Send us your Christmas photos and letters to Santa!
Inside today: Sue Ann Arnall responds to an OKC FRIDAY Most Powerful Women’s edition article. Page 3
It would not be an OKC FRIDAY Christmas issue without Santa letters and kids in Christmas costumes or all dressed up. Elementary school
children can write letters to Santa Clause and email them to rose@okcfriday.com. We also want holiday pictures. Whether your little ones are in Christmas pajamas or
dressed in their holiday finery, we want to see all of their smiling faces. Again, email to rose@okcfriday.com. The deadline is Dec. 16.
Shop the Look Baby, it’s going to get cold outside. Fashion Editor Jennifer Clark helps you Shop the Look — and stay warm. Page 11
OKC FRIDAY Vol. 54 No. 31 • Two Sections • 16 pages December 11, 2020
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 46 years
20,000 may be evicted in Oklahoma County By Vicki Clark Gourley Publisher A grandmother is caring for her grandchildren, ages 6, 7, and 8. She has a job and is making ends meet. Then the pandemic strikes. The schools close. She has to cut back her hours to take care of the children. She gets a little behind on her bills. Her debts grow larger with each month. Now she and the children are facing eviction in January.
The Homeless Alliance estimates 20,000 households are at imminent risk of being evicted in Oklahoma County the first of the year. Several local agencies are working to keep people from becoming homeless. Dan Strong, executive director of the alliance, told OKC FRIDAY that beds in homeless shelters have shrunk from 900 to 600 due to COVID social distancing rules. But even 900 would not be nearly enough. The Homeless Alliance facilitates collaboration between Neighborhood Services
Off to the championship! Irish to face Carl Albert for 5A title The Bishop McGuinness football team faces Carl Albert this Saturday for the Class 5A state championship. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Wantland Stadium in Edmond. The Irish pulled off a comefrom-behind 28-21 win over McAlester last Friday in the semifinals. ••• At right, McGuinness quarterback Luke Tarman accounted for all four Irish touchdowns against McAlester.
Organization, Upward Transitions, Catholic Charities, the Oklahoma Community Foundation, Community Action, Community Cares Partnership, and several other organizations. These help people pay rent and utilities and stop homelessness. $500 to $2,000 can save a family The total financial cost is enormous, but agencies can negotiate with landlords not to evict a family, sometimes for as little as See EVICTIONS, Page 10
The Village resident doesn’t get his goat By Rose Lane Editor Following a lengthy discussion with two residents, The Village City Council has made no changes to its ordinance governing prohibited animals. Resident Thomas Stanley asked the council to consider allowing certain animals — particularly miniature goats — to be kept as emotional support animals. He owns two Nigerian Dwarf goats, which are about 24-inches tall, and received a ticket for disturbing the peace because of them. He said the goats are therapeutic for his mother as she needs physical therapy. Stanley said these animals help her get moving and go outside to care for them. It is against code to keep goats within the city limits.
- Photo by Richard Clifton, rtcdigitalimages.zenfolio.com
See story in Sports, Page 4
See GOATS, Page 8
Opening Night goes virtual, too Opening Night, OKC’s New Year’s Eve celebration produced by Arts Council Oklahoma City, is not a ticketed event this year. Instead, the event is a free, virtual livestream experience for the entire community. After several internal discussions with Opening Night volunteer Co-Chairmen Colby Wedel and Mark McBride and Board President Kati Christ, the decision was made to turn Opening Night into a virtual livestream event for the health and safety of the com-
munity. “Sadly, with ever increasing cases of COVID-19 in our city and state we had to rethink how to produce Opening Night this year,” said Executive Director Peter Dolese. “Since the pandemic began, we’ve had great success virtually livestreaming several of our other programs such as Art Moves and Sunday Twilight Concert Series. Those experiences will help us create a fantastic See OPENING NIGHT, Page 2
FRIDAY’s
Dog of the Week This is Layla Tarango. She is a 2-year-old Great Pyrenees mix. She loves bones, new toys and sometimes digging. She’s a very good girl. Isabel Tarango is her human. Layla was adopted from OK Humane. Send Dog, Baby and Cat of the Week nominations to rose@okcfriday.com.
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