OKC FRIDAY Vol. 53 No. 14 • Two Sections • 16 Pages August 9, 2019
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 45 years
Village steps up efforts to improve shelter conditions By Rose Lane Editor A group of The Village residents – and several who live just on the other side in Oklahoma City – introduced the need for immediate action on conditions at the animal shelter during the Monday City Council meeting.
Plans called for the four dogs currently in the shelter to be vaccinated right away so volunteers could sign agreements and start walking those four-legged friends. “I think we can find a way to do this,” Councilman Sonny Wilkinson said. “I think these are really doable things.”
Cheryl Steckler heads up the group of volunteers. The goal is to form a partnership with the city to improve conditions at the animal shelter, which has been in operation since 1985. Eventually, the group would like to establish a nonprofit which could help with the funding and operation of the shelter.
Currently, the city’s animal control officer oversees the shelter and is dividing his time between that facility and other code enforcement duties. There are only six dog kennels and six cat kennels, but no outdoor facilities for the animals to get exercise. Speaking on behalf of the group, attorney Tom Wolfe
said approximately 100 animals go through the shelter a year. The floors are concrete, which are hard to keep clean, and the cat crates have bare-wire bottoms, which can be uncomfortable. “Everyone working at the shelter is doing the best
OKCPS promising ‘fresh start’
SEW SPECIAL Local Girl Scout earns Gold Award making burial gowns for babies By Sara Schlecht Student Intern After 10 years as a Girl Scout, Paige Bush has earned her Gold Award, the highest honor the organization offers. “(The Gold Award) is the highest award you can get in Girl Scouts and you work on it independently,” she explained. Her project — Angel Wings, Angel Gowns — started from an idea she found online. “I took old wedding gowns and nice linens — like old table cloths and such — and made them into burial gowns for babies who died prematurely in the hospital or are stillborn,” she said. Paige said she was especially drawn to this idea after learning that Oklahoma has a high infant mortality rate. She collected around 12 donated gowns and some table linens. Donations came from people she knew and some she didn’t. These were used to make roughly 110 burial gowns in four different sizes, which she donated to Mercy Hospital and OU Medical Center. She asked Mercy Hospital how many gowns it typically needs per year and was told 40. Splitting the gowns between the two hospitals, she hopes this will be enough for at least a
A former governor and first lady, a community volunteer and an NBA superstar have been announced as recipients of the 2019 John F. Kennedy Community Service Award. Governor Frank Keating and Former First Lady Cathy Keating, Jenny Love Meyer and Nick Collison will formally accept their awards Sept. 17 at the 9th Annual John F. Kennedy Community Service Awards gala. The gala event begins with a reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. at the
By Sara Schlecht Student Intern
year. “I know Mercy has used one of my gowns,” she said. “I was both happy and sad that it was being used. It was bittersweet.” One requirement of the Gold Award is finding a community partner to help with the project and sustain it after the Girl Scout has earned the award. Paige’s community partner for her project was her school, Putnam City North, where she will be a senior this year. “The plan is that I will still help them out and guide them,” she said. “After I graduate, they should still be continuing (the project) and know what to do. I’ve left a Paige Bush is hard at working sewing burial gowns for babies as part of her Angel Wings, Angel Gowns binder with all the patterns project. and directions.” Through this partnership, Paige and her school hosted a skin, and this made the sewing more volunteer day to work on the project. difficult at first. By the time she had “We had it set up in stations, so finished her project, Paige said she some would trace (patterns), others had gotten much better at sewing. would cut them out, others would pin “She said she didn’t do it all, but if them together,” she said. “We had a there were 110 gowns, she sewed 109 bunch of people sewing. It was a of them,” said Paige’s mother and group effort. We got a ton cut out Girl Scout troop leader, Heather that day, but whatever wasn’t sewn Bush. that day, I finished.” Paige’s project included other Each of the gowns was lined with felt in order to be gentle on babies’ See SEW, Page 10
Keatings, Meyer and Collison to receive JFK Service Awards Skirvin Hilton Hotel in Oklahoma City. Tickets and sponsorship information for the gala are available by contacting James Timberlake at 840-1817 or james.timberlake@sfflc.com. New this year, the gala will be followed by Play On, a special social event that will be held immediately following the dinner in the Skirvin’s Red Piano Bar. “Play On will give younger Oklahoma Citians a chance to support the Santa Fe Center,” See JFK, Page 3
See SHELTER, Page 10
Fresh pencils, fresh paper and a fresh outlook on education. This is how Oklahoma City Public Schools will start the academic year Monday, when the district’s Pathway to Greatness initiative will begin directly affecting students. The initiative, which was approved by the school board in March, included reconfiguring school attendance zones, changing feeder patterns and closing 15 schools. According to Superintendent Sean McDaniel, these changes will better utilize the district’s resources and make education for equitable for students. “We’re very anxious to see the results rolling in from our work and we expect to see some very immediate results,” Superintendent Sean McDaniel said. “We also know See OKCPS, Page 10
FRIDAY’s Village Animal Shelter
Rescue Dog of the Week Emma is our longest-term girl, having been with The Village Animal Shelter for three months. She needs a home and family. She is a young adult boxer mix. She loves to play with toys and balls and would like someone who would take her on walks or runs. She gets along with other dogs. Emma weighs about 60 lbs. and is a beautiful red brindle. She is spayed and up-to-date on her shots, and heartworm negative. Please make an appointment with Bryan Balenseifen at the Village city shelter. Call 751-9518 or Becky at 751-4903. The fee is $45. The shelter is closed on weekends. Photo by Kelly Sherman Photography
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