Shawnee Outlook November 09

Not Your Average Job | Future Engineers

Proudly Serving

Oklahoma Food and Culture

November 09 Vol. 6 Number 9

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID SHAWNEE, OK PERMIT NO 1

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contents November 2009

17 features

Publisher

Advertising Sales

Design

Michael Keith

Copy Editor

Mickey Keith

Photography

Nick Oxford Dejah Quinn

Writers

Scott Bartley Denise Quinalty Bob Searl 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

Michael Keith Brad Carter

To Advertise Call Brad at 445-3033 or 808-0963.

departments 9 Scott’s Space

6 Not your Average Job

10 Best of Shawnee

13 Future Engineers

24 Reflections

21 Louima Lilite: TO thine

Volume 6, Number 9 Shawnee Outlook is a publication of Layers Media, Inc. Š 2009 Layers Media, Inc.

own Self Be True

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 the products, services 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.

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not your average job by: Denise Quinalty

“What are we here?”

“Family!”

That is the battle cry often heard coming from the workshop at South Central Industries, Inc. of Shawnee.

Supervisor Sherill Manderfeld keeps the individuals in her department motivated with that one simple question and all seem genuinely happy to be at work.

Paula Click, the Executive Director of South Central has been with the organization for 21 years and the place itself has been in business serving individuals with developmental disabilities since 1982.

Individuals who work at the facility are not called “employees” but are known as “service recipients.” Click explained that those employed at South Central receive vocational training to increase their skill levels at various tasks and most are from the Shawnee area.

Some of the older individuals have come from institutional settings while many of the younger ones attended local schools. South Central, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, provides vocational training for those ages 16 and up.

And boy do they meet a variety of needs with the tasks they perform! Service recipients provide services and products to other industries across the state. In fact, the State of Oklahoma purchases medical products, socks, survey flags, toilet paper, paper towels, deodorants and medical gloves from South Central.

Services offered by South Central include janitorial crews that work in Chandler and Wewoka. Litter crews work in Purcell and Garvin County. Local business also contract for pallets. South Central offers recycling opportunities for newspaper, white paper and aluminum cans.

“You have to diversify or you don’t survive,” Click said of the wide variety of products and services offered by the facility.

The distribution process works like this: orders are sent to the main warehouse where they are scheduled for delivery. Deliveries are made all over the state by job coaches and service recipients working together. Service recipients are involved in each step of the process.

As for the administration and service side of things, Click said she is in the office by 7 a.m. and most of the crews are out the door by 8 a.m., weather permitting.

6

www.shawneeoutlook.com

The service recipients leave for the day at 2 p.m. and South Central closes at 3:30.

At this time, South Central Industries employs 45 service recipients. Individuals must go through a hiring process established by the Oklahoma Department of Human Service’s Developmental Disabilities Services Division.

The individuals served through their employment at the facility have a wide array of special needs. Some are living with cerebral palsy or autism and others are wheelchair-bound. The main requirement for qualifying to work at the facility is IQ, which must be 75 or less.

Job duties at South Central are assigned according to the functionality of the individual set to perform the specific task. Those with higher skill levels are assigned tasks in the wood working area and those with other strengths work in the paper shredding and recycling area. Work that requires the use of heavy equipment or specialized machinery such as baling shredded paper is always supervised and safety precautions are taken.

One service recipient, Michael Gray, has become a pro at driving the fork lift.

“He’s great. They all are. They’re my peeps!” Manderfeld said.

Gray has also been taking reading classes and has learned to recognize most of the products in the South Central warehouses by item number and cost. Click finds satisfaction in seeing individuals at the facility taking personal action like this to progress in their jobs and in their own lives.

“It is a place where you can work and feel a great sense of accomplishment,” Click said. “You get a lot of good—great—feel good when you see someone progressing.”

Although those who are employed by South Central have physical disabilities or other handicaps, any employer would be hard pressed to find a more enthusiastic group of workers with such a positive work ethic. Click explained that the individuals at the facility probably take the least number of sick days of any sector of employment.

“They’re generally here unless they have a doctor appointment or a dentist appointment, they don’t call in unless they’re really ill,” she said.

Service recipient Marie Fowler works in the paper recycling department. When asked what she enjoys about working at South Central, she seemed to sum up everyone’s view of the place.

“I like everybody!” she said.

As Executive Director, Click is making headway and seeing progress of her own on two specific projects. First, most of the individuals with disabilities are now paid an hourly minimum wage rate. Those with lower skill levels are paid a commensurate wage, but Click is making progress to make sure service recipients receive fair wages and the respect they deserve for their hard work.

Some parents and others worry that this pay scale interferes with government assistance in the form of disability payments, Click said. She explained that the individuals are actually making more by working and that moving from commensurate pay to minimum wage has built a lot of self esteem in those who have achieved that goal so far.

“So, these individuals are contributing to the economy of the Shawnee area,” Click added.

Click is also working to get away from the need for state funding. She is proud to say that, at this point, South Central receives about .01% of its budget from the State of Oklahoma. She hopes to move away from the overload of paperwork, regulation and oversight that often accompanies such funding. Thanks to her diligence, the majority of funding now comes directly from the products and services provided by the service recipients.

“We want to be self-sufficient,” she said.

South Central Industries, Inc. is located at 130 N Louisa. Please call (405) 275-3851 for more information on their products and services. Donations of newspapers and aluminum cans may be made at the agency and newspapers may also be left at the bins located around Shawnee, including the one in front of Homeland on Kickapoo.

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Scott’s Space

pet peeves by: Scott Bartley

W

elcome back my friends, to the show that never ends. Many of you have responded to my last article, by sharing with me the movies that have caused you to weep, and some of them have been quite interesting. Unfortunately, two burly men came up to me and said “Men don’t cry at movies, sissy boy!!!” They then proceeded to kick sand in my face, and ran off. Luckily, most people have been in full support of my tales of sadness. Also, before we start, I want to inform you that my daughter, Sabrina, and I will both be appearing in the Shawnee Little Theatre production of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”. I thought it would be fun for us to have this bonding experience. Look for it coming up in December!

I thought I’d do something a little different this month. Usually I tell you all about the things that I love, or am particularly fond of. This month we’re going dark- we’re talking about annoyances. A pet peeve is defined by Wikipedia as ‘a minor annoyance that an individual identifies as particularly annoying to them, to a greater degree than others may find it’. Everyone has them. There are numerous things that annoy me on a daily basis, and I thought I’d share just a few. In fact, I often tell my wife that someday I’ll write a book of novel-like proportions that chronicles all of my annoyances.

Many of my pet peeves occur as I’m driving. I hate when someone in front of me is turning, and they turn….really……slowwwwlllyyy…… Really? Does it

take that long? Just accelerate and turn, its not that hard!! It’s even more annoying if there is a light involved, and the Slow Turner causes me to miss the light and have to wait through another cycle. Those 5 minutes I lost are extremely valuable. I also enjoy the Parking Lot Lurker- the car who will sit and wait an eternity to get a parking space, while 2 miles of traffic has backed up behind him. Dude- I’m pretty sure there are some spaces not too far away, and besides, haven’t you heard? Exercise is good for you! Just park and walk!

This next one I’m pretty sure is a gender issue. I don’t like to stereotype, but after years of extensive research, I can now put forth my hypotheses. The conversation is usually as follows- I will ask my lovely wife “Honey? Where would you like to go eat?” To which she will reply “You can pick. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Then I will say “OK Dearest, how about Chili’s?” And then she will respond “No, not there. Somewhere else.

I really don’t care.” Let’s stop here. The point is- SHE DOES CARE!!! Why don’t you just tell me? Must we play this charade every time? When you ask me (or most men in general) where I want to eat, I truly don’t care, because I will generally eat anything. And many of my male friends nod and sadly shake their heads when I regale them with this tale, for they have experienced the same conversation with their wives. So please ladies, I implore you, when asked about your food choices, just be honest! It will save us a lot of time, and years of pent up frustration will at long last

be released.

My next one concerns Space Invaders. Not the video game, but you know who I’m talking about. Space Invaders are the people that have no concept of a person’s personal space, and they will gladly, and without remorse, invade your personal space. This, my friends, drives me nuts. I will admit that in general, I’m not a “touchy-feely” guy. I don’t really want a hug or even a half embrace from most people. A pleasant smile or hearty handshake will suffice. So when someone, especially a stranger, gets right up in my face, it freaks me out a little. This was especially difficult when I was a teacher, because many kids haven’t learned that social rule yet, and often wanted to get way too close to Mr. Bartley. There were several times I had to announce “Please step away from the teacher!!” Please don’t take it personally- it’s just that I have my space, and you have yours, and very seldom do I think the twain need to meet.

No, I am not a cranky old man- at least not yet. And before you judge me, try to think of all of the things that annoy you. Not too long ago, I asked my wife what was it about me that annoyed her the most. And out of all of the possible things (yes, I do have several annoying habits, I admit), she picked whistling. Whistling! I just like to whistle a tune as I flit about the house, is that so wrong? And I’m sure each of you has quirky little things that annoy you, that’s all I’m saying. I guess I’ll realize that I’ve gone too far when I find myself yelling some day “Hey you kids! Get off my lawn!!!”

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Dave Larson of Dave’s Donuts isn’t just serving up fresh baked donuts and mouth watering pastries. The bistro style restaurant has become a favorite place where friends gather to share a meal or a cup of coffee over a board game. In addition to serving breakfast and lunch, Dave’s Donuts now offers catering services and much more this holiday season.

From OBU students to ladies’ bridge clubs, Dave’s Donuts has become a hot spot in Shawnee. Don’t be fooled by the size of the store front. They cater for special occasions, up to 500 people, everything from pasta to prime rib. “We can cater breakfast, lunch, dinner and holidays and we’re not offering today’s extra donuts. People ask me what do we cater and I ask them, ‘what do you want?’ I tell people upfront if it’s not something I am comfortable doing then I will tell you.

I want my client to be 100% satisfied and I like to see my client’s event to shine because that reflects on the person putting on the event.”

This year he will also offer holiday meals for their catering menu serving duck and goose when available, in addition to turkey and ham and all the tasty trimmings. For yummy treats and gift baskets, Dave’s Donuts will have candy, fudge and several styles of gingerbread houses.

As to everyday delights, Larson prepares stuffed baked potatoes, soup, Indian tacos, and Italian muffaletta sandwiches for lunch. “The muffaletta has been favorably compared to those found in New Orleans. It’s a very hearty, filling sandwich. We use an Italian roll that we make here in the store, then we put Italian salad on it made of both kinds of olives, celery, onions, and a few other ingredients all chopped up and marinated in olive oil and white vinegar.

We use salami, ham, provolone and colby jack,” said Larson who admits to favoring Italian and German cuisine.

Larson comes from a long line of good cooks and hard workers. His motto for success is making sure his customers are taken care of. “I want everyone going out my door with a smile on their face because they got a good deal, they enjoyed their food, and they had a great time.”

Dave’s Donuts is open from 7 am to 2 pm, lunch starts at $2.99. They are located at 2804 N. Kickapoo St. behind Hollywood Video. For more information call 395-0222.

PSG IT Consulting is on the cutting edge of all things technology. Besides the usual services a tech support company offers, like virus removal, computer and network security, they’re offering specialized services to small and large businesses looking for something they can’t find anywhere else. PSG Media Studios is turning out websites, promoting music stars and much more.

True consultants, their IT staff designs software specific to a business’ needs, everything from databases to applets for iphones. “A lot of businesses need a software program so specific it doesn’t exist,” said company President, Dennis Dyer. PSG performs systems integration, even offering clients sophisticated biometric technology solutions for companies looking for heightened personnel security or efficient client in take capabilities. “We integrate systems they have into new systems and write the software to take care of what they need; we can also help them perform tasks by remote.” Currently they are developing a system using “chip” technology for a company who needed customer check in to run smoothly and accurately. Clients run their chipped identification cards through a scanner, saving the company time and money.

Since 2001 they have been well received by the community and six other counties where they built a clientele. They established themselves as a company who invests in their city and their business relationships. PSG IT Consulting does a lot of work for non-profit organizations like COCAA, a homeless mission in Stillwater, and churches at special pricing. They plan to donate several refurbished computers, one each month to a needy person through COCAA. “We’re not just looking at the bottom line in our business; we’re not in business just for money but also to build relationships with the community. We’re developing the kind of business relationships where the client feels like we actually care about them, not just their money,” said Dyer.

Something else Dyer cares about is Oklahoma talent. Himself a musician and songwriter, Dyer created PSG Media Studios as a platform to promote music artists. “It’s a passion of mine,” said Dyer. PSG Media Studios also offers graphic design and constructs websites but they have their sights set on much more. “We’re working on a new social networking entertainment portal that will allow users to listen and watch media and interact with each other, participating interactively as they watch and listen.”

Visit them online at www.psg-it.com and www.psgmedia. com for more information or call them at 214-0522.

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future

Engineers by: Mindy Wood

S

tudents from Shawnee placed 2cnd and 3rd in two categories for the annual OKBest, a national robotics competition for youth. OKBest stands for Oklahoma Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology. Developed by Texas Instruments and Oklahoma Christian University, it exposes youth to these fields which many experts believe is the future of American jobs.

Nine kids from local home school groups and area public schools, ages 10 to 13, formed Team Hidden Valley 5 to go up against other schools from all over the state to compete in Edmond at OCU in last month. “I wanted to expose them to another world,” said Felicia James whose three children participated. “I wanted them to see science, engineering and mathematics and that jobs are available.

It’s very interesting and they’ve learned a massive amount of information in the last six weeks.”

Each team has at least one adult mentor to help them in the construction and development of the robot. In just six weeks they have to design, build, program and test their machine to perform a series of tests in a game. The object of the game this year was to direct the robot by remote control to pick up balls of different sizes and weights, each represent-

“I wanted them to see science, engineering and mathematics and that jobs are available. It’s very interesting and they’ve learned a massive amount of information in the last six weeks.” ing the ingredients needed to make the chemical substance iso-octane. The robots have just three minutes to pick up the balls in the correct order.

“It was a lot of work and some people think that because we home school we were dropping our curriculum and focusing on this but we weren’t. We were still keeping up our math, language arts, history and other subjects. They spent many nights working until 11 p.m.,” said James.

This was no simple robot. Each team is given the same set of supplies and although each robot is unique in design, every team has to keep strict guidelines regarding size, function and weight. If they had to make any modifications, it couldn’t weigh the robot down too much or exceed the required dimensions. They had to learn how to program the brain of the robot and how to use infrared sensors. Each student accepted responsibility for their own part in designing and building their robot, all voting to determine their decisions. They

learned teamwork, how to keep calm when things didn’t go according to their blueprint and patience when they had to go back to the drawing board.

The work students perform is designed to teach them the inner workings of their project. They have to show their work, demonstrating their process in a binder. The mathematic calculations, chemical and engineering process must all be included in a format that one would present a teacher. “They had to do research papers on iso-octane and future fuels,” said parent Shellie Johnson. “They had to learn how to do cad drawings. They had to have the entire engineering and chemical process shown.” When they stood before judges, they were required to present their machine the same way a businessman would introduce a product to a company looking for robotic solutions, teaching them valuable skills for a real career in engineering and science.

They also learned about funding a budget. The team set up a booth to promote their efforts and

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acquired sponsors to donate items that would draw people to their booth both at fundraisers and at the competition. “We had a magnetic dart board with a bulls eye that looked iso-octane. We had boxes of tea in a leather box, juggling balls, water bottles, and all kinds of things. The booth is to help promote the team and also part of the BEST award.” The team also demonstrated to other schools to help promote engineering. “We want kids to know this is out there, especially in the rural areas,” said James.

The contestants were judged based on overall presentation, robotic performance, chemical accuracy, time, teamwork and sportsmanship, enthusiasm, booth presentation and even their team’s website was judged. The competition lasted for nine grueling hours and in spite of deafening noise and very little time between sets, the kids managed to keep their heads together and have a good time.

“All the other teams had at least thirty kids and here our team had nine. They were running around the entire time because they either had to be in the pit, driving the robot or at the booth,” said Johnson.

The team’s hard work paid off. They won 2ncd place in Robotics and 3rd for the coveted BEST award, the organizations most prestigious award. “We were very proud of our kids,” said Johnson. “They were up against a lot of schools including, Tulsa Engineering from Tulsa Memorial High School.” Hidden Valley 5 won $500 to put toward their next trip to Ft. Smith, Arkansas in December to compete regionally. The team will have to do even more for the next challenge. “There’s double work to do for Frontier Fort Smith,” said Johnson. The team also has to raise about $700 for trip expenses.

According to several studies only about 7% of the world’s engineers come from America, something that hopefully the BEST program and

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Shawnee kids will grow up to change. For more information about Hidden Valley 5’s upcoming demonstrations or to make a donation, check out their website www.hiddenvalleyhighoctane.webs. com.

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Oklahoma Food and Culture

by: Mindy Wood

You know you’ve met a true blue Oklahoman when you meet someone like Kurt Fleischfresser. Nationally known, award winning chef, Fleischfresser decided to return to Oklahoma and call Shawnee home after studying with the best chefs, in the best kitchens around the world. While he has enjoyed a prestigious career, it is his down to earth personality and love of Western food that has made him a favorite guest on television shows, commercials and international cooking tours.

Fleischfresser was an engineering major at OSU when he discovered his passion for the culinary arts. He packed his bags for Chicago to study with Chef Bernard Cretier at Le Vichyssoise. He continued to hone his skills at restaurants such as The French Room at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Enjolie at The Mandalay Four Seasons in Los Colinas, La Champagne at the Registry Resort in Scottsdale and Vincent’s on Camelback in Phoenix. Today he is best known in Oklahoma as Executive Chef and owner of The Coach House and recent partner in Western Concepts Restaurant Group, overseeing Sushi Neko, Musashi’s, Will Rogers Theater, Will’s Coffee Shop and The Lobby Bar. He is also the genius behind several favorite restaurants: Iguana Lounge, Earl’s Rib Palace, the Deep Fork Grill, Portobello, the Ground Floor Café and several others.

While he acquired skills from the finest chefs in the country, his love for Oklahoma food and culture never waned. Serving all flavors of cuisine with elegance, grandeur, and pizzazz are part of being a professional chef but Kurt said he never lost sight of the basics. “I

Kurt Fleischfresser

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love Oklahoma cuisine and that’s what I’ve been working on for over 20 years. As to my style of cooking, I don’t try to amaze you with the words on the menu. I make the dish sound good and taste good. A lot of times people will amaze you with the names on the menu and underwhelm you with the food. People want really good food with good combinations and chefs who lose sight of that have a lot more trouble,” said Fleischfresser.

Kurt talked about Oklahoma’s impact on the cooking scene and the respect our state is gaining in the industry. “I’ve had chefs come from all over the world and all these guys say, ‘when can I come back?’ not because we’re the fanciest thing but because they love the people here. Everyone embraces you here. A lot of people who welcome these chefs have no idea who they really are, they just give these guys this Oklahoma hospitality and they love it.”

Oklahoma people are particularly appealing to those in the industry who have had their fill of difficult chefs. “The Southern United States Trade As-

Executive Chef Kurt Fleischfresser’s Thanksgiving Cooking Tips: 1. If it’s not super important that you carve the turkey at the table, you can try something we love to do. Take the turkey and quarter the way you would a whole chicken. Sear it with olive oil and roast it in the oven for a moister and better tasting turkey that you won’t have to carve.

2. One of my favorite side dishes is Girl Scout Sweet Potatoes. Cut a sweet potato in half, put a few thin slice of onions, salt and pepper on top and wrap it with raw bacon and foil and cook it at 350 degrees until it’s tender enough you can thrust a skewer into it.

3. Cook with unsalted butter for a cleaner, fresher taste to your dishes.

4. When chopping those ingredients, use a knife steel, also known as sharpening or honing steel. You won’t have to sharpen your knives and you’ll never have another dull knife if you will use these before putting your knives away. I sharpen my knives only once a year because I use this tool. It’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about.

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sociation has used me for promotion even in other states because I think Oklahomans have a good balance of everything. We’re not over the top in one direction and we don’t have ridiculous caricatures of ourselves. We’re the Midwest of the South, as a developing part of the South. We’re really stable and a good representation the South.”

Believe it or not, it turns out other countries are interested in our food. “In Asian countries like Singapore and China they are very interested,” said Kurt. He travelled in both countries to satisfy several chefs’ curiosity about Western food. “They don’t do many braised, slow roasted, or grilled meat. So it’s getting them used to that texture and flavor. It’s so new that it’s exciting to them.

Showing them sauces like barbeque isn’t always the most elegant side of what I do but they love it.” He demonstrated the proper way to prepare and cook a hamburger. He laughed and said, “This guy was making a burger out of really lean, high quality meat with a huge bun. When I showed him how to make a smaller and softer bun and showed him that the meat needed to be fatter and thicker, he was blown away. He said, ‘this costs half what mine did and it’s three times better!’ I said, ‘that’s the art of the hamburger.’”

His devotion to Western food and the Oklahoma Food Industry is evident in his media appearances. He appeared on Discover Oklahoma and filmed commercials for the Made in Oklahoma Coalition and the Oklahoma Beef Producers. He also wrote, co-produced and appeared in the series, “The Oklahoma Kitchen.”

As to his next stint in the spotlight, he may appear on Iron Chef. “There’s kind of a contingency in Oklahoma City who are trying to get me on Iron Chef. The OKC Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor have sent letters and they’re trying to get me to do that. Even though it’s not something I would watch except for my own entertainment, I would definitely go if it meant a good thing for us in Oklahoma,” he said.

In the meantime, Fleischfresser stays busy at Coach House graduating chefs out of his kitchen, the only federally approved culinary apprenticeship in the South. His devotion to education is further evident through his work with the Oklahoma Restaurant Association. “It helps kids in high school learn sanitation, knife skills, and the basic things they need to know to get into our industry.

When I started that we had two schools in Oklahoma, now we have over 30 schools with hundreds of kids signing up each year.” He has twice participated in OSU’s Hotel and Restaurant School Guest Chef Program. In April of 2009 he received the prestigious “Medaille de Merite” by L’Academie de

Gastronomie Brillat-Savarin for his contributions in education in the industry. He is one of only four to receive the award including the late Julia Child, Alan Wong, and Paul Prudhomme. A video on YouTube titled ‘chef kurt award’ shows the ceremony as well as clips from shows and commercials.

Of all his accomplishments he says he is the most proud of his family. “It sounds weird but I’m just glad to have both my kids be healthy mentally and physically,” he laughed. “It’s kind of an industry where you don’t have normal family lives so having a strong family is something I’m really proud of and something I have to give credit to my wife Jayne.”

Fleischfresser is proud to be an Oklahoman, loves living in Shawnee and is always looking for the next opportunity to show the world what our state has to offer.

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Louima Lilite:

To Thine Own Self Be True by: Mindy Wood

Louima Lilite took the stage at OBU’s Raley Chapel with a gracious and warm smile, welcoming his audience like old friends. Lilite’s strong but gentle tenor voice captured listeners in both story and song during his cabaret performance last month. Michael Dean, assistant professor of music, joined his performance at the piano. Donations raised went to Mission Shawnee, a non-profit organization that helps needy families.

Lilite is assistant professor of music in voice and related courses at OBU. An award winning tenor, he studied with the famous Carol Webber and graduated from one of the best music schools in the country at Eastman School of Music before finishing his education at Penn State and Biola University. His performing credits include works from opera, oratorio, chamber music, and the

art song repertories. He was featured several times with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, EastmanRochester Chorus and Orchestra, and enjoyed performing in the Middle East, Haiti, and throughout the United States.

The Wizard of Oz to tell the story of his early life in Haiti and his difficult path to a career in opera and classical music. He used works from George Gershwin, Hub Miller, and Irving Berlin to show his audience that though the road to self discovery tested his character and beliefs, it also led him to his love of teaching, music, and a simple life.

He was born the youngest of six children to his missionary parents in Haiti, a poor country no stranger to political upheaval. After singing “My Favorite Things,” he said, “A lot of people don’t think of Haiti as a beautiful country, but beauty to me was birds singing and children running up and down the street, laughing…playing with my brothers and sisters. My mother taught me to love the Bible; it was my first favorite thing.” He related the story of a house they lived in without a roof. Their first night, the rains

“A lot of people don’t think of Haiti as a beautiful country, but beauty to me was birds singing and children running up and down the street, laughing…playing with my brothers and sisters. My mother taught me to love the Bible; it was my first favorite thing.”

Lilite brimmed with joy as he sang and his theatrical performance tingled with a boyish sense of humor. He chose songs like “My Favorite Things” from the Sound of Music and “Over the Rainbow” from

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came and while their mother was broken hearted to watch her children in the rain, she told them to pray for a roof. “God answered,” said Lilite. “So I realized prayer had to be one of my favorite things.” Their faith saw them through difficult trials. Even though at times they did not know where their next meal would come from, Lilite said God made sure they were fed.

As the family struggled to meet their basic needs, things appeared to look up for Lilite. A bright student, he was allowed to skip grades in school; however, his excitement was darkened by bullies who did not understand his gentle nature or opposing interests, and picked on him because of his small stature. “They kept getting bigger,” laughed Lilite who skipped grades more than once, “and I kept getting younger. At first I would just smile. I felt like people didn’t understand me. I knew my mother did.” Because he would not betray himself by joining the bullies’ harassment of other kids, things grew worse. At one point, their cruel taunts and jokes became so unbearable that he fought some of them once but it only proved to satisfy his adversaries even more who ridiculed his steadfast faith. It cut him deeply and he vowed never to retaliate again. It was a defining moment for Lilite who realized he had to be true to his heart. “I learned it wasn’t worth changing who

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I am.”

In spite of those tumultuous years, Lilite discovered his voice and love for song. Although he would first vow to become a great chef, eventually he pursued his true gift at North Haiti Music School where volunteers introduced him to classical music. It would prove to be a place where “troubles melt like lemon drops” as Lilite seemed to finally feel free in world now open to him. “It was a language I could understand. I felt complete, like my heart and soul was in it.”

From there he gained a visa to the U.S. where he pursued his education and career in music and voice. Along the way, he met people who would nurture his talent and injured self esteem. “They taught me to discover my true self, to not worry about what I look like, to accept myself. I learned to dig deeper when I was playing, singing or composing. I wasn’t performing. I wasn’t trying to be, I could just be.”

As Lilite realized the depth of his talent, others took notice. He performed for Dawn Upshaw, Benita Valente, Menahem Pressler, Brian Zeger and Israeli contralto Mira Zakai. As he contemplated a future on the international stage, there was something in Lilite that echoed from within his soul. He longed to marry and have a family, something a

demanding career makes difficult. “I saw the nastiness of that [fame]. I saw myself getting there, losing my heart for the glitz and fame. I saw what it takes. You have to be willing to put yourself first in love, family, business, no matter what it takes. I couldn’t do it,” he said. He also wanted to invest in people. “I’ve always liked people; I was always interested in the essence of each person. Through music I’ve been given an ‘in’. If I can reach one student’s heart and impart a tenth of what I’ve been given, it will be amazing to see that. If I were only performing,” he said, “perhaps people would be happy to hear me sing but they wouldn’t really get the depth of what I’m trying to give.”

As he closed his performance for the evening, he sang the words to Simple Little Things by Harvey Schmidt: “Simple little things, simple little dreams will do.” He taught his audience that in hardship people can persevere and find joy in life; that what people may think of you shouldn’t change your own opinion of yourself; and that the simplest of things, the simplest of dreams are often the sweetest. Lilite not only discovered his gift but his purpose in teaching and investing in the community around him. He plans to offer another performance in February.

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I was a little nervous when Marie pulled me out of the line of kids waiting to board a bus that would take us home from children’s camp. When a kid gets pulled out of any line it usually means trouble, so who could blame me for feeling kind of anxious when Marie took my arm and said, ‘Come with me for a minute.” “Crud,” I thought. “What did I do that I wasn’t supposed to?

What didn’t I do? This can’t be good.”

Marie was the wife of Dick, and every summer the two of them ran a church camp for kids. We spent the week at a tiny encampment near Wisconsin Dells, a cheesy tourist town named after beautiful rock formations and deep canyons carved out of the sandstone bluffs that hugged that stretch of the Wisconsin River.

Marie was a petite Italian woman known to the kids at the camp for her authentic spaghetti and meatballs, and for chalk talks. In case you don’t know what a chalk talk is it’s when an artist draws a picture in chalk while telling a story. Marie’s stories were always from the Bible.

She timed the story to end at the moment she finished the drawing. The drawings themselves were always cool, but then she turned on a black light, and the already cool drawing was magically transformed into something completely different that glowed under the mysterious rays.

We must have looked kind of odd: a tiny Italian woman dragging a large, lumbering, pasty-faced kid away by the arm (I was at least a head taller than she). This would be my last memory of children’s camp as I teetered on the edge of adulthood, staring down seventh grade in the fall. I assumed this would be the humiliating final act to my unremarkable childhood. Marie stopped and faced me. I stood there under the pine trees, out of earshot of the other kids, looking down at her. She reached up and with her small hands grabbed my shoulders. She smiled. “Bob Searl,” she said softly. “You are a fine young man, and I can’t wait to see what God is going to do with

your life.” Then she hugged me and led me back to the bus and the kids and the long ride home.

Over the course of our years we cross paths with people who, with only a few words, change us. Sometimes the words wound us, and what we carry is a scar.

But we can give thanks for the scars, for they remind us that we are strong, that we are survivors. Other words come to us as blessings that empower us to think or act in ways fresh and new, and impossible to imagine before those words were spoken into our lives. We can give thanks for the blessings, for they remind us that we can be better than we think we are.

We are surrounded by people who long to be blessed, by people who hunger to know that someone thinks well of them. Children need the blessing of their parents.

We never grow out of the desire for our parent’s blessing. Wives crave the blessing of their husbands and husbands, the blessing of their wives. Employees want the esteem of their supervisors. Here’s the beautiful thing: blessings cost us nothing to give and are as plentiful as our imagination. But a blessing is priceless to the one who receives it. A few well-placed words served up with love can change everything. I know this is true.

As you sit down for your Thanksgiving dinner and return thanks for the blessings in your life, don’t forget the people who have blessed you with the gift of their words. This makes me think of my momma. She was a southern woman filled to overflowing with propriety and good manners who gladly imposed her ways on others, especially me. Every year after Christmas she made me sit down at the kitchen table with a tablet of paper, a box of envelopes and the family address book to write a thank you note to everyone who gave me a gift. Perhaps a thank you note to the people who have gifted you with their words might be a good idea. And who knows, maybe the words you return to them will be the kind of unexpected blessing they need.

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Back by popular demand is Shawnee’s Weight Loss Challenge 2010. Last year the Shawnee Outlook partnered with the Troy and Dollie Smith Shawnee Family YMCA to present a weight loss contest to fourteen contestants who competed for one of three titles and prizes from local business owners who proudly showed their support.

The contest, loosely based on the hit NBC show Biggest Loser, will kick off the first week of January, taking applications online next month, December 1st through the 15th. Fourteen contestants will be chosen to work out for three months with a personal trainer and assigned to a team to compete every four weeks in team challenges. Contestants will be required to put in 6 to 12 hours a week at the gym, keep a daily log of their diet, and maintain other contest guidelines.

The goal of the program is help contestants learn how to eat and exercise for a healthy new lifestyle. Most contestants who competed last Spring report continued success, maintaining their weight loss or exceeding it.

Dale Smith has slowly continued to lose weight, having lost more than 60 lbs. Ron Lowry who lost 71lbs and

won the Most Weight Lost, continues to work out two hours a day, six days a week. Sandie Rogers and Traci Guptill competed in a triathlon this fall. Several others are still hitting the gym and feeling great.

A first for Shawnee, no one knew what to expect from the first contest. LaDawn Hladik, head trainer for last season’s team Black said, “Overall I thought the program was very successful and we’re ready to do this again. Ron and Dale are still working hard and I’m really proud to have been a part of this.” By the end of the contest, both teams lost a combined 840 lbs. People who couldn’t walk a mile on the treadmill at the beginning of the contest completed a 5k by the end of it.

The transformation contestants experienced was also not limited to the scales. They experienced personal growth as they got to the bottom of food addiction, formed lasting friendships, and reached for a new lease on life. Sandie Rogers, who has now lost 100lbs and won Most Inches Lost and Most Body Percent Decrease, said her life has totally changed. “Today I am training for a half marathon, 13 miles. A year ago I never dreamed > I I could ride a bike 26 miles! When Traci Guptill and

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27

continued from pg. 27

completed a triathlon in September I know we were both thinking the same thing: looking back on where we were a year ago, we have conquered many demons in our lives. Shawnee’s Weightloss Challenge gave us that!” Rogers is also working closely with Shawnee YMCA CEO Tracy Walker to establish Kid Bootcamp at Sequoyah Elementary where Rogers is a teacher. It’s a class designed to teach healthy exercise and eating habits to kids.

Traci Guptill also talked about what the program did for her and how she’s kept going. “I’ve gotten my life back and then some. I am happier now, I smile more now and I feel more in control of my life. I enjoy shopping for clothes again and I’m still amazed how good I look in certain clothes. I just feel better and more confident; it comes from knowing how capable my body is.”

Traci Guptill also took up a new challenge with the triathlon and has lost an additional 17lbs since the end of the competition with only 30lbs to go until she reaches her goal.

Applications will be available December 1st at www.shawneeloser.com and will close December 15th. Visit the website for more details about the contest rules and requirements for participation. Stay posted for updates right here in the Shawnee Outlook every month.

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Gene Pickens War Veteran

by: Mindy Wood

Korean War era veteran, Gene Pickens comes from a long line of men devoted to serving to their country. He has traced the men of his family serving in the military as far back as the Civil War. When the Korean War came around, it seemed only natural for him to serve his country as well.

Pickens served in the United States Air Force and Army, Army National Guard, and finally as an Army National Guard Recruiter. Over the course of his career he received five honorable discharges and numerous letters of commendation and awards.

Pickens served at Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, New Mexico; Parks AFB, California; Westover AFB, Massachusetts; Plattsborough AFB, New York; Amarillo AFB, Texas; Keflavik Airport, Iceland; Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls; Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and Fort Riley, Kansas.

Pickens served as an MPI, keeping the peace on and off base. As his career progressed he became skilled at interrogation, well known as thorough and trustworthy. He was strict, with high standards for conduct both militarily and morally. While serving in Iceland, he received several letters of high commendation for excellent leadership skills, performing his duties over and above average and for his exemplary character. At Holloman AFB in Alamogordo New Mexico, a station famous for launching

30

www.shawneeoutlook.com

a chimpanzee (ENOS) into orbit, Pickens received countless letters of commendation from his commanding officer, Captains, Majors, Colonels, and Generals in addition to local law enforcement officials including the sheriff, city manager, chief of police and captain of the New Mexico State Police.

Over the course of his career, he was nominated so many times for serviceman of the month that they could no longer award him the recognition.

Pickens said a lot of people don’t realize how deadly the Korean War was. “The Korean situation was a bad deal. In ten years during Vietnam over 50,000 men died. In just three years during the Korean War, almost the same number of soldiers died.

It was a deadly war, both Korean and Vietnam.”

After Pickens military lengthy career, he returned to Shawnee where he owned and ran an auto repair shop and filling station, Gene’s Garage and Gene’s Conoco. He and his late wife Lola raised four boys, Bobby who also served in the military, Jerry, Tommy, and Mark.

On May 10, 2007 he received an honorary high school diploma with several other fellow officers.

Oklahoma Senate Bill 1493 made it possible for soldiers to receive their diplomas who sacrificed their high school education to serve during war.

“I was working evening shifts and going to school

and doing pretty well until the Korean War came along,” said Pickens. Even though he obtained his GED he said, “A GED is supposed to give you the same benefits as a high school diploma, but somehow it doesn’t. There’s a stigma to it. It’s not the same.”

Gene Pickens served his country with honor and pride. This year on Veterans’ Day he and his wife Correna Wilson Pickens will reflect on his military career as they remember those who have lost their lives and those who also have chosen to proudly serve their country today.

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Healing Touch Homecare finds her to be such an asset to the company because: Kristy is always more than willing to go above and beyond for her patients. She sacrifices her personal time to do the extra things for her patients. She is an exceptional nurse with a large skill base. We are truly blessed to have Kristy as a part of our team.

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Shawnee Medical Center Clinic 2801 N. Saratoga, Shawnee 405.273.5801

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Family Medicine Physicians

Dr. Grant graduated from Bartlesville High School, he graduated from OU College of Medicine in 2006. Dr. Grant is married to wife Jennifer and they have one daughter and expecting their second child in December.

Dr. Stephens graduated from Shawnee High School, he graduated OU College of Medicine in 2004. Dr. Stephens is married to wife Jennifer and they have 3 children.

Dr. Toth graduated from Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City, OK. She graduated from OU College of Medicine in 2006. Dr. Toth is married to husband Coby and they have one son.