OKC FRIDAY Vol. 57 No. 38 • One Section • 14 pages • February 9, 2024 $1 per copy
www.okcfriday.com facebook.com/okcfriday OKC’s only locally-owned legal newspaper with all local news Serving affluent far north Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills and The Village for 50 years
Transformative parks project could become city’s ‘Main Street’
Sense of humor helps keep Shelbys’ marriage strong
By Eric Oesch Staff Writer
you are old enough to get married, you are old enough to support yourself.’ “But, we were determined.” As they both have a love for history, Cindi and Mike went backpacking around Europe for four months. Cindi said she always
The wait is nearly over for the completion of the Civic Area project located along Vineyard Boulevard near the intersection of Hefner Road and Penn in The Village. City residents are already using the outdoor plaza area while city officials anticipate a grand opening ceremony toward the end of the month. The project is the largest capital improvement project in The Village’s 74-year history. The Civic Area project is the result of a massive Tax Increment District (Tiff District No. 1) created by the City Council in 2006 to redevelop the area following years of problems created by a large dilapidated 1970s era apartment complex. Ground was broken for the project in late summer of 2022 and city officials say when completed, the original $9.3 million project, nestled along the Love’s Corporate Campus, Village Library, City Hall and the Hawthorn Village Neighborhood, is expected to come under budget at $8.9 million. “We’re not quite finished, but we have stayed on budget despite the length and uniqueness of the project,” said City Manager Dave Slezickey. “As of right now we are at $8.4 million for a project budget with a total project estimate of $8,923,000.” Signage is in place, construction complete and loose ends are getting finished up for the community gathering place that is to include an Outdoor Civic Plaza, linear park, walking trail, outdoor exercise pavilion and The Village Green area next to The Village Library. Extensive landscaping in the 10.6-acre Civic Area features 254 trees including numerous varieties of oak, maple, pine, cypress and magnolia
See SHELBYS, Page 14
See VILLAGE, Page 7
By Rose Lane Editor Cindi and Mike Shelby would do well on “The Dating Game.” Mike was not in the room when Cindi offered a secret to their 49-year marriage. “No. 1 is to have a sense of humor,” she said. After he came into the room, Mike said, “Probably, it’s that Cindi gets my sense of humor about my shortfalls.” The pair met at the University of Oklahoma initially when Cindi was a sophomore and Mike was a junior. Cindi is from Oklahoma City and Mike hails from Chickasha. They both participated in the “Sooner Scandal,” a musical revue composed of individual Broadway-
Mike and Cindi Shelby at a party shortly after their Jan. 4, 1975 wedding at All Souls’ Episcopal Church in Nichols Hills.
style acts written, directed and performed entirely by OU students. Each went their separate ways for the summer — Cindi to Hawaii and Mike to Daytona Beach, Fla. “We ran into each other at the beginning of the next school year,” Cindi said. After two months of
Stonecipher appointed to national committee Ward 8 Council member Mark Stonecipher has been appointed to the National League of Cities (NLC) 2024 Transportation and Infrastructure Services Committee. As a member of NLC’s Transportation and Infrastructure Services Committee, Stonecipher will play a key role in shaping NLC’s policy positions and advocate on behalf of America’s cities, towns and villages before Congress, with the federal administration and at home. “Located at the center of the nation, Oklahoma City serves as a pivotal hub at the crossroads of I-35 and I-40," Council member See NLC, Page 7
dating, they got engaged. Two months later, they were married in a big wedding at All Souls’ Episcopal Church in Nichols Hills on Jan. 4, 1975. The newlyweds stayed in Norman to finish degrees in history. “It was hard and it was crazy,” Cindi said. “My daddy was like, ‘If
Allied Arts fosters collaboration among agencies By Rose Lane Editor During the kick off for the 2024 Allied Arts Campaign, leaders of the OKC Ballet, Lyric Theatre and Canterbury Voices talked about the importance of collaboration with other arts organizations. Canterbury Voices Executive Director Pam Mowry, OKC Ballet Artistic Director Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye and Lyric Theatre Producing Artistic Director Michael Baron fielded questions from campaign Co-Chairmen Jill
OKC FRIDAY: Fabulous at 50
Then, there was the turkey leg By Joy Richardson FRIDAY Columnist Emeritus A social conversation with Vicki Gourley led to my 28-year employment with FRIDAY newspaper, and a column titled, “Excursions.” Having been friends for years and carpooling kids gave me the moxie to say, “I’d like to write a travel column for your newspaper.” Vicki said, “I don’t need a travel column, but if you’ll write a social column, you can put travel
information in it.” Not having any other offers, I immediately said, “Okay! What do I need to know about writing this column?” “Get 45 names in it.” Armed with that plethora of instruction, I nestled in my office chair and my typewriter – for you young ‘un’s, that is a machine with a keyboard and involves paper and carbon paper, and – oh, never mind. My first column appeared in the See 50, Page 7
and Sean Trauschke. The three arts leaders lauded renovations to the Civic Center Music Hall as the result of a 2017 bond issue. “It’s such a great experience for our guests,” Mowry said. “Everything is top notch.” Jolicoeur-Nye said that having a fabulous performance facility that shows what the community has to offer is a lot of the sales pitch to dancers. “The building is beautiful,” Baron said. Collaboration among the arts group began in the early 2000s
when officials of Canterbury, OKCPHIL and the Ballet raised the money to fund a endowment. “We can hire the OKCPHIL to perform with the ballet and Canterbury,” Mowry said. “The foresight these people had.” Jolicoeur-Nye said a Russian teacher once told him that ballet is an art form that brings all the other art forms together. This is very evident as Allied Arts organizations regularly partner in productions, with every See ARTS, Page 2
FRIDAY’s Dog of the Week This is Guthrie, named after Guthrie, Okla. but he currently resides in Murphy, N.C. with Summer and Scott Cheek. Guthrie is 10-years-old, but has the spirit of a puppy. He loves to chase his toys, but does not like to bring them back so whoever is playing with him ends up being the retriever. He loves to lay in front of the heater and cuddle with his mom and dad on the couch. His biggest enemy is whatever animal is on the TV. He brings joy and love to whoever is lucky enough to meet him. Email Dog of the Week, Baby of the Week and Cat of the Week submissions to rose@ okcfriday.com.