Norman Magazine, March-April 2015 by Norman Magazine

contents MARCH-APRIL 2015

features

ALL ABOARD! The Depot is a historic Norman landmark that continues in its original function along with being an arts and community center

LADIES OF THE LEGISLATURE Two Norman women dive into the 2015 session

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FARMER PROFESSOR A conversation with Paul A. Lawson, Ph.D.

ROAD SCHOLAR OU professor, Scott Moses, decided to do something a little different for his 50th birthday

THE BIG READ Norman Library brings a touch of fantasy to readers this spring

departments 9 from the Publisher 11 from the Editor Norman Events 14 40 Norman FYI 52 Taste of Norman Full Moon Sushi 56 Wine Time 60 Making a Difference Norman Business 68 Sistersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Gourmet Popcorn 70 Norman Profile Fr. Jim Chamberlain SNAPSHOTS 76 Pack Palace Pink 78 OU Arts, Arts, Arts 80 Norman Regional Auxiliary 82 Chocolate Festival 84 Literally Yours Parkinson Gala 86 88 OU Rowing Center

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

60 34 On the Cover: No. 75 Flagg Coal steam engine at the Oklahoma Railway Museum. PHOTO BY JAY CHILTON

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magazine

from the Publisher

it’s all about you MARCH/APRIL 2015 VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 2

PUBLISHER Mark Millsap EXECUTIVE EDITOR & GENERAL MANAGER Andy Rieger ADVERTISING MANAGER Rebekah Collins ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Ryan Dillard Robin Escarcega Kimberly Lehenbauer Rebecca McKenny Matt Moran Nathan Ward CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Amy David Doug Hill Chris Jones Mick Hinton Theresa Bragg Jocelyn Pedersen Michaela Marx Wheatley Mack Burke CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jay Chilton Doug Hill Kyle Phillips Hannah Rieger 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.

Enjoy springtime in Norman!

pringtime is almost here. Are you excited? I am. I always am. Everybody is in a better mood in the spring. Maybe because they are tired of being cold. Maybe they are looking forward to Spring Break. Maybe they know summer is just around the corner. In Norman, the springtime means things to do. And I mean fun things. Not spring cleaning or working on your house. Or my least favorite chore, yard work. People may say it is relaxing, but weeding the flower beds, planting new flowers and getting the yard in shape is not my idea of relaxing. It sounds like a sore back and allergies to me. Fun things. If you are not going out of town for Spring Break, then take advantage of some things in Norman that you have never tried. With the students and a lot of Norman-ites gone, traffic will be much better. Try some restaurants on Campus Corner that you have never been to. I recommend the tostadas at Pepes, anything at Othellos and a burger from O’Connells. Have an adult beverage on the patio of the Mont. It should not be too busy so you can actually get a table. Visit the shops, art galleries and restaurants downtown. Make it a Norman stay-cation and of course #shopnorman.

by m ark millsap

After Spring Break, I am looking forward to the Medieval Fair in late March. I am very excited about the Medieval Fair because I do not get to wear my kilt very often. And the Medieval Fair is just the place to wear it. Every guy should wear a kilt once. In April, the OU Spring Football game, the 89er Day Parade and Norman Music Festival will happen back to back. The Music Fest is one of the premier events in Norman and it is one of the best places to find a new favorite band. Who will be OU’s quarterback? Go see for yourself on April 11. One thing that is on my list to do this spring is go to an OU baseball and softball game. I have not made it to either. Check their schedules. There are some great home games and a few afternoon games so you can play hooky from work when the weather is nice. Springtime in Norman will be awesome this year. Forget about the pollen count and do not worry about the start of tornado season. Enjoy the events, the sites, the sounds of Norman. And above all else, enjoy yourself and your families.

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

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

from the Editor

End of the line for Denco Cafe

at Laughlin, the late night shift waitress at the Denco Cafe, always commanded a little respect from the drunken fraternity and sorority members that regularly visited the downtown Norman eatery. We learned early that a little kindness would move your party to the head of the line for one of the few large tables in the tiny cafe. It also helped speed delivery of a round of Denco Darlins, that historic concoction of enchiladas, rice, elbow macaroni, slowcooked chili, grated cheese and fried eggs that could stare down an incoming hangover. The side salad came with Green Goddess dressing. Consuming a Darlin’ was a rite of passage for OU freshmen. Some added extra eggs. The more 20 cent fried eggs ordered on top the more your date was impressed, or so the upperclassmen told us. Extra napkins were requested and plates were tipped to one corner in order to drain the grease. The bathrooms were located outside, between the pay phone booth and the wooden stairway that lead to an upstairs apartment with four bay windows and a confusing sign that blinked, “Mexican Food & American Dishes.” The cafe was directly across the street from the bus station and a chip shot from the train station. At one time, there were competing bus lines serving Norman. The Denver Colorado Transportation Co. (Denco) and the Oklahoma Transportation Co. The bus line closed but the cafe remained. It served many a hungry student destined for OU classes or the sailor that reported for Navy base training.

For many years, it was Norman’s only all-night cafe. It was here long before Lindsey Street’s Girlie Pancake House or The Kettle restaurants. The early-morning fire that destroyed what was left of the original Denco Cafe building in February brought back many memories. A friend told me he could almost smell the Darlins when he drove by the pile of bricks blocking the sidewalk. After a few weeks, demolition crews pushed over and scooped up the remains.

My memories are of the swinging door between the kitchen and the dining area and a belly-high, window shelf where the faceless cook put the hot metal plates. Complaints about the food were allowed but there was no fighting, no alcohol and no foul language. Bennie and Eva Flowers, the owners, ran a tight ship. The worst crimes committed inside were flipping butter squares across the room or towards the ceiling where they would stick. Bennie Flowers started the lunch counter for bus passengers. He later moved into the Denco building and stayed open around the clock. He knew how all of his regular customers wanted their eggs.

by a ndy rieger “Everything was made from scratch back then,” recalls John Smart, Benny and Eva’s nephew. He joined other family members in working at the cafe through the years. “We bused tables for tips then we’d go over to the Sooner Theatre to see a movie,” he said. “I remember when we got a dishwasher. It kind of put a few of us out of business.” In the early years the Navy had offices upstairs in the building. Later, it was converted to rental housing. He believes Pat, the waitress, lived there for a while. “The woman was nothing but pure energy but she’d collapse at the end of the night,” Smart recalls. Denco’s closed in the early 1980s and the restaurant was remodeled and opened as Coaches Restaurant where you could still order a Darlin’ for many years. The space later became S&B Burger Joint. The building’s owners are already planning to rebuild in the space. Architect Rick McKinney has been tasked with designing a building that resembles the original, red-brick, twostory design. Before the demolition, the Denco ruins were something of a downtown attraction. “Tourists” were snapping pictures and picking up memorial bricks before the building’s remains were scooped up and hauled to their final destination in a farmer’s ravine somewhere in the Oklahoma countryside.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

We Love Your Heart From the latest in technologies and procedures to community outreach and education, Norman Regional doesn’t skip a beat when it comes to your heart care. The HealthPlex Heart Hospital offers cardiac care services ranging from a Chest Pain Center Emergency Department, to heart catheterization and interventional procedures, to open heart surgery. Norman Regional’s HealthPlex hospital is currently the only in the Oklahoma City metro to receive Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC). Our team is on the leading edge of technology. First in the state to bring new treatment options to patients, such as a new procedure that uses a crown to sand away plaque without damaging healthy tissue in blood vessels. But you don’t have to step into our hospital to feel the love, Norman Regional is out in our community as well. We sponsor the Heart of a Sooner Survivor Walk and 5K for heart disease, partner with the American Heart Association to provide CPR student training kits to Norman Public Schools and CPR Anytime Kits in the community. Learn more at NormanRegional.com/Heart

NormanRegional.com

Norman events

Information supplied by Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau

PHOTOS BY KYLE PHILLIPS, DOUG HILL AND JAY CHILTON

MARCH - APRIL 2015

ONGOING EVENTS

Noon concerts

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

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue Noon The Tuesday Noon Concerts series is a cooperative effort between the OU School of Music and the FJJMA. Set aside part of your lunch hour for these 30-minute concerts performed by OU music students and faculty. Selected Tuesday Noon Concerts are followed by gallery talks or Art After Noon programs at 12:30 p.m. ou.edu/fjjma

Tuesdays

Thursdays

Art Adventures

Acoustic Open Mike Night

First Monday of the month Free Admission

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue 10:30 a.m. Young artists are invited to experience art through books and related art projects for children ages 3 to 5 accompanied by an adult. Art Adventures are made possible by generous support from the Kimball Foundation. ou.edu/fjjma

Michelangelo’s 207 E. Main St. 7-10 p.m.

Fridays Karaoke Night Red Brick Bar 311 E. Main St., Norman 10-11:30 p.m.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Second Friday of each month

Saturdays

Second Friday Circuit of Art

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

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

It’s Feeding Time!

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

Ongoing through March 8

Ongoing

Art exhibit — Drama, Death, Dirge: Frederic Remington’s American West

Art exhibit — A World Unconquered: The Art of Oscar Brousse Jacobson

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue Museum hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This small exhibition brings together four outstanding examples of Remington’s work in painting and sculpture from institutions that rarely lend them: one from the Birmingham Museum of Art and three from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. They are: The Flight (1895); Wounded Bunkie (1896); New Year on the Cimarron (1903), and The Call for Help (1909). ou.edu/fjjma

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue Museum hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Artist Oscar Brousse Jacobson arrived at the University of Oklahoma in 1915, and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art commemorates the centennial of his appointment at OU with a retrospective of his influential career. Jacobson completed in excess of 600 works of art during his fifty-year career and looked to the landscapes of Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma for inspiration. During his tenure at OU, he oversaw tremendous growth in the School of Art, helped to create the first art museum on campus in 1936, and promoted the visual arts in the Southwest, especially the work of Native American fine artists. The exhibition will include over 50 works by Jacobson and explore the vital role he played in encouraging the visual arts in the region. ou.edu/fjjma

Ongoing through March 15 Art exhibit — The Nature of Man: Paintings and Drawings by Harold Stevenson Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue Museum hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Nature of Man explores Harold Stevenson’s investigation of masculinity from his early career in the 1960s to more recent works from the 1990s. ou.edu/fjjma

AUDITIONS SummerStage presents Alice In Wonderland Jr Entering 3rd-7th grade

Young Producers presents In The Heights

Entering 8th grade through 2015 Senior class

Audition Dates: March 27-30 Camp Tuition: $425 + $10 enrollment fee Additional details about the audition are posted on the AUDITION page of the Sooner Theatre web site. Participants are asked to read all online details prior to auditioning.

Please call 405.321.9600 to reserve your audition time.

The Sooner Theatre Presents

April 10-12 & 17-19

Hayes Carll March 13

Krystal Keith May 8

405.321.9600

www.soonertheatre.com NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Ongoing Art exhibit — Beyond the Battlefield: Depictions of War Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue Museum hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beyond the Battlefield examines war and conflict as depicted by artists of the modern world, with a focus on the wars of the 20th century: World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War or Conflict. The paintings, prints, and photography of this exhibition present a diverse range of perceptions and opinions on war ranging from commendation to condemnation. ou.edu/fjjma

Exhibit: A Forest Journey Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua Museum hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sunday, 1-5 p.m. A Forest Journey, developed and produced by the Franklin Institute, takes a look at how trees shape our world. The exhibit will last through May 3. www.samnoblemuseum.org

March1 OU women’s tennis vs. Oklahoma State Headington Family Tennis Center 500 W. Imhoff Rd. Noon soonersports.com

Ongoing through April 26 Exhibit: Harmless Hunter Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua Museum hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Harmless Hunters features the Wildlife Work of Charles Russell. www.samnoblemuseum.org

OU women’s softball vs. Hofstra Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 10 a.m. & Noon soonersports.com

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

March 3

March 6

OU Baseball vs. Arkansas-Little Rock

OU Baseball vs. Purdue

L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 6 p.m. soonersports.com

March 4

March 7

OU women’s softball vs. Wichita State

OU Women’s Gymnastics vs. Arizona State

Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 5:30 p.m. soonersports.com

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

March 7 OU Men’s Basketball vs. Kansas Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. 7 p.m. soonersports.com

OU Baseball vs. Purdue L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 2 p.m. soonersports.com

OU women’s softball vs. Missouri State Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 2:15 p.m. soonersports.com

MAR

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

OU women’s softball vs. Samford Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 4:30 p.m. soonersports.com

March 8 Sutton Concert Series: OU Symphony Orchestra Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd 3 p.m. music.ou.edu

Second Sunday Poetry Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 2 p.m. Dorothy Alexander, a retired attorney and self-taught poet, writer and storyteller, has been a featured reader in numerous venues in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and New Mexico. She has written six books of poetry and stories, and was nominated for Oklahoma Poet Laureate in 2006 normandepot.org

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

OU Baseball vs. Purdue L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 1 p.m. soonersports.com

OU women’s softball vs. Samford Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 12:15 p.m. soonersports.com

OU women’s softball vs. Missouri State Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 2:30 p.m. soonersports.com

OU women’s tennis vs. New Mexico Headington Family Tennis Center 500 W. Imhoff Rd. Noon soonersports.com

March 10 OU Baseball vs. Oral Roberts L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 6 p.m. soonersports.com

OU men’s tennis vs. Virginia Headington Family Tennis Center 500 W. Imhoff Rd. 5 p.m. soonersports.com

MAR

08 March 10-12 Faith Broome Young Playwrights’ Festival Old Science Hall Lab Theatre 660 Parrington Oval 8 p.m. OU’s Lab Theatre presents the Faith Broome Young Playwrights’ Festival. theatre.ou.edu

March 12 Sutton Concert Series: Combined OU Choirs

MAR

Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 8 p.m. music.ou.edu

March 13

Opening Reception Stacey D. Miller, OKC Printmaker

OU women’s tennis vs. Texas

Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 6-9 p.m. Presented the Oklahoma Artist of the Year Award by the Paseo Arts Association in 2011, Miller has exhibited her artwork nationally in over eighty solo, group, invited, permanent, and juried exhibitions. Stacey’s work is collected by educational institutes, companies and private collectors throughout the United States and abroad. Event is Free, normandepot.org

OU Men’s Gymnastics vs. Ohio State

Headington Family Tennis Center 500 W. Imhoff Rd. Noon soonersports.com

March 14 Concert: Joe Pug Opolis 113 N. Crawford 8 p.m. Advanced tickets, $12; day-of tickets, $15. opolis.org

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

St. Pat’s Day 8K O’Connell’s Bar & Grill 769 Asp Ave. 9:15 a.m. Benefiting Special Olympics of Oklahoma, O’Connell’s presents the annual St. Pat’s 8K Run with one-mile Fun Run. Start and Finish in front of O’Connell’s on Campus Corner. sook.org/media-norman

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

BEAUTIFUL...and INTELLIGENT, TOO!

No, we’re not describing a “person”...it’s an HONEST statement that best describes this home, and all it offers! With a Lutron lighting system at a price tag just below “six-figures,” automatic lighting in the master bath is engaged at only 50% brightness when you step out of bed between the hours of 10pm and 6am. It’s all fully programmable to your own personal needs and lifestyle...lighting, control of heat and air and security systems, and so much more. This custom home was designed by it’s owners, and features a one-of-a-kind great room, 4 indoor and outdoor fireplaces, plantation shutters in nearly every window, Geothermal heating and cooling along with sprayed-foam attic insulation in the attic for ultra-efficient energy usage. Finally, the home offers a true in-law suite, which could be great for a teenager or young adult seeking more privacy at home. The home is perched on a private, wooded lot to the rear, and on a quiet cul-de-sac lot in this beautiful addition. You’ll enjoy views all the way to the Devon Tower in downtown Oklahoma City from both the balcony and from the master suite windows! The home features nearly every conceivable amenity. You’ll be very impressed...we assure you! Offered at $1,250,000

OU women’s softball vs. Iowa Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 2:15 p.m. soonersports.com

March 21 OU Baseball vs. Texas Tech

OU women’s softball vs. East Carolina Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 4:30 p.m. soonersports.com

L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 2 p.m. soonersports.com

March 22 Whistle Stop Concert: Heather Maloney

March 15 OU women’s softball vs. East Carolina Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 12:15 p.m. soonersports.com

OU women’s softball vs. Iowa Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 2:30 p.m. soonersports.com

Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 7 p.m. Heather Maloney’s self-titled album, out in March, is the third album for a songwriter hailed by The Huffington Post for “lyrics that cut to the chase.” Heather is traveling through, making a brief stop at The Depot to allow our first “Whistle Stop Concert” to become a reality. Tickets are $20 normandepot.org

OU Baseball vs. Texas Tech

OU women’s softball vs. Iowa Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 6 p.m. soonersports.com

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

March 27 OU men’s tennis vs. Texas Christian

OU women’s tennis vs. Baylor Headington Family Tennis Center 500 W. Imhoff Rd. 5 p.m. soonersports.com

Headington Family Tennis Center 500 W. Imhoff Rd. 5:30 p.m. soonersports.com

March 19-21 Norman Swap Meet Cleveland County Fairgrounds 615 E. Robinson 9 a.m.-6 p.m. NormanSwapMeet.com

MAR

March 20 OU Baseball vs. Texas Tech

March 27-29

L. Dale Mitchell Park, 401 W. Imhoff 6 p.m. soonersports.com

39th Annual Medieval Fair Reaves Park 2501 Jenkins Ave. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Held annually since 1977, this living history fair features arts, crafts, food, games, educational exhibits, demonstrations and ongoing entertainment at seven stages. medievalfair.org

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

March 29

OU men’s tennis vs. Tulsa

Winter Wind Concert Series: Terri Hendrix & Lloyd Maines

Headington Family Tennis Center 500 W. Imhoff Rd. TBA www.soonersports.com

Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 7 p.m. Grammy winner Terri Hendrix, joined by Lloyd Maines, will bring genrejumping music and charismatic stage presence to close out Winter Wind. The award-winning Texas songwriter spins sorrow into joy and wrings wisdom from the blues with the poetic grace and uplifting melodic flair that has long been her trademark. Hendrix and Maines are also offering a songwriting workshop March 28, the day before the concert. Tickets are $20. normandepot.org

OU men’s tennis vs. Texas Headington Family Tennis Center 500 W. Imhoff Rd. 1 p.m. soonersports.com

April 2 OU Baseball vs. Kansas L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 6 p.m. www.soonersports.com

April 3

April 7

OU Baseball vs. Kansas

Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair

L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 2 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Students across Oklahoma honor their Native languages through written, spoken and visual arts. Complimentary admission. www.samnoblemuseum.org

OU Softball vs. Iowa State Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 6:30 p.m. www.soonersports.com

April 8 April 3-4 & 10-12 Oklahoma Festival Ballet Featuring “La Bayadere” Reynolds Performing Art Center 500 Parrington Oval 8 p.m. with a 3 p.m. matinee April 12 Oklahoma Festival Ballet Featuring “La Bayadere” Choreography by Mary Margaret Holt, Clara Stanley Cravey, and Ilya Kozadayev. www.theatre.ou.edu

Family Day Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art 500 Elm Avenue 1-4 p.m. Discover a wide range of Asian art from the permanent collection from anciet ceramics to 21st century prints. www.ou.edu/fjjma

OU Softball vs. Arkansas

April 4 OU Baseball vs. Kansas

Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 5 p.m. www.soonersports.com

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

April 9-11 OU Softball vs. Iowa State

NCAA men’s gymnastics championships

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

Lloyd Noble Center 2900 Jenkins Ave. TBA The top teams in NCAA men’s gymnastics will be competing for titles. www.soonersports.com

April 10-12 & April 17-19 Performance: Catch Me If You Can

March 31 OU Baseball vs. Central Arkansas

Sooner Theatre 101 E. Main Street 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday 2 p.m. Saturday & Sunday From the Tony-winning team that brought you Hairspray comes a new musical comedy about chasing your dreams… and not getting caught! The play is the high-flying new musical comedy based on the hit film and the incredible true story that inspired it. www.soonertheatre.org

L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 6 p.m. soonersports.com

April 1 Eggstravaganza Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua 4-7 p.m. This year’s spring fling will include complimentary admission, games, crafts, discovery tables with museum specimens to explore, photos with the bunny and, of course, a great egg hunt. www.samnoblemuseum.org

April 10 OU women’s tennis vs. Kansas State Headington Family Tennis Center 500 W. Imhoff Rd. 5 p.m. www.soonersports.com

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April 12

April 15

April 16

April 17-19

OU womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tennis vs. Kansas

Sutton Concert Series: Percussion Orchestra

OU Softball vs. Baylor

Free admission for OU Momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Weekend

Headington Family Tennis Center 500 W. Imhoff Rd. Noon www.soonersports.com

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

Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 8 p.m. www.soonersports.com

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua Museum hours: Monday thru Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Complimentary admission to the museum for all mothers of University of Oklahoma students when OU student is present and proper OU student ID is shown. www.samnoblemuseum.org

April 14 OU Baseball vs. Dallas Baptist L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 6 p.m. www.soonersports.com

April 17 OU Softball vs. Baylor

Sutton Concret Series: OU Jazz Bands

Marita Hynes Field 2500 S. Jenkins Ave. 6:30 p.m. www.soonersports.com

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

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April 18

April 19

Adult Workshop: Get the Dirt on Gardening

OU men’s tennis vs. Oklahoma State

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua 9 a.m.-Noon Looking for tips to grow your garden? Join the Master Gardeners of Cleveland County as we explore soil types, composting and how to plant a garden. Proper planting techniques will be demonstrated and supplies for practice will be provided. Advance registration is required and space is limited. On-site registration is not available for this program. Sponsored by Arvest Bank & Republic Bank & Trust. Cost: Members $20; Non-members $25. www.samnoblemuseum.org

Headington Family Tennis Center 500 W. Imhoff Rd. 1 p.m. www.soonersports.com

89er Day Parade Downtown Norman 10 a.m. “Norman: History in the Making” traces the city’s history from 1889 to present. www.norman89er.com

Sutton Concert Series: OU Chorale Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 3 p.m. ou.edu/finearts

April 20-24 Free admission during OU Staff Week

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua Museum hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Complimentary admission to University of Oklahoma faculty, staff and their families with ID. www.samnoblemuseum.org

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

APR

April 20

April 21 & 22

Sutton Concert Series: OU Symphony Band and Concert Band

OU Baseball vs. Alcorn State

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

L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 6 p.m. www.soonersports.com

April 21

April 25

Sutton Concert Series: OU Wind Symphony

Sutton Concert Series: Collegium Musicum

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

April 23-25

April 25-26

Norman Music Festival 8

OU Baseball vs. Sam Houston State

Downtown Norman 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Thursday & Friday; noon to 2 a.m. Saturday The eighth edition of the free Norman Music Festival stages in Historic Downtown Norman. www.normanmusicfest.com

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

April 24-25 Family Invertebrate Fossil Field Trip Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History 2401 S. Chautauqua Friday, April 24, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Sam Noble Museum invites you to join invertebrate paleontology curator Dr. Steve Westrop for an exciting journey into Oklahoma’s Paleozoic past. Explore life in Oklahoma’s ancient oceans on Friday evening with a close-up look at some of the museum’s finest invertebrate specimens. On Saturday morning, we will depart from the museum at 9 a.m. and travel in university vans to the site where you will find a variety of marine fossils that you can take home. Bring a sack lunch, snacks, comfortable shoes and plenty of water. This field trip is for children 7 & up with an adult. Advance registration is required and space is limited. Onsite registration is not available for this program. Sponsored by Arvest Bank & Republic Bank & Trust. Prices include one adult and one child. Members $90; Non-members $110. Each additional person: Members $45; Non-members $55. Deadline to register is April 20. www.samnoblemuseum.org

April 24 OU Baseball vs. Sam Houston State L. Dale Mitchell Park 401 W. Imhoff 6 p.m. www.soonersports.com

April 26 Sutton Concert Series: President’s Concert Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd 3 p.m. ou.edu/finearts

Jazz at The Depot: Larry Pierce Combo Norman Depot 200 S. Jones 8 p.m. The Larry Pierce Combo feature the best in eclectic standards and user friendly jazz. Whether tripping the light fantastic or kicking back and listening to the gorgeous saxophone and flute playing of Earl Hefley, audiences have delighted in the Oklahoma City based Larry Pierce Combo for 20 years. Larry’s unique vocal stylings have been compared to Randy Newman and Doctor John. Tickets are $10. www.normandepot.org

Art exhibit: National Weather Center Biennale National Weather Center 121 David L. Boren Blvd. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The National Weather Center Biennale is the first exhibition of its kind – an international juried exhibition presenting: Art’s Window on the Impact of Weather on the Human Experience. The 2015 exhibition is sponsored by the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma, and the Norman Arts Council. In conjunction with Earth Day 2015, the exhibition opens on Sunday, April 26 and closes Sunday, June 14, 2015. www.ou.edu/content/nwcbiennale

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Cover Story

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

All Aboard! The Depot is a historic Norman landmark that continues in its original function along with being an arts and community center.

by d oug hill

OT OS

AY C

LTO N

here was a train station in this place we now call Norman before the town was here. April 26, 1887 the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company completed a section of track between Kansas and Texas. That stretch of rail included station grounds in Indian Territory identified on railway way maps as “Dug Out.” The name came from ditch dwellings nearby left earlier in the decade by Chickasaw ranch hands. The place had previously been the shaded campsite of a land survey crew under contract with the U.S. Land Office led by young engineer Abner E. Norman. “NORMAN’S CAMP” had been burned into a large elm tree. In May, 1887 railway officials assigned the name Norman to station grounds here. At that time one of only two lawful non-Indians residing in the town site was railway employee J. L. Hefley. He was working in the area and raising a family. His great-grandson Joel Hefley is a former U.S. Congressman (1987-2007) from the 5th District of Colorado and current rancher due west of Purcell.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

“My great grandfather Hefley ran the section gang building the railroad and great grandmother Margaret operated the first boardinghouse or hotel which was mostly for the workers,” Hefley said. “She housed them and fed them. They struck a claim on what became much of downtown Norman but in court proceedings later lost that claim.” The family stayed tied to the area however and J.L.’s son Jesse was a Methodist minister here, living for a time on Eufaula St. Hefley recalls as a child taking the train from Oklahoma all the way to Chicago to visit an aunt. By that time the Norman Depot’s exterior architecture was in its present form. Unlike many simple wooden railway depots of the era ours was constructed in 1909 of red brick in the Mission Revival style with a tile roof and curvilinear parapets boasting the Santa Fe logo. It served as Norman’s railway hub until passenger service ended in 1979. The depot was closed entirely when freight shipments stopped a few years later. In 1986 the City of Norman bought the depot which had seen better times for one dollar. A committee was formed to renovate and preserve the building and grounds because of its beauty and historical significance. By 1989 the depot was again a source of pride. In 1991

The Santa Fe Depot has withstood the test of time and now serves as an arts and cultural center as well as a stop on Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Workers moved an old steam engine from the Oklahoma City fairgrounds to the railway museum in northeast Oklahoma City.

the depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The national Amtrack railway system resumed passenger service to and from Norman in 1999 with its Heartland Flyer route. It stretches from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth with additional stops in Purcell, Paul’s Valley, Ardmore and Gainesville. Every day in the morning and evening for a few minutes the Norman Depot serves in its original function as a train station. Currently the big silver-colored Heartland Flyer train with an engine at each end and passenger cars in between stops out-

side Norman depot southbound at 8:59 a.m. and northbound at 9:04 p.m. The full round trip costs around $50. Bright and early on a weekday morning in January, More resident Nancy Foster was at the Norman depot waiting to board the Heartland Flyer. She makes the trip to Texas and back a few times a month to visit her son and great-grandchildren. “The service is very reliable and you can read or sleep during the trip,” Foster said. “Stops in Purcell and Paul’s Valley to take on or let off

passengers are only a few minutes. It’s a great, leisurely way to travel and you get to see a lot of things.” Generally there’s plenty of room in the cars with the exception of University of Oklahoma football game weekends. “It gets pretty full,” Foster said. “And they’re rowdy too, especially if we win.” An extra “Big Game Day” car is added for those special occasions. Amtrack’s website description of the Norman Depot gives little indication of what a warm, welcoming and accommodating place it is. “Technically it’s an unmanned station,” Norman Depot executive director Shari Ransley-Jackson said. “But the city of Norman’s stewardship of this building includes a small stipend to cover having a person here in the morning during the week to unlock the doors, make coffee and ensure passengers have what they need, such as luggage tags to be able to board the train. We’re a gateway to Norman and want this experience to be a good one.” Volunteers perform that duty nights and weekends. The Depot organization is an umbrella that covers a variety of both formal and informal programs. The charming building hosts fine art exhibitions, music concerts and poetry readings. Many are familiar with the Winter Wind and Jazz in the Depot music concert series. It’s also a gathering place that can be rented at reasonable rates for private events. The Depot folks partner with others in the community to enhance quality of life in Norman. “We serve as an artist staging area for the Norman Music Festival and Mardi Gras and host a Leadership Norman dinner here,” Ransley-Jackson said. “It’s a wonderful community gathering place.” Norman Depot’s present function is a far cry from when it was basically just a siding to drop off lumber and nails. Its representative of how much progress has occurred here in 128 years.

Passengers wait to board the Heartland Flyer on its daily journey south.

The steam engine’s relocation was delayed due to routing issues late last year.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

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At the Capitol

Ladies of the Legislature by m ick hinton

PHOTOS BY JAY CHILTON

State Reps. Emily Virgin, left, and Claudia Griffith represent Norman at the Capitol.

tate Rep. Emily Virgin has been referred to as one of the few “Ladies of the Legislature.” “Oh, that is fine,” Virgin said. “I’m not easily offended.” The lawmaker said she has had to endure far less flattering comments. Virgin said when she took office in 2011, she often hosted school and college groups. “I noticed young people treated me differently. They didn’t know if I had a brain,” said Virgin, noting that they thought she was one of them.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Virgin is super proud that her House district encompasses the University of Oklahoma. But Virgin laments that the state’s amount of support for higher education has dwindled to less than 20 percent for the university, which is a reality often voiced by OU president David Boren. Virgin is heartened that Claudia Griffith, also a Norman Democrat, is starting her first session in the state Legislature after beating the incumbent, Republican Rep. Aaron Stiles in the 2014 election. Virgin said, “Thankfully, I now have another woman as a colleague.” Both Virgin and Griffith have considerable portions of Cleveland County in their legislative districts. Virgin said that for the most part, female lawmakers are treated as equals by their male counterparts. Freshman legislator Griffith’s office is across the hall from Rep. Ben Loring of Miami who is a former district attorney. Loring said he likes it that both men and women are representatives in the House because they provide different ideas and views on legislation. After spending several years at the University of Oklahoma to become a lawyer, Loring said he continues to have a fondness for Norman. Newcomer Griffith is the only woman among the House freshman class. Griffith said she believes that women bring another dimension to the membership of the legislature. Women are better communicators, she believes.

State Rep. Emily Virgin recently completed her law degree at the University of Oklahoma.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

State Rep. Claudia Griffith, a Registered Nurse, thinks the legislature needs more women in office. She relaxes in the House gallery with state Rep. Ben Loring of Miami.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Griffith said she and her husband James Griffith, a longtime Norman dentist, can talk separately to the same person. “But Jim comes away with a lot less information,” Griffith said. It’s a case of women asking more questions, while men tend to sit around and wait for their wives to quit talking to someone. “I can talk to someone and find out how all of the children in the family are doing.” She learns how they are being affected by what the Legislature does. That’s why the Legislature needs more women, Claudia said. “We are all daughters. We are more in tune with our surroundings. We are often the primary caretakers.” Out of the 101 House members, 13 are women in the current Legislature. This amounts to less than 13 percent. In states across the nation, women comprised 24 percent of the legislators in 2014, according to the National

Conference of State Legislatures, which has offices in Denver and Washington, D.C. But Virgin fears there may be even fewer women in the Legislature after the 2016 election. That is because seven of the 13 women currently serving in the House will be term-limited after having served 12 years each as lawmakers. The Senate side is not much better, she said. Out of the current 48 senators, six are women. The seven House members facing term limits by 2016 are Rep. Lisa Billy, R-Lindsey; Rep. Ann Coody, RLawton; Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing; Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City; Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, D-Tulsa; Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang; Rep. Pam Peterson, RTulsa. Meanwhile, Virgin applauds her constituents for paying attention to what legislators are doing. “People at the Capitol get tired of me bragging all the time about OU and Norman,” she said. “But I get people who are very informed.” Virgin said a lawmaker in her district could never pull the wool over the eyes of constituents in their districts. “Mine would go out and research it immediately,” she said.

WE ARE ALL DAUGHTERS. WE ARE MORE IN TUNE WITH OUR SURROUNDINGS. WE ARE OFTEN THE PRIMARY CARETAKERS. ~ CLAUDIA GRIFFITH Her constituents point out both sides of an issue, then come up with the correct answer, she said. Both Virgin and Griffith say that it is more difficult for a woman to be elected and serve as a legislator. Women often are teachers, who could not be absent from their classes when the Legislature meets from February through May. Griffith said the truth is that men make more money than women do. And women are often the spouse who looks after the children, taking them to school and a multitude of other activities. Men often are the ones who have their own businesses, and they can hire people to run them. Virgin is an attorney, having graduated from the University of Oklahoma. She has some clients who hire her to help with their legal matters and court cases. Republican Representative Bobby Cleveland, RSlaughterville, said he likes working with Virgin. “She doesn’t always say too much, but when she does, every-

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Claudia Griffith

Emily Virgin

SHE (VIRGIN) body listens, because doing, and she works at what she says is very it all the time.” DOESN’T thoughtful and imClaudia and ALWAYS SAY portant.” James’ three children Virgin is single. TOO MUCH, BUT are grown, so they She comes from a WHEN SHE DOES, don’t take as much of family of lawyers Claudia’s time as they EVERYBODY including her father, did when they were Blake Virgin, and younger. LISTENS, brother Jeff, who The children are BECAUSE WHAT Amy, a daughter who recently took over as SHE SAYS IS VERY has a PhD in psychola Cleveland County district judge. ogy; son Brian who THOUGHTFUL Giffith is marworks for a wine disAND IMPORTANT. tributor; and youngest ried and the mother of three children. son, James, who has a ~ REPUBLICAN Griffith has worked degree in microbiology REPRESENTATIVE for many years as a and is doing cancer BOBBY CLEVELAND research at the OU nurse. She has been involved in many Health Sciences Center. community activities. Griffith has proposed a bill that she Griffith’s husband James said after hopes could expand access to health several years raising children, being a care by utilizing more nursing practinurse and involved in many other comtioners and physician assistants parmunity activities, “My wife is truly in ticularly in rural areas where care isn’t her element now. She loves what she is always available. 38

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

The measure, House Bill 1366, notes that “this shall be known and may be cited as the Expanding Health Care for All Oklahomans Act of 2015.” In late February, Griffith pulled from consideration a bill that would have greatly curtailed the public’s access to police videos from crime scenes. Griffith’s original bill was amended by Rep. Mike Christian, ROklahoma City, who chaired the committee hearing the bill. The revised bill drew the attention of the news media that feared the restriction could be extended to several other open records. Griffith said, “I never wanted to gut the Open Records Act. What happened in committee was the complete opposite of transparency in government and I think should be a lesson for all of us.”

Norman FYI

Roy

Neher

MULTI-MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEOGRAPHY, MUSIC

What is your favorite subject to photograph? Nature What is one of your secrets to a good photo? Remove everything from the frame that annoys me. Why do you enjoy photography? I love to surround myself with beautiful things and share them with the world. Describe one of your favorite or most unique photos and where did you take it? A male Cardinal passing a seed to a female. A form of bird kiss. Where have you traveled that you enjoyed capturing in photos? Throughout the U.S. Which do you enjoy taking more fun casual photos or serious posed shots? Although, I enjoy both, capturing a spontaneous moment is always exciting. Tell three things about yourself? I’m a lifelong Okie, I’m old and I hurt... What do you include everyday in your routine? A look outside the window. Who or what inspires you? I am inspired by life on planet earth. It never fails to impress me. What would you like to learn how to do? Eradicate ignorance.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

How do you like to relax? Haven’t figured that one out, yet. Describe your favorite article of clothing? Pants with lots of pockets and a big funny hat. What do you look forward to in Spring? The planet coming to life and all of the migratory birds returning from their winter homes. Do you prefer cooking at home or eating out and why? I prefer eating at home. I have more control over what I eat and a heck of a lot cheaper.

Tell three things about yourself? I love to bake cookies, pies and bread and share with my friends. I constantly read, mostly articles about new/ different ways to photograph things. I love vegetables, my husband, my daughter and my dog (not necessarily in that order!). What do you include everyday in your routine? I journal about my blessings and the gratitude I have for all of them. Who or what inspires you? Nature and how it constantly changes. Sunsets and sunrises and the fantastic colors of nature. What would you like to learn how to do? The list is entirely too long. I am always on a quest for learning or trying something new!

June

Frantz-Hunt PHOTOGRAPHER

What is your favorite subject to photograph? Sports and birds What is one of your secrets to a good photo? Patience Why do you enjoy photography? First, I get to be outside when I photograph birds and second, I enjoy the challenge of sports and the participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; enthusiasm for the event. The company of fellow photographers on the sidelines is also a very diverse group of folks!

Describe one of your favorite or most unique photos and where did you take it? A country road, sunrise, dog, lots of deer jumping the fence Where have you traveled that you enjoyed capturing in photos? Northern California coast

How do you like to relax? My favorite method of relaxing is to take a LONG walk down the river with my rambunctious Labrador Murphy...with camera on my shoulder! Describe your favorite article of clothing? Hooded sweatshirt followed by flannel pjs. What do you look forward to in Spring? I look forward to the migrating birds, the SWEET warm evening light and the heavenly feeling outside that Spring is on its way! Do you prefer cooking at home or eating out and why? Either

Which do you enjoy taking more fun casual photos or serious posed shots? Casual

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Norman FYI

Which do you enjoy taking more fun casual photos or serious posed shots? Both, whatever the subject lends itself to.

Shevaun

Williams FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER

What is your favorite subject to photograph? Anything where all concerned are involved in a creative process What is one of your secrets to a good photo? Well, that is a secret! Why do you enjoy photography? Little did I know when I received a Kodak Instamatic 100 at my twelfth birthday slumber party and started snapping photos of my twin and our giggling guests in their rainbow lounge pajamas that it was to be a seminal moment in my career. However, it was a college summer session in Paris and the South of France that firmly fixed my love affair with travel and the camera.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

I loved the fresh perspectives gained through the lens. Photography relieved anxiety in me...it supported my human need to express myself. So, I quit college and instead attended the school of hard knocks with a major in photography. Describe one of your favorite or most unique photos and where did you take it? An outdoor flower market seller in Cuba, but I am making some images now in Morocco that might challenge that. Where have you traveled that you enjoyed capturing in photos? I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pick just one.

Tell three things about yourself? I am not happy unless I have a monster trip planned and have a camera around my neck. I can still rock a back flip off the springboard along with a decent back handspring on land! What do you include everyday in your routine? An attitude of gratitude. Who or what inspires you? Artists, athletes and artisans What would you like to learn how to do? Play the piano How do you like to relax? Reading Describe your favorite article of clothing? Black beret from Provence What do you look forward to in Spring? The light Do you prefer cooking at home or eating out and why? At home, because my husband is the best chef in town.

What is your favorite subject to photograph? Musicians, dogs, dogs playing music.

Which do you enjoy taking more fun casual photos or serious posed shots? Casual. Casual. Casual.

What is one of your secrets to a good photo? I’ll let you know when I get one. Why do you enjoy photography? Therapist wanted me to find some way of breaking the hoarding/acquisitive disorder. In retrospect she says that freezing every moment of experience wasn’t exactly what she had in mind but at least (in the digital age) it doesn’t take up as much space as collecting every book ever set in print. Describe one of your favorite or most unique photos and where did you take it? Jahruba Lambeth. Othello’s.

Tell three things about yourself? I’ll never stop being a Yankee even if I would never be caught dead in New York. Too many regrets. Too much pride in my daughter.

Curtis

Ensler RETIRED FROM OU

Where have you traveled that you enjoyed capturing in photos? Jam Cruise, International Judo tournaments. Music festivals.

Who or what inspires you? My daughter. Thomas Merton. Beauty of the Earth. What do you look forward to in Spring? New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Norman Music Festival. Maybe someday they won’t be on the same weekend.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

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NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

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Norman Profile

Farm Boy to Professor by c hris jones

Paul Lawson is director for the Center for Microbial Identification and Taxonomy.

PHOTOS PROVIDED AND BY CHRIS JONES

e says he is a “poo” doctor, a bug hunter. A conversation with Paul A. Lawson, Ph.D., F.A.C.B.S., popular professor of microbiology at the University of Oklahoma, quickly dispels the stereotype of the dry, unapproachable professor. He is director for the Center for Microbial Identification and Taxonomy, writes constantly, and is published worldwide on a regular basis. The world-renowned scientist, a native of Colne, England, is at the top of his profession and is contacted weekly by International scientists seeking advice and offering positions. In a recent seminar at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at OU, Lawson displayed his outgoing personality, his love for science, teaching and discovery.

Students Lindsey O’Neal, Nisha Patel and Crystal “Nikki” Johnson pose with Professor Lawson.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Jane Lawson is His witty comments, stories of an artist and his life in England, his down to instructor at the earth approach to the mystery of Firehouse Art bacteria, and his move to the UniCenter. versity of Oklahoma set a non-scientific crowd at ease. He was born in 1962, in Colne, Lancashire, England, the son of a butcher and farmer, grandson of a farmer, and he was expected to become a farmer. “I knew at age 10, that I was interested in science, especially wildlife, nature and human health,” Lawson said. “I was fascinated with how the human body worked.” Despite the deep disappointment of his father the farm was left behind in favor of the university. He devoted his life to his education and research, working with Sir Walter Bodmer, head of UK Cancer Research, Haroun Shah and M. David Collins, two of the world’s leading microbial taxonomists. He joined Collins lab as a research fellow in 1990, and said he survived on two hours sleep a night, thriving in a field of research thought of as dry and boring. He stayed until 2005, and he describes Collins as a humble genius, and a dear friend. Dark clouds began to appear on the horizon in 2003, Lawson said, and in time the oldest bacteriological department and premier taxonomists group was disbanded. “Politics and egos are never good in science,” Lawson said. “After 15 years together we had a final farewell.”

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

OKLAHOMA COMES CALLING Lawson married his wife, Jane in June 2005, and a month later he left England to begin a new life in Oklahoma. The day after Jane arrived in the Sooner State she was attacked by a horse and seriously injured. Insurance coverage hadn’t yet begun and suddenly the new residents were in debt. Lawson said the Oklahoma sunshine lifted his wife’s spirits as she recovered. “Everyday she opened the curtains, looked at the blue sky, and said it’s a beautiful day,” he said. The couple lives on an acreage East of Norman, where they have dogs, sheep and horses. The Union Jack is proudly displayed, flying in the Oklahoma wind. Both have settled comfortably into their life on campus and at home. Jane spins and knits and is an artist at the Firehouse Arts Center in Norman. This summer the couple will become citizens of the United States. Lawson said he is not a materialistic man or an empire builder. He said his father now recognizes the achievements he has made and the prestige he has gained, but doesn’t understand they are not reflected in the way he lives.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Jane and Paul The professor’s joy comes from disLawson live on covery, scientific breakthroughs, and an acreage east passing knowledge on to his students. of Norman with He said a person doesn’t go into science dogs, sheep and planning to make money. horses. “I have gotten where I am today by drive, determination and passion,” Lawson said. “My students think I push them hard.” His work ethic is that of a farmer and he expects his stu-

dents to work hard. He is proud to say most of his students are publishing with world leaders in their field.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Paul and Jane Lawson are planning to become U.S. citizens this summer.

The professor often share words of wisdom with his students. Take opportunities, work hard and have a five-year plan. Give yourself options, and finish what you start. Value your family, friends and colleagues. Find something you are passionate about, and never burn bridges. Looking to the future Lawson said scientific breakthroughs are coming faster and faster. He believes blindness and paralysis will be gone in 20 or 30 years due to gene therapy or medical breakthroughs. And looking to the past to what he misses in England. He smiled and said, “the bars. They just aren’t the same here in the states.”

Crystal “Nikki” Johnson poses with Prof. Lawson. Johnson is now in Cork, Ireland for her Postdoctoral studies.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Announces the commissioned public art piece: Sanctuary To grace the entrance to Norman Regional Moore â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring 2016 To learn more visit www.NRHFoundation.org/projectspotlight

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Taste of Norman

everything under the

moon by m ack burke

Full Moon Sushi & Bistro rolls deep

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

The ‘Pablo Escolar’ roll (front) is just one of Full Moon’s 50 artfully crafted signature sushi rolls.

PHOTOS BY MACK BURKE

ull Moon Sushi & Bistro proves that you don’t have to live on the West Coast, or any coast for that matter, to get premium quality sushi rolls. Even in a land-locked state, what’s more impressive are the unique and flavorful twists Full Moon’s chefs roll into every pristinely presented plate. They do all the standards, of course. It’s not a bad choice for a California roll or a Philly roll, but Full Moon shines brightest with its 50 signature rolls. With names like “The Dude, “Dagobah” and “Ring of Fire.” These staff-crafted masterpieces, born of trial and error, run the gamut of flavors. From the slow burn of the signature

cherry death sauce, to rich combinations of sweet eel sauce and spicy mayo, there are enough options to go on a full blown sushi flight every visit and still not try all the rolls. Even if you did manage to try them all, it’s a near certainty the menu would’ve expanded to include something new before you got there. A new wrinkle. A new approach. That’s what separates Full Moon from the rest. Surprisingly, it’s not hard to find good sushi in Oklahoma, but places like Full Moon continue to surprise adventurous palates and bold flavor seekers. Even if fish isn’t your thing, usually a prerequisite for enjoying a good a sushi bar, rolls like the

“Rolling Thunder” illustrate just how far sushi can go. It’s a combination of seared steak, cream cheese, jalapeno and green onions with spicy mayo. Yeah, it’s a steak roll. You can’t find that just anywhere. With that in mind, I opted to sample the “Rolling Thunder” and three other signature rolls: • “Pablo Escolar” — Fresh roll with yellowtail, avocado, jalapeno, cream cheese, escolar, spicy mayo, masago • “Turbo Dougie” — Fresh roll with wonton crisps, avocado, jalapeno, yellow tail, eel sauce, green onions • “El Diablo” — Cooked roll with avocado, panko fried calamari, cream cheese, jalapeno, sriracha

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

‘El Diablo’ roll

The”Pablo Escolar” is rich and well balanced, which made for a good pairing with “El Diablo,” a spicy demon with a heart of calamari gold. The “Turbo Dougie,” named after inventor Douglas Prophet, is drizzled

‘Pablo Escolar’ roll

‘Turbo Dougie’ roll

in eel sauce, giving it a sweet heat duality common in many of the signature rolls. Outside of the roll-o-sphere, called Maki in sushi speak, Full Moon offers nigiri (hand-pressed sushi) and sashimi

(raw fish sliced and served without rice), as well as dinner entrees like hand cut N.Y. strip, seared scallops, teriyaki salmon and pork tenderloin. In the appetizer column Full Moon offers edamame (dusted with a unique spice

Fried gyoza (pictured) is a staple appetizer, but Full Moon also offers up some surprises like crab cakes, mussels and shrimp cocktail.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Full Moon’s edamame is dusted in a house seasoning that gives it a unique and zesty flavor.

blend), calamari, crab cakes, cold asparagus, mussels, gyoza and shrimp cocktail. Miso soup, seared tuna salad, Thai beef salad, seaweed salad (extremely healthy) and a shiso dressing house salad round out the pregame fare. No sushi restaurant would be complete without sake and their renovated bar has everything to satisfy the thirsty customer. Happy hour (3-6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, 4-6 p.m., Sunday) offers half-price California rolls, $2 salmon rolls, $2 salmon nigiri and half-price steamed or fried chicken dumplings and $1.75 domestics. To finish it off, the atmosphere is everything you’d expect (and want). There’s a fish tank, local art adorning the walls, soft lighting, good music at perfect dining volume and a friendly staff.They all seem to enjoy their jobs. And, why not? They’re artists more than cooks. Each day is a chance for a new special, a new experiment a new exercise in culinary jazz. Really, you’d have to look really hard to find something not to like about the whole experience. Mostly, you’ll just FULL MOON find yourself looking SUSHI & really hard at the menu BISTRO and wishing you had an 326 E Main St. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. extra stomach. There’s a Monday through whole ocean out there Saturday and most of it is on the 4-10 p.m. Sunday menu at Full Moon.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Norman Vintage

FRESH, and OTHERS by k athy hallren

ed Blends are in, but then again they always have been. Starting in Bordeaux when Katherine of Aragon married King Henry II, the Brits started drinking red wine. Later know as Claret in England, Bordeaux is a blend comprised primarily of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with Malbec and Petit Verdot permitted, blended to maintain the high quality and taste profile the Bordeaux of that house or appellation is known for.

Want to celebrate St. Pattyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day or watch some basketball with a tropical twist try one of these great recipes: PEPPERTINI

FLOWER HOUR

2 oz. Vodka 1/2 Habanero Pepper 1/4 oz. Lime Juice 1 Mint Leaf

3 oz. Vodka 1 Hibiscus Flower A splash of Hibiscus Syrup

DIRECTIONS: Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass, then garnish with a pineapple wedge.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

DIRECTIONS: Pour vodka in a shaker with ice. Shake, shake, shake. Place 1 hibiscus flower in a chilled martini glass and add a little hibiscus syrup. Pour vodka in glass.

Recent years have seen the rising popularity of a group of wines known as GSM, Grenache, Syrah (Shiraz) and Mourdevre. These are the backbone of a blend from the south of France. This official French wine region includes such famous wine as Chateauneufdu-Pape. GSM has moved from its traditional roots to California and as far afield as New Zealand. The award winning Penfold Grange is a GSM. These are generally full bodied wines, the Shiraz adding just a touch of pepper. These are the wines to drink with game, lamb or other red meat heavy meals. Given the names mentioned above be assured that there are great GSM blends available at prices that will not break the bank. Sterling Vineyards Meritage, Hope Troublemaker, Cline Cashmere and The Stump Jump or, course just ask at your local liquor store. A toast to Spring.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Norman People

A Garden for Ransom by c hris jones

peaceful garden is coming together in memory of 4-year old Ransom Hardesty who died of cancer in 2013. The area behind the former six-plex next to Saint Thomas More University Parish on East Stinson Street now houses the Louise Kay Education Center. After several months of renovation the building opened in September, 2014 with additional classrooms used for religious education.

All of the trees were saved during the renovation, however, the muddy area behind the building needed love and care. It seemed to be a perfect spot for a small park with sidewalks, plants and places to sit. A Holy Family statue is also planned for the site. Ransomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents, Aimee and Clint Hardesty agreed. They, and Ransomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brothers, Athan and Ambrose are members of St. Thomas More University Parish.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS JONES

Lisa Schmidt, left, and Brigid Brink sit in the courtyard at St. Thomas More University Parish on East Stinson Street in Norman.

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Work began in January to create a small park area behind the children’s education building south of St. Thomas More University Parish. Trees were saved, but the area will have plants and flowers, benches and a Holy Family Statue.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations in the name of their youngest son be made to the church. “Our church means so much to us,” Aimee Hardesty said. “The show of support our family received from our church and the community was humbling, and more than I can ever say in words.” She said when the pastor James Goins, known by parishioners as “Father Jim” suggested the garden it seemed an ideal use for the funds. “We love our church and are thrilled that this is happening,” she said. “Our family is hopeful the park will be used by many people.” Brigid Brink, business manager at Saint Thomas More Catholic Church, said bricks are being sold for $100 each to provide additional funds for the landscaping and upkeep of the park. The bricks will be engraved with the names of donors, those they wish to remember, or scripture verses. One of the bricks will have the name of Ransom’s dog, Sherlock, an Australian Shepherd he received through the Make- A- Wish Foundation. Ransom’s mom said the dog was wonderful companion for her son and is now a comfort to his brothers. The 1,700 red bricks will line the curving walkways in a pleasing pattern throughout the landscaped area. Brink said a dedication is planned May 17, Ransom’s birthday.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

PHOTOS BY THERESA BRAGG

Making a Difference

Caring community still hooked on kids I by t heresa bragg

t was purely by coincidence that at the same time the architects did their final walkthrough of the new Center for Children and Families building at 210 S. Cockrel Avenue, demolition crews leveled the original Juvenile Services, Inc. facility at 1 West Gray. Juvenile Services, Incorporated, established in 1969, was known for its’ fishhook logo and slogan, “hooked on kids.” The center was renamed the Center of Children and Families in 1999. A few days after the old JSI building was torn down, the first of many boxes were moved from the Community Services Building (CSBI) into the newly renovated facility, in preparation of the November 13 ribbon cutting ceremony. Katie Fitzgerald, Executive Director of CCFI said “This renovated building is a testament to how much this community cares about children and our community’s future. By investing today in healing children, strengthening families and empowering youth – our community will be stronger 20 years from now. CCFI is so fortunate that we have a community of people

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who are steadfast in their commitment to investing in children.” As clients walk into this new facility, they immediately get the feel that “this community cares for me.” Children and parents are surrounded by beautiful, cheerful, bright and colorful surroundings. Fitzgerald stated that most of the children served by CCFI “are dealt the worst possible hand and have been given a very rocky start to life. We want this facility to show them that they are valued.” The staff has enjoyed watching their client’s expressions when they walk into the newly renovated facility for the first time. The capital campaign ended last July with $3.9 million raised. After that time, additional donations were added to bring the total to $4 million. The project was funded entirely with private dollars from individuals, corporations and numerous foundations. The building project was done in partnership with The McKinney Partnership Architects, Sun Construction and Republic Bank and Trust.

CCFI Board Members Cindy Merrick, left, and Lisa Long, right, both campaign co-chairs, celebrate with, from left, Chilton Purcell, Mission Advance Director, MacKenzie Britt, CCFI Board member and Building Committee Chair and executive director Katie Fitzgerald.

DATA POINTS: This spring, a new playground will be added, courtesy of Cross Timbers Rotary Club, Norman Rotary Club, Sooner Rotary Club and other individual donors. The move from the previous location at the CSBI building has allowed CCFI to increase its space from 9,000 square feet to 24,000 square feet. There is still an additional 4,000 square feet that remains unfinished upstairs. Once the new facility is “lived-in” for a while, a decision will be made on how best to utilize that space. The additional square footage allow CCFI to expand its children’s therapeutic program and will enable CCFI to consolidate its’ ”Neighborhood Centers” out-of-school enrichment services under one roof. Currently, ”Neighborhood Centers” are operated remotely at Kennedy and Wilson Elementary Schools. Jefferson Elementary, the neighborhood school located near the new CCFI building, will be added to the program along with several other schools. The afterschool programs will be moved into the west end of the new facility. These programs are

CCFI served 1,861 unduplicated clients in FY2014 plus an additional 1,000 visitors to its public Baby Pantry. Breakdown of clients in FY2014 (June 2013 – July 2014): · 187 parents and babies in early childhood education and home visitation services · 72 in teenage parenting services · 474 in healing trauma and preventing child abuse and neglect services · 357 in Neighborhood Centers out-of-school enrichment services · 811 in co-parenting and divorce services

OUTCOMES FROM FY2014: · 100% of teen parent seniors graduated from high school (national graduation rate is about 50%) · 100% of parents served with home visits demonstrated increased use of positive parenting practices · 94% of caregivers in family therapy demonstrated the use of positive parenting practices · 77% of children who received individual play therapy and/or family therapy demonstrated improvement in behaviors · Of the children in foster care who received individual therapeutic services, 100% had their placement stabilized while in care. Stabilizing a child’s foster-care placement is critical for healing trauma.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

The Center for Children and Families is in its fourth location in Norman. The first office was in the old Post Office building at Gray Street and Peters Avenue. The second location, shown below during demolition, was at 1 West Gray Street.

Juvenile Services was established by three Norman judges: David Rambo, Elvin Brown and Alan Couch in response to what they were witnessing in court rooms and hoping that earlier interventions could help alleviate some of the issues. The center was originally staffed and partially funded by the Department of Human Services. It also received funding through the county commissioners as well as through various grants. The center became known as Juvenile Services, Inc. in 1972. Early on, the center primarily focused upon abused and neglected children as well as extended family programs. Over the past 46 years, services have extended to include counseling services, teenage parenting, divorce mediation, afterschool programs and in-home visitation and parenting programs.

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provided with support from and in cooperation with Norman Public Schools, United Way of Norman, the City of Norman, Regional Food Bank, Firehouse Art Center, the Norman Police Department and many other partners. They operate in high poverty neighborhoods to reach children and youth (ages 6-18) who otherwise do not have access to enrichment opportunities outside of school. In FY2014, 357 students were enrolled in Neighborhood Centers. The program will also be expanded to run throughout the summer months. CCFI is working with the Regional Food Bank to gain the designation of “Kid’s Café.” It is their goal to have this designation by August. In addition, the CCFI facility will also be partnering with Norman Public Schools as a full-day Pre-Kindergarten site. The Center provides services to clients throughout Cleveland County with the majority of clients in Norman, Moore, and Oklahoma City. In addition, CCFI provides home visitation services in Cleveland and Pottawatomie counties. The voluntary home visitation program focuses on infants in “high-risk” homes, providing weekly parent education and support and child development screenings. These homes struggle or have struggled with issues such as low income, past substance abuse and domestic violence. In addition, CCFI partners with others to work with teenage parents in order to keep them in school while teaching the teens parenting skills. The program is proud of their 100 percent graduation rate last year. The new building also boasts a new Baby Pantry, which last year provided close to 100,000 diapers to over a thousand families. It is one of the largest sources in the area to provide diapers and formula to babies in need. Many clients of CCFI are mandated through the court system for counseling, divorce mediation, abuse and neglect, and co-parenting programs,

while others are voluntary for children who have experienced various forms of childhood and relationship trauma. CCFI is proud this year to have expanded their therapeutic capacity to now provide bi-lingual counseling services for Spanish speaking children and families. CCFI provides supervised visitations and child transfer, as well as communication courses for divorced parents. Fitzgerald continued in saying “This project was pursued precisely because of the need to expand services and it is delivering on that promise already. Our Children’s Therapeutic Wing has gone from three play therapy rooms to five – allowing us to almost double our capacity to see children in therapy services. Similarly, our Youth and Family Center will allow us to triple the number of neighborhoods we serve with out-of-school enrichment programs, triple the number of kids we serve daily and triple the amount of

The number of play therapy rooms has increased from three to five at the new location.

time children and youth are engaged out-of-school programs every week. The need is great and, unfortunately, is not going to be diminished anytime soon. We again have a waiting list for therapy services, despite our expanded

space, and we know that we will have far greater demand for our afterschool services, once transitioned to our new location, than we can serve. We are not defeated by this though – it is just our next challenge.”

at SpringForward with some Sass

Mel’s Kloset

2109 W. Main St. • Norman 405-307-0115 • Mon-Fri 10-6 • Sat 10-5 NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Norman Profile

Road scholar by j ocelyn pedersen

PHOTOS PROVIDED

hat seems impossible for some is an adventure for others. Such is the case of Norman resident, Scott Moses, Associate Professor in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at OU, who decided to do something a little different for his 50th birthday. Moses, who is an avid cyclist, rode his bike from Tulsa to San Francisco. “I wanted to do something challenging and memorable,” Moses said. “For me, this was a big challenge—to go out on my own. Some people do longer trips.” So last summer, man and bike started the long trek west—a journey of 2,729 miles, that he rode in 50 days. Moses said the biking wasn’t a concern; it was more “what if something breaks?” Moses picked up a piece of wire in his tire on his second day and had to repair a flat. It made him wonder if

this were an omen, but he emerged victorious to continue his ride. He pieced his route together because he was familiar with southern Utah, where he goes hiking every May. Then he decided San Francisco would be a nice destination, and the rest became roads between points A and B. His route took him through Oklahoma via Tulsa, Stillwater, Norman, Watonga and Woodward. Then into Kansas where he trekked across Coldwater, Dodge City and Scott City and then joined Adventure Cycling Association’s TransAmerica Trail which took him from Scott City to Pueblo, Colorado. Then he followed the Western Express trail to Hovenweep National Monument in southeast Utah and a later detour to visit his favorite place: Zion National Park. Next, he went across Nevada on US

Scott Moses poses in San Francisco at the end of his 2,729 mile journey.

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50 which he refered to as “the loneliest highway in America” then into California where he passed through Sacramento and finally, San Francisco. Throughout his journey, he only had two flat tires and ran over one snake, that “enjoyed it less than I did,” he quipped. On one of his yearly hiking trips to Utah, Moses recalls seeing “a guy coming the other way on a bike” which made him wonder how the man was doing that when he was 130 miles between gas stations through remote, wild, and undeveloped territory. “So, I learned how it is possible,” Moses said. “How you do it and train for it.” Training included riding regularly with members of the Bicycle League of Norman. Moses said every Tuesday night the group rode to the Oklahoma City airport. When he departed Norman during his tour, he took the same route but when he reached the point where the group normally turns around to return to Norman, he just kept going. “Starting out was when I had a lot of fear, and I thought ‘you have to go anyway.’” Moses recalls. “I thought about all those Tuesday evening rides and instead of coming back, I kept going north and left civilization behind.” He also knew if something went wrong, he would need to fix it or find someone to help him. All the while, he shared the road with motorists. “One thing that surprised me was how courteous drivers were in western Oklahoma,” Moses said. “Almost all the time, cars would move over. Sometimes in Norman, cars are not always so courteous.” Moses recalls a driver in Yukon who was “apparently just messing with me,” but after Yukon, it was all good until Moses hit Pueblo, Colorado. “You can always tell when you get close to an urban area,” Moses said. “I could tell because people are in a hurry. In less urban areas, people are not in such a hurry and they’re more courteous and curious.” More important than the drivers are the roads he traveled and the experiences he had. When asked what his most memorable experience was, Moses said, “I can remember each day of the trip distinctly. The scenery was different each day. Other vacations are a blur except for a few specific memories. I especially enjoyed Utah. To be there on my bicycle and know there’s no car with me and know that everything I had I brought with me was very meaningful.” Moses explained that when driving in a car, scenery passes by very quickly, but when riding, he was able to take things in and smell the vegetation. In some places a car only passes every 20 minutes, and

Coming in April

LIVENORMAN LIVE • GROW • WORK • PLAY

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Moses’ bike, gear and food weighed almost 80 pounds.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

in Nevada, he could stop and have a 360-degree view with mountains on the horizon. “You’re in the middle of this vast basin that is unchanged throughout the history of our country,” Moses said, describing the scenery. “You have towns where you spend the night an average of 60 miles apart and there’s absolutely nothing in between, not even a single farm house.” Moses made his way along these lengthy, desolate passages day after day. In Kansas between Dodge City and Scott City it rained. Although he had rain gear, the temperature was in the low 50s and his hands were wet and very cold. Although it rained two other times during his journey, this “was by far, the hardest day,” Moses remembers. Like the rain gear, Moses had to carry everything on his Salsa Vaya bike which is heavier than a road

bike, but made for any type of road. Moses took the bike to Buchanan Bicycles and had it assembled there. Walter Albrecht of Buchanan Bicycles said the Salsa is a good bike with a steel frame that offers a good, economical, dependable ride. Peddling a bike and carrying everything needed for camping including gear, provisions, clothing and a camera all weigh in, so Moses pared down to the only the most essential items. Even then the weight of the bike, gear and food weighed almost 80 pounds. Moses’ incredible journey might not be his last. When asked if he’d do it all again, he said, “Absolutely, I’ll do it again. I still have the bike, so I will. As I was crossing the mountains and the desert, I was thinking how nice it would be to bike in the Midwest where there’s a town every 10 miles. And it’s flatter.”

That Midwestern trek might become a reality in the near future because the Adventure Cycling Association is creating a Route 66 bicycle touring route from Chicago to Los Angeles. Moses said it will be the first route through Oklahoma and Oklahomans will likely soon see people with fully loaded touring bikes peddling along Route 66. Another long trek may be in Moses’ future, but for now, he reflects on the ways his first ride changed him. “When you’re touring, you learn how little you need,” Moses said. “And even returning home, you want to live more simply with less stuff. So such of the stuff that we have isn’t really necessary for our comfort. We just don’t need it.” Moses went on to say that he hopes his adventure will inspire others. “I hope this will encourage people to get out of the office and off our chairs and have an adventure once in a while,” Moses said. “It was very satisfying. That’s how I felt when I arrived in San Francisco. It was a very satisfying adventure.” Moses’ former neighbor, Jim Denham who lived in Norman and now lives in Sonoma, California saw Moses

Moses wrote a daily journal with photo. Read it at www.crazyguyonabike.com and search for “Red Dirt to the Golden Gate.”

in San Francisco at the end of his trek. “I was very impressed. He talked to me about his plan to do it. I had no doubt that he would, because he’s a very disciplined athlete,” Denham said. “It’s a laudable accomplishment.” Albrecht echoed Denham’s sentiment. “I think it’s awesome. I work in a bike shop and I’ve met many people who have ridden long distances, Al-

brecht said. “Although I know a few people who have done similar things, it’s really ambitious and you get to see the world in a whole different way.” Moses chronicled his ride on crazyguyonabike.com where he blogged daily and posted pictures of his ride. To view the pictures and read his blog, search for “Red Dirt to the Golden Gate.”

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Norman Business

Sister entrepreneurs put new twist on popcorn

ichaela by m marx wheatley

he warm, rich smell of crunchy popcorn makes people happy, and two Norman entrepreneurs have made it their business to create more and more mouthwatering, happiness-inducing variations of the classic treat. Sisters Angie Darkow and Lauren Bader founded Sisters’ Gourmet Popcorn to share a family tradition with a broader audience. “It’s sort of a family tradition that we used to do with our grandma,” Darkow said. Growing up in Northwest Indiana they shared gourmetstyle popcorn based on a family recipe with friends and other relatives around the holidays. The sisters eventually moved to Oklahoma and soon realized they missed this holiday tradition and revived it. “Friends would come over for a party and would say ‘Wow, that’s really good,’” Bader said.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

“It made us think, hey, why aren’t we selling this?” Darkow added. They began the journey of forging a business out of cooking popcorn in their kitchens, and it wasn’t an easy process – especially if it’s not a full time gig. Darkow is the mother of five, and Bader has a fulltime job outside the popcorn business. “Hats off to any small business owner,” Darkow said. “Sometimes we applied for permits and I thought didn’t I just get this permit? Am I buying a permit to get a permit? It’s really difficult.” “You got to have a passion for it,” Bader said. With all the bureaucratic hurdles behind them, they are regulars at local farmers markets, they cater weddings and other special occasion setting up popcorn bars, and even offer fundraising packages for community groups and other organizations.

Their popcorn is also available at The Candy Basket on Main Street in Norman and you can buy popcorn online through their website www.popcorngals.com. The sisters said that finding a creative, fun way to earn money has been inspiring, and while it requires time and commitment, it does not feel like work. “We get lost in it for hours,” Darkow said. The secret to their popcorn lies with the original family recipe. Everything is made from high quality ingredients and made from scratch, but they put a contemporary twist

on things through innovative flavor combinations. “We are trying to get creative,” Lauren said. They intentionally stay away from recipe websites or scoping out what competitors are doing. “We’re trying to stay original,” Darkow said. “The kids will tell us a certain thing and we try it. Sometimes customers come up with ideas.” Today they are selling more than 20 flavors of gourmet popcorn ranging from their signature caramel popcorn to flavors Lauren Bader, left and Angie Darkow such as 5-alarm cheddar, cookie monster founded Sisters’ or s’mores. They have a trial day once a Gourmet Popcorn. month when they go wild in the kitchen trying out new creations and so the list of new, unique flavors is growing. The ultimate goal is to find a storefront in Norman and open up a Sisters’ Gourmet Popcorn shop. While there is still a lot of planning ahead and a bit more popcorn must be sold before they will open their dream store, the foundation has been laid. “We just believe in it so much,” Darkow said. Find Sisters’ Gourmet Popcorn at the The Candy Basket or order some at over the phone at (405)310-4741 or online at www.popcorngals.com

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Norman Profile

Fr. Jim Chamberlain

ENGINEER/PRIEST LIVES HIS CALLINGS

r. Jim Chamberlain to some and Fr. Jim Chamberlain to others. Some might say that he leads a double life. During the day, Dr. Chamberlain can be found at the OU WaTER Center, the College of Civil and Environmental Engineering or traveling the world to remote villages in Ethiopia or El Salvador, and during the evenings and weekends, you can usually find him at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Purcell, Oklahoma. “I graduated first in engineering from Texas A&M. But my older (and only) brother is a priest, and I was always fascinated by his life and work. I would visit him in the parish and “shadow” him as he went around on pastoral visits. After two years of engineering work near Houston, I decided to go into the seminary myself. A big turning point for me was losing my mom to cancer that year. It became a conversion experience for me and I wanted to do more with my life and give back to the Church. I really thrived in seminary (St. Meinrad’s Seminary, a Benedictine school in Indiana) because it was much smaller than college and I could be involved in so many things – such as the tennis team, musical theatre, and various service organization,” said Chamberlain. After ordination Fr. Chamberlain was assigned for four years to par-

PHOTOS BY THERESA BRAGG

by t heresa bragg

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Fr. Jim Chamberlain balances his work as a Catholic priest and staff engineer at the OU WaTER Center.

ishes in Austin and Waco, Texas and was also the Catholic campus minister at Baylor. In order to continue his engineering career, he asked the bishop for a leave of absence, and went out to work in Knoxville, Tennessee. While there he made many great new friends, got very involved in his music, and built a log cabin in the mountains. During this time, he felt that God was drawing him back into the active ministry. “As a kind of ‘transition year’ I worked and lived with the Jesuit fathers at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. They let me teach a course in Environmental Chemistry as an adjunct faculty one semester and I loved it. I didn’t discern that God was calling me to the Jesuits, but I did feel called to get my Ph.D. so I could work more deeply on a college faculty, especially (my dream) to work on a Catholic Jesuit faculty,” said Chamberlain. After completing his Ph.D. at Clemson University, Chamberlain was applying for jobs at Catholic colleges around the country, but nothing was available at the time. Eventually, he found the position at the OU WaTER Center and it seemed like a great fit. While at Clemson University, he was very involved with Engineers Without Borders and had led student trips to El Salvador for four years to work on water projects. Upon arrival in Norman, he assisted the priests at area Catholic parishes, especially at St. Mark the Evangelist and St. Joseph’s. A year ago, he found himself at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Purcell, Oklahoma and St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Pauls Valley. “The transition to Purcell and Pauls Valley has been very easy for me because the people are so friendly and welcoming. The two parishes are very

Chamberlain assisted Catholic parishes in Norman before volunteering to help parishes in Purcell and Pauls Valley.

different. I tell people that the Purcell parish is “mostly golfers and ranchers” but the Pauls Valley parish is overwhelmingly Hispanic, very vibrant and alive! I have five Masses on a typical weekend, and each Mass has its own style, almost its’ own little culture,” said Chamberlain. Music is another passion of Fr. Chamberlain. Coming from a folk and bluegrass background, he sings and play guitar, banjo, upright bass, and “just a tiny bit” of piano. “I really miss playing music, and so I enjoy it when I play the guitar or banjo with the children in my two parishes at Purcell and Pauls Valley. Sometimes I even make up songs to play with them, to fit the theme of the Gospel that Sunday.” “The Bishop of the Diocese of Austin has given me permission to stay here in Oklahoma another three years or so. I believe that the university would like me to stay longer, but we will just have to cross that bridge when

the time comes” Chamberlain replied. He continued in saying that, “Both of my career paths have been vocations for me, in that they both have been for the express purpose of improving the quality of life and the common good, and of drawing people into relationship with God, who is the source of that life. There is never any conflict between the two professions. I guess you can say I have been formed by a Jesuit Ignatius spirituality in which I ‘find God in all things,’ specifically all endeavors that improve student understanding and the quality of life for the poor and disadvantaged. The Catholic Social Teachings gives me the ways to articulate this and are the inspiration for my involvement in these corporal and spiritual works of mercy. To me, both of my professions are incarnations of the Gospel message of Jesus – to be bread for the hungry and drink for the thirsty.”

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Norman Library

The Big Read

Author Michael Chabon will be in Norman March 25-26. PHOTOS PROVIDED

Bringing a touch of fantasy to readers this spring

by c hristian potts

he Pioneer Library System’s Big Read is going into uncharted territory this spring, as for the first time in the nine years of the initiative it’s going to focus on a novel from the fantasy and science fiction genre. That book is Ursula K. Le Guin’s “A Wizard of Earthsea.” The novel, published in 1968 is the first of what became a five-book series in the Earthsea Cycle. It’s been named as one of the leading fantasy novels of the past 50 years.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

“Fantasy is the natural, the appropriate language for the recounting of the spiritual journey and the struggle of good and evil in the soul,” Le Guin writes of the tradition of fantasy writing. As always, The Big Read means a variety of big events around Norman and beyond as PLS communities get together to read, talk about and learn about the book as a way of celebrating literature in general.

Usrula K. Le Guin’s “A Wizard of Earthsea” is the first Big Read to focus on the fantasy and science fiction genre.

KICKING OFF Michael Chabon has made a name for himself worldwide for his writing, as well as his powerful speaking appearances. His work “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay” was named the 2001 Pulitzer Prize winner for Fiction. He’s received dozens of awards for his writing during the past 20 years. He will share some of that knowledge in several opportunities that kick off this year’s edition of The Big Read. Chabon arrives in Oklahoma Wednesday, March 25, and that evening he will be the featured guest at a reception presented by the Pioneer Library System Foundation in the home of Jim and Lisa Bowers. Tickets are $100 per person and more information on the reception is available through the PLS Foundation by phone at 405-801-4520 or online atwww.plsfdn.org. Chabon will make two free public appearances on Thursday, March 26. He will speak at 10 a.m. in Shawnee, at the Geiger Center on the campus of Oklahoma Baptist University. Then at 6:30 p.m. Chabon will present in Norman at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History on the campus of the University of Oklahoma.

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His presentations will be a lead-in to get local communities excited about delving into the Fantasy and SciFi genres for The Big Read. TALKING IT OVER And there will be many opportunities to talk about “A Wizard of Earthsea” inside local libraries, with local book discussion groups planning to read the novel. In each of the 11 PLS Hometown Libraries, one scholarled discussion will go even deeper into the meaning and impact of the novel. And a group of scholars and experts gets together for a Panel Book Discussion at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art on the OU campus. Bringing their expertise on various aspects of the novel will be: Dr. Charles Kimball, Presidential Professor and Director of Religious Studies at the University of Oklahoma, an expert analyst on the intersection of religion and politics in the U.S. Deborah Chester, author of more than 40 novels and a tenured professor of professional writing in OU’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication; Matthew Price, co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, Features Editor for The Oklahoman and writer of the blog “Nerdage,” which averages more than 100,000 monthly views; David Dean Oberhelman, Professor of Library Service for the Oklahoma State University Edmon Low Library in Stillwater, an expert on the narrative genre Mythopoeia. AN ARTISTIC CONCLUSION The Big Read actually began last fall and winter with a fantasy art contest conducted by PLS. A variety of entrants and artistic styles were presented, as the rules allowed for any visual art medium or mix of media, so long as the entry was based on the book itself. To wrap up this year’s commemoration of The Big Read, MAINSITE Gallery in Norman will host an art show and exhibit Friday, May 8, as part of the Norman Arts Council’s 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk. The evening will feature presentation of the winning entries in each of four categories for the contest, as well as all of the contest entries on display in a special section of the gallery. The Big Read is a presentation of the National Endowment for the Arts and managed by Arts Midwest. The Big Read is funded by grant support from NEA, the Norman Arts Council, Oklahoma Humanities Council, the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, Friends of the Norman Public Library and the Pioneer Library System Foundation. NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Snap Pack Palace Pink The University of Oklahoma honored cancer survivors with a “Pack the Place Pink” celebration at the women’s basketball game with the Texas Christian University on Valentine’s Day. The participants were treated to two free tickets to the game, “pink carpet” treatment once they arrived at the Lloyd Noble Center, a goody bag, pre-game reception and a special introduction on the court prior to the starting line-up announcements. The Sooner Stilettos, a support group for the women’s team, helped greet and check in cancer survivors and their families/friends who were guests at the game.

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76 Pack Palace Pink | 78 OU Arts, Arts, Arts 80 Norman Regional Auxiliary | 82 Chocolate Festival 84 Literally Yours | 86 Parkinson Gala 88 OU Rowing Center

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Snap Shots

Kirstin Reynolds, Ryan Hauser, Erinn Gavaghan, Julie Blacksten

Teri Lodes, David lodes, Rachel Zelby

OU Arts, Arts, Arts OU graduate student Clifford Smith, as ZuĂąiga, performs in Carmen in Concert

Scott Hoffman, Martha and Jim Wade

Elizabeth Harrison, Donna Huston, Devyn Kreeger

Chuck Thompson, Kyle Harper

The OU College of Fine Arts held its annual Arts, Arts, Arts gala celebration in Feb. 4 inside the Catlett Music Center. Interim Dean Mary Margaret Holt was introduced to the crowd which dined on a Spanish-themed buffet and were treated to a sneakpreview of one, two, or all three acts of University Theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production of the opera Carmen. Guests were entertained by flamenco dancers and received a limited edition cerograph print designed by students in the School of Art and Art History. PHOTOS BY SANDRA BENT

Brian Britt, Jeremy Wance, Koby Harrington, Paul Massad, Larry Mallet Larry Hammett

Fred and Lynda Gipson, Koby Harrington

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Food from Bolero

Mary Jo Watson and Rozmeri Basic

Andrew Wertz, Dave Hail, Ann Shannon Hail, Michael Dean, and Koby Harrington

Sarah Rainey, Caitlin Rother, Courtlyn Shoate, Stephanie Turner, Hannah Rieger, Tyler Nunley

Carolyn and Doug Chancellor, Beth and Robert Kerr, Richard Zielinski, Casey Allee- Foreman

Sarah Bowdoin, Lindsey Steed, Ruby Mather, Melanie Jensen John and Lindy Ritz

Hannah Jew, Brittany Bonefas, Bridget Polei

Mary Crawley, Mary Margaret Holt, Koby Harrington

Matthew Montgomery, Stephanie Turner, Hannah Rieger NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Snap Shots

Becca and Ryan Hybl, Matt and Anne Clouse

Lori and Dr. Steve Lindsey

Back row, Courtney Brackin, Randy Laffoon, Mark Austin, seated Amy Brackin, Debbie Laffoon, Jennifer Austin

Scott and Erin Hoffman, NRHF Executive Director Erin and Eric Barnhart, Tammy and Marty Cain, Mary and Rainey Powell

Brower Hatcher, Marley Rogers

Norman Regional Foundation Gala

Norman Regional Health Foundation hosted its 8th annual Ambassador Ball on Friday, February 6th. More than 250 guests enjoyed an evening of “La Dolce Vita” - The Sweet Life! The evening combined an Italian theme with gourmet dining and dancing to the music of the Think Big Party Band. The Norman Regional Health Foundation raises and distributes funds Russ McReynolds, Robin Wiens, Kim Jackson and NRHS to support the life-saving mission of President and CEO David Whitaker, Jill and Richie Splitt Jeff and Susan Raley Norman Regional Health System. The proceeds from this year’s Ball will benefit the Foundation’s Art for Healing project: Sanctuary. Sanctuary was designed by Brower Hatcher and Mid-Ocean Studios of Rhode Island. The public art piece will grace the entrance to Norman Regional Moore, scheduled to open in spring 2016. Hatcher adapted the NRHS logo, which symbolizes the Susie and Craig Jones, Kathey links between physicians, Dr. Kristin and Jason Thorp and Dr. Gordon Drummond staff, patients and community, as the foundation of the sculpture. The pyramid can be entered through four triangular openings. With more than 2,000 crystal connectors, Sanctuary’s prismatic light will induce feelings of hope and healing for those entering Norman Regional Moore. Chas and Marli Gilmore Curtis and Jennifer McCarty, To learn more, visit www. Carol and Dr. Rick McCurdy NRHFoundation.org/ projectspotlight.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Missy and Dr. Rob Littlejohn, Diane and Dr. Dan Isbell

Jill Splitt, Joe Pointer, Mary Blankenship Pointer

Karen and Andy Rieger, Melanie and Mark Millsap

Charlie and Darlene Bowline

Lea and Joan Greenleaf, Ken and Vicki Hopkins

Jerry and Lynn Weber

Jay Reinke, Dr. Patrick Cody, Apryll Lopez, Dr. Marcia Hoos-Reinke, Dr. Robin Mantooth, John Mantooth, Holly Frantz and Dr. Robby Frantz

Warren and Dr. Misty Hsieh and Dr. Tennille Cheek-Covey

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Snap Shots

Chocolate Festival The Firehouse Art Center’s 33rd annual Chocolate Festival was a big hit with an estimated attendance of 1,700 chocolate lovers. The Firehouse provided the creative stage and the vendors donated thousands of samples for adventurous taste buds. First place went to Campus Corner’s Apple Tree Chocolate for its various flavors of chocolate dipped apples. Second place went to La Baguette Bakery and Cafe for its chocolate mice (think cute little chocolates, not the horrifying alternative). Third place went to Legend’s Restaurant and Catering for its chocolate amaretto cream cake.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Snap Shots

Larry and Cathy Estes

Nathan Thompson, Melissa Scaramucci and guest

Steve and Sonia Gensler, Molly Levite Griffis

Valerie Kimble, George Chavez

Literally Yours

Shawnee participants arrived in a limousine

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

The Pioneer Library System Foundation’s annual fundraiser “Literally Yours” Feb. 9 at Local, one of the last events at the Norman restaurant. The event, an annual staple in Norman, combines literature and libations. The menu was created especially for PLS Foundation guests by Chefs Levi Hunt and Steven Albright and was complimented by handcrafted cocktails paired to match. Each course is described by LOCAL chefs along with co-owner Melissa Scaramucci. This year’s theme was Literature, Love and Libations, and was centered on the literary content of the current PLS The Big Read title, “A Wizard of Earthsea,” by Ursula K. LeGuin. The interior of LOCAL was transformed into a fantasyland of wizards, dragons and mystery for the evening. The cocktail dinner menu included Deliciously Deviled Dragon Eggs paired with Mystical Passion Potion; Golden Beet Salad paired with an Elderflower Hummingbird; Cocoa and coffee dusted bison short ribs accompanied by a medley of roasted vegetables and paired with a hearty cabernet; and a chocolate trilogy for dessert comprised of chocolate cheesecake with hazelnut crust, a chocolate martini and Frangelico coffee. The evening also featured Celtic music performances by John and Leah McGaha.

Musicians Leah and John McGaha

Lisa Wells, Elaine Hobson, Dr. Glenn Foster

Tim Mauldin, Andy and Karen Rieger

Grant Lawson, Barbara Lawson

Aubrey Hammontree, Anthony McDermid, Chuck Thompson

Andy Kimberling, James Chappel

Carla Kimberling, Anne Masters

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Snap Shots Parkinson Gala Astronaut and Parkinsons patient Rich Clifford was the keynote speaker at this year’s gala sponsored by Dr. Nicole Jarvis. The event was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel and raised money for Parkinsons Research through silent and live auctions. Clifford was diagnosed with Early Parkinson’s Disease after his second NASA mission. He was 42 years old when diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 1994. The documentary film, “The Astronaut‘s Secret“, tells the story of his life’s achievements and why he kept the diagnosis a secret for 17 years. He continues to live a full life. He is married and has two sons. Julia Chew, Dr. Nicole Jarvis, Brad Henry

A group of Parkinsons patients sings for the Gala audience

Richard and Sandy Bell

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Nancy and Rich Clifford, Dr. Nicole Jarvis

Kandi and Rick Nagle, Dr. Nicole Jarvis

Sherri Coale

Dr. John Bell

Dr. John Bell, Dr. Nicole Jarvis, Pam Bell

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Snap Shots OU Rowing Center The 24,000 square foot OU Rowing Center opened in late 2014 southwest of the Lloyd Noble Center. It includes a 16-seat “moving water” rowing tank, a 2,740 square foot workout area, a sports medicine and hydrotherapy room, team and locker rooms, office and meting spaces, laundry and storage areas. In its six seasons, the OU team has won six conference Rower of the Year awards, two Big 12 titles and two Coach of the Year awards for Coach Leeanne Crain. The women’s team works out regularly on the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City where OU maintains a boathouse.

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

Parting Shot

The fall sun sets on the Seed Sower statue at the University of Oklahoma. PHOTO BY HANNAH RIEGER

NORMAN magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2015

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I have people tell me what they’ve spent playing one round at Pebble Beach and a night at the hotel, or going to Pinehurst for a couple rounds. We do the entire week, travel, hotel, green fees, good meals and everything for the price of one day at these places. And it’s absolutely a sensational place to come. TO PLAN YOUR VISIT to Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, visit rtjresorts.com or call 1.800.949.4444 today. facebook.com/rtjgolf twitter.com/rtjgolf