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ON THE COVER

NEWS

LIFE

LIFE

Oklahoma Gazette knows where the metro’s buzzworthiest New Year’s Eve parties, from Adéle Wolf’s Burlesque and Variety Show New Year’s Eve Bash (featured on the cover), Plaza District’s ’16 on 16th, casino events, a Totally Overhyped party and Opening Night to restaurants and bars welcoming 2016. Find it all in this issue.

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Education: teaching immigrants

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Culture: Opening Night

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Active: TopGolf NYE

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City: officer support

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Culture: ’16 on 16th

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36

Sudoku / Crossword

Education: alternative paths

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Education: gingerbread houses

Chicken-Fried News

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Commentary, Letters

Music: Chip Mantooth, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Jet Sets, listings

By Gazette staff and contributors.

Cover illustration by Anna Shilling.

LIFE 16

OKG picks

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Food & Drink: open New Year’s Eve, Cajun King, briefs, OKG eat: pepper/mint

Mission statement Oklahoma Gazette’s mission is to stimulate, examine and inform the public on local quality of life issues and social needs, to recognize community accomplishments, and to provide a forum for inspiration, participation and interaction across all media.

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Culture: Neon New Year

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Visual Arts: Totally Overhyped New Year’s Eve Party

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Film: Randy Castillo, Sisters, The Super Swell Berkowski

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Astrology

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Classifieds

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Performing Arts: Adèle Wolf’s Burlesque and Variety Show, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Trans-Siberian Orchestra

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I-40 EXIT 178 | SHAWNEE, OK | 405-964-7263 Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 3

news education

Welcoming Newcomers Educating immigrant students can be challenging, but the district doesn’t shy away from doing it.

As an educator, it’s common to experience a student learning for the first the time.

Northwest Classen High School teacher Katherine Holzheuser observes her students grasping new concepts and ideas and expanding their vocabulary many times throughout the school day. To illustrate her point, the veteran teacher shared a recent lesson in which she wrote a series of words in English and Spanish on her classroom board.

Two male students pointed at the word “octopus” and showed no understanding. Holzheuser called the students to her desktop computer, pulled up an Internet browser and typed “octopus.”

“They both had reactions of horror,” recalled Holzheuser, who opened her eyes wide to demonstrate the students’ reactions. “They asked if that was a real animal.”

The two teenage students are Guatemalan and enrolled in Oklahoma City Public Schools after arriving to the United States. They might be short on their English skills, as they speak indigenous languages, but they are giving English and American education their best shot as students enrolled in the district’s Secondary English Language Learners Newcomer Program.

“We have some students who had regular education before they came here, and we have other students that had little to no education,” said Holzheuser, who works with students in the program. “Those that have little to no education have so many gaps in their knowledge.”

Meeting needs

Closing the achievement gap and helping immigrant students graduate high school is the goal of the Newcomer Program, which began more than three decades ago in the state’s largest school district. Newly arrived immigrants, including undocumented migrants, refugees and those with visas, enroll at OKCPS throughout the year.

Immigrant students who reside north of Interstate 40 are assigned to Northwest Classen. U.S. Grant and Capitol Hill high schools operate similar programs for southside residents.

At Northwest Classen, students

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by Laura Eastes

From left Northwest Classen High School teacher Katherine Holzheuser and student Andrea Melendez are from nations such as Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam, China, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.

A high school’s role is to educate students for mastering academic content. Northwest Classen Principal Kirk Wilson said that applies to immigrant students too, but teachers must also work with those students to learn English and adapt to American culture. That’s no easy task, as some students lack formal schooling and others show signs of low literacy skills in their own native language.

“We have kids that can’t add two plus two,” Wilson said. “They don’t know the strategy to count on their fingers. We have kids that are on that basic of a level. We have others who have been in the program for several years and are now taking regular core classes for credit.”

English language learning departments are a common sight in school districts across the country.

Often, immigrant students are identified as English language learners (ELL) and receive specialized services to ensure a quality education that allows them to progress academically while learning English.

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Of the 46,500 students enrolled in OKCPS, 12,658 are ELL students, according to district figures.

Specialized programs, like OKCPS’ Newcomer program, target immigrant students with additional support and services to successfully integrate them into the traditional high school setting.

In the first year, Newcomer students earn only three to four credits toward graduation, fewer than the typical freshman. The first-year class load includes inclusive Newcomer classes — in listening, speaking, reading and writing — that move at a fast pace to aid the students in learning English.

As Newcomers progress, they enroll in core science, math and language arts classes. The students stick together as a cohort with an ELL teacher assigned to offer assistance in classes such as geography, biology and English.

Like their peers, Newcomers must complete course requirements and pass End of Instruction (EOI) tests in order to walk across the stage at graduation.

Unlike their peers, they are learning a new language, which serves as their foundation for academic achievement.

For some Newcomers, it takes more time than the traditional four years of

high school.

“You can’t learn how to add, subtract and divide and complete credits for a high school diploma in four years,” explained Wilson. “That doesn’t work. They are really on a five- to sixyear plan.”

Northwest Classen’s graduation rate drops when ELL students take an additional year or two to earn their diplomas. The drop impacts the school’s grade issued through the A-F Report Cards from the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Additionally, the school loses students who choose to return to their home countries or are deported. In both situations, the students are counted as dropouts.

That’s the furthest thing from the minds of Wilson and the school’s ELL teachers.

“We don’t do this for the graduation report and we don’t do it for a letter grade,” Wilson said. “It’s for the kids and to get them where they need to be.

We want them to be successful when they leave here.”

Moxie required

In Holzheuser’s classroom, learning mixes with students expressing their

Kirk Wilson

frustrations. Language translation books are stacked on three-tier bookshelves.

Above one bookshelf, large white paper displayed the question, “What did you eat for dinner, and how much did it cost?”

“It is a real challenge,” Holzheuser said. “Some of the kids will rise to the challenge and say, ‘I will get this no matter what it takes.’ If they have that kind of moxie, they will be successful.

Others give up, and that’s sad.”

A few students who abandoned the program shared with Holzheuser that

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learning English was too hard and they thought they didn’t need it.

Newcomer students are not stupid or uneducable. Instead, they’re street smart and many have lived through situations unimaginable to their peers or teachers.

Holzheuser recalled conversations with students about crossing the United States’ border with coyotes and the price the family paid to come to America.

Other students’ families resettled in the United States after a parent’s life was threatened. Some are political refugees from Southeast Asia.

Andrea Melendez is one of the 75 students in Northwest Classen’s Newcomer Program. She attended public school in her native Honduras until her family moved to the United States two years ago. Dressed in a purple Northwest Classen T-shirt, Melendez shared in English that her language skills are improving thanks to the Newcomer program.

“I make new friends, and I learn about other countries,” Melendez said with a bright smile.

She continued speaking in English, talking about her Burmese friend.

“He says he wants to learn Spanish and English because so many of the students speak Spanish,” she said.

American movies didn’t prepare Melendez for Northwest Classen. She was surprised to learn about a school principal and school resource officer; both positions didn’t exist in her Honduran school, which didn’t start until noon, with classes dismissed at 5 p.m. She thought it would be easier to attend school in America, but she finds most people don’t understand what she says.

That’s why Melendez is focused on improving her English. Her goal is to graduate and pursue higher education.

“It is more difficult to complete

school in Honduras,” she said through a translator. “Students are usually 19 or 20 [when they finish secondary school].

People don’t study, and they don’t go to school. … I want to graduate and become a teacher.”

She switched to English before adding, “Like Ms. H (Holzheuser),” and hugging her teacher.

The program was designed for students like Melendez, offering her a unique opportunity to overcome education barriers faced by immigrants.

The two educators admit it’s tough to see a student deported or struggling to adapt to American school. It takes time and patience for a Newcomer student to succeed in the classroom, especially when that student is starting from scratch. Often, that long road begins with learning about something simple, like an octopus.

“You see those kids coming in, not knowing English and not knowing anything about high school,” Wilson said. “Then, you see those kids as seniors and ready to get their high school diploma. That is really cool.”

Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 5 12/18/15 4:27 PM

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news city

Behind the badge When tragedy strikes, officers are there to help.

Who steps up when officers go through tough times?

by Laura Eastes

The May 20, 2013, tornado will never escape the memory of Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Cody Koelsch.

Koelsch, along with his wife and 5-week-old daughter, rode out the storm in the cellar for about 10 minutes, but it felt longer as the wind howled and dust swept through cracks.

After the storm passed, the family made their way out of the cellar.

“I didn’t recognize anything,” said Koelsch, who lived a quarter mile from the destroyed Briarwood Elementary School in south OKC. “I had a Chevy Z71 pickup parked in my driveway that was now in the cul-de-sac a few hundred feet away. I didn’t recognize it, and I was totally lost. But then, I had to go into cop mode.”

He started with moving debris away from his neighbor’s tornado shelter to free the door for opening. From that moment on, Koelsch performed rescue efforts to help his fellow neighbors.

Most were unaware the devastation they experienced was similar to Koelsch’s. His house was destroyed.

After hours spent as a first responder, a supervisor noticed Koelsch’s emotions were running high.

There seemed to be something else going on. He told the supervisor, who then shared that his home was lost to a tornado 14 years earlier.

“He told me, ‘People are going to want to help you, and you are going to have to take it. If you don’t take it, you will offend people,’” Koelsch said.

“Being a person who helps others, it is hard to ask for help. Harder [than] ask[ing] is to take it.”

That was the guidance Koelsch needed when the chaplain of the Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Lodge 123, came to his mother-in-law’s house with a $1,000 donation check to help his family. It was the first in a long list of donations that came his family’s way.

The FOP check prompted the formation of the lodge’s foundation, a specific aspect of the FOP that aids officers and their families after injury, death and disaster and in other times of need. The funds for Koelsch and other storm-affected officers came from professional basketball player Thabo Sefolosha, who was an Oklahoma City Thunder player at the time of the storm.

experiencing everyday job stress.

Officers can stop by Clouse’s office at any time to talk. If the conversation goes toward family, finances, health or anything else, that’s no problem.

In the event of an officer-involved shooting, CHAPPS responds.

Volunteer officers and trained spouses arrive at the scene. Volunteers stay with the officer through the investigation, including scene walk-throughs, debriefings, detective interviews and ballistics processing. The CHAPPS program checks in on the officer days, weeks and months after the event.

Spouse volunteers connect with the officer’s family, providing real-time updates and offering support.

A ministry began in July, and officers’ family members welcomed the addition.

“We’ve heard comments, ‘Wished you would have had this earlier,’” Clouse said. “It puts them in the loop instead of out.”

Since OKCPD launched the CHAPPS program, law enforcement agencies across the nation have looked to Oklahoma City for guidance in launching similar programs.

“It is hard to ask for help. Harder [than] ask[ing] is to take it,” said Cody Koelsch.

Profession-wide, we’ve never done a great job at preparing [officers] for the psychological effects of the job.

— Greg Clouse

“Having each others’ back doesn’t end when we take off the uniform,” said Mark Nelson, FOP vice president.

“It carries 24/7. If we can help another brother or sister, then that’s what we want to do.”

Backing badges

In Oklahoma City, officers have looked out for each other since the inception of the police force. No one understands daily, on-the-job dangers, challenges and emotions better than fellow officers, said Maj. Sgt. Greg Clouse of

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the Oklahoma City Police Department (OKCPD).

In 1983, OKCPD leaders and the FOP launched Cops Helping Alleviate Police Problems (CHAPPS), a unique program with a specific goal to help officers involved in shooting situations.

Through peer support, officers aid one another with emotional, tangible and informational support during a time of crisis.

Three decades later, CHAPPS has expanded to offer support to officers and their families following a variety of incidents, said Clouse, CHAPPS program coordinator.

“The reality is the profession of law enforcement has done an excellent job of training officers for threats, shootings and dangerous situations,” Clouse said. “Profession-wide, we’ve never done a great job at preparing [officers] for the psychological effects of the job. That’s what we are here for.”

CHAPPS addresses post-shooting trauma but also works with those

Unique stresses

Statistics suggest that a career in law enforcement is safer today than in past decades. However, the FBI reported that 51 officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2014. That’s nearly double the year before.

In addition to the dangers, the job now comes with the added pressure of media and public criticism as officer-involved shootings in Chicago; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Ferguson, Missouri, draw headlines, social media reaction and protests.

“Siting in the light that we are with the media, you throw that stress on top and it makes it challenging to do the job,” Clouse said.

The media is closely watching.

Both The Washington Post and the United Kingdom’s The Guardian launched databases to count the people killed by U.S. law enforcement. The Post tallied 944 people shot dead by police from Jan. 1 through Dec. 21, with 32 occurring in Oklahoma.

The Guardian recorded 1,001 continued on page 8

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Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 7 11/23/15 11:58 AM

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news city

“Having each others’ back doesn’t end when we take off the uniform,” Mark Nelson said. people killed by police during that same time. Data shows Oklahoma had 38 deaths. Three people were killed by Tasers, and one was struck by an officer’s vehicle.

Since the beginning of 2015, 133 officers were killed in the line of dusty, according to Officer Down Memorial Page Inc., a Virginia-based nonprofit group that maintains a database of law enforcement, prison officers and police dogs killed in the line of duty in America, Canada, central Europe, New Zealand and Australia. One of the officers was Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Nicholas Dees, who was struck and killed Jan. 31 by a vehicle east of Shawnee, the state’s first law enforcement fatality of 2015.

and Giltner say that’s not because the services haven’t proven their worth.

Another aspect of their duty is to change the mindset of their fellow officers, especially the ones who might not be inclined to seek help.

“Officers are the last ones to ask for help themselves,” Giltner said. “They are supposed to be the strong ones — bulletproof. … At the end of the day, they’re just humans doing a job.”

At the FOP lodge, Nelson expressed a similar sentiment.

“It is the big tragedies to the little things,” Nelson said. “The stresses of this job add up. If we can ease it, just a little bit, I think we’ve accomplished what we set out to do.”

Two-tier strategy

For more

Greg Giltner, a trained OKCPS police officer who serves as chaplain and meets with officers regularly about their experiences on and off-duty, is also housed near the CHAPPS’ office.

The services of CHAPPS and the chaplain aren’t well-known outside of law enforcement circles, but Clouse

Learn about the programs mentioned in this story. >> The Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 123 Foundation: fop123okc.com/ lodge-123-foundation >> Cops Helping Alleviate Police Problems (CHAPPS): okc.gov/okcpd/ about/chapps.html

F o u n d e d Dec. 2 4, 189 0 UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA w w w. u c o . e d u / 1 2 5 • ( 4 0 5 ) 9 7 4 - 2 0 0 0 8 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

Memorabilia in the conference room at FOP Lodge 123 in Oklahoma City

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Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 9 12/15/15 1:42 PM

news education

Community outreach Alternative paths: New, short-term, community-based programs give students and schools more options and opportunities.

By Brett Dickerson

“When I came here, I was pretty much your average hothead,” said seventhgrader Anre Edwards as he explained what led him to Oklahoma City Public Schools’ Alternative to Suspension Programs, where he’s attending a 10-day out-of-school suspension at Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County.

He said he created problems for his teachers because he was “a showoff.”

Impatient with his studies, he found attention by negatively disrupting class.

A breaking point came when Edwards got into a fight with another student over a perceived slight against his sister.

“Before I came here, everything got under my skin,” he added.

Not any longer.

Edwards said he is committed to using the leadership and conflict management skills he learned in the 10-day program to deal with others, including his teachers, in more positive ways.

Edwards and a growing list of Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) students facing disciplinary measures are benefiting from the Alternative to Suspension Programs, in its first year of existence.

Two groups — Boys and Girls Clubs at 3535 N. Western Ave. and Latino Community Development Agency (LCDA) at 420 SW 10th St. — work with the OKCPS initiative to help reduce the number of long-term suspensions and keep youth in school while helping them modify disruptive behaviors and become more successful.

Both organizations have wellestablished track records of addressing issues that impact youth.

G arett fisb eck

Editor’s note: As discussions continue about discipline and whether there are enough alternative schools and programs to meet unique needs of some students in Oklahoma City public schools, Oklahoma Gazette explores alternative paths available that help students graduate high school with the skills needed to enter adulthood. This story is part of an ongoing series.

Kristin Minnis works with youth at Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County.

Community response

OKCPS Superintendent Rob Neu has endorsed the programs as an intervention method to keep disruptive students from being suspended for periods that could reach up to 45 days.

The programs are coordinated by Teri Bell, executive director of OKCPS student support services.

“We’re hoping that if we can do some days — some interventions from some teachers that we have at those locations — something happens there where that’s one student who won’t be referred to Emerson [Metro/Outreach] or somewhere else, or even county detention,” Bell told Oklahoma Gazette.

The initiative is part of the district’s response to an internal audit, requested by Neu after he took over the superintendent role last year and released in April.

The 19-page report showed inconsistencies and inaccuracies in disciplinary record-keeping across the district, with data error rates higher than 50 percent in some schools. It also found that suspensions were more commonly and more severely applied to minority

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populations.

Last year, Neu announced the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights had launched an investigation of the district regarding complaints of bias and discipline-related retaliation against black and Hispanic students.

After findings were released, Jane Sutter, Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County president and CEO, and her board of directors discussed the issue and approached the district to help since the organization has experience working with at-risk children and youth.

About that time, Raul Font, LCDA’s CEO/executive director, said his organization also approached the district to offer wrap-around social, medical and mental health care to families.

Focused efforts

Each organization brings its own expertise to the OKCPS program.

Boys & Girls Clubs staff has experience and national organizational support in direct leadership of youth via before- and after-school programs.

Sutter estimates the Oklahoma

County club serves more than 800 active participants each day across four sites from a pool of over 3,000 members.

Kristin Minnis, co-director of the club’s Alternative to Suspension Programs, said that once students complete their 10-day suspension program, they automatically become Boys & Girls Clubs members.

This allows the same staff members to follow up with support, Minnis said.

LCDA brings a different kind of depth to the Alternative to Suspension Programs.

It has over 60 trained and experienced staff members who offer family, youth and drug and alcohol counseling to the 10-day program students assigned to it.

Font is the bridge from that social service agency to OKCPS. In earlier years, he served as principal at several district high schools and worked as OKCPS central office staff.

Since the Alternative to Suspension launch, each group estimated that more than 50 students have cycled through their programs.

Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 11

Chicken Orderly conduct

Allen Galbreath sued Oklahoma City after he was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct June 7, 2010.

The former ballet dancer was in Goodholm Park when his behavior — singing, spinning a large stick around, exercising, wearing high heels — frightened Mary Franklin, a woman at the park with her grandchildren.

She called 911.

It turns out Oklahoma City’s municipal code, section 30-81(b) describes disorderly conduct as someone causing “public alarm without justification.”

The charges were later dropped, but Galbreath sued the city because, as his lawyer argued, the ordinance “criminalizes so much conduct that a reasonable person would have to guess at what the ordinance either permitted or forbid.”

Look, we’re not saying that we’re often kicking around the park in high heels, spinning sticks and humming, but it doesn’t sound so disorderly

Fried news that the police have to get involved.

Being weird in public is pretty much all we do here, and none of us get arrested for it.

But a federal appeals court panel doesn’t agree with us.

They upheld the ordinance. So watch out, Oklahoma City! All it takes is one freaked out grandma and you might be sitting in handcuffs, too.

12 | DECember 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

Council charges

We at Chicken-Fried News were a bit confused when we read Norman Transcript’s headline “City Council member charged with felony” posted online Dec. 10.

Initially, we wondered if the council member was listening when taking his oath

of office.

While the oath of office might not specifically call for reciting, “I will not be charged with a felony,” we think it’s implied.

After all, you solemnly swear a few things in front of a judge.

That should translate to stay clear of criminal activity.

Nevertheless, we were floored to read the alleged felony had to do with a place called Friendly Market, which sounds like a grocery store located in The Happiest Place on Earth — Disneyland.

Having not read the entire first line of the article, we Googled “Friendly Market Norman” and came across its Twitter page.

The business doesn’t tweet much, but it did give out free snow cones in June. #awesome That got us thinking. Who wouldn’t want to work at a business that hands out free snow cones?

Maybe that’s what sparked Norman City Council member Stephen Holman’s interest in the small business.

He was hired in September.

A month before his first day, Holman vocalized his opposition of asset forfeiture laws in a council meeting.

He also spoke against the Norman Police Department’s interest in purchasing a $775,000 armored BearCar, according to the Norman newspaper.

Chicken-Fried News water-cooler gossip veered toward the impression that Holman seemed to have a target on his back and Friendly Market, an alternative lifestyle store, fell in the crossfire.

Dec. 1, police seized cash and the store’s inventory of glass pipes.

Ten days later, seven counts were filed against Holman, who manages the shop, and storeowner Robert Cox.

The two are alleged to have acquired the cash from drug-related activity.

Six of the misdemeanor charges deal with drug paraphernalia.

“Why they did what they did, I have no idea,” Holman told the newspaper. “I couldn’t, for the life of me, speculate on why Norman P.D. and any other officials decided they need to go and serve a search warrant in an effort to try and discover evidence, potentially, of a misdemeanor.”

We don’t know either, but let’s get along and not abuse power.

Word search

Estately.com did some digging and found out that Oklahomans really like gossip and care a lot about people suffering from tragedies.

The real estate information and education website “ran hundreds of search terms through Google Trends to discover what people in each state searched for with more frequency than people in any other state.”

Despite Oklahomans’ reputation for hating things that are out of

the ordinary, we wanted to learn more about what was going on with transgender reality TV and track star Caitlyn Jenner (formerly known as retired Olympic champ Bruce Jenner).

Okies also showed interested in Patricia Arquette and the details of Jordan Spieth’s U.S. Open and The Masters wins and empathized with the family of Stuart Scott (an ESPN sportscaster who died this year) and those affected by the attack at French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo — we searched “Je suis Charlie” a lot.

The most interesting part of Estately’s blog post was a map.

We’re not exactly sure how they picked the words to represent each state, but we are sure it was very fair and there was no ill will or prejudice in any part of it. At all.

Whatsoever.

Nationally, search terms featured on the map included “Caitlyn Jenner” (Oklahoma),

“Miranda Lambert divorce” (Texas), “Jared Fogle” (Indiana) and “Charlie Sheen HIV.” Other popular queries featured the Second Amendment (Arizona), Boko Haram (Virginia), the meaning of the Confederate flag (North Carolina), National Book Award Winner TaNehisi Coates (Maryland) and, most important of all, the definition of “bae” (Wisconsin) and “Legalize weed” (Ohio).

Incentive dilemma

As lawmakers stare down a state budget deficit that could surpass $1 billion in 2015, many will point helplessly at losses in the energy sector.

And those people are not wrong.

The state rides oil booms and energy waves like a professional bull-riding champ during the best of times, but it has landed on its chin when the price of

crude as fallen.

But is there more to the state’s current financial crisis than the price of oil?

Is it somehow self-inflicted?

House Minority Leader Scott Inman said as much in a statement last week, contending that more than $100 billion in income tax cuts and $2 billion in tax credits since 2004 has helped put the state in the bind.

In the state of tornado drills and storm shelters, it is surprising Oklahoma lawmakers have not better planned for times when the energy market goes bust.

The current balance of the state’s Rainy Day Fund is not even $400 million, compared to the billions other oil states have stockpiled.

This bed you’re laying in, Oklahoma — did you make it?

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Oklahoma Gazette | DECember 23, 2015 | 13

commentary

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Oklahoma needs clean power

By Johnson Bridgwater

One of the most significant actions ever taken by the federal government to protect and improve the United States environment was taken on Aug. 3. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the final rule for the Clean Power Plan, a Clean Air Act action intended to stop degradation of our air quality and ultimately reverse our march toward runaway climate change. It is specifically geared to target America’s single largest cause of air pollution: coal-fired power plants. The Clean Power Plan calls for America to reduce its overall carbon pollution by 32 percent by 2030.

In response to this environmentally beneficial action, Oklahoma’s Attorney General Scott Pruitt, along with at least 25 other states, once again showed the rest of the country that our state government does not intend to work toward improving our environment despite the fact that Oklahoma energy companies such as OG&E and Public Service Company

of Oklahoma (PSO) have stated they believe they can meet the standards set forth in the specific targets developed for Oklahoma. To make matters worse, Oklahoma’s governor issued an executive order forbidding Oklahoma’s government from acting on or adhering to the plan.

The short-sighted actions of these two government officials are detrimental to Oklahoma’s citizens, and they are actually giving up on financial benefits that will go to states that do comply — the Clean Energy Incentive Program will give credits for any investments states make in renewable energy before 2022, and an additional program specifically credits state governments that invest in low-income neighborhoods. Once again, Oklahoma passes up benefits merely to prove it is not a fan of President Obama.

Under the Clean Power Plan, individual state plans will be established to reduce overall carbon pollution, and the EPA has given each state the chance

to develop its own approach to reaching carbon-reduction goals. Retiring or improving coal-fired plants, adding more natural gas and renewables and developing large-scale energy efficiency programs are some of these options. It is not a “one size fits all” government overreach; however, Oklahoma’s choice to refuse to submit or even work on its own plan means the EPA will impose a federal plan on Oklahoma in 2018. With her executive order, our governor has essentially guaranteed that Oklahoma will be given a federal plan.

And most energy companies believe the state lawsuits will ultimately fail, leaving businesses scrambling to find solutions to the federal plans that will then be forced onto noncompliant states.

Environmentally friendly steps made

by Oklahoma companies clearly show that Oklahoma businesses get it and our government is out of step with the very people it claims to represent.

From 2004 to 2014, Oklahoma’s state

Opinions expressed on the commentary page, in letters to the editor and elsewhere in this newspaper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

energy portfolio has decreased coal by 13 percent and increased its renewables by 16 percent, and overall, Oklahoma is now a top state in terms of overall renewable energy use. This fact could bring Oklahoma into the national spotlight for positive reasons and sustainable business opportunities. Instead, our officials continue to ignore that it makes financial sense to increase investment in these areas and the time for ignoring climate change is long past. Ultimately, what Oklahoma’s government is doing by refusing to participate in the Clean Power Plan is backing dirty fuels and ignoring legitimate threats to our state’s future.

In light of this information, I would ask each of you to contact your legislators and the governor’s office. Let Oklahomans, not two politicians, choose what is best for our state.

Johnson Bridgwater is director of the Oklahoma chapter of Sierra Club, proudly helping Oklahomans explore, enjoy and protect their environment since 1972.

LETTERS Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section.

The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to jchancellor@ okgazette.com or sent online at okgazette. com. Include a city of residence and contact number for verification.

Protect consumers

Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) wants to stop solar and wind energy growth to protect its monopoly and stop homeowners from lowering utility bills. The company’s proposal to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) would unfairly add new demand charges — in addition to energy, fuel and customer charges — to the bills of customers who have distributed solar or wind installations.

OG&E wants to base charges on the highest level of use within a month, no matter how much energy the homeowner actually uses during that time period. Families would face higher and unpredictable utility bills. Fees would undermine savings.

OG&E says its full-service customers subsidize others with rooftop solar panels or small wind turbines but doesn’t show proof to back up that claim. Actually, solar energy benefits all ratepayers by reducing the need for new power plants and related infrastructure.

OG&E’s proposed fees are discriminatory and intended to discourage homeowners from purchasing solar or wind systems.

Renewable wind and solar energy is homegrown. It creates steady jobs. It does not cause earthquakes or waste, pollute water or make people sick.

OCC should say no to OG&E’s proposal. It’s not fair to punish homeowners who generate their own clean energy by forcing them to buy dirty energy from a monopoly.

— Red Goldfarb Yukon Easy money?

Thank you Felix Linden for all the hours you put in as a teacher. There are plenty of teachers who beat the bell to the door, however, and enter the profession because of all the time off.

Felix tells us he makes $1.41 an hour

14 | December 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

most weeks, but what’s your hourly rate during the fall and spring two weeks off each and all the other days off? I don’t know of a profession that gets more days off. I’m all for a raise in teacher pay, but the Boren brigade wants to saddle Oklahoma with the highest national sales tax to do it.

The raise can come if we get serious about waste in the education complex.

— Thomas L. Furlong Oklahoma City

Corrections, clarifications

>> A Dec. 16 story included an incorrect album release date (Life, Music, “Big Brother,” Ben Luschen, Oklahoma Gazette). Medicine Brother’s self-titled, four-track EP will be released Jan. 26 on iTunes and Spotify. >> A Dec. 2 story (Food, “Food briefs,” Greg Elwell, Gazette) referred to a barbecue restaurant under new ownership as Smokey’s Bar-B-Que & Diner. The venue’s new name is Smokey’s BBQ.

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FILM Jingle Bell Rocks!, (2013, US, dir. Mitchell Kezin) if you’ve seen A Christmas Story one too many times, or have grown fatigued of the Grinch, Scrooge and their like, but already watched Die Hards 1 thru 4 this month, consider checking out this rock’n’roll behind the scenes and onstage footage featuring fantastic music artists and aficionados such as the Flaming Lips, Run DMC, Doctor Demento, Miles Davis and more, 5:30 p.m., Dec. 23. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 2363100, okcmoa.com. WED Castle in the Sky, (1986, Japan, dir. Hayao Miyazaki) this film, which follows the adventure of two young orphans on a quest for a lost treasure as well as the truth about their past, was the first film ever produced and released

by Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli, 5:30 p.m., Dec. 26 & 27.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 2363100, okcmoa.com. SAT-SUN

Doctor Who Christmas Special This Christmas, ditch the red and green boxes for something a little more … blue.

Throw on a bowtie, grab a companion and head on over to Cinemark Tinseltown USA, 6001 Martin Luther King Blvd., 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 28, 2015 A.D. to catch the magic as River Song meets the Doctor’s newest incarnation for the first time. Catch Christmas in the TARDIS for a dose of holiday joy that is guaranteed to be bigger on the inside. Tickets are $12-$14. Call 424-0461 or visit fathomevents.com.

Monday

Kiki’s Delivery Service, (1989, Japan, dir. Hayao Miyazaki) this Miyazaki classic animated film tells the story of Kiki, a young witch in training begins a baked goods delivery service and learns a lot about herself on the way, 2 p.m., Dec. 26; 5:30 p.m., Dec. 30. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT-WED

HAPPENINGS

Porco Rosso, (1992, Japan, dir. Hayao Miyazaki) Michael Keaton stars in this film as the titular Porco Rosso, a veteran World War I Italian fighter pilot cursed to bear the appearance of an anthropomorphic pig, which seems as good a reason as any to see this movie, 8 p.m., Dec. 26. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 2363100, okcmoa.com. SAT-WED

Christmas in the Park, come drive or walk through a dazzling exhibition of over four million Christmas lights covering four hundred displays; best of all, admission is free, so bring all your friends and family to kick your holiday rear into gear, 6-11 p.m., ongoing. Yukon City Park, 2200 S. Holly Ave., Yukon, 350-8937, cityofyukon.com.

Goodfellas, (1990, US, dir. Martin Scorsese) nothing says “kiss the holidays and 2015 goodbye” quite like this feel-good family flick about a man hellbent on climbing up the precarious ladder of the New York Mafia, but we were kidding about the “feel good” and “family” parts; this film’s rated a pretty hard R, 7 p.m., Dec. 29. Harkins Theatre, 150 E. Reno Ave., 231-4747, harkinstheatres. com. TUE

Crossroads of Commerce, Oklahoma history buffs won’t want to miss this exhibit showcasing the growth and development of Oklahoma’s economy from 1716 to statehood, the Dust Bowl, the depression, and all the way to present day. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 521-2491, okhistory.org/historycenter.

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Last Sunday Poetry Reading, come get your monthly recommended dose of spoken word, a vital vitamin in which too many of us are deficient, 2-4 p.m., Dec. 27. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SUN

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Holiday Light Spectacular, over the course of two decades this annual lights display has grown to more STU DIO GH IBLI / PROVIDED

ANTI-AGING SERVICES

Story Time with Julie, kid friendly story time with the latest children’s books, 10:15 -11 a.m., Dec. 27. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT

than 100 light displays spanning over a mile and a half drive, including a 118-foot Christmas tree and dancing light shows coordinated to music, 6-10 p.m., Nov. 20-Dec. 30. Joe B. Barnes Regional Park, 8700 E. Reno Ave., Midwest City, 739-1293, midwestcityok.org.

Through the Eyes of the Lynx: Galileo, Natural History and the Americas, The Academy of the Lynx was one of the world’s earliest scientific societies, whose star pupil happened to be Renaissance artist and scientist (among other vocations) Galileo Galilei; this exhibit celebrates the contributions of Galileo and the Academy of the Lynx in the areas of natural science and history, Aug. 1-Jan. 18.

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 325-4712, snomnh.ou.edu.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, believe the hype; the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is coming back to town to rock your faces off in the most festive and elegant way possible, playing all your favorite holiday hits and more,

Ponyo Fish make fantastic pets — they’re tiny, self-contained, quiet and make little to no mess. But what if your goldfish wasn’t a goldfish at all, but actually a goldfish princess that turns into a human girl?

That’s exactly what happens in renowned animated filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo, a classic tale of boy meets fish. The show plays 2 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday, Dec. 30 at Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. Tickets are $7-$9 and can be purchased at okcmoa.com.

Sunday & Wednesday, Dec. 30

810 -12 26 | 76 4 6 N . W e s t e r N 16 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

GA Z E T T E STA FF / FI L E

LIKE US ON

OKC Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets It would be out of line to mention how appropriate the team name Nuggets is, given relatively recent changes in legal status of certain substances in the state of Colorado.

Instead, let’s just talk about how the Thunder has one of the most formidable fan bases in the NBA, and a team is only as good as its fan base. And its players. And also, its coach. Probably. Head out to Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., to cheer them on 6 p.m.

Sunday. Visit chesapeakearena.com or call 602-8700.

Sunday

with a twist, 4 & 8 p.m., Dec. 23. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. WED Drop-In Art, if you’ve never painted a white cow drinking milk in a snowstorm and you’ve always wanted to, now’s your chance; surprisingly many different watercolors will be provided at this week’s drop-in art where you can paint winter watercolor landscapes, 1 p.m., Dec. 26. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT Merry & Bright, celebrate the season with free admission at the Crystal Bridge all December long and check out awesome light displays and more, 6-9 p.m., Dec. 27. Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 297-3995, myriadgardens.com. SUN Dance Lessons at Friends, country dance lessons and live country band, Dec. 29. Friends Restaurant & Club, 3705 W. Memorial Ave., Suite 604, 751-4057. TUE

FOOD Don’t Just Wing It, they key to any great party is planning the crap out of it, and Jessica Cox and Natural Grocers are teaming up to show you how; don’t fall in those party potholes, plan for any outcome, 1 p.m., Dec. 29. Natural Grocers, 7001 N. May Ave., 840-0300, naturalgrocers.com. TUE

YOUTH Tape & Tunnels, get psyched for recyclables at the newest exhibit at SMO, where kids can experience an interactive wonderland with packing tape tunnels, bungee cord mazes, and cardboard clubhouses where they can climb, build, and explore. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

continued on next page

Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 17

BAKER STREET PUB & GRILL

continued

NEW YEAR’S EVE BASH DECEMBER 31

MIDNIGHT CHAMPAGNE TOAST LIVE MUSIC BY

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PARTY FAVORS SMO Winter Break Day Camps You can throw science at just about any problem you’ve got these days, and that includes children. That came out wrong. Please do not throw anything at your children. Also, children are not problems. Children are our future, and Science Museum Oklahoma (SMO) wants to brighten that future by sparking students’ interests this winter break with robots, rockets and relics. Camps are $45-$50 per day, but the experience is priceless. The camps, which cater to first- through sixthgraders, run 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday at SMO, 2100 NE 52nd St., Dec. 28-31. Call 602-3760 or visit sciencemuseumok.org.

Monday-Dec. 3 Devon Ice Rink, see how well you fare in a nearly frictionless environment at this year’s Devon ice rink; perhaps you’ll discover a new talent you never knew you had... or maybe you should try, like, knitting or something. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com/ events.

Crafts for Kids, ring in the New Year in style with some sassy spectacular spectacles on a stick, complete with pom pom pizzazz, festive feathers, and snazzy spiral pipe cleaners, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Dec. 26. Lakeshore Learning Store, 6300 N. May Ave., 858-8778, lakeshorelearning.com. SAT Birdfeeder Bagels, witness a showdown the likes of which you’ve never seen before when you hang your brand new birdfeeder bagel: the ultimate showdown between birds and squirrels; there can only be one, 1 p.m., Dec. 26. Martin Park Nature Center, 5000 W. Memorial, 755-0676, okc.gov/parks. SAT

PERFORMING ARTS A Christmas Carol, Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge was lacking in holiday spirit, so fate sent him three- the Ghosts of Christmas’ Past, Present, and Future; come see Charles Dickens’ classic ghost story brought to life onstage and leave the humbug at home, 2 & 7:30 p.m., Dec. 23; 2 & 8 p.m., Dec. 26; 2 p.m., Dec. 27. Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 524-9312, lyrictheatreokc.com. WED-SUN Shen Yun 2016, a Shen Yun performance features the world’s foremost classically trained dancers, a unique orchestra blending East and West, and dazzling animated backdrops-together creating one spectacular performance, 7 p.m., Dec. 23; noon, Dec. 24. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. WED-THU

2701 W. Memorial 405.751.1547 bakerstreetpub.com 18 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

Chris Killian, baby-faced Nashville native Chris Killian is coming to help you shake off your post-holiday coma with an arsenal of edgy jokes and gritty observation, 8 & 10:30 p.m., Dec. 26; 8 p.m., Dec. 27. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 239-4242, loonybincomedy.com. SAT-SUN

Beauty and the Beast, witness the unfolding of a tale as old as time, a love story which sets yet another unrealistic beauty standard for men; join the Civic Center for a live production of Disney’s classic, Beauty and the Beast, 10 a.m., 2 p.m., & 8 p.m., Dec. 26.; 2 & 7 p.m., Dec. 27. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SAT-SUN

ACTIVE Nature Play Group, led by OCU graduate students, the weekly program, introduces children ages 2-6 to nature in a safe, encouraging environment using naturecentered play activities like hands-on games and crafts, 10:30 a.m., Dec. 23. Martin Park Nature Center, 5000 W. Memorial, 755-0676, okc.gov/parks. WED Snow Tubing Winter Festival, look out below and hold on tight for the thrill of a lifetime; try the novice slope, or if you’re an adrenaline junkie there’s a steeper slope... just don’t touch the yellow snow, noon, 2, 4, & 6 p.m., Dec. 23 & 26-30. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, 218-1000, milb.com. WED-WED OKC Thunder vs. Chicago Bulls, because who needs laughter, stories and family togetherness when you can crack open a beer and watch the game with zero human interaction instead, 6 p.m., Dec. 25. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. FRI OKC Thunder vs. Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee couldn’t beat the Thunder, even if they had a million Bucks, 7 p.m., Dec. 29. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. TUE

VISUAL ARTS A Gift of Art, put down the hideous sweater he won’t even wear anyway and pick up some art, and support some very cool local artists while you do it. In Your Eye Gallery, 3005 Paseo #A, 525-2161, inyoureyegallery.com.

All in All, you don’t make it onto the wall of the Chesapeake Arena Thunder Family VIP Lounge for nothing; boasting a BFA from State University of New York College, Christie Owen’s organic abstract and modern impressionist acrylic works are displayed all over Oklahoma draw inspiration from natural and

industrial textures, from both the organic and the inorganic. Verbode, 415 N. Broadway Ave #101, 757-7001, verbodegroup.com.

Bert Seabourn: American Expressionist, a full-time painter since 1978, Seabourn brings a unique approach to color and line in his postmodern expressionist works which are on display all over the world; of Cherokee descent himself, Seabourn often uses Native subjects and imagery. Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com.

Christmas Market, the art-lover in your family deserves a gift as unique as she is; show you care with one of the small works available at the Christmas Market exhibition, featuring small works by local artists. The Purple Loft Art Gallery, 514 NW 28th St., Suite 400, 412-7066, paseo.com/profile/purple_loft.

Dirty Santa Novelty Toys, local artist Allin KHG makes some of the most unique, bizarre, and in some cases downright terrifying toys you’ve ever seen; delight your friends and terrorize your family at this year’s game of White Elephant or Dirty Santa or whatever by showing up with one of these adorably macabre contraptions, on sale through Christmas Eve. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 604-6602, kasumcontemporary.com.

Enter the Matrix: Indigenous Printmakers, exhibition exploring how printmaking has become a matrix for cultural and key figures of artistic exchange. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

FLUX, enter the mind of artist Denise Duong through her fun and fantastical sketch murals on display this month. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 528-6336, jrbartgallery.com.

Holiday Small Works, the fine artists at Kasum have pulled out all the stops to make sure everyone on your holiday list is covered, or at least their walls are. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 604-6602, kasumcontemporary.com.

Red Earth Treefest, leave corporate Christmas far behind with a uniquely native Oklahoma twist on trees at the first annual Red Earth Art Center Treefest; each of the tree displays at Treefest features handmade decorations provided by five Oklahoma Native Tribes, including handwoven and beaded ornaments and dreamcatchers, with not a homogenous bauble in sight. Red Earth Museum, 6 Santa Fe Plaza, 427-5228, redearth.org.

Retracing, featuring unique works in line and color by Christie Hackler, Beatriz Mayorca, Lisa Jean Allswede, and Brandi Downham, brought to you by Fringe, a collective of contemporary women artists in the OKC area. Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 360-1162, mainsite-art.com.

Small Works Great Gifts, if you are puzzled as to what to gift your artistic loved one for the holidays, check out this unique show featuring small works during the Holiday Season; the gallery shows a wide variety of styles as well as mediums; oils, acrylics, watercolor, photography, pen and ink, pencil as well as sculpture and glass, and will also have gift certificates and lay-away. Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com.

Trisha Thompson Adams/Hagan Billigmeier, the art of Trisha Thompson and Hagan Billigmeier are different sides of the same coin; both feature in vivid detail the beauty of organic forms, showcasing bones, insects, and wild creatures, with Thompson’s giving off a decidedly feminine energy and often using bright colors and florals, whereas Billigmeier’s skews more muted, masculine, and distinctly western. DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., 525-3499, dnagalleries.com.

Watercolors by Jo Woolery, a graduate of Oklahoma State University, Jo Woolery produces dreamy yet detailed paintings of various subjects including portraits of people, animals, and landscapes. 50 Penn Place Gallery, 1900 Northwest Expressway, Suite 113-R, 848-5567, 50pennplacegallery.com.

BIGSTO CK.COM

James Surls, nature figures prominently in the work of sculptor James Surls, and over the course of four decades, he has developed evocative, hybrid forms in wood, steel, and bronze inspired by flowers, the human body, and rock formations. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Mongolia, Oklahoma, a small show of landscapes and horse imagery from Mongolia and Oklahoma by photographer David Joshua Jennings. Paseo Gallery One, 2927 Paseo St., 524-4544, facebook.com/paseogalleryone.

Red Andrews Christmas Dinner They say there’s no place like home for the holidays. What better place to call home than your own community, surrounded by your neighbors, enjoying a free hot meal complete with turkey and all the fixins? Warm yourself inside and out 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday (Christmas Day) at Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens. Bring the kids for a free photo with Santa and a toy. For more info or to volunteer, call 253-8641.

For okg

Friday

music picks see page 42

Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 19

Follow us on

20 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

GARETT FI S BECK / FI L E GAZETTE STAFF / FI L E

Maple-roasted fall vegetable medley at The Metro Wine Bar & Bistro

MARK HANCOCK / FILE

m a r k ha n coc k

Shrimp pasta with red wine at Stella Modern Italian Cuisine

Saudades da bahia at Bossa Nova Bar

Regular and smoked brat with sauerkraut and potato salad at Old Germany

MARK HANCOCK / FI LE

Evening eats

Champagne at Blu Fine Wine & Food

life food & drink

Sooner Legends

Restaurants in the metro know how to celebrate and feed your face on New Year’s Eve.

By Greg Elwell

New Year’s Eve is hard.

There’s this pressure, for some reason, to cap off the year with one final bacchanal — as if spending a lot of money and getting a little too drunk will somehow erase the previous 12 months of sitting around, eating Corn Nuts and staring at our phones.

Why crowd into the cold night to watch a ball drop? Why not do something you’ll actually enjoy as you kick old man 2015 out the door, where he’ll freeze to death?

From high-end eats to affordable drinks, the metro is chock full of ways to spend your evening/early morning.

In Norman, Blu Fine Wine & Food, 201 S. Crawford Ave., is planning an elaborate five-course meal with choices of champagne or red or white wine. At $130 per couple, the prix fixe menu includes

an impossible decision between panseared sea bass over saffron and butternut squash risotto or roasted beef tenderloin topped with bearnaise and served with pancetta and rosemary mashed potatoes.

Reservations are required. Call 360-4258 to lock down a spot.

The party always goes late at Bossa Nova Bar, above Cafe Do Brasil, 440 NW 11th St. On New Year’s Eve, diners can catch a meal downstairs 5-11 p.m. and then head up for specialty drinks and appetizers as they ring in 2016.

How anyone can stay awake past midnight after a meal at Stella Modern Italian Cuisine, 1201 N. Walker Ave., is a mystery. But for those who want to take their chances — or just end the year with some lovely fare — the eatery is offering both a prix fixe menu and a smaller

Stella Favorites menu 11 a.m.-midnight.

Stella fills up fast, so it’s best to make a reservation by calling 235-2200 if that’s your intended party spot.

The Irish know their way around a party, and The Black Raven, 14471 NE 23rd St., in Choctaw will be open 5 p.m.1 a.m. for revelers east of Oklahoma City.

Its meals are lovely and filling, which might be a good base on which to pour all that holiday cheer.

Also in that neck of the woods is Old Germany Restaurant, 15920 SE 29th St., in Choctaw, and it’s planning a late-night bash with a prix fixe menu and party after 10 p.m. Reservations are required. Call 390-8647 to make yours.

Though the restaurant at Sooner Legends, 1200 24th Ave. SW, in Norman closes at 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, the bar plans to stay open 3 p.m.-2 a.m. for party animals.

A four-course menu from one of Oklahoma City’s finest French-inspired restaurants will be served 5:30-11 p.m. at Metro Wine Bar & Bistro, 6418 N. Western Ave. What you do until midnight is your business, but you will need to call 840-9463 to get reservations for dinner.

An elegant take on New American cuisine will be available 11 a.m.-midnight at Park House, 125 Ron Norick Blvd.

While it plans to serve its regular menu, the evening requires reservations. Those interested should call 232-7275. continued on next page

Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 21

Italian OSB at Joey’s Pizzeria

GARETT FI SBECK / FI LE

G ARETT FI SBECK / FI LE

A wine selection at Park House

Bartender April Noriega at Guyutes

Ludivine’s 7th Street Hibiscus Fizz

If you’ve never experienced a midnight toast at Ludivine, 805 N. Hudson Ave., New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to stop in. Its three-course meal starts at $49 per person with an optional wine and champagne pairing extra. But at midnight, everyone gets a complimentary glass of bubbles. The restaurant will be open 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Call 778-6800 for reservations.

Not everyone is interested in planning ahead, which could mean a bit of a wait. But anyone who wants to roll the dice will find the doors open 1 a.m.-2 p.m. at Guyutes, 730 NW 23rd St.; 11 a.m. to midnight at Joey’s Pizzeria, 700 W. Sheridan Ave.; and until 12:30 a.m. at all Interurban locations.

G ARETT FI S BECK / FI LE

m a r k ha n coc k

life food & drink

Oak & Ore, 1732 NW 16th St., is also reservation-free, and the kitchen will be serving up breakfast for dinner while Jon Mooneyham spins a 1980s playlist from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

At $89 per person, the celebration 4:30 p.m.-midnight at Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse, 7 Mickey Mantle Drive, is definitely a splurge, but the prix fixe menu sounds incredible. Each course has great choices — crabcake, lamb chops or fried artichokes for an appetizer and smoked rib-eye, rack of lamb, filet or lobster tail for the entrée. Reservations are required (and it is not accepting online reservations), so call 272-0777 to make yours.

22 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

The best view in the city is at Vast, 333 W. Sheridan Ave., which will do two seatings for its special New Year’s Eve dinner. From 4 to 8:30 p.m., it’s $85 per person. From 9 to 10 p.m., it’s $125 per person. And the bar will have its own abbreviated menu for those more interested in cocktails. Reservations are necessary and can be made by calling 702-7262.

Nearby, Flint, 15 N. Robinson Ave., has a full evening of events planned, starting with a 5-7 p.m. Thunder pregame. After that, there are two seatings for its prix fixe New Year’s Eve dinner at $75 per person. The first seating starts at 7 p.m. and includes a complimentary glass of champagne. The second seating

starts at 9 p.m. and includes a champagne toast. And for partiers who stay after midnight, the bar will serve the Small Bites menu after the second seating until 1 a.m. Call 605-0657 for reservations.

Whatever you do the night before, Beverly’s Pancake House, 3315 Northwest Expressway, will be there to soothe your stomach with hash browns, fried eggs and pie on New Year’s Day. It’s open 24 hours, 365 days a year, too, so feel free to go there now.

SMALL PLATES & WINE, PERFECT BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR SHOW.

Open Sundays 5PM - 9PM 1 block from Civic Center & OKC Museum of Art

Gift Cards now Available 305 N. Walker

patroNookc.com

405.702.7660

lunch & dinner 6014 N. May 947.7788 zorbasokc.coM Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 23

p hotos by Ga r e tt fisb e c k

life food & drink

Catfish almandine

Royal repast

Cajun King 5816 NW 63rd St. | cajunkingokc.com | 603-3714 What works: Catfish almandine and Southern fried chicken are tops.

Cajun King is a buffet like no other, with a focus on great food that keeps diners coming back.

What needs work: Crab shells in the gumbo might surprise some folks.

Tip: Leave a tip. Just because you paid up front doesn’t mean servers aren’t taking care of you.

By Greg Elwell

The way most all-you-can-eat buffets work is they charge you just enough that you have to eat a second or third plate of food so you don’t feel like you’re getting ripped off. The food doesn’t have to look good or taste good; it just has to be there.

And then there’s Cajun King, 5816 NW 63rd St., where you will sit, stuffed to the gills, looking longingly at the buffet line and the plate in front of you. It hurts. You should have worn sweatpants or just a black plastic trash bag, because the clothes you came in with no longer fit.

But maybe you’ll have just one more plate. Just. One. More.

You pay on the way in at Cajun King. You can get a soda or a beer, but that’s extra, of course.

Lunch is $8.99. Dinner is $10.99 most of the week, but on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it’s $11.99 all day. The menu changes a bit day-today, but on Fridays, the staff puts out everything it makes. It’s worth the extra few dollars.

But even if you go at lunch, $8.99 is a steal.

When you sit down, your server will drop off your drinks and a couple of baskets. One has beignets, which are tender little fried pillows covered in powdered sugar. Be aware that there are a few dangers associated with these.

Honestly, you could make cardboard étouffée and I’d probably still love it.

The first is accidental powdered sugar inhalation. The second is sneezing a giant cloud of powdered sugar all over your dining companion.

The third is the risk we all run, which is becoming addicted to these things and eating yourself to an early, but happy, grave.

The other basket is my favorite basket. Seriously, no other basket comes close to this one. Wicker, Easter egg, of fries — none can challenge the supremacy of the catfish almandine basket. These are golden-fried catfish tenders. The batter is lightly sweet and crunchy, but the fish inside is succulent and ready to melt on your tongue. It’s the almond flour that makes all the difference.

Cajun King has blackened catfish and blackened pork chops as well, though I much prefer the pork chops.

The pork is a bit more durable (and

24 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

flavorful) than the catfish, which means it lasts a little longer on the buffet without becoming too tough.

One thing you must eat is the Southern fried chicken. I mean, you really must. The employees of the restaurant will look at your plate and say, “Aren’t you going to get some fried chicken?” and you will look at them and realize it’s not so much a question as an order.

Listen to those people. Because this is some of the best fried chicken in the metro — especially when it’s hot out of the fryer and you can have your choice of pieces.

They’re not enormous, but it’s a buffet. Just go back and get more if you want it.

And you will, because the fried chicken wing I had was juicy and tender and the skin was coated in a sweet and spicy batter that puts the Colonel’s 11 secret herbs and spices to shame.

Maybe my favorite all-time Cajun treat is crawfish étouffée. The dark, buttery roux means that, honestly, you could make cardboard étouffée and I’d probably still love it. But those sweet little crawfish tails are delectable. The rice is just plain white rice, but when you’ve got the flavor-packed stew of crawfish étouffée going on top, it doesn’t much matter what’s underneath.

Here’s another warning for you:

The gumbo is good, but you need to watch out for crab shells. Cajun King uses crab in its gumbo, along with sausage and shrimp, but the crab is still in the shell. There’s lots of flavor in there, but if you bite too hard without checking, you might end up with a little something crunchy in your teeth.

It’s a fool’s game to eat bread at a buffet, but you can’t skip the buttery rolls Cajun King serves. Are they tiny heart attacks waiting to happen? Almost certainly. But they taste so good. Make a little sandwich with your pork chop and some collard greens. No one can stop you.

The macaroni and cheese was fine, especially if you’ve got a picky eater with you, but I’ll skip it next time I go and focus on more meaningful dishes like fried frog legs, boudin balls and jambalaya.

The candied yams aren’t technically a dessert, but their fall-apart sweetness will make it feel like you’re cheating on the bread pudding at the end of the counter.

Most buffets are just trying to get as much out of you in one trip as they can, and vice versa. At Cajun King, though, the way it’ll “get you” is by giving you so many tasty options you can’t eat them all. Guess we’ll just have to keep going back, right?

food briefs

by Greg Elwell

Poultry mousse, pumpkin chips and chickweed from the Nonesuch menu.

PROVI DED

$3 Off Family Pack

Nonesuch OKC

or

$5 Off

Cane’s/Zaxby’s A pair of chicken fingerariums opened up in the metro last week, as a new Raising Cane’s came to Midwest City (pictured) and a new Zaxby’s opened in Moore.

Oklahoma City’s rapacious hunger for breaded, fried chicken strips will be filled, come hell or high water, as we are in the midst of a cluck-pocalypse.

The newest Cane’s, 2800 South Air Depot Blvd., is not only the 12th in the metro and 17th in the state, but also the franchise’s 250th restaurant.

Each one of the Louisiana-based restaurants has a name, and the Midwest City location has already been dubbed All About That Base thanks to its close proximity to Tinker Air Force Base.

Zaxby’s, 2750 S. Service Road, in Moore is the third in the metro and fourth in the state. In addition to chicken fingers, the Georgia-based chain serves hot wings.

Xl Family Pack

Hideaway/ Marshall beer Pizza and beer — that’s a natural combo. So it’s little wonder that two Oklahoma-grown companies are getting together as Hideaway Pizza and Marshall Brewing Company partnered up to release Hideaway ’57 Ale. Created by Marshall and served at all but two Hideaway locations (the ones without draft beer), the new beverage takes its cues from a traditional Kolschstyle brew — clean and malty with a hint of hops to balance the sweetness.

The flavor is “complimentary to Hideaway’s hand-crafted pizzas,” said Marshall’s Wes Alexander in a press release.

At a 5 percent ABV, the beer is “sessionable” — meaning you can drink more than one without getting blasted.

Voted Best Specialty Gift Store

Open at 4 Christmas Day mark h ancock

mark hancock

If you miss Nani, the hyper-local, hyper-haute cuisine supper club hosted by Andon Whitehorn and Colin Stringer, then Waffle Champion owner Todd Woodruff has some good news for you.

Nonesuch is a partnership between Woodruff and Stringer that aims to put one-of-a-kind flavors on the plates of discerning food enthusiasts. Currently, the pair is putting on a series of pop-up dinners in anticipation of opening its own restaurant.

Each Monday night in January, Nonesuch will present multi-course meals with alcohol pairings. Past dinners have included dishes “barely cooked bison, tomato miso, negi,” “scrap bread with bone marrow butter and habanero butter” and “3-week-aged quail, turnip.”

Stringer is recently back in Oklahoma after cooking with chefs in Chicago and New York, and Woodruff is genuinely over the moon about the high-concept food Nonesuch is serving.

Woodruff said he’s hoping those looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for someone who loves food will make reservations for next month’s dinners. Photos of the food and pop-up tickets are available at nonesuchokc.com.

9346 N. May Ave Britton & May OKC • (888) 751-6275 810 W. Danforth Danforth & Kelly · Edmond • (405) 359-8200 4405 SW 3rd St I-40 & Meridian OKC • (405) 949-9000

www.tbje.com

Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 12-5 Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 25

Pepper/mint Candy canes are truly the answer to the question, What if this peppermint thing was harder to eat?

All sane people know that the best way to take down a candy cane is to snap it into pieces, which is what we’re doing in this week’s restaurant roundup. We’ve got pepper. We have mint.

You’ve got seven new restaurants to try out this week.

— by Greg Elwell, photos by Garett Fisbeck and Mark Hancock

Mutts Amazing Hot Dogs and Burgers 1400 NW 23rd St. | 525-3647 mutts-hot-dogs.com

If you like piña coladas or getting caught in the rain, that’s great. Good for you. But if you like a filling, flavorful, spicy meal in a bun, then go to Mutt’s and order The Pitbull. The 100 percent kosher beef dog is covered in grilled onions and serrano, habanero, jalapeño and poblano peppers with melted cheese and a cilantro-lime aioli. Grab some napkins, too — this one is tasty and messy.

get last minute stocking stuffers Gift Cards on Sale

lunch buffet M-F | 11am-2pm

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26 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

Argana Cafe

Crabtown

2908 NW 23rd St. | 602-6938 arganacafe.net

303 E. Sheridan Ave. | 232-7227 pearlsokc.com/restaurants/crabtown/

Four out of five dentists agree: Moroccan hot mint tea is not a replacement for toothpaste. Yes, the signature tea at Argana Cafe is minty and gives you a little tingle. It certainly couldn’t hurt your breath. But do everyone at the restaurant a favor and brush your teeth before you go, okay?

Nobody wants their lamb tagine or steamed couscous and vegetables ruined by chronic halitosis.

Few people know that squid have incredibly sensitive stomachs. But that’s because so few of us get to work in places like St. Ink’s or Our Lady of Perpetual Tentacles Hospital, where squid are taken when they eat something spicy. One of the only treatments for these poor squids is at Crabtown, where they make them into hot and spicy fried calamari. The squids don’t survive the process, but they sure taste good.

Credo House

West

Sara Sara Cupcakes

Wahaha Cafe

109 NW 42nd St., Edmond | 748-4288 credohouse.org/about/menu

6714 N. Western Ave. | 607-4072 westbar.com

7 NW Ninth St. | 600-9494 sarasarabakery.com

801 S. Broadway, Edmond | 285-8888 wahahaexpress.com

Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Give a man a frosted mint latte from Credo House in Edmond and he’ll say, “Wow. This is some great coffee.

Wait ... who are you?”

Run away from that man and he will continue to drink the coffee because it’s quite good, but he’ll always wonder why you didn’t just give him a fish like everybody else.

A word of advice: Do not tell your massage therapist that you have “tender loins.” That’s a quick way to get the cops called. Instead, just tell him or her that you brought an extra sandwich from West and that you’re happy to share.

Because the beef tenderloin sandwich with roasted red peppers and red pepper horseradish is going to be a real happy ending for everyone. Wait. Do not say that to your massage therapist, either.

Girl Scouts are so stingy with those cookies. Once a year? Are you kidding?

How is a man supposed to survive in this cold, uncaring world without a sleeve of Thin Mints on demand? That’s what’s so great about Sara Sara Cupcakes and its creation, the Girl Scout. A mint cake with chocolate frosting, graham crackers and chocolate shavings isn’t exactly like a Thin Mint, but you also don’t have to buy it outside a gas station.

Beef — it’s what’s for dinner. Unless you go to Wahaha Cafe — the Asian restaurant that sounds like maniacal laughter — because that’s where you’ll order the peppered beef. It’s a little sweet with a little heat and that tender beefy taste that our Hindu readers might likely never experience. If you don’t want to spice up your spiritual life with the many arms of Ganesha, perhaps you can spice up your diet with this dish.

Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 27

life culture

OKC countdown Opening Night provides revelers in OKC with food, fun and arts entertainment while they count down to 2016.

Opening Night 7 p.m.-midnight Dec. 31 Bicentennial Park 500 Couch Drive artscouncilokc.com 270-4848 $8-$10

It started with a simple desire to throw a huge, citywide New Year’s Eve bash that meshed nicely with Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s mission of bringing the arts to the community. That was in 1987.

Almost 30 years later, Opening Night is the place to be to ring in the New Year in Oklahoma City.

Over the years, what started as a small Leadership Oklahoma City project has grown to draw as many as 80,000 people, depending, of course, on the weather.

Today, it takes the work of over 400 volunteers to pull it off. That small project started with a trip to Boston, where Arts Council OKC executives and Leadership OKC members checked out First Night, Boston’s nationally known New Year’s Eve celebration.

They liked what they saw but thought they could do it better. They wanted more volunteer and community involvement.

They also wanted to see more local businesses engaged in the event. But the seed for Opening Night was planted.

Now executive director of Arts Council OKC, Peter Dolese was a volunteer for that very first Opening Night.

“We decided to do it ourselves.

We designed our own concept, which essentially was to create unique artistic scenarios happening in spaces that one would not normally consider a place where art activity would happen, like a bank lobby or an escalator,” he said.

Over time, the venues have changed but the spirit remains the same. This year, the event will have a smaller footprint, a request made by many of last year’s attendees, according to Opening Night 2016 co-chair Kristen Lary. Enjoying the night’s attractions will take less walking, with all of the venues bordering Bicentennial Park, 500 Couch Drive.

Entertaining arts

Performances begin 7 p.m. Dec. 31 and will take place at Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA), City Hall, Ronald

J. Norick Downtown Library and Civic Center Music Hall. Featured artists include OKC favorites Edgar Cruz, Urban Addiction, Tequila Azul and Allie Lauren.

Performers will be at their locations all night long, and attendees won’t have to hop so quickly from stage to stage to catch their favorites.

“Practically every notable performer that has worked in OKC at one point or another has performed with us. We tend to focus more on local performers. We don’t bring in headline acts from out of state to perform at the event,” Dolese said.

A nationally known finger-style guitarist, Cruz will be playing in the Oklahoma City Council chambers on the third floor of City Hall. For many years, he was voted a top local musician in Oklahoma Gazette’s Best of OKC annual reader poll.

“Every year, the audience is great.

They’re always very appreciative because they can see multiple acts that night and they choose to come hear me. So, when I have an audience at Opening Night, they’re a dedicated Edgar Cruz fan audience. We respond. The energy circulates with me and them, and it’s a great show,” Cruz said.

Urban Addiction, playing in Meinders Hall of Mirrors in the civic center, covers ’90s hits with its own twists. Tequila Azul will bring its high-energy Latin pop sound to the library while popular pianist and vocalist Allie Lauren mans the lobby of OKCMOA. In addition to music, Arts Council OKC will be bringing the laughs. OKC Improv will perform in Samuel Roberts Noble Theatre at OKCMOA and Michael King’s One-Man Circus will entertain crowds in the lobby of City Hall.

“One of the things that’s different this year is you won’t have to make a schedule of where you’re going to go,” Lary said.

“You won’t have to jump around to different areas to find who you’re looking for. They’re all going to be at these places all night.”

OKCMOA won’t just be home to two performance venues. It’s opening all of its galleries to attendees. A variety of food trucks will be on hand for hungry partygoers as they move from stage to stage.

Meinders Hall of Mirrors will also be home to a children’s area, complete with interactive art projects, human chessboards, face painting and other fun activities. The wishing wall invites kids

28 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

P HOTOS P R OVI DED

By Paul Fairchild

Bundle up and prep for Opening Night’s festivities across downtown, including a countdown and ball drop at midnight. to write down their wishes for 2016 and place them in chicken wire to create a massive paper sculpture.

“At the end of the night, it’s going to be this really interesting art sculpture. It’s going to be cool to see the progression of it throughout the night,” Lary said.

Opening Night culminates with a free show in Bicentennial Park by OKC’s favorite rhythm and blues band Shortt Dogg, a countdown to midnight and a fireworks display that co-chair Juan Flores says is second to none.

Dolese hopes the changes make this year’s Opening Night even more enjoyable for revelers in OKC. “This year is more of a traditional performance structure. And we’ll see how it goes. This is an event that we absolutely love. We try hard to make sure that it meets the needs of the community from one year to the next,” Dolese said.

Wristbands are $8-$10 and are available at artscouncilokc.com. Children age 5 and under get in free.

Bowlsey

ga re tt fis be c k / f i l e

life culture

Sweet 16th

Plaza District hopes to bring walkability and a low-key atmosphere to its New Year’s Eve.

By Ben Luschen

’16 on 16th 8 p.m.-midnight Dec. 31 Plaza District 1700 block of NW 16th Street plazadistrict.org 367-9403 $16-$60

Can’t get your tux ready before Dec. 31? Plaza District doesn’t think that’s a problem — arrive in flannel.

With its ’16 on 16th celebration, the district is hoping to fill a past New Year’s Eve void for those who frequent the community. This year, organizers will strive to attract a crowd with live music by Porch Mice, Bowlsey and Josh Sallee.

Cayla Lewis, executive director of Plaza District Association, said while the district is not trying to compete with the celebration downtown or any other party in the city, it offers an event that will be fun and unique for those who already enjoy the area.

That night, some district businesses and restaurants will stay open later.

Lewis said visitors can expect a warm atmosphere with no strict dress code or suffocating crowds. Guests are not expected to keep themselves confined to the event area for the whole night.

“People can eat [somewhere in the Plaza District] beforehand and come or people can go back-and-forth from our event to the restaurants and just kind of walk around,” she said. “It’s kind of a destination in and of itself, so why not take advantage of that?”

The Spy/KOSU will continue celebrating five years of its VDub Sessions at the event. Fire pits and heaters will be on-site to combat the

cold. Organizers have also discussed putting up a resolutions board or some kind of interactive community wall allowing attendees to reflect on the past year.

Walkable celebrations

“This is an excellent opportunity for us to take advantage of the fact that we’re a walkable neighborhood,” Lewis said. “With Live! on the Plaza, you can walk around, with [Plaza District] Festival, you can walk around, but with a celebration such as New Year’s Eve, it really showcases you can go multiple places and still only park once and be in the same area and be safe.”

Lewis took over as director of the district in June. She said she spent much of 2015 warming up to the new position and in 2016, she will be ready to take full hold of the reins and be creative.

In 2015, the district welcomed several new businesses and hosted some new events like the Day of the Dead Festival.

“We’re hoping some things like that continue to happen [in 2016],” Lewis said. “Some more cultural events. We have been a fairly art-focused district, so we hope to include some other aspects into that.”

The party starts at 8 p.m., and general admission into event space is $16, which also includes craft beer from Anthem Brewing Company. VIP admission is $60, which includes access to the VIP tent, admission to the afterparty at Empire Slice House, cocktails

by Prairie Wolf Vodka and some additional goodies.

Tickets may be purchased at plazadistrict.org.

Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 29

life Education

Ga re tt fis bec k

Thoughtful food German-language students at Classen SAS build gingerbread houses as a way to understand and embrace history and culture.

Lena Koehler puts frosting on Natalie Trujillo’s face as Nancy Boudreau looks on at Classen School of Advanced Studies.

By Ben Luschen

Every house starts with a sturdy foundation. For German students at Classen School of Advanced Studies, a house is the foundation.

In what has become a winter tradition for children and staff, more than 150 German-language students at the sixth- through 12th-grade public magnet school compete every December in a gingerbread housebuilding competition, as teacher Nancy Boudreau has done for her classes each of the past 30 years.

Though Boudreau has substituted graham crackers for gingerbread in the interests of ease and fairness, the visions some students have going into the contest are no less grand.

Using self-made hexagonal cardboard templates, senior Kristina Lea cut graham crackers into individual tiles so her team could construct their replica of BB-8, the rolling, orbish droid that premiered in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.

“This was all I did during art class yesterday,” Lea said.

The planned and deliberate actions of the oldest students contrast the sugarcoated chaos of the seventhgraders who constructed their houses just down the hall.

When finished, Lea’s droid was unable to take the weight of added frosting. Her team adapted the plan, instead making a sort of BB-8-themed box.

Over the years, Boudreau said she has seen many plans, large and small,

come tumbling down.

“As it progresses, inevitably, some of them are going to fall, and then it’s going to be called The Tornado Hit, or something,” she said.

Creating culture

The rules of the contest, which Boudreau brought to Classen from John Marshall High School in the mid-’90s, are few and simple. First, everything on the house must be edible — edible as defined by Boudreau.

“I do not eat dirt,” she said. “I do not eat sticks. I do not eat hot glue.”

All construction must be started and completed in the student’s individual class hour. There may be no more than four students per group.

Teachers and faculty judge the houses and select class and best-in-show winners. Winning students receive extra credit and hallway bragging rights.

There are a number of practical reasons to have German students participate in the contest.

Gingerbread, Boudreau said, is “so German.”

The German word for gingerbread is Lebkuchen, she said. Leben is a verb meaning “to live” and kuchen means “cake.” She also mentioned the brothers Grimm and Hansel and Gretel and general German Christmas traditions.

Boudreau said in teaching the language, it is important to also build a culture from the ground up.

“One of the biggie things that I’ve

30 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

always said is that we have to recreate a German childhood that they never had,” she said. “This is part of our German childhood; then, in addition to that, it’s this working in groups thing and learning how to negotiate and learning how to work together to achieve goals.”

Building recognition

The contest serves an educational function and is a tool in the unassumingly competitive recruitment of students into the school’s three main language offerings: Spanish, French and German.

Boudreau said, generally speaking, German is seen as the least popular of the three choices. Spanish is most practical, and French is most chic, though some will disagree. Senior Phu Tran said he chose German because he thought it was the best option available.

“Spanish was overpopulated, and my tongue hurts when I try to speak French, so German would be the best alternative,” he said.

In her 20 years at Classen, Boudreau has successfully maintained strong enrollment through the use of what she calls “walk-aroundable advertising.”

Aside from the annual and very visible gingerbread house contest, Boudreau makes sure students in German Club or GAPP, the school’s German-exchange partnership program, are decked out in wellbranded T-shirts. Students also practice

singing German songs loudly and proudly for others to hear.

Making memories

Those on Classen’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Program pathway, a special academic program, are required to take six years of a foreign language, from sixth to 12th grade. A student’s math, English or history teachers might change each year, but in a program as tight as the German department, Boudreau teaches many of her students four, five or even all six years.

“I got the privilege of watching everyone grow,” she said.

However, Lea and Tran are part of her last senior class. She has been semiretired for several years and fully retires at the end of this school year.

Her husband, Fred Boudreau, teaches psychology at Classen and also is semiretired. She said both look forward to the days they can travel on a whim and give grandparenthood their full attention.

But a teacher can’t go decades rebuilding lost German childhoods without growing some attachments.

Boudreau said she will miss the students and the gingerbread house contests and other activities are as much for her as they are for any student.

“It’s fun. I like to have fun,” she said. “I don’t want to bore myself, you know?”

life culture

Totally awesome bi gsto c k.com

Take the short drive to Grand Casino Hotel & Resort’s retro-fantastic, ’80s-themed holiday blowout.

BY ALISSA LINDSEY

Neon New Year 9 p.m.- 1 a.m. Dec. 31 Grand Event Center Grand Casino Hotel & Resort 777 Grand Casino Blvd., Shawnee grandresortok.com 964-7263 $60 21+

Grand Casino Hotel & Resort rings in 2016 with ’80s flair during its exclusive Neon New Year event 9 p.m. Dec. 31 at Grand Event Center, 777 Grand Casino Blvd., in Shawnee.

Partygoers are encouraged to dust off their Guess jeans and Members Only jackets and come dressed in their best ’80s outfits.

“It’s all about big hair,” said Dan Kuziej, director of hotel sales, events and entertainment, “and it’s time to whip out

those platform shoes and polyester shirts.

The bad, blue makeup was a very ’80s thing to do, too.”

The event’s large, lit dance floor will bring back those Richard Simmons dance moves and encourage you to boogie into your New Year’s weight-loss resolutions.

From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., return to a time when Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and Madonna dominated radio airwaves and pop music charts as Oklahoma band Superfreak brings its retro-fantastical live show back to Grand Casino. Known for its outrageous costumes, the funk, rock and disco act’s shows feature smoke machines, light displays and choreography.

From Oklahoma City, Edmond and Choctaw, the four-piece has performed individually on Broadway, The Tonight Show and Conan.

Kuziej said Neon New Year guests can enjoy party favors and drinks from the

Hype machine

cash bar throughout the evening.

Last year’s signature drink was the Lava Lamp, made with colored Jell-O shots in a champagne flute. Kuziej said the popular cocktail might make another appearance this year.

At midnight, everyone can make sparkling wine toasts to health and happiness in 2016 amid the hoopla of a midnight balloon drop.

“The bottom line for us is that we all work for the people that walk in that front door,” Kuziej said. “We want to make sure each person has an equally amazing experience.”

The retro-themed event sold out last year, and about half of the 300 tickets have are already sold for this year’s event.

Event tickets are $60, and an overnight hotel package for two guests is available for $350. All guests must be age 21 or older.

“There will be lots of entertainment,

Neon New Year features food, live music, dancing, drinks and more. and you can take the elevator home so you don’t need to go anywhere at all,” Kuziej said. Limited hotel reservations are still available.

“We tend to book up fast,” Kuziej said. “Around [December] 23 or so, it starts getting kind of crazy because people start to realize that New Year’s Eve is like a week away.”

Grand Casino Hotel & Resort offers eight eateries, including Flame Brazilian Steakhouse, The Grand Stand Sports Grille, Grand Café, Fire and Ice, Soto Sushi Bar, IceBar, The Grand Buffet and Subway. The restaurants are now taking New Year’s Eve reservations.

That night, local band 80’z Enuff performs popular 1980s dance music at a no-charge set 9 p.m.-1 a.m. in the casino’s South Event Center.

Life visual arts

big stock.com

Bid farewell to 2015 at this one-stop party on Film Row.

By Kaley Patterson

Totally Overhyped New Year’s Eve Party 8 p.m. Dec. 31 IAO Gallery 706 W. Sheridan Ave. okcnyeparty.com 546-5365 $75-$400

Totally Overhyped New Year’s Eve Party, a onestop gala hop, will have attendees dancing 8 p.m. till the sparkling wine toast at midnight at Individual Artists of Oklahoma (IAO) Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave. The event is organized by Kindt Steven Myers, owner and creative director of Kindt Events planning company, and Seth Lewis, chief operating officer of In the Raw and Knucks Wheelhouse.

Myers said he wanted to offer a single destination where partygoers could enjoy a variety of New Year’s Eve events.

A dance party stretches through IAO. Myers said the single-floor venue allows easy access inside and out.

“It’s a large, open space; it’s very modern,” Myers said. “And it has a ton of whitewashed walls, which allows us to throw up a lot of color.”

The night’s entertainment features dancing aerialists dangling from the ceiling, music from DJ MMC, an open bar, heavy hors dòeuvre and a sparkling wine toast at midnight.

“It’s less safe to be out on the roads and to go party-hopping from event to event,” Myers said. “So we decided to put together one large party with all the different aspects you would want to get if you were traveling around town.”

The theme came to Myers and Lewis as an idea to set the event apart from the array of local galas welcoming 2016.

“We thought it would be something fun and something catchy,” he said.

Myers expects 300-350 revelers at the event and said Lewis has a history of producing sold-out New Year’s Eve events.

Tickets are $75 each or $130 for two, and a standing bistro table for four is $400. Prices are all-inclusive. Proceeds benefit The Homeless Alliance, an Oklahoma City nonprofit that works with government, faith-based and other community nonprofit agencies to improve the network of homeless care with a goal to end long-term homelessness.

Myers said the alliance is near and dear to him and Lewis.

“They’re here in the neighborhood nearby, and we both have spent some

Totally Overhyped New Year’s Eve Party features aerialists, a live DJ, food and an open bar. volunteer hours with that organization and know the real work they do in the community,” Myers said. “There’s a number of events between Seth and myself that we work on that get involved and donate to charitable organizations.”

He said this is the first time in recent memory that the pair has worked with the alliance as an event beneficiary.

“We wanted to dedicate what we know we could to them this time around and be in partnership with them since they’re right here in the neighborhood and effecting real change right here where our businesses are,” he said.

Event dress is cocktail attire, Myers said.

Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 31

life Performing Arts

Risqué business Adèle Wolf rings in 2016 with burlesque performers, belly dancers and circus acts.

Adèle Wolf’s Burlesque and Variety Show New Year’s Eve Bash 9 p.m. Dec. 31 Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center 3000 General Pershing Blvd. adelewolf.com 445-1696 $25-$45 18+

Something brazen is happening at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center on New Year’s Eve. Adèle Wolf and her merry clan of striptease artists bring Adèle Wolf’s Burlesque & Variety Show’s New Year’s Eve Bash to the gallery’s theater space.

About 200 lucky guests will spend the last two hours of 2015 watching classically yet-immodestly clad women perform provocative sets along with belly dancers and circus acts.

Featured artists include regional and national stars Cherry Brown and Ooops the Clown from New Orleans; Layna D’Luna from Austin, Texas; and Wolf, who spends much of her time touring in Europe.

Burlesque is Wolf’s career and passion. She discovered the art form on YouTube when she was 16 years old.

“I already liked 1950s and ’60s pinup culture and the hair and makeup styles, and then I saw burlesque,” she said.

Her voice becomes notably more animated when she speaks about her favorite subject.

Her first burlesque performance was years ago at Kamp’s 1310 Lounge in Oklahoma City.

“It was not an ideal venue,” she said.

“A friend had an event there and knew about my love of burlesque and asked if I wanted to perform.”

She said yes, and the rest is history, and although she has mastered the art of immodesty at this point in her career, back then, it was nerve-wracking.

“My previous experience onstage was acting, performing as a character.

That isn’t as vulnerable — you have the costume, and your character is another layer between you and the audience,” she said. “Burlesque is a persona, but it’s a heightened version of yourself. And

you’ve made your costume, and you’ve choreographed your show and you’re nearly naked. I love that and the creative license, but that is incredibly vulnerable.”

A couple of generations ago, burlesque was something women did simply to earn a paycheck, and it paid incredibly well. But Wolf said it also was considered shameful.

Today, it’s the opposite.

“Burlesque is a feminist art form,” Wolf said.

“It’s very bodypositive.”

Wolf’s preferred performance style is classic. Her twist, however, is that she doesn’t always use classic burlesque-style music. She might perform to David Bowie or even Danzig, with a big band tune thrown in for good measure.

“There are as many styles of burlesque as there are people,” she said. “I’ve seen really, really raunchy burlesque, but I’ve also seen it be political or funny. I’ve even seen outerspace-themed burlesque.”

Wolf performs as often as she can. When she’s not onstage, she’s teaching others the craft. She founded Oklahoma School of Burlesque, and between teaching, performing and producing shows, she turned her passion into her career.

The New Year’s Eve show at Oklahoma Contemporary has something for everybody, Wolf said, including plenty of risqué fun, aerial performers and a champagne toast at midnight.

Tickets are $25-$45, and guests must be age 18 or older to attend.

32 | DECEMBER 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

P ROVI DED

by Christine Eddington

Adèle Wolf

M ATTHE W M UR P HY / P R OVI DE D

Beauty and the Beast

Bye, beastie Belle and the Beast might blow out the candelabra and move out of the castle after this tour ends in March.

by Christine Eddington

10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcciviccenter.com 800-364-7111 $25-$75

Broadway musical Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, onstage this weekend at Civic Center Music Hall, is important for at least two reasons.

The production — from costumes to choreography — was reimagined by the original creative team that put Belle and her Beast on Broadway in the mid-1990s.

And, as fate would have it, everyone in that enchanted castle might blow out the candles and move out.

After this tour, the show will be banished to “the vault,” to use Disney’s parlance, lock, stock and Lumière.

The musical centers on Belle and the Beast. He trapped her in his castle, wherein its inhabitants are cursed and slowly turning into objects. Beast himself is really a young, cocky prince. As he learns to give and receive love, he sheds his beastly burden — first emotionally and finally physically — to become an emotionally healthy man.

And somehow, Belle makes this happen. It’s a beloved and enchanting tale about the transformative power of tenderness.

Director Rob Roth is enamored with the production.

After working with the show for more than two decades, he still finds himself transported by the magic the Broadway musical brings its audiences.

“It’s very emotionally powerful.

My current favorite moment in the show is in act two. You feel it happen in every performance — literally every person in the audience leaves the theater and exists in the world of their imaginations,” he said. (Spoiler alert.) “It’s when the Beast lets her go, when he’s deciding to let Belle leave.

You can hear a pin drop — you can tell the audience has left you and isn’t even in the theater anymore.”

Roth said he also loves the spectacle of the show. It’s boisterous, sweet, funny and charming.

“It’s a great big, beautiful, touching love story,” he said. “Kids are watching the show, and the looks on their faces are incredible.

Then you look at the parents watching their children watching the performance and the looks on their faces. Well, I cry during every single show. Even after working on this for so many years, it’s something I never take for granted.”

For him, the theater bug bit early and hard.

“I saw Fiddler on the Roof when I was 5 years old, and it changed my life,” he said. “I’ve seen it a few times since, and it’s always the same. … During every performance of Beauty and the Beast, I look out into the audience and I see that magic repeating itself. You really can see it.”

Oklahoma City hosts five performances of Beauty and the Beast this weekend at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. The tour hits more than 20 U.S. cities before it closes in March.

“When it was announced that this is the last year of this tour, there was immediate public outcry,” Roth said, “so I suspect it will come back at some point. I really think it will.

So cross your fingers, but buy your tickets. Better safe than sorry.”

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O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | december 2 3 , 2 0 1 5 | 3 3

life Performing arts

JAS ON DOUGLAS M C EAC HERN / P ROVI DE D

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Raucous opera Trans-Siberian Orchestra brings its energetic and popular prog-metal spectacular to Oklahoma City.

by Adam Holt

Trans-Siberian Orchestra 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23 Chesapeake Energy Arena 100 W. Reno Ave. chesapeakearena.com 800-745-3000 $34-$72.75

Paul O’Neill was never one to write a simple pop song. The music producer and composer has a knack for telling tales, a talent he learned from his history professor father, who also had a gift for storytelling.

For almost 20 years, O’Neill, 59, has intertwined his two loves — storytelling and progressive rock — to create the massively popular Christmasthemed, progressive-symphonic rock outfit Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO).

Its latest production, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, is 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 23 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

O’Neill’s presence in the music industry predates TSO by almost two decades.

Performing with multiple acts since the 1970s, he might be best known for his rock music management work, which helped launch the careers of Aerosmith, AC/DC and Joan Jett. He

also was a producer and composer for progressive metal band Savatage.

The seeds of TSO were planted when he felt his prior act had run its course.

“With Savatage in 1993, I felt we had taken as far as it could go,” he said.

“I wanted to go in a new direction.”

Operatic amalgam

O’Neill took a cue from one of his influences, English rock act The Who, and its Tommy rock opera.

“That was the first true rock opera,” he said. “I also am a fan of many genres of music, and I wanted an avenue to bring those together in one piece.”

The original plan behind TSO was to create, record and perform six rock operas, a Christmas trilogy and a possibility of other albums. O’Neill said when TSO was pitched to Atlantic Records, he was surprised by the music label’s reaction.

“We were lucky,” he said. “They gave us a blank check. You would never see that in the music industry today.”

O’Neill was joined by Savatage alumni Jon Oliva, Al Pitrelli and Robert Kinkel to begin work on TSO. TSO’s debut album was to be a project named Romanov. However,

34 | DECEMBER 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

it was postponed and the act moved forward with Christmas Eve and Other Stories, the first chapter of his seasonal trilogy, released in 1996. As of Dec. 1, 2014, the album had sold 3.43 million copies, according to Billboard.com.

The Christmas Attic followed in 1998, and The Lost Christmas Eve was released in 2004 to complete the trilogy. Each sold more than a million copies. TSO’s latest album, Letters from the Labyrinth, was released in November.

Live, loud

What TSO is best known for is its live performances. A bombastic, arenafilling Christmas tale bobs and weaves its way through countless video screens, pyrotechnics and light shows rivaling anything found in Las Vegas.

“They are Pink-Floyd-on-steroids shows,” O’Neill said.

He doesn’t create these massive productions on his own. The word “legion” aptly describes TSO’s entourage. Eighty to 90 musicians are either touring or on standby. More than 300 crew members assemble stages, video screens, lights and more.

O’Neill tends to the needs of musicians. Lead vocalists sing up to five songs per night to minimize voice

They are PinkFloyd-on-steroids shows.

— Paul O’Neill

damage. “Do no harm to the lead singers,” said O’Neill as he explained his performance philosophy.

If a musician is ill, alternates from across the country are prepared to fly in and play.

Regardless of a production member’s role, each stands on equal footing.

“We consider the crew band members,” he said. “Everyone eats together. Everyone’s family.”

Though TSO’s size and experience is vast, what might be most impressive is in almost 20 years of touring, the band has never canceled a show.

TSO’s current tour, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, features favorites from past performances mixed in with original ideas for this tour.

“We always give the audience the familiar and something new,” O’Neill said. “We are blurring the past, present and future.”

Top notch

Cheers, toasts, eats, golf and more are available New Year’s Eve at TopGolf.

BE N A N D K E L LY P HOTOG RA P HY / P ROVI DED

life active

Rethink how you welcome 2016 in OKC by joining TopGolf ’s swinging celebration.

by Brendan Hoover

A Night of Celebration 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec. 31 TopGolf 13313 Pawnee Drive topgolf.com/nye 607-7154 $74 -$450

Opening Night and the Thunder game against Phoenix will be popular attractions this New Year’s Eve, but a new tradition promises to help locals ring in 2016 with style.

TopGolf, one of Oklahoma City’s newest sports entertainment venues, will host its first New Year’s Eve celebration beginning 9 p.m. Dec. 31.

Reservations are going fast, and the night will include food, drinks, a live DJ, dancing and, of course, golf, said Ashley Harkness, marketing manager at TopGolf’s Oklahoma City location, 13313 Pawnee Drive.

“There’s obviously stuff going on for New Year’s, but I think this is a really cool place,” Harkness said. “I think you’ll be thoroughly entertained.”

Get out your dresses and tuxedoes because the theme is A Night in Hollywood. TopGolf’s lobby will be transformed into a 1950s glam fest with red carpet, paparazzi, masquerade masks, a magician, a photo booth and more.

“It’s our biggest party of the year,” Harkness said. “Everything’s going to be top-notch.”

There are three ticket options to choose from. General admission is $10 and tickets are available at the door.

TopGolf game play, food and drinks must be purchased separately, and golf bays are subject to availability. General bay reservations are available for $75, which includes a reserved golf bay for up to six people and party favors.

The VIP bay reservation is $450 for up to six people and includes unlimited TopGolf game play from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., unlimited nonalcoholic beverages, one bottle of champagne for guests 21 and over, party favors and

access to a VIP-only buffet. Chefs will be cooking tasty dishes, such as ancho smoked chicken street tacos, braised pork shoulder sliders with craft beer slaw, grilled shrimp skewers with a chimichurri drizzle, signature miniature mushi, chef-inspired push pops and doughnut holes with chocolate and Bavarian filling.

“It’s an amazing deal,” Harkness said.

TopGolf’s resident DJ Lite Bright will spin tunes all night and lead a countdown and champagne toast at midnight. There is no age limit for the event, but bar access is limited to patrons age 21 and over. For reservations, visit topgolf.com/nye.

Community buzz Since TopGolf opened in June, the response has been positive, and Harkness said local celebrities like Thunder players Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka; musician Toby Keith; Oklahoma State University head football coach Mike Gundy; Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford; and University of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield also have visited.

At TopGolf, players hit balls equipped with microchips that track each shot’s accuracy and distance while awarding points for hitting targets on the 215-yard outfield. The venue also features a full-service restaurant and three bars, indoor gaming areas with billiards and shuffleboard, a rooftop terrace, HDTVs in every bay and 3,000 square feet of private event space.

About 80 corporate platinum memberships have been sold, and Harkness said TopGolf has been busy with private holiday parties this season.

Oklahoma City resident Mike Nguyen, 26, became a TopGolf platinum member when the OKC site opened after he and his friends discovered the TopGolf in Dallas.

Nguyen had not played golf before.

Now he plays regularly.

“It’s a great place,” he said.

Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 35

Sudoku Puzzle hard

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New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers Puzzle No. 1213, which appeared in the December 16 issue.

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.

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KASEY MUSGRAVES diamond FRI. JANUARY 22, 1016 ballroom enter to win okgAzette.com/gWW Go to okGazette.com/GWW to enter to Win a pair of tickets

gazette’s weekly winner will be announced each week in the table of contents.

Printed winners have 7 days to claim tickets. must give email, full name & Phone number.

36 | December 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

ACROSS 1 Plentiful 6 Pomeranian, e.g.

12 Slow musical movements 19 “God Rest Ye Merry,

Gentlemen,” e.g.

20 Available, as a London limo 21 A touch of class 22 Elevated sight in the Windy City 24 “Why didn’t I think of that?!”

25 Forward, as a letter 26 Quest for the unknown?

28 Aid for a flood-prone house 29 Itinerary abbr.

30 Some are 13-/14-Down 33 It’s for the birds 35 Key state geographically or

electorally?: Abbr.

36 All the cars going the same way 42 Nominative or accusative 44 “Grand” name in the frozen-

food aisle 45 “Eww, gross!”

46 Arch type 47 Fatty liquid 49 Brewery kiln 51 Twaddle 55 “Absolutely!”

58 The King of Queens co-star Remini 60 Job-related move, for short 61 Certain sorority member, informally 62 They’re seen spread on the

back of a quarter 65 Title ship in a 1997 Spielberg movie 69 Former baseball boss Bud 71 Times when shops close 72 Kind of pie or doughnut 74 Public spat 76 Medium for cuneiform writing 77 Victoria’s home: Abbr.

78 Like child-safe cleaning products 83 Strong and unwavering 86 Cold War capital 87 Investor’s concern 88 Recipe amounts 89 Skyrocket 91 ____ Claire, Wis. 94 Org. in The Martian 95 Lark for a Halloween hooligan

101 Chemical suffix 102 ____ Mellark, Katniss

Everdeen’s partner in The

Hunger Games 103 Bar snacks 104 “Now the truth comes out!”

107 Home Depot competitor 110 Land on the Red Sea 113 A wink or a nod, maybe 115 Gift 117 What many Black Friday

shoppers do at midnight 120 Newborns 121 “We’ve been approved!”

122 Deliverer’s assignment 123 Like Crimea, now 124 Sound-related 125 Time and time again

DOWN 1 Capital of Ghana 2 Bill for cable TV 3 Early spring blooms 4 “Livin’ La Vida ____” 5 Lover of Sir Lancelot 6 John 7 Symbol of industry 8 Wheel of Fortune category 9 Ratchet (up) 10 Nee: Abbr.

11 No-name 12 Bosox division 13 & 14 Figs. in the war on drugs 15 It may be jaunty 16 Not taking sides 17 Peacock’s “eyes” 18 Northwest airport named for

two cities 21 Big bankruptcy of 2001 23 Open spot in a woods 27 Something bound to sell?

31 Relieve (of) 32 Yelp 34 Show, with “out” 37 No de Cologne?

38 Dermatological sac 39 Sound of disapproval 40 Dating datum 41 Kind of wheel 42 Like the comment “Maybe,

maybe not” 43 Order at McSorley’s 48 Silently acknowledge 50 Humiliates

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51 Carrier inits.

52 Professors’ reading 53 Actress Kurylenko of

Quantum of Solace 54 Fling 56 Travelmate in On the Road 57 Clunker 58 China’s Chou En-____ 59 Goads 62 American ____ 63 Chinese: Prefix 64 Pipsqueak 65 They may be taught

with a song 66 Undergo ecdysis 67 Who said, “Aristotle

is my friend — but my

greatest friend is truth”

Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute). The answers to the New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle that appeared in the December 16 issue of Oklahoma Gazette are shown at left.

VOL. XXXVII No. 51

7

68 Apple Pencil, for one 70 Put away 73 Place to get stuck 75 Films 78 Spectacle 79 Lead role in Star Wars:

The Force Awakens 80 Solve by logic 81 Golfer Ernie 82 LeShan who wrote “It’s Better to Be Over the

Hill Than Under It” 84 Typing test fig.

85 Pronto 86 Weigh (down) 89 Baked ____ 90 Traveling 92 Candy Crush Saga, for one 93 Czar’s decree 95 Singer/actress Lola 96 One of the majors

1220

New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle bands together By Tracy Gray and Andrea Carla Michaels / Edited by Will Shortz

97 Favored at the 96- Down, say

98 “____ to you!”

99 Area code 801 resident 100 San ____, Argentina 105 Writer Bret 106 TV’s ____ twins 108 Start of a Mozart title 109 Classic record label for

R&B and soul 111 Book that begins, “In

the days when the judges ruled, there was

a famine in the land” 112 He, in Italian 114 Slip 116 Sport-____ 118 ____ Fridays

(restaurant chain) 119 Ad follower

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Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 37

Fresh raps

Igloo Panda and Chip Mantooth enjoy cigars and beats at their home studio in Del City.

Rapper Chip Mantooth takes his love for ’90s East Coast sound to a new plateau.

By Ben Luschen

At just 19 years old, rapper Chip Mantooth is part of a new and rising pool of local hip-hop talent that is challenging conventional thought on the scene.

Chip — birth name Anthony Troy Duncan — teamed up with his preferred beat maker Igloo Panda — born Jason Owens — for his second major project, Mantooth, which was released in November.

“There’s a lot of cats that have one single producer, and I like the idea of having that go-to guy, which is him,” Chip said. “And aside from that, we’re really good friends, so that helps the process of making the music better.”

Chip came up through the local scene primarily as a member of the group MilitantxMinds. With that group going through various states of disbandment, Chip has been trying to pursue more of a solo career.

“I’m so used to having somebody else book the shows for me, pretty much having everything done for me,” he said. “Shows getting booked, interviews, random stuff that I didn’t really think about.”

Updated retro

In Mantooth’s best moments, Chip’s lyrics are like a well-made paper plane gliding with height and direction, supported perfectly by Panda’s instrumentals.

The first four tracks show off the emcee’s flow, nearly always on point throughout the project. And those songs are only enhanced by some of the album’s best beats. The first track after the instrumental intro “MAN2TH,” “Love Is True,” in particular features an infectious and bouncy soul sample.

“Love Is True” also ends with a slowed-down outro similar to something you might see from one of A$AP Rocky’s earlier projects. These moments are featured on several outros. Mantooth is certainly a laid-back high of a listen.

Chip compares his work with Panda to that of Gang Starr’s Guru and DJ Premier on the song “Lords Peace Balance.” Panda said many of the tracks on the album go for an updated East Coast sound.

“I feel like, if you actually listen to it, there are other elements in the production that make it a little different than just straight-up copying East Coast style,” Panda said. “There’s a lot of 808-type stuff and some heavy bass that you didn’t used to hear a lot.”

A good example of this updated sound might be “GTFO,” which also features a guest appearance from fellow MilitantxMinds affiliate Derek Cantu.

Posse member Anu can also be found on “Strange.”

Mixed with the flow and braggadocio are also slower moments, like those on

38 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

“First Trip” and “Spread the Love,” in which Chip actually sings. He will not win The Voice anytime soon, but he’s not trying to either. Like singing tracks from people like Kanye West, Chip’s vocals bring personality to the songs.

Chip finds himself reflecting on his young journey through the music business on “Hold Me Back,” a track that also features one of the album’s best beats.

“I think it’s funny how young emcees think it’s a breeze to make money, but the truth is it’s about the perfect place and timing,” Chip raps.

“That reference is for people who aren’t really that open to making art, man,” Chip said. “People are already expecting to make money already, but like I said, there’s a perfect place and timing.”

New wave

Chip has been rapping since he was 10 or 11, but he did not get serious about making music until he was 17. Panda said Chip is one of his favorite artists to work with.

“He’s cool to work with because he’s just really talented,” he said. “I knew that the first time I saw him.”

Despite Chip’s youth, Panda said the emcee understands the need to be true to yourself in your music, a concept that not everyone is able to grasp.

Coming up with a new brand of

There’s a lot of cats that have one single producer, and I like the idea of having that go-to guy.

— Chip Mantooth

experimental hip-hop, Chip said the younger artists in the area are going to take the baton from groundbreaking local acts like Josh Salle and Jabee and bring the music to places it has not been before.

“We’ve got a lot to bring to the table; we’re about to hit this scene really hard with what we’re doing,” he said. “Right now, we’re in the process of building, and once we come out, man, it’s going to be a really hard team, dawg.”

Chip is currently working on getting more shows booked for himself. He also already started planning his follow-up project, an EP that will further explore classic East Coast influences with a fresh experimental twist.

“I don’t want to make just a cliché ’90s beat album,” he said.

Mantooth can be streamed at soundcloud.com/chipmantooth.

ga rett fi s bec k

life music

p r ovi de d

s m U a w r o g Ll a t Fo s on in

life music

to see all our

#selfies! @okgazeTte

Frankie Valli

Oklahoma Gazette

S T N E V E G A N N E R A E K UPCOMAIT A FIREL

Start believin’

‘Hitmaker’ is the word, and Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons’ songs still have the groove and the meaning they had half a century ago.

By Adam Holt

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons 8 p.m. Dec. 31 WinStar World Casino and Resort 777 Casino Ave., Thackerville winstarworldcasino.com 800-745-3000 $55-$125

January 9 HD Boxing

January 16 ollide When Worlds C

January 23e Lee Bric

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18145 OLD

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• SHAWN GELINE RD

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40 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

After nearly 65 years at the mic, the man with the magic falsetto, Frankie Valli, shows no sign of slowing down. Valli, 81, together with The Four Seasons, performs 8 p.m. New Year’s Eve at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville.

Valli, born Francesco Stephen Castellucio, scored dozens of Top 40 hits — including “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man” and “Rag Doll” — both as a solo artist and with The Four Seasons in the 1960s. Valli also recorded the Barry Gibb-penned theme to the musical Grease in 1978. He also acted in multiple projects over the years, including appearances as Rusty Millio in seasons five and six of The Sopranos.

Interest in his life and music has seen a resurgence in the last decade due to the popularity of the Tony Awardwinning musical and feature film Jersey Boys. Both chronicle the success and breakup of The Four Seasons.

It’s his smooth falsetto that sets Valli apart in the history of American popular music. In a 2012 interview on the NPR program Weekend Edition Saturday with host Scott Simon, Valli spoke about his voice.

“You know, I thought everyone had falsetto,” he said. “And since I wasn’t a schooled singer who studied with anybody, I just thought anybody who had a voice could do anything they wanted with their voice. Not until much later on in life did I realize I had been blessed with an incredible

range, and then I saw it from a different perspective.”

Valli also credits doing impressions of popular singers he heard on the radio during the development of his singing voice. In the same interview, Valli said he began to realize what the vocal mechanism was capable of by singing like other vocalists. He also likened vocalists to bodybuilders and said good health and practice every day is a must.

Oklahoma Gazette requested to speak with the singer about his history and current tour, but his publicist declined, saying he wasn’t doing press interviews at this time.

The beginnings of what would become The Four Seasons took root in 1954 as The Variatones, later changed to The Four Lovers. After six years with no real success, lineup changes ensued and Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi became The Four Seasons in 1960. The group took the name from a cocktail bar in a bowling alley.

Maybe it was the new lineup or the name, but success soon followed. The group’s first No. 1 song was “Sherry,” followed by “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man” and “Candy Girl.”

The group did what many other acts could not — it survived and thrived during the onslaught of Beatlemania and the British Invasion.

Though hit songs slowed during the 1970s and 1980s, with the exception of “Grease,” Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons — either apart or together due to separation during the time period — was still a strong live act.

Since the debut of the Jersey Boys musical in 2005 and the film in 2014, the spotlight again shines on Valli.

Even at age 81, he can and loves to entertain and still tours regularly. After his Dec. 31 concert in Thackerville, he has over half a dozen shows scheduled in Louisiana, Texas, Florida and California.

p r ovi de d

Lyrical connections

Susan Herndon performs during a recent Jet Sets concert at Will Rogers World Airport.

Musician and songwriter Susan Herndon blends her life experiences with those of travelers in the new Jet Sets music series.

By Adam Holt

Jet Sets Jamie Bramble, 3 p.m. Wednesday and Jan. 8 Jason Scott, 11:30 a.m. Thursday and 3:30 p.m. Jan. 7 Susan Herndon, 2 p.m. Thursday and Dec. 30 West Terminal Will Rogers World Airport 7100 Terminal Drive flyokc.com/jetsets Free

As winter travel spikes around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, so can anxiety caused by layovers and bumped and delayed flights. To help melt away some of that stress yearround, Will Rogers World Airport recently introduced its Jet Sets live music series featuring weekly performances by Oklahoma musicians.

“One of the things we’ve noticed is traveling by air has become more stressful,” said Karen Carney, the airport’s public information and marketing manager.

The idea is borrowed from others across the U.S., like Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas.

Carney said Jet Sets was designed with help from feedback she received from other airports.

Another component of the event is Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s Art Moves initiative. Carney works with Art Moves director Evan Crowley to find music acts and help with scheduling.

One early contributor to the series is Susan Herndon. She mixes Americana, folk and jazz sounds with French and English lyrics. Herndon performed the inaugural Jet Sets event in late November and returns for shows Thursday and Dec. 30.

For the last 15 years, Herndon has lived the life of a full-time musician.

She began performing while teaching English at a university in the French city of Aubière, near Clermont-Ferrand, and studying the French language.

Herndon’s blending of French and English is one of her songwriting trademarks. Since her beginnings as a busker, a street performer who works for gratuities, along the roads of Aubière, she wove the languages together, interlacing the beauty of their words, sometimes to explain their meaning, other times as pure poetry.

“Lyrics are a mystery to me,” she said during a recent interview with Oklahoma Gazette. “Sometimes I’m not sure where they come from. They’re truly a mystery.”

Nevertheless, she recognizes that lyrical themes run through much of her work, and they are often life events.

“Love, anti-love,” she said. “I have a lot of songs about traveling.”

Traveling is a subject she understands. Born in St. Louis but raised in Tulsa, Herndon performs approximately 200 shows a year, often in states like Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. She also has toured the West Coast and Europe. It’s by design that her latest album, Vagabonde, is a collection of French songs.

She is drawn to the idea of performing songs inspired by her travels for an audience in the midst of making its way from one place to another.

“That’s the great thing about the communion of music,” she said. “Being able to share thoughts while watching others travel.”

Herndon said the response she receives at Jet Sets gigs is positive.

“They love it,” she said. “A man from Nashville stopped by and said he liked my music, then bought a CD. It was really cool. You can’t have that type of experience every day.”

Carney also said Jet Sets is a success.

“So far, the program has been well received,” she said. “The music brings a smile to their face. They appreciate that.”

Okl ahoma Gaz ette | december 23, 2015 | 41

davi d re n n e r / p rovi de d

life music

Live Music WEDNESDAY, DEC. 23 Bryce Dicus, Baker Street Pub & Grill. COUNTRY Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. JAZZ Maurice Johnson, R&J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Ed VanBuskirk, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER Uncle Freddy, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

THURSDAY, DEC. 24 Brent Saulsbury/Will Galbraith/Wayne Duncan, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK Dave Thomason Band, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon.

COVER Jamie Bramble, Uptown Grocery Co., Edmond. ACOUSTIC

Annie Oakley

FRIDAY, DEC. 25 Edgar Cruz, Park Avenue Grill. ACOUSTIC

okg

Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO

music

Pearson Jazz Trio, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. JAZZ

pick

SATURDAY, DEC. 26 Big G, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. BLUES

Bonnie Paine, Dan Rodriguez and Anna Paine with Annie Oakley Sunday

Get good and folked up this Sunday with Elephant Revival’s Bonnie Paine and Dan Rodriguez. Paine is a unicorn of an instrumentalist, boasting skills on washboard, an array of strings and her specialty, the West African djembe. Oh, and did we mention she sings? She’ll be joined by bandmate Dan Rodriguez, a master in his own right, on guitar, banjo and vocals. Add Anna Paine and OKC natives Annie Oakley (pictured) to the mix and you’ve got an indie music buffet on which to gorge your ears and soul.

The show starts 2 p.m. Sunday at Norman Music Institute, 2795 Broce Drive. Tickets are $20 and are available at ticketstorm.com.

Class Act, Riverwind Casino. JAZZ Don and Melodee Johnson, Twelve Oaks, Edmond.

JAZZ Drive, Baker Street Pub & Grill. ROCK Dylan Hammett, Fuze Buffet & Bar. COVER Electric Avenue, Newcastle Casino, Newcastle. COVER Howard Brady, Full Circle Bookstore. COUNTRY Justin Echols Trio, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

The Broke Brothers, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. REGGAE

Mike McClure Band, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. COUNTRY

Tweezer, Blue Note Lounge. COVER

Pidgin, The Deli, Norman. FUNK

Wino Browne, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Stat Band, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. R&B

SUNDAY, DEC. 27

42 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

PARADIGM TA LENT AGENCY / PROVIDED

Edgar Cruz, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. ACOUSTIC Robert Earl Keen, Rose State College, Midwest City.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Edgar Cruz, Park Avenue Grill. ACOUSTIC

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30

Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO

Celtic Cadence, Chase Tower (Cotter Ranch Tower). FOLK

Mountain Smoke, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. BLUEGRASS

Clint Scholz Band, Baker Street Pub & Grill. COUNTRY

Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. JAZZ

Earl Day, Hefner Grill. PIANO

Robert Earl Keen, Rose State College, Tuesday

TUESDAY, DEC. 29

Teresa Brekke, Uptown Grocery Co., Edmond.

VARIOUS

MONDAY, DEC. 28 Colin Ryan, Robinson Renaissance.

SINGER/SONGWRITER Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK

Maurice Johnson, R&J Lounge and Supper Club.

Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Ed VanBuskirk, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings.

Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

life film

Ga rett fi s bec k

Metal mania Oklahoma City’s Michael Bell helps create a powerful documentary about one of rock ’n’ roll’s most influential drummers.

Musician and filmmaker Mike Bell and The Life, Blood and Rhythm of Randy Castillo co-producer Maria Runyon in Bell’s Oklahoma City home

By Wilhelm Murg

The late Randy Castillo is best remembered for his 10-year run as the drummer for Ozzy Osbourne from 1986 to 1993; he is also credited as a co-writer on such classic albums as No Rest for the Wicked and No More Tears.

Michael Bell knew and admired Castillo, and he has been showing the documentary he produced, The Life, Blood and Rhythm of Randy Castillo, at festivals over the last year.

Though he now lives in Oklahoma City, Bell grew up in Wichita, Kansas, where he first heard about touring cover band The Wumblies. It played live versions of deep tracks — just like better FM rock radio stations played at the time — by Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Slade, Yes, Black Sabbath and others.

Armed with fake IDs, Bell and two of his drummer friends saw the band play live, and it changed the way they approached their own musicianship.

“We were 16; we should have been 18 to get in,” Bell said. “Back in the ’70s, you had to go see live music; there was no YouTube [and] there was no VHS to rewind and see what the drummer did. If you wanted to emulate a move, you had to go to the show and memorize it.

“After we saw Randy, he changed our drumming prowess at 16. We were just in awe of this soon-to-be rock star.”

Potent inspiration

Bell found he was not alone. His documentary is filled with musicians — like Kip Winger of Winger and Billy Sheehan of Mr. Big, Niacin and The Winery Dogs — talking about how

influential Castillo’s performances with The Wumblies were to them.

“The same experience happened to a young [Kip] Winger in Denver,” Bell said. “In the movie, he says, ‘This was our band. They were the coolest and hippest band.’”

Bell moved to Los Angeles with a band in 1981. There, he reconnected with Castillo, who was playing in a band called Code Blue.

“He was starving out there, like so many musicians were. I remember going to his apartment to buy some cymbal stands he wasn’t using, and he gave me a drum lesson,” Bell said. “I always marveled at how fast his foot was — he could play triplets with one foot, just by the way he used his foot on the pedal.”

Bell said Castillo joined the Stone Fury band, which was on MTV, and then he joined Lita Ford in 1984.

“We remained friends; we would touch base,” he said. “When Ozzy would come through, we would try to meet up.”

After his period with Ozzy, Castillo’s final project was replacing Tommy Lee in Mötley Crüe on the band’s 2000 album New Tattoo, when Lee was going through marital and legal problems that landed him in jail.

“In the movie, Nikki Sixx says they called and asked him who he wanted on drums; they were going to make a list of 10 guys,” Bell said.

Crüe bassist Sixx spoke to guitarist Mick Mars, who said he wanted Castillo.

Vocalist Vince Neil mirrored the desire, making the decision unanimous.

“Nikki said fine and called Randy

down and — without auditioning him — hired him on the spot,” Bell said.

“Remember, Mötley Crüe and Ozzy went to Russia together in 1989, so they knew Randy and they watched each other play from the side of the stages. As Matt Sorum [Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver] would tell you, Randy had a huge reputation. In LA, Randy was ‘The Guy.’” Unfortunately, Castillo became sick before the launch of the tour to support the album, and the band had to replace him with Samantha Maloney (Hole, Eagles of Death Metal).

Castillo had a duodenal ulcer that ruptured in his stomach and underwent emergency surgery. While recovering, a small lump was discovered in his cheek and he soon was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. The cancer went into remission in mid-2001 but soon returned.

The musician died March 26, 2002. He was 51 years old.

Sacred rhythm

After his funeral, Bell talked to Castillo’s sister, who was interested in someone making a documentary about the drummer’s life. Bell had taken some film courses in college, so he grabbed a camera and, with film co-producer Maria Runyon assisting him, contacted the managers of every group associated with Castillo that came through the Oklahoma/Texas region.

His interview subjects were a who’s-who of metal and featured everyone mentioned above, along with Slash, Lemmy Kilmister, Sammy Hagar, Zakk Wylde, Bill Ward, Jerry Cantrell and others. Lita Ford narrates the project.

Castillo was of Spanish, French, Native American and Hispanic origin, and Bell said Castillo connected noticeably with spirituality in life and while facing death.

“There was something about him that drew in everybody, whether it was his humanity, his drumming prowess, his stick tricks — he made an impression on everybody,” Bell said.

The documentary’s bonus footage includes an interview with Athena Lee, Tommy Lee’s sister and ex-wife of James Kottak of the Scorpions. She also is a drummer.

“She talked about the two of them having cancer at the same time at CedarsSinai hospital and how Randy helped her through her breast cancer while he was dying,” Bell said.

When he thinks about his friend, who he saw as a teacher, he said the main thing he remembers is that he practiced constantly.

“Practice; he encouraged people to practice,” Bell said. “When we asked how he could throw a drumstick in the air and catch it on time for the beat, he would say, ‘Practice.’ He was always on top of other drummers [to] keep practicing, keep drumming, even if it’s only for 10 minutes a day.”

Bell is currently looking for a distributor for his film and continues to show The Life, Blood and Rhythm of Randy Castillo at festivals in tribute to one of metal’s most formidable and inspiring drummers.

Learn more about the project at randycastillomovie.com.

Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 43

UN IVERSA L P ICT U RES / P ROV IDED

life film

Follow Us on tTwitter to see what we are

tweeting about! @okgazette

Oklahoma Gazette

jingle bell rocks! wed, dec 23 | 5:30 p.m.

kiki’s delivery service (dubbed)

sat, dec 26 | 2:00 p.m.

castle in the sky

sat, dec 26 | 5:30 p.m. (dubbed) sun, dec 27 | 5:30 p.m. (subtitled)

porco rosso (subtitled) sat, dec 26 | 8:00 p.m.

ponyo (dubbed) sun, dec 27 | 2:00 p.m.

No films Thursday, dec 24 or friday, dec 25 Happy Holidays!

For movie descriptions and ticket sales visit www.okcmoa.com 44 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

Sisters act

Sisters

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler finally get the big-screen comedy they deserve.

By George Lang

Sisters serves as an object lesson on making smart comedies from material that would be ritually abused by less gifted or driven filmmakers. Pitch Perfect director Jason Moore’s skill for executing rapid-fire gags and Paula Pell’s all-in script give stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler their first big-screen comedy worthy of their talents.

Look at the raw bones of the story and Sisters looks like an amalgam of Step Brothers and Risky Business at best, or a soul-killing Adam Sandler abomination at worst. In its execution, this comedy fights well above its class.

Maura (Poehler) is a recent divorcée with a stable career but a weak selfimage and wobbly social skills, while her older sister Kate (Fey) is an outgoing, out-of-work beautician barely cutting it as a single mother to her college-age daughter. When Kate gets evicted, she plans to move herself and daughter Haley (Madison Davenport) in with her parents in Orlando, only to learn that Mom and Dad (Dianne Wiest and James Brolin) are selling the house, smelting Kate and Maura’s childhood memories into cushy retirement cash.

First things first, Kate and Maura have to clear out all the teenage detritus from their bedroom before the sale can go through, and the last thing either wants to do is find storage space for their New Kids on the Block gear.

They’d rather invite all their over-thehill high school classmates to one last blowout while their parents are away, reliving their early 1990s glory days and abandoning their depressing adult lives for one night of toxic indulgence and aggressive immaturity.

Given the expected results of placing immaculately wasted, middle-aged party monsters next to picture windows and

drywall, Sisters is in heavily trodden territory. What sets it apart from lesser slob-coms is its total commitment. Pell’s script teems with killer lines seemingly tailored to Fey and Poehler’s uncanny, sisterly rapport, and Maura’s awkward romance with her parents’ neighbor (Ike Barinholtz, The Mindy Project) feels sweet and genuine while also supplying the film’s most pointedly painful and sustained laughs.

Poehler and Fey’s chemistry first became obvious when they co-anchored Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, but as 2008’s Baby Mama proved with its safe-as-milk PG-13 antics, it’s not easy to bottle that lightning on screen. By setting Fey and Poehler free to go for anything and everything that can generate a laugh, Sisters gets it right, true, raw and filthy. Nothing is left on the table, but every gag also feels earned.

Producer Fey assembled a top-shelf supporting cast led by fellow Saturday Night Live alums Rachel Dratch, Bobby Moynihan and Maya Rudolph, who plays Maura and Kate’s high school nemesis with gleeful menace. In addition to Weist, Brolin, John Leguizamo and Samantha Bee delivering memorable outbursts, John Cena continues to build his comedy cred as a stoic, face-tatted drug dealer with a remarkably complete selection of party supplies.

Formula is only problematic when nothing is done to elevate it, and Sisters proves that inspiration can overcome a by-the-numbers setup.

The next time Sandler decides to bankroll a vacation by taking studio money for Grown Ups 3, he should be contractually obligated to watch Sisters and take copious notes.

ph otos P ROVIDED

Super fanboy

From left Justin Keithley, Spawn Simmons and Lenny Vanhorn in The Super Swell Berkowski.

Comedian Lenny Vanhorn explores the life of a downtrodden nerd in The Super Swell Berkowski.

By Ben Luschen

In some ways, The Super Swell Berkowski is just another way for Lenny Vanhorn to reinvent himself.

In the short film written by and starring the local comedian, Vanhorn plays a graceless nerd with assistance from a long list of fellow Oklahoma City funnymen.

He said part of his inspiration for the project came from a hard-to-place curiosity he has long held for a part of society that is unfamiliar to him.

“I know it sounds weird, but I’ve always wondered what it would be like to see out of the eyes of a super fanboy,” he said. “I’ve never really been a part of that world. If you sat down with me to play some Magic: The Gathering, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

In the 15-minute version of the film, which is all Vanhorn was able to produce at this time, Berkowski is a sleep-apnea-suffering comic book store employee who manages to find trouble and taunts at almost every turn.

Particular troublemakers include an archrival, played by Matthew Henson, and the leader of a group called Eastboro Baptist Church, played by BradChad Porter.

Vanhorn said Berkowski’s character is most like some combination of the leads in Joe Dirt and Napoleon Dynamite. The movie was shot for free at New World Comics and neighboring Honey Bee Donut in Del City.

A local musician for several years,

Local comedian BradChad Porter right in The Super Swell Berkowski.

Vanhorn said he eventually fell out of that scene, let himself go and began his journey into stand-up comedy.

“I thought, instead of trying to be a rock star, maybe people would rather laugh at me,” he said.

Still, stand-up is not necessarily his goal, which is why he wrote Berkowski.

He said he wants to prove there is depth to his comedic talent, that he can develop characters from ideas.

Real comedy Vanhorn said he is mostly thankful for the support from the local comedy community. Local comedians, including Porter, Henson, Justin Keithley, Spawn Simmons, James Curtis, Michael Mann, Tiffany Watt and others, agreed to appear without pay.

“I don’t know what it would have been like if I just used actors,” he said.

“I imagine I may not have had as much

fun, but with the comedians in between the takes, we would just go at it on each other.”

The film does not have a firm premiere date or venue set yet, but Vanhorn said he hopes those details are worked out soon. Ideally, he would like a premiere to be combined with a comedy show at The Paramount OKC, located on Film Row, which would also be a thank-you party for all those who participated.

Originally, the project was intended to be a longer-running movie. Vanhorn said he hopes the short film debut will bring him the backing he needs to finish it.

He said he would not be opposed to writing more screenplays.

“I hope I have the ability to write more films because I definitely like to do it,” he said. “It really depends on if I have that creative impulse.”

Oklahoma Gazette | december 23, 2015 | 45

P h o n e (4 0 5 ) 5 2 8 - 6 0 0 0 | E - m a i l : a d v e r t i s i n g @ t i e r r a m e d i a g r o u p. c o m

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

by ROB BREZNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19) The raw materials you have at your disposal in 2016 may sometimes seem limited. You might not have access to all the tools you wish you did. You could be tempted to feel envy about the vaster resources other people can draw on. But I honestly don’t think these apparent inhibitions will put you at a disadvantage.

Within your smaller range of options, there will be all the possibilities you need. In fact, the constraints could stimulate your creativity in ways that would have never occurred if you’d had more options.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Swedish movie director Ingmar Bergman won three Academy Awards and was nominated for eight others. Numerous filmmakers have cited him as an important influence on their work. His practical success was rooted in his devotion to the imagination.

“I am living permanently in my dream, from which I make brief forays into reality,” he said. Can you guess his astrological sign? Cancer the Crab, of course!

No other tribe is better suited at moving back and forth between the two worlds. At least potentially, you are virtuosos at interweaving fantasy with earthy concerns. The coming year will afford you unprecedented opportunities to further develop and use this skill.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You know what physical hygiene is. But are you familiar with imaginal hygiene? Educator Morgan Brent defines it like this: “Imaginal hygiene is the inner art of self-managing the imagination, to defend it from forces that compromise, pollute, colonize, shrink, and sterilize it, and to cultivate those that illuminate, expand, and nourish it.” It’s always important for everyone to attend to this work, but it’s especially crucial for you to focus on it in 2016. You will be exceptionally creative, and therefore likely to generate long-lasting effects and influences out of the raw materials that occupy your imagination.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Avoid pain and pursue pleasure. Be kind, not cruel.

Abstain from self-pity and ask for the help you need. Instead of complaining, express gratitude.

Dodge time-wasting activities and do things that are meaningful to you. Shun people who disrespect you and seek the company of those who enjoy you. Don’t expose yourself to sickening, violent entertainment; fill your imagination up with uplifting stories.

Does the advice I’m offering in this horoscope seem overly simple and obvious? That’s no accident. In my opinion, what you need most in 2016 is to refresh your relationship with fundamental principles.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Your mind sometimes works too hard and fast for your own good. But mostly it’s your best asset. Your versatility can sometimes be a curse, too, but far more often it’s a blessing. Your agile tongue and flexible agenda generate more fun than trouble, and so do your smooth maneuvers and skillful gamesmanship.

As wonderful as all these qualities can be, however, I suggest that you work on expanding your scope in 2016. In my astrological opinion, it will be a good time for you to study and embody the magic that the water signs possess. What would that mean exactly?

Start this way: Give greater respect to your feelings.

Tune in to them more, encourage them to deepen, and figure out how to trust them as sources of wisdom.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Many of the atoms that compose your flesh and blood were not part of your body 12 months ago. That’s because every year, 98 percent of you is replaced.

Old cells are constantly dying, giving way to new cells that are made from the air, food, and water you ingest. This is true about everyone, of course. You’re not the only one whose physical form is regularly recycled. But here’s what will be unique about you in 2016: Your soul will match your body’s rapid transformations. In fact, the turnover is already underway. By your next birthday, you may be so new you’ll barely recognize yourself. I urge you to take full charge of this opportunity! Who do you want to become?

Homework: Send me predictions for your life in 2016.

Where are you headed? Go to RealAstrology.com; click on “Email Rob.”

HANDYWOMAN

Roofing - new & repairs Paint - interior/exterior and remodeling 722-7004

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) The English word “ain’t” can mean “am not,” “is not,” “are not,” or “have not.” But it ain’t recognized as a standard word in the language. If you use it, you risk being thought vulgar and uneducated. And yet “ain’t” has been around since 1706, more than 300 years. Most words that are used for so long eventually become official. I see your journey in 2016 as having resemblances to the saga of “ain’t,” Libra. You will meet resistance as you seek greater acceptance of some nonstandard but regular part of your life. Here’s the good news: Your chances of ultimately succeeding are much better than ain’t’s.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) My old friend John owns a 520-acre farm in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Blueberries are among the crops he grows. If he arranges their growing season so that they ripen in July, he can sell them for $1.75 a pint. But if he designs them to be ready for harvest in late summer and early fall, the price he gets may go up to $4 a pint.

You can guess which schedule he prefers. I urge you to employ a similar strategy as you plot your game plan for 2016, Scorpio. Timing may not be everything, but it will count for a lot.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) In 1803, the U.S. government bought a huge chunk of North American land from the French government.

At a price of three cents per acre, the new republic doubled its size, acquiring what’s now Louisiana and Montana and everything between. I don’t think you’ll add that much to your domain in 2016, Sagittarius, but it’s likely you will expand significantly. And although your new resources won’t be as cheap as the 1803 bargain, I suspect the cost, both in terms of actual cash and in emotional energy, will be manageable. There’s one way your acquisition will be better than that earlier one. The Americans bought and the French sold land they didn’t actually own -- it belonged to the native people -- whereas your moves will have full integrity.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) The coming year will be a favorable time for you to nourish a deeper devotion to truth, beauty, and

goodness. Anything you do to make your morality more rigorous will generate benefits that ripple through your life for years to come. Curiously, you can add to the propitious effect by also cultivating a deeper devotion to fun, play, and pleasure. There is a symbiotic connection between the part of you that wants to make the world a better place and the part of you that thrives on joy, freedom, and wonder. Here’s the magic formula: Feed your lust for life by being intensely compassionate, and vice versa.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) I predict that 2016 will be your Year of Fruitful Obsessions. In giving this positive spin to the cosmic tendencies, I’m hoping to steer you away from any behavior that might lead to 2016 being your Year of Fruitless Obsessions. One way or another, I think you’ll be driven to express your passions with singleminded intensity. Focused devotion — sometimes verging on compulsive preoccupation — is likely to be one of your signature qualities. That’s why it’s so important to avoid wasteful infatuations and confounding manias. Please choose fascinations that are really good for you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Your symbol of power in 2016 will be the equal sign: =. Visualize it in your mind’s eye every morning for 20 seconds. Tattoo it on your butt. Write it on an index card that you keep under your pillow or on your bathroom mirror. Gestures like these will deliver highly relevant messages to your subconscious mind, like “Create balance and cultivate harmony!” and “Coordinate opposing forces!” and “Wherever there is tension between two extremes, convert the tension into vital energy!” Here are your words of power in 2016: “symbiosis” and “synergy.”

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes.

The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

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EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing

Act of 1968, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, preference or discrimination.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of this law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings in our newspaper are available on an equal housing opportunity basis.

46 | december 23, 2015 | Oklahoma Gazette

CIRCOR International, Inc.

has openings for Lean Supply Chain Mgrs in Oklahoma City, OK. Plan, direct/coord. the activities of buyers, purchasing officers & related wrkrs involved in purchasing materials, prods. & svcs. Must be avail. to work on projs at various, unantic. sites throughout the US.

Send resumes to Maria Jay, CIRCOR International, Inc., 1500 SE 89th St., Oklahoma City, OK, 73149 w/ job ref #10826.8.

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We anticipate accepting 10 to 15 apprentices this year. Applicants will be selected based on highest qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, or national origin. The P.H.C.C. Contractors, party to the Plumbers and Pipefitters J.A.T.C. Agreement, are Equal Opportunity Employers.

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405.602.1024 | NO WAIT! Okl ahoma Ga z et te | Dece m b e r 23 , 2015 | 47

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