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Resolve to Get Fit There’s never been a better time or place to get in shape! Serving Norman for more than 20 years, The Health Club underwent a half-a-million dollar renovation in the past year. The new look includes upgraded locker rooms, equipment and racquetball courts. Other services and amenities include: • More than 40 hours of group fitness classes a week • Staffed nursery for children • Saunas and whirlpools • Variety of weight and cardio equipment • Personal training (for an additional charge) • Our trainers and staff are degreed or advanced degreed fitness professionals The Health Club has rates starting at just $45 a month and there are no contracts. Come see why The Health Club is a great place to get healthy. Visit us online at TheHealthClubNorman.com
405.329.5050 3720 W. Robinson, Suite 124 Brookhaven Village, Norman, OK 73072
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
Republic has been honored to serve . . .
A New Leash on Life Norman Economic Development Coalition Aging Services, Inc. Norman Firehouse Art Center Allied Arts Norman Groovefest American Red Cross Norman High School Among Friends NIMPA Assistance League of Norman Norman Kiwanis Club Bart Conner Gymnastics Booster Club Norman Mardi Gras Parade Bethesda Alternative Norman Music Festival Big Brothers Big Sisters Norman NEXT Bob Stoops Champions Foundation Norman North High School Botball Global Conference Norman Optimist Club Boy Scouts of America Norman Parks Foundation Bridges Norman Philharmonic Brookhaven July 4th Parade Norman Police Department “It is our commitment to make our community a better place to live. Brookhaven Run Norman Public School Foundation We feel a part of our responsibility is to focus on the BASCO Norman Regional Health Foundation quality of life as well as on the quantity of business. Campus Corner Merchants Assoc. Norman Rotary Club During the last twelve months, we have been honored to serve Center for Children and Families, Inc. Norman Sooner Rotary Club by giving time and money in support of Central Oklahoma Homebuilders Assoc. Norman Veterans Day Parade education, charities and service organizations.” Children’s Arts Network Norman Youth Foundation Cimarron Opera Norman Youth Soccer Assoc. Citizen’s Advisory Board OK Bankers Assoc. Chuck R. Thompson - President & Chief Executive Officer City of Lexington Park Project OK Foundation for Excellence City of Norman OK Heritage Assoc. Metafund Classical Ballet Academy OK Homebuyer Education Assoc. Midway Grocery Music Festival Cleveland County 4-H OK Law Enforcement Shooting Assoc. Mission Norman Cleveland County CASA OK Sheriffs’ Assoc. Moore Chamber of Commerce Cleveland County Crop Walk OKC Metro Assoc. of Realtors Moore Fire Department - Santa Express Cleveland County Fair Board OKC Police Athletic League Moore High School Alumni Assoc. Cleveland County Family Drug Court OSU Alumni Assoc. Moore Norman Technology Center Board of Education Cleveland County Family YMCA OU Alumni Assoc. Moore Norman Technology Center Foundation Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity Performing Arts Studio Moore Public Schools Foundation Cleveland County Historical Society Pioneer Library System Moore Rotary Club Cleveland Elementary School Pioneer Library System Foundation Moore Work Activity Center, Inc. Community Action Ministries Possibilities, Inc. National Weather Festival Community Christian School Rebuilding Together National Weather Museum Community Services Building, Inc. Relay for Life Nicole Jarvis MD Parkinson’s Research Foundation Council for Developmental Disabilities Roosevelt Elementary School Noble Bear Down Daddy Daughter Dance Royal Family Kids’ Camp Noble Chamber of Commerce Downtown Norman Fall Festival Salvation Army Noble Fire Department Dreamer Concepts Foundation Sam Noble Museum Noble High School Dump the Pump S-CAP for Women Noble Public Schools Foundation Eisenhower Elementary School Second Chance Animal Sanctuary Noble Rose Rock Festival Envisioners Sooner Centurions Noble Senior Citizens Housing Exchange Club of Norman Sooner Club Noble Youth Sports Assoc. Food and Shelter, Inc. Sooner Stilettos Norman 89’er Day Parade Full Circle Life Enrichment Center Sooner Swim Club Norman Addiction Information & Counseling Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Sooner Theatre Norman Arts Council Greater OKC Chamber of Commerce South OKC Chamber of Commerce Norman Athletic Assoc. Griffin Community Park South OKC Rotary Club Norman Ballet Company Health for Friends Special Olympics Norman Board of Realtors Highland West Junior High School Stuff the Bus Norman Business Assoc. Hubbard Elementary School Success By 6 Norman Chamber of Commerce I Help Kids Foundation Taste of Norman Norman Christmas Day Dinner Institute for Child Advocacy Teach a Child to Save Day Norman Christmas Holiday Parade International Gymnastics Hall of Fame The Cleveland County Christmas Store Norman Community Foundation Jazz In June, Inc. The Oklahoma Academy Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau JD McCarty Center The Trails Fall Festival Norman Crime Stoppers Junior Achievement of OK Thunderbird Clubhouse Norman Cross Timbers Rotary Club Junior League of Norman Toby Keith Foundation - OK Kids Korral Norman Day Kennedy Elementary School Transition House Norman Downtowners Assoc. Le Tour de Vin Truman Elementary School Norman Earth Day Festival Lebanese Heritage & Food Festival Truman Primary School Lexington Elementary School United Way of Norman Longfellow Middle School University Theatre LoveWorks Outreach University of Oklahoma Mary Abbott Children’s House Whittier Middle School Mayor’s Community Roundtable Wild Care Foundation McKinley Elementary School Women’s Resource Center (405) 360-5369 • www.rbt.com • Member FDIC Meals on Wheels Young Life of South Central Oklahoma
contents features
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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT While civic club membership is stagnant in many communities, organizations in Norman are prospering.. RIVERWIND CASINO A multi faceted enterprise owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation that contributes in winning ways to Norman’s economy and quality of life.
departments
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ART FROM THE HEART Popular art instructor has built a long career based on creativity. MASON PECANS Brett Mason has heard all the nut jokes. He’s cracked a few jokes himself, but cracking nuts is his business.
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from the Publisher
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from the Editor
14
Norman Events
36
Norman Style
42
Norman FYI
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Norman People Mason Pecans
66
Comfort Food
69
Wine Time
70
Making a Difference Westside Library
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Taste of Norman Legends
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Norman Culture 50 Years of Dr. Who
SNAPSHOTS 82 Assistance League Gala 84 Parkinson’s Gala 85 Jubilee Dance Club 86 Christmas Parade 88 Arvest Bank Event
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36 66 On the Cover: Caitlin Schudalla models jewelry from Mitchell’s Jewelry. Cover photo by Benita Cloward.
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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magazine
t’s a all about you JAN/FEB 2014 | VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 4
PUBLISHER Terry Connor EXECUTIVE EDITOR & GENERAL MANAGER Andy Rieger ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Debbi Knoll ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Rebekah Collins Robin Escarcega Kimberly Lehenbauer Sherry Romack Nick Sheats Trevor Wolfe Angela Williams CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jerri Culpepper Amy David Doug Hill Chris Jones Katherine Parker CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jay Chilton Benita Cloward Lindsey Davies Doug Hill Kyle Phillips NORMAN STYLE COORDINATOR Rebekah Collins DESIGNER Daren Courtney DIGITAL COORDINATOR Jason Clarke Norman magazine is a bi-monthly publication of The Norman Transcript. 215 E. Comanche, Norman, OK 73070. (Phone: 405.321.1800). Letters or editorial contributions should be sent to: Norman magazine, P.O. Drawer 1058, Norman, OK, 73070 or emailed to editor@normantranscript.com. Norman magazine e is not responsible for unsolicited submissions. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner, without permission is prohibited. Address advertising inquiries to Debbi Knoll – (405) 366-3554 or dknoll@normantranscript.com Norman magazine can be found online at www.normanmagazine.com
from the Publisher
From crank phones to tweeting, what’s next in 2014?
O
ne of my favorite keepsakes from my childhood is an old crank phone that looks like the ones you see on classic 1950s or 1960s TV shows. I’m not sure if it ever worked as a phone because I only remember it being an AM radio. Not only does this device, which I have in storage, tie me to my youth – I remember standing on a chair so I could reach it hanging on the kitchen wall – it’s probably my first brush with what could then be deby terry connor scribed as modern technology. In its prime, the telephone turned radio was one of those state-of-the-art devices that my Dad, who was an early techie, loved to show off years after it was bypassed by stereos, 8-tracks and boom boxes. Dad, a pioneer of sorts because he was on the ground floor of computers serving professionally as a director of data processing (computers for those too young to know that term) in the 1960s to the 1980s, was always looking for the next big thing in the world of technology. I remember his first computer at the business where he worked was stored in a large room, used punch cards for data entry and was so loud you had to almost scream to communicate when it was on. Today, Dad would be amazed that smart phones and iPad minis can do much more than his early computers within a fraction of a second. When he was in his 80s, Dad thought it was great to be able to send emails from his desktop computer and chat online with his seven children. He also had a flip cell phone that allowed him to talk from anywhere. He would scratch his head at the technological advances that allows us to text, tweet and communicate on wrist phones that were once only the imagination of the Dick Tracy comic strip. It must have been my Dad’s love for technology and anything new computer-wise that continues to pique my interest anytime the new-latest thing hits the market. I only wish I would have inherited his trait of being tech-savvy – that trait skipped me and went straight to my son Chris who would spend hours with his Grandpa and discuss all the latest, coolest stuff. I can text and use some apps, but I am far from where I need to be when it comes to technology. As of this writing, I have yet to send my first tweet, although I follow Twitter on a regular basis, and I cannot tell you what’s trending from day to day. Well, I’ve somehow digressed from my initial thoughts for this column – it was actually going to focus on what awaits us in 2014, especially when it comes to the latest and greatest electronic devices and other trending matters. Surely, this year will bring us the iPhone 6 or an updated version of iPad Air, or both. There will be other electronic gadgets that make life easier. After all, we now read newspapers on smart phones or tablets, count our steps by clipping a small device to our belt and cook tasty French fries by using a T-Fal ActiFry Low Fat Multi Cooker and just one teaspoon of olive oil? What new device or app will be introduced to make our life a little easier during the next 12 months? It should be fun. I can only imagine if Dad was still with us, he would shake his head in disbelief and then text and tweet his latest technical discoveries to all. NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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from the Editor
A 35-year journey in journalism
M
y brown, as in the late John A. Brown Co., suit, was a bit of a lightweight in the face of the early January wind chill whipping through downtown Oklahoma City’s Civic Center park. It was deemed that my green, plaid suit, off the sale rack at the Squire Shop on Campus Corner, was a bit loud for my first newspaper copy desk shift. The Oklahoman required its newsroom staff to wear coat and tie. Too eager to begin I misjudged the time it took to get downtown and so an extra hour was spent in the park. A panhandler got my lunch money for a hamburger, he said. A good life lesson, not learned in journalism school. It was one of the few things that OU’s journalism program didn’t teach me. Working on a centennial book for OU’s Gaylord College of Journalism made me realize this month marks 35 years in the profession. My career spans more than a third of the venerable college’s history. In researching the book I figured out that I had met, studied under or taught with 11 of the 16 deans and directors of the program and worked for the iconic publisher whose statue graces the college’s courtyard. Along my journey, the profession itself has gone through a change of cataclysmic proportion. It’s enough to give an aging editor a case of nostalgia for simpler times. In my early days as a journalist the press seemed to know its role and the competition. Gumshoe reporters gathered the facts, assembled it into a readable narrative and shared it with their audience who paid for it to be delivered at an appropriate time. Nowadays, newspapers post stories and photos throughout the day and night. Some readers can’t wait. Quite a change from the days of hiding stories from other reporters so you’d get the “scoop” on them the next day. Today, we routinely share a “scoop” with other media outlets, social networks and sources first so as to develop some legs for the story. Look mom, I can blog, text, tweet and tout.
Technology has given newspapers and magazines audiences that are bigger than we only imagined 20 years ago. From the Web, we can tell what you are reading, where you found it, how long you spent on it and if you shared it with others. Reporting in cyberspace has its drawbacks. Information passing no longer has the accountability factor. It’s much easier to steal, too. Modern media that do their reporting by scraping stories and photos from those who do the original reporting are no better than Somalian pirates. My newspaper jobs have given me a front row seat on much of what has happened in central Oklahoma in the last 35 years, (closer to 45 if you count my time folding and throwing newspapers, working in the mailroom and on the college press). I’ve learned that real journalism is not for everyone. An old professor once told me an editor hadn’t done his job if he had more than eight non-family members at his funeral. My kids learned early-on that encounters with readers in the grocery aisle or even after church were not always pleasant. If you want everyone to like you all the time, go be a fireman. While the technology has changed, trust remains the profession’s biggest commodity. Readers still want you to explain the community, not convene it. They want us to explore issues, not solve them. That’s what we elect folks to do. The 35-year journey has been exciting. There are many more miles behind me than in front of me but every newspaper, magazine or text that we deliver on a multitude of platforms is different than the next one. No two days have ever been alike. What other job can make that claim? Warts and all, it’s a great journey. Thanks for riding along.
by andy rieger
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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At Dental Design Studio, we pride ourselves in offering the highest quality dental care to you and your family in a fun, relaxed environment, where we see patients as much more than just patients, but as our friends.
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Norman events
Ongoing events Saturdays and Sundays Discovery Days
2-4 p.m. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua Discovery Days includes interactive, hands-on activities with stories, crafts and touchable specimens. Free with paid museum admission. www.snomnh.com
Sundays Live music: Mike Hosty 11 p.m. The Deli, 309 White Street Mike Hosty performs live each Sunday night. thedeli.us
First Monday of the month Free Admission Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History Museum hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. 2401 S. Chautauqua The first Monday of each month, the museum features free admission www.snomnh.com
Noon concerts
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue The Tuesday Noon Concerts series is a cooperative effort between the OU School of Music and the FJJMA. Set aside part of your lunch hour for these 30-minute concerts performed by OU music students and faculty. Selected Tuesday Noon Concerts are followed by gallery talks or Art After Noon programs at 12:30 p.m. www.ou.edu
Comedy Night 9 p.m. Othello’s 434 Buchanan Street Sign up begins at 9 p.m. and the show begins at 10 p.m. othellos.us
Wednesdays
First Tuesday of the month
Local Trivia Night
NSAA Art Critique
8 p.m. Local 2662 W. Main St. Join LOCAL Restaurant for FREE team trivia every Wednesday at 8 p.m., presented by TheLostOgle.com. It is free to play, but the winning teams will win cash prizes! Meanwhile, everyone can enjoy food and drink specials. www.thelostogle.com
6:45 p.m. Mainsite Art Gallery 120 E. Main St. Held the First Tuesday of each month at MAINSITE Gallery, the NSAA Critique Sessions enable artists of all levels to present their in-process work and receive constructive feedback for the betterment of the piece and the artist. www.normanarts.org
Tuesdays Art Adventures 10:30 a.m. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue Young artists are invited to experience art through books and related art projects for children ages 3 to 5 accompanied by an adult. Art Adventures are made possible by generous support from the Kimball Foundation. www.ou.edu
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Information supplied by Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau Photos by Kyle Phillips, Doug Hill and Jay Chilton
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
Second Friday of each month Second Friday Circuit of Art 6-9 p.m. Mainsite Art Gallery 120 E. Main St. 2nd Friday Circuit of Art – a monthly, citywide celebration of art – is a collaboration between artists, art organizations, and businesses, brought to you by the Norman Arts Council. 2ndfridaynorman.com
Art “a la Carte 6-9 p.m. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art participates each month with the Norman Art’s Council’s 2nd Friday Circuit of Art. From 6-9 p.m. on the second Friday of each month the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art provides live music and independent films by the deadCENTER Film Festival Admission to Art “à la Carte” is free and open to all ages. Live music and films run 6:30-8:30 p.m. Films should be considered for mature audiences only. www.ou.edu/fjjma
The Sooner Theatre Presents
Ongoing through Jan. 4 Downs Family Christmas Lights 4 p.m.-Midnight 2900 72nd Ave SE The annual Christmas Lights Ministry begins the day after Thanksgiving and runs through the holiday season, Proceeds benefit the Regional Food Bank. www.christmasinnorman.com
her architect-tonic forms. This exhibition surveys her journey and gathers some of the finest works of the Dark Light series from 1997 to the present. Dark Light: the Micaceous Ceramics of Christine Nofchissey McHorse is organized by The Ceramic Arts Foundation, New York, NY, in association with Clark + Del Vecchio, Santa Fe, NM, and is curated by Garth Clark and Mark Del Vecchio. www.ou.edu
Ongoing through Jan. 5 Downtown Norman Ice Rink 4-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 4-10 p.m. Fridays and 1-10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Andrews Park 201 W. Dawes St. Opening the day after Thanksgiving, the outdoor ice rink will be available for holiday skating. www.christmasinnorman.com
Ongoing through Jan. 12 Art Exhibit – Dark Light: the Micaceous Ceramics of Christine Nofchissey McHorse Museum Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue Dark Light: the Micaceous Ceramics of Christine Nofchissey McHorse is the first traveling exhibition by the Navajo artist. McHorse is considered to be one of the most innovative forces in Native American pottery today. By creating vessel-based art that is undecorated and abstract, her work relates more to modern sculpture than to Southwestern culture. As a result, she has been collected both by contemporary art and Native arts collectors. The micarich clay McHorse harvests from the riverbeds in Northern New Mexico fires to a black sheen that creates both sensuous shadows and highlights on
Ongoing through Jan. 5 Art Exhibit – Libertad de Expresión: the Art of the Americas and Cold War Politics Museum Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue During the Cold War, the Organization of American States, formerly the Pan American Union, actively promoted artists from Latin America and the Caribbean that demonstrated affiliation with influential modernist styles such as Constructivism, Surrealism, Art Informel and Abstract Expressionism. Jose Gomez Sicre, the Visual Arts Specialist of the OAS, exhibited artists sympathetic to international trends in contemporary art, with the intention of demonstrating the cosmopolitanism of Latin artists and emphasizing freedom of expression in the American republics. Libertad de Expresión examines how both the OAS and its cultural institution, the Art Museum of the Americas, advanced Latin American art and democratic values during the Cold War. Ironically, Gomez Sicre’s support for freedom of expression did not include artists of a socialist or communist bent, and he refused to exhibit leftists
February 13, 14 & 15, 2014 The Hall at The Railhouse Written by James Briggs
Tickets: $75 per person or $600 for table of 8 It’s all falling apart down at Haggard Estates Trailer Park when the world’s worst neighbor, Tess Doolin, shoots her mouth off one too many times and someone finally shoots back!! Was it the handyman? The Stripper? The Live-In Cousins? The Park Manager? Or maybe even her own Husband? Can you solve this country music-filled crime? Don’t miss this musical, murderously funny fundraising dinner and show benefiting the programs and productions of The Sooner Theatre of Norman, Inc.
(405) 321-9600 www.soonertheatre.com All proceeds benefit The Sooner Theatre of Norman, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit institution providing cultural, entertainment and educational opportunities for the communities while preserving the theatre’s historic integrity and character. NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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at the museum. The exhibition features more than 60 artists, including Joaquin Torres Garcia, Roberto Matta and Jesus Rafael Soto. www.ou.edu
Ongoing through May 18 Art Exhibit – On Assignment: the Photojournalism of Horace Bristol Museum Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue Horace Bristol achieved critical and popular acclaim in 1938 for his photographs of migrant workers in California during the Great Depression. Accompanied by writer John Steinbeck, Bristol attempted to draw attention to the plight of the dispossessed, and Steinbeck later drew upon the experience for his seminal novel, The Grapes of Wrath. Bristol continued to use the camera as a tool for cultural and social awareness over the next decade and created an impressive body of work that includes images of the American West, Bali, World War II and postwar Japan. www.ou.edu
Ongoing through Jan. 11 Art Exhibit – Emerging Artists Show Museum hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Mainsite Art Gallery 120 E. Main St. Mainsite will be featuring the work of many local emerging artists. www.normanarts.org
Ongoing through Jan. 26 Art Exhibit – The Art of Sport + Play Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua With a playful spirit, Kevin Carroll’s first exhibit, The Art of Sport + Play, tells a story about the universal power of sport. The heart of the collection is a group of handcrafted balls, created by children with found materials from their native lands. www.snomnh.com
Opens Feb. 14
Begins on Feb. 14
Art Exhibit – The Self: An Exploration of Identity
Art Exhibits – Buddah Tuesdays & Art as Therapy
Museum hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Mainsite Art Gallery 120 E. Main St. Mainsite will be featuring the work that highlights an exploration of identity. www.normanarts.org
Museum hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Mainsite Art Gallery 120 E. Main St. On Tuesdays, Mainsite will feature an opporunity to use art as therapy. www.normanarts.org
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
Jan. 5
Jan. 8
Sooner women’s basketball vs. Iowa State
Sooner men’s basketball vs. Kansas
3 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
6 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
Winter Wind Concert Series: Carrie Newcomer 7 p.m. Performing Arts Studio 200 S. Jones Carrie Newcomer’s music has always explored the intersection of the spiritual and the daily, the sacred and the ordinary. Her ability for sharp observation of the world lead the Dallas Morning News to rave, “She’s the kind of artist whose music makes you stop, think and then say, ‘that is so true.’” “A soaring songstress” says Billboard. www.pasnorman.org
Jan. 11 Sooner men’s basketball vs. Iowa State 11 a.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
Jan. 11 Sooner women’s basketball vs. Kansas State 7 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
Jan. 19
Jan. 23-26
Norman Philharmonic presents “Classical Meets Jazz”
OU School of Dance presents Young Choreographer’s Showcase
7-9 p.m. Nancy O’Brian Center for the Performing Arts 1809 Stubbeman Ave. The Norman Philharmonic presents “Classical Meets Jazz” with special performances from the Oklahoma City Jazz Orchestra and featuring guest conductor Barry Switzer. For more information, please visit: www.normanphil.com
8-10 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. Sunday OU Reynolds Performing Arts Center 560 Parrington Oval The Young Choreographers’ Showcase always surprises and delights audiences as our student choreographers from the School of Dance explore and meet the challenges of creating a production of imaginative and unique dance works. For more information, contact Fine Arts box office, 405-325-4101.
Jan. 25 Jan. 22 Sooner men’s basketball vs. Texas Christian 8 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
Sooner women’s basketball vs. Texas Christian 7 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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Sooner women’s basketball vs. Oklahoma State
Jan. 26 Winter Wind Concert Series: Anne and Pete Sibley
2 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
7 p.m. Performing Arts Studio 200 S. Jones Anne and Pete Sibley hit the national spotlight in 2009 with a blue ribbon finish in the “Great American Duet Sing Off” on NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion. “Their harmonies are warm, tight and soulful; and their performances simple, poignant and unforgettable.” says Nashville Public Radio “One of the sweetest, most soulful and hauntingly beautiful duets in the business.” -Bluegrass Now Magazine www.pasnorman.org
Feb. 3 Sooner women’s basketball vs. Baylor 6 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
Feb. 8 Jan. 27
Feb. 1
Sooner men’s basketball vs. Oklahoma State
Chocolate Festival 2014
8 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
Sooner men’s basketball vs. Baylor
10:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. NCED Conference Center and Hotel 2801 E. Imhoff Road The Chocolate Festival is the Firehouse Art Center’s only annual fundraiser and membership drive. All proceeds from the annual Chocolate Festival help support children’s arts education, exhibits, and programs, such as Art Education in Schools, offered to the community by the Firehouse Art Center. For more information, please call the Firehouse Art Center at (405) 329-4523 or visit: www.normanfirehouse.com
7 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
Mel’s Kloset 2109 W. Main St. Norman • 405-307-0115 Mon-Fri 10-6 • Sat 10-5
BEST COCKTAIL Feb. 12
Feb. 19
Sooner men’s basketball vs. Texas Tech
Sooner women’s basketball vs. Texas
7 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
Feb. 13 Sooner women’s basketball vs. West Virginia 6 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
Feb. 16 Winter Wind Concert Series: Peter Mayer 7 p.m. Performing Arts Studio 200 S. Jones Mayer’s songs are crafted like shaker furniture, with no place for superfluous embellishments or throwaway lines... (his) world is bright and hopeful and the transcendent nature of his lyrics…explore the mysteries of life… Mayer’s fluid, clean, and tremendously intriguing guitar playing is topped with warm, rich vocals. This is music for the soul. -Acoustic Guitar Magazine www.pasnorman.org
6:30 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
Feb. 22
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Sooner men’s basketball vs. Kansas State 2 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
Feb. 22 Sooner women’s basketball vs. Kansas 7 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center 2900 S. Jenkins www.soonersports.com
• EATATLOCAL.COM • NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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Cover Story
Norman Lions Club member Velmer J. Dimery checks his notes at the podium at a fall meeting of the club.
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
Civic Engagement by amy david
While civic club membership is stagnant in many communities, organizations in Norman are prospering.
Photo by Kyle Phillips
L
egacy Rotary Club of Norman officially received its charter this month, making four thriving Rotary clubs in the Sooner city. Other local civic organizations are doing just as well. However, the new group is not your grandpa’s Rotary club. While it has members of all ages and upholds Rotary’s traditional beliefs of service, fellowship and networking, it’s the way the group achieves these goals that is breaking new ground. Legacy President Eric Fleske said there was a need for a more flexible club. He said people are wired a different way now than past generations and if we don’t make changes that attract these new generations the organizations will die. His goal is to create a club that is welcoming to people with busy careers and families who want to make a difference in their communities. Fleske said his Rotary club hopes to excel at a few projects while having fun, rather than per-
forming many deeds that may stretch a club’s service requirements. The club also meets on different days and times of the month at different locations depending on if the meeting is planned for social time, networking or service. People have appreciated the flexibility, he said. About half of Legacy’s membership are new Rotarians, while the remainder of the 37 members transferred from one of Norman’s other clubs. Those are Norman Rotary Club, Sooner Rotary Club and Cross Timbers Rotary Club. Fleske, who was a member of Sooner Rotary for 14 years, said it is thrilling to be part of establishing the new group and even more exciting to receive their charter signed by Ron Burton of Norman Rotary Club, who is currently serving as president of Rotary International. Each of Norman’s clubs are diverse and have different cultures allowing those with a desire to be involved to find the right group for them, Fleske said.
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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“Just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a lot of wonderful, kind-hearted and giving people to enhance a community,” Fleske said.
Norman Lions Club members recently timed their annual carnival to coincide with the Main Street Music Festival.
D
Photo by Kyle Phillips
arrell Janaway, president of Cross Timbers Rotary, said when a community has more than one group they often don’t work together. However, in Norman all of the Rotarians continually work together to accomplish goals rather than competing with each other. Janaway joined Rotary to help others about four years ago when he found himself with more time after his children graduated. “All types of civic clubs help fill in gaps when people or government entities can’t help,” he added. Janaway said Rotary helps people in all types of cruel situations and is on the brink of eliminating Polio worldwide. Norman Rotary Club’s Judi Knapp said she is grateful to belong to an organization that helps in so many ways including sponsoring high school exchange students. “After traveling as an exchange student, those kids come back with so much more confidence, maturity and understanding of the world,” she said. “That is ex-
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
Photos provided
Rotarians helped fill bags of dry dog food for Meals on Wheels clients to use in feeding their pets.
The Ambassador Ball N O R M A N R E G I O N A L H E A LT H F O U N DAT I O N
February 7, 2014
Guests will enjoy an elegant evening with friends, gourmet dining, and dancing to Bulletproof. Proceeds from the event will benefit Norman Regional Health System’s Rehabilitation Services Program. Funds will be used to renovate facilities and advance therapies. For reservations call (405) 307-1077 or email NRHFoundation@nrh-ok.com
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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SOONER LIONS CLUB DĞĞƟŶŐƐ͗ DŽŶĚĂLJ ϲ Ɖ͘ŵ͘ ,ŽůŝĚĂLJ /ŶŶ ϭϬϬϬ E͘ /ŶƚĞƌƐƚĂƚĞ ƌŝǀĞ DĞŵďĞƌƐ͗ ϮϮ ƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŝŶ EŽƌŵĂŶ͗ ϭϵϲϯ ƐŽŽŶĞƌůŝŽŶƐ͘ĐŽŵ NORMAN LIONS CLUB DĞĞƟŶŐƐ͗ dƵĞƐĚĂLJ EŽŽŶ &ŝƌƐƚ WƌĞƐďLJƚĞƌŝĂŶ ŚƵƌĐŚ ϱϱϱ ^ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ůǀĚ͘ DĞŵďĞƌƐ͗ ďŽƵƚ ϰϬ ƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŝŶ EŽƌŵĂŶ͗ ϭϵϮϬ ǁǁǁ͘ĞͲĐůƵƵƐĞ͘ŽƌŐͬƐŝƚĞƐͬŶŽƌŵĂŶŽŬ CROSS TIMBERS ROTARY CLUB DĞĞƟŶŐƐ͗ dƵĞƐĚĂLJ ϲ Ɖ͘ŵ͘ ZŽƚĂƌLJ ,ŽƵƐĞ ϭϱϯϭ t ŽLJĚ DĞŵďĞƌƐ͗ Ϯϲ ƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŝŶ EŽƌŵĂŶ͗ϭϵϵϳ ǁǁǁ͘ĐƌŽƐƐƟŵďĞƌƐƌŽƚĂƌLJ͘ŽƌŐ
[Below] Club members assemble special issue stamps commemorating the inauguration of fellow Norman club member Ron Burton as president of Rotary International. Photos provided
SOONER ROTARY CLUB DĞĞƟŶŐƐ͗ dƵĞƐĚĂLJ ϳ Ă͘ŵ͕͘ 'ŽůĚĞŶ ŽƌƌĂů ϭϮϯ E /ŶƚĞƌƐƚĂƚĞ ƌŝǀĞ DĞŵďĞƌƐ͗ ϵϮ ƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŝŶ EŽƌŵĂŶ͗ ϭϵϴϳ ǁǁǁ͘ƐŽŽŶĞƌƌŽƚĂƌLJ͘ŽƌŐ
Norman Rotary Club members enjoy a holiday party together at the National Center for Employee Development
NORMAN ROTARY CLUB DĞĞƟŶŐƐ͗ dŚƵƌƐĚĂLJ ŶŽŽŶ &ŝƌƐƚ ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶ ŚƵƌĐŚ ϮϮϬ ^ tĞďƐƚĞƌ ǀĞ͘ DĞŵďĞƌƐ͗ ŵŽƌĞ ƚŚĂŶ ϭϱϬ ƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŝŶ EŽƌŵĂŶ͗ ϭϵϭϵ ǁǁǁ͘ŶŽƌŵĂŶƌŽƚĂƌLJ͘ŽƌŐ LEGACY ROTARY CLUB DĞĞƟŶŐƐ͗ ƌŽƚĂƟŶŐ ĚĂLJƐ ĂŶĚ ůŽĐĂƟŽŶƐ DĞŵďĞƌƐ͗ ϯϳ ƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŝŶ EŽƌŵĂŶ͗ ϮϬϭϯ ǁǁǁ͘ůĞŐĂĐLJƌŽƚĂƌLJ͘ĐŽŵ NORMAN KIWANIS CLUB DĞĞƟŶŐƐ͗ dƵĞƐĚĂLJ ŶŽŽŶ &ŝƌƐƚ ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶ ŚƵƌĐŚ ϮϮϬ ^ tĞďƐƚĞƌ ǀĞ͘ DĞŵďĞƌƐ͗ ϴϰ ƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŝŶ EŽƌŵĂŶ͗ ϭϵϮϯ ǁǁǁ͘ŶŽƌŵĂŶŽŬŬŝǁĂŶŝƐ͘ǁŽƌĚƉƌĞƐƐ͘ĐŽŵ NORMAN EXCHANGE CLUB DĞĞƟŶŐƐ͗ ϮŶĚ ĂŶĚ ϰƚŚ dŚƵƌƐĚĂLJ ŶŽŽŶ ZĞƉƵďůŝĐ ĂŶŬ ϰϬϭ t DĂŝŶ ^ƚ͘ DĞŵďĞƌƐ͗ Ϯϯ ƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŝŶ EŽƌŵĂŶ͗ KƌŝŐŝŶĂůůLJ ŝŶ ϭϵϰϳ͘ ^ŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƟŵĞ ƚŚĞ ĐůƵď ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ƌĞĐŚĂƌͲ ƚĞƌĞĚ ƚŚƌĞĞ ƟŵĞƐ ŵŽƐƚ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůLJ ŝŶ ϮϬϬϰ͘ ǁǁǁ͘ĞĐŶŽƌŵĂŶ͘ŽƌŐ
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
citing, I think,” she added. “We have good people and programs and try to keep up to date with what is going on in the community.” Grover Ozmun is a charter member of Sooner Rotary. Before coming to Norman in 1975, Ozmun was a charter member and past president of Yukon Rotary. “The speakers at our weekly meetings help me know what our community is all about and stay in touch with Norman,” he said. His group, like others, is continually looking for places they can
step in and make a difference. “I think we have a long history of people in the community that are really dug into making Norman a better place to live. I am kind of proud of Norman.” Ben Odom of Norman Lions Club agrees. He said Norman is a community that has always understood the value of service. “People here get it,” he said. Odom said as a member he enjoys getting a chance to help the community, meet new folks and learn while having fun. “Everyone says they like their civic club, but I love Norman Lions. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made.”
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Odom said Norman Lions is unusual in today’s world for a civic club because it’s growing and members are getting younger. “But we still need good new Lions to join.” Helping address vision problems is an area the Lions Club is known for. Odom said at least once a week he is called asking for assistance with eyeglasses. Odom said being a member is an avenue of community service that people will find educational, rewarding and inspiring when they see what a difference they are making for others. Besides vision care, through its annual spring carnival the group has helped to provide tornado relief, scholarships, a community park and address other needs.
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Ted Smith of Sooner Lions Club said it is hard to get people today to be active and commit to a service group, but there are strong rewards to interacting with people in person instead of online. Smith said his club is working to create awareness and more visibility. He believes one of the obstacles to growing membership is that service clubs get overlooked and people aren’t aware of the projects they are doing and have done in for the community.
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
ance Knight, president of Norman Kiwanis said his organization has many projects benefiting youth and it works closely with high school and college students to get them involved. Knight said he enjoys getting together once a week for fellowship and to enjoy a good meal. The Terrific Kids programs at local elementary schools is one of their biggest service projects and the upkeep of the Kiwanis youth camp east of town is a staple of their club. Many different groups in the community use the camp for activities free of charge, he added. Knight said working together Kiwanis members achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone.
The Exchange Club of Norman promotes Americanism and the prevention of child abuse. Member Greg Roberts said like other clubs his group is working to get stronger in Norman. When like-minded people ban together more can be accomplished and membership makes you more aware of what is going on the community, he said. Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal said while civic organizations across the country are declining in membership, this community is fortunate to have very strong civic habits. That comes out of the type of citizens that live here and the lo-
cal organizations and groups reinforce those. “Communities need that social fabric that is built through civic clubs and organizations. It is a positive thing for Norman to have strong, healthy, active civic clubs because they do add value to the community.” Rosenthal said these clubs bring people with diverse interests together and that inclusiveness is what builds strong community ties. The organizations also provide tangible results by sponsoring events, supporting charitable work and promoting leadership.
Photo by Jay Chilton
“When you give a child a chance to learn, experience, dream and succeed, great things happen!”
Jacob Hedges enjoys his pancakes at the Norman Kiwanis Club annual pancake breakfast before the annual Christmas parade. Kiwanis members fed about 1,500 this year.
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Norman FYI
Stefanie Brickman Interim executive director, Norman Convention & Visitors Bureau
What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Windows. I would rather move! If a guest opened your fridge what would they see? Coke Zero, salsa, salad dressings, apples and milk for my coffee. Oh, and baking soda to keep it smelling fresh. Where is your favorite place to spend time? In a comfy chair, drinking coffee in any number of locales whether my own house on a Saturday morning or a German bakerei along the Rhine River in Germany. How would a good friend describe you? Overcaffeinated, underrested and passionate. What are the five important things you would include in your things-to-do list? 1. Get more sleep. 2. Learn to say no. 3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. 4. Spend more time with my last surviving grandparent. 5. Write down more of my “no one would believe this just happened to me” experiences.
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If one song were to describe your life, what song would it be? Boomer Sooner because I grew up as the daughter of an Army officer who raised his children to boisterously love his alma mater no matter where we lived. What is one thing you like about January? It’s my birthday month! Describe your favorite pair of shoes. That’s like asking a mother of many children which is her favorite! This shoeaholic could never pick just one pair! How do you like to drink your coffee? Often, with skim milk and two Splendas.
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
Do you prefer to be educated or entertained? Educated, because I have been known to be the Queen of Useless Information and Most Likely to Win Trivial Pursuit by past colleagues. On any given night, I may find myself in a rabbit hole on the Internet, digging deeper and deeper into a subject. I love Norman because? Even though I did not grow up here, it has always been home no matter where the Army sent us because it was where my dad went to school and his OU pennant was always in his office. I have also lived in Norman longer than any other place in my life. How do you like to spend your birthday? In denial! I may always be 24 at heart.
Jen Tregarthen Marketing and Public Relations Officer Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Laundry. I always seem to color the whites or lose a sock. After 11 years, Mark has finally revoked my laundry privileges.
If one song were to describe your life, what song would it be? The Sounds of Sunshine Going Down by Michael Franti & Spearhead
If a guest opened your fridge what would they see? Last night’s leftovers, fresh baby food, prepackaged fruits and veggies for lunches and wine.
What is one thing you like about January? Resolutions! I love the process of deciding what I could do differently to become healthier, happier or more successful.
Where is your favorite place to spend time? Downtown Norman! I know exactly where to go if I want a great cup of coffee, a unique gift or a drink with family or friends and I usually run into someone I know. It’s a welcoming place to be. How would a good friend describe you? A thoughtful problem-solver who is energetic, fun and genuine. What are the five important things you would include in your things-to-do list? 1. Clean the house 2. Enjoy a vacation 3. Exercise 4. Begin taking classes toward a Masters degree 5. Write a book
Describe your favorite pair of shoes. I have a pair of Toms that are my grab-and-go shoes. I love them! Do you prefer to be educated or entertained? Entertained. How do you like to drink your coffee? In a to-go mug. I love Norman because? …of the people. We live in a community of diverse professions and interests but with a common goal to support, provide for and give back to the community. How do you like to spend your birthday? Surrounded by family and friends. Birthdays are best when they are filled with great food, plenty of wine and lots of laughter.
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Adrian Buendia Owner of Eskimo Sno & Nexus Productions Inc. Mobile Disc Jockey & Photobooth Entertainment
What chore do you absolutely hate doing? I pretty much hate doing any housework imaginable...just ask my sweet wife, Jennii. If a guest opened your fridge what would they see? Sodatream Sodas, Cheese, & Spam. Where is your favorite place to spend time? At home with my wonderful wife and newborn baby. How would a good friend describe you? Too busy working to hang out with…
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What are the five important things you would include in your things-to-do list? Eat, sleep, play with my dogs & baby, answer tons of emails & phone calls, and love my wife. If one song were to describe your life, what song would it be? Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus What is one thing you like about January? It is the slowest time of the year for our businesses so we actually get to go on vacation and not work every single minute of the day.
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
Describe your favorite pair of shoes. A pair of green & orange custom designed Nike Shok shoes that say “SnoCone” on them. How do you like to drink your coffee? Cream with 2 sugars I love Norman because? It’s the greatest place in the world to raise a family and have a small business. I love the great small town feel but a pretty sizable population of over 100,000 people...and it has the University of Oklahoma! How do you like to spend your birthday? Usually working or making Sno Cones....My birthday is in July so it’s always hot and I usually HAVE to work… :(
Kyle Allison General Manager, Andy Alligator’s Fun Park & Water Park
What chore do you absolutely hate doing? That would be cleaning the bathroom. Not a fan of bathrooms at all! If a guest opened your fridge what would they see? Not much! I will admit that my wife and I love to eat at local Norman restaurants. Chances are you will find a bunch of togo boxes. Where is your favorite place to spend time? If I have an extended amount of free time, I like to be traveling. I enjoy seeing new destinations and ultimately relaxing on a beach. How would a good friend describe you? Hard working, committed and looking to make a difference in all that I do. What are the five important things you would include in your things-to-do list? 1. Become a father 2. Take a trip to Italy 3. Continue to expand our family businesses 4. Spend Thanksgiving at the Macy’s Parade 5. Write a book If one song were to describe your life, what song would it be? Celebration by Kool & The Gang. Life is one big party; work hard, play hard and have fun! What is one thing you like about January? Relaxing, it’s a slow time of the year at work for me so I get to relax and spend time with my family. Describe your favorite pair of shoes. A pair of brown leather dress shoes.
Do you prefer to be educated or entertained? I prefer to mix both. Let’s call it Edutainment. My wife will tell you that we can’t go anywhere for a concert or event without me looking at the inner workings of the event and trying to learn more about the business behind the event. How do you like to drink your coffee? I’m not a coffee drinker, never have been. I love Norman because? It’s Norman! How can you not love it? Where else can you experience life changing culture, quality education and a community that embraces its citizens to excel in what they believe in. How do you like to spend your birthday? I have always been one to work on my birthday; I celebrate 2030 birthdays a weekend with our guests at Andy Alligator’s so it’s just another day in the year for me!
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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Th e L e a r i a G r o u p I nv i t e s y o u t o j o i n o u r t e a m . As one of the premier brokerage firms in the state, we offer a variety of h i g h - e n d a c c o m m o d a t i o n s i n c l u d i n g ex p e r i e n c e d , i n - h o u s e m a r k e t i n g a n d a c c o u n t i n g t e a m s t o r e i n f o r c e Th e L e a r i a G r o u p. B e g i n n i n g i n J a n u a r y 2 0 1 4 , Th e L e a r i a G r o u p w i l l r e l o c a t e t o b r a n d n e w offices in a front-facing building on central Main Street in Norman. Should you choose to make yourself at home with us, we offer low office fees, a top-notch professional environment and high-end office resources. Th e L e a r i a G r o u p d e s i r e s t o c r e a t e a q u a l i t y c u l t u r e t o f o s t e r b r a n d strength and build a reputation for the most elite team in Norman and the Metro area.
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Lisa Talley
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Zan Waldenville l e a r i a g r o u p. c o m
Photos by Doug Hill
Norman Business
Riverwind’s gift shop features designer bling with no sales tax. [Top] When first opened Riverwind Casino won an industry award for its striking architectural design. [Right] Bonnie Raitt is among the many talented musicians who have graced Riverwind Casino’s Showplace Theatre stage.
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Riverwind Casino is Norman's Full House by doug hill
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iverwind Casino is a world-class gaming and entertainment facility just south of Norman that has become a vital part of the community. It’s a multi-faceted enterprise owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation that contributes in winning ways to Norman’s economy and quality of life. Riverwind has more than a quarter million square feet under roof. Viewed immediately adjacent of I-35 it’s a magnificent stainless steel and cobalt blue edifice that attracts patrons from near and far. When new the structure won an industry award for its pleasing architectural design. Opened in 2009, the 100 guest room boutique Riverwind Hotel is connected to the casino by a sky bridge which allows for strolling back and forth without exposure to the elements. Inside Riverwind the main attraction for many are table games such as Blackjack, Baccarat and Poker. The lion’s share of floor space however is consumed by row after row of what the industry refers to as gaming machines. They’re commonly called slot machines and are strictly regulated by a Tribal Compact, the Oklahoma Gaming Compliance Unit and federal law in a variety of ways. What used to be called One Arm Bandits because of a single pull lever are now computerized or videobased and operate using manufacturer-
devised software algorithms. Gaming machines have fanciful names often after popular TV shows and movies including “Sex in the City” and “Wizard of Oz” or inexplicable ones such as “Dam Lumberjack Beavers.” One of the biggest misconceptions people unfamiliar with these machines have is that the casino controls when they pay out and when they don’t. “There is no one up in the ceiling watching down and controlling jackpots,” said Riverwind’s Corporate Accounts and Sponsorship Manager Clayton Stewart. “All
these machines are locked and sealed, they’re checked by the Gaming Commission which is overseen by the National Indian Gaming Commission,” he said. A group of vendors actually own the machines, rather than the casino. All indications are that slot machine wins occur not because “Wizard of Oz” is your favorite flick and therefore lucky but because you happened to be feeding the machine when a microchip clicked your way. Gaming is king but there’s plenty of entertainment and diversion at Riverwind that doesn’t involve gambling at all. There’s no admission charge to walk in the door and no pressure from anyone to test your fortune at popular card game “Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em.” Riverwind is open 24/7, 365 days a year and has brisk traffic on holidays. The casino’s 1,500 seat Showplace Theatre, aside from those at Oklahoma University is one of the finest music venues in town. They regularly host concerts tending toward Country and Western music, by the finest artists in the business. There’s not a bad seat in the house and tickets are reasonably priced. The space is often used for corporate or philanthropic events such as the an-
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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nual “Celebrity Sing” fundraiser benefiting United Way of Norman. The River Lounge hosts local musicians on weekends in a cocktail lounge atmosphere with no cover charge to listen. Season’s Food Court resembles a shopping mall’s selection of familiar casual dining options. Willows Buffet is a popular pig-out palace with a Friday evening seafood extravaganza that folks line up for. Chips ‘N Ales was originally Autographs sports bar but has been converted to a British pub theme. They serve dishes uncommon to Oklahoma such as Scotch Eggs and Bangers and Mash along with Irish and English suds. People-watching throughout Riverwind is an added bonus. The casino boasts an upscale gift shop resembling an international airport’s duty free store with designer sunglasses, ladies’ handbags and time pieces. Sales there are tax free too. It features a prominent assortment of Bedré fine chocolates made at the Chickasaw Nation’s factory in Davis. Riverwind Hotel is a classy place with friendly staff, contemporary décor and close attention paid to small details. The attractive rooms are mostly at 100% occupancy. Riverwind is strongly involved in philanthropy across central Oklahoma. They partnered with manager Mandy Haws at Sooner Bowling Center for a Moore tornado victim fundraiser raising over $12,000. “We work with Susan G. Komen and the regional food bank,” Stewart said. “I’m on the board at Norman’s Meals on Wheels, Big Brother
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
IS THE REAL DEAL “As in poker, tell the truth. The others will think you’re bluffing and you’ll win.” Jean-Paul Belmondo in movie “Breathless” (1959) Poker games may just be one aspect of casino gaming but it’s a nuanced world all its own. There are low-stakes players who sit down at the table just for fun and professionals who make an up-and-down living from it.
Riverwind Hotel provides contemporary style boutique rooms that are walking distance from the casino.
Poker is a family of card games that combines psychological acumen, mathematical probability and strategic timing. Some experts believe the game is more about the people involved than the cards.
Others call poker a lifestyle and suggest players must love the game and practice incessantly to be successful. The power of positive thinking has been contrasted against aggressive or passive play. Poker tournaments are televised, blogs and articles dissect tactics and 1998 cult movie “Rounders” is about the underground world of high stakes poker. Good tongue-in-cheek advice found in a recent issue of “Southwest Poker News” is that players should leave the table and shower at least a couple times a month.
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Country music superstar Sara Evans performing at Riverwind’s Showplace Theatre in 2013.
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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and Big Sisters and we recently started partnering with Cavett Kids Foundation.” Norman’s Assistance League and Junior League benefit from Riverwind as well. “We try to be as involved in the community as we can be because we want to give back as much as possible,” Stewart said. “In our walls we do a toy drive with our employees and patrons every year for the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots and we also conduct blood drives.” The Chickasaw Nation’s generosity is well documented. In addition to charitable giving they’re civic-minded too. A joint venture with Goldsby and Newcastle included the Nation building a $1.7 million sewage treatment plant for the city of Goldsby and a $2.1 million water tower for Newcastle along with other infrastructure improvements that benefit all of McClain County.
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Riverwind employs over one thousand full and parttime employees. According to Stewart, all employees are offered a benefits package that rivals area businesses. “They treat their employees wonderfully.” Employees receive 12 paid holidays off work including their birthday. Wandering away from minders and chatting casually with staff it’s easy to determine Riverwind is a good workplace. To a skeptical observer this may all smack of Riverwind cheerleading, so it’s only fair to introduce an outside unbiased opinion. Josh Bloom is the CEO of Fanatic Promotions based in New York City. He’s been the publicist for hundreds of performing artists over decades in show business. Bloom has no direct connection to Norman or Riverwind but has come here during a few past Norman Music Festivals when key clients were on the bill. “I found Norman charming when I visited on business,” Bloom said. “But when I found out about the Riverwind, it cinched the town as a destination for me. I don’t know another place that provides a college town vibe during the day and blackjack all night. I’ve been back to Norman several times since and I always stay at the Riverwind.” Charming town, cool university vibe and exciting casino action together are unquestionably a hands-down winner.
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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Norman Arts
Teaching art from the heart Quotes from Firehouse art teacher Carol Armstrong’s students at their ƐŚŽǁ ƌĞĐĞƉƟŽŶ ŝŶ EŽǀĞŵďĞƌ͘
by doug Popular Norman Firehouse Art hill Center instructor has built a long career based on creativity and fond coaching of hundreds of budding painters.
MARIA WOLLMANN: “Carol is ŵLJ ŝŶƐƉŝƌĂƟŽŶ͕ ŐƵŝĚĞ ĂŶĚ ŵĂƐƚĞƌ͘ /͛ŵ ŶŽƚ ũƵƐƚ ŚĞƌ ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚ͕ / ĂůƐŽ ĐŽůůĞĐƚ ĂƌŽů͛Ɛ ƉĂŝŶƟŶŐƐ͘ ^ŚĞ ŚĂƐ ĚŽŶĞ ƚŚƌĞĞ ƉŽƌƚƌĂŝƚƐ ŽĨ ŵLJ ŐƌĂŶĚĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͘͟
“Everywhere I go in the state of Oklahoma, people tell me they love Carol Armstrong,” Douglas Shaw Elder said. He’s the Executive Director of the Norman Firehouse Art Center speaking about one of his most accomplished art educators. There’s good reason for that affection. Since the late 1980s Armstrong has touched many lives in her art classes at the Firehouse. She’s a University of Central Oklahoma art school alumnus who was determined to make a living with her keen eyes and steady hands. Early in her career she worked a few years for different Okla-
SHINJA COWEN: ͞^ŚĞ ĚŽĞƐŶ͛ƚ ƉƵƐŚ ƵƐ Žƌ ĨŽƌĐĞ ƵƐ͕ ƐŚĞ͛Ɛ ůĞƚƐ ƵƐ ƉĂŝŶƚ ĂƐ ǁĞ ůŝŬĞ ƚŚĞŶ ůĞĂĚƐ ƵƐ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞƌĞ͘ ĂƌŽů ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ƉŝĐƚƵƌĞ ŽĨ Ă ƚƌƵĞ ĂƌƟƐƚ͕ ƐŚĞ ƐůĞĞƉƐ͕ ĞĂƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƉĂŝŶƚƐ͘ / ůŽǀĞ ŚĞƌ͘͟ TIM KENNEY: ͞ ĂƌŽů ŝŶƐƟůůƐ ĐŽŶĮĚĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ǁŚŽ ĚŽŶ͛ƚ ŚĂǀĞ ĂŶLJ ĐŽŶĮĚĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ǁŽƌŬ͘ ^ŚĞ ŚĞůƉƐ LJŽƵ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƚŚŽƐĞ ĮƌƐƚ ĨĞǁ ƉĂŝŶƟŶŐƐ͘ Carol is a friend to many and the Firehouse is a great place for people to ƌĞĂůŝnjĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĚƌĞĂŵƐ͘͟
homa City firms as a commercial artist. Motherhood removed her from the office workplace for a time. Then Armstrong had an opportunity to take over some painting classes from a friend at a small hobby-oriented arts and crafts shop. The part time gig turned out to be perfect for her new mommy and young wife schedule. After moving to Norman, Armstrong found work teaching at a couple other hobby shops and applied at the Firehouse but was turned away. “From just teaching at little tables in the back of Creative Crafts I ended up with sev-
ANNA MILLER: ͞^ŚĞ ĂůůŽǁƐ LJŽƵ ƚŽ ĚŽ ǁŚĂƚ LJŽƵ ůŝŬĞ ǁŚŝůĞ ŐŝǀŝŶŐ ĐŽŶƐƚƌƵĐƟǀĞ ĐƌŝƟĐŝƐŵ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌĨĞĐƚ ĐŽŵďŝŶĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ĂƌƟƐƟĐ ĨƌĞĞĚŽŵ ǁŚŝůĞ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ ƐƵƌĞ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ĐŽƌƌĞĐƚ ĂŶĚ ĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƚĞ͘͟
SARA DAVIS: ͞^ŚĞ͛Ɛ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ƚĞĂĐŚĞƌƐ /͛ǀĞ ĞǀĞƌ ŚĂĚ͘ ^ŽŵĞƟŵĞƐ ǁĞ ƐǁĞĂƚ ďůŽŽĚ ďƵƚ ǁŚĞŶ ǁĞ ŚĂǀĞ ŐƌĞĂƚ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĞƐ͕ ĂƌŽů ŝƐ ƌŝŐŚƚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ƚŽ ĐĞůĞďƌĂƚĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƵƐ͘͟
Photos by Doug Hill
KATHY NELSON: “Carol inspires LJŽƵ ƚŽ ĚŽ LJŽƵƌ ďĞƐƚ ĂŶĚ ŝƐ ƌŝŐŚƚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ǁŝƚŚ ŚĞůƉŝŶŐ ŚĂŶĚƐ ĂŶĚ ĞLJĞƐ͘͟
Sherry Siler, Kathy Schmidt, Gracie Moyers
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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
enty students,” she said. “When that store closed I went back to the Firehouse. They said yes this time and were thrilled I was bringing so many students with me.” That was a quarter century ago and she’s been teaching there ever since with essentially the same class schedule including a session just for children. “I love the Firehouse and haven’t taught anywhere else since then,” she said. In an exurban studio surrounded by oak trees and well illuminated only by dappled morning sunshine Armstrong happily shared her successful art instruction methods. She doesn’t order pupils to all paint the same thing which is often the assignment in traditional academic settings. “Everybody is different and everybody is good at something,” she said. “It may be gardening, cooking or decorating that they’re good at and they want to learn to draw or paint.” She identi-
fies those traits and then helps the student apply it to art. A good mechanic might be encouraged to precisely apply numbers to a grid in a creative way. “Other students might want to go abstract and throw paint all around,” Armstrong said. “My job is to figure out what they’re best at and bring that out in them.” The magic is that this philosophy involves all one-on-one time and she manages to accomplish that in a classroom environment. “I don’t lecture,” she said. “I walk around and start each class speaking with each student individually.” Students typically don’t do just one class and are never seen again. They come back year after year. Her following includes some who have been returning for two decades. “I have folks from beginners to professionals who just want somebody else’s point of view,” she said.
Carol Armstrong’s students came together for the exhibition at Mainsite Gallery
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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Dr. Eric Wollman and Maria Wollman
Armstrong’s career extends well beyond teaching. She paints on commission with relatively large canvases currently demanding around $6,500. Heritage Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona, Aunt Gertrude’s House in Guthrie and the Firehouse have been reliable marketers for her art. Many works in progress at Armstrong’s studio involve American western themes such as rugged cowpokes, Indian scouts and homestead scenes. The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department has proven to be an unlikely source of employment for Armstrong. “I created a diorama for the recently renovated nature center in Tucker Tower at Lake Murray,” she said. “I loved it because I learned so much about Oklahoma’s past.” Extensive historical research and creative logistics have been required for other state parks projects that followed. More are in the works and it has been a very happy relationship all the way around which has only been enhanced by her CherokeeDelaware tribal affiliation. She’s a true daughter of the red dirt. Armstrong’s impressive professional resume is just one more reason making her attractive to students.
Kathy Nelson and her best of show award
Rob Sorrell and Katy Brown Farrel Droke entertains the exhibition crowd
Julie Droke Nita Bryan, Pam Bell
Tim Kenney, Shinja Cowen
Peggy Slavin, Carol Jarvis NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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Brett Mason has heard all the nut jokes. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cracked a few jokes himself, but cracking nuts is his business. by c hris jones Photos by Jay Chilton
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FACTS ABOUT PECANS 1. Pecans were one of the most recently domesticated major crops. Although wild pecans were well known among the colonial Americans as a delicacy, the commercial growing of pecans in the United States did not begin until the 1880s. 2. The United States currently produces between 80 to 95 percent of the world’s pecans.
M
ason’s Pecans & Peanuts, just a half-mile West of I-35 South at Exit 106, now in the shadow of the Riverwind Casino, was built in 1983 by his parents. At that time, Brett Mason was living in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The building was a sign of success of the pecan business Bill and Karen Mason (now deceased) started in their home on Findlay Avenue in 1967. “I would go to school, come home, and the house was full of pecans,” Mason said. “People came over with their pecans, my parents cracked them, and the pecans were ready for them to pick up.” The pecan business expanded when his parents bought the equipment they needed from a farmer’s widow in Tecumseh. In 1968, the family moved to a house at the end of Lindsey Street. There were three big pecan trees on the two-acre property. He, and his brother Skee Mason, who passed away last October, were paid ten cents a pound for the pecans they picked up. He recalled the fun times he shared with his brother in a three-story tree house with the zip line they hooked up between trees.
“We were there until I was in sixth grade,” Brett Mason said. “My parents rented the house and we moved to the OU Motel. We operated the motel, and located the pecan business in the back of the motel by the railroad tracks. Three years later his parents got a hotel manager and they moved back to the house. He remembers a bumper crop of pecans when he was in the ninth grade. There were drought years and good years, but the success then and now is due to a service people need. “We started cracking and shelling,” Brett Mason said, “and that is the core of the business. We have long-time customers, and people who stop in as they travel through the area and see our signs.” Brett Mason stayed far away from the pecan business for many years. He moved to Maui in 1989, but he left Hawaii in 2005 to return to Norman. For the first time the business was struggling and needed help. He reorganized the business and decided he would not return to Hawaii, after his father passed away in 2006.
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3. “Pecan” is from an Algonquian word meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack. Before European settlement, pecans were widely consumed and traded by Native Americans. 4. The leading pecan-producing state in the U.S. is Georgia, followed by Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Pecan varieties are generally classified according to their origin-Southeast, West, or Northern United States. Cultivars grown in Oklahoma originated from all three areas. 5. Plant breeders of the United States Department of Agriculture have named and released varieties from cross-pollination of known varieties. The varieties carry American Indian tribe names such as Choctaw, Mohawk, Sioux and Wichita. 6. Brett Mason, Mason’s Pecans & Peanuts, southeast of Norman, said some the best pecans are small and taste the best. “The oil content makes a good pecan,” he said. 7. A healthy pecan tree is a gift that keeps giving for decades. Pecan trees may live and bear edible seeds for more than 300 years. 8. The antioxidants and plant sterols found in pecans reduce high cholesterol by reducing the “bad” LDL cholesterol levels.
[Top left] Brett Mason, left, helps a customer make a selection. [Left] A worker prepares to crack a batch of pecans. [Above] Candies are carefully weighed at Mason’s.
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Pecans, Peanuts and Pies
The business is open year round and sells a wide variety of nuts. Pecan pies, fresh cookies, gift packages, and boiled peanuts are popular with customers. Birdseed, squirrel food and mulch are packaged from pecan byproducts. If a nut is in the news the demand increases in the retail area at Mason’s. It doesn’t seem to matter if the nuts are pecans, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios or hazelnuts. A recent Harvard study brought attention to the hearthealthy benefit of eating nuts. The 30-year study determined that regular nut eaters were less likely to die of cancer or heart disease. That’s good news for Mason’s, but no surprise. Pecans come in from a 30-mile area of the business for cracking and shelling. Nuts in bags, boxes and buckets come pouring in during the busy harvesting season. Brett Mason said the capacity is 2,000 pounds of pecans a day. “People come in all the time with tales of the past,” he said. “Maybe they worked here at one time, or they remember when there was a tanning booth in here.” He laughed at the thought. “Yes, it’s true.”
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Thoughts of Comfort Food by chris jones
P
icture yourself on a cold, icy January day. You are stuck in a traffic jam on I-35, or trudging along a snowy sidewalk on the OU campus. Brrrr! Images of home and hearth appear. You can’t wait to get inside and have a bowl, dish, pot or pan of comfort food. Is it a hot homemade cherry pie fresh from the oven, or a pot of grandma’s chicken soup simmering on the stove? It could be braised lamb shanks if you live in Australia, or dressed herring, a favorite in Russia. Bangers and mash are top on the list for British citizens. If those dishes sound less than appetizing it’s not surprising. Comfort food is specific to the individual or their culture. It’s traditionally eaten food and often provides a nostalgic or sentimental feeling to the person eating it. The nostalgia list includes fast food favorites too. Sonic tater tots, Braum’s hamburgers and Del Rancho chicken fried steak sandwiches are Oklahoma favorites. Ham and beans with cornbread, and a pan of cherry cobbler, mean comfort food perfection for Janita Hatley. “Those dishes take me back to when I was young and that’s what my mom made on a cold winter day,” she said. “It smelled so good in the house.”
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Fast-food to Gourmet
Meatloaf and Chili
Alex Zabel, an OU student, stopped his work during a break at the Hastings coffee shop, to think about comfort food. “I like to cook, and I have a mac and cheese recipe passed down to me by my grandmother,” he said. “She studied at Cordon Bleu.” Alex said his gourmet recipe calls for shells, not elbow macaroni, white wine, cheddar and Gruyere cheese. “I usually make a bread crumb garnish on the top,” he said. There is a secret ingredient too. It’s bit of nutmeg in the roux. The finished dish is practically poetic. Southern Living gathered American favorites in their “101 Best Classic Comfort Food Recipes Classics” book. The selection includes Classic Chicken and Dumplings, Mom’s Pecan Pie, Strawberry Shortcake and Banana nut bread. Jell-O may not be warm, but it evokes warm memories for many people. Cherry desserts topped with real whipped cream. Oh no. Cream has to be straight from the can so there are swirls. Dream Whip? Cool Whip? Yes, that’s the authentic memory. It has to be perfect. “I think of Jell-O,” Pat Tautfest said, when asked about visions of comfort food. “You can use it for a salad or a dessert. My mother made lemon with pineapple and bananas. We have made this recipe in our family for years and years.”
Joe Sparks, owner of Norman’s landmark Legend’s restaurant, sat down at one of his white clothed tables, and thought about family dinners from the past. “Meatloaf is a favorite from childhood, and creamed pearl onions,” he said. “Stuffing with apples, pecans and raisins.” Fast food has a place in the comfort zone of Oklahomans. Pat Tautfest likes the biscuits at Carl’s Jr., but only the Norman location. Sparks likes McDonald’s double filet of fish sandwich with extra tartar sauce. Freshly made only. Curt Knudsen thought about the food question as he wrote up an order at Marquis Furniture in Norman. “A bowl of chili,” he said. “My dad’s recipe with red kidney beans. And mashed Idaho potatoes with real unsalted butter, and whole milk. And gravy.” Norman author Molly Griffis is known for her tales of the past and sense of humor. “Soup is comfort food to me,” she said. And I have eaten a bowl of soup every day since I was in the first or second grade. Other kids had milk and cookies when they came home from school but I ate soup.” She recalled the freezing cold day in 1959 when she attended an OU and Iowa State football game. “I was a senior at OU,” she said. “ I lived at 636 Chautauqua in Norman. When I got home my feet were like chunks of ice, so I soaked my feet in warm Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup.” This application takes comfort food and the nostalgia attached to it to a different level. And who won the game? She said she doesn’t remember. It’s all about the soup.
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Norman Vintage
Keep Warm with Chianti
by k athy hallren
During these cold winter days, nothing can keep the heart warmer than great roasts and wonderful red wine. Chianti, is the traditional wine from Italy. The specific formula for it was defined in the 1600’s to include 80% Sangiovese grapes, another red grape and some white grapes. The formula remained unchanged for 300 years but, now Chianti may be 100% Sangiovese. Chianti is wine from a particular area in the central Italy around Florence. There are many wines from Italy that are 100% or nearly so Sangiovese. Sangiovese is generally medium to high acidity, with deep cherry notes. The best Brunello may be aged 10-18 years, but typically the wine is best 4-7 years old. All Chianti must be aged, but to be Riserva it must age at least 38 months. This wine is medium bodied and pairs well with red meat and robust pasta dishes. Open it well before the food is ready to let it breath and expand the flavors of the wine, including the deep cherry and spicy notes. Production of Chianti is supervised by a union of producers with the aim to improving quality and preventing wine fraud. The area and designations are too complicated for this brief article, but suffice it to say that the efforts of this group have contributed to the vast improvement of Chianti in the past thirty years. The Antinori family has been making wine in Tuscany since the 1400’s and is the oldest family owned winery in the world. The Antinori daughters now operate the vineyards producing some of Italy’s finest wine. Forget the straw covered bottle and try one these Chiantis, Villa Antinori Toscano, Chianti Classico Banfi, Castello De Verrezzano Chianti Classico 2010, or Poliziano Vino Nobile de Montepulciano. Not sure you are ready for the tannins in Chianti, even the more mellow ones, Italy can still serve up some delightful reds that are sweeter and more approachable. Casteggio Sangue de Giuda (Blood of Judas) or Sandrone Dolcetta d’Alba, are among many available that have more fruit and less tannin. So light the candles, set the table, open a bottle of great Italian wine and have a lovely winter evening.
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Making A Difference
From east to west Norman library serves community
by c hristian potts
T
Photos provided
he Norman Public Library’s scope of service tripled within a week in late 2013, with the addition of the nation’s first 24-Hour Library on the east side of Norman, and the opening of Norman Public Library West on the west side of the city. “This has been a long time coming for us,” said Pioneer Library System Director Anne Masters. “We are excited about how we will be able to better serve our cardholders in Norman through these state-of-the-art facilities.” The Pioneer Library System serves several dozen communities in Cleveland, McClain and Pottawatomie counties through its branch libraries, information stations and the Little Axe Community Place, as well as numerous outreach events. But nowhere is the system’s impact more evident than Norman, which has the greatest number of materials, daily library visitors, program attendance and material checkouts of any local community. “Last year more than 580,000 people visited the downtown Norman Public Library,” said Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal. “And I believe as Norman and the Pioneer Library System offer more library services, more people will take advantage of them, and the number of library customers and library transactions will increase.” Now many of those people will have options closer to their own neighborhoods.
Michael Palermo serves customers in his coffee shop located inside the Norman Public Library West facility.
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Lisa Wells, Pioneer Library System Assistant Director, speaks at the dedication ceremony for the 24-Hour Library in east Norman.
East side The 24-Hour Library is the first of its kind in use in the United States, and it’s already proving popular with cardholders in the area. The facility is located on the campus of Irving Middle School and the Irving Recreation Center off of Vicksburg Avenue. The 24-Hour-Library is a self-service, standalone unit, similar to the library system’s Movie Boxes but much larger. It holds about 400 items and will be available for books, movies and items on hold, and can be used for check-ins and checkouts. The facility, produced by the company Envisionware, is in use in several places worldwide, including hundreds of units throughout China. It is located on the north end of the Irving campus. The project took collaboration between the library system, City of Norman and Norman Public Schools on securing the location. The machine has been popular in its first few months with Irving students due to its location. Irving student Kylee Liles actually made the honorary first checkout during the ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for the facility.
West side In September 2011, the library system saw an opportunity for a service point on the west side of the city after the closing of the Borders Bookstore at 300 Norman Center Court. The PLS Board of Trustees approved purchase of the building from the system’s reserve account and after an extensive redesign, it opened to the public in November 2013. The Norman Public Library West portion of the building features nearly 7,000 square feet of dedicated library space that includes all the amenities of the library system’s branch libraries, including books, DVDs, computers and WiFi service. Also part of the library space, local restaurateur Michael Palermo operates Michelangelo’s Coffee Shop during library hours, with a light menu of sandwiches, soups and salads as well as numerous specialty coffees. The building also houses the administrative offices for the Pioneer Library System, which offers library service throughout Cleveland, McClain and Pottawatomie counties. An additional 24-Hour Library is located outside Norman Public Library West as well. “The system was saving for an opportunity like this,” Masters said. “The location, design and architectural features of the former bookstore are ideally suited to the needs of the library system.” The Norman Chamber of Commerce conducted ribbon cuttings at each facility the week of Oct. 28-Nov. 1, with dozens of dignitaries attending.
Still central, too The center of library service in Norman will continue to be the Norman Public Library’s downtown location. The building will enjoy expanded space for its cardholders and staff with the move of administrative offices and has had a recent remodel to its lighting system and in early 2014 is in progress with an upgrade of its carpeting. Anyone who lives, works, attends school or owns property in the library system’s threecounty area is eligible to have a library card free of charge for themselves and their immediate family. That means that wherever they live or come to the library, they have access not just to the public computers and materials under that roof, but anything in Pioneer’s collection of more than 750,000 books, DVDs, periodicals and downloadable items as part of its collection. PLS transfers items between its libraries six days a week to quickly get a reader what they are seeking.
The nation’s first 24Hour Library facility began service in late October on the campus of Irving Middle School and Irving Recreation Center in Norman.
Pioneer Library System Director Anne Masters, left, and Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal speak at the ribbon cutting for Norman Public Library West Nov. 1.
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Executive Chef Rebecca Sparks and Joe Sparks run Legend’s with welcoming attitudes and a passion for good food.
After its first year, the business was so successful, Legend’s moved into a new building at its present location on Lindsey Street. It wasn’t until 1972, that Legend’s Owner and Manager Joe Sparks said the restaurant was in need of a change with too many pizza joints popping up all over town. Legend’s became a contemporary, fine dining restaurant with an expanded menu that still changes today. Sparks said some menu items will never change like the Chicken Crepes, but that pastas, salads, sauces and cuts of meat change to reflect the seasons and changing tastes. With everything homemade and menu items like Artichoke Dip, Maryland Style Crab Cakes, Filet of Horseradish Crusted Salmon and House-Made Vegetable Lasagna, diners may be overwhelmed with all of the mouth-watering options. My date savored the
Legend’s Coca-Cola Cake is too good to pass up. With about 10 desserts to choose from, patrons always try to leave room for dessert.
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Choice Petite Filet. The tender meat cut like butter. The Coca-Cola cake was the perfect chocolate-lovers end to our meal, but the moist, sweet treat was gone far too quickly. Additionally, Legend’s offers a salad bar with four choices of greens, macaroni salad, green pea salad, tabouli and five to six homemade salad dressings. Seventy-five bottles of wine are available along with 20 wines by the glass on the wine list. Eight to ten desserts are available daily, but currently Lemon Cake is the top-seller. After soaking up the atmosphere and scraping our plates clean, my date agreed that Legend’s is much more than a restaurant. It is where families come together on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. A place regulars can hop from table to table, interrupting each others’ conversations and interjecting laughter as memories are recalled. It is a place love begins, as young men conspire to
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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place rings atop a heavenly slice of cake and kneel on one knee while praying for the answer ‘yes’. And it is where upscale dining opens its arms to those who love good food. In fact, it’s where Executive Chef Rebecca Sparks fell in love herself. Sparks said while attending the University of Oklahoma, she applied to be a waitress in 1979, but ended up falling in love and never left. “Originally, I had 11 business partners, and I eventually bought them out. Then in 1995, I married Rebecca and she became my last partner,” Joe Sparks said. Rebecca and Joe believe their goal of consistent food and service is what keeps people coming back. The Sparks said they hope diners feel warmth and friendliness to change any pre-conceived notions diners might have of fine dining. “People tell us that they’re happy Legend’s is part of their community,” Rebecca Sparks said. “We’ve even had people tell us, ‘We were in Arizona, or Arkansas or wherever, but wished we were in Legend’s’.”
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Norman Culture
Doctor Who Enjoys Healthy Local Fan Base by j erry culpepper Photos by Lindsey Davies
O
n Oct. 4, the Norman Public Library held its first Doctor Who festival. Organizers hoped to get as many as 50 to 75 attendees, though in reality they expected fewer. As it turned out, they could have benefitted from holding the affair in a TARDIS, which is much, much bigger inside than it appears on the outside. An estimated 400 enthusiastic Doctor Who fans, from pre-school age to considerably older, and many costumed as a Doctor, a companion, an alien or a villain, filled the Lowry Room past capacity. Everyone was in high spirits, and if anyone’s toes (or claws) were stepped on, no one complained. One young attendee summed it up best. Having attired himself as a Doctor in Halloweens past, he was constantly frustrated at the lack of recognition his costume afforded him. Not a problem at this celebration. “They get me here!” he was heard to happily exclaim. Another participant, a teen, shared a similar sentiment, saying “These are my people!”
The brainchild for the event was Jamie Hale, a librarian at the Norman Public Library, herself a new fan, who began watching the show last year on Netflix. She said the idea for the Doctor Who Celebration originally came about from a discussion with coworker Matthew Galloway in which she was telling him about a Doctor Who cookbook she owns and some of the recipes in it. “He said, ‘You should have a Doctor Who program so you can make some of them,’” she recalled. “So, I just decided to run with it! Funnily enough, I ended up not doing any of the recipes just due to time and convenience. But they were at least the inspiration.” In planning the celebration, Hale enlisted several colleagues. Brett Swofford, a children’s librarian, assisted with crafts. Galloway helped come up with game ideas. Co-worker Jennifer Marshall helped with the food preparation, and Hale’s supervisor, Judy Day, help serve refreshments. Because of the larger-than-expected attendance, only the earliest celebrators had the op-
Doctor Who Celebration organizers expected fewer than 100 people to attend; an estimated 400 showed up to play games, participate in the costume contest and meet fellow enthusiasts of the show that turned 50 in November.
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portunity to sample the food specifically prepared for the event; these consisted of sugar cookies shaped like the ninth, 10th and 11th doctors, a Weeping Angel, and the Adipose, and “fish fingers and custard” (sugar cookies rolled in graham cracker breading and vanilla pudding). The Doctor Who Celebration collaborators also put together three craft tables where participants could make bottle cap necklaces and key chains as well as TARDIS magnets and Weeping Angel paper masks; coloring pages pulled were offered for the younger attendees. For games, Hale borrowed an idea from a website and created her own card game that she called “Apples Are Rubbish,” after a quote from the 11th Doctor. But the highlight of the celebration was a spirited costume contest, with four winners selected by popular vote. Their names and ages were, unfortunately, not recorded. Most costumes represented the doctors and companions, as well as a Dalek, the TARDIS, and even the haunting, gas mask-wearing Empty Child. Hale calls Doctor Who “a really fun show that has a bit of everything: humor, action, drama, suspense, even some tearjerker moments. I also like that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and I think this event really exemplified that since we had attendees as young as 5 and 6 up to senior citizens,” she said. One of the younger attendees was Taylor Skye Rosenquist, 12, of Norman, who was introduced to the show a year ago by his best friend, Harper Johnson, also 12, who accompanied Taylor to the event. Taylor has since made fans of his parents – Jenel and Anthony Cavazos – and 4-yearold brother. “It’s amazing; my brother is really obsessed with it and seems to understand it!” he remarked. Taylor and Harper came to the celebration dressed in “Allons-y” shirts (French for “let’s go,” a phrase used by the 10th and 11th doctors, often before leaping into danger) as well as Converse sneakers, bow ties, fezzes, blue strands of hair, and the quintessential sonic screwdriver. Now “obsessed” with the show, Taylor says the 10th doctor, played by Scottish actor David Tennant, is his favorite “because I love how he brings personality and emotion to the show.” His favorite companions are Amy Pond and Rory
Doctor Who is a family affair for the Lenker family of Norman. Shown here are Noam, 8, as the 11th Doctor; Cetani, 10, as companion Rose; and Samson, 12, as the fourth Doctor. With them is Samson’s friend, Shade McCurdy, dressed as Doctor Horse. Moore residents Amanda Donald, 39, and son Xander, 9, were among the enthusiastic Doctor Who Celebration participants who came in costume. Amanda came as a Dalek, Xander as the 11th Doctor.
Williams. “I love how they out a little love story in a show of war. And hate, and loneliness,” he added.His favorite alien is The Silence. “It’s such an idea to not remember it!” he exclaimed. “They could be real, for all we know!” “I love how the show is constantly changing,” Taylor added. “We get new people. We get new emotion. We never get bored.” Harper, too, was happy to share his thoughts about the show. Harper, the son of Samantha Ward and Brian NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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Kathleen Lynnell Stratton, 20, of Norman, shows off her “Don’t Blink” Doctor Who T-shirt, which references the Weeping Angels.
Johnson, credits his father with introducing him to the show about a year and a half ago. “He really liked it, and since he and I have really similar tasting in lots of stuff, I decided to try it, and I became engrossed in it,” Harper said. “Though the ninth (doctor) is the one who got me into the show, I love the 10th the most because he seems like a person I would like to know and be friends with,” he added. “My favorite companion is Rose Tyler since she seemed real, not that Rory and Amy or Donna or Martha were fake-seeming, but she didn’t have some amazing love story, her whole character wasn’t changed and she stayed with him for as long as she could. (Spoiler) Rose came for the doctor from another universe.”
As to his favorite alien? “My favorite alien is the doctor, of course! If you mean villain alien, though, my favorites are the Daleks because the episodes with them are the most exciting. “Ilove the show because of its sci-fi aspects, the fact that you feel like you really know the characters, and that it has passed the test of time,” he added, noting that most of his friends and all of his family watch the show as well. Norman resident Darci Lenker has a household of Doctor Who fans under her roof. Samson, 12, came as the fourth Doctor; Noam, 8, came as the 11th Doctor; and Cetani, 10, came as Rose. They were accompanied by cousin Shade McCurdy, dressed as Doctor Horse, who introduced the siblings to the show in 2011.
Have Tardis, Will Travel: 50 Years Of Doctor Who And Counting Despite the many flaws inherent in humankind as a species – short-sightedness, aggressiveness, greed and a tendency toward complacency, to name a few – this carbon-based bipedal species is worth defending and holds great promise in the long term. That’s one of the basic tenets of the longrunning BBC television series Doctor Who, which celebrated its 50th birthday with a highly anticipated special that aired worldwide in November. When the show began in 1963, it quickly developed a broad fan base in Great Britain, despite a meager budget and what appears to today’s sophisticated viewers as cheesy special effects. In 1989, despite a furiously loyal fan base, the show was canceled. Veteran viewers and many new ones tuned in when BBC rebooted the show in 2005, and today it enjoys a healthy fan base worldwide that rivals those of another popular science fiction television series, Star Trek, which debuted three years after Doctor Who.
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Creative plots; lively dialogue; strong (and mostly attractive female) companions; an array of aliens, good and bad; plenty of villains; a healthy dose of humor; and lots of action keep viewers riveted. The special effects, now as good or even better than anything else on TV, are only part of the equation as the show gathers even greater momentum in the 21st century. True to its beginnings, the show continues to rely on character development, plot twists (often involving time travel conundrums), and other traditional and nontraditional means of retaining and growing its audience.
First and foremost is “The Doctor.” Though each doctor assumes his own, unique personality, complete with distinctive wardrobe choices, such as a long scarf and fedora, bowtie and fez, certain traits carry though in each regeneration. Of course, he’s super-intelligent, befitting a Time Lord, an advanced race of beings that long ago mastered time travel. In various doses, each is also funny, quirky, irreverent, moody, mercurial and compassionate. Oh, and by the way, he has two hearts.
But, arguably, it’s “The Doctor” – portrayed by different actors ranging greatly in age as each dies and is transmigrated into a new body – that, like a black hole, inextricably pulls in new viewers and keeps its longtime, passionate fans in its sway.
Most fans have a favorite doctor and companion, often those with whom they were first introduced. (Though I have enjoyed all of the doctors and companions, my favorites are still the curly-haired, wide-eyed fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker, and the petite but plucky print journalist Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen.)
If you’re already a fan of the show, as I am, you get it. If you are – to pardon a pun developed by “Rocky Horror Picture Show” audiences, a Doctor Who “virgin” – a quick overview is required.
The companions, as noted above, tend to be female, pretty and quite young, though there are notable exceptions. One longtime companion was a robot dog, named K9. As with the Doctor, the companions’
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
Each has his or her own favorite doctor. Samson’s is the 10th “because he’s awesome, intelligent and funny”; Noam’s is the 11th because “he’s funny and he dresses fancy”; and Cetani’s is the ninth “because that was the first one I watched” and “he is pretty funny.” While humor was one of the traits that each admired in the Doctor, they had different reasons for liking the companions. Samson admires Rory because “he’s loyal and thoughtful.” Noam selected Amy simply because she’s “cool,” while Dr. Martha Jones was Cetani’s favorite: no reason given. There was some agreement on villains. Noam and Samson both chose the Daleks: Noam because “they’re awesome and kill people. (Exterminate!),” while Samson likes it that they are the doctors’ longest-running enemy. Noam also listed The Silence as another favorite villain. Cetani went
ƋƵĂůŝƟĞƐ ǀĂƌLJ͕ ƚŚŽƵŐŚ ŵŽƐƚ ĂƌĞ ŝŶƚĞůůŝŐĞŶƚ͕ ŝŶƋƵŝƐŝƟǀĞ͕ ĂĚǀĞŶƚƵƌŽƵƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽƵƌĂŐĞŽƵƐ ʹ ŶŽƚ ƚŽ ŵĞŶƟŽŶ ƵƐƵĂůůLJ ŚƵŵĂŶ E ƌŝƟƐŚ͘ /ƚ ŝƐ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĚŝĂůŽŐƵĞ ĂŶĚ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ ǁŝƚŚ ĞĂĐŚ ŽĐƚŽƌ ƚŚĂƚ ǁĞ ůĞĂƌŶ ĂďŽƵƚ Śŝŵ͗ ŚŝƐ ƉĂƐƚ͕ ŚŝƐ ǀĂůƵĞƐ͕ ŚŝƐ ŵŽƟǀĂƟŽŶ͘ ŶŽƚŚĞƌ ĐĞŶƚƌĂů ͞ĐŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌ͟ ĚŽƵďůĞƐ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ĚŽĐƚŽƌƐ͛ ŵŽĚĞ ŽĨ ƚƌĂŶƐƉŽƌƚĂƟŽŶ ;ďŽƚŚ ŝŶ ƟŵĞ ĂŶĚ ƐƉĂĐĞͿ͘ dŚĞ d Z /^͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƐƚĂŶĚƐ ĨŽƌ dŝŵĞ ĂŶĚ ZĞůĂƟǀĞ ŝŵĞŶƐŝŽŶƐ ŝŶ ^ƉĂĐĞ͕ ůŽŽŬƐ ůŝŬĞ Ă ŶŽƌŵĂů͕ ďůƵĞ ϮϬƚŚͲ ĐĞŶƚƵƌLJ ƌŝƟƐŚ ƉŽůŝĐĞ ƉŚŽŶĞ ďŽdž ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ŽƵƚƐŝĚĞ͘ Ƶƚ ŝŶƐŝĚĞ͍͊ /ŶƐŝĚĞ͕ ƐŚĞ ;ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ d Z /^ ŝƐ ƐĞŶƟĞŶƚͿ ŝƐ ŵƵĐŚ͕ ŵƵĐŚ ůĂƌŐĞƌ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ŵƵůƟƉůĞ ĐŽŶƚƌŽů ĐĞŶƚĞƌƐ͖ ĂŶ ŝŶĚĞƚĞƌŵŝŶĂƚĞ ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ďĞĚƌŽŽŵƐ͕ ůŝďƌĂƌŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĂƌĞĂƐ͖ ĂŶĚ Ăƚ ůĞĂƐƚ ŽŶĞ ƐǁŝŵŵŝŶŐ ƉŽŽů͘ dŚĞ d Z /^ ʹ ƐŽŵĞƟŵĞƐ ƌĞůŝĂďůĞ ĂŶĚ ƐŽŵĞƟŵĞƐ ŶŽƚ ƐŽ ŵƵĐŚ ʹ ĐĂŶ ƚĂŬĞ ƚŚĞ ŽĐƚŽƌ ĂŶĚ ŚŝƐ ĐŽŵƉĂŶŝŽŶƐ ĂŶLJǁŚĞƌĞ͕ ĂŶLJƟŵĞ͕ ĨƌŽŵ ŝĐŬĞŶƐ͛ >ŽŶĚŽŶ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŵĞƌŝĐĂŶ tĞƐƚ ƚŽ ĂŶŽƚŚĞƌ ƉůĂŶĞƚ ŝŶ Ă ĨĂƌͲ ĂǁĂLJ ŐĂůĂdžLJ͘ Ś͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŶ ƚŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ǀŝůůĂŝŶƐ͊ ĂƌůLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĞƌŝĞƐ͕ ŵĂŶLJ ŚĂĚ Ă ĚĞĐŝĚĞĚůLJ ŵĞ-
Doctor Who celebration participants enjoy a game of Apples Are Rubbish.
for a lesser-known villain, the Face of Boe, an ancient being that appears as a giant head with a weathered face and tendrils, which some theorize is actually Captain Jack Harkness, a handsome, complex character who starred in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood.
Samson summed up for his siblings why they love the show: “It’s funny and it makes you think a lot because of how many interesting things happen.” Moore resident Amanda Donald, 39, and her 9-year-old son Xander, also attended the Doctor Who Celebration
ĐŚĂŶŝĐĂů Žƌ ƌŽďŽƚͲŝƐŚ ƋƵĂůŝƚLJ͕ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĂůĞŬƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ LJďĞƌŵĞŶ͘ /Ŷ ƌĞĐĞŶƚ LJĞĂƌƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ǀŝůůĂŝŶƐ ŚĂǀĞ ŐŽƩĞŶ ŵŽƌĞ ƐŽƉŚŝƐƟĐĂƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƐŽŵĞ ĂƌĞ ĞǀĞŶ ƋƵŝƚĞ ĐƌĞĞƉLJ͕ Ğ͘Ő͕͘ ƚŚĞ tĞĞƉŝŶŐ ŶŐĞůƐ͕ ůĞƚŚĂů ǁŝŶŐĞĚ ŚƵŵĂŶŽŝĚ ƐƚĂƚƵĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĐĂŶ ŵŽǀĞ ƋƵŝĐŬůLJ ĂŶĚ ƐŝůĞŶƚůLJ ďƵƚ ƵƉŽŶ ďĞŝŶŐ ƐĞĞŶ ďĞĐŽŵĞ ƋƵĂŶƚƵŵͲůŽĐŬĞĚ ;ŽĐĐƵƉLJŝŶŐ Ă ƐŝŶŐůĞ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ŝŶ ƐƉĂĐĞͿ͕ ĂŶĚ dŚĞ ^ŝůĞŶĐĞ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĐŽŶƚƌŽů ŚƵŵĂŶƐ ďLJ ƉŽƐƚͲŚLJƉŶŽƟĐ ƐƵŐŐĞƐƟŽŶ͘
ůĞƐƐ͕ ƐŽŵĞ ĨĂŶƐ ĂƌĞ ĚƌĂǁŶ ƉƌŝŵĂƌŝůLJ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ŝŵĂŐŝŶĂƟǀĞ ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ĞīĞĐƚƐ͕ ŚƵŵŽƌŽƵƐ ĐŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌ ŝŶƚĞƌĂĐƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĂĐƟŽŶ͘ Ƶƚ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƐĞƌŝĞƐ ĂƌĞ ŵĂŶLJ ĚĞĞƉĞƌ ƚŚƌĞĂĚƐ͘ :ƵƐƚ ƚǁŽ ĂƌĞ͗ ŶĞǀĞƌ ũƵĚŐĞ Ă ďĞŝŶŐ ďLJ ŚŝƐͬŚĞƌͬŝƚƐ ůŽŽŬƐ ĂŶĚ͕ ĞdžĐĞƉƚ ŝŶ ƌĂƌĞ ŝŶƐƚĂŶĐĞƐ͕ ŝƐƐƵĞƐ ďŝŐ ĂŶĚ ƐŵĂůů ĂƌĞ ďĞƐƚ ƌĞƐŽůǀĞĚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ŝŶƚĞůůŝŐĞŶƚ͕ ƉĞĂĐĞĨƵů ĂƌďŝƚƌĂƟŽŶ ƌĂƚŚĞƌ ƚŚĂŶ ǀŝŽůĞŶĐĞ͘
Ɛ ŝƐ ƚŽ ďĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚĞĚ ŝŶ Ă ƐĐŝĞŶĐĞ ĮĐƟŽŶ ƐŚŽǁ͕ ĂůŝĞŶƐ ƉůĂLJ ĂŶ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ƌŽůĞ͕ ƐŽŵĞƟŵĞƐ ĂƐ ĂĚǀĞƌƐĂƌŝĞƐ͕ ƐŽŵĞƟŵĞƐ ĂůůŝĞƐ͘ :ƵƐƚ Ă ƐĂŵƉůŝŶŐ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ^ŽŶƚĂƌŝĂŶƐ͕ Ă ƐƉĞĐŝĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚƌŝǀĞƐ ŽŶ ĐŽŵďĂƚ ĂŶĚ ĚĞůŝŐŚƚ ŝŶ ǁĂƌĨĂƌĞ͖ ƚŚĞ ^ŝůƵƌŝĂŶƐ͕ ĂƌƚŚ͛Ɛ ĮƌƐƚ ŝŶƚĞůůŝŐĞŶƚ ŝŶŚĂďŝƚĂŶƚƐ͖ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ :ƵĚŽŽŶ͕ ŝŶƚĞƌŐĂůĂĐƟĐ ĞŶĨŽƌĐĞƌƐ ƚŚĂƚ ůŽŽŬ ůŝŬĞ Ă ĐƌŽƐƐ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ Ă ƌŚŝŶŽĐĞƌŽƐ ĂŶĚ ŚƵŵĂŶ͘
ŽĐƚŽƌ tŚŽ ĨĂŶƐ ĂƌĞ Ă ĚŝǀĞƌƐĞ ůŽƚ͕ ƌĂŶŐŝŶŐ ŝŶ ĂŐĞ ĨƌŽŵ ϰ ƚŽ ϴϬͲƉůƵƐ͖ ŵĂůĞ ĂŶĚ ĨĞŵĂůĞ͖ ũƵƐƚ ďĞŐŝŶŶŝŶŐ ŐƌĂĚĞ ƐĐŚŽŽů ĂŶĚ ŚŽůĚŝŶŐ ŵƵůƟƉůĞ ĚŽĐƚŽƌĂƚĞƐ͘ dŚĞLJ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ĨŽƵŶĚ ǁŚĞƌĞǀĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƐŚŽǁ ŝƐ ĂŝƌĞĚ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ ǁŽƌůĚǁŝĚĞ͘ /Ŷ ĨĂĐƚ͕ ŽŶĞ ĚŽĞƐŶ͛ƚ ŚĂǀĞ ƚŽ ďŽĂƌĚ Ă d Z /^ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂǀĞů ĨĂƌ ĂǁĂLJ ƚŽ ĮŶĚ ĨĂŶƐ͖ tŚŽǀŝĂŶƐ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ĨŽƵŶĚ ƌŝŐŚƚ ŚĞƌĞ͕ ŝŶ ĐĞŶƚƌĂů KŬůĂŚŽŵĂ͘ ;^ĞĞ ĂĐĐŽŵƉĂŶLJŝŶŐ ƐƚŽƌLJ͘Ϳ – By Jerri Culpepper
dŚĞ ƐŚŽǁ ŝƚƐĞůĨ ŝƐ ŶŽƚŽƌŝŽƵƐůLJ ĚŝĸĐƵůƚ ƚŽ ĚĞƐĐƌŝďĞ ƚŽ ŶŽŶͲǀŝĞǁĞƌƐ͘ Ɛ ǁŝƚŚ Ăůů ŐŽŽĚ ƐƚŽƌŝĞƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ƐĞƌŝĞƐ ŚĂƐ ŵĂŶLJ ůĂLJĞƌƐ͘ ŽƵďƚ-
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Harper Johnson (right), 12, of Norman, and her friend Taylor Rosenquist, sporting Allons-y T-shirts and a fez on their heads, brandish their sonic screwdrivers.
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in costume – she as a Dalek, he as the 11th doctor with his TARDIS. A fan of the show since childhood, she said Tom Baker was her “first Doctor,” and that she has enjoyed watching it whenever she could find it on television. “When the show was revived with the ninth doctor, I was hooked all over again,” she said. “Xander has heard me talk about it for a long time. His first episode was ‘The Angels Take Manhattan,’ and he was quickly hooked. As a family, we have loved watching all of the doctors featured each month in the Doctor Who Revisited specials.” Her favorite doctor is the 10th, because Tennant “is an amazing actor that captured everything I ever thought the Doctor could or would be. “While I didn’t always love some of his companions, I thought they each brought out different things about the Doctor that made me come back over and over,” she continued. “Xander favors Matt Smith (No. 11). He loves that he is young, clever and somewhat goofy.It also helps that he was his first Doctor, and that does make him special.” Mother and son disagree on companions, however. Donald says her son likes Clara Oswald, the 11th doctor’s companion, though she also plays a critical role in several other doctors’ lives, because, she says, “he has known her the longest.” “She is one of my least favorite, so that makes for some interesting discussions around here,”
NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
Donald says, adding that her favorite is Donna Noble.“I thought Catherine Tate was an amazing counterpart,” she said. “I was so tired of all of the Rose drama, and I wanted someone who could stand her own and not swoon every time he turned his head. She was sassy, funny and saved the world.” Both select the Adipose, marshmallowshaped beings made mainly of fat, as their favorite alien: “They are disgustingly adorable, and hard not to love,” she said. The Silence was her No. 1 choice for villain due to their ability to induce terror. “Xander likes the Cybermen to battle, but the Weeping Angels are the scariest things ever. Especially the baby ones,” she added. What do they like about the series itself? “Xander said he loves the time-traveling and adventures,” Donald said.“I love that we are following this one man (with many incarnations) along his path, messes and all. Also, I like that we also see that some things have to happen, some things are changeable, and sometimes it just takes one man in the right spot can make all the difference. Also, it is really important to have a good catch phrase.ALLONS-Y!” Donald said while the family has several friends who are also fans, “overall, we spend a lot of time trying to explain why we like it so much.” Explaining the premise of the show, she said, “is hard, and I have tried to find a way to explain it to where I don’t sound crazy. I have failed. If someone is interested, I try to get them to start at (Doctor) No. 9 and work their way out to present day. If they just want to know why I adore the show? Who doesn’t want the ability to travel in space and time?! Honestly, it is too confusing to explain, so I just say it is about the last Time Lord trying to make his life have meaning while making friends along the way. Plus, there are a lot of great bad guys. Oh, and he can go anywhere in space and time, but favors modernday England.” Like everyone else who attended the Doctor Who Celebration, Donald raved about the event and hopes another one is in the offing. But she has more in mind than just fun. “I just want to thank everyone for coming out and showing my kids that it is cool to own your nerdy/geeky/Whovian goodness,” she said. “Xander originally made the costume for a costumed dance, and spent the bulk of the night explaining who he was.It made him so happy to be in a room that knew exactly who he was, and
told him he did it well. He spent HOURS painting the TARDIS and making sure the decals on the outside and inside were right for HIS Doctor, and making sure his costume was authentic (his Stetson even has River’s bullet hole). Having people acknowledge that effort was so rewarding. He was also responsible for me being a Dalek, so bonus points for his creativity there.” Norman resident Kathleen Lynnell Stratton, 20, who wore a red “Don’t Blink” shirt (a phrase associated with the Weeping Angels), says she learned about Doctor Who from her grandmother, who was herself hooked after watching only one episode, “End of the World,” just the second episode of the new series and featuring the ninth Doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston. Stratton’s favorite doctor is the 10th (Tennant). “I love his charm and his humor,” she explains. Favorite companion? “It will always be Rose. She was the perfect match for the Doctor, the only one who I felt could keep up with him (until River, of course.) I cried at her last episode with 10. Still do, with reruns.” Her favorite aliens are the Weeping Angels because are their sheer scare factor. She had no difficulty pinning down why she likes the show so much. “The drama! The laughs! The action! All of it: Doctor Who is the perfect blend of everything addictive,” she said, noting that in addition to her grandmother, her mother and one of her friends are recent addicts. What would she tell those who have never watched the show? “I’d tell them to prepare to constantly yell, laugh and cry – all in the same episode, and anticipate what’ll happen next. It’s addictive.” So, inquiring minds want to know: Will the library host another Doctor Who Celebration in the future? “During the event, I had a lot of people thank me for hosting it,” Hale said. “I also had various people ask if I was going to do it again next year. … Two women told me they came from Choctaw to come to this. We also had an attendee from Shawnee and a couple from Newcastle. And I had quite a few teenagers tell me ‘this is awesome!’ … And since then, I have had people come up to me in the library and tell me how fun it was and how much they enjoyed it. I’ve also had a few people tell me they couldn’t make it and were sorry they missed it!” So, based on the success of the first celebration, she said there’s a good chance the library will, indeed, host a similar celebration again in the near future. Though next time, they’ll be better prepared. “I knew Doctor Who was a popular show, but I guess I never realized how popular!” Hale said, adding, “I was surprised by the wide age range of attendees, and especially the number of teenagers there. I was also surprised by the number of costumes, and reallyimpressed by their creativity.” Allons-y!
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Snapshots
82 Assistance League Gala 84 Parkinson’s Gala / 85 Jubilee Dance Club 86 Christmas Parade / 88 Arvest Bank Event
Connie and Harvey Hill
Santa made an appearance at this year’s Assistance League Gala.
Jennifer and Lance Sanders
Assistance League Gala The Assistance League of Norman held its annual holiday gala in December. Proceeds from the benefit dinner help Assistance League projects. This year’s theme was “All Aboard the Polar Express.” The event included cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions and dancing. It was held at the Oklahoma Memorial Union Ballroom. Photos provided
Maureen Crook, Dr. Jeff Nees, and Dr. Jeff Crook
Randy Medders and Charlotte Rosko
Linda and Jim Miles
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Kristan and Brian Ringer
Scott and Melanie Moulton
Gene McKown, left, and Santa, auction off items during the gala
Lisa and Zach Allen
Sherry Straughn, Charlotte Rosko and Gina Thompson
Libbi Holbrooke, Kris Booze, Katsey Johnson and Dr. Elizabeth Greenhaw
Mick and Allison Dow, B.J. and Dr. Bob Dow
Gina and Chuck Thompson
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Snap Shots Parkinson’s Gala The second benefit dinner and auction benefiting research into Parkinson’s Disease raised about $185,000. Host for the event is Dr. Nicole Jarvis. Speaker was OU Women’s Basketball Coach Sherri Coale. Photos by Jay Chilton
Dr. Nicole Jarvis and Coach Sherri Coale
Michael J. Fox Foundation Co-Founder & Executive Vice Chairman Debi Brooks and Tracy Cross with Kay and Jason Rice
Nicole’s brother, Bob Jarvis
Reda Jarvis
Trevor Turner and Jesse Bennetts
Michael J. Fox Foundation Co-Founder & Executive Vice Chairman Debi Brooks
Laura Moxley and Morgen Williams
Coach Sherri Coale
Andy Sherrer and Richard McKown
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Jubilee Dance Club Norman’s Jubilee Dance Club held its annual holiday dance in November. Members enjoyed dinner and “Big Band” dancing at the National Center for Employee Development.
Juanitta and Bob Goins
Photos provided
Judi and Roy Knapp
Kathy and Dr. Martin Hallren
Andy and Karen Rieger
Jeanne Roegiers, Cathy Fagan, Judi Knapp
Dr. Steve Hoelscher, David Bugg, Lucy Hoelscher
Roy Knapp, Judi Knapp, Cathy Fagan, John Fagan
Jack and Pat Murray
Jan Turpen and Randy Richison
Band leader Kip Curtis
Bill McNichols takes a turn at the drums
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Snap Shots
Christmas Parade The weather didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cooperate but thousands lined Main Street in early December for Normanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Christmas holiday parade. Longtime Norman resident Allen Morain served as grand marshal.
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Nicole T. Jarvis, M.D. OB/GYN 3201 W. Tecumseh Road, Suite 220 Norman, Ok 73072 405-701-2424 www.NicoleJarvisMD.com
SAVE THE DATE
PROM 2.0 a benefit for bridges youth shelter
Sat, Feb 15 Star Skate, Norman
TICKETS
bridgesProm2014.eventbrite.com follow bridges on facebook at facebook.com/bridgesnorman NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
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Snap Shots
Martha Vaught and Millie Stewart Lil Kenney, Joe Wilhite and Katherine Maloy Katie Boyantan and Shelby Shandon
Charles Hollingsworth and John Woods Gregg Kennedy
Kelly Jepson, Cathy Hanselman and Lil Kenney
Craig Sutter, Kyla McMoran and Don Pope
Arvest After Hours
Kyle Millar and Chuck Burland
Arvest Bank in downtown Norman held its annual holiday Business After Hours in December. Legend’s Restaurant and O’Connell’s Irish Pub served guests while Gregg Kennedy played holiday favorites.
Aymee Diaz, Tricia Carleton, Wynne Pedlow and Dawn McNott
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Katie Merrick, Nathan Thompson, April Doshier and Kirstin Krug
Kelly Brander and Rob Garibay
Parting Shot
Cardinal Season In the Crosstimbers region of eastern Cleveland County, cardinals find cover together in a stand of snowcovered trees. Photo by Roy Neher
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