Norman Magazine, July/August 2014 by Norman Magazine

contents july-august 2014

features

departments

LIVE FROM NORMAN… The Norman Public Library West branch of the Pioneer Library System will be staying open a little later on Saturdays

FARMERS’ MARKET The Norman Farm Market has been offering farm fresh produce to customers for more than three decades

from the Publisher

from the Editor

Norman Events

Norman FYI

Norman Style

48 Making a Difference Habitat for Humanity

SARKEYS FOUNDATION Sarkeys J. Sarkeys’ life epitomizes the character of Oklahoma. His story is one of curiosity, hard work and helping others

HERE’S THE CHOUSE Mid 1920s Norman landmark church that became a house receives 21st century renovation

ADAM PAJAN Twenty-seven year-old, Dr. Adam Pajan is not what one would normally envision as a traditional church organist

Norman Nature Bee Wonderful

Norman People Coterie Ladies’ Club

Norman History Transcript turns 125

Taste of Norman 84 Pub W 89 Wine Time Sauvignon Blanc SNAPSHOTS Le Tour De Vin 90 92 Builder’s Showcase 93 Brockhaus Jewelry OFE Banquet 94 Norman Tourism Luncheon 95 May Fair 96 98 Parting Shot

On the Cover: It’s a garden party at Vernon and Lori Smith’s west Norman home. Photos by Shevaun Williams

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

magazine

from the Publisher

it’s all about you JULY/AUGUST 2014 | VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 1

PUBLISHER Mark Millsap EXECUTIVE EDITOR & GENERAL MANAGER Andy Rieger ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Rebekah Collins Ryan Dillard Robin Escarcega Kimberly Lehenbauer Angela Williams CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Theresa Bragg Mack Burke Jerri Culpepper Amy David Doug Hill Chris Jones CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Theresa Bragg Jay Chilton Lindsey Davies Doug Hill Kyle Phillips NORMAN STYLE COORDINATOR Rebekah Collins DESIGNER Daren Courtney DIGITAL COORDINATOR Jason Clarke Norman magazine is a bi-monthly publication of The Norman Transcript. 215 E. Comanche, Norman, OK 73070. (Phone: 405.321.1800). Letters or editorial contributions should be sent to: Norman magazine, P.O. Drawer 1058, Norman, OK, 73070 or emailed to editor@normantranscript.com. Norman magazine is not responsible for unsolicited submissions. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner, without permission is prohibited. Norman magazine can be found online at

Summer = Millsap Family Roadtrip

ummertime to the Millsap family means summer vacation road trip. My wife and kids know that summer means the family will load up in the SUV and head out by mark to new places. The Millsap family are “The Griswalds” in the millsap station wagon heading to Wally World. This year’s road trip took us to some familiar places to see old friends and a few new places. And places we never want to see again. I am talking about you Iowa and Minnesota. This summer road trip was a mission to go back to Wisconsin. Early in my newspaper career, I was asked to go to Wisconsin to work in a town called Fond du Lac. This was the first time my wife and I moved outside of Oklahoma. Wisconsin was like a whole new country. Neighborhood bars on every corner, brat value meals at McDonalds and it was cold. Cold all the time. And of course they said we talked funny with our Oklahoma accents. The best thing about Wisconsin was the people, hence the road trip. One of my favorite bosses and probably my greatest mentor, Genia Lovett, was retiring after 35 years in the newspaper industry. Of course, there was a reception, and my family and I wanted to surprise her. We had not seen Genia for 10 years. When we walked in, Genia burst into tears. Our 15-hour car ride was worth it. The night was special as we talked about old times and I reconnected with old colleagues. The next day was just as special. We went to the western side of the state to a town called Wausau. There we saw our best friends from Fond du Lac, the Nowaks’. They are very special to us because they had kids the same ages as ours. We saw their bakery, Sweet Lola’s (google it), and talked about the kids mostly. They had one graduating high school that day, our daughter graduates next year. We laughed, we cried, we had a great visit. They are true friends. After the visit in Wausau, we started our long journey home. Google maps said go to Minnesota and then head south. Did you know that in St. Paul, Minnesota Interstate 35 starts? We started south on I-35 and only had 15 hours to Norman. After 8 hours of driving, we tried to stop in Des Moines, Iowa to find a hotel for the night. But that task was easier said than done. The Pork Producers of Iowa were having their convention. We continued south towards Missouri trying to find a place to stay. Between Des Moines and Kansas City, about 150 miles, there are only 2 hotels and 3 gas stations. That is it. After almost 11 hours of driving in one day, we found a hotel in Kansas City and crashed. Next day, before we left Kansas City, our mission was to find the newly opened restaurant that the band Kiss opened. Rock & Brews located in Overland Park, Kansas. Expected, Kiss memorabilia everywhere and live concerts on the big screens. Unexpected, the food was great and very impressive for a theme restaurant. Last leg of our trip was going through Wichita and finally into Oklahoma. You think Oklahoma has high tolls, how about a $7 toll for a 60-mile stretch of road. Stay away from Wichita. Just saying. The Millsap 2014 family road trip was complete. New places, old faces and memories. You cannot beat the summer road trip.

www.normanmagazine.com

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

from the Editor

Finally, the yarn stays in the family “In the great green room, there was a telephone, and a red balloon and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon.”

t’s been 30 years since I first read the words of Margaret Wise Brown by andy to my own son in the nursery of rieger our southwest Norman home. Later, I would read it to his two sisters. Now on this Father’s Day 2014, I’m reading the 1947 classic Goodnight Moon to my grandson, hundreds of miles west in their Los Angeles home. The book is timeless. Josiah John Rieger knows something about time. He came two months early and things were a bit frightening for all of us for a few weeks but we are now blessed to watch him grow and develop into a healthy little boy. He has his father’s and grandfather’s ears and chins (plural on both parts). He is our first grandchild, first for the inlaws and the first great grandchild for my mother who has been knitting tiny Apple stocking caps for our friends’ children and grandchildren for years. Finally, the yarn stays in the family. “And there were three little bears sitting on chairs, and two little kittens and a pair of mittens, and a little toyhouse and a young mouse.” Friends tell us grandchildren change your course on life’s journey. They remind you that the best things in life aren’t things at all. Grandchildren make you ponder your life and legacy. Have I lived a life that will make them proud? What will they remember from our short time together? What kind of world will they inherit? My own time with grandparents generated so many memories. Straightening nails, mowing yards, picking cherries and peaches, playing dominoes and eating fried egg sandwiches. Riding on the back of a plow with a stick to make sure the seed kept falling. Driving my sight-impaired psychiatrist grandfather to see his patients in eastern Oklahoma County hospitals. Painting rent houses.

“And a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush, and a quiet old lady who was whispering hush.” When my mother’s father passed away suddenly at a relatively young age, my younger brother had a hard time contemplating the meaning of death. We had spent much time with him in his garage on Brooks Street. Every nail and screw had its own baby jar. He was organized. Tools hung everywhere. Even his black, Chevy panel truck had special places for saws and hammers. It was the first time we had known a relative that passed. “Your grandfather has died and gone to heaven,” mother told us, to which my brother replied. “Did he take his tools with him?” “Goodnight room, Goodnight moon, Goodnight cow jumping over the moon, Goodnight light and the red balloon, goodnight bears, Goodnight chairs.” “Goodnight kittens and goodnight mittens, Goodnight clocks and goodnight socks. Goodnight little house and Goodnight mouse.” My own father died too young to know his grandchildren well. He was good to them but was gone just as they were beginning to appreciate him. Grandparents can spoil kids and return them to their parents. They can also provide the missing link to the family’s past, sharing memories of their parents, grandparents and children with the next generation. Tell them stories and they’ll not forget you when you are gone. Technology makes it easier when they live hundreds of miles away. Calls are cheap. Skype is wonderful. We can watch him grow, even read to him online. Post pictures and videos. But some things are just better in person. A little facetime tops Facebook any day of the week. “Goodnight comb and goodnight brush. Goodnight nobody. Goodnight mush. And goodnight to the old lady whispering “hush.” “Goodnight stars. Goodnight air. Goodnight noises everywhere.”

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Norman events

Information supplied by Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau

Photos by Kyle Phillips, Doug Hill and Jay Chilton

JULY - AUGUST 2014

ONGOING EVENTS Art Exhibit – Helen Frankenthaler’s “Head of the Meadow” Tuesday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue, Norman Museum visitors have the chance to view Helen Frankenthaler’s Head of the Meadow for a limited time, on loan from a private collector. www.ou.edu/fjjma

Saturdays It’s Feeding Time! (at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History) 11:30 a.m.-Noon Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua Observe local reptiles, amphibians and fish, during their feeding time and learn more about these Oklahoma animals. www.snomnh.com

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

Sundays Family Days at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 1-4 p.m. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue, Norman Explore art in the museum’s permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, and enjoy a variety of hands-on art activities for the entire family. Family Days are made possible by generous support from MidFirst Bank. www.ou.edu

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Live music: Mike Hosty 11 p.m. The Deli 309 White Street Mike Hosty performs live each Sunday night. thedeli.us

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

Tuesdays Art Adventures 10:30 a.m. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue, Norman 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

Noon concerts

Noon Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue, Norman 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

Comedy Night 9 p.m. Othello’s 434 Buchanan Street Sign up begins at 9 p.m. and the show begins at 10 p.m. othellos.us/

every tuesday & saturday Tuesdays & Saturdays

Wednesdays

Norman Farmers Market

Local Trivia Night

Tuesdays, 4-8 p.m. Saturdays, 8 a.m.-Noon Cleveland County Fairgrounds 601 E. Robinson The Norman Farm Market â&#x20AC;&#x201C; now in its 35th season â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is a great source of healthy fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, herbs, plants, and value added products! Each Saturday morning and Tuesday evening, more than 50 vendors offer fruits, vegetables, eggs, herbs, spices, honey, jellies, various Made-inOklahoma products, plants and flowers. www.visitnorman.com/events

8 p.m. Local 2662 W. Main St. Join Local Restaurant for free team trivia every Wednesday, presented by TheLostOgle.com. It is free to play, and the winning teams will win cash prizes! Meanwhile, everyone can enjoy food and drink specials. www.thelostogle.com

First Tuesday NSAA Art Critique

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

6:45 p.m. Mainsite Art Gallery 120 E. Main St. Held the First Tuesday of each month at Mainsite Gallery, the NSAA Critique Sessions enable artists of all levels to present their in-process work and receive constructive feedback for the betterment of the piece and the artist. www.normanarts.org

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Second Friday of the month

Opens June 7

Second Friday Circuit of Art

Art Exhibit – Oil and Wood: George Bogart and Jim Henkle

6-9 p.m. Mainsite Art Gallery 120 E. Main St. Friday Circuit of Art – a monthly, citywide celebration of art – is a collaboration between artists, art organizations, and businesses, brought to you by the Norman Arts Council. 2ndfridaynorman.com

Art “a la Carte” 6-9 p.m. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art participates each month with the Norman Art’s Council’s 2nd Friday Circuit of Art. From 6-9 p.m. on the second Friday of each month the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art provides live music and independent films by the deadCENTER Film Festival Admission to Art “à la Carte” is free and open to all ages. Live music and films run 6:30-8:30 p.m. Films should be considered for mature audiences only. www.ou.edu

Tuesday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue Pairing the work of two distinguished professors emeriti of the OU School of Art & Art History. Bogart, who joined the faculty in 1970, experimented restlessly with oil paint, and the exhibition offers a retrospective of his career. The furniture designs of James Henkle offer a sculptural counterpoint to the paintings of Bogart. Henkle taught design at OU for nearly 40 years and, although he worked in a variety of media, he excelled in the artful design of modernist furniture. www.ou.edu

July 11 Sooner Bowl

JULY

4-7 p.m. Sooner Bowl Center 550 24th Ave. NW Sooner Bowling Center of Norman is celebrating its 30-year anniversary with this community wide, free bowling event. www.visitnorman.com/events

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Ongoing thru July 26

July 11-13

Art Exhibit – Firehouse Art Center Faculty Showcase

Summer Operetta – “The Gondoliers”

Monday – Friday from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Firehouse Art Center 444 S. Flood Gallery will feature an exhibition of recent work from its faculty members. The faculty is known for being quality educators and this is an excellent chance to view a wide variety of talent displayed in one location. Artists from each medium taught at the Firehouse will be represented, including painting, fiber, stone carving, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics, drawing, printmaking, glass and more. www.normanfirehouse.com

Ongoing thru Aug. 31 Hungry Planet: What the World Eats Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua Gain a global perspective on the food and the environment through spectacular photos from Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, the award-winning book by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Alusio. Visitors will meet 10 families from around the world photographed in their kitchens with one week’s worth of food. They will discover surprising similarities and differences in how each family produces, shops for and prepares their food. Some foods show up on almost every family’s menu, while others are unique. www.samnoblemuseum.org

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 & 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. Nancy O’Brian Center for the Performing Arts 1809 Stubbeman The Gondoliers, by Gilbert & Sullivan, is a story about the Gondolier Brothers in Venice who have just chosen their brides (while blindfolded), only to discover that one of the them, due to a mix up at birth, is the King of Barataria. Meanwhile, the Duke of Plaza-Toro arrives in Venice with his wife and daughter, telling her that she was married in infancy to the King of Barataria. A truly topsy-turvy tale, The Gondoliers contains some of Sullivan’s brightest music married to a brilliant text by Gilbert with satire on ultrademocratic sentiments set against royal rule. www.cimarronopera.org

July 13 Summer Breeze Concert Series: The John Arnold Band 7:30 p.m. Lions Park 450 S. Flood The John Arnold Band traces its roots to 1980 (when John was named Male Vocalist of the Year at the Oklahoma Opry). They quickly became very popular with Oklahoma audiences and played many of the state’s biggest venues. Playing not only popular cover tunes but also the tight, well-crafted songs of such famed songwriters as their friends Kevin Welch, John Hadley and John Ims. They’ve toured nationally with both Ricky Skaggs and Exile, and played such famous gigs as the National Finals Rodeo and in the Cotton Bowl Parade. www.pasnorman.org

July 27 Summer Breeze Concert Series: Larry Mitchell Trio 7:30 p.m. Lions Park 450 S. Flood Larry Mitchell is a Grammy awardwinning producer, engineer and performer who has toured the world playing guitar with well-known artists including Tracy Chapman, Billy Squier, Ric Ocasek and Miguel Bosé. In his original compositions, Larry skillfully weaves guitar textures that showcase his virtuosity as a solo artist and ensemble player. The trio is a dynamic rock instrumental funk-flavored splash of intensity. They blend rock, funk, jazz and blues into a melodic frenzy, carrying the listener along on a journey of bliss and intrigue. www.pasnorman.org

Aug. 22 & 23 Midsummer Nights’ Fair 6-11 p.m. Lions Park 450 S. Flood One of the largest art fairs in Norman, taking place in the evening, with a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. The Firehouse Art Center takes this opportunity to showcase regional artists, share its mission to provide quality art experiences and demonstrate the passion for the visual arts to the community. This juried arts festival features 30 unique, high-quality artist booths that offer pottery, jewelry, glass, sculpture, woodworking and more. www.normanfirehouse.com/events

July 29 & Aug. 26 Last Tuesday Free Art Fair 4-8 p.m. Cleveland County Fairgrounds 601 E. Robinson Last Tuesday Free Art Fair will take place on the last Tuesday of every month in conjunction with the Norman Farm Market featuring many children’s activities, professional artists and crafters will demonstrate their methods; inflatables (bouncy houses), live music and food trucks. www.clevelandcountyfair.org

July 31-Aug. 3 Shrek: The Musical Thursday 7:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. Sooner Theatre 101 E. Main Street Shrek: The Musical, based on the Oscar® winning DreamWorks film that started it all, brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to dazzling new life on the stage. In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre - not a handsome prince - shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a bad guy with a short temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand... and his name is Shrek. Full of all-new songs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery, Shrek: The Musical is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone! www.soonertheatre.org

Aug. 10 Summer Breeze Concert Series: The Sunday Flyers

AUG

7:30 p.m. Lions Park 450 S. Flood Norman natives, The Sunday Flyers, are a mixture of modern pop-rock with an Americana soul – like Steely Dan and The Band moving into the same neighborhood, with Sonny Boy Williamson and Neil Young driving the welcome wagon. www.pasnorman.org

Aug. 24 Summer Breeze Concert Series: The Handsome Devils 7:30 p.m. Lions Park 450 S. Flood Norman band The Handsome Devils blend a love of folk, rock, blues, R&B and jazz into a wholly Americana sound. Beginning as a trio of Derek Paul and rhythm section wonder twins Derek and Devon Carothers, they hit the ground running and quickly garnered a loyal local following by way of honest, catchy tunes and fun live shows. www.pasnorman.org

network one-on-one. Join your business colleagues and competitors in Indian Country to build business relationships and advance contract opportunities www.icbs2014.com

Aug. 26 & 27 Indian Country Business Summit Embassy Suites 2501 Conference Drive Attendees will gain insights from presentations and panels featuring business development decision-makers from several of the Oklahoma’s leading Native American companies. Gain insight into the current and future outlook for business development activities across all sectors. In between learning sessions covering what it takes to get a deal done, the Summit offers ample opportunities to

Aug. 30 Oklahoma Sooners vs. La. Tech 6 p.m. Oklahoma Memorial Stadium 180 W. Brooks The Sooner football team kicks off the 2014 season, playing Louisiana Tech. www.soonersports.com

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

NBC has its Saturday Night Live, and Library.”The Norman Public Library System will be staying open a little ng time back three hours to 8 p.m. Norman Nights 2014, insome response to customer dem ry out new features. “What w days we were getting busier later i at 5,” said Norman West Branch Ma ike inhours.”This this area of will the city, the dema ater give the libra Court, some opportunities for speci Saturdays, something that’s started w gram.In July, the library will host Mus the painting class July 12, a Science he each Sherlock Holmes series Julymov 19, 26, starting at 6 p.m.“And inue having some more events, and Lynam said. “We’re the only branch hours.”The newest branch library in ibrary, or even possibly your big bro Scherer & Rockcastle group that did li t Oklahoma City branch, use natural ng and furniture toand make thelike space ess like a library more a c hespace physical home for the library sy up for those with questions ab use that new eReader they got as a eature of the library and one uniqu of the countryby is local Michelangelo’s Ca building.Run restaurateur op during all hours the library was he features of his downtown locati ibrary – it still has many favorites,ki ight lunch and dinner items.“We ahing caféunique when Borders was here, and with it,” said PLS Direc his original Michelangelo’s location moving to Norman from Denver sev brings in live music, poets and prov play their work, and future partnersh wel o similar programming thereofasmany gives substance to the vision opportunity for such a facility becam he Borders Books and More store in chase of the spaceits bydoors the Pioneer Lib building opened Nov. 1 of l began picking up around the holida and growing.Lynam is even more ne ulltime branch manager May 1. Sh Norman Central and Southwest Okl hein Prague Public Library inthe her ho on the west side of town, east bolstered asdays wellofbythe theopening nation’soffirs vice within th ervice in Norman isn’t done expan or both an expanded facility in the d man, as well as a branch library to o man West is serving the west side of the programs and services offere

now has its “Saturday Nigh yNorman West branch of the Pioneer Library later on Saturdays, moving its clos . on Saturdays for the remainder o mand and also as anisopportunity to we’ve been seeing that on Satur in the day but then having towe close anager Rebekah Lynam. “So fel and for that was great for having the ary, located at 300 Norman Cente from ial programming in theReading eveningsPro on with this year’s Summer eseum staff of “Be Wild for Art” forbased an adul Oklahoma program on , and a children’s art workshop July ving forward, we are looking to con dh maybe do some on is Friday as well, in the system that adding these nother’s. the system, this isn’t your mother’ Features put in by the Meyer N the design for the system’s Southwes light and a variety of movable shelv versatile for many uses. It feels a loi community gathering place.It also ystem’s Virtual Library andor itshow walk bout downloadable books to aue graduation present.And a popula to this system and even this par afé, located on thethe eastcafé sideisof the Michael Palermo, open pen. And while it doesn’t have allthe o ion – wine is not served inside including coffee, tea and ahad menu o knew this was a space that been we saw anMasters.Palermo opportunity to dohas some ctor Anne run nveral at 207years E. Main St.Atinthat downtown afte ago. location, he vides space for visual artists to dis hips in the library space could lead ll.The hustle and bustle of the library ny library supporters in Norman. The me more real after the shuttering o n this location and subsequent pur brary System.The library part of bu the last year. Traffic was slow at first ays, and since it’s just keptas growing ew to the building, starting its firs he previously has worked with the lahoma City branches with PLS and ometown.In addition to what’s going tstside of Norman has had its service 24-Hour Library, which began ser he Norman West branch.And library nding. There continues to be a need downtown area serving central Nor serve the east side in theabout way Nor of the city.Find out more ed at Norman Public Library Westany by

LIVE NORMAN

BC has its Saturday Night Live, and Norman now has its “Saturday Night Library.” The Norman Public Library West branch of the Pioneer Library System will be staying open a little later on Saturdays, moving its closing time back three hours to 8 p.m. on Saturdays for the remainder of 2014, in response to customer demand and also as an opportunity to try out some new features. “What we’ve been seeing is that on Saturdays we were getting busier later in the day but then having to close at 5,” said Norman West Branch Manager Rebekah Lynam. “So we felt like in this area of the city, the demand for that was great for having the later hours.” This will give the library, located at 300 Norman Center Court, some opportunities for special programming in the evenings on Saturdays, something that’s started with this year’s Summer Reading Program. In July, the library will host the staff of “Be Wild for Art” for an adult painting class July 12, a Science Museum Oklahoma program based on the Sherlock Holmes series July 19, and a children’s art workshop July 26, each starting at 6 p.m. “And moving forward, we are looking to continue having some more events, and maybe do some on Friday as well,” Lynam said. “We’re the only branch in the system that is adding these hours.” The newest branch library in the system isn’t your mother’s library, or even possibly your big brother’s. Features put in by the Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle group that also is working on plans for a new downtown Norman library, use natural light and a variety of movable shelving and furniture to make the space versatile for many uses. It

by c hristian potts

feels a lot less like a library and more like a community gathering place. It also is the physical home for the library system’s Virtual Library and its walk-up space for those with questions about downloadable books or how to use that new eReader they got as a graduation present. And a popular feature of the library and one unique to this system and even this part of the country is Michelangelo’s Café, located on the east side of the building. Run by local restaurateur Michael Palermo, the café is open during all hours the library was open. And while it doesn’t have all of the features of his downtown location – wine is not served inside the library – it still has many

Michelangelo’s Café sits behind shelves inside Norman Public Library West.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

NBC hasnow its Saturday Night Live, and Norman has its “Saturday Night Library.”The Norman Public Library Library West branch of the Pioneer System will be staying openitsa closlittle ater on Saturdays, moving ng Saturdays time back for three hours to 8 p.m. on the remainder of 2014, in response to opportunity customer demand and also as an to ry out some new features. “What we’ve been seeing is that on Saturdays we were getting busier later in he day but then having to close at 5,” said Norman West Branch Manager Rebekah Lynam. “So we felt ike infor thisthat area of great the city, the demand was for having he later hours.”This will giveCenter the library, located at 300 Norman Court, some opportunities for special programming in the evenings on Saturdays, something that’s started with this year’s Summer Reading Program.In July,Wild the library will host he staff of “Be for Art” for an adult painting class July 12, a Science Museum Oklahoma program based on 19, the and Sherlock Holmes seies July a children’s art workshop July 26, each starting at 6ooking p.m.“And moving forward, we are to continue having some more events, and maybe do some on Friday as well,” Lynam said. “We’re he only branch in the system that s adding these hours.”The newest branch library in the system, this isn’t your mother’s library, or even possibly your big brother’s. Features put n by the Meyer, Scherer & Rockcasle group that did the design forCity the ystem’s Southwest Oklahoma branch, use natural light and a variety of movable shelving and for furniture o make the space versatile many uses. It feels a lot less like a library and more like a community gathering place.It also issystem’s the physical home for the library Virtual Library and its walk-up space for hose with questions about downoadable books or got howas to ause that new eReader they graduation present.And a popular feaure of the library and one unique o this system and even this part of he country is Michelangelo’s Café, ocated on the east side of the buildLibrary patrons enjoy one of the childfriendly computer stations inside Norman Public Library West.

favorites, including coffee, tea and a menu of light lunch and dinner items. “We knew this was a space that had been a café when Borders was here, and we saw an opportunity to do something unique with it,” said PLS Director Anne Masters. Palermo has run his original Michelangelo’s location at 207 E. Main St. in downtown after moving to Norman from Denver several years ago. At that location, he brings in live music, poets and provides space for visual artists to display their work, and future partnerships in the library space could lead to similar programming there as well. The hustle and bustle of the library gives substance to the vision of many library supporters in Norman. The opportunity for such a facility became more real after the shuttering of the Borders Books and More store in this location and subsequent purchase of the space by the Pioneer Library System. The library part of the building opened its doors Nov. 1 of last year. Traffic was slow at first but began picking up around the holidays, and since it’s just kept growing and growing. Lynam is even more new to the building, starting as its first fulltime branch manager May 1. She previously has worked with the Norman Central and Southwest Oklahoma City branches with PLS and the Prague Public Library in her hometown. In addition to what’s going on in the west side of town, the east side of Norman has had its

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Michael Palermo visits with guests at Michelangelo’s.

service bolstered as well by the nation’s first 24Hour Library, which began service within days of the opening of the Norman West branch. And library service in Norman isn’t done expanding. There continues to be a need for both an expanded facility in the downtown area serving central Norman, as well as a branch library to serve the east side in the way Norman West is serving the west side of the city. Find out more about any of the programs and services offered at Norman Public Library West by calling the library at 701-2644 or going to the library’s web site, www.pioneerlibrarysystem.org/norman.

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Cover Story

Sarkeys Foundation’s service to Oklahoma based in Norman by d oug hill

Photos by Kyle Phillips

arkeys J. Sarkeys’ (1874-1965) life epitomizes the character of Oklahoma. His story is one of curiosity, hard work and helping others. A Lebanese national, Sarkeys was born into an affluent olive-growing family but came to the USA in 1891. He joined two of his brothers in St. Louis who were already in the carbide lamp sales business. Traveling on business

by horse and buggy Sarkeys happened to observe successful exploration for black gold near Cushing. It captured his entrepreneurial imagination. Without any geology or petroleum engineering expertise Sarkeys began acquiring mineral rights and selling oil and gas leases. His fortunes came and went. Unlike many oil tycoons of the day he didn’t build a stylish Philbrook

or Marland-type mansion. Sarkeys was known to reside in his automobile or boardinghouses wherever he happened to be. He was a frugal man but one who cared about the needs of other people and particularly those in Oklahoma which became his home. Late in his life the Sarkeys Foundation was established with a relatively small amount of money as a charitable organization. Upon Sarkeys death in 1965 the foundation was funded with a few million dollars in cash and properties. “The parameters set then were that all money would stay within Oklahoma,” Kimberly D. Henry said. “He loved this state.” Henry has been the foundation’s Executive Director since 2009 and was a Trustee for six years before becoming its leader. She’s well known throughout Oklahoma for

Sarkeys staff members include, from left, Linda Weeks, Natalie Carns, Janice White, Kim Henry, Susan Frantz, Angela Holladay, Lori Sutton and Monica Swink.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Former Oklahoma First Lady Kim Henry served as a trustee before being chosen to lead Sarkeys Foundation.

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being its popular First Lady during her husband Brad Henry’s two terms as Governor earlier this century. “Next year we will probably be giving away our 100 millionth dollar to Oklahoma non-profit organizations,” Henry said. “That’s all because of Mr. Sarkeys’ legacy and his caring spirit.” Those are charitable funds that have had a positive impact on untold numbers of lives for over five decades. The administration of that beneficence is headquartered here at 530 E. Main St. in an attractively renovated former First Presbyterian Church. Henry supervises a staff of six program directors and managers. An eight member board of trustees from leaders in the state governs the foundation. “The trustees set the policies, procedures and guidelines that we go by,” Henry said. “They vote on all the grants and set our investment policies.” Sarkeys Foundation has changed significantly over the decades. Norman resident

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Sarkeys remodeled a former church for their headquarters at 530 E. Main.

OU programs such as the Peggy and Charles Stephenson Oklahoma Cancer Center have received Sarkeys funds.

and Executive Director Boyd Gunning was at the helm in 1979 during a major restructuring. Assets doubled during his tenure. Henry took the reins just as the Great Recession was devastating investment portfolios worldwide. Sarkeys took a huge hit and was down to $66 million. Although Henry is quick to deflect any personal credit for the foundation’s remarkable financial recovery, you can bet if it had been anemic she’d take the blame. Sarkey’s current war chest has $107 million with ongoing grants made during the entire economic recovery period from 2009 to present. The foundation’s investment gurus are Sellwood Consulting LLC in Portland, OR. Sarkeys Foundation grants money in various amounts to non-profit organizations with 501 (c) (3) status that provide social and humanitarian services, arts and cultural endeavors, education and scientific research and animal welfare. Grant hopefuls go through an application process. Many of these funds go to non-profits in rural Oklahoma who are

far from corporate and other big city givers. Decision making for who gets how much money is a difficult process. It’s a fact that Oklahoma’s government funding for education and social services continues to shrink in most areas. This contributes to the foundation’s burden and where grant money is allocated. “We are very heavy on the social services side,” Henry explained. “Sarkeys has not given as much money to the arts as in years past because we see so much direct need due to budget cuts.” Their priorities are targeted at people who are at-risk for being hungry, sick and uneducated. Needs that in many parts of the world would be provided for by a caring government. “When it comes down to an art exhibit or back-packs of food for kids our trustees have a soft spot for those basic needs that are going unfilled,” Henry said. One beneficiary of foundation funds is Iron Gate soup kitchen and food pantry in downtown Tulsa. “We started just feeding the homeless in 1978. It was a new phenomena —

people living on the streets,” Connie Cronley, Iron Gate executive director said. “We have seen the demographic change radically especially since the recession. We’re feeding as many working poor or families with children. Because we’re seeing so many children come in we started a Kid’s Pantry.” Sarkeys money also goes to health care and dental services. They typically fund organizations that provide care to uninsured folks who would be Medicaid eligible had the program been expanded in Oklahoma. It’s a comprehensive facility that even has a pharmacy. They provide care to uninsured folks who typically would be Medicaid eligible had the program been expanded in Oklahoma. In its history, Sarkeys has awarded nearly 2,000 grants to worthy organizations. In one recent grant year 179 applications were received. Henry believes that money for education provides some of Sarkey’s brightest success stories. “Especially the literacy programs we fund,” she said. “Education NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Thunderbird Clubhouse in Norman has been the recipient of Sarkeys grants.

is really the equalizing force in our society. The better educated you are, the better you can help yourself.” In addition to benefiting small educational endeavors, major universities are recipients of funds as well. In 1990 the foundation gave $3.3 million to University of Oklahoma, its largest grant ever that was used to fund the Sarkeys Energy Center. It’s a magnificent multi-story complex of class rooms, research space and offices on the east side of campus that has become a landmark in its own right. Part of the foundation’s mission involves providing instruction for people in the non-profits who apply for grants. Over a decade ago former trustee Molly Boren and then Executive Director Cheri Cartwright observed that non-profits were often doing great charitable work despite ineffective internal management. As remedy they created the Oklahoma Institute for Nonprofit Leadership. Sarkeys staff goes on many field trips to remote parts of the state evaluating charitable organizations and also providing free counseling on how to make operations more effective. Helping them succeed through employee and board of director member development makes the Sarkeys dollars go farther. Conference-style training on board roles, responsibilities and liability is provided every other year for as many as 600 attendees in cities around Oklahoma at the Southwest Regional Leadership Forum. Marketing, use of social media and fund raising techniques are treated in break-out ses32

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sions. “We bring in experts from across the nation to lead these discussions,” Henry said. “Our Leadership Institute in even-numbered years emphasizes organizational change to make them more effective in delivering their services and have better outcomes.” The Sarkeys building itself has conference and event space that may be scheduled free of charge for use by non-profit and educational groups. Attorney Elizabeth A. Base is a Sarkeys trustee. She has lived in Norman for over 25 years, taking both her undergraduate and Juris Doctorate degrees at OU. Presently Base is the university law school’s Director of the Office of Career Development. “As a Sarkeys trustee, I am able to help non-profit organizations throughout Oklahoma, and most importantly, help assist the people these groups support,” Base said. “I have served on non-profit boards for 20 years and part of my duties have always involved helping raise money for those

organizations. Serving as a Sarkey’s Trustee, has allowed me to be on the other side and give money to so many deserving groups. It has also allowed me the opportunity to help a variety of organizations rather than focusing on just one group.” Base finds her service rewarding because it improves the lives of people in Oklahoma in many tangible ways. “It’s something I could never afford to do on my own,” she said. Henry’s greatest challenge as director was not unexpected. “There are more needs than we have money for,” she said. “There are a lot of excellent high-quality programs in Oklahoma and we just can’t give to everybody.” A glance at the list of benefited organizations that help developmentally disabled youth, disadvantaged elderly people with leaking roofs and the homeless reveals a tremendous amount of good being accomplished. It’s a legacy for Sarkeys J. Sarkeys that he would undoubtedly be proud of.

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Norman FYI

Phil

Trotter Retired from Lucent Technologies

How long have you been a cyclist? How did you get involved and what do you enjoy about riding? About 16 years ago a friend, Tom Loeffelholz introduced me to mountain bike riding, which evolved into road riding. I enjoy the freedom and solitude of riding trails and I enjoy the challenge and camaraderie of road rides. What fills up the most space on your calendar? Cycling takes most of my recreation time. What is one word that describes you? Why? Busy. I have a large, local family with several grandchildren who I love spending time with plus I also sail and crew on a friend’s trimaran which we race in long distance races on the Gulf Coast and Great Lakes. Do you follow the directions or make your own rules? Yes… can I do both? What is something unusual about you? In 1972 I bought 5 acres of black jacks in East Norman and built my home starting with digging the foundation footings by hand then framing, plumbing, wiring, roofing, etc. What is your greatest accomplishment? My children all seem happy and productive. I’m not sure I had a lot do with their success but maybe I contributed a little.

Who do you admire? My father, deceased but still my greatest hero.

Where is your favorite place to be? There are so many places I love to be. Anyplace with my wife and family tops the list.

What is your greatest challenge? I move from challenge to challenge. Right now I’m training for the Bicycle Tour of Colorado. A few fellow riders and I are heading down to Mt. Scott to do repeats up the mountain. It’s difficult to train for high altitude riding in Oklahoma but we try.

What makes you smile? Seeing other happy people either at club rides, on the sailboat or at family gatherings.

How would you spend the perfect summer day? Swimming with my grandchildren at Little Niagara would be perfect.

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Mike

Tower Architect

How long have you been participating in rowing? How did you get involved and what do you enjoy about the sport? I have been rowing for about six years and competing for about four. I started with indoor rowing as exercise for winter days

What makes you smile? People, especially in Oklahoma because they smile back. Who do you admire? My wife. She always emphasizes the positive. We call her “Little Mary Sunshine”.

when I couldn’t run. Rowing is great exercise, but the morning sunrises on the water make the effort worth it.

What is your greatest challenge? Time. There is never enough.

What fills up the most space on your calendar? Work, either as an architect or on our hundred year old house. What is one word that describes you and why? Determined. I just am, whether it was taught to me or in my genes. Do you follow the directions or make your own rules? Both. I am creative enough to color within and around the lines. What is something unusual about you? Probably a lot, but we are all unusual in our own way.

What is your favorite snack? Dark chocolate with sea salt. What is your greatest accomplishment? A wonderful 30-year marriage and two great kids.

How would you spend the perfect summer day? Start with an early morning row, take on whatever comes during the day and then spend the evening with my wife.

What is your dream? That I don’t wake up from the one I am living. Where is your favorite place to be? In our backyard, under the trees, reading.

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Norman FYI

Cindy

Merrick Physical Therapist

How long have you been playing golf? How did you get involved and what do you enjoy about it? My father was a great golfer and he taught me to play in the second grade. I participated in every eligible year in Oklahoma City’s junior golf program and state tournaments. My mom encouraged golf because it got me out of the house for 4 to 5 hours at a time. I continued golf in high school but didn’t play much in college because I was playing D1 softball and volleyball. Playing golf is one of the rare things that brings me relaxation. Golf is a lot like life. It has its good and bad, ups and downs and can elicit an abundance of emotions. It is a game of integrity and as I get older, I prefer not to keep score and allow myself several mulligans, foot wedges and do overs. What fills up the most space on your calendar? I am blessed to have a career that I enjoy and I spend a great deal of time at Therapy In Motion. I am fortunate that both of my sons and their wives live in Norman so I have the gift of spending 2 to 3 days a week with them and my precious infant, 2,3, and 4 year-old grandsons. My minivan is full of car seats! I also treasure spending time with my special friends and worshipping and singing with my family at Morning Star Spiritual Living Center. During the past year, I also had the opportunity of spending time raising money for The Center For Children and Families.

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What is one word that describes you and why? My friends answered this question with the word tenacious, because I fearlessly “get er done”. Do you follow the directions or make your own rules? Chuckle, chuckle, what are rules? What is something unusual about you? I can put 54 green grapes in my mouth at one time and put red shoe string licorice up my nose and pull it out of my mouth.

What is your greatest accomplishment? My two wonderful sons Will and Scott! I have tears of joy when I think about how much I love them and their beautiful families. I also have been given the opportunity to provide a hand up for other young people, who I now consider family. What is your dream? That we live in a world without prejudice and discrimination and that we prioritize our need to help those who suffer from hunger, abuse, homeless, mental illness and addictions. (Ps I also dream of correctional system reform

Joel E.

Holloway Dermasurgeon and Board Certified Dermatologist

How long have you been an instructor for Sooner Judo Club? How did you get involved and what do you enjoy about Judo? I have been an instructor for 52 years. I started Judo at Tripler Army Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, and enjoy the mental and physical discipline as well as the competition. What fills up the most space on your calendar? The practice of medicine and surgery. What is one word that describes you and why? Persistent, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in quitting. because the mentally ill, addicts, good people who made a bad choice and criminals should not be treated the same.) What makes you smile? Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Funniest Home Videos, babies, and watching others succeed. Who do you admire? Dr Shelba Bethel, Dr Becky Holt and Dr. Jean Trousdale How would you spend the perfect summer day? An early morning walk followed by a skinny vanilla cafe latte while reading The Norman Transcript. Then I would stretch and sing. In the afternoon, I would hike in the Wichita Mountains or play golf and have a picnic dinner with my family. I would conclude my day with a massage, hot bath and glass of cabernet. If it was a cool night, I would sleep outside on my patio.

Do you follow the directions or make your own rules? I take responsibility for my own actions. What is something unusual about you? I write and have published scientific dictionaries. What is your greatest accomplishment? Finishing my medical education. Practicing medicine for forty years. Being the first overall grand champion at the first world judo kata competition at the World Masters Games in Brisbane, Australia in 1994. Being inducted into three halls of fame, the Oklahoma Judo Hall of Fame, the United States Judo Association Hall of Fame and the Martial Arts Hall of Fame. What is your dream? To continue doing what I am doing. Where is your favorite place to be? Home and Santa Fe, New Mexico Who do you admire? Anyone who is honest, hard-working and expert at their craft. What is your greatest challenge? Staying on top of advances in medicine. How would you spend the perfect summer day? With friends and not getting a suntan.

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Scene & Style

midsummer

Nights Photography by Shevaun Williams of Shevaun Williams & Associates Hair & Makeup by Mystique Hair Salon Table settings and outdoor accessories provided by Occasions Women’s clothing and accessories provided by Cayman’s and Blush Men’s clothing and accessories provided by Cayman’s and Threads Modeled by Ryan and Amanda Clark Rod and Christine Cleveland Sam and Lisa Talley Soon to be Zach and Kenady Nashert Special Thank You to Vernon and Lori Smith and our good friends at Local

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Lisa Talley, left, and Kenady Cleveland

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Rod and Christine Cleveland

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Kenady Cleveland

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Sam and Lisa Talley NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Making a Difference

Side by Sod by j erri culpepper

Photos by Lindsey Davies

o all outward appearances, the two houses at 616 and 618 East Apache in Norman look very alike. They are a similar color, have the same interior square footage and number of rooms, and even share identical HVAC systems. And both were built with the help of a dedicated cadre of Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity volunteers. Ahhh, but as is so often the case, one can’t read this proverbial book by its cover. The house at 616 was constructed using National Green Building Standards and traditional wood-framing techniques; the house at 618 is of earthen construction. That’s right: 94 percent good ole red Oklahoma dirt. Matt Reyes, University of Oklahoma assistant professor of construction science, along with several other OU College of Architecture faculty, collaborated with members of the ecumenical Christian housing ministry to construct the earthen house, which is expected to be finished in late summer. Linda Banta, executive director of the Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity, says this was the first time her organization has collaborated on an alternative home build. Though she wasn’t on the board in the early days of the project, she said the alternative housing project with OU “looked like a natural partnership.” “We provided the family, the lot, most of the labor and some of the materials, and the College of Architecture provided the knowledge, some of

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Breaking ground are homeowners, from left, Alejandrina Ruvalcaba, Jimena Ruvalcaba, Jose Ruvalcaba, Adan Ruvalcaba and Mayor Cindy Rosenthal

the labor and some of the materials. CCHFH will benefit by holding the mortgage (0% interest), and the payments made on the home will go into our Fund for Humanity, which will help us build more homes. The College of Architecture will benefit by testing the home for energy efficiency to complete their grant and their experiment to see if this is a viable alternative in the future of Oklahoma.” IN THE BEGINNING Though discussions between OU and Habitat on building the earthen construction house began earlier, the project really gained momentum in 2012. That was when a team of OU

architecture students and faculty were awarded a $90,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency after winning a national competition in which they demonstrated their Compressed Earth Block-building technology on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. That team included Reyes, then a graduate student; construction science students Molly Lyons and Kyle De Freitas and architecture students Herve Sivuilu and Aaron Crandall; construction science assistant professor Lisa Holliday; and assistant professor of architecture Daniel Butko. Before the actual building process could begin, Reyes said, the OU architecture team spent countless hours

in material testing, proof of concept testing, fund raising, and training the volunteers on the construction methods, among other things. Reyes brought with him prior experience working with CEB at Texas A&M. About two months before Reyes came to Norman, OU acquired a CEB machine and, since he had some familiarity with it, he was asked to direct its use. Also before construction could begin, the OU team had to present its design plan to city building code inspectors and seek their approval. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because there are no existing Norman

[OU faculty and students, they are, from left to right] Charles Graham, Peter Mall, Dave Boeck, Lisa Holliday, Michael Frame, Matthew Reyes, Holly Snow, Stephen Curtis, Tom Woodfin, Scott Williams, Dan Butko

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city codes, or indeed even any state codes, available for us to follow with this technology, we used codes developed in New Mexico for adobe houses, which use nearly identical materials but a very different technology,” Reyes said, adding, that “city officials were awesome to work with.”

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BLOCK BY BLOCK, IT BEGINS In the summer of 2012, volunteers, directed and helped by OU architecture and construction science students and faculty, began the work of excavating dirt from a site on the OU Research Campus. Though Reyes described it as a “simple three-step process” of sifting, mixing and compress-

ing, in actuality a great deal of sweat equity was involved. The sifted soil was mixed with portland cement and water, as needed based on the moisture content of the soil, compressed and molded into 6-by-12-inch “bricks” that are 3.5 inches thick and weigh 19 pounds. The bricks were then allowed to cure

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

before beginning construction. When it came time to join the bricks, the manufacturing process was similar to above, except more water was added to create a slurry, or binder, material. Banta said that they estimate that some 539 Habitat volunteers invested 2,075 hours in the CEB-making process, while the construction phase required the efforts of 490 Habitat volunteers working a total of 2,843 hours. “There have been many concerns, difficulties and demands in building this home. When the walls are this much different, it makes everything go together differently,” she admits.

“I don’t think anyone involved in the beginning of the project had any idea of the difficulties that would lie ahead with this project.” However, all’s well that ends well, and Banta said she and the other Habitat staff and board members hope “that it will be a solid, energy-efficient home for the homeowners and will fulfill the purpose and needs of the College of Architecture.” Reyes acknowledges that the CEB house on Apache Street involved perhaps 20 percent more labor than that of the neighboring structure, largely because they manufactured the build-

Many, many people with OU and the Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity worked together to build Norman’s first house built out of Compressed Earth Blocks. In addition to Reyes, who handled management and logistics, the OU team included Daniel Butko, assistant professor, Architecture, architectural design; Stephen Curtis, graduate student, Architecture, block manufacturing volunteer coordination; Michael Frame, graduate student, Architecture, on-site volunteer coordination; Charles Graham, dean, College of Architecture, project oversight and coordination; Kianoosh Hatami, associate professor, Civil Engineering, block manufacturing equipment; Lisa Holliday, assistant professor, Construction Science, structural design; Peter Mall, undergraduate student, Architecture, project pre-planning and analysis; Chris Ramseyer, associate professor, Civil Engineering, structural testing of material; Holly Snow, undergraduate student, Construction Science, data collection planning; Jesse Waddle, undergraduate student, Construction Science, on-site volunteer coordination; and Scott Williams, assistant professor, Landscape Architecture, plaster and finishes. Key Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity players in addition to Banta included former executive directors Jana Castleberry and Jennifer Houchins and Bill McManus, a former board member and retired OU associate professor of construction science.

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ing materials from raw materials on the alternative structure. CEB VS. TRADITIONAL So, what are Reyes and the OU team hoping to discover with this venture? “By building two houses that are identical in interior size and layout, we remove a lot of variables and are able to isolate the performance of the wall system,” he said. “We anticipate that the CEB house will require less energy to heat and cool, be more thermally stable (thus resulting in a more comfortable house), have reduced pest issues, and have improved acoustical isolation values. We are also going to measure structural performance.” Specifically, he noted, the earth blocks “performed very well under extended water exposure and submersion” and also were determined to comply with seismic requirements.

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“There is nothing new about this building technology; it’s the oldest in the world. We want to take an old technique and add science on it. We want to make our houses more energy-efficient, stronger. We will study the strength of these materials, their constructability and their performance.” ~ Matthew Reyes

Furthermore, Reyes said they anticipate that the CEB house “will be as durable, or more durable – with comparable care – due primarily to its thicker and more massive walls.” “There is nothing new about this building technology; it’s the oldest in the world,” Reyes points out. “We want to take an old technique and add science on it. We want to make our houses more energy-efficient, stronger. We will study the strength of these materials, their constructability and their performance.” “We also want to reduce our carbon footprint, which we accomplish by using products, such as dirt, that can be found at or near the building site. This reduces the need to transport building materials a long distance and reduces the amount of materials that must be produced using energy. This means fewer trees are cut down, and it also creates a use for ‘waste soil’. We are even looking at getting away from the use of portland cement in favor of a more local material.” ONLY TIME WILL TELL For a year, Reyes and his associates will monitor the energy usage, along with reported comfort level (including humidity), of the CEB home and the house next door. In the longer term, they will measure how well the earthen house holds up to Oklahoma’s sometimes turbulent environment. Only time will tell if the OU team has hit pay dirt with its CEB-built home.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Norman Life

A relaxing, homey atmosphere by a my david Photos by Jay Chilton

he Norman Farm Market has been offering farm fresh produce to customers for more than three decades. Each year between April and October eager shoppers with empty bags in hand hustle into the Cleveland County Fairgrounds, 615 E Robinson, twice a week to buy taste tempting produce and leave carrying bags overflowing with leafy green vegetables and other goodies. Visitors strolling through the booths that fill the building and spill out on the parking lot might be surprised to also find all kinds of teas and herbs, jars of jellies, honey and peanut butter, meat, eggs, cheese, granola, soap, crafts, plants, and dog treats among the bushels of produce. At the Norman Farm Market you can find shoppers sniffing cantaloupe and onions, sampling strawberries and salsa, while others select bountiful plants and some catch up with old friends. “It is a social event,” said Wanda Danley, administrative secretary for the fairgrounds. “It has a very relaxing, nice, homey atmosphere.” Danley said the market Doug Tesch sells has about 40 vendors. This produce at season 9 new vendors joined the Norman the group. Farm Market She said the majority of the

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Anna Wade, left, sells squash from Anna Wade.

new vendors are young couples, which is exciting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is neat to see the younger generation getting revved up and excited about growing produce,â&#x20AC;? said Danley who has been with the market 30 of its 35 years. Many of the new younger vendors are practicing the organic methods and are striving to be certified organic growers, she added. The Norman Farm Market may not be the biggest in the state, Danley said, but it is one of the oldest and it continues in the original location. This summer hours are Tuesdays 4-8 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon. By having market hours in the evening for the first time it makes shopping more convenient for some, Danley said. Danley said the market promotes a healthy lifestyle by offering just about anything that is available in the outside

Dustin Green

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aisles of the grocery store and it gives shoppers the opportunity to ask questions about the items. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anything you want to know about the product you are buying that vendor is going to know, she said.â&#x20AC;? Danley said the Norman Market has been successful for 35 years because of the quality of the items available and the consistency of those selling it. About half of those who sell goods have been vendors for more than 15 years, she added. Danley said regular shoppers know exactly which booth has the variety of produce that satisfies their taste preference and where they are located in the building. Charlene Perry of More information can be found at Goldsby and her family www.clevelandcountyfair.org/farmmarket have had a booth at the or on these Facebook pages: market since it began. Norman FarmMarket and Norman Farm Market Vendors

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Saturday morning and Tuesday night market sessions are family friendly.

Martha Harmon sells fresh radishes

At the Perrys’ Farms table, like in many of the booths, young and old alike work side by side to help customers. “I enjoy the interaction with the people,” Perry said. “I give a lot of recipes with what is in season and try to help people figure out what to do with things they aren’t familiar with.” She said the larger variety of diverse produce and the opportunity to visit with the grower and ask questions are some of the advantages of shopping at the fairgrounds. Perry said when the market started, she only offered the produce she would have put on her table at home, but at the requests of her customers now they grow and offer many items that aren’t her family’s favorites. “We try to satisfy the wants of the buying public.” Many of the items may have been picked within hours of growers bringing it to the market, she added. Growing the goods and running the farm market booth has always been a family project for the Perrys. Perry said each week at the market her husband Richard and her son do most of the muscle work while she and her daughter-in-law help the customers. The second generation of kids is in the playpen for on the job training, she added. Although the local farm market has a long history, Perry said she still occasionally hears customers say they didn’t know it was available. Although as her husband Richard says, the ground is farther down there than it used to be, Perry said she plans to continue growing and selling as long as she is able. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and Aging Services have financial programs in place that many vendors participate in to help customers in need buy the fresh Oklahoma grown products. Some of those include SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), the Chickasaw WIC (Women, Infants and Children), Oklahoma WIC and programs for senior nutrition. This summer, a hardback commemorative cookbook is being sold for $12 filled with vendor’s recipes using much of produce they sell.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Norman Living

Here’s the L Chouse by d oug hill

It has no steeple but open it up and see all the people – Mid 1920s Norman landmark church that became a house receives 21st century renovation

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

ast year Mary Katherine Long knew she’d found the right buyer in Quentin Bomgardner for The Chouse, 717 W. Boyd. He’s young, deeply involved in Norman’s music scene and has a reverence for the structure’s singular status in the community. The chouse’s name is a corruption of the words church and house. It was first a Catholic chapel used by Oklahoma University students. Carved into the marble cornerstone is the Latin phrase Mater Admirabilis (Most Admirable of Mothers) indicating it possibly was the Church of the Virgin Mary. The date is Anno Domani (A.D.) 1926. Design was by noted architect Harold Gimeno who also did the Sooner Theatre. Later it became St. Thomas More Church open to the public. Decades passed and the congregation outgrew the relatively small structure. It was replaced with a larger and still-used St. Thomas Moore church in the 1970s. The last public religious service at 717 W. Boyd was on Easter Sunday, 1979 and then the property was sold for use as a private residence. Long and her husband Tom who passed away a few years back had lived in the Chouse for over a decade starting in 1998. They were married there and transformed it into a cultural center by hosting regular public music concerts and private artistic soirees. But at some point she knew it was time to relocate to a smaller place. “It’s a great neighborhood and I’d wanted to live within walking distance of Owen stadium,” Long said. “It’s a neat building and a homey place to live. I am so glad that someone who loves the Chouse as much as Tom and I did is living in it now.” Bomgardner bought

The “Chouse” on Boyd Street was the home for thousands of Catholic students attending the University of Oklahoma. Next door, Newman Hall, served as a dorm for the students and later was a halfway house for mental patients. That building is now owned by the university and used for storage.

Photos by Doug Hill

the place in 2013. “I had the Chouse on the market and there were people interested in buying it and renting it to a fraternity for use as an off-campus house,” Long said. “I came really close to taking it off the market and coming up with another plan. Then I ran into Quentin at Pepe Delgados (Mexican restaurant) and he was interested in buying it.” Besides being a personable guy, Bomgardner is a mover and shaker in the Norman arts and music scene. Long knew she’d found her dream buyer, someone she could trust with the Chouse and its heritage. “I told my Realtor Tom McAuliffe that I wanted to be able to walk the streets of Norman with my head held high over who I sell the place to,” she said. “If it becomes a party house I won’t even be able to drive through my old neighborhood.” Long signed the closing sale contract at the Chouse during musician Tyson Meade’s sound check for a concert there that evening. “There was something just so poetic about that,” she said. Bomgardner cherishes The Chouse’s

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Sunday Sounds by d oug hill

In its existence The Chouse has reverberated with the music of Catholic choirs, red dirt guitarists and rock n roll bands. It has also served as a recording studio. Norman band Sunday Flyers recently released their album titled The Chouse Sessions that was made there in Oct. 2012. Lead vocalist and guitarist Gregg Standridge, Chris Babcock on guitar, bassist Gator Miskovsky, Mark McCarty on blues harp, multi-instrumentalist Bob French and percussionist Michael McCarty are

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

all long time Norman residents. “We’d all played in the Chouse at different times and love the room because it’s big and just sounds so good in there,” record producer Michael McCarty said. “We had the run of the place for a few weekends as Mary Katherine Long was moving out and before Quentin Bomgardner moved in.” The recording’s ten original songs benefit from the rich resonance of The Chouse’s excellent acoustics.

It’s a musical tribute to a place that can be accurately considered not just a residence but also one of Norman’s cultural centers. The Sunday Flyers are scheduled to play a free public performance appropriately on Sunday Aug. 10 as part of the Summer Breeze concert series in nearby Lions Park.

heritage and its central Norman location. He’s an electrical system modeling engineer employed by Oklahoma Gas and Electric Energy Corporation, an Oklahoma University alumnus and has lived in Norman for over twenty years. “I’ve always wanted to live in this part of town and have looked for years but never found the right place,” he said. “When the Chouse came along it was an interesting idea because I wanted to live in someplace a little peculiar.” His home is walking distance to Campus Corner and most OU venues. Bomgardner was attracted to the prospect of the Chouse needing certain renovations and modifications to fit his personality, lifestyle and vision. “I liked how Mary Katherine used it over the years to support music and the arts and want to do some of that myself,” he said. Much of the Chouse’s renovation to date has involved interior wood floors and painted walls. The main brick structure including tower, composition shingle roof and foundation are fundamentally sound. Historic building expert Barrett L. Williamson, CEO of the Norman architectural firm bearing his name scrutinized the place and gave it a structural thumbs-up. Sam Deskin of Fine Line Finishes has been a primary contractor for painting and concrete staining. “We found an original petroleum-based underlayment that had worked its way into the base concrete floor,” Bomgardner said. “It was almost like there was an Exxon Valdez oil slick in here and took four months to resolve the issue with a soy based product breaking it down and detergent cleaning it up.” After the oil stopped coming up, the concrete floor could be stained and sealed. The grand main sanctuary is currently an open space minimally furnished with colorful contemporary pieces. Stairs at both north and south ends of the room lead to decks with waist-high woodwork and an expansive view of the first floor below. Massive beams buttress the ceiling from east to west. The original enormous circular stained glass set over the front door is a beautiful pattern of red, amber and blue. There’s a patina of age everywhere but also a sense of enduring utility and potential for transformation and yet-unimagined use around every corner. “I like old things that have witnessed the passing of time,” Bomgardner said. “It’s cool to sit in here and think about how many individuals have been in this room.”

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Norman & Nature

Honey Bees appreciation for

HONEY BEE INFO 1. Honey is mentioned in the Bible 61 times. Proverbs 16:24 NIV Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. 2. A bee flies to thousands of flowers only to make a spoon of honey. 3. Honeybees are not native to the USA. They are European in origin, and were brought to North America by the early settlers. 4. Honeybees are not aggressive by nature, and will not sting unless protecting their hive from an intruder or are unduly provoked. 5. Honeybees represent a highly organized society, with various bees having very specific roles during their lifetime. There are nurses, guards, grocers, construction workers and undertakers. 6. The honeybee uses the most complex symbolic language of any animal on earth, outside of the primate family. 7. For more information about Beekeeping contact the Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association. 8. For information on Rhonda Fair’s products visit www.beebuttershop.com

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

by c hris jones

honda Fair stood in the kitchen of her Norman home and dipped a spoon into a large jar of golden honey. It’s the very best, she said, straight from her father’s hives. Honey is on the menu every day for Fair, her husband, James Coursey, a Norman teacher, and their five-year old son, Jameson Fair Coursey. Fair, an anthropologist at the University of Oklahoma, and an entrepreneur, who started her online Bee Butter Shop four years ago during her Christmas break, appreciates honeybees. “I came to OU in 1997, for graduate school in anthropology,” she said. “Louisiana is humid, and the Oklahoma climate was a shock to my skin, so I looked up recipes for lotion.” Fair begins with the highest quality beeswax, however, she said it took her awhile to perfect her recipe. She kept striving for a top quality product, and after several disappointing batches she finally got it right. “I ran around the house yelling, I did it,” she said. Fair devised and built a solarpowered melter to filter the pure raw beeswax her father sends to her.

The Louisiana native comes from a family of beekeepers. Her father, Randy Fair, Mansfield, La., has 300 hives, and sells honey by the barrel at feed stores, farmers market and other outlets in the area where he lives. The beekeeping business began with his father, Vernon Fair, now in his eighties. “When I was a little kid me and my sister Jennifer would go over to watch my grandpa work with the hives,” Fair said. “He would give us big chunks of the honeycomb to chew on. It was awesome. It’s one of my fondest memories.” She said her dad used to hate the bee business because he was tired when he came home from the paper mill and his dad would ask him to help with the bees. But after he retired it seemed the natural thing to do, and his dad helps him. It began with removing bees from an old church where the bees swarmed every year. And the demand for his bee expertise grew from there. “My dad says bees like the noise of oil rigs,” Fair said. “I don’t know why. But there are lots of rigs in Louisiana, and he is busy. He goes out in his bee suit, sweeps them up and relocates them.”

Bee’s Butter Shop is committed to environmentally friendly and sustainable products.

Fair’s Bee Butter Business was well received at the recent May Fair festival in Norman, where her gift baskets, pure lotions in 12 fragrances, and lip balm sold quickly. She doesn’t use dyes or preservatives and is dedicated to providing an environmentally friendly sustainable product from start to finish. Lavender, lilac, lemon, sweetgrass and voodoo are among the Bee Butter scents in her online catalog. Each batch of Bee Butter results in just three jars of Fair’s product. The moisturizer

is packaged in glass containers that are recyclable. She said she once made beeswax candles but never was satisfied with her candles and stopped including them in her product line, concluding that she isn’t a very good candle maker. Bees are completely fascinating creatures, like little engineers,” she said. “They don’t waste any space. The hive is 90 percent female, and the males are drones. Someone came to my booth at May Fair and asked me

how long a bee lives. I didn’t know, so I called my dad.” Her father told her the spring and summer born bees live six weeks, and the winter born bees live six months. Fair and her family want to spread the word about the wonder of honey bees. “One out of every three bites of food eaten worldwide depends on bee pollination,” Fair said.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

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NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Norman People

Lasting friendships and lots of fun

here is a small group of women in Norman that has as much history as the Bizzell Memorial Library on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. When the group is together the room fills with laughter, cheerful chatter and love, just like a close-knit family. Eight times a year, they gather dressed in their Sunday best and discuss the community and literature while catching up on families and life. Twice a year they visit over lunch. The ladies are members of one of the oldest continually meeting women’s groups in Oklahoma. Norman Coterie was founded in 1894, making this year the organization’s 120th anniversary. When Coterie was founded Norman was a young and growing place whose residents came from all over and they were learning to adjust themselves to new experiences. To help the area become one of the cultural and educational centers of the state, the group organized and spent their hours studying the great authors, the best in music and the ideals of good citizenship. The club’s first members were wives of faculty members and businessmen of Norman who held their meetings twice a month in the old Victoria Hotel. Their early civic projects included local beautification projects, items for schools, encouraging wrapped bread at bakeries, and furnishings for a room at American

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Legion Hospital, which later became Norman Municipal Hospital. Members also founded and maintained Norman’s first public library and supported children during WWI and WWII. Today with a little more than a dozen regular members the club continues to support local causes through dues and focuses more on enjoying books and each other. Ongoing projects for Coterie include supporting the Cleveland County Christmas Store, Salvation Army and the Cleveland County Historical Society. Books are also donated to the Norman Public Library in memory of members. Nina Zapffe joined the club more than 40 years ago. “I am proud to belong to a group that has lasted this long.” At age 88, she enjoys reading biographies but fiction is her favorite and said belonging to the club is a treat for her.

Incoming president Cathie Blodgett makes a point during a club meeting held this spring at Louie’s Westside location.

Nina Zapffe has been a club member more than 40 years.

“These women are what I enjoy most, they are all so smart and capable. All the women are such good speakers you look forward to the book reviews, which are all interesting or funny or both,” said Zapffe who founded Norman’s Literacy Council.

“These women are what I enjoy most, they are all so smart and capable.”

“It is so much fun. It is a great club. Everyone should have one like this. I consider myself very fortunate to have been a member all these years. It is one of the things that has made Norman such a wonderful place to live for me.”

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

ime has changed the complexion of the group. They no longer study the classics and the group as a whole no longer organizes and participates in fundraising campaigns for community projects. But the group’s spirit is strong and many members continue to contribute with their time and presence in the community. “We aren’t as visible and productive as we used to be, but we are here and want to keep going and helping,” said past president Ann Trumbly. Trumbly said in the beginning membership was limited to 20 to keep the group small enough to meet in individual’s homes. “It was a very elite little group. You had to be asked to join and voted on. We used to dress up and wear hats and gloves and heels and really dress to the 9s. As the years have gone by society has relaxed in the dress and so have we.” Today members’ ages range from around 60 to 95. New members are always welcome but they aren’t too common. Because the membership is aging the club is losing members faster than we are gaining them, Trumbly, 81, said. “The club has such heritage and history behind it, I feel very proud to be a member and wouldn’t want the organization to die.” Trumbly said in today’s society many people don’t know how to slow down and enjoy something like this. Each meeting is opened with a poem written in 1904 by Mary Stewart. A little business is conducted and a member reviews a book of her choice. Biographies are favorites of many members. Trumbly said membership in the club has provided her many good friendships and much more knowledge about books.

Cathie Blodgett and past president Ann Trumbly

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“I feel like I am always a student and learn something each time I go.” Like many other members, Cathie Blodgett joined through the invitation of a friend. Blodgett, a retired elementary school principal who has only been a member for four years, is serving as the current president. “They are such role models for me and I embrace their zest for life.” Blodgett said in today’s world where much is transit it is remarkable that 120 years ago a group of women formed who were interested in literacy and culture and it has continued this long. It says to the community that literacy is important to all people and just because you are older you can still read books and have stimulating conservations about them, Blodgett said.

Coterie Club members gather for lunch at Louie’s in west Norman.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Norman People

wenty-seven year-old, Dr. Adam Pajan is not what one would normally envision as a traditional church organist. Pajan, who has been named Young Organ Virtuoso and “our rising star” by the South Carolina chapter of the American Guild of Organists, calls Norman home. Pajan recently completed his DMA in Organ, with a Church Music emphasis at the University of Oklahoma. “The American Organ Institute at the University of Oklahoma has a groundbreaking curriculum that seeks to develop a new breed of organist that is proficient in all styles of performance as well as conversant in the mechanical composition of the instrument is an ideal home for me, and I am thrilled to be joining the faculty in July.” While a student at OU, Pajan was a Graduate Assistant for the American Organ Institute and Graduate College Research Fellow. For the past four years, Adam has been the Director of Music at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church. “Working with the people in a church community is the best part of being a liturgical musician. I love challenging a choir with something they believe is beyond their means and guiding them through the learning process to success. There is nothing better than the “light bulb moment” when they realize that they can not only sing the notes and words at the right time but are also making music. Drawing together folks from different backgrounds, ways of life, professions, and musical experiences and melding them into one cohesive group is a great challenge but is exceedingly rewarding. Concerning music in the liturgy, I feel most successful when the music is not an event unto itself but rather melds into the liturgy, making one seamless whole.”

THE LIFE & TUNES OF

adam PAJAN story & photos by t heresa bragg Longwood Gardens (near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) holds one of the most prestigious organ competitions for young organists. All competitors are under the age of thirty. In preparation for the 2013 competition, a panel of judges evaluated 100 audition recordings from competitors world-wide and selected ten of the “brightest rising stars” to compete live. OU had two of the 10 semifinalists, Pajan and Silviya Mateva. The semifinalist are given only five hours to practice on the 10,010 pipe Aeolian organ in preparation for the competition. Adam was the only American winner in the competition, being awarded the $15,000 Firmin Swinnen Prize for second place. British organist Benjamin Sheen won the $40,000 first place award. “Longwood Gardens announced that the next competition will be held in 2016, and I will be just under the application age limit. The experience in 2013 was extraordinary, as was receiving second prize. However, receiving second prize also makes me want to return and again play for first. So, I’m planning on preparing an application for the 2016 competition and seeing where it goes.”

Michael Barone, the host of Public Radio’s “Pipedreams,” has featured a number of Adam’s performances. “Barone is a great champion of the organ and perhaps the most visual (or audible) proponent of our instrument.” He was also present at the 2013 Longwood Gardens Competition and will be presenting a program of the finalists in the coming months. Pajan continued in saying that “I am most grateful for the way he has tirelessly promoted our instrument and for the exposure I have personally gained from being on his program. An endorsement from Michael Barone is worth its weight in gold.” Pajan, born in Monroeville, Pennsylvania and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, showed an interest in the organ beginning at age five. He would sit at the console with the church organist and was amazed at the keys, pedals and stops. Beginning piano at age eight, it wasn’t until 7th grade that Adam began playing the organ. During this time, there was only one other organist his age in the Greenville area, so he began playing in competitions, because he didn’t really have a base for comparison regarding skill levels. After high school Adam was accepted at Furman University and graduated in 2008 Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Music in Organ Performance. While at Furman, he was selected from a number of applicants to attend the Yale Organ Week, a summer program designed for undergraduates, the summer between his junior and senior years. The program allowed participants the opportunity to meet the Yale faculty as well as visiting faculty members, among them was Dr. Schwandt, of the University of Oklahoma. After attending the program, Pajan applied

[left page] Adam Pajan recently completed his doctorate at the University of Oklahoma. NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

to the Master of Music degree program at Yale. “In order to maximize the opportunities given to the students, the Yale Institute of Sacred Music limits the total enrollment of organ students to approximately fifteen, leaving about seven spots vacant each year. I was invited as one of approximately twenty for a live audition and interview, from which I was selected as one of six incoming students in the fall of 2008.” The Institute of Sacred Music has a generous endowment and is able to provide full tuition remission for all students as well as a living stipend. “The Yale experience is something I would not trade for the world, and my time there prepared me to take full advantage of the opportunities at the University of Oklahoma.” Adam is also proud of his organ concert tour two years ago, in which he was selected to perform at the Magdeburg Dom, Altenberg Dom and Wiesbaden Marktkirche, all gothic

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Adam Pajan is director of music at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Norman.

churches in Germany. Because of his dissertation studies, he had to cut back on his travel and performances. Now that he has completed his doctoral degree, he has recitals scheduled in Great Barrington, Massachusetts and another

in California. The Massachusetts recital is being played on an original 1883 Roosevelt Organ, which was written about Pajan’s dissertation. His list of accomplishments is extensive: Ruth and Clarence Mater

Pajan went to school for 10 years “and didn’t get burned out.”

International Competition 1st place winner (2013); Semifinalist in the American Guild of Organist National Young Artist Competition (2012); Arthur Poister Scholarship Competition in Organ Playing (2011 winner); Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition Winner (2009); West Chester (Pennsylvania) 9th Annual International Organ Competition Winner; 2012 Stan Kann Scholarship Winner. What accomplishment is Adam Pajan most proud? “finishing my doctorate… I went to school ten years straight and didn’t get burned out.” He recently accepted the position of Instructor of Organ and Shop Technician at the University of Oklahoma’s American Organ Institute. His responsibilities will include teaching applied organ lessons, acting as instructor of record for the courses in the organ building curriculum, continuing tonal and technical work in the organ shop. Adam hopes to eventually have a tenure-track position teaching organ, but is excited to be able to remain in Norman. Fr. Robert Wood, Pastor of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church said… “Dr. Pajan makes me think of Psalm 116: ‘How can I repay The Lord for all the great good He has done for me?” Adam knows he has received wonderful talents and gifts — both from God and from those who have taught him. But his focus is not on how to use his skills for himself or for personal gain. Rather, his focus is always on how he can share them with others and give them back in the praise of God!” NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Norman History

Transcript turns

r. Pressman Travis McKinsey checks a pape

125 On April 22, 1889, when Oklahoma was opened to settlement, a Santa Fe train, heavily loaded with home seekers, left Purcell bound for Oklahoma City. Purcell newspaperman Ed. P. Ingle walked one block west to what now is the northeast corner of the intersection of West Main street and Santa Fe Avenue.

The Transcript print s

multiple newspape rs each

morning.

The Transcriptâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first edition was published on July 13, 1889. The newspaper, now at 215 E. Comanche, has had several owners, thousands of subscribers and advertisers and hundreds of employees and carriers. A 125th birthday party and open house will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 11 as part of Normanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Second Friday art walk. The press, installed in 1974, is constantly adjusted and maintained.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

The newspaper building was expanded in 1974 and a new printing press installed.

run at The Transcript. David Sipes checks a press

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by Barbour & Short The 1974 expansion built spaperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s size. more than doubled the new

Workers from Ba rbour & Short install letters on south face of th the e building at 21 5 E. Comanche.

Pressmen Jimmy Rider, Archie Solomon and Luther Minor examine an edition on the newspaperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former letterpress.

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Longtime Editor and Publisher Harold R. Belknap relives his carrier days on the occasion of his 65th anniversary with the newspaper.

t from the A pressman prepares a ma

Page 1 type casing.

Health & Beauty

Hot Yoga Yoga by j erri culpepper Photos by Lindsey Davies

f you could change something about your body or life, what would it be? Lose weight? Improve your health? Gain energy? Feel younger? Manage your stress better? If you are willing to put forth some time and effort, you can achieve all of these things – and much more, say several Norman yoga studio owners and instructors. Before you hear their unique insights into the human physique and psyche, there are some myths that should be dispelled. For one, yoga is not a religion, though many do view it as a spiritual journey in which a practitioner slowly gains a better understanding of self. For another, today’s yoga instructors are not mired in some difficult-to-understand mystical philosophy requiring esoteric learning on a faroff mountaintop.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Catie Coon owns Tiffany’s and GLOW Yoga and Nutrition in Brookhaven Village

Although some forms of yoga practiced in ancient times, and by some yoga practitioners today, could be described as esoteric – as a path to omniscience, a technique for entering into other bodies and the attainment of other supernatural accomplishments, for example – almost all Western yoga taught in modern times is a form of Hatha yoga, which emphases the physical practices and disciplines. Its dual mindbody goals include the betterment of one’s health, pain relief, greater physical flexibility, spiritual growth and stress reduction.

or Becca Hewes, owner of and instructor at Yogalife, 120 Thompson Drive (just west of Natural Grocers), the journey began shortly after she moved to Norman with her husband and small children. Depressed, overwhelmed and stressed, she knew she had to do something to improve her health and regain a positive outlook.

She knew about the connection between exercise and mental health, and had tried the gym and personal trainer route. But she found the costs prohibitive, and she just couldn’t seem to stick with the exercise routines. Hewes knew that if she was going to stay with an exercise program, it had to be something she enjoyed. “Sometimes, when we need help in life, the right person just appears,” Hewes said. In her case, it was a massage therapist, who declared that yoga was what she needed. A former economics major who liked dealing with numbers and analysis, Hewes wasn’t at first sold on the idea, but decided to give it a try. Within a few months, she was practicing yoga on her own and making a number of healthy lifestyle changes, including dropping fast food in favor of preparing nutritious homeprepared meals for herself and family. She soon thereafter headed to Dallas to become a certified teacher and launched into a lifelong endeavor centered on learning and teaching yoga. Hewes began teaching yoga in 2002 and opened her studio in 2005, where they “teach yoga to all kinds of people, not just the super bendy and athletic.” “We specialize in gentle yoga for those who need to start slowly for a variety of reasons,” she

said. “Seniors, those who are recovering from injury or sickness, and those who just haven’t exercised in a long time all come together to practice yoga in our gentle classes. “Some people use our gentle classes to get started and then move on to a more athletic class; others find that the gentle pace meets their needs,” she added. “Our specialty yoga classes include restorative yoga for relaxing and renewing, and pregnancy yoga for expecting mothers. All of our classes have a short meditation at the end.” “Everyone,” Hewes stresses, “can benefit from yoga practice – as long as they are interested and make a commitment. The benefits of yoga come from regular practice. Once a person gets into yoga and really likes it, it becomes a healthy habit that they just can’t stop doing! Like brushing your teeth ... if you climb into bed and realize you haven’t brushed, no matter how tired you are, you’ll get back up to brush. Yoga becomes like this for those who really connect with the practice. The body gets used to stretching and breathing, and just

Kay Robertson, left, and Becca Hewes, owner and instructor at Yogalife, 120 Thompson Drive.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

[Top] Ashtanga Yoga studio was constructed in the former Carey Lumber Building on Tonhawa Avenue, just north of downtown Norman. The style of yoga focuses on deep breathing and structured sequences of yoga postures. [Below] Yogi Thomas Thompson of Ashtanga Yoga stretches in the studio.

doesn’t feel right if it’s skipped.” Hewes emphasizes that yoga does not offer a quick fix, nor is it a stand-alone cure, for every ailment. And a few sessions won’t give you a brand-new physique. “Many people are focused on how yoga will make them look due to all the photos in the magazines these days. But yoga is really about how we feel on the inside and about taking care of our bodies,” she said. “If we want to be able to meet our duties and our callings in this life, we have to make taking care of our bodies a priority. It doesn’t have to be harsh exercises that are painful or exhausting! Gentle yoga and eating right, along with some walking for cardio, is a great combination that is easy on the aging body. Other benefits

include sleeping better, better concentration and easier digestion.” In addition, she said, “yoga and meditation help to calm the mind. When our mind is calmer and we can sit in silence, this is when we can feel the Spirit in our lives more easily. It doesn’t matter what our religion is; yoga can be helpful for anyone no matter their religion. If your body is healthy and happy, it is easier to answer your call in this life.” Hewes recommends that before making a longtime commitment to a yoga studio, people do their research by visiting the studios’ websites and perhaps taking a trial class or two. “Many people end up going with a friend to their first class, and the class is way too hard and they feel discouraged,” she said. “Also, it’s important to remember that the personality of the teacher will make a huge difference on whether you like the classes – so if you don’t like the first class you go to, then take another one from a different teacher. Ask yourself what is it that you want out of yoga, and then see what type of classes might fit that goal. There is something for everyone in Norman now.” As with the other yoga studios in Norman, Yogalife offers a variety of other classes in its two large classrooms, including Mat Pilates, which Hewes said “focuses on core work and connecting to the breath.” This winter, they added pole fitness classes. Visit www.normanyoga.com/yoga.htm for more information, including a schedule of currently offered classes and the instructors’ credentials. Yogalife also is on Facebook; visit https://www.facebook.com/NormanYoga.

usion Fitness and Yoga, 323 E. Main St., also welcomes students of all ages and fitness levels. As its name suggests, its specialty is Hatha yoga fused with other fitness regimes. Owner and instructor Lindsey Russell said that all the classes offered at Fusion are taught in the YogaFit style, which is designed to improve the health, performance and mental acuity of athletes and others who want to improve their level of fitness in an accessible, understandable and practical way. Based on the ancient fitness science of Hatha yoga, it blends balance, strength, flexibility and power in a fitness format. Developed in 1994 by Beth Shaw, YogaFit combines fitness moves such as push-ups, sit-ups and squats with tradi-

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

The studio features tional yoga postures linked together in a a nutrition club/ flowing format. bar in the front. It Whatever class a student chooses, offers nutritionRussell said, their main goal at Fusion “is fortified smoothies to provide a safe and open environment and teas. to guide our students to total mind and body wellness. … Most of our instructors have been trained in a style of yoga that emphasizes safe alignment through physical postures that promote strength as well as a mind-body connection.” Anyone, she added, can benefit from their classes, which range from beginning yoga to n west Norman, at Brookhaven Village, “advanced flows and pre/postnatal.” Yoga at Tiffany’s also offers a wide range of “At Fusion Fitness and Yoga, we work with classes for people of all ages, fitness levels our students to find a healthy lifestyle that and lifestyles, but specializes in “hot” yoga and works for them. I personally love to teach yoga therapeutics. beginners. I love that moment when someone Catie Coon, an instructor and owner of Yoga realizes they are a yogi (practitioner of yoga). at Tiffany’s and GLOW Yoga & Nutrition next I want to provide a safe, judgment-free place door, note that one of their two large studios that nurtures open hearts, minds and healthy is equipped with a state-of-the-art fresh air bodies. heating system designed to regulate the carbon The studio also offers Beyond Barre classes, dioxide levels by bringing in freshly oxygenated boot camps (some free) and nutritional counair and maintaining optimal humidity levels at seling. It even offers hula hoop fitness classes. 40 percent. In addition to two large classrooms, Fusion “This allows your mind and body to receive Fitness and Yoga boasts a nutrition club/bar the most beneficial healing possible in your in the front area. Featuring nutrition-fortified practice experience,” she said. smoothies and several teas, it is open to the “We are also dedicated to offering classes for public as well as members. those in need of healing through the art form of For more information, visit http://fusioyoga therapeutics,” Coon said. “By offering classnoklahoma.com/, or visit the studio’s Facebook es designed to teach the specific alignment in the page at https://www.facebook.com/FusionFityoga asana (posture), one can begin to use his nessAndYoga. or her own practice to heal and restore the body.

Lindsey Russell, owner of Fusion Fitness and Yoga, 323 E. Main.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Coon keeps the studio at a comfortable 82 to 84 degrees, ideal for those that are heat sensitive but desire the unique benefits of hot yoga.

One can also learn how to practice any style of yoga safely and effectively avoiding injury from lack of specific alignment instruction.” Other styles and classes offered include hot and warm Vinyasa Flow; Sweet, Sweet Abs and Core Strength and Purification; Hot 26 Postures, performed in a precise order in a 110-degree room; Sadhana Yoga, a holistic approach for those seeking to deepen their selfawareness to fully enliven their personal yoga practice; Candlelit Yin Yoga, a restorative and therapeutic style of non-heated yoga; and Hot Hour of Power, a fast-paced, boot camp style of yoga. In addition, Coon said Yin Yoga is offered “to assist in one’s ability to relieve stress, which is found to be one of the top causes for illness and disease,” as well as “aiding the body in the release of emotional tension and toxicity stored in the muscles, tissues and joints, allowing a practitioner to find more flexibility in one’s life, both physically and mentally.” For those new to both yoga and hot yoga, Coon recommends starting with a warm gentle flow class. “Conducted at a comfortable 82 to 84 degrees F., it is ideal for those that are heat sensitive but desire the unique benefits of hot yoga,” she said. “Everyone can benefit from yoga,” claims Coon, citing some of the physical benefits as lowered blood pressure, pain and tension relief, improved postured, increased immunity, body detoxification, weight loss, and increased flexibility. She added: “Our spiritual and physical aims in the practice of yoga and the vast varieties and styles of yoga classes we offer are to inspire each student to find a deeper place, a serenity, clarity, peace of mind, healing within both body and mind, strength of the body and mind, self-security, self-love and acceptance, a heightened state of awareness and intuition, deepened concentration, an overall sense of wellness, and ultimately a feeling of unity and connection with the individual’s higher power.”

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

In addition to yoga classes, the studio offers massage therapy, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Reiki and a Reiki Share Support Group, guided individual and group cleanses, and holistic health and wellness counseling. Yoga at Tiffany’s (through which all the yoga classes are offered) and GLOW Yoga & Nutrition were established in December 2012. For more information, visit www.yogaattiffanysnorman.com/.

shtanga Vinyasa Yoga – a style of yoga that focuses on deep breathing and structured sequences of yoga postures, called asanas – is the specialty of Ashtanga Yoga, which was established in 1999 on White Street on Campus Corner and is now located at 120 E. Tonhawa Street, next to The Crucible Foundry and Gallery. The current structure housing Ashtanga Yoga features two large, airy classrooms; a beautiful tiled foyer containing the reception area and Third Eye Gallery, dedicated to supporting local artists and promotes works exploring human spirituality and mindful creation; and even a garden. Showers are a nice amenity as well. The studio bills itself as a “multidisciplinary yoga center with all levels of yoga classes as well as meditation and various styles of bodywork and massage,” with a primary focus on Ashtanga yoga. The owner, Andrew Eppler – a noted yoga instructor who also is known by many as the Yogi Magician for his practice of incorporating magic acts into his yoga during street performances around the world – was out of the country at the time of the writing of this story. We talked instead with Ashtanga Yoga instructor Thomas Thompson, who shared information about his personal experiences with yoga and other related interests. Thompson said he primarily teaches mixedlevel yoga classes “mostly geared toward learning how to learn postures and develop an internal felt sense of how they come to be, the ‘teach a man to fish’ approach.” He also teaches Feldenkrais classes, which he said “are maybe even more interested in neurological learning and might be considered as movement puzzles with a potential for a graceful outcome.”

The aim of the Feldenkrais Method, as it also is called, is the reduction of pain or limitations in movement, the improvement of physical function, and the promotion of general wellbeing by increasing students’ awareness of themselves and by expanding students’ movement repertoire. Declaring that he is “sort of anti any one style and pro all styles,” Thompson said he tends to take a different route to get to the postures involved. “I kind of consider myself more of a martial artist since that’s where my movement background began,” he said. “Also, Feldenkrais is based in martial arts, and it informs everything I think and do to a certain degree. I’m truly more interested in the learning process and how to refine it. People learn how to better handle and take care of themselves that way.” He also is a manual therapist who works with muscle activation techniques. Thompson said he aspires to “practice with what I feel, and hope to cultivate a stronger felt sense. What comes from that usually is poorly framed by language and better just to be experienced.” In other words, yoga cannot really be fully understood by only reading about it. Personally speaking, Thompson said that all the somatic (relating to the body) practices in which he has participated have shaped him in different ways at different times of his life. “More than anything,” he added, “they’ve given me a way to relate to myself and the world around me. One can never know themselves quite enough, I suspect.” In so saying, perhaps Thompson was recalling a quote from the Bhagavad Gita: “Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” For more information, including class and workshop schedules and information on the studio and instructors, visit www.ashtangayogastudio.com/, or visit the studio’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ AshtangaYogaStudio.

ll of the above studios offer private lessons as well, and most offer introductory rates, while some even offer great deals from time to time via Groupon. Yoga classes also are offered through the Cleveland County Family Y and at several fitness gyms. Certainly, Norman offers a style of yoga for just about everyone. In addition to the positive physical and spiritual benefits listed by the yogis above, the sustained study and practice of yoga offers its devotees another, often elusive, reward: happiness. As William Arthur Ward, an oft-quoted American writer of inspirational maxims, said, “Happiness is an inside job.”

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Taste of Norman

Two-Way Player by m ack burke

Pub W combines sports bar and fine dining concepts

ome restaurants think they can have it all, but there’s a fine line between an eatery with an identity crisis and one that manages to exist in a state of duality and equilibrium. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Hal Smith Restaurant Group’s newest effort, Pub W., pulls it off. It’s a pub. That’s for sure, but somehow, it’s also an upscale restaurant. The soft lighting, high ceilings and classy modern aesthetics share the room with shimmering 80-inch high definition TVs and and neatly framed black and white photos like an irreverent Johnny Cash, anti-prohibition marchers bearing “We want more beer” signs and an artsy photo that looks to have one of those matter-of-

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

PUB W Brookhaven Village (36th Avenue NW and Robinson Street) 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day www.pubwnorman.com 701-5844

fact titles like “Shirtless Man with a Shotgun.” Beer-lover’s favorite pub, restaurant, sports bar, patio, upstairs smoking lounge with a pool table… You call it. Really, the menu is the same way. All the pub staples are there (fish and chips, wings, nachos, shrimp cocktail, etc.), 10 different sandwiches and a wide selection on the gourmet

Photos provided

[Top] Porterhouse pork chop [Left] Turkey club sandwich [Opposite page] Pigs-in-a-blanket is a combination of pastry dough, smoked sausage and blvd. cheese sauce.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

side (pork tenderloin, baked salmon, glazed and baked salmon, etc.). I can only assume they’re good because I only have one stomach and this isn’t the written edition of Man vs. Food. And now on to what my taste buds tell me: The Asian salmon hits its mark with an attractive red glaze that’s delightfully sweet but not overpowering. Served with a side of well-paired rice and green beans, it’s well balanced and pleasing to the palate. It’s not too salty, a common pub food pitfall, and it’s better for it. You can actually taste the green part of the vegetables, instead of a sodium cocoon. Then, you can finish it off with one of their 24 draft beers, 51 bottles or nine original cocktails. The list includes everything from domestic mainstays to exotic hop monsters, like the 22-ounce Green Flash Imperial IPA. They even list their alchohol content by percentage — good to know before you order an 18.2 percent Brewdog Tokyo Oak Aged Stout all willy-nilly. I opted for the Orange Julius, a well done citrus and vodka remix with a fresh finish. An inventive crowd pleaser, it’s kind of a microcosm of Pub W itself. [Top] Fresh-baked pretzels [Middle] Shrimp cocktail [Right] The Chupacabra mixes pulled chicken, grilled japapenos, grilled onions, muenster, spicy aioli and grilled jalapeno bread. [Opposite page] Peppercrusted Ahi tuna

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Additionally, I sampled the shepherd’s pie, a staff (and probably anybody who tries it) favorite, a house salad and the roasted poblano corn chowder. They all hit their mark, too. The house salad offers enough on its own to be on par with most full on dinner salads: Mixed greens (no iceberg nonsense), egg, bacon, cherry tomatoes and pretzel croutons. With all the attention to detail, the menu remains reasonably priced. While it’s not cheap, it’s not really expensive either, with options ranging from $9 sandwiches to a $24 filet dinner with all the accompaniments. Great presentation. Great flavor. This is fine dining, yet I don’t feel underdressed in a T-shirt. I want to watch the game here, but it would be a solid choice for a date, too. That’s a rare mix. If you plan on eating or drinking in the future, Pub W is worth checking out. Don’t be surprised if you do a double take.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Norman Vintage

Summer with Sauvignon Blanc by k athy hallren

lean, crisp and refreshing are the common adjectives describing Sauvignon Blanc wines, perfect for hot Oklahoma summers. Classic Bordeaux whites from France are dry, fresh and fruity with notes of pear, seldom exposed to oak, and are blends of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle and Ugni blanc. California vintners have taken a different approach by barrel aging and less blending. The California wine may be marketed either as Sauvignon Blanc or Fume Blanc and have more melon characteristics and less minerality than the French white Bordeaux. New Zealand tends to have more citrus notes, particularly grapefruit in the wine. Chile is now producing Sauvignon Blanc with a decidedly French flair. Serve this wine chilled to 45째-52째, slightly warmer than refrigerator cold. Here in the Oklahoma heat, pour, wait a few minutes and have the perfect temperature to enjoy the full flavor of the wine. It will pair well with fish, sushi, chicken or salads. Tastes of each style can be found with Mouton Cadet Bordeaux White, Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Fume Blanc and Starbourough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Have fun, and find your style.

FOR A LITTLE DIFFERENT SPIN ON SAUVIGNON BLANC TRY THESE COCKTAIL RECIPES:

PEACH SANGRIA

KIWI MARTINI

3 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced 1 lime, sliced 1/4 cup sugar 1 (750-ml) bottle Sauvignon Blanc

1/2 of a kiwi fruit, skinned 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice 1/2 oz simple syrup 3/4 oz vodka 1 1/2 oz Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 1/2 oz pomegranate juice

Put first 3 ingredients in a large pitcher, and add wine. Stir gently to dissolve sugar. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill 2 hours. Stir mixture again. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a large bowl or another pitcher. Reserve 6 peach and 6 lime slices; discard the rest. Pour sangria into ice-filled glasses. Garnish with reserved peach and lime slices.

In the bottom of a mixing glass, muddle the kiwi in the lemon juice and simple syrup. Add remaining ingredients, shake well with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass (or over ice into a rocks glass). Garnish with a kiwi slice on rim of glass. Servings: 1 martini

Have a great safe summer! Kathy

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Snap

90 Le Tour De Vin | 92 Builderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Showcase 93 Brockhaus Jewelry | 94 OFE Banquet 95 Norman Tourism Luncheon | 96 May Fair

Le Tour De Vin The Norman, Sooner and Crosstimbers Rotary Club held their annual Le Tour De Vin fundraiser in June. Proceeds from the two-night event will benefit the Center for Children and Families. Photos by Kyle Phillips and C.E. Jones

4 1. A wine pull was a highlight of Saturday nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event at Riverwind Casino. 2. Pam and Dr. Robert Talley 3. John Miller and Alyssa Lutz 4. Beth and Dennis Brigham 5. Gina and Newt Mitchell 6. Richard and Jocelyn Wall 7. Chad and Jennifer Vice, Deedra and Shane Vice

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8. S teve Calonkey, David Morse, Susy Calonkey, Andy Rieger, Karen Rieger and Judy Morse 9. Katie Fitzgerald, Chilton Marshall, Erin Barnhart 10. Dr. Martin and Kathy Hallren 11. G ene McKown works the auction crowd 12. Jennifer and John Davenport

6 7

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Snap Shots

Builderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Showcase More than 30 new homes were on the annual home tour sponsored by the Builders Association of South Central Oklahoma. The official show home was at 5913 Windstone.

John Jennings

Amanda, Kenleigh and Keley Booth talk with John Jennings

Dave and Chase Mason

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Brockhaus Jewelry The longtime Norman jewelry store held a Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours in May. Photos by Jay Chilton

Kelsey Dewbre looks at a ring

Paul Cathey, Sean Popp

Chesca Baily, Jefte Lozano and Matt Allen Jan and Kelsey Dewbre

John Woods, Erica Millar Emily White and Jamie Swain

Kent Moore and Shanelle Maxwell

Brad Shipman, Catherine Maloy and John Brockhaus Sally Alley, Rob Gowens

Joe and Brynn Daves with Kirby Owens, LaNae Price and Abby Clark

Zack Hutson, Russell Rhea

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Snap Shots

Chuck Thompson and Joe Sullivan [Right] The 2014 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence-winning educators are (front row, from left) Emily Dial-Driver, Rogers State University, Claremore; Katheleen Guzman, professor of law, University of Oklahoma, Norman; (back row, from right) Cheryl Tate, Woodland Hills Elementary School, Lawton; J. Michael McClaren, superintendent, Claremore Public Schools; and Donna Gradel, Broken Arrow High School.

W.F. “Rick” Bott, Katheleen Guzman

Reed Shafer-Ray and Garret Wilson

OFE Banquet The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a nonprofit, charitable organization founded in 1985 by thenU.S. Sen. Boren to recognize and encourage academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Through its Academic Awards Program, the foundation has awarded more than $4 million in merit-based scholarships and cash awards to honor outstanding graduating seniors as Academic All-Staters and exceptional educators as Medal for Excellence winners.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

[Above] Harvard Professor and author Robert Putnam (right) joins Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence leaders prior to his keynote address at the foundation’s Academic Awards Banquet. Joining Putnam (from left) are OFE Chairman David L. Boren; Banquet Chair Jami Rhoades Antonisse; Executive Director Emily Stratton and President Les Risser. Boren, Stratton and Risser reside in Norman.

Hannah Tullius performs the national anthem.

Tourism Luncheon The Norman Convention and Tourism Bureau held its annual tourism luncheon in May at the National Weather Center. NCVB Board Chair Suzanne McAuley passed the gavel to incoming chairman William Murray, and NCVB Executive Director Dan Schemm gave the keynote address. 1. Mike Murphy and Don Sherman 2. Jen Tregarthen and Laura Wilcox 3. Mona Springfield and Candie Westbrook 4. Catherine Bishop and Melissa Caperton 5. Jim McAuley and NCVB President William Murray 6. Jana Jo Ivy, Katie Puckett and Ashley Crews

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Snap Shots

May Fair The Assistance League of Norman sponsors its annual May Fair as a gift to the community the weekend before Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day at Abe Andrews Park. The two-day event draws artists and food vendors from throughout the region.

Grant Walton shoots water balloons at his friends

Proceeds benefit various Assistance League of Norman projects.

Kayelee Ayers sings at the Andrews Park amphitheater stage.

Photos by Jay Chilton

Gloria Lamar, right, enjoys fellow art vendor Marion Grahamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work.

Bryce Buwick drives bumper cars with friends Irving Middle School art teacher Dan Harris works on his pottery

Bruce Roberts, left, views art from local and regional vendors.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014

Jada Gonzalez rides War Paint as Patsy Hough looks on

Parting Shot

J.D. McCarty Center Camp Claphans camper Zack Wright screams as he is sprayed with water as he and other campers beat the heat with water games.

NORMAN magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2014