Reds, Whites & Brews Left, Justin and Lexi Skaggs, Sheena and Kyle Hollander and Jill and Bill Hughes; and, right, Diana Rowdon, Brittany Newmann, David Egan and Andrea and Patrick Raglow attend the Catholic Charities Event. For more, see Page 11.
OKC FRIDAY Vol. 56 No. 12 • One Section • 12 pages • August 5, 2022
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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
Village votes to repair dangerous sidewalks By Eric Oesch Staff Writer Last April when Village resident Debbie Bass addressed the Village City Council, she shared concerns about “extremely dangerous” sidewalks near her home on Major Avenue. Her thoughts led to action taken at the recent council meeting
when it approved a contract with Precision Concrete Cutting Services for the removal of sidewalk trip hazards identified as serious. Money for the project will come from the FY 2022-23 Capital Improvement Fund Budget approved by the council earlier this year. The amount of the award is not to exceed $45,000.
When she addressed the council, Bass described “buckling” and “uneven” sidewalks that cause her neighbors to walk in the streets instead of the sidewalks. “My husband’s physical therapist told him to walk in the street rather than use the sidewalks for fear of tripping,” she told the council.
City Manager Bruce Stone said he expects to begin work on the project this month. “This is Phase I of two phases to complete all the needed repairs,” he said. “The city has repaired or replaced older sections of sidewalk in the past primarily due to citizen complaints. “We plan to repair trip
hazards for all existing sidewalks, especially west of May Ave. as most other older neighborhoods were not built with sidewalks.” Residential streets west of May Avenue scheduled for sidewalk trip hazard repairs include Major Avenue, Orlando Boulevard, Orlando See VILLAGE, Page 7
Puppetry show opens OKC Rep’s 2022-23 season
DICK SIAS
Sias was passionate about music Philanthropist and community leader Richard L. “Dick” Sias has passed away. He was 94. Dick was born in the small town of Freedonia, Kans. He graduated from high school there while working part time in the mill to help his widowed mother with expenses. After earning his BA at the University of Kansas as a romance language major, Dick completed a year of graduate study at the National University of Mexico. He returned to the University of Kansas for a law degree. See SIAS, Page 3
Work the Runway Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma President and CEO Jim Priest cheers the crowd at the inaugural 2021 Work the Runway event. The event is a unique experience for guests to celebrate sustainable fashion and support job training for Oklahomans in need. For more information, see Page 3.
It’s sales tax holiday weekend in OK! NFIB State Director Jerrod Shouse says Oklahoma’s upcoming sales tax holiday on clothes and shoes is a chance for people to support small businesses rocked by the series of economic setbacks that began with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This year’s back-to-school tax holiday is this Friday (today) through Saturday. “Oklahoma’s economy is built on small business, and small business has gone through a lot these past couple of years, so this year’s sales tax holiday couldn’t come at a better time,” Shouse said. “Oklahoma’s strong leadership has helped avoid the worst of the
economic setbacks, but things like inflation are affecting businesses everywhere,” Shouse said. “Chain stores get a lot of attention, but small businesses have great selections and great service, and shopping small ensures that these merchants can survive and continue to create jobs and support their communities,” Shouse said. The National Federation of Independent Business is the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization. To learn more about Oklahoma’s back-to-school tax holiday, visit oklahoma.gov/content/ dam/ok/en/tax/documents/resou rces/publications/infographics/Sal esTaxHoliday.pdf.
Oklahoma City Repertory Theater’s (OKC Rep) Artistic Director Kelly Kerwin announced the new lineup for the theater’s 2022-2023 season. OKC Rep’s most ambitious season since emergence from the pandemic brings a cutting-edge and adventurous mix of five theater pieces in partnership with Oklahoma Contemporary, including two touring presentations and three original productions never before produced in Oklahoma. The season kicks off with an innovative original puppetry show by Dorothy James & Andy Manjuck, and continues with a trio of Oklahoma premieres by Lauren Yee, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and Emily Zemba. The season also resumes the partnership with The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival—an initiative to expand the reach of the United States’s foremost festival of international and experimental work. “For this season, I sought out works that are joyfully defiant, theatrically intrepid, aesthetically audacious, all with themes resonant to Oklahoma City now,” Kerwin said. “We will open the season with ‘Bill’s 44th,’ a spellbinding and charming work of original puppetry. Additionally, we are producing three Oklahoma premieres: Lauren Yee’s high-energy political fable ‘The Great Leap’; Emily Zemba’s darkly absurdist comedy ‘Superstitions’; and Tarell Alvin McCraney’s haunting and heartrending ‘The Brother’s Size.’ “We are also continuing our relationship with The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival; OKC Rep will present another powerful and exciting presentation that will come straight to Oklahoma City after premiering in New York.”
FRIDAY’s Rescue
See SEASON, Page 2
Dog of the Week So what! I'm vertically challenged, but I don't have any problems getting around. I like getting my feet wet in the pool, flirting with my eyes, other dogs and tennis balls. Could you please come get me from the Village shelter? Call Theresa and leave a message you want to bring handsome Hank home — (405) 751-9518.
This sponsorship is available! Call (405) 755-3311 for details.