Paseo Arts Awards
Shop the Look and Gift Guide Our local merchants have all you need to help make the holidays merry and bright. Pages 9 & 10
Paseo Arts Award winners Robbie Kienzle, Maestro Joel Levine, Kris Kanaly and Kelsey Karper. Page B2
OKC FRIDAY Vol. 52 No. 33 • Two Sections • 18 pages December 14, 2018
www.okcfriday.com facebook.com/okcfriday Serving affluent far north Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills and The Village for 44 years
New maestro is in Oklahoma and he loves it By Vicki Clark Gourley Publisher The Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s new music director is over the top enthusiastic about his new home and orchestra. Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate said “The setup of this city, this state, is awesome. So much energy and talent.” Mickelthwate is German but says he is really “a North American guy” at heart. “Even though the idea of individual’s equality comes from the Freemasons, European countries and Germany in particular still follow tradition and music is not
changing like it is in America,” the new conductor said. “The audience (here) is a healthy mix. Now my programming will reflect that, Mozart and American composers in one concert.” Mickelthwate is particularly excited about the University of Oklahoma’s discovery of more than 30 boxes of music by Jack Kilpatrick. “A Cherokee, he is the first classically trained Oklahoma Native American that we know to date,” Mickelthwate said. Another thing he likes about the U.S., “the orchestras are private, the money has to come from all of us,” not from the government like Europe.
MAESTRO ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE
The Village, Love’s propose community development plan
Parade celebrates MAPS Retiring City Manager Jim Couch will be the grand marshall as the Oklahoma City Holiday River Parade begins its float down the waters of the Oklahoma River on Sunday at 6 p.m. The theme of this year’s parade will be “Celebrating 25 Years of MAPS!” The Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) was approved by voters on Dec. 14, 1993. The brainchild of former Mayor Ron Norick, the father of MAPS, the original MAPS included nine major capital improvement projects. The projects were funded by a temporary one-cent sales tax generating $350 million. The MAPS river project included three low water dams which created the Oklahoma River. In 2004, the first river parade took place to officially open the new river. “We invite everyone to join us for this year’s parade as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of MAPS,” said parade chairman Mike McAuliffe. “We wish to recognize the city’s renaissance and thank our citizens who continue to support the MAPS initiatives.” Grand Marshal Couch, who recently announced his retirement after 18 years as city manager, played a major role in all the MAPS initiatives.
By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer Municipal officials in The Village have devised a $15 million community development plan for the area near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Hefner Road. The city council is considering a tax increment financing (TIF) district on the 9.87-acre site of the former Hertz Reservation Center at 10401 N. Penn. The Hertz building was purchased by Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores in 2016 to house its future growth needs at its main campus in The Village. Leslie Batchelor, city attorney for The Village, said Love’s plans to spend $12 million to renovate and improve the building to provide office space for its corporate employees. “As Love’s expands our growing corporate headquarters by renovating the building formerly owned by Hertz, we also will make visual improvements to the surrounding areas so that the community benefits,” said Jenny Love Meyer, vice president of communications for Love’s. “We are in the very early planning stages of this beautification project and we look forward to working with The Village.” Love’s has not announced the number of employees who will be hired, but perhaps 500 or more was a figure mentioned during a recent city council meeting. While Love’s will redevelop the Hertz site, The Village will make an estimated $3 million in public infrastructure improvements in the surrounding area. Tentative plans call for construction of sidewalks and bicycle paths and possibly a new park, officials said. “We need the infrastructure to support the additional employees who will be working in this area,” Batchelor said. The purpose of the community development project plan is to “partner with Love’s to provide public improvements that will make The Village one of the most walkable and attractive areas in the entire metro,” Mayor Sonny See TIF, Page 7
See PARADE, Page 2
FRIDAY’s
Dog of the Week
Sponsored by Paulette and Leo Kingston of WePayFast.com
Buddy is a 2-year-old Border Collie. He loves to play with all of his friends at “school” and with his sister, Maggie, the cat. And he loves playing catch and chasing critters in the yard. His Dad and Mom are Jeff and Ceci Noble. Send Dog of the Week, Cat of the Week and Baby of the Week nominations with complete descriptions to rose@okcfriday.com. Submissions are used in the order they are received.
Cars on NH police’s wish list By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer A little over threequarters of a million dollars in the proposed $28.45 million capital-improvements bond issue in Nichols Hills would be devoted to public See CARS, Page 3