Letter from the Editor

Residents of the City of Moore are no stranger to difficult circumstances. We’ve been caught dead center in the crosshairs of two of the most devastating tornadoes any community could face. You might say that we’ve learned how to take a punch. But even the most experienced boxers can get caught off-guard from time to time.

This is one of those times. A once-in-a-generation situation. It is during these extraordinary times that the residents of Moore have consistently stepped into the gap, setting aside their own concerns to look to the needs of others.

Nowhere is this truer than the Moore Public Schools community. Moore High School was dealt a devastating blow on February 3rd when a driver, allegedly under the influence of alcohol or drugs, plowed into a group of MHS cross country athletes on a training run. Three students died in the tragedy. Three others were injured.

Now comes another cruel blow. The COVID-19 pandemic has ended the school year a full two months early. Gone are many of the familiar high school rites of passage like state athletic and extracurricular competitions, concerts, proms, parties, and graduation. The warm path through the end of the school year into summer has been replaced by quarantine and distance learning.

And in the “when it rains it pours” category: a fire at our printer has added to the obstacles of social distancing and self-quarantine we’ve faced. We apologize for the delay in this month’s issue!

In this month’s magazine, we look at how our schools are rising above a one-two punch that should devastate. We hope you are as encouraged as we are by the strength and courage on display during these challenging times.

Editor Moore Monthly

Publisher Brent Wheelbarger Writers Rob Morris For ad placement, specifications and rates: call 405.793.3338 or email Rebekah@mooremonthly.com HEATiNG/AiR CONDiTiONiNG/MECHANiCAL/COMMERCiAL PLUMBiNG AND ELECTRiCAL

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MOORE STRONG

MOORE RALLIES TO FACE ADVERSITY…AGAIN

esidents of the City of Moore are used to tragedy. We’ve seen the worst of it, having been hit by nine tornadoes between 1998 and 2015. The dates of the two worst pop up in our minds like familiar road signs marking a long and challenging journey. R

May 3, 1999.

May 20, 2013.

Now another storm is blowing through. Residents are being tested again. And once again, the Moore Public School (MPS) district finds itself in the center of that tempest. Robert Romines, the MPS School Superintendent, says its painfully familiar territory.

“We’re grappling with the fact that we have to make difficult decisions,” said Romines. “Unfortunately, we have become experts in the field of natural disasters and tragedies. It’s obviously not something we wish for ourselves or any other group. And this one is different than anything else we’ve experienced.”

It began in December when Moore High School senior, Emily Gaines, was killed in a collision with an off-duty police officer. Gaines was on her way to take the ACT when the accident happened.

Then came the first Monday in February and another blow. A group of Moore High School runners gathered outside the football stadium field house, near the corner of Main Street and Bouziden Drive. The entrance to the athletic facility parking area. Next to the familiar and peaceful pond where ducks and Canada geese are often seen.

Laughs and smiles as they stretched. Teasing each other. Exchanging stories about their weekends and plans for the weeks ahead. The school day was done, and the track season was coming. It was time to train. Time to run.

None of them had ever met the driver of the truck that was, at that moment, headed their way. None of them had ever even heard his name. None of them knew that he was under the influence or that he was grieving the death of his own adult son in an auto accident that had happened less than 24-hours before.

In the blink of an eye, the truck driven by 57-year-old Max Townsend swerved into the group of runners. The accident claimed the lives of Rachel Freeman, Yuridia Martinez, and Kolby Krum.

“To say that it’s a nightmare for everyone is an understatement.”

“We’ve run through the gamut of emotions,” said Romines. “It’s like being hit with tidal waves over and over again.”

Brian Fitzgerald, the MPS Athletics Director, says it’s an experience that changes who you are. “To say that it’s a nightmare for everyone is an understatement,” said Fitzgerald, “But navigating through it and now dealing with the current situation, it gives me a whole new appreciation for everyone in our school district and everyone in the Moore community.”

Those most deeply impacted by the Moore High School tragedy in February have spoken in amazement at the response and support they received from all across the area and state. There were basic, but critical acts of service likecreating meal trains for the families of victims. Then there were entire student bodies from opposing high schools showing up for games against the Moore Lions clothed in red-white-and-blue to show their support. That kind of support has continued in the midst of the new reality impacting everyone as we head into April.

The current situation revolves around the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the threat that has become familiar to everyone as the “Coronavirus.” What began in Wuhan, China, as a distant and unalarming illness has morphed into a deadly once-in-a-generation threat. It has swept away nearly everything considered to be a part of normal life.

Many businesses, considered to be non-essential, have been ordered closed. Restaurant dining rooms are shuttered, and those businesses are limited to drive-thru, curbside pick-up, and delivery. Grocery shelves are utterly empty of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and cleaning wipes.

The schools have also been walloped. The 2019-2020 school year is finished when it comes to the familiar routine of on-campus classes. Moore Public School students will complete the year via distance and online learning. Athletic and extracurricular events have been canceled, including the state basketball tournament, which was canceled on the day it was supposed to begin.

These kinds of blows can devastate a school district. Instead, Romines says he has watched in awe and appreciation as everyone across the district – from administrators, teachers, and coaches to support staff and parents – has risen to the occasion with optimism and courage.

“It’s been amazing to see,” said Romines. “Here we are wrestling with our own fear, anger, and frustration, and we have our food services stepping up and provide for the community. We have our teachers organizing parades through their school communities to encourage their students. So many positive things that help keep our community and families intact.”

And on the athletic and extracurricular side of things, Fitzgerald says he couldn’t be prouder of how everyone is responding.

Fitzgerald says the cancellation of an entire season of activities is unprecedented and that it’s going to be a while before we can understand the cost. But the immediate impact is felt most deeply by seniors who count on spring sports and activities to help get into colleges on scholarships. It also profoundly impacts two of the city’s basketball teams that were expected to perform very well at the state basketball tournament.

“I think I saw it written somewhere that this is the first year since 1918 that we haven’t crowned a state basketball champion in Oklahoma,” said Fitzgerald. “I think the biggest heartache is being felt for the girls at Moore and the boys at Southmoore. Both of those teams were on the right path to accomplish something extraordinary, and that opportunity is now gone.”

Fitzgerald says the coaches, teachers, kids, and parents are working through their disappointment and embracing the more significant lessons to be learned from these extraordinary circumstances.

“I think it gives everyone an appreciation for life,” said Fitzgerald. “We understand that we can’t take any moment for granted, and because of that, we need to focus on embracing and enjoying every opportunity we have.”

Part of embracing the moment is trying to meet the needs inside the MPS district. But Romines says there are a lot of MPS folks working to help o t h e r s o u t s i d e the school community. He believes that the desire to help others comes from having been the recipient of outside help following the 1999 and 2013 tornadoes. It’s a spirit of giving that was on full display as volunteers filled four school district vans with antibacterial wipes, gloves, and hand sanitizer and delivered those supplies to Norman Regional Hospital and the OU Medical Center.

“We’ve been through the wringer and have received wonderful support from

Now comes the challenge of finishing out the 2019-2020 school year. The school year was cut short in the wake of the May 2013 tornado, but while that experience helps a little, Romines says this is an entirely new and challenging circumstance.

“This time around, we’re having to end things six weeks early,” said Romines. “That means we have to look at a lot of ‘rites of passage’ kinds of things. Things like prom, sixth-grade recognition, and awards, assemblies for junior high and high school awards, scholarship nights, National Honor Society induction. It just doesn’t end.”

Moore Public School administrators are meeting regularly to try and address all of these challenges and the new reality of self-isolation, social distancing, and quarantines. Romines says his team hasn’t given up on high school graduation ceremonies just yet.

“We’ve got smart people around the table,” said Romines. “Right now, we’re focusing on sticking with our Plan A on graduation. But we realize that things could look very different, and so we’re doing the best we can to develop a Plan B so that we can end the school year on a high note.”

Facing Grief, Fear and Anxiety by Choosing Hope BY ROB MORRIS

When the world we’re familiar with tips to one side and becomes uncertain, negative emotions are sure to follow. For a community still grieving the tragicloss of 4 Moore High School students in automobile accidents (1 in December, 3 in February), it may become navigate the unfamiliar landscape we now find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marla Mercer-Cole knows this landscape well. She is a licensed professional counselor with undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology, along with being a Certified Bereavement Facilitator. Even more impressive, she is one of Oklahoma’s two Fellows in Thanatology: Death, Dying, and Bereavement.

Mercer-Cole understands all too well that amid our current reality, it can become easy for some to give in to fear and anxiety. She says the most important place to start is to understand the difference between the two.

“It’s important to make a distinction between fear and anxiety,” said Mercer-Cole. “The best way to explain it is that we experience fear over something real while anxiety is all about the ‘what-if’s.’

”It’s those “what-if’s” that so many people struggle with, sending us down rabbit trails to unhealthy emotional and mental places. Explained concerningCOVID-19, Mercer-Cole says that the reality is that any of us could possibly contract the virus, and fear is a legitimate response to that reality. Beyond that, the unknowns are where anxiety kicks in.

“The reality is that if I get COVID-19, I get it,” said Mercer-Cole. “We can be proactive and do everything we know to do to stay healthy. It’s when we start overthinking all of the unknowns about what would happen if we get it that it turns unhealthy.”

The antidote to fear and anxiety is to be proactive, says Mercer-Cole. Among the things, we can do in this are all of the now-familiar recommendations of social distancing, self-isolation, washing our hands, and cleaning shared surfaces. But it’s also smart to look at ways to reach out beyond our own personal circle and connect with those around us in a safe way.

“We can check in on neighbors or older friends who are sheltering at home,” said Mercer-Cole. “We can drop things they might need on a front doorstep.”

Staying connected with others is a critical activity right now. While it can be somewhat challenging due to the calls for social distancing and quarantine, Mercer-Cole says we live in an age of technology where it’s possible to have that personal connection no matter what our living situation might be. Using chat apps like Google Hangout, Facetime, Zoom, and Facebook Messenger allows us to have a visual connection that can make all the difference in combating fear and anxiety.

“Sometimes, I just need to lay eyeballs on people and see how they’re doing,” said Mercer-Cole. “You can tell so much about how someone is doing by seeing their expressions and their body language, whether their shouldersare hunched and tense.”

Rachel loved God, her friends, and lived with an amazing amount of courage. Her family and friends remember her contagious smile and her loving spirit. They also remember Rachel’s leadership. She was a born leader and a playful sister. Her classmates knew her as a friend to everyone she met. Her cross country and track teammates remember her as someone who wanted to include everyone and build camaraderie, but also as a tenacious competitor who pushed everyone to achieve excellence. Rachel was also a big part of her church family, participating as a leader in youth group and on mission trips.

Yuridia loved to bake cakes and cookies. Her favorite foods were spaghetti, rice and soup. She played softball, volleyball and track was the latest sport she was involved in. Yuridia was a very competitive girl. She was very involved and loved to serve in her youth group at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She always had a smile on her face and was very playful and was very friendly. Yuridia loved watching movies. She loved doing her nails and her hair, and always wore it straight. Yuridia wanted to be a hairstylist. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Kolby was loved by many as someone who impacted lives around him daily. He was remembered as kind and hard-working, receiving awards for those qualities beginning in elementary school. His friends say Kolby always put others before himself and wanted to be the kind of friend who brought joy to others. His teammates remember him as someone who supported everyone on the team, leading by example with a competitive spirit and unrelenting work ethic. Family members say they will always remember his strong faith and take comfort that he finished his race in heaven.