Norman Magazine, Jan/Feb 2015 by Norman Magazine

contents JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015

features

VAULTING TO THE TOP Oklahoma wins its first women’s gymnastics title

45 68

special bridal section

ROB LAKE’S REAL SOONER MAGIC award-winning illusionist performing at all types of venues

ROBOTIC SURGEONS AT NORMAN REGIONAL Health system now has two robotic operating rooms at its HealthPlex campus

departments 9 from the Publisher 11 from the Editor 14 Norman Events 40 Norman FYI 62 Taste of Norman Scratch 58 Business Star Skate 66 Wine Time A Pre Spring Rosé 72 Making a Difference

26 On the Cover:

32 6

Morgan Suey shows off her wedding dress from Bridal Boutique in the exquisite Southwind Hills Barn venue. See page 45 for our special 2015 Bridal Feature section. PHOTO BY HOLLI B. PHOTOGRAPHY

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

SNAPSHOTS 84 Assistance League Home Tour 85 Assistance League Gala 86 Celebrity Sing 88 Jubilee Dance 89 OU Dance 90 First Fidelity after hours 91 NCVB Open House

magazine

from the Publisher

it’s all about you JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 1

PUBLISHER Mark Millsap EXECUTIVE EDITOR & GENERAL MANAGER Andy Rieger ADVERTISING MANAGER Rebekah Collins ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Ryan Dillard Robin Escarcega Kimberly Lehenbauer Matt Moran Nathan Ward CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jerri Culpepper Amy David Doug Hill Chris Jones Michael Kinney Sarah Kirby Matt Sterr CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jay Chilton 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 is not responsible for unsolicited submissions. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner, without permission is prohibited.

Running into 2015! T he New Year is upon us. What is your resolution for 2015? Is there just one or are there many? More importantly, how long will it be before you break them? For me, resolutions do not last very long. In year’s past, my resolutions last about two months before they go out the door. There is the “I will save more money” resolution. This is the same as “I will stop spending so much on stupid things” or the “I will budget my money better” resolutions. For me, January is a great month to tighten my financial belt. In February, the only big hit to the budget is Valentine’s Day, so I try not to splurge elsewhere. March rolls around. Spring happens and my newfound savings routine is gone. There is usually a family trip for Spring Break that blows the savings. Or those home improvement shows that we watch all of the time gets you thinking of how you can improve your house with just a few touchups. After about five trips to Lowe’s and an aching back, there are no more savings but at least your yard looks better than it did. The other resolution that I always make and then easily break is the “I will exercise more” resolution. This goes nicely with the “I will look bet-

by m ark millsap

ter at the beach this year” resolution. January is filled with working out almost daily, eating healthier and a constant energy boost. February is always my downfall with this resolution. The sore muscles from doing too much and the plain taste of healthier eating take hold. Thoughts race through my mind like “you can take today off from working out” or “it’s too cold to go for a walk” or “the gym is just too crowded right now, I will go later.” My mind wanders.“I just want a greasy hamburger or a pizza.” By March, no more exercise, but I am fat and happy with my pizza. 2015 will be different I tell you. Why? Because I am writing it down and I am telling all of you. I will have one resolution this year. I will run at least one 5k race this year. Maybe, two or three if I can stick with it. With the help of friends and family, I am committed to training for this feat. My first opportunity will come in April as I plan to be a part of group that runs in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. My training has already begun so I am on my way. How did I start, you might ask? I took a walk. And the next day, I walked farther. Sometime soon, I will be running into 2015.

Norman magazine can be found online at www.normanmagazine.com

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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from the Editor

Cooking up some family spirits

he vintage, quart whiskey bottle that John and Jerry Tullius retrieved from a central Norman basement where they were working was stained but intact. The writing on the bottle intrigued them. “J. Rieger & Co., Kansas City, Mo.” It was finally deep cleaned in December after being parked on my family heirloom shelf out of sight for several years. Surely, we must be related, the two carpenters figured when they delivered the bottle to me. The Rieger family name is known by many because of an old hotel in Kansas City. We never made a connection with them or the family distillery started there in the West Bottoms Livestock Exchange district by Jacob Rieger in 1887. Rieger whiskey was a popular brand until prohibition shut down the booming factory in 1919. They made dozens of alcohol products and had a mailing list of upwards of 250,000 customers. Orders came with monogrammed corkscrews and shot glasses. The hotel, a haven for traveling salesmen and railroad workers beginning about 1915, reopened a few years back as a popular, high-end restaurant. It only made sense that someone bring back the whiskey label. Andy Rieger, Norman editor, meet Andy Rieger, Kansas City whiskey maker. “We’ve sold a lot. We’re the No 1 selling liquor in Kansas City right now,” said Rieger, 27, a former Dallas investment banker. “The quality is very good.” The Kansas City Andy is the great, great, great grand-

by a ndy rieger

son of Jacob Rieger who died in 1915. I’m the great grandson of Alois Rieger who came through Oklahoma in the 1880s. He was a laborer for the railroad construction and stayed on for the land run of 1889. It’s quite possible Jacob and Alois were related and emigrated from Europe around the same time, in the 1870s. Alois was born in Wurtenberg, Germany, the eldest of six children. His mother and father died young and Alois and a younger brother came to America, the land of promise. He worked on farms in Illinois and Kansas before signing on with the railroad. Jacob could have been a relative. Ryan Maybee, the Rieger hotel restaurant owner, and Andy Rieger, struck up a friendship and agreed to bring back the iconic whiskey label. It launched limited production in 2014 and is available in Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and a few other Missouri cities. “The city likes it too much,” he said. “We can’t keep up.” Two bottles arrived at my home earlier this year but have yet to be opened. The drink consists of corn, malt and rye with a trace of Oloroso sherry. My New Year’s prediction: It’ll be a hit, aged on the heirloom shelf in just enough time for a summer family gathering.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

One of America’s Best, Right in Your Hometown Norman Regional Health System has again been recognized by Healthgrades® as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery™. In addition to Norman Regional being selected as one of Healthgrades® America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery™ in 2015, we have also been named among the Top 10% in the Nation for Overall Orthopedic Services and Spine Surgery™. As well as a Five-Star Recipient for Total Knee Replacement, Hip Fracture and Back Surgery™ in 2015. You don’t have to travel far for the best care. It’s right in your own hometown. • Recipient of the Healthgrades® 2015 Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award™ • Recipient of the Healthgrades® 2015 Spine Surgery Excellence Award™ • Named Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Overall Orthopedic Services in 2015 • Named Among the Top 10% in the Nation for Spine Surgery in 2015 • Five-Star Recipient for Total Knee Replacement for 6 Years in a Row (2010-2015) • Five-Star Recipient for Hip Fracture Treatment for 8 Years in a Row (2008-2015) • Five-Star Recipient for Back Surgery in 2015

Orthopedic Services NORMAN REGIONAL HEALTHPLEX 3300 HealthPlex Parkway Norman, OK 73072

Norman events

Information supplied by Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau

PHOTOS BY KYLE PHILLIPS, DOUG HILL AND JAY CHILTON

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2015

ONGOING EVENTS Saturdays

Tuesdays and Saturdays

It’s Feeding Time!

Toddler Time

(at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History) Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua 11:30 a.m.-Noon Observe local reptiles, amphibians and fish, during their feeding time and learn more about these Oklahoma animals. www.samnoblemuseum.org

Saturdays and Sundays Discovery Days Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua 2-4 p.m. Discovery Days includes interactive, hands-on activities with stories, crafts and touchable specimens. Free with paid museum admission. www.samnoblemuseum.org

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua 4 p.m. In the Discovery Room, the time includes fun and educational activities for ages 18-months to 3 years. Free with paid museum admission. http://www.snomnh.com

First Monday of the month Free Admission Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua Museum hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. The first Monday of each month, the museum features free admission. www.samnoblemuseum.org

Second Friday of each month Second Friday 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk – a monthly, citywide celebration of art – is a Norman Art Walk Mainsite Art Gallery 120 E. Main St. 6-9 p.m.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

collaboration between artists, art organizations, and businesses, presented by the Norman Arts Council. 2ndfridaynorman.com/

Tuesdays

Open through Jan. 10

Art Adventures

Art exhibit: Re-Action Painting

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue 10:30 a.m. 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/fjjma

Noon concerts Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue Noon 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/fjjma

Mondays beginning Jan. 19 Norman Singer Rehearsals St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 1601 Imhoff 7:30-9:30 p.m. The Norman Singers were started in 1979 as a non-audition community choir with the mission of spreading the joy of choral music to the surrounding area. www.normansingers.org

Open through Jan. 4 Art exhibit: Macrocosm/Microcosm: Abstract Expressionism in the American Southwest Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue 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. With more than 60 works representing nearly 40 American painters and sculptors, Macrocosm/Microcosm not only documents the spread of Abstract Expressionism from major urban centers to other parts of the country but also how artists of the Southwest adapted the techniques of the style to interpret the region. www.ou.edu/fjjma

Mainsite Art Gallery, 120 E. Main St. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday Artist Don Holloday’s latest works will be on display. The new works in Re-Action Painting — paired with other pieces from Holladay’s past output — are driven to depict energy on canvas, much in the way Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and others did in the 1950s. Some are created with mixed media, with objects like rope, sand and burlap, while others were made with house paint instead of traditional oil paints. www.normanarts.org

Open through Jan. 19 Rare: Portraits of Endangered Species Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 S. Chautauqua Museum hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Open through Jan. 19, 2015, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History’s Rare exhibit features portraits of endangered species. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. www.samnoblemuseum.org

Jan. 3 Memorial Tribute to Jim Spurr, Poet Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 6 p.m. Jim Spurr was very active in the Oklahoma Poetry scene right up until his death earlier this year. A reading of his work, together with newly published books, will be featured at this memorial tribute. www.normandepot.org

Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball vs. Baylor Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 3 p.m. www.soonersports.com

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Jan. 4

Jan. 17

Winter Wind Concert Series: Johnsmith

Winter Wind Concert Series: Meg Hutchinson

Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 7 p.m. For the past 30-plus years, Johnsmith has been sharing his music all across America and abroad. With his faded jeans, his twinkly blue eyes, and his infectious smile, John immediately connects with audiences. In addition to being a Kerrville New Folk Winner, Johnsmith has released seven solo CDs. He is excited to announce the release of his newest CD, The Longing Road. Tickets are $20. www.normandepot.org

Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 7 p.m. Meg Hutchinson has won numerous songwriting awards in the U.S, Ireland and U.K. She has been described as delivering “music as powerful as it is gentle.” Tickets are $20. www.normandepot.org

Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball vs. Oklahoma State Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 6 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Jan. 9-Feb. 28 John Wolfe: People, Plants and Places

Jan. 18

Norman Depot, 200 S. Jones Depot Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment. Recently featured on OETA’s “Gallery”, Oklahoma painter, sculptor and retired arts educator John Wolfe will fill the Depot Gallery through February with a selection of his “People, Plants and Places.” www.normandepot.org

Oklahoma Sooners wrestling vs. West Virginia McCasland Field House 180 W. Brooks 2 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Jan. 19 Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball vs.Oklahoma State

Jan. 10 Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball vs. Kansas State Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 6 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Medieval Midwinter Ball Oklahoma Memorial Union 900 Asp Ave. 5:30-10:30 p.m. www.medievalfair.org

Jan. 11 Second Sunday Poetry: Johnnie Mahon Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 2 p.m. Johnnie Mahon will be the featured poet for the monthly event. www.normandepot.org

Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 7 p.m. The Mitch Bell Group. A graduate, and now a faculty member, of the University of Central Oklahoma’s celebrated Jazz Studies program, Mitch Bell discovered his love for the guitar at the age of ten. In the years since, Mitch has performed and recorded in intimate clubs to Broadway tour productions. The Mitch Bell Group has performed at numerous jazz festivals across the Midwest and performs regularly at a variety of venues in the Oklahoma City area; tickets are $10. www.normandepot.org

Jan. 14 Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball vs. Texas Lloyd Noble Center, 2900 Jenkins Ave. 7 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 3:30 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Jazz at the Depot: The Mitch Bell Group

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Jan. 16 Oklahoma Sooners wrestling vs. N.C. State McCasland Field House 180 W. Brooks 7 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Jan. 20 Sutton Concert Series: Irv Wagner Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Jan. 20

Jan. 24

Performance: Sooner Bassooners

Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball vs. Texas Tech

Pitman Recital Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 3 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Jan. 22-25

Jan. 26

Young Choreographers’ Showcase

Sutton Concert Series: Stephanie Shames

Reynolds Performing Arts Center, 560 Parrington Oval 8 p.m. Jan. 22-24, 3 p.m. Jan. 25 University Theatre presents the annual Young Choreographers’ Showcase. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Jan. 28

Jan. 23 Oklahoma Sooners women’s gymnastics vs. Texas Women’s University & Southeast Missouri State Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 6:45 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball vs. Texas Tech Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 6:30 p.m. www.soonersports.com

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

JAN

Feb. 3 Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball vs. West Virginia Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 7 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Feb. 4 Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball vs. Iowa State Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 3 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Feb. 6 Oklahoma Sooners wrestling vs. Wyoming

JAN

McCasland Field House 180 W. Brooks 7 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Jan. 31

Feb. 1

2015 Chocolate Festival

Oklahoma Sooners wrestling vs. Oregon State

Marriott Conference Center and Hotel at NCED, 2801 E. State Highway 9 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Raising funds to benefit the Firehouse Arts Center’s programs, the awardwinning Chocolate Festival features samples of chocolate creations by Norman’s finest chocolatiers and restaurants. www.normanfirehouse.com

Oklahoma Sooners wrestling vs. Iowa State McCasland Field House 180 W. Brooks 2 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Sutton Concert Series: Ferris Allen and Elizabeth Avery Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

McCasland Field House 180 W. Brooks 2 p.m. www.soonersports.com

FEB

Low Stings Weekend Gala Concert Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 3 p.m. Features free admission. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Feb. 2 Jack White in Concert McCasland Field House 180 W. Brooks 7 p.m. The University of Oklahoma Campus Activities Council presents Jack White in concert on campus. www.ou.edu

MAT HAYWARD / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Feb. 6-8

Feb. 10-15

Carmen: In Concert

OU’s Lab Theatre presents Othello

Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 3 p.m. OU’s Opera presents Carmen: In Concert, music by Georges Bizet. www.theatre.ou.edu

Old Science Lab Theatre 660 Parrington Oval 8 p.m. Feb. 10-14 & 3 p.m. Feb. 15 OU’s Lab Theatre presents William Shakespeare’s Othello, guest directed by Paul Barnes. www.theatre.ou.edu

Feb. 7 Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball vs. Kansas State Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 2 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Feb. 8 Jazz at The Depot: Brian Gorrell and Jazz Co. Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 7 p.m. Brian Gorrell & Jazz Company performs a wide variety of styles including traditional & mainstream jazz, fusion, & latin styles, focusing on original compositions plus material by diverse composers such as Billy Strayhorn, Michael Brecker, Victor Young, Marcus Miller and Pat Metheny. Gorrell is Director of Jazz Studies at the UCO Jazz Lab. Tickets are $10. www.normandepot.org

Feb. 8 Oklahoma Sooners wrestling vs. Oklahoma State McCasland Field House 180 W. Brooks 2 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Feb. 9 Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball vs. Iowa State Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 8 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Feb. 12 Cathey Simmons Humphreys Distinguished Education Lecture Series Oklahoma Memorial Union Meacham Auditorium 900 Asp 1:30 p.m. Featured speaker will be Army combat veteran, national bestselling author and social entrepreneur, Wes Moore. ww.ou.edu

Feb. 13 Oklahoma Sooners baseball vs. Notre Dame L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 5 p.m. www.soonersports.com

FEB

Sutton Concert Series: Kevin Chance Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Feb. 14 21st Norman Mardi Gras Parade

Oklahoma Sooners baseball vs. Southern Ill. Edwardsville L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 1 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Oklahoma Sooners baseball vs. Notre Dame L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 5 p.m. www.soonersports.com

FEB

Downtown Norman 7 p.m. Oklahoma’s only Mardi Gras Parade and Norman’s only night parade, is family friendly. Jazz in June will have its annual fundraiser at Shevaun Williams Studio on Main after the parade. www.normanmardigrasparade.com

Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball vs. Texas Christian Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 3 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Oklahoma Sooners men’s gymnastics vs. Michigan McCasland Field House 180 W. Brooks 5:30 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Feb. 15 Winter Wind Concert Series: Dan Weber Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 7 p.m. Dan Weber was a winner or finalist in several prestigious contests last year and played several of the country’s best festival stages including Roots on the River, The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Red Ants Pants Music Festival, the Tumbleweed Festival, The Tucson Folk Festival, and a Folk Alliance Official Showcase in St. Louis. Tickets are $20. www.normandepot.org

Oklahoma Sooners baseball vs. Notre Dame L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff Noon www.soonersports.com

Oklahoma Sooners baseball vs. Southern Ill. Edwardsville L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 4 p.m. www.soonersports.com

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Inner Soundscapes Concert Pitman Recital Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. Features free admission. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Feb. 23

Feb. 26

Feb. 28

Sutton Concert Series: Rodney Ackmann

University of Oklahoma Wind Symphony concert

Oklahoma Sooner softball vs. IPFW

Pitman Recital Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 2 & 4 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Feb. 24

Feb. 26-27

Sutton Concert Series: OU Jazz Bands

Oklahoma Sooners baseball vs. BYU

Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8-10 p.m. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 1 p.m. & 5 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Feb. 16 Sutton Concert Series: Donna Mitchell-Cox Pitman Recital Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Oklahoma Sooners baseball vs. BYU L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 1 p.m. & 5 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Feb. 17 Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball vs. Texas Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 8 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Piano Rendezvous Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. School of Music presents Piano Rendezous. Free admission and open to the public. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Feb. 17-20 and 23-27 Redstar Studios Residency Exhibition Lightwell Gallery School of Art & Art History 555 Elm Ave. Gallery hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Feb. 22 North American Music Saxophone Alliance with the Norman Philharmonic Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 3 p.m. School of Music presents North American Music Saxophone Alliance with the OU bands. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

University of Oklahoma Jazz Band concert Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Feb. 25

Feb. 27-28

Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball vs. Texas Tech

University Theatre: La Cage aux Follies

Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 7 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball vs.Baylor Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 7 p.m. www.soonersports.com

FEB

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Oklahoma Sooners men’s gymnastics vs. Illinois McCasland Field House 180 W. Brooks 7 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Reynolds Performing Arts Center 560 Parrington Oval 8 p.m. University Theatre and Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre present La Cage aux Follies. Book by Harvey Fierstein, Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. Shawn Churchman, Director, Lyn Cramer, Choreographer Paul Christman, Artistic Director www.ou.edu/finearts/events

Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball vs. Texas Christian Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 1 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball vs. Kansas Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 7 p.m. www.soonersports.com

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OU Gymnastics

Vaulting to the Top by m ichael kinney

t’s still a shock for her. Despite guiding Oklahoma to its first women’s gymnastics title months ago, coach K.J. Kindler still hasn’t come to the realization that it happened. “It happened,” Kindler said. “I know it happened. But it is still pretty fresh to be honest.” When Kindler arrived in Oklahoma in 2006, she made no bones about what her intentions were. The former Iowa State skipper wanted to take the women’s gymnastics team to the top. At the time, the sport had been dominated by a handful of programs. Utah, Georgia, Alabama and UCLA were the only schools to have won a title since 1982. But that didn’t matter to Kindler. In her future she saw the Sooners standing on the top

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

PHOTO BY KYLE PHILLIPS

step accepting a national championship. “Our goal this entire time has been to do that,” Kindler said. “So every decision we make, every recruiting decision, training decision is based on will this help us pave the way to do this. We’ve had to change some recruiting things. We noticed we need more power on this team. We need to add more vaulters,

OU Coach K.J. Kindler relaxes at the OU women’s gymnastics facility in early December.

people who can tumble stronger. Along the way you learn what ingredients to add to make the whole package work.” The package finally came together April 19 when the Sooners hit the best score in NCAA Championships history, to claim the program’s first-ever national championship. “For us to do something for the first time, it’s

I’M JUST SO PROUD OF THE TEAM AND THE PEOPLE THAT CAME BEFORE I WAS THE COACH. THIS IS A GROUP OF ALUMS 33 YEARS LONG THAT CAN TAKE PRIDE IN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP AND CAN OWN SOME OF IT. ~ K.J. KINDLER NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

On the balance beam, from left, Erika Brewer, Rebecca Clark and Brewer.

an incredible thing,” Kindler said. “It’s obviously tough to do or someone would have already done it. I’m just so proud of the team and the people that came before I was the coach. This is a group of alums 33 years long that can take pride in this championship and can own some of it.” Senior Rebecca Clark also noted that the title was won by more than the ladies who took the floor.

“It was an amazing feeling,” Clark said. “It’s not just the team of last year that won the title. It’s so many years before that building into that moment. But to be on that team and in that moment, it’s a feeling that I don’t think any of us will ever forget.” Oklahoma and Florida were named conational champions with identical scores of 198.175. It was the first time there has been a tie

JOIN THE Y FOR HALF OFF!* WHAT’S YOUR WORD?

Go beyond new year’s resolutions in 2015. Instead, choose a word that will inspire you to go to the next level in your quest for a healthy spirit, mind and body. *Then, come to the CLEVELAND COUNTY FAMILY YMCA by 1/31/2015, tell us your word, use your smartphone to post to Facebook that you are joining the Y for half off, and you’ll receive half off of your joining fee. Bring in this ad and join with a household or single adult household membership by 1/31/2015 and receive a voucher for a FREE program for a child 12 or under. Choose From: Youth Sports • Swim Lessons • Tae Kwon Do • Power Blast Offers only valid at the CLEVELAND COUNTY FAMILY YMCA. Free program voucher must be redeemed by December 31, 2015.

CHOOSE TO MAKE 2015 THE BEST YET. CHOOSE THE Y. When you join the Y, you become part of a community that offers support, encouragement and accountability.

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NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

at the NCAA Division I Women’s Gymnastics Championships. They enter the 2015 season with Oklahoma ranked No. 2 and the Gators No. 1 “It’s gratification for lots of teams that have worked really hard here to pave the way for this team this year to have this opportunity,” Kindler said. “It’s a feeling of gratitude for everything that we’ve been provided by the university and by our athletes. It’s just a euphoric feeling and its still sinking in.” While having to share the title with the same team who beat them out the year before is not ideal, it’s a small price to pay for making Oklahoma history. “Before last year, we didn’t know that it could be done,” Clark said. “We didn’t know it was possible for Oklahoma to do that. Now we know.” The Sooners head into the 2015 season in a new position. After being the hunter for so many years, they now sit on top of the food chain and will be the hunted. However, Kindler doesn’t see an attitude change. Despite returning all but three gymnasts from last year, the Sooners will retain their underdog status. “Not only were we the hunter, we were also the underdog,” Kindler said. “Every time going into the nationals, we were the one that was kind of put off to the side. So we have actually stepped into a completely different world. However, I tend to feel we’ll still be in that kind of underdog mindset. I think these guys thrive in that position. And we tied, so we’re not necessarily the top dog. We still have things to prove.”

Maile’ana Kanewa on the uneven bars at an intersquad scrimmage in 2014.

Chayse Capps performs her floor routine in February, 2014.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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Norman Science

Studying Severe Weather: Keeping Us Safe

ornadoes. The word evokes horrific images of houses, trees and other property uprooted and tossed around like tiddlywinks, often accompanied by the tragic loss of humans, pets and livestock. Of course, Oklahoma also is well-known for its other extremeweather events: ice storms, flash floods, hail. Of such stuff was the University of Oklahoma’s meteorology program born. Explains Associate Vice President for Research Robert D. Palmer, the meteorology school and other weather-related entities at the university – as well as the national weather programs located at OU – were developed here because of the urgent need to improve under-

standing of our constantly changing weather and, in so doing, advance predictive technology in hopes of mitigating human and property loss. In October, the university held dedication ceremonies for the latest facility dedicated to weather-related research. The eighth research facility to be built on OU’s Research Campus, the $15 million, 35,000-square-foot Radar Innovations Laboratory is now home to 60-plus students and 20 faculty from the Advanced Radar Research Center – along with their external partners – who are working together on cutting-edge next-generation radar, microwave electronics and related technologies. The ARRC, under the leadership of Executive Director Palmer, is composed of well over 100 faculty, staff and students from both the engineering and meteorology fields. Working synergistically, its researchers are dedicated to advancing radar science and engineering. Palmer, who in addition to his other titles serves as the Tommy C. Craighead Chair and professor of meteorology (and whose Ph.D. is in electrical engineering), played an instrumental role in the planning of the Radar Innovations Laboratory, which is located just east of the National Weather Center (where the lab was previously housed). Palmer said the lab is unique; no other university in the country can boast anything like it. PHOTOS BY LINDSEY DAVIES

by j erri culpepper

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

The RIL provides a high-tech, hands-on environment for OU’s meteorology and engineering students. Shown here: Blake James, electrical engineering graduate research assistant; Rachel Norris, electrical engineering and meteorology undergraduate research assistant; and Hong Jiang, electrical engineering graduate research assistant.

PHOTOS BY LINDSEY DAVIES

ow, won’t you join us for a whirlwind tour of the Radar Innovations Laboratory, led by Palmer? After admiring the beautifully landscaped grounds, we begin the tour in the spacious lobby, which Palmer said was built to provide a means of informing and educating members of the public. One of its most striking features is the terrazzo tile floor, which depicts a Smith Chart – a classic graphical method of performing intricate electromagnetic calculations. “You will see electrical engineers cringe when they see these,” said Palmer, laughing. He explains that this floor will likely remind them of the most challenging course they might have

had in their undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum. You can’t miss the two-story-high tornado simulator, on your right, featuring an everchanging funnel, or vortex, formed by carefully directed jets of air and fed by water vapor. “The idea is to visually show the origins of OU’s radar program – with observations of severe weather,” Palmer said. Of course, now we’re also moving aggressively into other applications of radar in defense, civil aviation, etc. Etched into the clear-glass walls, through which rows of work stations and people at work can be seen, are engineering equations, selected through a student competition.

One of its most striking features of the facility is the terrazzo floor in the lobby, which depicts a Smith Chart – a classic graphical method of performing intricate electromagnetic calculations.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

The Radar Innovations Laboratory, located east of the National Weather Center, is the eighth research facility to be built on the University of Oklahomaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing Research Campus.

To your left is a high bank of TV monitors, currently offering interior and exterior views of the lab. In addition, said Palmer, they can show radar pictures produced by the small light radar, called a Lidar, which is mounted

on the glass. The device shoots out tiny beams that detects the movement of people and other objects in the lobby, which are then converted into images displayed on the monitors. Later, an educational kiosk will be added that

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

will offer interested guests an explanation of what they are seeing. Entering the glass doors into the main part of the building, Palmer points out repeating wave patterns, most notably in the carpet and hang-

ing acoustic ceilings; however, the pattern also is reflected in the roof tiles and awnings on the exterior, in the artwork – even the furniture. “In talking with the architects,” he said, “I told them that electromagnetic waves are at the heart of our work; they took me at my word, and incorporated the pattern virtually everywhere.” The large common area, called the Microwave Lab, is intentionally left open, without dividers, walls or doors that might hinder the free flow of information and collaboration. Faculty offices are conveniently located around the perimeter. Continuing to the left, you enter the microfabrication lab, where faculty and students design, fabricate and test sophisticated radar components and subsystems. The lab features a high-end 3-D printer on which radar components are produced; the plastic product is then put through a chemical process to give it a metallic exterior. Also here, circuit boards and antennae, as well as the housing for them, are built and fabricated. Palmer also points out network analyzers, oscilloscopes, power meters, spectrum analyzers and a host of other high-tech equipment that would require an advanced degree to understand. Next is the Photo Lithography lab, where circuit boards are manufactured by hand. The lab uses a yellow light specifically chosen so that does not react with the processes conducted in that room, but does give it an eerie feel. Also housed at this end of the facility are two precision anechoic (meaning non-echoing) chambers, measuring 27’ x 38’ by 27’ and 13’ x 26’ x 13’, respectively, and featuring bright blue cones on the floors, walls and ceilings. To the uninitiated, the chambers look like something in a Steven

Spielberg movie. The thick metal walls block radio waves from getting inside, and the cones prevent waves emitted during experimentation from bouncing. The chambers are designed to provide highquality measurements without interference from incoming electromagnetic sources, which exist everywhere due to cellular/radio usage, for example, and would adversely affect the precision measurements. Palmer and his colleagues are also is using the chambers to examine radar signatures from tornadic debris like two-byfours, tree limbs and sections of buildings. The chambers also are used to measure the characteristics of new antennae being developed for a variety of applications, from weather radar to defense-related sensors.

Two precision anechoic (meaning non-echoing) chambers, featuring bright blue cones on the floors, walls and ceilings, are designed to provide highquality measurements without interference from incoming electromagnetic sources. Palmer and his colleagues are using the chambers to examine radar signatures from tornadic debris, among numerous other tests related to antenna research and education.

The large common area, called the Microwave Lab, is intentionally left open, without dividers, walls or doors that might hinder the free flow of ideas and collaboration. NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

ARRC Executive Director and Associate Vice President for Research Robert D. Palmer shows one of the lab’s high-tech pieces – an oscilloscope, used to observe the change of an electrical signal over time.

The next stop is a heat and humidity chamber that allows researchers to subject radars and radar components to temperature extremes, from boiling to freezing, to test the effects of specified environmental conditions on those objects’ performance. From here, we pass through a well-equipped machine shop to one of two high-bay garages

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

built for mobile radar trucks, and into an adjacent secure parking area. (With an eye to the adage, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” a basketball court has been placed in one quadrant of the lot.) Along the way, he points out a cylindrical polarmetric phased array radar demonstrator developed by researchers in the lab; a large-scale version of the model is in the process of being manufactured, and will eventually be put to the test for severe weather observations. Palmer explains that unlike a traditional dish-shaped radar, which must be rotated mechanically, the phased array radar would remain stationary in the vehicle and send energy to different parts of the storm electronically, much like a camera takes photos. Next, please step into the elevator for a quick trip to the roof/observation deck. Palmer indicates a crane, the foundation of which he explains, is in the bedrock, giving it the stability required to lift heavy radars from the parking lot to this and another higher roof in the near future.

This time taking the stairs, we now follow Palmer to the second floor, featuring a seminar/presentation room; a collaborative area called the Ideas Room, complete with whiteboards and beanbag chairs; classroom spaces and a student lounge. The lounge features a panoramic view of the Research Campus and a full range of amenities: a full kitchen area, pool table, soda machine and largescreen TV as well as plenty of comfortable seating. “The student lounge was designed to encourage students to relax and have fun, but also to encourage them to make new friends, to study and learn together, and hopefully, those collaborations will lead to research collaborations,” Palmer says. The tour then heads Visitors love the two-story-high back downstairs to the tornado simulator, situated in lobby, where Palmer the lobby, designed to show the origins of OU’s radar program: ends the tour by exobservations of severe weather. plaining that while developing life-saving weather technologies will always remain a focus, the missions of the Advanced Radar Research Center and the Radar Innovations Laboratory, like Oklahoma’s weather, will continue to evolve. For example, ARRC faculty and students also currently are engaged in Department of Defense radar work – work that has applications and opportunities for economic growth and the defense of our nation – as well as collaborations involving the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Federal Aviation Administration. Visitors, he reminds us, are welcome at the Radar Innovations Laboratory. To arrange a group tour, visit the ARRC website at http://arrc.ou.edu.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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Norman FYI

Stephanie

O’Hara

PARTNER AT O ASIAN FUSION & NSC SOLUTIONS, PRESIDENT OF THE FRED JONES JR. MUSEUM OF ART ASSOCIATION

What is your favorite comfort food? Pasta! What do you like to watch on TV? The Good Wife, Giada at Home, Jimmy Fallon Where would you rather be? San Sebastian, Spain. Name something that reminds you of your mom and why? Hot tea. She would make it for me every morning growing up. Later, when I was a professional singer she would come to my shows and have a thermos of hot tea in hand. She’s my rock. What do you like to rock out to in the car? Foo Fighters. And if we are being honest, I turn it up LOUD. What is your least favorite thing to do? Sit in traffic. Unless I am listening to the Foo Fighters. If you only had three possessions what would they be? Old photos of family/ friends, my wedding band and a Bible. What would you like to improve on this year? Being intentional, an essentialist pursuing those things that matter most to me and navigating what I should say “yes” or “no” to. What do you keep on your bedside table? A glass of water, lavender mist spray, framed pictures of my husband Dirk and son Aidan, and a devotional.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

What were you like in high school? It was the late 80’s/early 90’s so I had big permed hair and skinny little legs. Believe it or not, I was quiet and reserved. Are you a last minute or plan ahead type of person? I like to plan, but can absolutely be spontaneous too! Each day what do you enjoy most? Morning cuddle time with Aidan. It›s my absolute favorite time of the day. Would you rather be on the couch or out on the town? Both! I’m a Libra, so I like balance.

Dan

Schemm EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VISITNORMAN

What is your favorite comfort food? I love pizza but have found myself enjoying all the great downtown restaurants now that the VisitNorman offices have moved back there. What do you like to watch on TV? With a 12-month-old I don’t have time to watch much TV but we don’t miss an OU football or basketball game if they are on. We are both certainly Sooner born and Sooner bred. Where would you rather be? I wouldn’t want to be anywhere other than Norman, OK. There is so much going on we can’t usually fit it all in. Name something that reminds you of your mom and why? Going to church. We never missed a Sunday growing up and she was such a wonderful Christian example.

What do you like to rock out to in the car? I’m a sports radio junkie but when I do listen to music it’s Jack Johnson or Phillip Phillips type genre.

What were you like in high school? Very quiet and boring. My weekends were spent fishing or hunting.

What is your least favorite thing to do? Fold laundry. Nothing worse than trying to match up socks. Ugh!

Are you a last minute or plan ahead type of person? I like to plan ahead. Once plans are made I’m pretty flexible but I like to have a plan going into something.

If you only had three possessions what would they be? Cell phone, sunglasses and corkscrew.

Each day what do you enjoy most? Coming home from work and seeing my wife and son.

What would you like to improve on this year? I want to exercise more. I’ll do at least a few 5k’s this year now that we’re settled.

Would you rather be on the couch or out on the town? Out on the town of course. We love attending all the wonderful festivals, art walks and OU athletic events. Not to mention all the amazing restaurants here in town.

What do you keep on your bedside table? Phone charger. Can’t live without it.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Norman FYI

Ashley

Adair-Garner REALTOR/BROKER What is your favorite comfort food? Does sushi count as comfort food? If so, SUSHI! I could eat sushi daily! What do you like to watch on TV? We love to watch Jimmy Fallon every night! He is hilarious! We can’t usually stay up that late though, so we always record it and watch the previous night’s episode! Where would you rather be? If I wasn’t committed to my hometown of Norman and raising my family here, l’d be living in New York City. Name something that reminds you of your mom and why? IKEA. My mom and I always get excited to go to Dallas to go to IKEA and then by the time we leave, we promise we are never going again. Then we always do! What do you like to rock out to in the car? Most currently, I love to rock out to Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off ” or anything off Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 album.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

What is your least favorite thing to do? I really do not enjoy shopping when it is close to Christmas. I get easily frustrated by the crowds, which is something I need to work on. If you only had three possessions what would they be? Cell phone, eyeliner, credit card What would you like to improve on this year? I would really like to try to be better at planning meals for my family and cooking at home more. What do you keep on your bedside table? I keep a journal for both of my kids on my nightstand so I can pick them up when I have free time and write about all the exciting and new things that they are doing. What were you like in high school? Surprisingly, I wasn’t really involved in anything. No sports, clubs, etc. I was in a hurry to graduate early, so I really just focused on that.

Mike

Lang

GENERAL MANAGER OF REYNOLDS FORD AND REYNOLDS MAZDA

What do you like to watch on TV? Typically some sort of sporting event, football or basketball along with Person of Interest and Modern Family.

Are you a last minute or plan ahead type of person? haha. Everyone who knows me knows that I plan EVERYTHING way ahead of time. I am a planner. I love to plan! In fact, I often drive everyone crazy because I am always planning the next event or vacation. Each day what do you enjoy most? Reading to my kids at bedtime is my favorite part of the day. I love to snuggle up with them in their beds and read. Then we usually talk about their day in more detail or what we might be planning to do in the following days. Would you rather be on the couch or out on the town? I would choose being on my couch watching a movie almost always! Pair that with some hot tea or a glass of wine and I am super happy!

Where would you rather be? I can’t think of any place I’d rather be on an everyday basis. I love my job, most of my family is here, and I love living in Norman. Vacation-wise, I would go back to Alaska or just about any island. Name something that reminds you of your mom and why? Christmas. My mother’s birthday was Christmas Eve. Through the years she always made Christmas a special time. Even when we didn’t have much growing up, she would save all year for Christmas. What do you like to rock out to in the car? I don’t know if you call it rocking out, by I typically have my radio on The Message on SiriusXM, although I do occasionally tune it to Classic Vinyl. What is your least favorite thing to do? I am not a big fan of doing yard work. I like my yard to look good, I just don’t like doing the work to get it there. If you only had three possessions what would they be? My Bible, my house, and my camera.

What would you like to improve on this year? Other than getting in better shape, I would really like to improve my golf game. What do you keep on your bedside table? Not much there, only a lamp and a radio. I love to read, but I don’t do that in bed. Typically I will be reading a book by Max Lucado as well as an historic biography. What were you like in high school? I think I was a typical high school student. Played sports, got pretty good grades and really enjoyed the experience. I tend to have fun no matter what I am involved in. Are you a last minute or plan ahead type of person? As busy as things are, I typically like to plan ahead. I don’t mind last minute stuff, but trying to squeeze things in is sometimes hard to do if I don’t plan ahead. Each day what do you enjoy most? I enjoy every day – waking up next to the woman that I love, going to a job that I enjoy and affords new challenges every day, being able to spend time with my family. Would you rather be on the couch or out on the town? I tend to be a homebody. I enjoy going to ball games and dinner with friends, but mostly I enjoy spending evenings at home with my wife.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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YOU

A R E

INVITED

2015

BRIDAL

GUIDE

Brides from all over the country are taking advantage of a unique opportunity just outside of Norman | STORY BY AMY DAVID |

outhwind Hills has become a destination wedding location for many traveling to enjoy what it has to offer. Nestled on 80 acres, just west of Interstate 35 in Goldsby, sits a custom designed 20,000 square-foot wooden barn equipped with many high tech conveniences. The sliding barn doors are handmade and draped linens, copper glass lanterns, and crystal chandeliers can be found inside among many other rustic and antique fixtures.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Tina Adkins and her husband, Brett, had no idea when they starting building the barn at Southwind Hills that it would quickly become a sought after location for couples. “We were booking before we ever had doors. As soon as we started setting posts,” said Tina Adkins. Adkins said there aren’t many venues similar to Southwind Hills in the area. Public Relations Director Ali Parker said the barn wedding or event is a huge trend all over the country. However, it is hard to find a barn that is built for events and doesn’t have hay in the rafters or the smell of livestock. A simple wood swing, antique bell, Jack Daniels Whiskey barrels and a locomotive steam engine boiler from the 1800s also accent the gathering space that seats up to 400.

A SIMPLE WOOD SWING, ANTIQUE BELL, JACK DANIELS WHISKEY BARRELS AND A LOCOMOTIVE STEAM ENGINE BOILER FROM THE 1800S ALSO ACCENT THE GATHERING SPACE

Bridal Photography by: Holli B. Photography Venue Photography by: Kevin Paul Photography Hibben Photography BRIDES: Leslie Herring, the future Mrs. Crabb, in a gown from Bridal Boutique Morgan Suey, the future Mrs. Bronson, in a gown from Bridal Boutique Courtney Stuever, the future Mrs. Roten, in a gown from BeLoved Bridal JEWELRY STYLED BY: Gina Mitchell for Mitchellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewelry HAIR & MAKEUP BY: Andrew Freeman A Premier Hair Salon & Salon Three Sixty Special thank you to the staff of Southwind Hills.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Something Blue

The details are very important to Adkins and her husband. “Anybody can put sheetrock on a building. We don’t want this like anything else,” Brett Adkins said. The staff at Southwind Hills works to provide an experience for their clients not just a space to use. By the wedding day, Tina Adkins said they become as close as family with their brides. The staff, which includes three wedding coordinators, a chef, and florist, is always available to ensure events go off without a hitch. “We don’t mind spending the time to help them have whatever they are dreaming of for their wedding day,” said Parker. Parker said they provide food that rivals an upscale restaurant, amazing service and take out the stress of decorating and cleaning for mothers of the brides.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Every Saturday night this year, except the day after Christmas, is already spoken for with guests already scheduling into 2016. Adkins said there weren’t floor plans, she just sat down with her husband and together they started drawing out their vision. “I told them where it had to be and he had to figure out how to make it happen.” For 11 months construction went on round the clock to get the barn up. Adkins said their goal was to create a comfortable environment to make guests feel at home. The property includes built in couches in the bar area, outside gas fire pits, a flowing waterfall, a photo booth, an unattended playroom for small guests, and bride and groom suites.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Guests attending ceremonies in the Enchanted Forest on the property this Spring will enjoy custom built pews, a wooden walkway, natural arbor, twinkle lights, and a hobbit house. This area can accommodate 400 seated and Parker said it has been a huge hit. Since Southwind Hills had its grand opening last April, the barn has already been enlarged. “It has been a lot of trial and error,” said Adkins. The business took off so quickly, Adkins said, they are adding and improving the property daily. In the coming months, the goal is to enhance the property’s entrance, improve the roadway, and add a helicopter pad while fine-tuning the rest.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

“We want to make sure it stays new and relevant all the time, said Brett Adkins. In 2016, the couple hopes to add a private honeymoon cabin and offer more options to make a bride’s wedding day even more luxurious. Although weddings are most of the events, the staff also hosts other functions. Those include company and church retreats, holiday parties, and a free monthly women’s Bible study that is open to the public. In February, Southwind Hills will offer a one of a kind Valentine event with dinner and dancing. Parker said word of mouth advertising and social media has kept the calendar full and the business is continually growing to keep up with the demand.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

The Staff of Southwind Hills From left to right: Amber Magee, Florist/Designer/Event Coordinator Elaine Patten, Event Coordinator/Sales Tina Adkins, Owner Ali Parker, Office Manager Angela Roberson, Executive Chef Ruby Tate, Décor Not pictured: Brett Adkins, Owner Styled by Silhouette Bridal Jewelry by Mitchell’s Jewelry Photo by Holli B. Photography

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

“It is truly family owned and operated,” said Parker She said they work with many area vendors, which helps to support the local community. Partnerships with area hotels also offer options for overnight accommodations. Adkins said to do well you have to be passionate about what you do and she enjoys seeing the happiness they bring couples. “It is a work in progress. It always will be,” said Adkins. The couple anticipates hosting nearly 175 events this year.

For more information visit southwindhills.com.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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SIMPLE. ELEGANT. These beautiful Park Hill Collection Candle Lanterns, made of galvanized metal & reclaimed wood, resemble the look of traditional European street lamps. They exude beauty and history with their timeworn look. Theo’s Market Place 3720 W Robinson St, 364.0728, theosmarketplace.com

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Norman Business

Rolling Recreation Star Skate offers old school fun on wheels for the entire family

PHOTOS BY DOUG HILL

by d oug hill

oller skating is fun. Doing it can range from a low-impact pastime to the extreme sport of speed skating. Almost any smooth surface will do for a spin in shoes with wheels but its most fun in a place designed just for skating. Star Skate, 2020 W. Lindsey St. is Norman’s only roller skating rink. The building was constructed in 1963 and many remember it as Skateland. The Ada-based Hale family acquired the business in 2008 and gave it the same name as their other rinks in Ada, Shawnee and Midwest City. “My dad started his first rink in Davis during the prime of 1970s roller disco,” Chris Hale said. He’s the 30-something manager of Norman’s Star Skate. Hale is also a speed skater, roller hockey coach and player. His spouse Jamee Hale is No. 12 “Czech 1-2”, a member of the Oklahoma Victory Dolls roller derby team. Their son Ashton, a third grader at Truman Elementary School is the current Quad Speed Skating National Champion in his division. It’s a triple-tiered family involvement in skating sports and management that few if any rinks in the world can boast.

Star Skate opened in 1963 as Skateland

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Star Skate hosts birthday parties that draw families from all over the metro area.

Hale’s enthusiasm for skating is reflected in how Star Skate is operated, what’s offered at the rink and its overall physical environment. The place has been remodeled but managed to retain a vintage vibe. Dark wall and ceiling paint was replaced with lighter tones. Old carpet was replaced but some essential features remain. “Mirror balls with spotlights hanging from the ceiling keeps that 70s feel,” Hale said. “We also have the traditional style skates with wheels front and back along with in-line types for people to rent.” The roller rink’s fundamentals would be recognizable to a time traveler from the 19th century when these places first became popular. Today Star Skate can mean a break from electronic social media for real faceto-face human interaction. “Spending time with friends and maybe making new ones is one of the things our patrons enjoy most here,” Hale said. “It’s an

Norman resident and Olympic Gold Medalist Bart Conner and his son Dylan skating late last year. NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Limbo style skating is popular for parties and public skating.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

even better environment for that than bowling, going to the movies or watching TV.” It can be a bonding experience for families where the tiniest skaters learn a new skill from their parents. People of all ages skate at the rink with the largest demographic being Middle School kids on Friday nights. Families from all over the metro are drawn there including rural townships to the south. The rink hosts lots of birthday parties. There’s a dedicated space for the happy events and several service packages to choose from. Throughout the work week the rink is closed to public skating but available for private function reservations. It’s popular as a spot for University of Oklahoma fraternity and sorority mixers. “It’s basically the same interaction that we provide for the Middle Schoolers,” Hale said. “We’ll do a couples’ limbo so they have to find a partner. The girls will be chatting on one side and the guys on the other, but when limbo starts then it becomes a party.” Star Skate has a snack bar offering hot dogs, popcorn, nachos and soda. They recently added an oven and now make their own pizzas. “What I like most about running this place is the people,” Hale said. “It’s obviously a fun place to be and a great environment.” Part of his job involves teaching speed skating and roller hockey to kids. He pointed

TRANSCRIPTM E D I A

out the value that athletics can provide later in all aspects of life. “I played for OU and we competed against other colleges in the Southeastern Roller Hockey League,” Hale said. “My former teammates now come in on Sunday nights and we play pick-up hockey.” Additionally he teaches a weekly 90 minute combination youth speed skating and hockey class. This instruction is unique to Star Skate’s Norman location. “We collaborate with the Norman Public Schools’ PTAs on fundraiser nights which are awesome,” Hale said. “Those are a huge hit with the kids.” The rink offers a no-cost guarantee for elementary school parties with a generous return on each ticket sold for the fundraiser. They also offer lower admission on school break days such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and President’s Day. Discount tickets distributed at school generate a percentage of proceeds that’s returned by Star Skate to participating PTAs. The Oklahoma Victory Dolls flat-track women’s roller derby team practices at Star Skate on Sunday mornings and Monday nights. The team is competitive nationally in the WFTDA’s Division I. “They skate hard and practice hard,” Hale said. “They’re very independent strong women, that’s for sure. And they’re derby girls’ cream of the crop.” From lead jamming practice by the Victory Dolls’ “Dolly Dynamite” to second grade birthday parties, Star Skate plays host to every facet of roller skating.

normantranscript.com

TOWN

Star Skate’s management team is an all-skate family that includes, from left, Oklahoma Victory Dolls No. 12 Jamee “Czech 1-2” Hale, Truman Elementary third grader and racing gold medalist Ashton Hale and racing and roller hockey coach Chris Hale.

M oore American mooreamerican.com

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Taste of Norman

k The Scratch blac ith w angus filet herb parmesan and and es to ta po mashed s. grilled asparagu

Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails 132 W. Main Street, Norman

rsday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday through Thu 11 a.m. -11 p.m. on Friday 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. on Saturday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Sunday.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Made from Scratch D PHOTOS BY KY

LE PHILLIPS

by s arah kirby

on’t let the nondescript building tucked away at 132 W. Main Street fool you: it’s Scratch Kitchen and Cocktails, where you’ll enjoy a dining experience that’s like no other. My husband I managed to make reservations there one Friday night. After we were led to a cozy table for two, our server, told us each item on the menu — one that included French, Italian and American cuisine — would be organic and original. The ingredients we would taste were made scratch, he said, hence the name of the restaurant. His enthusiasm was infectious, and he earned our trust before taking our order. According to owner Brady Sexton, each server is empowered to create excitement at Scratch. “We’re really big on our servers making it fun,” he said. “We think we have the best food in town, but it’s not all about that. It’s an experi-

Scratch’s California Girl features herb marinated chicken, with provolone cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, onion and sprouts served with shoestring fries.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

ence, and it takes a personal interaction with a server who cares about service and style and the menu they’re presenting.” We were easily tempted by the cocktail offerings, and I started with the Sooner Seasonal Cobbler. Garnished with a sprig of burned rosemary, its berry flavors were expertly mixed with vodka and crème de flora. My husband ordered a Red Howler and waged his drink, made of bulleit rye and mahlo bitters, was better than mine. While I couldn’t concede to his bold statement, I couldn’t argue that his complex-tasting cocktail was one of the better alcoholic beverages he ever had. Crab cakes served with mixed greens in lemon vinaigrette with remoulade sauce.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

The Sooner State Board seasonal sampler featured fine cheeses, cured meat and other goodies.

Like the menu items, Sexton explained the drinks were mixed out syrups and liquors made in-house. Each is the invention of the Buttercube Bitters, which was developed in part by bar consultant Ira Koplowitz, Sexton’s lifelong friend. “If people haven’t come in at the bar to talk to the bartenders about what we do, they’re really missing out,” Sexton said. Our entrées, arriving next, were flavored to perfection. His New York strip was coated with coriander and peppercorn whereas my Mariposa coffee-encrusted pork tenderloin was drizzled with a rich, port demi-glacé. It was food that dared to be different — and it succeeded. “Part of who we are is pushing the envelope, and while we’re retooling our menu to be more approachable to have something for everyone,” Sexton said. “We really want to have something for people who are adventurous.” And we realized we were full, but we indulged in a slice of Moonshine Apple Pie on a whim. It was came to us covered in a sweet bourbon caramel sauce that complemented the

cinnamon baked right into the crust. Bite after delectable bite, it vanished from our plate and surpassed every version of the quintessential American desert we had ever sampled. Sexton said the desert has been a menu staples since Scratch first opened more than a year ago. “They kept asking me what it needed and I just said ‘more moonshine’ over and over again,” he said.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Norman Vintage

A Pre Spring Rosé

’m often asked what a good wine is for the awkward time of year where winter is winding to a close and spring is right around the corner. One of my very favorite wines to drink during this time of year is a hearty rosé from the Tavel region of the southern Rhone Valley in France. We all know that springtime is the perfect season for dry rosé, and March and April herald the arrival of dozens of these wines in restaurants and on retailers’ shelves from France, Spain as well as the United States. These rosé wines tend to be very fresh and light and may range from dry to minerally to fruity in taste.

by m att sterr

Tavel, on the other hand, is what I call a year round rosé. Typically comprised of Grenache and Cinsault, producers may also use Syrah and Mourvedre too, albeit typically in smaller amounts in the blend. As opposed to most spring-release rosé wines, Tavel wines tend to be brawny and rich, exhibiting more tannins and body than most other rosé wines. These are wines that if you were to taste blind, you would probably mistake them for medium to full-bodied reds like Cotes-du-Rhone rouge or Syrah from the northwest United States. However, in the glass there is no mistaking Tavel for the rosé that it is as these wines often exhibit floral and fruit scents with flavors of raspberries, strawberries, mineral and even earth notes. There are a number of Tavel wines available year round in Oklahoma at well stocked fine wine shops.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

2013 CHATEAU DE TRINQUEVEDEL, TAVEL A.O.C. Nice perfumed nose. The palate is ripe and juicy with nice acidity as this Tavel exhibits flavors of raspberries and peach on the way to a round and quick finish. 2013 CHATEAU DE SEGRIES, TAVEL A.O.C. Deep ruby rosé color in the glass. Lavender and melon aromas on the nose. Deep raspberry and dark cherry flavors pervade on the palate leading to a finish with staying power. 2013 CHATEAU D’AQUERIA, TAVEL A.O.C. Richly colored, this rosé shows strawberry cream and framboise on the nose. The palate is well put together with raspberry and strawberry fruit wrapped in a nice minerality leading to a clean finish.

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Norman Life

Rob’s Sooner Magic is Real by a my david

Rob Lake among his props in a local warehouse.

ob Lake found his passion early in life. When he was 10, Lake attended a big stage show in Branson with his parents and became mesmerized with magic. “It was a blessing and a curse to know at 10-years-old what I wanted to do with my life,” said Lake, a stage name. He is known locally as Robert Calonkey, the son of Steve and Susy Calonkey of Norman. As a child he saved his allowance to buy items from a nearby magic shop and magicians’ estate sales. He got every book from the library he could find and took any opportunity he

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

PHOTOS BY KYLE PHILLIPS

had to perform for an audience often using his younger sister as his assistant, he said. Now the 31-year-old award-winning illusionist spends 80 percent of the year on the road performing at all types of venues. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life.” Lake is a Norman High graduate who attended the University of Oklahoma for two years before deciding to commit all of his time to his passion. Last summer, he performed nightly in Atlantic City. Other places his show has toured include the Florida Keys, Hollywood, New York

City, Australia, Guam, Thailand, Turkey, Greece and all over Europe. While oversees each year, he schedules time to entertain military families and troops. “Magic is visual. The impossible is impossible no matter what language you speak,” Lake said. He has been featured on The CW Television network’s weekly series “Masters of Illusion.” He will return to the show this month and later this summer. Lake’s 2015 calendar is still being finalized, but he is working to include some Oklahoma performances. In the beginning, Lake said he mailed out hundreds of videotapes and made lots of telephone calls trying to find jobs. In 2005, he spent several months in Japan where his career finally took off. His present stage show includes dancers, assistants, technicians and many others behind For more the scenes. information “They do all the work. I take the bow.” visit RobLakePage on Learning the “tricks of the trade” Facebook included lots of obsessing, practicing, reor RobLakeMagic search and trial and error, Lake said. on Instagram Lake said magic is similar to music. and Twitter. “There are only so many notes and

Illusionist Rob Lake’s warehouses are full of his show props and career collections.

instruments in music and only so many methods of magic.” Lake said his show is very theatrical and he works to create moods for effect and atmosphere.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

“I don’t want to trick them, (the audience) I want to bring them to a world where magical things happen.” In 2008, Lake was recognized by the International Magicians Society with their top honor, a Merlin Award, for Stage Illusionist of the Year. All of the sets and props for the show are custom made by his crew at one of his four warehouses near Norman. One of his illusions includes a replica of the box used in London in 1921 by P.T. Selbit who first sawed a woman in half. However, many of his illusions are original and take years to perfect. Lake said none of his assistants know all the steps to his illusions only what they need to know for their part. He added all of his props are also made in stages by various people, so again, no one knows exactly how each act works. Lake said alternative plans are always practiced just in case something doesn’t go just right. And even once a trick

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

that had never worked to make an armored truck appear went off without a hitch before a crowd waiting for an NBA playoff game in Memphis. “I just had a feeling.” After the recent Moore tornado, Lake performed a benefit show for Second Chance Animal Sanctuary and Friends for Folks to raise money for displaced animals. Lake responds to emails and letters he receives from young magicians because he remembers how meaningful it was for him when he got responses. One of his mentors, Jim Smithson, he met while taking a magic class during lunch at Whittier Middle School shortly after finding his new obsession. “I wasn’t particularly good and didn’t stand out.” But Lake said he consistently called seeking the teacher’s advice until he finally took him under his wing.

Making a Difference

Robotic Surgeons by amy david

he days of standard surgical procedures are in the past for even more patients at Norman Regional Health System. The health system now has two robotic operating rooms at its HealthPlex campus where surgeons can perform various types of surgery offering patients many benefits over standard methods. “Many of my patients can benefit from robotic surgery because it is minimally invasive. Robotic surgery generally has less blood loss, smaller incisions, and shorter recovery times. Patients tend to return to normal activities sooner,” said Dr. Brad Wilson. Wilson, who specializes in urology, said the surgeon controls the robotic surgical system. “It consists of both a 3D, high-definition vision system, as well as special instruments and computer software. The 3D image I see is highly magnified, and allows for a close-up view of the operating area.”

“MANY OF MY PATIENTS CAN BENEFIT FROM ROBOTIC SURGERY BECAUSE IT IS MINIMALLY INVASIVE. ROBOTIC SURGERY GENERALLY HAS LESS BLOOD LOSS, SMALLER INCISIONS, AND SHORTER RECOVERY TIMES. PATIENTS TEND TO RETURN TO NORMAL ACTIVITIES SOONER,” ~ DR. BRAD WILSON.

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Wilson said the instruments have mechanical wrists that bend and rotate to mimic the movements of a human wrist. “I can use these mechanical wrists to make small, precise movements – all while inside the patient’s body.” Richie Splitt, vice-president & chief administrative officer for Norman Regional HealthPlex and Moore Medical Center, said the minimally invasive da Vinci Surgical System is very beneficial for patients and surgeons. He said it gives those operating enhanced vision, precision with tools and dexterity. For patients, it allows shorter hospital stays, fewer scars, the possibility of fewer complications and pain control without as many narcotic pain medicines. “As the demand grows we would like to increase our exposure in the market to this great technology.” Splitt said many physicians are coming out of residency already trained in this manner. Norman is a leader in health care through this technology, he said. It is unusual for Oklahoma to have a hospital with two of these devices, he said. The equipment is expensive and smaller hospitals aren’t able to make that investment. Splitt said the investment has shown better outcomes for patients and provided the quality of care we want to offer. “I believe in this technology. It is amazing and allows your body to heal much faster.” He said with traditional surgery women having a hysterectomy would go home in 3 to 5 days. With this type of procedure they can be back on their feet in less than 24 hours. Physicians have been performing robotic surgery at the HealthPlex for four years. The health system added the second robot just over a year ago. Presently 17 physicians are trained to use the equipment. Splitt said the technology is primarily being used for gynecologic and urology procedures presently. However, it offers lots of opportunities. Many heart, head and neck, colorectal, and other procedures could be performed using the advanced equipment. But Splitt said the patient and physician decide together the best method of surgery for their individual case; whether standard, laparoscopic, or robotic.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Norman People

Meet Dr. Trek Norman Native is Top Star Trek Historian

by j erri culpepper

As foresighted as he was, it’s unlikely that American television screenwriter/producer Gene Rodenberry had any idea that his optimistic space adventure series, set in the Milky Way galaxy in the 23rd century, would have such a tremendous long-term impact on American and world pop culture. Indeed, poor Nielsen ratings and other factors, including moving the show to an unfavorable time slot, doomed “Star Trek” to an early end. NBC canceled the show after only three seasons, from 1966 to 1969, 79 episodes – less than the starship Enterprise’s “five-year mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” Perhaps it was a show before its time. Certainly, it had its critics, some of whom described it as too cerebral, while others objected to the points of view expressed. Unlike its contemporary counterpart, the campier Lost in Space, Star Trek often delved into serious societal issues, including bigotry and provincialism. However, it also had a small but strong fan base, which (as shown from letters of support) included doctors, scientists, teachers and other professional people – as well as countless “I also liked the continuity,” he addchildren such as myself, who loved the show on many levels, not least ed, referring to how the writers and being the lively interaction among the main characters. others involved in the show attempted to create a believable universe with unne of those early fans was when his ninth-grade science teacher derlying technology and storylines that Norman native Larry Nemat Noble Junior High suggested he stayed true from show to show. “They ecek, who has since built a watch the show. didn’t have to; this was before they career based on the original series A self-described “NASA geek,” he knew the show would be carried in as well as the four spin-off television became a fan immediately. syndication for so long, and way before series (Star Trek: The Next Generation, He explains: “Like NASA, Star Trek VHS/DVDs and NetFlix.” Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: is future-oriented, though with an eye Nemecek said he also appreciated Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise) and to history.” that “they took their audience seriousrelated films and other projects. BeSeveral of the episodes carried notly and didn’t talk down to them.” cause of his many years devoted to all so-subtle moral messages that warned, After graduating from Noble High things Trek, he has earned the monias George Santayana is credited with School, Nemecek went on to earn a ker, “Dr. Trek.” saying, “Those who cannot remember bachelor of arts degree in theater (with Back again in the area as a feathe past are condemned to repeat it.” a minor in journalism) from East tured guest at the recent SoonerCon But mostly, Nemecek said, he Central University in Ada (where he 23 in Midwest City, Nemecek – who loved the show because “it was fun, formed a Starbase club) and then, with now lives near Burbank in Southern with imaginative plots, good writan eye to perhaps teaching, a master California – talked about his personal ing, and likeable and interesting of arts degree in theater from Kansas Star Trek journey, which was launched characters.” University.

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PHOTO BY LINDSEY DAVIES

the newly announced cast of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to run on page 2. Wryly, he recalled being shown a note from the paper’s general manager, asking if the “Trekkie newsroom” couldn’t find more important news to share with their readers. He had just been thinking how many new readers the paper might pick up that day.

Larry Nemecek, a former Transcript staff member, now lives in California.

While at ECU, he produced two mini-cons, called Starfest, and then chaired publicity for the very first central-Oklahoma SoonerCons from 1986 to 1993. In 1991, he founded ThunderCon, which ran until 1999. Both SoonerCon and ThunderCon were nonprofits benefitting local charities. Before making Star Trek his career focus, Nemecek honed his writing and interviewing skills as a journalist — first at the weekly Cleveland County

Reporter in Noble and Lexington, where circumstances led him to take over as managing editor one summer at age 20. From 1984 to 1993 at The Norman Transcript, he first covered the area beat as a reporter, added the wire desk chores in 1985 for the new Saturday edition, and then became entertainment editor in 1991. He recalls a slow news day in 1992, when he watched the editors select an AP wire photo of

THE KEY TO ITS LONGEVITY Fan or not, no one can dispute Star Trek’s ongoing popularity. Why, almost a half-century later, does this show and the whole franchise continue to attract new generations of fans and retain older fans’ interest? Nemecek believes that in addition to its merits listed above, people are drawn to the inherent positive approach of the series, as birthed by its creator. “At a time the nation was experiencing great upheavals,” he said, “Gene Roddenberry took a positive approach, into a future where humankind is at peace, bigotry a thing of the past, and humans no longer view violence and war as a first resort,” he said. “Roddenberry believed that humanity would survive its many challenges and, ultimately, become better. On the other hand, much of pop culture at the time was dystopian, taking a dim view of where humanity was heading. He found a willing audience who’d prefer humanity to find its better angels, and not self-destruct.” Numerous Roddenberry quotes attest to this view, including this one: “Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. […] If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then

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we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.” The original Star Trek, as well as the later series and films, Nemecek said, have endured because they “treated science as real and cool. The scripts drew on the work of scientists and futurists. And it never took a ‘who cares?’ attitude.” In becoming a Star Trek authority, Nemecek seems to have drawn on these principles, including taking his audience seriously, though not too seriously! Humor was an important ingredient in the original series – remember the tribbles? – as well as in the later sequels and prequels. BUILDING AUTHORITY – THE EARLY DAYS Nemecek recalled his early efforts that led to gaining recognition as a Star Trek authority, which was hardly his plan in the beginning.

His first major project, having been shut out of an earlier Star Trek maps project from Bantam in 1980, was a self-published annual guide and “concordance” to The Next Generation after its 1987 debut — printed in lots of 25 at a time, but aided by the arrival of brand-new Macintosh computers, laser printers and “desktop publishing” that allowed a professional printed look at home for the first time ever. He never really made any money from them, but in the pre-Internet days the Star Trek writers snapped them up and made copies for their own use. That got the eye of Paramount Studios and Pocket Books, and he won the

contract to whip out the official The Next Generation Companion episode guide in 1992 — with not only credits and trivia, but “making of ” details and interviews from show writers and designers. There was a one-week trip to Hollywood to do some interviewing live, but most of that had to come by phone during off-duty evenings right from his editor’s desk in Norman. That first edition was second only to The Next Generation Technical Manual as the first Trek nonfiction of the latter TV era; the Companion was updated in 1994 and then 2003, and is still available new for Kindle and other ebooks. The latest edition includes all

“AT A TIME THE NATION WAS EXPERIENCING GREAT UPHEAVALS,” HE SAID, “GENE RODDENBERRY TOOK A POSITIVE APPROACH, INTO A FUTURE WHERE HUMANKIND IS AT PEACE, BIGOTRY A THING OF THE PAST, AND HUMANS NO LONGER VIEW VIOLENCE AND WAR AS A

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

FIRST RESORT” ~ LARRY NEMECEK

seven years of the TV series as well as the four films that featured the Next Gen crew: First Contact (1996), Insurrection (1998) and Nemesis (2002). The guide includes complete plot summaries and credits for each individual episode and film, behind-the-scenes glimpses into how each one was made, and in-depth analyses, as well as more than 150 black-and-white photographs. Nemecek acknowledges that those start-up years after moving the family to LA in 1994 really depended on his wife, Janet, who was earning a regular paycheck as an assistant script coordinator on Star Trek: Voyager, which aired from 1995-2001. Janet served in that position from the pilot through the show’s fifth year. In addition, her job ‘”opened up more doors for me,” he recalled. From 1996 to 2002, Nemecek was art coordinator and a major writer to The Official Star Trek Fact Files,

the Paramount-licensed “partwork” magazine series that focused on all the Star Trek series, up to the first season of Enterprise and the first nine films. It was distributed in the UK, Europe and Australia, and also part of that time in other countries, including Germany and Japan — but not the United States. “The Fact Files is the reason we had our home,” Nemecek said with a grin. Also beginning in 1998 through 2005, when its owner stopped publication, Nemecek served as managing editor of the bi-monthly glossy magazine Star Trek Communicator, the main publication of the Official Star Trek Fan Club. FORGING AHEAD: REBRANDING AND THE DIGITAL AGE In those years before their move west, Nemecek made annual forays to LA to establish contacts and gather

interviews for his book — and keep an eye out for the future. It was a process, he admits, not as he’d first pictured it. “It was a difficult and labor-intensive effort, but ultimately worth it because I learned who’s who and how the system (licensing and production) works, and made a lot of contacts in the show staff and crew – people with whom I earned trust over the years,” he said. “That would not have happened had they somehow rolled out the red carpet for me as an ‘official’ author, and everyone dropped what they were doing and came running to talk to me on my deadline, not theirs.” During one of these early TNG writer-producer interview visits, Nemecek had a conversation with CubanAmerican René Echevarria, who warned him that if he didn’t lose some of his “Midwestern niceness, people in LA would walk all over him.” In other words, it was OK – necessary, in fact –

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

“BONES” Over the years, Larry “Dr. Trek” Nemecek has met, interviewed and even befriended many of the actors in the original Star Trek as well in the later series and films. As his favorite character in the original series was the kind, if crusty, Dr. Leonard McCoy, some of his fondest memories involve meeting and interviewing the actor who portrayed him, DeForest Kelley. “My favorite moment out of many was the last of a handful of times I met him, but after it had gone from a distant fan to a professional relationship. In 1996 at the 30th anniversary convention in Huntsville, Alabama, I ended my very professional interview by changing gears and pitching that I help him do his autobiography (the only cast member not to have done so). “His gentle rebuff: ‘Oh, but then I’d just have to go out to the garage and go through all those boxes!’ Nonplussed, tossing aside the last veneer of ‘professional distance,’ I at least wanted to confide that, all along, he and McCoy had always been my favorite. “‘Well,’ he smiled broadly with a twinkle in mock anger, ‘where were you 20 years ago? I coulda used you!’”

to be assertive. Echevarria spoke from personal experience; he began his career as an amateur screenwriter submitting unsolicited scripts to the producers of TNG. They hired him on staff after using a few of his stories, and after it ended he moved over on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine staff. Echevarria also has written for the series Now and Again, Castle, Dark Angel, Medium and Terra Nova and is co-creator and writer of The 4400. “I took his advice to heart and began to try to remake myself, especially in these last 10 years or so – not to lose my roots or identity, but to market myself so that I could

earn a living doing what I enjoyed so much, and as the media world has remade itself,” he said. “Being a small cog in a big machine is gone now; I had to learn how to sell myself, though I am not a salesman; keep up-to-date with the changing technology; and find a niche for my work, all while trying to stay comfortable in my own skin.” Part of the reinvention process has involved expanding his work into the myriad of venues that evolved with the Digital Age. Take, for instance, some of his recent and current projects, such as his “Trekland: On Speaker”

project. Drawing on 20 years of Trek creator interviews originally recorded on cassette tape, Nemecek is producing a series of CDs featuring extended conversations with writers, producers, designers and other crew, on-stage and off. His first CD in the series debuted at the 2012 Vegas Star Trek convention, and the third is now out. Of course, he has his own website – http://larrynemecek.com/ – dubbed as his “window on the passing Star Trek parade – past, present and future.” There, you can read more about all or most of the following projects, which include: - a documentary titled “The Con of Wrath,” which revisits what has been dubbed as “the most glorious failure in Star Trek convention history” – the 1982 first-ever, all-cast Star Trek extravaganza, held in Houston. Nemecek was among the attendees for this infamous event; in fact, it was his very first road trip to a convention. Among those interviewed so far are producer Harve Bennett, George “Sulu”

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Takei, James “Scotty” Doohan’s widow Wende, and Walter “Chekov” Koenig. Expected to take another couple of years to complete, crowdfunding donations are being sought via PayPal. - his Greetings From Trekland blog and guest vidchats at larrynemecek. blogspot.com or Treklandblog.com. - the hit indie webseries, Star Trek Continues, which completes the final two years of the original five-year mission. Nemecek portrays Dr. McCoy; it also stars Vic Mignogna as Capt. James

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T. Kirk, Todd Haberkorn as Spock, Grant “Mythbusters” Imahara as Sulu, and Chris Doohan as Scotty (yes, he is the original Scotty’s son). Mignogna also is executive producer and director. The webseries is funded in part through Kickstarter. Nemecek said he is enjoying running the gamut, from directing to entering voiceover for animated shows, commercials and industry films. Additionally, he recently was interviewed for CBS’s new documentaries for remastered Bluray Enterprise and The Next Generation DVD sets. Of course, he also makes regular appearances at Star Trek and science fiction conventions. An early founder of SoonerCon, he said he used to see it largely as his ticket home, to connect with family and friends. “I take it more seriously than I used to,” he said. “Now I go to scope out the indie films, to visit with up-and-coming writers, and in general to see what is happening in my home state of Oklahoma. I am also pleased that I can offer some support and guidance.” Last year, Nemecek made big news with his labor of love, the Star Trek: Stellar Cartography map/book set from Amazon. This set of 10 original, never-before-seen poster-sized maps of the Star Trek universe are from various eras and even alien viewpoints, explained and expanded with a 48-page, 8-by-10-inch hardcover reference guidebook that stitches Star Trek “canon” together. Nemecek said he has derived a great deal of satisfaction from his Star Trek work, which has, naturally, put him into contact with a long list of talented actors, producers, designers, writers and others involved with the television series, films, magazines and other related ventures. He said he especially cherishes his one and only meeting on the set with Roddenberry in 1989, though to his chagrin he took the “no camera” warnings seriously and has no photos to document the meeting. He also has interviewed and formed friendships with many of the actors on the original series, including the late DeForest Kelley (see sidebar), George Takei and Walter Koenig — and many of the later series’ cast and creators. Outside Star Trek, Nemecek enjoys spending time with his wife (the couple recently celebrated their 23rd anniversary) and his three stepchildren, James, 26; Sarah, 29; and Nathan, 36. They share their home with a cat, Schneider, 14. He also serves on the board of the emerging Hollywood Sci-Fi Museum (originally New Starship) and of the real-life orbital student science project Enterprise in Space.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Norman Profile

RX for People and Pets by j erri culpepper

PHOTOS BY LINDSEY DAVIES

hen Sister Pauline Quinn, a Dominican nun, started the first prison dog program in Washington State in 1981, it’s highly improbable that she had an inkling that the program, in which inmates train dogs otherwise destined to die on the streets or an animal control facility to become service and companion dogs, would eventually be adopted by prisons in 36 states and several countries. Some 20 years ago, though, a Norman veterinarian recognized the inherent beauty of the program, which benefits so many – not least the dogs, which find stability, security and love, and the inmate trainers, who find in their canine charges unconditional love and who learn patience, compassion and discipline in the process. From there the circle spreads, as the dogs pass on the love and devotion they were shown to help others in need. Oklahoma, with its high incarceration rate, would greatly benefit from such a program, thought Norman veterinarian Dr. John Otto. So he set to work helping to establish what became known as the Friends for Folks program at the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center. The program at Lexington pairs rescues dogs with inmates who train the dogs for placement with families, the elderly, veterans and select facilities, including retirement centers, in the state. The program recently was expanded to the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McCloud.

Norman veterinarian Dr. John Otto and his son, Payton, have penned “Marvin’s Shining Star.”

Since the program was launched in Lexington, it has thrived and garnered state and national media attention. In 2013, a documentary was produced by students in the Oklahoma City Community College Film and Video Program with funding from the Kirk-

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

patrick Foundation. The 43-minute film, titled The Dogs of Lexington, was aired on OETA, and has been shown at numerous other venues. It received an Emmy nomination. (If you have not yet seen it, the documentary can be viewed on YouTube.)

Jacob Fletcher, Ty Lippoldt and Tyler Schaefer join parent volunteer Sallie Ahlert in stuffing packages for Christmas distribution for children of incarcerated parents.

By the time this issue of Norman Magazine hits the mailboxes and magazine stands, a follow-up documentary, titled Bassett Tales, will have been released. That documentary will offer suggestions on how correctional facilities can set up their own dogtraining program. Long before the first documentary was produced, Otto was thinking about how the poignant stories coming out of the dog-training program would resonate with children, most of whom are naturally attracted to dogs and other animals. For many years, despite a rigorous schedule of veterinary work, ongoing collaborations with the facilitators of the dog-training program, and raising a family, Otto continued to dream about producing a children’s book. Otto had for many years written poetry for his own pleasure and as a unique way of journaling. That experience gave him the confidence he needed to tackle writing a children’s book.

In December, All Saint’s Catholic School students collaborated with volunteers from Friends for Folks and the Oklahoma Message Project (also known as Redeeming the Family) to package copies of the book Marvin’s Shining Star, by Dr. John Otto and his son Payton, along with stuffed black labs crocheted by women at the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center, a DVD from each parent to their children reading the book and sharing a Christmas message for mailing to hundreds of children of incarcerated parents, and handmade holiday cards. Referring to them as “gifts of hope,” Otto explained that children of prisoners often suffer from separation trauma. They worry about their parents, experience sadness and anger, and may feel unloved and left behind. And for these children, he said, the holidays may be an especially difficult time. Otto and his collaborators at Friends for Folks, the Oklahoma Message Project, and the Harris Foundation (which underwrote the book, the DVD and the Bassett Tales documentary), hoped the package would offer these children a brighter holiday and, in the longer term, encourage them to read. Literacy, he noted, is a key ingredient in building a successful life and career. Unfortunately, too many children in this state and country are not introduced at an early age to reading, which in turn is an important component of literacy. Christmas 2014 came early for Otto in the form of the partnership with the Oklahoma Message Project on the “gifts of hope” project. The nonprofit organization’s goal is to rebuild families separated by incarceration. Among its other activities, the group holds semi-annual children’s book drives (the books go to incarcerated parents for them to read to their children during visitation and to prison libraries) and hosts parenting and literacy programs. It was a match made in Heaven.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

All Saints students prepare packages for distribution to children of incarcerated parents.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Otto began sending out feelers to see who might be interested in helping finance and print the book, but quickly hit a roadblock. Most of the publishers and other people he talked to, Otto said, thought the issues involved in such a story were too serious, too weighty, for a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book. Otto disagreed. Indeed, he felt so strongly about it that he persevered, ultimately receiving support from the Harris Foundation of Oklahoma City. With funding taken care of, he set to work on the book in earnest, enlisting the aid of his youngest son, Payton, now 15. Marvinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shining Star, featuring illustrations by Janelda Lane, assistant director of youth ministries for the First United Methodist Church of Stillwater, was published in December by The Roadrunner Press. It tells the real-life story of Marvin Perry, an Oklahoma inmate (now deceased), and Star, the Labrador

“LIKE A GOOD POEM OR A PIECE OF ART. THERE ARE SO MANY INTERPRETATIONS TO THE STORY AVAILABLE; IT HOLDS A DIFFERENT MEANING FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE.” ~ JOHN OTTO retriever he trained as a search-and-rescue dog in the Friends for Folks dog training program at the prison. Star went on to rescue – in 20 minutes – an Alzheimer’s patient who’d been missing for nine hours, despite the best efforts of police dogs, search teams and helicopters. Star was awarded a dog hero medal and Marvin was eventually paroled for the wrongs he righted and the discipline and character he developed while training the dog. Though the book had only been out a week at the time of this interview, Otto said he has received only positive responses about the book from people of all ages. “Like a good poem or a piece of art,” he said, “there are so many interpretations to the story available; it holds a different meaning for different people.” Otto enjoyed collaborating on the book with his son, as well as sharing other experiences that came along with publishing the book, including flying together to a book convention in Denver, where there were some 340 vendors. Payton said they began by putting together an outline, which took about two hours. When his father started writing the story, Payton would offer suggestions that might make the book more child-friendly. “I might suggest that he use a different, simpler, word, for example,” he said. “And I gave him ideas on what he might add, as well as offering other ideas.” The teen said in the process of helping write the book, he learned how to exchange ideas and information in a constructive way. It also offered him the opportunity to get closer to his father “in a different way.” Payton had an opportunity to meet the co-star of the book, Star, though he doesn’t remember the encounter very well; Payton was 6 at the time. He also had the opportunity to get acquainted with Marvin Perry, assisting him as he worked on a few odd jobs Otto had hired him to do on their farm. “He was a really nice guy,” said Payton: “not selfish, a hard worker; he never wanted to take breaks, even on hot summer days.” Signed copies of the book are available for sale at University Animal Hospital. It also is available at the Norman Public Library, and for sale at local bookstores and at Full Circle Bookstore in Oklahoma City. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the book go to the Friends for Folks and other prison dog-training programs.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Snap

Assistance League Home Tour The Assistance League of Norman held its annual Holiday Home Tour November 14 and 15. Four Norman homes were featured in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fundraiser. PHOTOS BY JAY CHILTON

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

84 Assistance League Home Tour 85 Assistance League Gala | 86 Celebrity Sing 88 Jubilee Dance | 89 OU Dance 90 First Fidelity after hours 91 NCVB Open House

Back Row: Carol Bauman, Michele Webber, Elizabeth Greenhaw, Katsey Johnson, Laura Bobb, Melissa Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara, Kim Koop, Kari Hayes. Front Row: Kris Booze, Natalie Tiffin, Dominique Gordon, Shannan Hinkley

Assistance League Gala The Assistance League of Norman held its annual holiday gala Dec. 5 at the Oklahoma Memorial Union ballroom. PHOTOS PROVIDED

Scott and Melanie Moulton

Stephanie Clinton, Jeri Saliba, and Kris Booze Tim Jr., and Mindy Kinney and Tim Sr., and Debbie Kinney.

John and Stefanie Chace

Kris Booze, Katsey Johnson, Libbi Holbrook, Elizabeth Greenhaw, Michele Webber

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Snap Shots Celebrity Sing The United Way of Norman staged its annual “Celebrity Sing” fundraiser at Riverwind Casino. PHOTOS BY CHRISTENA DOWSETT

Clay and Maria Griffin

Christina Detamore, Travis Smith

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Nick and Ronda Nance

Brian and Kim Friels

John and Alice Nusz

Brian Horning, Mark McGuire, Jason Coggins

Ericka Jackson

Steve and Linda Crooks

Doug and Megan Rogers Jason and Leslie Christopher Patti Krings, Ann Swanson, Wanda Frost, Holly Van Aucken

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Snap Shots

Leo Whinery Jr., Doris Whinery and Karen Whinery Alfred Striz and Ivelisse Lopez

Drew and Kathy Kershen, Cathy Fagan

Jan and Randy Richison, Dorothea and Ken Johnson

Jubilee Dance Steve and Sue Favors

Normanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jubilee Dance club held its annual holiday party at the Marriott Postal Training Center. The evening featured dinner and dancing to Big Band music.

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Patricia and Harry Bruster

Hannah Jew, Camille Robinsen, Colleen Reed

OU Dance The 21st anniversary of Once Upon A Dream fundraiser for the OU School of Dance honored President David Boren and First Lady Molly Shi Boren.

Rhonda Stone and Andrew Wertz

Jeremy Lindberg and Rebecca Herrin

Jean Ann Lundeen and Sarah Rainey

Nathan and Kim Veirs

Kim Oplotnik and Alicia Simmons NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Snap Shots

Harvey Hill, Anthony Wuestenfeld, Matt Robinson, Lee Symcox, Don Symcox

Brandon Sharbott, Keaton Ozymy

Katie Ringer, Katelynn Calonkey, Alyse Cox

Megan White, Sam Ramirez

Lee Symcox, Don Symcox, John Symcox

Alicia Smith, Brandon Shaw

First Fidelity after hours First Fidelity held its annual holiday Business After Hours in December at its downtown Norman location. PHOTOS BY KYLE PHILLIPS

Brandon Sharbott, Keaton Ozymy, Sakhile Wetzel, Jenna Wetzel

Chuck Thompson, Matt Robinson

Nancy Yoch

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Robin Stead, Anthony Wuestenfeld, Kevin Foor

Dr. Paul and Terry Bell, Lindsay and Dan Schemm

NCVB Open House

Joe and Melinda Wilhite

Ross and Case McLish

The Norman Convention and Visitors Bureauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to alert the world to our wonderful events, attractions, lodging, restaurants, shopping and professional opportunities. Executive Director Dan Schemm and staff hosted an open house at their 309 E. Main St offices on a recent Second Friday Art Walk Night. For some visitors that evening it was their first Art Walk and they enjoyed learning more about the downtown arts district and its numerous family-friendly activities. PHOTOS BY DOUG HILL

Chad Moreschi, Gerhard Heij, Amanda Derienzo

Dan Schemm, William Murray NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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215 E. Comanche | normantranscript.com NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Parting Shot

OU Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basketball Coach Lon Kruger signals to his team. PHOTO BY KYLE PHILLIPS

NORMAN magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015