Sara Thompson Named ICON

Sara Thompson, Director of Programming for the deadCenter Film Festival, was surprised with a Festival ICON award at the 23rd deadCenter Film Festival last weekend.

Thompson has worked at deadCenter for the past 16 years. Her outstanding programing and her leadership of the programming team led to deadCenter being selected as an Oscar-qualifying film festival.

Sara Thompson is a Putnam City North alumna that graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Film Studies. After graduation, she worked in television at VH1 in New York City before moving home to work on film and television here in Oklahoma.

In 2010, Thompson produced the short film, Rounder Comes to Town, written and directed by Adam Davis Beatty, who is currently editing Rick Walker’s latest film, The Squad. That film won Best Oklahoma Short at deadCenter.

A year later, Thompson joined the crew of Brooks Douglass’s heart-breaking drama, Heaven’s Rain On that film, she worked with me in the production department. The production of Heaven’s Rain was very challenging, primarily because we filmed inside of McAlester Prison instead of using sets like a typical produc- tion. But the experience bonded us for life. And, it inspired Sara to branch out from production to focus more on film programming.

Thompson started at deadCenter in 2008 as a Box Office volunteer.

In 2012, she joined the staff as the first-ever shorts programmer.

As shorts programmer, Thomson transformed the festival. She travelled to festivals promoting deadCenter. She curated high end, challenging short films to play alongside our submissions. And, she developed relationships with outstanding short filmmakers around the country, increasing deadCenter’s profile on the film festival circuit.

Thompson’s prowess as a shorts programmer was revealed in 2014 when she convinced two young filmmakers to submit their short film, Interesting Ball. The film was wild and disturbing, but visually awesome and super interesting. It was obvious to everyone that attended that those filmmakers were something special. In 2023, those two filmmakers, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, won Best Director at

Civic Center Music Hall: La Boheme ­ June 23­24

The Sound of Music ­ June 27­July 2

The Prom ­ July 11­16

Ain’t Misbehavin’ ­ July 25­30 Spider­Man ­ Sept. 21 the Academy Awards for their wild feature film, Everything Everywhere All at Once

In addition to leading the charge for deadCenter to become an Oscar-qualifier, Thompson’s biggest legacy is the fabulous team of programmers she has built. When she started as Director of Programming, she took a loose group of dedicated volunteers and created a more formal structure, allowing the programmers to focus on their areas of expertise. The structural change also made it easier for deadCenter to target filmmakers across different genres and formats. deadCenter’s current programming team includes features programmer Kevin Ely, features programmer Sunrise Tippeconnie, shorts programmer Camila Chaves Rojas, shorts programmer Paris Burris, and Pride programmer Laron M. Chapman

Sara Thompson has transformed programming for Oklahoma’s largest film festival. She has created an effective staff structure that assures great programming for years to come. And, she has elevated deadCenter into the elite group of Oscar qualifying film festivals, providing Oklahoma filmmakers the opportunity to screen alongside the very best short films and filmmakers in the world. Congratulations, Sara!

Other Events/Shows/Awards: Prix de West ­ June 2 ­ Aug. 6 OKC Ballet Unboxed ­ June 23­25

YWCA Purple Sash ­ June 24 Red, White and Tuna ­ June 29­July 16 Reds Whites & Brews

As students move out of University of Oklahoma housing following the end of the spring semester, many throw away their unused groceries or no-longer-needed small appliances.

To try to limit this waste, as well as support the community, OU gave students another option for their appliances and food by allowing them to leave these items for the OU Food Pantry.

Matthew Marks, campus care coordinator and adviser for the food pantry, said he has been coordinating the pickup and delivery with ShaRhonda Maclin, executive director of OU Housing and Residence Life.

“OU Housing and Residence Life has historically provided an avenue for residents to pay it forward to future residents by donating items they no longer can utilize,” Maclin said. “Last year was the first year we partnered with the OU Food Pantry for move out donations. It was a huge success, especially in Traditions. Therefore, this year, we decided to focus specifically in Traditions apartments. Residents were provided boxes that they can label for donations and then be transported to the Pantry by our OU Housing Operations team as they complete springto-summer turnover. We hope that this will be an annual opportunity moving forward.”

The donations from Traditions were delivered on June 6, and consisted of boxes of food, miscellaneous kitchen items and more to support the pantry, as well as bedding.

Marks said they also had a number of students hand deliver their donations to the food pantry the final week of the spring semester.

Receipt of these donations came in the nick of time. Since opening for the summer session on May 16, the pantry has seen a tremendous rise in clientele.

Marks said he was expecting to see approximately 150 on opening day: 214 showed up. The numbers jumped again on the second open day of the summer, with the pantry seeing 276.

“We’re in a good spot right now (with the stock) in the back, and then we’ll get produce every week so we should be fine there,” Marks said. “After we saw the 214 people opening day, it just shows the need is as great as it was when we had a full campus. We have so many staff and students who rely on this food pantry, that maybe it’s their main source of food, or maybe it’s a huge supplemental part to get them through the week. But the food insecurity is a crisis right now. It’s around our state and on our campus. We’re helping a lot of people, but the number is not coming down. We’ll get more and more people. That’s a little scary.”

The food pantry is from 10 am to 6 pm Tuesdays throughout the summer. Marks encourages those who need to come to the pantry to submit their orders online to help streamline operations and lessen their wait time.

For more information, including how to donate, visit ou.edu/foodpantry.

From Page 1 with the future expansion,” Ken Nelson of the Building and Code Department reported.

The additions are to be in an area of a privately owned “alley” within the Britton Square Shopping Center. The “alley” is not used for utilities nor is it dedicated as a fire lane, the council was informed. In addition, no parking would be affected by closure of the “alley”. In other matters, the City Council:

• Approved a fire equipment agreement between The Village and Oklahoma County.

The county commissioners are to supply the city with some firefighting equipment, and The Village Fire

Department agrees to provide firefighting and rescue services to “persons and property” in unincorporated areas of Oklahoma County and to other municipalities or political subdivisions, and to respond to “major natural or manmade disasters” when requested by the county’s emergency management director.

• Established the 91-1 fee rate for calendar year 2024 and assigned the proceeds to the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments for support of the emergency telephone system in central Oklahoma.

• Renewed the annual contract with Waste Connections of Oklahoma for trash collection and disposal service and curbside recycling service in The Village. The cost will be “around $20,000,” City

Manager Dave Slezickey said. The company has been “very responsive,” the city manager said. “They’ve been very good to work with.”

• Renewed, for a third year, a contract with Precision Lawnworks for mowing and grounds maintenance of seven municipal parks, the City Hall grounds, several rights-of-way and half a dozen sections of ditches. The contract provides for no price increase, Slezickey said.

• Engaged HBC certified public accountants of Oklahoma City to perform the annual audit of the city’s financial statements for Fiscal Year 2023. The cost will be $18,800 for the audits and up to $595 for reviewing and filing the Annual Survey of City and Town Finances.

• Adopted a resolu- tion that amends the section of the city’s personnel handbook pertaining to positions in grade and pay scales.

•Endorsed collective bargaining agreements with the local police and firefighter unions for FY 2023-24.

• In a related matter, The Village Fire Department reported responding to 143 incidents in May. According to department logs, 51.75% of those were rescue and emergency medical service calls, almost 28% were service calls, 9.79% were “good intent” calls, 7.69% were false alarms and false calls, 1.4% involved a hazardous condition, and 1.4% were summonses to extinguish a fire.

• The VFD also reported its members completed 493 hours of EMS and fire training in May. Mandatory train- ing includes emergency medical technician certification, entry-level and advanced firefighting, hazardous material awareness and HazMat operations, wildland firefighting, smoke diver/flashover training, and auto extrication.

The Village Police Department answered 481 calls for service last month, issued 241 citations and 24 parking citations/warnings, and detectives filed 14 criminal charges. The VPD also held a training session on defensive tactics, conducted monthly firearms training, and held a session on internet security awareness.

Code Enforcement conducted 256 field visits in May, and 56 building inspections were performed last month.

From Page 1 design and construction team together regularly throughout the life of a project. Partnering provides a space for communication, improved strategy and issue resolution. The International Planning Institute recognizes projects around the world that achieve exceptional results through collaboration.

“The process of building Scissortail Park was done with the highest level of excellence,” said David Todd, MAPS program manager at the City of Oklahoma City. “With the collective vision to complete the

Nhills

From Page 1

•An audit engagement letter with Finley & Cook, Shawnee certified public accountants;

•An accounting and financial consulting contract with Crawford and Associates of Oklahoma City;

•A $3,370-per-month custodial service agreement with Aspen Building Services for Fiscal Year 2023-24;

•A mutual-aid fire protection agreement between the cities of Nichols Hills and The Village for FY 2023-24;

•A fire equipment agreement with the Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners;

•A maintenance contract with Schindler Elevator Corp.;

•An agreement by which Oklahoma County “may, at their discretion … construct, improve, or repair certain roadways” in Nichols Hills if the city street is “a continuation of or a connecting link in the State or County Highway System,” so long as the city pays its share of the “costs of labor, engineering, equipment and material”;

•A $207,090 lawn and landscape contract with Northwest Lawn Maintenance of Edmond for FY 2024;

•Arenewal of solid waste collection and disposal agreements with Republic Services;

•A household hazardous waste disposal largest park ever built in Oklahoma City, our teams were focused on delivering a project of which Oklahoma City residents could be proud. The partnering process enabled us to navigate challenges and find efficient solutions throughout planning and construction. I commend the work of all our team members who championed our partnering efforts.”

As a part of Oklahoma City’s $777 million capital improvement program, the $132-million Scissortail Park project was designed to improve quality of life for the residents of Oklahoma City. The Lower Park, connected to the Upper Park by the Skydance Bridge, includes nearly agreement with the Midwest City Municipal Authority;

•An engineering services agreement with Smith Roberts Baldischwiler of Oklahoma City;

•Extension of an annual water well maintenance agreement with Frontier Logging Corp. of Oklahoma City;

•A legal services contract with City Attorney John Michael Williams and Williams, Box, Forshee & Bullard;

•A computer license and maintenance agreement with Davenport Group, not to exceed $56,515, for FY 2024;

•A resolution that renewed, adopted and approved the EMSA interlocal cooperation agreement, and provides for a $30,686 subsidy by Nichols Hills, for FY 2024.

30 acres of open and natural spaces, athletic fields, a children’s play area and paths with pavers and furniture dotting the curving promenade, enhanced by whispering pines, native gardens, a hollow, an overlook hill and a plaza.

During construction, the contractors found, among other challenges, clay water pipes and a cache of buried batteries. Using partnering, the team worked together to overcome each challenge, resulting in a nationally recognized city park for the community to enjoy.

For more information on Scissortail Park and other MAPS 3 projects, visit okc.gov/MAPS3.

Reappointments

The City Council voted to reappoint 11 members to three-year terms on two boards and two commissions. The appointees included:

Michael Biddinger, Barbara Gilbert and Ron Byrne to the Planning Commission; Charles Oppenheim, Patty Anthony and Vickie English to the Board of Park Commissioners; Robert Slater, Kathy Lippert and John Covington to the Board of Adjustment; and Caroline Patton and Charis Ward to the Environment, Health and Sustainability Commission.