Celebrating
Shop the Look
From left: Karen Delaney, Jann Schwabe, Annie Bohanon, Jane White, Mary Ellen Gumerson and Julie Hall celebrate Annie’s 75th birthday and the conclusion of the OKC Ballet’s 50th season. Page 3
Fashion Editor Jennifer Clark helps you shop fashions from CK & Co., Krista Anne’s, Pearl by Lela Rose with Cindi Shelby and the Women’s Health Boutique. Page 13
OKC FRIDAY Vol. 56 No. 5 • One Section • 14 pages • June 10, 2022
$1 per copy
www.okcfriday.com facebook.com/okcfriday OKC’s only locally-owned legal newspaper with all local news Serving Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills, The Village, Quail Creek, The Greens and Gaillardia for 48 years
Green Team
Living life with Ms. Senior Oklahoma Roxanne Parks
Waging the war on grime in Downtown OKC By Rose Lane Editor Oklahoma City’s Downtown Business Improvement District is being kept a safe, clean and a welcoming place to work, live and visit thanks to the services of the Green Team. Begun by Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc., the Green Team started hitting the streets on March 1 to provide supplemental cleaning and safety services. Green Team members remove trash and litter, vacuum streets, pressure wash sidewalks and remove human and animal waste, as well as stickers and graffiti. The Green Team provides special event information, business check-ins, hospitality escorts and a homeless outreach. According to the Downtown OKC, Inc. website, the benefits of the Green Team Program are comprehensive data reporting, increased visibility with an integrated brand, efficiencies in communication and coordination of services and enhanced hospitality across all services. The program is administrated by Block by Block, the nation’s See GREEN, Page 5
FRIDAY’s Cat
This sponsorship is available! Call (405) 755-3311 for details.
By Rachel Dallalio Student Intern After five decades of leadership, Christian life coach, speaker and author Roxanne Parks says it has been an unexpected path. With a degree from the University of Oklahoma in petroleum engineering, leadership was never the end goal. Parks said she found a new passion for leadership from experiences in homeschooling, engineering and women’s ministry. “My personality is probably more of a cheerleader for people rather than for school,” Parks said. “I ended up finding a need for encouragement and to be an encouragement.” Parks, along with life coaching, has written several books and multiple YouVersion Bible app plans which all have almost one million downloads. Parks said getting her writings out into the world opened so many opportunities for her. One of these opportunities led Parks to compete for Ms. Oklahoma Senior. Just like she had to homeschooling leadership, Parks said no to pageants initially, but God had other plans. Parks was unsure about her talent portion for the pageant, but knew she could speak about leadership. She gave a personal monologue which helped earn her the title of Ms. Oklahoma Senior 2022. “My heart is just to build up women mostly but I really love it,” Parks said. “I want to be actively serving and speaking to them anyway that I can.”
of the Week Janet (Miss Jackson if you're nasty), the semi feral/semi famous (@janet_the _pool_cat on instagram) pool cat. She is at home in the wild, but amuses her humans by showing up for daily meals, watching pool activity and peeping in the windows — keeping the birds that are feeding in the yard honest in the process. Her caretaker, Tammy Anderson, vows to get friendly enough during feedings to pet Janet one day. But, Miss Jackson remains aloof. However, she is still a very loved part of the family.
A real Beauty
Ms. Senior Oklahoma Roxanne Park is a beauty in the 2022 Oklahoma Senior Follies. For more photos from the Follies, see Page 2.
Through many ups and downs, Parks has been able to help so many others going through rough patches or difficult times through her life
coaching business. “I watch people live so far below See PARKS, Page 5
Response is tremendous to waived fees By Rose Lane Editor After the OKC Animal Welfare waived adoption fees for dogs and cats last week to relieve overcapacity, 352 animals were saved. The shelter was caring for more than 450 dogs, putting the building at 155 percent capacity. Animal Welfare was also housing more than 220 cats, which is 119 percent capacity, Animal Welfare Superintendent Jon Gary said. The response to the waived fees was tremendous. Gary said last Friday and Saturday, 3,484 people visited the shelter. One hundred eighty-nine animals were adopted and 105 were sent to foster. He said that 80 of those were to adopt.
An additional 16 animals were returned to owners and there were 42 transfers. There is still time to take advantage of the waived fees. “We will continue these waived fees as long as lives are at risk,” Gary said. “These animals deserve a permanent, loving home. And with adoption fees waived, this is an easy way to add a pet to your family.” All adoptable dogs and cats at OKC Animal Welfare are up-to-date on vaccinations, microchipped, treated for worms and spayed or neutered. OKC Animal Welfare, 2811 SE 29 Street, is open for adoptions from noon to 5:30 p.m. every day but holidays. For more information, visit okc.gov/animalwelfare or call (405) 297-3100.