a recap and some of the highlights from the past three years’ progress.

In June 2012, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Eagle Aviary received a juvenile bald eagle originally from the

Florida Audubon Society.

Long before she was Wadasé Zhabwé, CPN staff knew her as Penojés. Discovered near her nest in Orange County, Florida, she arrived at the CPN Eagle Aviary when she was approximately five months old and was given the Potawatomi name Penojés, meaning “child.”

She had suffered an injury to her left wing, including a fractured wing tip, extensive tissue damage and loss of her primary flight feathers. The CPN Aviary staff planned to glove-train

the young eagle to serve as an educational ambassador for students and tribal members.

However, she began to fly when those missing flight feathers grew back and it was clear her non-releasable status needed to be reevaluated. By fall 2012, it was determined that Penojés had regained flight ability well enough to consider release back to the wild. During the course of several months she learned to hunt and regained her strength and conditioning for flight.

On April 16, 2013 she received her

the afternoon on September 13, 2015 we heard the eagles calling and spotted what we at first thought was “anInadult bald eagle flying out over the aviary. We hurried into the office to get binoculars just in time to see that

“

In the oncrook September 13, 2015 we front. heardWe the eagles calling and spotted what wechecking at first eagle landafternoon on Wadasé’s in the pecan tree out could hardly believe our eyes, even after to be surewas the eagle wasbald wearing telemetry andover was banded.

Wadasé Zhabwéinto was really home! thought an adult eagle flying out the aviary.

We hurried the office to get binocu16

”

lars just in time to see that eagle land on Wadasé’s crook in the pecan tree out front. We could hardly www.shawneeoutlook.com believe our eyes, even after checking to be sure the eagle was wearing telemetry and was banded.

ANNIVERSARY OF RELEASE new Potawatomi name, Wadasé Zhabwé, meaning “Brave Breakthrough.” Wadasé was banded and released with a tracking device so that aviary staff could monitor her progress.

Citizen Potawatomi Nation, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Raptor View Research Institute of Missoula and Comanche Nation Sia all joined together to rehabilitate Wadasé and prepared to release and track the young eagle. The CPN Aviary became the first ever Native American Aviary to

release an eagle back into the wild banded and fitted with a GPS telemetry backpack.

Over the past three years she has logged over 25,000 GPS points containing data such as location, speed, direction height and temperature. While she has remained in Oklahoma since her release, she continues to explore new parts of the state, visiting nearly a third of its 77 counties. The closest she came to leaving the state was to the north just 7.5 miles from the Kansas border near the Great Salt Plains

Lake. Her furthest trip south ended just past Duncan, 24 miles from the Red River. Her westernmost point was past Ft. Cobb stopping just shy of Carnegie and to the east she has only traveled as far as Okmulgee.

During the first year of her release she was at the aviary 146 days and the second year it was less than 70. This past year she was here just 35 days. More than seven months went by in between one of those visits. She has endured extreme weather conditions and countless challenges in the wild on her own.

The CPN Aviary staff would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of those involved in making this release not just a possibility but a success.

Send your encounters with Wadasé or any other eagles in the state or wherever you may be to aviary@potawatomi.org.

For more information or to read previous updates please visit www.potawatomiheritage.org.

has becom quite a regular pattern. She comes in to visit for a few days and is off again. She has arrived “andThisshown off for tours and meetings. Many times she puts on quite a display, flying all around the pasture to

“

has a quite regular pattern. into toand visitonfor a perch few days and would is off again.

She getThis a rise outbecome of the eagles in the enclosures andShe thencomes comes in her for what seem to be her op and for the guests. hasphoto arrived shown off for tours and meetings. Many times she puts on quite a display, flying all

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around the pasture to get a rise out of the eagles in the enclosures and then comes inwww.shawneeoutlook.com to and on her perch for what would seem to be her photo op for the guests.

17

Redbud City “Night on the Bricks” The April 15th Third Friday Block Party will be the biggest to date, as it will combine with a new annual event, Redbud City “Night on the Bricks.” The event will include live music, the annual April student art show, as well as a community connection dinner where many of the new city logos and park signs will be unveiled.

The event is an outcome of recent rebranding and marketing efforts of the City of Shawnee and the Shawnee Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. The first step of this rebranding was to hire a company out of South Carolina to look at the city’s history and to provide a toolkit of branding components not only for the City of Shawnee, but for many entities within the city.

During the company’s research they found that Shawnee had been declared the “Redbud City” by the Oklahoma State Legislature in 1941. Danna Fowble of the Shawnee Visitor’s and Convention Bureau stated, “This was huge as many us of either never knew or did not remember this historic declaration regarding the City of Shawnee.”

City leaders decided to work with this historic declaration and to work their rebranding efforts around “Redbud City,” with the redbud being incorporated into signs and other city logos.

The phrase “Night on the Bricks” came from the recent road construction on Main Street in downtown Shawnee. When the current pavement was torn up for the new road construction, the old brick street was found underneath it. The old bricks are being preserved for other historic projects, but the organizers thought that it would be fun to incorporate the bricks into the title of the event.

The event is a combined effort of Safe Events for Families and the Shawnee Visitor’s and Convention Bureau. They did not begin planning this event until the final report came out from the marketing company in January.

At first, they planned to have the inaugural event in 2017 but then decided that they did not want to lose momentum for the event by waiting an entire year. Ed Bolt, Vice President

18

www.shawneeoutlook.com

by: Thresa Swadley

Photo by Ed Bolt

for SEFF, stated, “This city designation is unique to the City of Shawnee and we wanted to take advantage of our current momentum with it.” The planning committee sees this event turning into a multi-day event in the future.

Student art has traditionally been a part of the April downtown block party and will be a feature again this year. Art from Shawnee area schools will be displayed at Broadway Art Gallery, The Arts at 317, and Main Street Photo Gallery.

In addition to the art from the schools in the area, the Shawnee Visitor’s and Convention Bureau and Helping Hands will have a booth set up at Arts Trek the weekend before with a canvas for children to paint redbuds. This art will also be displayed during Redbud City “Night on the Bricks” and families can pick up the children’s artwork following the event on Friday evening.

The evening will kick off with a Community Connection Dinner. Free tickets are available at the Visit Shawnee Office at 131 N. Bell and at Coney Island at 111 N. Bell. “There are 1,000 tickets available for the dinner, but our hope is that, once the tickets are gone, others will go by local restaurants for take-out and join us for one big community picnic,” stated Bolt.

Live jazz music will be provided for the

dinner, including the OBU Bison Jazz Combo, Shoulda Been Blonde, Bethel HS Jazz Band, Shawnee HS Jazz Band and the Mid-Del Jazz Orchestra Participating downtown businesses will also have live music, which will include some student musicians from the area.

There will also be T-shirt giveaways and Hornbeck movie tickets to the first 200 people at the event.

A highlight of the evening will be an unveiling of the new “Redbud City” park signs, with special emphasis on the one for Tom Terry Park. Dell Kerbs, the president of Project SEFF said, “Tom is a local celebrity with all of the work he has done on the parks, so we want to honor him by unveiling the design for the sign for Tom Terry Park.” He added, “Tom was also very much involved with reviving the historic designation of ‘Redbud City.’”

Redbud City “Night on the Bricks” will take place downtown from Philadelphia Avenue to the 300 Block of Oklahoma Avenue.

Sponsors for the event include Safe Events for Families, The Shawnee Visitor’s and Convention Bureau, The City of Shawnee, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, TS&H, and Local Dish.

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League of Their Own by: Kristi Prince

Photo by Tim Prince

The Ballistix and Ball Hogs are ready to take the field, but these teams are not made of the typical “Boys of Summer.” Six-year-old Tucker bats first. He grins and his long blonde hair bounces as he runs. He may or may not run towards first base, but his buddy is close beside to steer him.

Brooklyn is on deck. She leaves her walker in the dugout this time. The determination on her face is priceless as she struggles to hold the bat steady.

The crowd cheers as two buddies support her when she runs for first base as fast as her legs can carry her. Next up is sixteen-year-old Garrett. He points to the fence where he plans to hit the ball.

Between innings he explains that, “My greatgreat Grandpappy taught me everything I know.

You may have heard of him. His name is Babe Ruth.” These kids are part of A League of Their Own and they are all winners.

This very special league began in 2009 when Holli Daniels wanted a local opportunity for her son, Taylor Harjo, who has Down syndrome, autism, and is non-verbal, to participate in an organized sport. The league consists of kids between the ages of 4 and 18 with cognitive or physical delays that would prevent them from participating on a traditional team.

The kids are able to play with the assistance of a “buddy”. All players bat and cross home plate, but no score is kept. When Holli pitched (pun intended) the idea to the Seminole Softball

Association, they graciously donated a field.

This and other financial donations allow the league to be free to participants. A League of Their Own has now grown to 21 players from many area cities and has a whole community of supporters.

Area organizations like local police and firefighters, Seminole High School sports teams, Little League teams, and local businesses volunteer to be buddies who supervise according to the specific needs of the player.

This gives parents a much needed time to sit in the stands and just watch their kids have a good time. The buddies love cheering and encouraging every player to have a good time. It’s www.shawneeoutlook.com

> 21

continued from pg. 13

hard to tell who is having more fun and who is learning more. “We know what the players will take away from the experience, but to watch the buddies get excited and be an encouragement to the kids, showing team spirit and participation, is priceless,” said Holli.

There are some special volunteers. Taylor’s twin sister, Hayden, has been his champion from the beginning. His dad, Stace Harjo, does the pitching for kids who don’t need a tee. The league also has two other full-time assistants. Ashtun Friend, now a junior at Seminole High School, started as a “buddy” with his little league team. He was so inspired by the spirit of the kids that he wanted to do more. Ashtun said, “Getting to play ball with these kids, each with their own uniqueness, and seeing them smiling and having a blast with each other is amazing.” Now you will find

Photo by Tim Prince

him behind the plate with Uriah Hardeman.

Uriah, a senior, noticed the kids playing one evening while he was at the ballpark and he wanted to be a part of it. “This experience has made me appreciate life a lot more,” added Uriah. The two know every player’s name and specific needs.

They patiently get the player ready at bat and offer high-fives and hugs as they cross home plate Coordinating this type of league is difficult, but rewarding. “We have faced challenges every year, but we haven’t found one yet we can’t modify to support our players to be afforded the opportunity of inclusion and unity, within a team and within a community,” explained Holli.

It takes the effort of many supporters who have learned to laugh together and sometimes cry together. The team jerseys have the numbers of two players whose young lives ended way too soon. The infectious smile of #20 Kaden Wood (2004-2013) will always be remembered. Ethan Marsh (2005-2011) wore #1 and the league made such a difference in his life that his parents chose to have him buried in his uniform.

These kids have a purpose and Holli wants the community to know and appreciate this.

What began as a mom wanting the best for her extraordinary son has turned into something much greater. In 2011, Holli established the Taylor Griggs Harjo Education Foundation which donates iPads to classroom for students with developmental delays. “We should all be willing to make a difference in our families, our schools, and our communities.” With the help of a supportive family, Taylor Harjo is better known for his abilities than his disabilities. He is making a difference in the lives of his peers, his educators, and many others in the community. That’s a homerun in any park!

A League of Their Own plays in Seminole on Monday evenings from the beginning of April through mid-June. For information about the league or The Taylor Griggs Harjo Education Foundation, please contact Holli Daniels at 405380-7027.

Photo by Tim Prince

Photo by Tim Prince

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Shawnee Free Clinic For many reasons, more Oklahomans are finding themselves without insurance and the ability to obtain it from an employer. Other underserved residents are forced to choose between food and medicine, because their insurance doesn’t cover all the prescriptions, or they don’t qualify for state sponsored healthcare.

For the last twenty years, volunteers have made up the difference at the Pottawatomie County Free Health Clinic at the health department. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and medical students provide their time free of charge to step in and care for their community.

All treatment and all medications are free, made possible with United Way who this year provided $25,000 and the Avedis Foundation who donated $35,000. The St. Anthony Shawnee Hospital’s women’s’ auxiliary raises funds twice a year, First Christian Church donates through the pumpkin patch fund, and the Junior Service League has also donated over the years.

Other health centers have provided free medication as well, including local nursing homes who find themselves with unused, viable medication. When a resident leaves a nursing home, they sometimes leave the medication. As long as the medicine hasn’t expired and is sealed, the clinic will accept it for their patients. They maintain a list of medicines they will and will not provide. The clinic does not prescribe pain medicine, anti-psychotic medication, or anti-depressants.

They refer patients needing dental care to participating dentists and sometimes to OU Medical Center. St. Anthony Shawnee Hospital provides lab and x-ray services to the clinic patients.

For people with chronic illness, some of them life threatening, the clinic is keeping them alive. The rising cost of insulin has put many diabetics at risk of coma and death if

OBU Nursing Students Observe Medical Staff

by: Mindy Wood

Eric Winegardner of Eric’s Pharmacy filling prescriptions for patients at the free clinic.

they can’t obtain it. They treat people with a wide variety of illnesses but most often diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and general ailments as well. Treating patients with multiple diseases, often caused by one underlying illness, is also common.

There have been a few close calls over the years. Dr. Mike Butcher has been volunteering since the clinic opened. “We had a heart attack once, one stroke. I’ve seen people come in with liver failure, hepatitis C. The treatment for hepatitis C is $100,000 so we can’t help with that. There are times we have to send people to the ER,” he said. “We try to tell them where they can go to see someone when we can’t help them.”

Recently a college student reported she had a terrible stomach ache, but found out from the clinic’s doctor that she had appendicitis and was promptly sent to the hospital.

Last year the clinic provided 7,584 prescriptions and they have 750-800 patients on file.

Ty Johnson who started volunteering after she brought her mother to the clinic 20 years ago, said traffic has picked up in the last few years.

“We have two doctors each week who see 10 patients each. Four or five years ago I would have maybe 17 patients and now I’m getting over 20. I have to put them into the next week because we can’t see them all. Sometimes we could use three to four doctors in a night,” said Johnson. “We’re seeing a lot more than we used to.”

Lana Belvin has been a patient at the clinic since November. She found herself without insur-

ance after losing her job and was forced to leave her thyroid disorder untreated for three years.

“Someone told me about the clinic,” she said. Belvin was diagnosed with diabetes at the clinic and with their help, she has lost 40 lbs. since November.

“They’re amazing,” she smiled. “They’ve helped me so much. I am so appreciative of what they do.”

While there are free clinics scattered throughout the state, the Pottawatomie County Free Clinic is unique according to Eric Winegardner of Eric’s Pharmacy. Winegardner is the director of the clinic pharmacy and has volunteered since it opened. “It was a project that was very aggressive. There’s not many counties that have volunteer clinics open every week. We’re all volunteer which is also unique. We don’t do any annual fundraisers; we rely on private funding,” he said. “It’s just practitioners serving the public.”

Dr. Butcher said the gratitude of patients and the need keeps him passionate about volunteering. “I enjoy doing it. The people are really appreciative.”

Ty Johnson said she is thankful for all the volunteers over the years. “I have been thankful for all the volunteers over the years,” she said. “It’s really been wonderful.”

The clinic is open every Thursday at 5 p.m. to the public at the Pottawatomie County Health Department located at 1904 Gordon Cooper Drive. Anyone interested in volunteering is welcomed to inquire. www.shawneeoutlook.com

25

SHAWNEE HISTORY

Saloon Towns of Pottawatomie County Pottawatomie County’s location and postCivil War politics created a fertile marketplace for the legal and illegal distribution of alcohol in the years preceding Oklahoma’s statehood. Pottawatomie County was one of the last areas in the new Oklahoma Territory to be opened up to white settlement with the last land run held in the northern parts of the county in May of 1895.

The new Oklahoma Territory in the west permitted the manufacturing, distribution, and consumption of alcohol, while the Indian Territory to the east was “dry.” The new Pottawatomie County was the only county to share borders with three nations: Creek, Seminole, and Chickasaw. The proximity to Indian Territory fostered a lucrative trade in alcohol across the borders.

At one time, Pottawatomie County hosted 62 saloons and two licensed distilleries. These establishments were legal, but the movement of liquor across the county lines into Indian Territory was not. Thirty years before the national experiment of Prohibition, the county had three of the most notorious saloon towns in the American west: Violet Springs, Keokuk Falls, and Corner.

Violet Springs was on the outskirts of Konawa on the Pottawatomie County line. All that remains is a cemetery and stories surrounding this former saloon town. The town got its name from wild violets growing in the area, but to many, the town earned the nickname “Violent Springs” because of the criminal activities associated with the liquor trade. One of the early saloon owners, A. J. Morrison, was murdered in his sleep in the back of this establishment. The isolated saloon town became a favorite hangout for several outlaw gangs. Sheriff Billy Trousdale captured members of the “Christian Gang” in Violet Springs before statehood.

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26

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Keokuk Falls was in the panhandle of Pottawatomie County, 4 ½ miles north and 15 miles east of Shawnee on the North Canadian River.

The Seminole Nation was directly across the river to the south, and the western boundary of the Creek Nation was less than a quarter mile to the east. The town was one of the rowdiest towns in Oklahoma Territory, infamous for the “Seven Deadly Saloons of Keokuk Falls.” In John Morris’s book, Ghost Towns of Oklahoma, it was said a stagecoach driver arriving in Keokuk Falls told passengers, “Stop twenty minutes and see a man killed.” The post office at Keokuk Falls closed in 1918 and only a few buildings remained in the 1920s. A flood eventually caused the river to shift and the falls are no longer visible on the North Canadian River.

Corner was more of a gathering place than a town in the southeastern corner of the county.

The river bottom was a tangled jungle of cottonwood and plum thickets. The first saloon was 40 feet from the territorial line across from the Seminole Nation. The Chickasaw Nation was across the South Canadian River. Isolated from the law, this remote corner of the county became a favorite spot for all types of nefarious characters including gunslingers, outlaw gangs, horse thieves, cattle rustlers, gamblers, and women who posed as “singers” in the notorious saloons.

Any type of vice existed in this lurid hideout, but the violence was legendary. Daily shootings, gang fights, and fierce competition between three saloons caused the rough wooden floor of one establishment to be stained a sanguine color from all the blood spilled. A witness recounted that the ground around the saloons were covered in empty cartridge shells like a modern-day gravel parking lot.

By Bob Perry, Pott Co Historical Society Member

The real-life names associated with Corner seem to come from a western novel. Characters like Bill Doolin, Black Wyatt, the Christian Brothers, the Casey Gang, Red Buck, Frank Starr, and Hooky Miller were just a few characters frequenting the saloon town. Hooky Miller was a fierce gunfighter who had a hook for one hand and a deadly pistol in the other. He was reputed to be able to fight a man at close range with his dangerous hook, or use the prosthetic arm to fire a rifle at longer distances. He was a bartender and feared enforcer for one of the saloons. Hooky survived the gunplay at Corner only to be shot dead in the oilfield town of Three Sands in 1924.

Dr. Jesse Miller lived ten miles south of Corner from 1892-1897 and treated wounds from knifings, shootings, gouged eyes, and lacerations from fighting, as well as seeing many fingers and a man’s ear bitten off.

A flood of the South Canadian River wiped out most of Corner in 1904. The last saloon officially closed in 1907 when the Oklahoma Constitution prohibited the sale, distribution, and consumption of alcohol. Some violence remained years after, however. Records from Ada, Oklahoma, only eleven miles away from Corner, indicated there were “only” 36 murders committed in the surrounding area, which was a decrease from previous criminal records for Corner.

The Wild West was truly wild in pre-statehood Pottawatomie County. The adventure, violence, and outrageous characters could all be found in the county’s famous saloon towns.

For more information, see Pott Country: And What Has Come Of It by John Fortson, Localized History of Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma to 1907 by Charles W. Mooney, and Ghost Towns of Oklahoma by John Morris.

www.shawneeoutlook.com

27

GREEN THUMB

April Gardening Tips Recently one of our granddaughters, Aubrey (age six), asked me to help her make her own little garden. With her parents’ blessing, we are using a flowerbed in their backyard. Aubrey asked if we could grow an apple tree and mashed potatoes. I know…that is too cute. Instead, I gently suggested a few choices which are all easy to grow and are things she actually likes to eat. We’ll add a few flowers for beauty and the opportunity to watch pollinators at work. She can witness the whole cycle, and feel like a proud mama coaxing her plants to grow. One of my friends did this with her granddaughter as well, and when the strawberry plants weren’t doing well, “Nanna” hid some store-bought strawberries under the leaves. Yeah, I can see me doing this too. However, I am hoping this venture with Aubrey comes out with positive results, but either way, it will be fun for both of us.

Now, on to more serious gardening matters: If you grow perennials in your garden, you will someday encounter the need to divide and transplant them. Perhaps they are looking straggly with fewer flowers, or they’re overgrown and crowded.

Either spring or fall is a good time to do this. Some gardeners prefer to divide perennials the season opposite of when it blooms. This allows time for the plant to become established in its new spot before it has to bloom again.

How you divide perennials depends on the growth habit of the particular plant: • Clumping Perennials: (daylilies, chrysanthemums, asters, hostas) These plants typically grow from one main crown. The crown gets larger and larger each year, and sometimes you’ll see offsets (baby plants) attached to it. These plants are easiest to divide if you dig them up completely, so you can separate and divide the crown.

• Spreading Perennials: (bee balm, phlox, leadwort, perennial vinca) These plants grow by surface or underground roots, or by dropping seed. You can divide these plants simply by digging up the ones you want to move while leaving the rest alone.

• Woody Perennials: (lavender, rosemary, candytuft, euonymus) These plants tend to have just one main stem or trunk, but they often spread when a stem touches the ground and takes root.

You can sever and dig up the new plant without disturbing the original plant.

• Taproot Perennials: (oriental poppies, balloon flowers, butterfly weed) These plants have one main, deep root. To divide them, you must dig up the plant and cut it so that each division has a piece of the taproot along with some growth buds.

Don’t worry if some roots break off, but try to follow where the plant naturally seems to split—sometimes they’ll even fall into pieces on their own.

Don’t bury the plants or bulbs too deep. That is one of the main reasons many bulbs don’t produce flowers. Bulbs should be planted to a depth 2½ to 3 times the size of the bulb. Don’t forget to include any additional mulch in your calculations.

Happy Spring and remember to think GREEN!!!!

Article and Photo by Debi Renegar, Master Gardener with the Multi-County Master Gardener Association 28

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7th Annual Arts Trek The 7th annual Arts Trek is sure to have something for everyone! The festivities take place Saturday, April 9, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art. A family-friendly arts adventure, Arts Trek is a free festival and is open to all.

This year’s performance lineup features an exciting array of performers, including the Red Dirt Rangers. An Oklahoma favorite, the Red Dirt Rangers, present an wonderful mixture of country, rock and roll, blues, bluegrass, along with a huge portion of Oklahoma soul which has become known as “Red Dirt Music.” The Red Dirt Rangers hail from Stillwater and they draw inspiration from big names like Woody Guthrie, Bob Willis, and Will Rogers, which has placed them among some of Oklahoma’s greatest musical ambassadors.

Other musical performances include, the Grey Wolves Jazz Band, a seventeen-piece instrumental group that plays the old Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey style of music as well as jazz arrangements of music from later eras; CrossWalk, performing contemporary Christian music, including covers of favorites and originals composed by the band; alternative pop performed by Shawnee native, Ashley Tucker and Lemon Tie; local crooner, Ansley Elliott, performing opera, classic musical theater, and Christian music selections; Trio Antiqua, will share selections of baroque and early classical music performed on baroque violin, viola, and cello.

Exciting dance performances include A Mirage Dance Company (modern Egyptian music and choreography, Turkish sword, folkloric cane, Tambourine, Moorish skirt dance, fast drums, as well as a lovely veil dance), All About Irish School of Dance (including talented dancers ages 8-adult), Legends Dance Troupe (Society for the Revitalization of Downtown Shawnee—Ritz). St. Gregory’s University Spirit and Sole Dance Ensemble will also perform a repertory from their recent show, Beginnings and Endings, in a number of dance styles including aerial dance.

Storytelling and theater also have a place at Arts Trek. Oklahoma Cowboy Poet Laurette Francine Robison entertains with cowboy poetry and stories. Warron Big Eagle shares interactive stories and music performed with the Native American flute, drum, and rattles. St. Gregory’s University Theater is giving a sneak preview of their upcoming production 39 Steps, a melodrama adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock.

An Arts Trek favorite, artist Joel Carmichael returns to create rapid, live-action, expressionistic paintings to selections of dramatic music.

Changes have been made to the traditional Arts Trek format. Rather than have a performance walk, a performance showcase will take place on the Sarkeys Performing Arts Center Stage (St. Gregory’s University Theater). Performances will occur throughout the day on the festival outdoor stage, in the museum’s courtyard, and in the museum’s gallery.

“The change allows for more performances,” says event coordinator Donna Merkt, curator of education at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art. “It also ensures that all performances are accessible to everyone.”

All participating artists are encouraged to demonstrate their art forms at their booths. Artists Tim Sullivan and Kathy Barry will be demonstrating how to throw pottery on a wheel in the museum’s courtyard. Textile artist Julie Blackstone will be demonstrating how to weave on a loom in the museum’s special exhibit gallery.

For those who want to join the artists in getting creative, several local organizations and businesses act as Helping Hands sponsors, providing free arts activities at their booths for Arts Trek guests. These special sponsors include Society of Creative Anachronism, Local Dish, Shawnee Sister Cities, Canine Companions for Independence, Visit Shawnee, Inc., Chris Rick State Farm Agent, Shawnee Lions Club, STARS-Shawnee Tecumseh Adult Resource Support, Oklahoma Natural Gas, Saving Pets at Risk (SPAR), First National Bank & Trust Co., MGMoA Visionaries, American Red Cross, Shawnee Public Library, and St. Gregory’s University First-Year Experience.

Additional activities for younger Arts Trekkies include free face painting and a free bounce house. Saving Pets at Risk volunteers are on site with dogs and cats hoping to find forever homes.

Canton of Skorragardr, SCA, Inc., perform medieval combat demonstrations and share examples of medieval crafts and more.

For adult Arts Trekkies, wine tasting and sales will be offered by Base Vines and Cattle Winery, Canadian River Winery, Legends Vineyard and Winery, and Wild Horse Canyon Farms Winery. Freshly-brewed coffee from Manchester St. Coffee will be available. Several refreshment vendors offer excellent meals and snacks: The Healthy Hippo, OKCity Grill, St. John Lutheran Church Kitchen Crew, and Kountry Korn.

Events occur at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art and the Sarkeys Performing Arts Center (St. Gregory’s University), 1900 W. MacArthur, Shawnee, OK 74804. Arts Trek is 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., rain or shine. For additional information, please visit www.artstrek.org or call 405-8785300. www.shawneeoutlook.com

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EVENTS

APRIL APRIL 9

The Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art will host its annual Arts Trek. Fun for the whole family includes hands on arts and crafts, live performances in music, dance, drama and art demonstrations. A variety of food vendors will serve everything from hot dogs to vegan cuisine and desserts.

Events will be ongoing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

APRIL 15

The Third Friday event on April 15th will coincide with the new annual Redbud City Night on the Bricks. If you do not manage to get one of the tickets to the dinner, get take-out at a local restaurant and bring it there for the community picnic. There will be live music, student art displays at Broadway Art Gallery, The Arts at 317, and Main Street Photo Gallery, and giveaways.

For more details, visit seffinc.org.

APRIL 16

Rajun’ Cajun’ is back the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center for the Junior Service League annual fundraiser. From 6:30 to 8:30, it will be an evening of live music and great Cajun food for a good cause.

For tickets contact the JSL by email at jslshawnee@gmail.com

APRIL 16

Cargo Ranch is raising funds to complete projects for children and youth they serve through horsemanship and mentoring.

“Run for the Ride” is a 5k race that starts at Heritage Baptist Church which is near the new USATF certified 5k course. There will be cash Prizes for the top 3 5k runners, medals for the top 3 winners in each age division. The fee is $35 for the 5k, $30 for the fun run.

ART GUIDE

Enjoy the Arts in Shawnee April is here and the energy in the arts community can be felt everywhere! There are lots of opportunities both indoors and outdoors for all to enjoy this month. And as always, I hope to see you there!

Head out for the yearly Arts Trek on April 9th at Mabee Gerrer Museum. There will be artists, musicians, and fun for the whole family. This is an event you do not want to miss. For more information: http://www.artstrek.org.

Still mourning the end of Downton Abbey?

Enjoy some British drama at OBU’s production of Jane Austin’s Emma, April 21-24. For ticket information go to https://www.okbu. edu/fine-arts/theatre/index.html.

Support student musicians and attend the Shawnee High School spring band concert on Tuesday, April 12th at 7 p.m. in the PAC building. The band traveled to Florida during spring break and performed in the Disney World parade.

For country music fans, Ronnie Milsap with special guest John Conlee will be at Firelake Grand Casino on April 23rd. For tickets go to http://www.grandresortok.com/entertainment.

OBU Music will finish its semester with concerts almost every day of the week during the month of April. Highlights include the Jazz Festival on the 6th, OBU/Shawnee Community Orchestra on the 19th, the University Chorale on the 23rd, the Glee Club on the 28th, and the Bisonettes on the 30th. For a complete list go to https://www. okbu.edu/calendar/index.html.

The Third Friday event on April 15th will be huge this month as it will combine with the new annual Redbud City Night on the Bricks.

If you do not manage to get one of the tickets to the dinner, get take-out at a local restaurant and bring it there for the community picnic.

There will be live music, student art displays at Broadway Art Gallery, The Arts at 317, and Main Street Photo Gallery, and giveaways. You will not want to miss out on the fun!

The Tecumseh Public Schools Annual Spring Art Show and Portfolio Review will be on Friday, April 15. The show is held at the Alumni Building on the high school campus and displays work from high school & middle school students as well as work from Tecumseh High School alumni. The show is open to the public from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Sine Nomine Choral Society will present its spring concert at University Baptist Church on April 24th at 3 p.m. and April 25th at 7:30 p.m. Information can be found at https:// www.facebook.com/SineNomineOK. Do not miss the opportunity to obtain local artwork at Mabee Gerrer Museum’s annual fundraiser, Off the Wall on April 29th. To purchase tickets: https://mgmoa.wufoo.com/ forms/off-the-wall.

Be ready for some laughs as Shawnee Little Theater finishes the 2015-16 season with Monty Python’s Spamalot, April 22nd – 30th.

Tickets are available at www.shawneelittletheater.com Do you love comedy and suspense? Watch a cast of four present the Broadway hit, Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps at St. Gregory’s University. Performances will be April 28th – 30th at 8 p.m. and May 1st at 3 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door.

APRIL 30

Family of Faith will host a foster care recruitment event for anyone interesting in becoming a foster care or adoptive family to children in child protective custody.

Registration begins at 9:30 and the event starts at 10 a.m.

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www.shawneeoutlook.com

Thresa Swadley is a freelance cellist/teacher who has been active in the Shawnee Arts Community for almost 20 years. She is a member of the OBU/ Shawnee Community Orchestra and plays in Trio Antiqua, a baroque music trio. Please contact her if you know of an upcoming arts event. Visit www. celloladyok.com.

KINGS DRAWINGS Every Monday in April $250 every 1/2 hour from 6:30pm-10pm

Queens Drawings

Every Tuesday in April $250 every 1/2 hour from 6:30-10pm

Must be a Hot Rewards Club member. Must present and wagered on the day of the drawing to qualify. 18 to enter.

Valid ID required. FireLake casino reserves the right to cancel or change any promotion without further notice.

www.shawneeoutlook.com

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ELISE SLAYBAUGH, M.D. OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Elise Slaybaugh, M.D. is pleased to care for women in Shawnee and surrounding communities as a part of St. Anthony Shawnee Physicians.

Dr. Slaybaugh received her medical degree from Texas A & M College of Medicine in 2010. She then completed her obstetrics & gynecology residency at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2014.

Dr. Slaybaugh offers comprehensive medical care including well woman exams, diagnosis and treatment of gynecological conditions and obstetric patient care.