The Pulse: Living healthy in the metro

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Living healthy in the metro

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INSIDE The health and fitness of Oklahoma Citians is important to everyone and impacts all corners of the city, from food preparation to economics. In the Pulse issue, Oklahoma Gazette focuses on diet, exercise, recreation and health and includes tips for cooking healthy at home, new organic guidelines, a journey to weight loss, information on local fitness classes and wellness activities and more. Cover by Chris Street.

29 Pulse Higher Ground Running

6

Pulse NE health update

30 Pulse LifeSquire

8

Election Ward 1 preview

14 Letters

EAT & Drink

15 Review Yümmy Mümmy

32 Pulse LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma

33 Pulse Master Wellness Volunteer Training

34 Pulse OKC’s first semi-permanent parklet

18 Pulse Food for All OK update

35 Calendar

19 Pulse mocktails 20 Pulse new USDA organic guidelines

22 Pulse Gazedibles: healthy foods

A&C

31 Pulse NAMI family classes

16 Pulse healthy eating tips

24 Pulse Weighed Down part 1 26 Pulse Oklahoma Men’s Roller Derby

27 Pulse Float OKC

music

news

12 Chicken-Fried News

arts & Culture

Education KIPP OKC anniversary

10 Pulse e-cigs and youth

26

28 Pulse Myriad Gardens fitness

4

FUN

37

COVER

inside

37 Event Resonate Campaign 38 Event Dawes at ACM@UCO 40 Live music

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41 Astrology 42 Puzzles sudoku | crossword

classifieds 43

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NEWS KIPPster life

e d u c at i o n

Tracy McDaniel explains bringing KIPP to northeast Oklahoma City and his desire to grow the charter model. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

KIPP start

Fifteen years in the making, KIPP Reach embraces OKC and readies for growth. By Laura Eastes

Before charters became the central feature of the school choice movement and years before Oklahoma lawmakers passed a charter school law, Oklahoma City educator Tracy McDaniel stockpiled education ideas from the nation’s first charter schools.

Back in the early and mid-1990s, charter schools — public schools operating independently from traditional district schools under a charter agreement — emerged as the latest hope in education reform. They were created to improve learning environments for traditionally underserved populations in urban areas, and the national spotlight began to shine on charter pioneers as they demonstrated strong academic progress and students delivered impassioned testimony.

The reports caught the attention of McDaniel, an Oklahoma City Public Schools alumnus from northeastern OKC. For McDaniel and his education colleagues, brainstorming the city’s first charter school was an escape from the frustrations of urban education, where low-performing schools too often resulted in massive student failure.

McDaniel knew students who were failing did not have to fail. With the right resources and teaching methods, students — including those from the city’s poorest neighborhoods — could learn and succeed.

When serving as the principal of northeast OKC’s Moon Middle School in 1999, McDaniel earned a reputation for his relentless approach to helping young people succeed. His efforts didn’t go unnoticed, as OKCPS superintendent William Weitzel asked for a meeting.

Looking back at the meeting, McDaniel recalled Weitzel insisting the northeast schools needed a new academic model and McDaniel was the one to train and bring 4

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the KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) model to OKC. At the time, KIPP operated two middle schools but earned prestige for earning solid test scores from of its underprivileged urban students.

With an agreement scribbled on a paper napkin, McDaniel charted the path for OKC’s KIPP Reach Academy charter school, which today is called KIPP Reach College Preparatory.

In the fall of 2002, McDaniel welcomed 62 students — the majority hailing from elementary schools with mediocre test scores and qualifying for free or reduced lunches — to the school’s classrooms located on the campus of Dunbar Elementary in the John F. Kennedy neighborhood. Within as little as two years, it was clear KIPP was the academic model Weitzel and McDaniel sought. Student test scores ranked among the best in the district.

Now in its 15th year, the small middle school is the state’s top academic performer and a star in KIPP’s national network.

More importantly, McDaniel said, in the years since KIPP opened, hundreds of students have graduated. Many of them went on to the city’s most selective high schools and the nation’s top boarding schools, and many of its earliest alumni are now college graduates returning to Oklahoma City.

“I knew it was awesome when I got the KIPP job, but it’s beyond that now,” McDaniel said last week in an Oklahoma Gazette interview. “It’s hard even to describe. I didn’t think it was possible to do what I am now doing in education. In spite of the opposition, we are making a difference for kids. That’s the bottom line.”

A fourth-grade teacher played a key role in encouraging Annetta Oleru to apply to KIPP in 2003. Her interest was sparked when the teacher uttered, “school for smart kids.”

Throughout her time at northeast’s Longfellow Elementary, Oleru’s report cards always showed top grades. But unbeknownst to her, Oleru had never scored proficient on a state-mandated test.

On day one at KIPP, Oleru learned a valuable lesson, one she needed to utilize to handle the rigors of KIPP and those in the real world.

There are no excuses.

“It was like no other school system I had been in before,” Oleru said. “You had to do your homework every night. There was a consequence if you didn’t. You had to stand up and apologize to every single member of the class.”

Oleru attended school from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by homework in the evenings. Anytime an assignment or a class lesson got too challenging, Oleru referred to the first line of the KIPP credo: “If there is a problem, we look for a solution.”

Oleru was raised by her grandmother.

KIPP became her second family and pushed her to become an accomplished student.

After KIPP, she attended St. George’s School, a prestigious boarding school in Newport, Rhode Island, followed by Loyola University New Orleans. With her bachelor’s degree, Oleru returned to KIPP as a fifth-grade teacher this fall.

If we can do more, we can change Oklahoma City.

Tracy McDaniel Now, the learning tactics, including wellknown KIPP chants and rhythmic clapping, are heard outside Oleru’s room. A major tenet of her teaching is shifting her students from a fixed mindset to a growing mindset, a key to her own success.

“Work hard, be nice,” Oleru said. “I’ll ask my class, ‘Are you graduating in 2024?’ They respond, ‘No; that’s the year we are going to college.’ It’s about having a goal in mind. ‘I am … setting myself up for the opportunity to go to college and make it all the way through college.’”

KIPP’s future

It’s not uncommon in Oklahoma for people to have confusion about charter schools.

Oklahoma law first allowed for charter school accreditation in 2000. The rapid growth seen in other cities and states didn’t happen in Oklahoma, where charters were restricted to the state’s two largest public districts until just a few years ago.

KIPP Reach is a public school receiving funding from the state, but not local property taxes. KIPP is accountable to its authorizer, which is OKCPS, its board and the 300 students who fill the charter school’s seats on the second floor of F.D. Moon Academy, just north of KIPP’s original location. With fewer public dollars, KIPP requires grants

and philanthropic support, a norm among charter schools across the nation.

As KIPP students continue to score exceptionally well on state-mandated tests and the school wins national honors, community pushback grows louder.

“People say KIPP is an anomaly.”

McDaniel said. “People say, ‘You are one little school. You got lucky. You take the best students.’ I say, ‘I want to start an elementary school. Do you get the best students at age 3?’”

Getting community buy-in has been a barrier to KIPP expansion plans. More than five years ago, McDaniel and Mike Feinberg, who cofounded KIPP’s first school in Houston, laid out initial plans for expanding the KIPP model into an elementary and high school model in OKC. While community support lagged, grant funding to secure initial phases of expansion increased.

Last February, leaders of KIPP, Santa Fe South Schools and John Rex Charter Elementary School approached OKCPS Board of Education about a concept called Quality Seats Program, an effort to expand all three charter models in the state’s largest school district. The program was met with mixed results. Much of the contention centered on the district appropriating buildings and resources to the charters, harming students left behind in the public schools.

In July, KIPP earned school board approval to begin an elementary program in an existing district elementary and start a high school in shared space on an OKCPS high school campus. The exact locations are to be explored by the Northeast Oklahoma City Community Task Force, which held its first meeting in mid-January.

The Quality Seats Program continues, as KIPP submitted a charter application for authorization of a KIPP school in south Oklahoma City this fall.

“If we can do more, we can change Oklahoma City,” McDaniel said. “We want to prove it.”

Feb. 2, KIPP Reach hosts its first Are You Smarter Than a KIPPster? fundraiser event, a quiz bowl-style event in which KIPPsters and community leaders will square off on facts. Funds raised support KIPP in its endeavors to expand.

Driven to succeed

Two common themes from KIPP Reach 2002 and KIPP Reach 2017 stand out in McDaniel’s mind. Students are succeeding and staff is constantly engaged in professional development training to become better educators.

KIPP Reach has changed, students attend a shorter school day and staff works more closely with parents on how to support their students through the KIPP program.

Inside the school’s main office, college pennants hang from the ceiling and a plaque recognizing KIPP Reach as one of the top 50 middle schools in the nation hangs on the wall. A white paper sign with bold, black text reading “There are no shortcuts climbing the mountain to college” is easier to spot.

“I’ve seen it done before. The overtime you put into students will pay off,” Oleru said.

“My teachers worked with me, and the hard work paid off. I see it now with my own students, and it drives my passion.”

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HUNGRY

Greg Jones and Karen Waddell discuss plans to improve health in northeast Oklahoma City. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

New approach

Healthy Community Collaborative — Northeast Oklahoma City pushes forward with goals for the community. By Laura Eastes

Primary care physicians treat people, not diseases. In a way, they act as health coaches who focus on preventing illness through health and wellness. The approach is proven to work, as studies repeatedly show primary care prevents illness and death.

Imagine if there was only one primary care physician located in a community home to about 22,000 people across three ZIP codes. What happens when one person gets sick and doesn’t have a primary care physician?

The scenario is a reality for members of the Healthy Community Collaborative — Northeast Oklahoma City, a group of 36 individuals tasked with developing and adopting a sustainable 10-year plan to improve health in northeast Oklahoma City, where generations have experienced poor health when compared to the rest of the state.

The collaborative is the fourth step of Lynn Healthy Community planning, a creation of nonprofit Lynn Institute for Healthcare Research, Inc. Five years ago, the health organization began a new initiative focused on community health research, planning and community engagement.

Leaders selected northeast Oklahoma City for its first community-planning endeavor.

In 2016, the initiative produced The Lynn Lifestyle Summary – Northeast Oklahoma City, a comprehensive assessment of health outcomes citing hundreds of government and private studies as well as feedback from focus groups and community leaders.

The summary reports northeast Oklahoma City residents hold a higher morbidity rate in nearly every major disease when compared to other Oklahomans.

That’s where the collaborative comes in; the group works to develop creative solu-

tions to the health-related challenges faced by those living in northeast Oklahoma City and bring about change by 2026.

Community solutions

There are no easy answers or short-term fixes in combating health disparities. But Greg Jones, co-chair of the collaborative, contends by bringing people together from various backgrounds to talk health, people begin to recognize health depends as much on factors related to location — the environment, transportation, crime and the economy — as it does on what takes place in a doctor’s office. Therefore, the local community, even those without health or wellness backgrounds, can play a powerful role in influencing its health.

After 11 months of meetings, Jones, a businessman, confidently speaks about one of the 10-year goals set by the collaborative: Northeast Oklahoma City will have a population that exhibits strong mental, physical and emotional lifestyles.

“All residents will have access to a primary care doctor or primary care clinic,” Jones recited a two-year measurable goal.

He went on to share that the solution didn’t involve luring physicians to open practices in northeast Oklahoma City.

Instead, it centers on utilizing the community’s assets.

“We know there are close to 100 churches in northeast Oklahoma City. We identify churches to get involved in free screenings,” Jones said.

Powerful dialogue and plans emerged in the months following the collaborative’s first meeting Feb. 29, 2016. Increasing access to primary care by inviting health care providers into neighborhood churches or facilities like Metro Tech’s Springlake

Campus or Langston — OKC is just one of the objectives the collaborative will push for over the next two years, according to Jones and Karen Waddell, president and CEO of the Lynn Institute.

The collaborative will also push forward on developing a child and family mentor program, identifying northeast businesses with needs for economic development, planning community job fairs, coordinating neighborhood cleanups, establishing community gardens and much more.

Waddell said much of the recommendation centers on building and fostering community relationships with those already engaged or eager to engage in the community.

“You can’t go and fix health by itself if you don’t have relationships,” Waddell said.

Another barrier the collaborative noted is transportation, which can result in people missing health appointments or delaying care. Medicaid can provide transportation to and from a medical appointment for patients, but the key is getting a private cab company or individual drivers to file the paperwork with Medicaid for reimbursement. The gap could be filled by churches developing a ministry to transport neighbors either by personal cars or church vans to health appointments. The government would reimburse the trip with proper paperwork.

“It would be an Uber-like model,” Jones said. “You could get churches involved, people in the community involved, and we would make sure people would have a way to get to and from (appointments). You could expand those services, stopping at the grocery store or the pharmacy for a prescription.”

Building better

The collaborative is now ready to mobilize. With a number of recommended measurable goals to accomplish over the next two years, it is already reaching out to various organizations to begin community initiatives.

“This is an inclusive opportunity for people to be engaged and involved,” Jones said. “That is why the Lifestyle Summary is so important. Here are the facts. Now, we have to think ‘How do we plug people in?’”

The collaborative is one of many focusing on improving northeast Oklahoma City directly and indirectly, Waddell said.

Collaboratives include SALLT (Salt and Light Leadership Training) How Are the Children?, Northeast Renaissance Stakeholders Committee, Getting Ahead/ Bridges Out of Poverty planning task force and Oklahoma City Public Schools Northeast Task Force.

In years past, various groups or initiatives would work in silos to improve the community. These days, Jones sees the northeast community “speaking the same language” and cross-pollinating ideas to “make the community stronger.”

“There are a lot of great things happening,” Jones said, “and the pieces are coming together.”

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election

NEWS

Ward 1 Streets, blight and public safety are the top issues in the Ward 1 race. By Laura Eastes

Ward 1 is unlike any other Oklahoma City ward. While more suburban than urban, the area includes a majority of the thriving commercial area along Northwest Expressway, the historic Overholser Bridge and Lake Overholser, an older commercial area along NW 10th Street and dozens of established neighborhoods.

With only one high school in the ward — Putnam City West — Ward 1 youngsters attend school in various districts, including Putnam City, Western Heights, Bethany, Piedmont and Yukon.

Voters in Ward 1, along with voters in Wards 3, 4 and 7, will have a chance to cast ballots for the Oklahoma City Council on Feb. 14. In wards where a candidate fails to receive over 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote recipients will move to a runoff. Ward 1 candidates include Jonathan Clour, Chris Gordon and incumbent James Greiner. Each of the three candidates acknowledge the role the Ward 1 councilman will have in shaping the 2017 General Obligation Bond issue and possibly the next MAPS campaign as well as driving change with roads, blight and public safety.

Jonathan Clour

A lifetime resident of Ward 1, Clour grew up attending church in Westlawn Gardens, an impoverished neighborhood east of State Fair Park in Ward 6. As a church ministry, the congregation took turns driving around as a neighborhood watch patrol, looking out for suspicious activity.

“We drove by a home with a mother and daughter out front. The daughter asked, ‘Who is that?’ The mother answered, ‘They are keeping us safe,’” Clour explained. “It sent a strong message to that community: They are cared for, they are watched after, public safety is extremely important. In Ward 1, we’ve got some problem areas.”

Clour stressed the need to improve public safety by hiring more police officers, improving troubled intersections and repairing the district’s crumbling roads. A Methodist minister and radio talk show host on KTLV 1220 AM, he said those are the issues that resonate with voters.

If elected, he said he would work closely with the city, other council members and elected officials as well as outside groups on economic development. From a family of small business owners, he believes in reviewing current ordinances, looking out for barriers negatively impacting businesses and those wishing to start businesses.

Clour, a conservative, describes himself as a “watch dog for tax dollars” and wants to make sure government is 8

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“more efficient and leaner.” He would take a conservative financial management approach to any general obligation bond issues and MAPS program that would come before the council.

“I want to ensure the people their tax dollars are being spent wisely and frugally,” Clour said. “In terms of any projects that come up, I want to analyze them very closely. I want to see how much they will be. After analyzing, talking with the people in the community and city employees, I will make a decision on if the money needs to be invested into those projects.”

Chris Gordon

When Oklahoma City voters passed the first MAPS program in 1993, a young Gordon remembers flipping the pages of The Oklahoman to see the artist renderings of the projects, including Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. An avid Texas Rangers fan, Gordon was ecstatic to see the city invest in a professional ballpark and bring transformational change to his hometown. From that moment, Gordon’s public service interest was sparked.

“The reasons why I am running involve several things, but No. 1 is to be a strong advocate for what’s going on and what needs to be taken care of in Ward 1,” explained Gordon, who has interacted with 2,300 people since announcing his intentions to run last spring. “What needs to be most taken care of are our streets.”

Gordon sees the 2017 General Obligation Bond issue, which city staff indicates will be listed on the September ballot, as crucial for improving poor streets. If elected, Gordon wants to go farther then earmarking funds for street projects. He would work to raise the standards of a quality street and enhance communications with the public about projects. Road signs stating when a street project is expected to start and stop would notify the public.

Additionally, Gordon wants to bring accountability to projects, seek answers if a contractor fails to deliver a project on time and develop consequences.

Gordon, a U.S Navy veteran and adjunct professor at Oklahoma State University — Oklahoma City, also sees blight as an issue in the ward, particularly along sections of NW 10th Street.

The area is in need of revitalization, said Gordon, who would seek help from the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City and fellow council members to spearhead economic development projects.

Gordon wants to see the overall quality of life improve in Ward 1 for retaining and attracting growth.

The city has critics who say the focus on downtown has overshadowed other

Jonathan Clour | Photo provided

James Greiner | Photo provided

areas. Gordon believes the city can do more to help growth and bring transformational change in areas like Ward 1 but does support downtown redevelopment as well as redevelopment in other wards.

“A healthy core needs the suburbs, and the suburbs need a healthy core,” Gordon said. “I think we can work through this by ensuring that our suburban areas are being truly represented in a vocal way while working with and understanding we are in this together.”

James Greiner

Ward 1 residents elected Greiner about three and a half years ago. With a keen interest in politics, Greiner’s first campaign centered around knocking on doors throughout Ward 1 neighborhoods and speaking about the issues with voters.

“At that point in my life, I felt like I needed to get out of my comfort zone and do something different,” Greiner said when explaining his desire to seek the Ward 1 seat. “That’s really where I felt God pushing me out.”

During his time on the council, Greiner has championed efforts to confront blight in neighborhoods. Two years ago, the Oklahoma City Council passed an ordinance to collect fines from abandoned building owners for police and fire expenses. Now, during council meetings, the council reviews inspection reports on dilapidated, unsecured and abandoned properties. The goal of the abandoned buildings program is to bring property owners into compliance. Already, Greiner said, the program is seeing results in Ward 1 and other areas of the city.

Concerns about blight in neighborhoods and an uptick in crime remain top issues for Greiner’s reelection campaign.

The senior graphic designer in Hobby Lobby’s art/creative department supports a new fire and police training facility as a project of the 2017 General Obligation Bond issue.

“We share a facility with OSU-OKC,” Greiner explained. “That really restricts the number of recruits for our police department, and it hinders [us] from hiring more than just what attrition takes away.

If we want to be serious about increasing the police department to the point it needs to be, that is going to be something we

Chris Gordon | Photo provided

really need. And allocating more money to hire more officers.”

Greiner, who names conservative financial management as a priority, supports street resurfacing over road widening projects because “we get the biggest bang for our buck.”

“Over the last few years, the citizens survey has said citizens are most dissatisfied with their streets,” Greiner said. “It is hands down the biggest issue. When people are talking about streets, for the most part, they are talking about arterial streets that everyone drives on every single day. When you talk about resurfacing one of those streets, it is a lot cheaper than widening.”

The election is Feb. 14. The deadline to register to vote is Friday.

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NEWS

Minor threat

Use of electronic nicotine delivery systems, or e-cigarettes, by high school-aged youth more than tripled from 2013 to 2015, Oklahoma State Department of Health data shows. By Lea Terry

In December, the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General issued its first-ever report regarding American e-cigarette use, specifically among young adults. In the report, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy notes the skyrocketing use of electronic cigarettes, or nicotine-based inhalable vaporizers, among teens and young adults, along with potential health impacts and long-term effects. In Oklahoma, e-cigarette use among young adults is also growing, and local health experts share the surgeon general’s concerns about the possible consequences.

“Their brains are still developing up until age 25,” said Brittney Hodges, Oklahoma City-County Health Department youth tobacco control coordinator. “For anyone who uses a nicotine product, especially when they’re in that younger age bracket, it’s potentially going to have long-term effects to their brain development.”

Growing problem

According to the Surgeon General report, e-cigarette use among high school students increased 900 percent between 2011 and 2015 and is now more commonly used than other forms of tobacco, including cigarettes.

While the statistic sounds shocking, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) president Stephen Prescott cautioned that it might not be as alarming as the headlines suggest because data also 10

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includes youths who tried e-cigarettes but are not regular users.

That said, more teens in Oklahoma and across the U.S. are regular users. Also, “the overwhelming majority of individuals began using tobacco products by age 18,” the report states in its executive summary.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s 2015 Oklahoma Youth Tobacco Survey, e-cigarette use among high school students increased from 6.3 percent in 2013 to 19 percent in 2015.

Among Oklahoma middle students, e-cigarette use increased from 2.6 percent in 2013 to 6.7 percent in 2015.

I think the general public should definitely pay attention.

Brittney Hodges The U.S. Surgeon General’s report shows the top reasons youth gave for trying ecigarettes were curiosity, the many flavorings available and the belief that they are safer than regular cigarettes.

Prescott added that teens might con-

Photo bigstockphoto.com

sider vaping a “renegade activity” because their parents disapprove of it. They also are less regulated than combustible cigarettes and easier to access. However, this could soon change with the Food and Drug Administration’s stricter rules implemented in May 2016 through its Center for Tobacco Products. Through the “deeming rule,” the FDA broadened its definition of what’s considered a tobacco product and what the agency has authority over.

Safer alternative?

Electronic nicotine delivery systems like e-cigs have been touted as a safer alternative to combustible cigarettes and other forms of tobacco and as a smoking cessation aid.

While e-cigarettes do differ from combustible cigarettes, there’s no consensus on just how much safer they might be.

“Some people say, you know, 90 percent safer, 80 percent; others say it’s not that much, but that’s quibbling a little bit,” Prescott said.

He added that one thing is certain, namely that e-cigarettes don’t contain the tar found in cigarettes. Tar, the chemical residue left behind by burning cigarettes, is the compound blamed for contributing to cancer development. However, e-cigarettes do contain nicotine, which is known to be addictive. Additionally, e-cigarette use is not an FDA-approved method of smoking cessation, and the American Lung Association does not currently support any direct or implied claim that e-cig use is effective as a smoking cessation tool.

Prescott added that nicotine could be especially dangerous if someone has a preexisting health condition like heart disease.

Plus, there are other chemicals in e-cigarettes, the long-term effects of which are not known.

John Woods, Oklahoma Tobacco

Settlement Endowment Trust executive director, said not enough research has been done to determine the long-term effects of e-cigarettes. Because they are a relatively new product, opinions about just how harmful they might be are widely varied.

“It’s a product that is yet to be regulated and yet to be fully studied, and so we’re in a cautious mode when it comes to the use and delivery of e-nicotine products,” Woods said.

The surgeon general’s report notes that the developing brains of young people are more vulnerable to possible negative effects than those of adults, and thus more susceptible to damage including disordered mood, impulse control, inattention and cognition. The report pointed out that because nicotine is addictive, young people could start out using e-cigarettes, which “prime” their brains to seek other addictive substances, including traditional combustible cigarettes.

Prescott pointed out that while some people believe e-cigarettes release only water vapor, they also contain chemicals.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health notes that the exhaled aerosol from e-cigarettes contains propylene glycol, glycerol, flavorings and nicotine along with acetone, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propanal, diacetin and triacitine.

The surgeon general’s report also called for stricter regulation of how ecigarettes are marketed to and accessed by youth. The surgeon general encouraged immediate action at all levels, including federal, local and tribal, to restrict access and use of e-cigarettes. Recommended actions include adding them to existing smoking bans and increasing both the cost and the taxes charged.

The report also noted that e-cigarette manufacturers use advertising and marketing tactics targeting youth that are similar to those used in the past for traditional tobacco products. Some measures have already been implemented, including restricting the sale of e-cigarettes to adults age 18 and over, a measure the FDA enacted in August.

Woods said while parents can often tell when their children have been smoking cigarettes, they might not be as aware of e-cigarettes. However, this report could change that.

“The report is important for the awareness it brings and the conversation it brings to the family dinner table in regard to utilizing a harmful product for youth,” Woods said.

Hodges encouraged people to take the report seriously, noting the significance of the surgeon general making clear and decisive determinations and encouraging prompt lawmaker action.

“I think the general public should definitely pay attention to what’s being communicated,” Hodges said, “because they don’t issue things lightly.”

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O kg a z e t t e . c o m | J A N U A R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 7

11

chicken

friedNEWS

Bricktown bounty

Bricktown is going dry for the first time since 2012.

There will still be beer, wine and liquor aplenty — it’s Bricktown, after all — but Oklahoma City Parks & Recreation Department began draining Bricktown Canal Jan. 17.

The one-mile stretch of water runs from west of Zio’s Italian Kitchen, 12 E. California Ave., to the southeast, where it ends just shy of the Oklahoma River.

It hasn’t been cleaned since January 2012.

If that seems like a long time, then we’ll tell you the canal can hold about 3 million gallons of water. Parks Department personnel are using tractors and fire hoses to remove silt and refuse that has collected at the bottom over the last five years.

“It’s remarkable the amount of debris that can accumulate in a few short years, not to mention the interesting items dropped into the canal by visitors to the Bricktown area,” parks director Doug Kupper said in a press release.

No doubt there’s a thick layer of Oklahoma red dirt lining the bottom of the canal, but we’re all wondering what else might be found.

Place your bets, folks. What lurks beneath the canal, waiting to be disinterred?

A) Hundreds of Kevin Durant jerseys abandoned by former fans?

B) The fabled lost treasure of Spaghetti Warehouse?

C) What at first looks like a corpse but turns out to be a bunch of Sonic corndog sticks?

D) Ole Bricky, the catfish that grants wishes?

Don’t fret, lovebirds! The canal should be repaired, refilled and flowing again by Valentine’s Day, because nothing says romance like a leisurely boat ride along the hygienic Bricktown Canal.

Keith to the kingdom

It looks like this year’s presidential inauguration will be coming to Americans courtesy of Toby Keith’s “Red, White and Blue.”

The organizing committee for Presidentelect Donald Trump’s inaugural ceremony announced on its official social media platforms Jan. 13 that the Oklahoma-born country music star and Norman resident will headline Thursday’s inaugural concert alongside acts like Southern rock band 3 Doors Down.

It’s fitting that Oklahoma has some representation in the upcoming inauguration festivities.

In the 2016 presidential election, every state county went red for Trump.

Still, the commitment from Keith specifically is a little surprising. The country music star has voiced at least some suppor t for President Barack Obama at various times in the past. In 2009, Keith performed in Oslo, Norway, in a concert before Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Yet Keith was also a featured performer at a private sponsor party at 2016’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. In a Q&A by Chicago Tribune before the announcement of Keith’s inaugural performance, the self-described

“registered Independent” said he was not backing anyone for president in 2016 and that he played the private RNC gig because they paid him “a buttload of money.”

In an August interview with Cleveland. com, Keith said he previously has supported presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton as well.

The singer released a public statement defending his inauguration booking shortly after the news became public. He repeated his support for past administrations.

“I don’t apologize for performing for our country or military,” he said. “I performed at events for previous presidents Bush and Obama and over 200 shows in Iraq and Afghanistan for the USO (United Service Organizations).”

With this performance at Trump’s inauguration festivities, it looks as if Keith is willing to give a fair chance to anyone who takes up White House residency.

‘Where’s the money?’

The Oklahoma Beef Council needed Clara Peller.

Remember Peller? In the 1980s fast-food commercials, Peller portrayed an old lady demanding more meat and a Wendy’s hamburger. The feisty senior bleated, “Where’s the beef?!” and launched a nationwide pop culture catchphrase that morphed into the existential question of an entire generation.

She died in 1987 (rest her soul), but if Peller was to stand today in front of

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Oklahoma Beef Council’s counter, we’re confident she would ask, “Where’s the money?!”

After all, the state board collects dollars — lots of them. Not from Wendy’s customers, obviously, but from farmers and ranchers. Under the 1985 Farm Bill, each time a person sells a cow, a $1-a-head fee is sent to the Oklahoma Beef Council under the Beef Checkoff program, which funds marketing and research for the cattle industry. Half stays with the council and half goes to the federal Cattlemen’s Beef Board. (The group is responsible for the “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner” commercials.

Isn’t beef marketing the best?)

This fall, a federal civil lawsuit filed against a former council employee alleged Oklahoma Beef Council’s coffers were short. The lawsuit seeks to recover the funds from former accounting and compliance manager Melissa Morton, who allegedly embezzled the cash, according to StateImpact Oklahoma.

Say it with us: “Where’s the money?!”

We at Chicken-Fried News have written a time or two about embezzlement cases, but we are scratching our heads about this one. Through joint reporting, StateImpact and Harvest Public Media learned the feds are now investigating a council employee’s alleged of embezzlement of $2.6 million.

Say it again: “Where’s the money?!”

According to StateImpact, Oklahoma Beef Council discovered the embezzlement just six months ago, but it might have started with forged checks as early as 2009.

The forged checks continued. In fact, five years later, the compliance manager allegedly embezzled more than $315,000, which is close to 9 percent of the organization’s annual revenue, StateImpact reported.

Ah, yes; there’s Peller shouting, “Where’s the money?!”

We sure hope the U.S. attorney’s office in Oklahoma City gets to the bottom of this.

If guilty, we are either dealing with a very bold and daring thief or a large-scale conspiracy driven by opponents of the Beef Checkoff program.

Unlike real life (well, sort of), in which Peller found the beef in that 1985 com-

mercial, we’re not as confident she would be handed a big pile of that missing dough.

Smack talk

For a brief moment in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s road game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Russell Westbrook didn’t use his head.

But he did use someone else’s.

After a Thunder timeout in the first quarter of the Jan. 4 game, while Westbrook walked over to the team huddle, he nonchalantly passed the ball across the court to an unaware referee, pegging him with a crisp line drive to the right side of his head.

Westbrook looked genuinely remorseful, but another game official immediately called a technical foul on the guard.

The Thunder star’s reputation might have preceded him on the call, as Westbrook has already earned nine technical fouls this season. Earlier that day, National Basketball League officials had rescinded two technical calls made earlier in the season.

At Chicken-Fried News press time, Westbrook was tied with the Sacramento Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins for the most technical fouls in the NBA. There’s a reason we haven’t changed the name of our esteemed satirical ChickenFried News roundup to The Protein Powder Report. As shocking as this might be to read, the hard-charging Chicken-Fried News panel is comprised of, at best, pedestrian-level hacks — er, we mean athletes.

Unfortunately, Westbrook’s misfire brings back painful middle-school dodge ball memories for us. The smell of hot rubber is the last thing this writer remembers before that whistling red ball torpedoed me squarely in the nose.

Unlike 14-year-old Billy the Bully, Westbrook clearly had no ill intent when he lobbed that ball toward the ref, and the league should remove the ball-slap mishap technical from his record.

Now if only there was a way to erase the pain of that gym class.

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letters

NEWS 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.

Looming disaster

Trump’s incoherence on single payer (Canada) mirrors his confused foreign policy (make Russia great again). AARP recently debunked many of the myths about Canadian health care: Fewer than 1 percent of patients leave the country for operations.

Yes, Canadians do experience long wait times in many cases, but this is due to a lack of resources, not single payer like Medicare, which does a great job of taking care of seniors in the U.S. Data from the OECD show that the U.S. spent 17.1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care in 2013. This was almost 50 percent more than the next-highest spender (France, 11.6 percent of GDP) and almost double what was spent in the U.K. (8.8 percent). Canada spends 10.7 percent of GDP. The United States’ spending per person was equivalent to $9,267. Canada’s is $4,569 per capita —

you get what you pay for. Trump falsely told Rush Limbaugh that Canada’s system is a “disaster in terms of cost” (factually nearly $5,000 per capita cheaper than America’s bloated health spending).

And here’s a news flash: We already have government-run health care in the U.S. Taxfunded expenditures accounted for 64.3 percent of U.S. health spending — about $1.9 trillion — in 2013(before Obamacare), according to new data published in the American Journal of Public Health.

Government spending on health care costs in the U.S. was the highest of any nation in 2013, including countries with universal health programs such as Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

(Estimated total U.S. health spending for 2013 was $9,267 per capita, with government’s share being $5,960.) Direct government payments for such programs as Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Administration accounted for 47.8 percent of overall health spending.

Thousands (if not millions) of Americans are justly terrified that 22 million people will be thrown under the bus by the GOP, yanking lifesaving insurance with only a vague promise of some future replacement plan.

If you want an idea of what comes next, consider the lunatic scam by the evil little weasel Paul Ryan to privatize Medicare, our universally acclaimed single payer system.

The Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of Ryan’s deranged Medicare scheme concluded it would cost seniors $6,358.97 a year more (by 2022) than Medicare for the same benefits because Medicare will be 36 percent cheaper than private insurance due to dramatically lower administrative costs.

The Kaiser Family Foundation also blasted more recent versions of this abomination: “Under the proposal, a typical 65-year-old retiring in 2022 would be expected to devote nearly half their monthly Social Security checks toward health care costs, more than double what they would spend under current Medicare law,” Kaiser wrote in its report summary.

DW Tiffee Norman

Hated it

I just went through the Gazette’s top music for 2016 (Music, “Year in review,” Ben Luschen, Jan. 4), and although I am no one’s music critic, nor do I possess a degree in music nor do I teach music, I was quite disappointed with the top choices and wonder how they even made anyone’s playlist.

With all the musical talent being played and released every day, I am left to wonder if those selections were made through payola. Those were just pathetic choices.

Cecil Claytor Oklahoma City

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14

review

EAT & DRINK

Food pyramid

Yümmy Mümmy surpasses its cute premise with healthy, hearty Egyptian wraps and entrees.

By Greg Elwell

The real kicker were the pickles, oddly enough. Like so Yümmy Mümmy many dishes, this wrap really 13415 N. Pennsylvania Ave. benefits from a contrast yummymummyok.com | 405-752-6055 flavor. The heat of the chicken and the texture of the cheese What works: Wraps are affordable, filling and delicious. Chicken fatta is super satisfying. and mayo need the sour crunch of the pickle to set What needs work: Creating fresh food them off. takes time, but that means a little wait Anyone trying to steer ordering. clear of meat will be pleased Tip: Lemonade will cut through the with a veggie mummy wrap, creeping heat of some entrees. which is similar to the beef mummy wrap but with falafel in place of meat. Falafel are Yümmy Mümmy is so adorable, it’s almost fried patties made from hard to believe it’s local. ground and seasoned chickpeas.

The wraps don’t come with a side, but The logo is a cute cartoon mummy who looks a bit bewildered by all the attention.

I highly recommend skipping the perOne wall of the restaurant, 13415 N. fectly serviceable french fries and opting Pennsylvania Ave., features reproductions instead for an order of spicy potatoes of Egyptian antiquities. Even the name is ($2.99). They’re simple roasted potatoes, clever, memorable and endearing. but Yümmy Mümmy tosses them with a Yümmy Mümmy is the brainchild of secret spicy recipe seasoning and fresh owner Mohamed Hussein. When he opened herbs. The potatoes on top are lovely, but the eatery in 2016, the plan was to offer as you reach the bottom of the basket, the only two kinds of sandwiches: beef mummy heat and flavors intensify and every bite gets better. wraps and chicken mummy wraps.

But customers like options. So he exThe heat snuck up on me in Yümmy panded the menu little by little, filling Mümmy’s lentil soup ($4.99), but it was some holes and making Yümmy Mümmy glorious. The creamy orange soup made more of a full-fledged restaurant. with lentils, potato, carrots, tomato, onion Having tried many of the new addiand garlic is a perfect first course on some tions, I’m glad Yümmy Mümmy stretched of Oklahoma’s recent frigid evenings, especially with its slow-building spice. It’s the menu a bit. But I’d still recommend not a heavy soup, but it keeps one feeling anyone give it a try based on those first satiated long after the meal is over. two wraps.

Not everyone is quite so enamored of As amusing as the names are, the beef mummy wrap ($7.49) and chicken mummy spicy dishes, which makes King Tut’s salad wrap ($6.49) contradict everything I ($5.99) all the more appealing. It’s not a assumed I knew about eating a mummy. terribly complex mixture — lettuce, cuNamely, they weren’t dry and chewy. cumber, green pepper and red onion I’m not sure why beef seems an odd mixed with a mint vinaigrette — but it’s choice for a wrap, but the meat used at light and has a tartness that cuts through Yümmy Mümmy is marinated to keep it some of the other, richer flavors that tend moist and flavorful. A beef mummy wrap to dominate the palate. Fried pita bites also includes tomatoes, parsley and red add texture and soak up some of the vinonions, which give each bite a bit of snap aigrette, so you get little pops of added and keep it feeling fresh, along with mozflavor as you eat. zarella cheese and tahini for a creamy, Those same fried bread pieces find their decadent texture. way into another dish on the other end of Tahini is sauce made from ground the flavor spectrum. Chicken fatta ($6.49) sesame seeds and oil, and it’s a staple in is a rice bowl topped with shredded, marinated chicken; pita bites; and a dollop of Middle Eastern cuisine. It can be mildly bitter, but it also adds nuttiness to dishes garlic sauce. Though it’s delivered to the (including hummus), and it gives the beef table in a neat little stack, it must be mixed mummy wrap another dimension of flavor. up by hand for maximum enjoyment.

The jasmine rice is warm and filling, I ate this sandwich like a monster, which is keeping with the theme. each grain cooked perfectly to keep it light The same thing happened to the and fluffy. It soaks up a bit of the marinade chicken mummy wrap, which is an even from the chicken, which spreads the flavor simpler combination of seasoned pulled throughout the dish. Garlic sauce acts as chicken, parsley, mozzarella, garlic sauce a natural adhesive, holding pieces of and pickles. The chicken hides a little snarl chicken, pita bites and rice together so of spice that pounced on my taste buds every bite is a little different while still and wouldn’t let go. giving the diner a taste of all the ingredi-

King Tut salad | Photo Greg Elwell

Veggie mummy wrap | Photo Greg Elwell

ents. Texturally, it’s a joy. The meat has a tender chew, the rice is soft, the pita is crunchy and the garlic sauce is smooth.

I’m not sure how prevalent Tex-Mex is in Egypt, but the Egyptian quesadilla ($6.99) would be a welcome addition to any cuisine. It’s a simple tortilla folded around ground beef with secret spices, grilled and served with a side of fries.

The ground beef has an aromatic quality and texture that’s different from the marinated beef in the beef mummy wrap. It had a hint of cinnamon, I think, and reminded me of the spiced Greek chili served at Coney Island.

Yümmy Mümmy proudly serves freshsqueezed lemonade ($2.99) in a variety of flavors. I tried Mintal Madness, which is simply lemon-

ade with fresh mint, and Love Potion, which mixes wild berries with lemonade.

Mintal Madness was the more tart of the two but also a bit thinner texturally.

Watching the crushed berry juice swirl about the glass of Love Potion was captivating, as was the flavor, which is sweeter and makes it a bit easier to drink.

There will be a next time, no doubt.

Hussein and the rest of the Yümmy Mümmy crew have a winning formula on their hands. The food is better than the name and concept, and that’s a feat in and of itself.

Chicken fatta | Photo Greg Elwell

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EAT & DRINK Executive chef Beth Ann Lyon prepares organic lettuce for a salad at Provision Kitchen. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

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Restaurant remix

Struggling with a healthy eating resolution?

Use tips from local restaurants to eat better no matter who is cooking. By Greg Elwell

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn has said, “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”

At the dawn of a new year, many people make a resolution to “eat right,” but what does that really mean?

Oklahoma Gazette spoke with local restaurateurs about how to eat right and well at home and out on the town.

Hydrate mandate

“I’m better at 37 than I ever was at 25,” said Provision Kitchen executive chef Beth Ann Lyon.

Cooking in restaurant kitchens is hard work, but it can take another kind of toll, too. Late nights and an unhealthy diet had her worn down at a time when, as a new mother, she needed more energy.

In 2015, rather than deep-frying corn fritters and ladling lavish sauces over entrees, she joined Provision Kitchen managing partner Whitney McClendon at the new farm-to-table organic eatery at 6443 Avondale Drive.

It changed her life. She said she has lost 50 pounds and feels healthier than ever.

The first rule of eating right is drinking right, she said.

“I always ask myself, ‘Am I hungry or am I thirsty?’” she said. “You always need water. Eight out of nine times, I’m thirsty and a big glass of water gets me through to my next meal.”

McClendon, a biologist and chemist with a master’s degree in public health, recom16

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mends starting each day with a cup of warm water with half a lemon squeezed in it before eating anything else.

“This balances your pH — you would think it would be acidic, but it actually alkalizes your system,” she said. “It also jump-starts digestion, will help hunger cravings throughout the day, boosts your immune system via the vitamin C in the lemon and is extremely hydrating.”

Lyon said those who need more flavor should also drink herbal tea throughout the day.

Fight fats

Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe & Market, 3131 W. Memorial Road, is a rarity in the local Middle Eastern cuisine scene because its menu lacks one popular and fatty entree: gyros.

“We make food flavored with flavor, not fat,” said owner Clayton Farhood.

Spices are an integral part of the Mediterranean diet.

“Seasoning adds so much flavor to the food without adding to the fat content,” he said.

One place chefs hide calories is in sauces, Farhood said.

“Any dish that has a cream sauce is going to raise fat and calorie content ridiculously,” he said.

McClendon said that rule includes salad dressings, too.

“When eating out, always ask for salad dressing and cheese on the side; you nor-

mally can get away with half of what most restaurants will serve without missing any flavor,” she said. “Ask for any sauce on the side as well, [as] this usually adds 100-200 calories of fat.”

Instead, McClendon recommended the low-maintenance fix of replacing sauce with a little salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

“This is easy to tell the waiter without feeling like you are drawing attention to yourself, which a lot of people worry about,” she explained.

Lyon said substituting acids in place of fats and using lots of fresh herbs keeps dishes flavorful without packing on extra calories.

Just ask

Farhood said more restaurants now post calorie counts and ingredients and mark healthier items on their menus. But if there isn’t any information, ask a waiter.

“When someone tells me they’re looking for a healthier option, I recommend our vegetarian plate,” he said.

With a cup of lentil soup, a lentil-andrice pilaf, a vegetarian cabbage roll, tabbouleh, hummus and pita, it’s a low-fat meal that satisfies.

“Lentils are going to be one of the 2017 superfoods,” Farhood said. “They’re low fat and high protein. We’re fortunate enough to be able to direct diners to several healthy items.”

Provision Kitchen lists its ingredients above the counter, along with information on where they come from. Many are sourced locally from McClendon’s organic farm.

“Eat real foods — your body will respond incredibly,” she said.

Customers leave full and satisfied.

They’re also losing weight.

“Since everything is made with the least processed, organic ingredients, your body knows what to do with the calories,” McClendon said.

But that doesn’t mean diners have to deprive themselves.

“Whole grain crackers and a cut of Parmesan or other favorite cheese, with

Sherry roasted Brussels sprouts | Photo Garett Fisbeck

two ingredients max, a scoop of organic ice cream or a few squares of dark chocolate — that’s a good start to new healthy habits,” she said.

Sherry Roasted Brussels Sprouts 1 pound Brussels sprouts, preferably organic 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, or coat lightly with olive oil cooking spray 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, preferably organic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash Brussels sprouts. Cut off any brown ends and halve lengthwise. Toss sprouts in oil.

Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Roast on a sheet pan for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove when crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Immediately toss with sherry vinegar. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve while hot.

Eliminate sherry vinegar and this is a great base recipe for any roasted vegetable such as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, squash, cubed white or sweet potatoes, etc. Feel free to substitute thyme with rosemary, sage or another herb.

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17

EAT & DRINK

f e at u r e

Volunteers unveil the Food for All OK truck before its inaugural season last year. The truck returns this spring to feed communities and those in need while helping Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. | Photo provided

Cheese please

Food for All OK truck gets ready to roll again and continues its drive to sate hunger. By Sara Yonker

People waiting in line for the trendiest dish at a food truck might be hungry, but they’re typically not confronted with the real epidemic of hunger: empty pantries and uncertainty about where the next meal will come from or going without food when times are desperate.

Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is changing that one gourmet grilled cheese sandwich at a time.

The food bank launched its Food for All OK truck in July after a social medialed initiative to select a charity cause steered by Made Possible By Us, a local company focused on fostering social change, and a crowdfunding campaign that raised more than $50,000 to cover the cost of the truck purchase.

By capitalizing on the popularity of food trucks and their obvious mobility, the project achieved several goals for the food bank. It spread the message of hunger needs in the area, raised money to help fight against it and brought meals to those who couldn’t always get to pantry locations.

In its inaugural season — the truck slowed through the summer months but rides again this spring — the Food for All truck visited eight community events and provided free meals to more than 400 Oklahomans. It also participated in Food Trucks with a Purpose, which provided free meals for hungry residents. Proceeds from food sales, $2,300, were donated to the food bank in December.

For each event Food for All participates in, a notable local chef creates a menu and volunteers his or her time cooking. Food and supplies are provided at wholesale prices

by Whole Foods Market. Volunteers man the mobile eatery. All of those things help drive down overhead costs so the most money possible can go back to help the food bank.

When the truck finished at a street festival or event, Adrian Young, who voluntarily manages the truck’s schedule and booking, would drive to bus stations and give away any leftovers.

“I just couldn’t tolerate food going to waste,” she said.

18

j a n u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Young, who was also part of the group that collaborated on the vision for the project, worked nearly every event last year.

“The point of the truck, in addition to fundraising, was to insert the topic of hunger at these pop culture street festival events,” she said. “I work every event like a carnival exhibit; I yell at people from inside the truck, I go up to people and talk about our cause.”

Visiting notable chefs help bolster the truck’s popularity when it competes with established, popular local food trucks at street festivals and other events.

“Each time, we have a volunteer chef, so even if you’ve tried our truck before, it will be different the next time you see us,” Young said.

That included a few variations of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, tortas and sliders.

Joanna Gold, head chef and owner of Gold Plated private chef service, created a bacon and gruyère sandwich with a berry summer salad when the truck stationed at the opening day of Bricktown Beach in June.

Since she launched her chef business before food trucks gained popularity, she had not experimented with food trucks and their distinctive style of food before. When she heard about the truck’s launch, she said she immediately asked to help.

“Having a small business, it’s hard to make decisions about who you’re going to give to or how you’re going to help,” Gold said. “You immediately want to, but it’s hard to know how. It was just a really good fit.”

The truck might make some changes as it prepares for the spring.

Organizers are developing a plan to work with all the chefs who expressed interest in helping the truck without taking them away from their kitchens when they’re needed most. They also plan to try to reduce overhead costs, such as food expenses, truck storage, insurance and licensing.

“We are having a good time and enjoying food, but we want to make things better for our city and community at the same time,” Young said.

Learn more at foodforallok.com.

f e at u r e

Straight mock Mocktails are the real deal for promoting healthier drinking habits.

By Greg Elwell

Holidays can be rough on the liver.

Whether overcoming the memories of an epic Jan. 1 hangover or participating in a “Drynuary” challenge to forgo alcohol for a month, plenty of people kick off healthy resolutions with a goal to reduce booze consumption.

That’s good news for AAA Oklahoma public affairs vice president Chuck Mai, who spearheads the association’s annual pamphlet of “mocktails.”

Since the 1980s, through its contest to create alcohol-free cocktails, the local chapter of the American Automobile Association has encouraged residents to avoid getting behind the wheel while inebriated.

“It’s a means to do something positive about a serious problem: drinking and driving,” Mai said. “Waving fingers in people’s faces is not always the most effective way to change behavior.”

The annual Great Pretenders Mocktail Mix-Off competition draws in professional and amateur bartenders to create zero-proof drinks. The November contest drew in nine bartenders who created original, alcohol-free cocktails.

A m ateu r ba r tender Won n a Cornelson’s mocktail Hawaiian Snow Storm earned the $1,000 first prize.

Ashley Flannigan of Boulevard Steakhouse in Edmond took home $700 for her second-place drink Pama-ChaiTini. Cookie’s Bar employee Shannon Wasson won $300 for her basil-infused kiwi strawberry mojito.

It’s best when people completely avoid alcohol when they plan to drive, but Mai said that’s not always realistic. Instead, the Mocktail Mix-Off encourages party hosts to create alcohol-free drinks that can be enjoyed by kids, nondrinkers and guests who want to avoid overconsuming alcohol.

Most mocktails resemble their alcoholic counterparts and have more sophisticated flavors than sugary soft drinks, giving drinkers added reason to switch between alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.

For a complete list of 2016 mocktails, visit aaa.com/mocktail.

Hawaiian Snow Storm

by Wonna Cornelson Ingredients 1 cup coconut milk 1/4 cup heavy or light whipping cream 1/2 cup small ice cubes 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar 3 1-oz. pieces pineapple, fresh or frozen 3/4 cup cherry pie filling, frozen Fresh cherries Unsweetened coconut flakes Optional: whipped topping and crushed nuts Combine the first six ingredients in a blender and whip until mixed.

Sprinkle coconut flakes on top.

Pour into three glasses and add cherry (and whipped topping and nuts, if using) as a garnish.

Pama-Chai-Tini

by Ashley Flannigan Ingredients 1 oz. chai tea concentrate 1 oz. pomegranate juice 1/2 lemon, squeezed 1/2 oz. simple syrup 2 oz. ginger ale 1 star anise for garnish Combine first four ingredients with ice and shake.

Pour into martini glass and top with ginger ale. Float star anise on top.

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f e at u r e

Certified organic chicken shelters | Photo bigstock.com

Ag aggravation

Proposed USDA rules regarding organic farming spur a free-ranging debate. By George Lang

A proposed new rule for labeling organic meats would add more requirements for certification, and while the regulation would provide more open air for livestock and poultry, it could also muddy the definition of “organic” for consumers.

In April, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a proposed rule change for organic meats. Under the proposal, organic farmers would be required to follow new quality-of-life requirements such as minimum indoor and outdoor space requirements for poultry and adhere to physical changes in facilities.

For instance, in the case of organic poultry production, facilities would be partially enclosed by netting rather than fully enclosed by solid materials, allowing for greater free movement by the chickens or other poultry.

The USDA reports that organic products account for about 4 percent of total food sales in the United States. Vegetables and fruits comprise the clear majority of the organics market at 43 percent. Meats constitute the smallest sector, tying with condiments at 3 percent. According to the USDA, since implementing organic regulations in 2002, the producers and demand for all organic products has skyrocketed. The market has tripled in that time, and the USDA said in a Nov. 10 statement that more than 22,000 certified organic operations drive more than $43 billion in sales across America.

Why change?

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According to Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry deputy commissioner Betty Thompson, the proposed changes could create confusion regarding the meaning of “organic” on food labeling.

“It is mainly focused on animal lifestyle and animal welfare,” Thompson said. “I am not opposed to an animal having a comfortable life, but what I don’t want is for consumers to be confused about what organic means. Organic is production without fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, any type of pharmaceutical, herbicides, all of that — that is organic. An animal that is being grazed with a comfortable lifestyle is not the definition of organic; that is good animal welfare practices.”

The new rule was met with expected scrutiny from the antiregulatory sectors of Congress. U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, deployed snark regarding portions of the rule that call for poultry to be encouraged to go outside during an interview with FarmFutures.com.

“It might be yoga, video games, sports, a gourmet meal or maybe even a strolling violin,” Roberts said.

Hilarity aside, Thompson said the open-air requirements could potentially have negative impacts on the health of poultry. Last year, spread of the H5N2 virus, or avian flu, killed 48.1 million chickens, turkeys and game birds. Spread of the avian flu is partly caused by exposure to other birds’ feces.

“It was devastating,” Thompson said.

“But you didn’t see it happening with chickens that weren’t exposed to the outside. But these requirements that would have only netting; it’s a little crude, but you have to think about the fact that a bird dropping is not going to be prevented from coming into a poultry pen by sheer netting.”

Once the USDA opened the rule for public comment, Thompson said the agency received over 5,000 submissions

regarding the proposed change. While the new rule was expected to be implemented after the comment period concluded in June, that period was extended into 2017 and is still open so the agency can review and respond.

While the efficacy of the rules is challenged, providers of grass-fed, cruelty-free meat could find it easier to market their products.

‘Pivot point’

“This seems like a pretty good pivot,” said Matthew Burch. “This looks like a good clarification and reframing.”

Burch is longtime owner and founder of local food distributor and retailer Urban Agrarian, which sold locally grown produce to residents, restaurants and businesses for close to a decade from its bohemian shop in the downtown Farmers Market District.

His shop is in the process of closing and remains open a few more weekends into the new year as locals scramble to find a comparable replacement.

The shop sourced and sold pastureraised, grass-fed beef, much of which could not be technically certified as organic because they are not fed certified organic grains, which Burch said can be prohibitively expensive.

While the new rule does not change the dietary requirements for organic certification, Burch said the proposed rules for habitat could eventually lead to a more inclusive definition of organic for suppliers.

“We’re really dealing with family farms, not industrial operators,” he explained. “We look at purchasing from farms with healthy animals that aren’t being subjected to any preemptive use of antibiotics, growth hormones or concentrated animal feeding operations that have access to the forages that they would have in nature. But the conversation regarding organic chicken or pork or beef has always been a nebulous one.”

Learn more about USDA Organic certification and find data and financial resources at ams.usda.gov. Comment and read more about the proposed changes at regulations.gov.

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y pills d to take m “I just wante alone.” and be left le,

arab became unbe lie’s When living Cal d be m nu pills get prescription e decided to sh n he W . om fr pain away t or d Way supp very clean, Unite u made reco yo e lik s an hen w d Oklahom an st u here will yo W . le ib ss po up? eds a hand someone ne

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry deputy commissioner Betty Thompson | Photo provided

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g a z e di b l e s

eat & DRINK

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Maybe the question “What’s good here?” should be replaced by a more important phrase: “What’s good for you here?” If we are what we eat, most of us are walking, talking piles of Tex-Mex enchiladas, barbecued balogna and double onion burgers.

Eating right and eating well aren’t mutually exclusive concepts, friends, and here’s the proof.

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Fung’s Kitchen

3321 N. Classen Blvd. fungskitchenoklahoma.com 405-524-4133 Wolverine would’ve been the easiest mutant to defeat if he had osteoporosis. And while everyone’s favorite fictional Canadian superhero drank plenty of milk, he also got 70 mg of calcium a day from broccoli. You’ll find some in an order of Fung’s Kitchen’s beef and broccoli. Adults need about 700 mg of calcium daily, whether or not they’re fighting Sabretooth, so get to eating. A word to the wise, though: Sheath those claws and use the chopsticks.

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Give your heart a healthy dose of red wine to improve your levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. A 4 oz. pour or two a day will do, so don’t drain the bottle. Visit Michelangelo’s Coffee and Wine Bar in Norman for a glass of vino and maybe share an ensalata di caprese salad with someone special. See? Wine can be good for the heart in more ways than one.

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h ealt h

ARTS & CULTURE

Weighed down Oklahoma’s obesity epidemic impacts all aspects of our daily lives, from emotional well-being and stress management to physical health. By Terre Cooke Chaffin

Editor’s note: Weighed Down is an Oklahoma Gazette series about health, weight loss, treatments, behaviors and the paths and challenges of sustainable success.

“I’ve tried every diet in the world, and every time I make a mistake and experience failure, like gain five pounds overnight, I quit,” Sarah Creech said during a recent Oklahoma Gazette phone interview.

She also said she’s pleased with her 5-foot-1-inch weight of 220 pounds. It took her three years to get there after tipping the scale at 430 pounds.

As an Oklahoman, Creech is not alone in her struggle with weight.

The Sooner State now has the eighthhighest obesity rate in the country, according to the State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America report released in September.

Heavy consequences

Nearly 7 in 10 adults age 20 and older in Oklahoma are overweight, up from 20 percent in 2000 and just 10 percent in 1990, the State of Obesity report shows.

Of that number, 38 percent are obese, meaning their body mass index (BMI) is greater than 35. BMI measures body fat determined by an equation using height and weight. A normal BMI is 20-25.

Anyone with a BMI over 40 is considered morbidly obese, also recognized as more 24

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than 100 pounds over national weight guidelines.

These numbers tell us we are in the midst of an epidemic. This illness is not carried by a vector or transmittable from one person to the next. Obesity is a health crisis that is now considered a disease process all its own. For some, it might begin slowly, be considered a nuisance, be denied as a true health threat and categorized as something that registers but is unappreciated for its ability to spiral out of control. For others, being overweight might be the only state they have ever known. Either way, obesity contributes to life-threatening illnesses: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and gallbladder disease, arthritis, sleep apnea and even cancer.

Tracking progress

Weight management is an individualized treatment course. What works for one person might not work for another. A variety of stressors contribute to it, and unless someone is willing to examine unique challenges, there is little hope for sustained change.

Lori Manning, a registered dietitian at Mercy Hospital, has worked with weight loss patients for 20 years. Her passion for her work is clear as she discusses the subject. She believes everyone can achieve healthy, sustainable weight loss but

Dietician Lori Manning meets with patient Sara Creech at Mercy Hospital in Edmond. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

quickly points out there are no quick fixes and success requires a lifetime commitment.

“Emotional eating is a huge part for most of the people I see — it isn’t necessarily always food selection,” Manning explained. “Sometimes it’s how often they’re eating and how much they’re eating and the reasons behind that. We figure out what’s driving the eating and ask questions like ‘Is it more emotional versus hunger pain?’”

Manning’s practice includes one-onone weight management sessions. In the beginning, she has patients use a calorie counting app to teach them to be more aware of what kinds of calories they take in. Once they better understand how the calories add up, the apps aren’t required.

She doesn’t want her sessions to be about numbers and good food versus bad food. Her goals are to help clients know what healthy eating looks like and what emotional eating feels like. She concentrates on enabling patients to track exactly what they do in terms of food and movement on a daily basis.

Emotional eating is a huge part for most of the people I see — it isn’t necessarily always food selection.

Lori Manning

Fostering awareness

The key to long-term weight loss, Manning said, is developing habits that include a balanced intake of carbohydrates, proteins, fruits and vegetables coupled with daily movement. Each patient’s program is

tweaked as the hindrances to successful weight loss become obvious to the dietitian and patient in their individual sessions.

“What we try to do in our office is absolutely listen. We have clients who are eating too many carbs and we go in that direction,” Manning said. “But when you have someone coming in and you think, ‘Wait. No, that’s not the issue,’ you have to individualize.”

Are there any real rules? New diet crazes and trends erupt almost daily.

Manning’s response is so old-school, it’s refreshing: People set themselves up for failure by chasing one diet after another instead of learning to eat healthfully and have a good relationship with food.

Food journals often point to habitual choices like carbohydrate crazes in the evening to stave off extreme hunger or eating because one feels anxiety about a bad day, a bad relationship or even a celebration and then feels entitled to splurge just a bit. She said all these responses are normal, but her patients learn, more than anything, to listen to their bodies and emotions and not confuse hunger with fear, frustration or habit.

It takes time. Slips happen. Manning said her most important message to clients when they do make a mistake is to get back to what works, get back up again and back to the road that leads to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Many people quit because they’re frustrated with themselves rather than accepting it’s an ongoing part of life.

Emotional health

Manning is direct in her individualized approach.

“If I have someone who gets hungry between meals, we are intentional about making their meals smaller so they can eat every few hours,” she explained. “The

bottom line is it will always come down to calorie intake versus expenditure — the quality of food as far as how filling it is as well as the emotional piece. Is it hungerdriven or a habit or emotion-driven?”

Manning said her clients must learn to answer these questions for themselves.

After a lifetime of struggling with her weight, Creech hit bottom in 2013 when she hit 430 pounds. The embarrassment she said she felt about being diabetic and unable to care for herself finally hit when family came to visit and she could barely get up.

Three years into her treatment, she weighs 243 pounds. The first thing she did was cut out junk food — primarily soda and fast food. But she said the biggest change she made was asking for professional help.

Manning has been Creech’s dietitian, coach and chief supporter through her treatment, refining her emotional tool kit and reminding her that anxiety, frustration at work, anger, fear and other emotions are normal and don’t need to be numbed with food.

Creech said her first and most profound lesson was portion control. As she participated in sessions with Manning, she realized the extent to which she overate.

“Lori would break out measuring cups and spoons as we looked at my food journal. I had no understanding of portion size,” Creech said. “I still carry those measuring devices in my purse, as I don’t like to eyeball anything these days.”

Creech said she also prefers calories she can chew, avoiding protein shakes and beverages because for her, they are a joy killer.

Manning helped her develop coping techniques to avoid emotional eating in the midst of stress. Today, Creech knows to remove herself from the situation, get outside or go workout or even go to Wal-Mart or the library when she feels like eating after an argument or hard day at work.

Creech said she spent a lot of time pretending she was happy while, internally, she was miserable and felt isolated.

A demanding federal accounting job was an ocean of stress, but she finally realized she was the only one who could change.

Today, Creech embraces a lifestyle that includes healthy food choices, an awareness of feelings that she used to numb with food and a commitment to exercise. She knows if she gains weight during a holiday relapse or even sometimes binges on sweet, sugary food, she can move on and get back to what she knows works.

It takes time and commitment.

As Manning often reminds her clients, weight loss is a personal journey and people have to find what works for them.

TAKE THE GUESS WORK OUT OF YOUR WORKOUT

Coming up: Weighed Down examines weight management, hormones and diet pills before delving into a treatment many consider a more extreme measure: bariatric surgery.

About the author: Terre Cooke Chaffin is an Oklahoma City journalist, producer, writer and photographer. She specializes in physical and mental health, creativity and stories of personal growth. Her work encompasses her philosophy “Live Well Today.”

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YMCAOKC.ORG A family portrait of weight management patient Sara Creech top left before she lost almost half her body weight. | Photo provided O kg a z e t t e . c o m | J a n u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 7

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Lane merger

Oklahoma Men’s Roller Derby practices on alternating Sundays at Skate Fever in Tuttle. | Photo Tanya Locke / provided

Teams from Oklahoma City and Tulsa join forces to form Oklahoma Men’s Roller Derby. By Ben Luschen

Longtime skating rivals became teamBlack Heart Queens was cancelled. mates after roller derby teams OKC Wolf Do not think the match will be anyPack and Tulsa Derby Militia joined forces thing close to an easy victory for to form Oklahoma Men’s Roller Derby in Oklahoma, despite Texas’ “B-Team” disthe latter half of 2016. tinction. Texas Men’s Roller Derby is one The two teams might be playing toof the top-ranked teams in the nation, gether for the first time, but team member and its B-Team is expected to include many players from its regular roster, and assistant coach Steven Halter said years of competition means the two sides which includes Team USA members.

Aaron Anderson, an original member were far from strangers.

“There’s a few new of OKC Wolf Pack, said the faces on both sides, but former team began disnot many,” he said. “We cussing a possible merger Red River just had to work to skate with Tulsa Derby Militia Roller Rumble together instead of in January 2016, which against each other.” coincided with the start of Oklahoma Men’s Roller Roller derby is a a new roller derby season.

Derby vs Texas Men’s contact sport played by “Both sides kind of Roller Derby B-Team two teams of five inside a decided it was better to wait 5 p.m. Sunday roller rink. Teams earn at that point. It was kind of Star Skate last-minute,” he said. points when their own 2020 W. Lindsey St., designated skater — Anderson said the two Norman called a jammer — laps teams met in several meetfacebook.com/okmrd another team’s jammer. ings near the end of last 918-241-2342 Other players attempt to season to discuss the con$10-$12 stop the progress of the ditions of a potential opposing jammer while merger. It was not an easy clearing the way for their decision for either side. own. While the women’s game has become Both were proud of the time they spent the most known version of the sport, building a team identity.

However, in the end, they found more men’s teams are common as well.

Oklahoma Men’s Roller Derby comadvantages than disadvantages. A merger petes in the Men’s Roller Derby allows the teams to pull their collective Association (MRDA). It plays an unoffiresources into one pot, which is key for cial match Jan. 22 against Texas Men’s longevity in the MRDA. Combining the Roller Derby’s B-Team. A follow-up match two sets of players also gives Oklahoma featuring Tulsa County Roller Derby a stronger overall roster and forces Valkyries and South Central Roller Girls skaters to compete for playing time.

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j a n u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

“It pushes the competitiveness of it,” Anderson said.

Halter, who originally played for Tulsa, said both sides previously had a solid core of around five to six players who were very dedicated. Other players now have more incentive to become active now that those cores have united.

“It makes everyone else who’s kind of on the edge think, ‘Well, they’re taking strides and actually doing some things,’” Halter said.

Oklahoma Men’s Roller Derby practices Tuesdays at SKATES: Roller Skating Entertainment Center in Sand Springs and occasionally Wednesdays at a Skate Fever in Tuttle. Their main practice alternates between the two venues each Sunday.

A recent Sunday practice in Tuttle was Halter’s first official practice back on skates since breaking his leg in competition last year, ironically in a game against OKC. Halter bears no ill will toward his Oklahoma City teammates, nor did the injury make him rethink his participation in the sport.

“It’s not if it’s going to happen; it’s always just been when,” he said. “It took six years for me to get hurt, and I’ve played in some pretty competitive derby over my years.”

Even after the merger, Oklahoma Men’s Roller Derby welcomes new members. Halter suggested those interested in trying the sport contact the team about a good time to attend a practice.

“Basically, you show up and we can hook you up with some pads and skates and see how you like it,” he said.

Visit facebook.com/okmrd.

Act i v e

Growing calm

Edmond’s Float OKC announces it’ll soon open another sensory-deprivation therapy studio.

By Sara Yonker

It’s an hour, or sometimes more, of nothing — no light, no sound, no hot or cold sensations, no feelings; just floating.

It gives clients inside the water pods an escape from stressors, pain or problems and has proved popular in Oklahoma City.

Float OKC, the only floating sensorydeprivation therapy studio in the metro area, opened its doors nearly two years ago and offers one-hour sessions. The company will soon open a second location in Norman.

“We were having to turn people away from floats, especially on the weekends,” said owner Neal Smock. “We were booking out pretty far in advance.”

The current location at 180 W. 15th Street in Edmond features three floatation tanks.

In each tank, 10 inches of water is set at exactly 93.5 degrees so that it feels neither hot nor cold to skin, which is approximately the same temperature. Each tank has the equivalent of 900 pounds of Epsom salt in it, making the water dense so guests can float effortlessly. Each room is darkened and soundproofed to ensure no distractions

during the experience.

In essence, that’s all there is to it; clients feel weightless and shut out from the world.

However, the emotional and psychological experience is more than just the restriction of stimuli.

“The feeling you get from a nice float is really hard to describe,” Smock said. “We’ve had some people just say, ‘Well, that was quite an experience.’ But that’s usually the least amount people will say. The level of relaxation you can feel can almost be lifechanging.”

When the Edmond studio opened in 2015, Smock said, its first converts were typically just those who were curious.

Often, people with from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or just everyday stresses found the floats a welcome escape.

But Smock said those who found relief from chronic pain became evangelical in their praise for Float OKC. “By far, the people who seek us out are looking for help with stress and anxiety and mental overload,” he said. “They may leave

a float and feel like a weight was lifted but not say too much about it. When people have pain relief, they are surprisingly vocal about how floating is helping them.”

Epsom salt has properties that give sore muscles relief, so it’s no surprise to Smock that floats help with aching joints or back pain. The lack of stimuli has also helped customers who said they experienced regular headaches.

It gave Deb Luczycki a level of relaxation she couldn’t find during a spa massage.

“When I’m in a room, naked with a stranger (during a massage), there’s just part of my brain that doesn’t allow me to relax,” she said. “This is like a massage without a person. You’re able to relax every muscle in

your body.”

Luczycki said she has neck and upper back pain and remembers the relief that her float months ago gave her. She has another booked, and now that the business will open in Norman, where she lives, she plans to purchase a membership.

While most people enjoy floating for an hour, some clients have wanted to float longer, Smock said. About 15 percent of customers book two sessions back-to-back, and occasionally, customers sign up for multiple hours.

“There is kind of a spiritual side to the experience,” Luczycki said. “You just let yourself go. You don’t feel like you’re even in your own body.”

Float OKC plans to open a second location in Norman. | Photo Float OKC / provided

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ARTS & CULTURE

act i v e

Lisa Woodard of This Land Yoga teaches Yoga in the Gardens | Photo Myriad Botanical Gardens / provided

Budding medicine Myriad Botanical Gardens gives visitors a chance to get healthy naturally. By Sara Yonker

Just wandering around the lush landscapes at Myriad Botanical Gardens can be good for your health, but program organizers don’t want to let the benefits stop there.

This winter, programs at the gardens focus on enriching the mind, improving the body and nourishment.

“January is the time of year for new beginnings and to kick-start things,” said Ann Fleener, education director. “Our way of thinking at the gardens is that being healthy is a lot more than counting calories or going to the gym. It’s food and diet and exercise, but it’s also your mind and the things you focus on.”

Fleener has a master’s and doctorate degrees in socio-horticulture, which studies the impact plants have on people, so she is well-versed in the ways plants can help people. Much of those studies date back to a study in the 1980s that found hospital patients fared better when they had plants or a view of plants in their room.

Programs at the gardens will focus on all these peripheral benefits.

“If you walk in a garden, your blood pressure is lower, your stress level is down

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just from being in the presence of plants,” she said. “We are helping people to become aware of that and more. It’s amazing all the things that plants can do.”

Wellness Retreat

Saturday, the gardens offers its second annual Wellness Retreat, which focuses on a complete health experience. The retreat opens with a speaker discussing the benefits of natural herbs and allows participants to make their own herbal vinegar.

“A lot of people may know that peppermint is an astringent, but it’s also great for bloating,” Fleener said. “There are like 10 other things you can use it for. It’s really enlightening.”

Another speaker will discuss natural beauty remedies and give participants a restorative clay facemask. Lunch will be served by The Loaded Bowl, and someone from the restaurant will speak on eating quality, healthy foods that are grown locally.

The afternoon of the retreat will feature a yoga class and a mediation session and

discussion on mindfulness.

Some of the lessons taught at the retreat aren’t exclusive to that particular event.

The yoga classes, for example, remain some of the gardens’ most popular events.

Yoga in the Gardens is held weekly and is free for members. In good weather, the classes are held on the Great Lawn. During the winter and other inclement weather, participants practice in a room with a view of the gardens and fountains.

A new family yoga class that teaches yoga to children age 5 and their parents will be offered.

Public events coordinator Ashley Elkins said gardens visitors asked for this particular class.

“We actually had people who brought young ones to our regular yoga class,” she said. “We were worried about them getting injured or thought it might be a distraction for people who are really serious about the practice. Child yoga is really growing in popularity, so we figured we would give it a try.”

The gardens also plans to offer programs for its older visitors. A new event, Senior Day Out at the Gardens, will give visitors at least 62 years old a chance to have a private tour of the gardens and learn about specific topics geared toward them.

“It’s really an opportunity for us at the gardens to develop a relationship with our seniors,” Elkins said. “Seniors are some of the people who visit the gardens most, so we wanted to create something for them.”

Health & Wellness Retreat 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday Myriad Botanical Gardens 301 W. Reno Ave. myriadgardens.com 405-445-7080 $75-$85

Senior Day Out at the Gardens 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 26 $10-$12

Yoga in the Gardens 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays Free-$10 5:45 p.m. Wednesdays $5-$10

On Jan. 26, Senior Day Out includes a tour of the gardens, a seminar on vegetable gardening in small spaces and a discussion about types of plants that thrive in Oklahoma.

Myriad Botanical Gardens’ Health & Wellness Retreat is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. | Photo Carl Shortt Photography / Myriad Botanical Gardens / provided

act i v e

Runners at Higher Ground Running in Oklahoma City | Photo Higher Ground Running / provided

Higher gear

A former Navy SEAL aims to help Oklahoma City runners achieve their goals. By Sara Yonker

Zach Morton logged hundreds of miles of runs while deployed more than 7,000 miles away from home when the idea for a business based on his love for running began.

“I wasn’t going to be good enough to compete, and I didn’t want to sell shoes,” he said. “So me and my buddy just kept saying, ‘What could we do?’”

While in Iraq with the U.S. Navy SEAL team, Morton ran 660 miles over a sixmonth period and he and his friend developed the concept of a gym just for runners.

Higher Ground Running, Oklahoma City’s first running gym that caters to beginner runners and serious athletes focused on shaving seconds off their best times, is the fruition of more than a decade of dreaming.

The gym opened in October at 9644 N. May Ave. Morton and his team of fellow running enthusiasts, which includes past winners of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, NCAA athletes and coaches, spent more than a year preparing to open the business. Morton and his family moved here after more than 15 years away specifically to focus on the gym. Morton and his team visited similar running facilities in New York and California. They networked via friends and through social media, offering free introductory classes to get their name and concept out into the running community.

Unlike all-purpose gyms, Higher Ground is built for runners. The facility features an outdoor track, a weight room and Woodway 4Front treadmills, which Morton described as “the Bentley of treadmills.”

“If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right,” Morton said, explaining that the high-end treadmills have flat surfaces that minimize accidents caused by fast-moving belts and closely mimic outdoor trail running.

Much like a spin class helps cyclists train and stay engaged with upbeat music, varying intensities and intervals, Higher Ground’s running group exercise classes are more

intense and entertaining than a row of runners robotically jogging on treadmills.

Some classes, such as The Hills, offer extreme resistance variations much like a run up and down hills while The Flatlands is less intense. Each participant runs at a pace set by the coaches and based on their level and goals.

“The classes are a lot of fun, but they put the hurt on you,” said Shar El-Assi, who joined the gym when it opened after attending introductory running classes with the group at Bishop McGuinness High School’s track.

“The reason why I chose them is that they show they really care about you and your results. They individualized a plan for me. They motivate you. They actually want you to get better.”

El-Assi, a 45-year-old mental health care worker, ran track at his small high school in western Oklahoma and was part of the cross-country team at Oklahoma State University. In the last two years, he started running again to lose weight.

When he trained on his own, he lost 42 pounds and finished the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in 4 hours and 38 minutes. After taking speed classes at Higher Ground, he shaved 44 minutes off his time. At this year’s marathon in April, he hopes to finish in 3 hours and 40 minutes.

“I think I’ll get there with them,” he said.

“I think that anybody who tells you that they love running — they’re lying to you. I don’t like running; I like how I feel when I’m done.”

Other runners at Higher Ground are also improving — two have cut their times down to qualify for The Boston Marathon. Morton said he’s also reaching his goal and helping other runners get better.

The gym offers monthly memberships starting at $100, drop-in classes, personal coaching and marathon and half-marathon training.

Visit highergroundrunning.com.

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ARTS & CULTURE spouses or they have time to go to their son’s soccer games after school,” she said.

“Sometimes those things don’t feel like a huge resolution to achieve, but they add to their quality of life.”

LifeSquire in Oklahoma City currently has 15 employees, but through franchising, the service has expanded to Edmond, Tulsa and the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Visit lifesquire.com.

Resolution revolution LifeSquire founder Valerie Riley said there are a few steps people can take to move beyond simply saying they’re making a change to actually doing it.

1. Break it down. Losing 20 pounds immediately isn’t an option, but if people take apart their goals and create small, achievable steps, suddenly, they become possible.

H ealth

LifeSquire founder Valerie Riley began franchising the personal assistant placement business in 2015. | Photo Ty Carlson / provided

Squire inspired

LifeSquire founder Valerie Riley’s big tip for achieving New Year’s goals is to ask for help. By Greg Elwell

Rather than looking at a messy house as an impossible ship to right, Riley said people should organize a single drawer in their favorite room in the house.

2. Refocus daily. Writing down goals is a good first step, but to keep at them, you need to see them every day. If a goal is on someone’s mind, they are more likely to take positive steps to

There’s a reason there aren’t many original New Year’s resolutions.

The perennial favorites always return in January. Get healthy. Cook more meals at home. Eat out less. Hit the gym. Organize the house.

Why do they keep coming back? Because people don’t ask for help, said LifeSquire director of operations Katie Gibbons.

“Outsourcing your resolutions is a great way to do it,” she said. “Maybe they need someone to come out and do that initial organization. Or maybe they organized a room, but it’ll go back the way it was in two months unless someone has their hands on it.”

A big resolution people are asking for help with right now is meal prep.

Katie Gibbons

Oklahoma City-based LifeSquire, 1630 N. Blackwelder Ave., is a service built on the idea of being the helping hand clients need.

Valerie Riley founded the company in 2009 as The Riley Group.

In 2015, she began franchising the concept of an on-demand personal assis30

j a n u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

tant service.

“We basically do everything,” Gibbons said. “The best description is if you think of what you do on Saturdays, like laundry, grocery shopping or car maintenance; we can take care of that during the week and give you back your Saturday.”

Rippling rewards

Most LifeSquire clients keep the company on a monthly retainer for five-20 hours a week, Gibbons said.

“We do everything from childcare and transportation to administrative roles in offices,” she said. “A big resolution people are asking for help with right now is meal prep.”

In a quest to eat healthier, clients are asking LifeSquires to chop vegetables, start cooking meals before they can arrive home and prepare lunches for the family during the week, Gibbons said.

“It lets you spend more time doing things that make you happy,” she said. “Our clients are just people who are busy and overwhelmed and need some help.”

Relieving stress and giving people more time has a ripple effect on their lives, Gibbons said.

About six months into using the service, the extra time starts to translate in other positive ways.

“We’ve seen some clients who have time to go to the gym in the morning with their

achieve it.

3. Accept setbacks. Whatever a person strives for, it’s impractical to expect perfection. So if a person has a moment of weakness or a bad day, just try again the next day.

4. Celebrate success with rewards. It’s easy to get caught up in a goal but difficult to acknowledge when the goal is met, Riley said. The best rewards are those that help you move toward the next step. Someone who is cooking more at home might get a new knife or pan. If continuing to use the gym is important, make the reward a new pair of yoga pants or athletic shoes.

5. Ask for help. Nothing about setting a goal has to be a oneperson project. If a resolution requires assistance, figure out what is needed and ask for it.

That might mean working with a group of friends or family members to stay accountable or hiring someone to do a task.

OCCC Cultural Programs Presents

H ealth

NAMI Edmond North-OKC president Eileen Morefield addresses a group during a recent group meeting. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Family support NAMI hosts classes to help those caring for loved ones. By Mark Beutler

As Oklahoma deals with an ongoing budget crisis, state agencies routinely develop ways to operate more efficiently while providing quality services to clients.

One way of doing that is partnering with community agencies that can bridge the gap left by state funding cuts.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness’ (NAMI) local Edmond-North Oklahoma City chapter is one such group.

“More than 700,000 Oklahomans suffer from mental health issues,” said Eileen Morefield, local chapter president. “Our mission is to empower individuals, families and communities by providing hope and education about brain disorders.”

The national alliance was founded in 1979, and Morefield said the Edmond-North OKC chapter came into existence about a decade ago. It has about 100 members throughout the metro, and the organization is growing.

Beginning 6 p.m. Thursday, NAMI hosts an intensive education course for families facing mental illness-related issues. The free Family-to-Family course runs through April 6 at Midwest Boulevard Christian Church, 320 N. Midwest Blvd., in Midwest City.

Members meet about two and a half hours once a week and the class is open to family and caregivers age 18 and older, Morefield said. Featured topics are various diseases, medications, coping and communication skills, problem solving and more.

Morefield said the program will be of special interest to families or friends whose loved ones have recently been diagnosed with a mental illness. Sessions are led by trained family members with years of experience with related issues.

“One of our class participants said before they took the course they felt alone and overwhelmed dealing with their daughter’s mental illness,” Morefield said. “By taking this course, they said they met others who are going through the same things and learned about many resources that they never knew existed.”

NAMI is certified by the Better Business Bureau for meeting accountability standards, she said, and the American Institute of Philanthropy (now CharityWatch) awarded NAMI a B+ for its cost-effective charitable spending and fundraising practices in 2016.

While NAMI is doing what it can to help educate the public about mental health issues, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) also potentially faces another year of budget cuts.

“Oklahoma has among the highest rates of mental illness and substance abuse issues in the country,” said Jeff Dismukes, ODMHSAS director of communications.

“Yet the majority of Oklahomans in need of treatment do not get the services they need to find recovery. There simply are too few resources to keep up with demand. This is a problem that has existed for decades, and the recent budget crisis has made that situation much more difficult.”

Dismukes said brain diseases are treated differently than other illnesses, and he believes that must change.

“These illnesses can be successfully treated, especially when we get people needed help early in the disease process,” he said. “Left untreated, mental illness and addiction leads to negative consequences for the individual, families, our communities and the state as a whole.”

According to ODMHSAS, last year’s deficit forced significant budget cuts, resulting in reduced services for thousands of Oklahomans. Even so, Dismukes said brain health is imperative to overall health, and it is one of the most important issues Oklahoma must address.

“Access to appropriate care saves lives,” he said. “We need to fix disparities in the system.”

For additional information on NAMI’s Family-to-Family class, call 405-408-0886 or email edmond.nami@gmail.com.

A tribute to the Carpenters, complete with all their big hits, including "We've Only Just Begun," "Top of the World" and "Superstar," plus anecdotes and stories about Karen’s life and songs.

"When she hits the lower range of her marvelous voice, if you close your eyes, you can see Karen Carpenter's face." ~Alan Bresloff, Cabaret Critic, Around the Town Chicago

Saturday, January 21, 8:00 p. m. tickets.occc.edu • Box Office 405-682-7579 www.occc.edu/pas OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater Oklahoma City Community College 7777 South May Avenue

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ARTS & CULTURE married, raise my little girl, have three more healthy babies and work at LifeShare Oklahoma to save lives. His legacy lives on in me as I travel and share our story.”

She said becoming a donor is a simple process. It is supported by all major religions, and there is no cost. French said her donor’s selfless gift allows him to live on.

“Without his willingness to donate, I wouldn’t be here,” she said. “My husband wouldn’t have me, and our three little ones wouldn’t exist. My oldest would have grown up without a mom. The gifts a donor gives are beyond what anyone can even imagine. There is no greater gift than the gift of life.”

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H ealth

Nita French received a kidney and a pancreas from a man who saved the lives of five people with his organ donation. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Giving hope

LifeShare works with transplant centers to help those waiting for life-saving organs. By Mark Beutler

or one of these prizes Dinner for Two at iron star bbQ or A spa Day at eden salon

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Nita French was losing hope. Her strength was fading, and so was her faith that she would receive a life-saving kidney and pancreas transplant.

When she was placed on the transplant waiting list, French said she was excited at the prospect of being well and feeling good again. A few months later, she began dialysis and the pain and stress started taking its toll.

“It was indescribably difficult,” French told Oklahoma Gazette. “I hoped I wouldn’t have to wait long, and I waited six more months. I got the call about a donor and was giddy with excitement. But then the donor fell through. They told me it would come soon, but it didn’t come for another 12 months. I became weak and really started to wear out.”

The call about a second donor finally came, but ultimately, it didn’t work out either. French said that was when she fell apart and could not stop crying.

“I started thinking I was never going to get my transplant,” she said. “I thought maybe I would just continue to become sicker and then would possibly die without a transplant. I lost my hope I would one day be healthy. But every good party comes to an end, and my pity party was replaced with my decision to forge ahead because I had

to. I pulled up my bootstraps and continued to go to dialysis three days a week, follow a strict dialysis diet and try to have enough energy to take care of my little girl.”

Another two months went by, and the call she had been waiting for finally came.

“The transplant coordinator assured me this was this call, but I had my heart broken twice before and there was no way I was going to get excited again,” she said. “But the coordinator said ‘Are you ready to go to surgery?’ That was when I couldn’t contain my excitement. I could’ve done backflips all the way to the operating room.”

The surgery was a success, and French said there are no words to describe the feeling when a second chance at life has arrived.

“My mom cried when she saw me (after surgery) because I had color in my cheeks for the first time in years,” she said. “I woke up and felt like I could jump out of bed and run a marathon.”

French said her life-saving transplant was made possible because of her donor, a man named Patrick.

“People always talk about changing the world and leaving a legacy, and donors accomplish both of those things,” she said.

“Patrick saved the lives of five astoundingly grateful people. He allowed me to get

More than 120,000 people are currently on a national transplant waiting list. About 900 of them are in Oklahoma.

LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma is a local nonprofit organ procurement organization dedicated to saving lives through the recovery of organs and tissue for transplant.

“We work closely with five transplant centers and 145 healthcare organizations to facilitate donation,” said Katy Smith, director of marketing and communications. “Additionally, we strive to raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation through public education, and our core purpose is ‘We Save Lives.’”

Anyone can give the gift of life, Smith said. If an individual is interested in being a donor, LifeShare encourages them to register and not rule themselves out for any reason.

“We always hear ‘I am too old’ or ‘I am too sick to be a donor,’” she said. “But if you are interested in being a donor, you should go ahead and register and let the medical professional make the decision if you can donate.”

Because of Oklahoma’s First Person Consent law, Smith said an individual who is at least 18 years of age can express his or her desire to be a donor on their driver’s license, a state ID or enrollment in Oklahoma’s online donor registry.

“We strongly believe a person’s wish to donate must be honored, if medically possible,” she said. “Organ and tissue recovery coordinators will always talk to the family about the donation before it takes place.

We encourage Oklahomans to share their decision to be a donor with their families.”

Those who are under the age of 18 can declare their intent to be a donor in any document or gift, she added, but permission from a parent or guardian must be obtained before any donation can actually take place.

“An average of 22 people die each day because they did not get their transplant in time,” Smith said. “And every 10 minutes, another person is added to the waiting list. We encourage all Oklahomans to register to be a donor and to share their decision with their family.”

Visit lifeshareoklahoma.org.

health

Graduates of the Masters Wellness Volunteer Training help OSU Cooperative Extension Service educate the public about health. | Photo bigstock.com

Mobile wellness OSU Cooperative Extension Service helps volunteers educate their communities. By Michael Kinney

In her years with the Oklahoma State their community while helping themselves University (OSU) Cooperative Extension in the process.

Service, LaDonna Hines’ staff has been “The volunteers have told us ... they whittled down even as the number of learn so much for just themselves and their people they serve has grown. family,” Hines said.

The Masters Wellness Volunteer The program was created last year as Training program was created to remedy OSU Cooperative Extension Service offithat. cials looked for ways to better reach and “I have a staff member who’s a regisserve Oklahoma County residents. Hines saw the volunteer program work at places tered dietician,” said Hines, county extenlike Texas A&M University and adopted it sion director. “She goes out into the comat OSU. munity, teaching nutrition programs, “Anyone interested in health and wellhealth and wellness programs — she teaches yoga. We are training these volunness and wants to do some volunteering teers to be able to go out and do these prowithin their community, we’re offering grams, just kind of be able to reach more of this program to train them,” Hines said. the public.”

The program teaches participants stratEight educators work with Hines and egies to improve health and wellness and are responsible for all of Oklahoma County. focuses on nutrition, dietary guidelines, They teach classes and prepare volunteers food safety, healthy lifestyle choices and to visit their communities and educate the physical activity. public.

The certification course includes 40 Eight volunteers took the course in its hours of classroom education by Family & first year. Hines hopes even more enroll Consumer Sciences educators. The volunthis time. The numbers educators face can teers also agree to perform at least 40 hours appear daunting, which is why volunteers of teaching within that year, Hines said. are so important.

“We encourage people to reach out to “In Oklahoma County, there are around their specific neighborhood, their com750,000 people, and I have one family conmunity, to see what health and wellness sumer science educator might be needed in their community,” that teaches nutrition Hines said. “If they and health and wellMaster Wellness ness,” Hines said. want to start a walking Volunteer Training “That one person no club, that’s great.

Whatever they want. way can even make an 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays impact working 40-50 That’s why we encourFeb. 14-March 14 hours a week. So trainage them, because we OSU Cooperative Extension ing other people will can’t reach everybody Service make a bigger impact and we don’t know all 2500 NE 63rd St in the community.” their needs.” oces.okstate.edu/oklahoma/ Hines said the exVisit oces.okstate. masterwellness tension center’s Master edu/oklahoma/master405-713-1125 Wellness Volunteer wellness. $50 Training program proNote: Registration closes vides a great chance for Saturday. people to give back to O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j a n u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 7

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co mmu n i t y

ARTS & CULTURE

Downtown parking

Bricktown installs a tiny park, following a national trend. By Christine Eddington

A semipermanent parklet found its second semipermanent home last week in Bricktown. The tiny, parking spot-sized park, or parklet, was recently installed in front of the Painted Door shop in Bricktown, and shopowner Avis Scaramucci loved it. Its stay was short but special, as Bricktown organizers announced late last week that, due to streetcar construction, the diminutive retreat found a nearby niche at the north end of Mickey Mantle Avenue.

“It makes people smile,” Scaramucci said.

“It is so unexpected and just so charming to sit down and enjoy your coffee in a tiny park.”

The first documented parklet was created in 2005 in San Francisco.

“Now, San Francisco has a ton of parklets, and so do other cities on the coasts,” said Jill Brown DeLozier, Downtown OKC, Inc. (DOKC) vice president. “We’re calling our new one in Bricktown ‘semipermanent’ in that we are essentially leasing the space from the city in 90-day increments, but our plan

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is for it to be there indefinitely.”

Downtown OKC, Inc. must apply for a new permit every 90 days and also pay for the parking space to be hooded, or taken out of public inventory, which costs about $30 per day. The organization hopes to add a new, semipermanent parklet every year to 18 months.

“There are several locations in the running to be the next parklet,” Mallory O’Neill, Bricktown District Manager, said.

“Foot traffic is one of the primary drivers of where; possibly Midtown and possibly Automobile Alley.”

Nonprofit DOKC, created 17 years ago to manage and market the downtown Oklahoma City Business Improvement District and advocate for revitalization, plans to eventually have one or more parklets in each of the city’s eight districts.

Parklets can be applied for and installed by anyone who meets the City of Oklahoma City’s permitting requirements, and they’ve

Downtown OKC, Inc. helped install what might be Bricktown’s first parklet. | Photo twitter.com/_bricktown / provided

popped up at localized events over the past several years.

“In other cities, all sorts of groups install them,” DeLozier said. “[We] hope that others will be inspired to create parklets too.”

In September 2013, DOKC installed two temporary parklets and helped 10 others gain permits as a part of the annual international PARK(ing) Day event, a day set aside to celebrate the transformative powers of placemaking in urban environments.

“Placemaking is all about creating public spaces that are accessible to everyone for the benefit of the whole community,” DeLozier said. “Things like accessibility, safety and visibility are all very important in projects like this.”

What is a parklet’s purpose? Placemaking, improved walkability and calming traffic.

Then there’s just the whimsy of it.

“Vehicles and pedestrians both slow down and look at it,” O’Neill said. “It’s been fun for

us to see how different people use the parklet during different times in the day.”

DeLozier and four colleagues installed Bricktown’s semipermanent parklet in a matter of hours using a prefabricated parklet kit, which costs about $12,000.

“We had to think about how to furnish it, how to maintain it and what to do if its components are stolen or damaged,” DeLozier said. “The public really seems to feel ownership of the space. … People are taking care of the space.”

As a business owner, Scaramucci said she embraces the concept.

“In the long view, the parklet makes a positive statement about our community, a wonderful statement about the kind of city we are,” she said.

Learn more about Oklahoma City’s parklet guidelines at okc.gov. Visit Downtown OKC, Inc. at downtownokc.com.

calendar Black Trauma: Made in America, L.O.V.E project of Oklahoma presents a mental health awareness program focusing on untreated trauma in black communities, 6-7 p.m.

Jan. 19. Ice Event Center & Grill, 1148 NE 36th St., 405-208-4240, iceeventcentergrill.eat24house. com. THU

are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

AIGA OK Top Ten 2017, a night of art, design and storytelling from 10 of the most creative minds in the city, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Jan. 19. Dunlap Codding, 609 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-607-8600, dunlapcodding.com. THU

BOOKS Noah Milligan book signing, Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame member presents An Elegant Theory, 3 p.m. Jan. 21. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT

Friday Fever, playing the latest urban music in the Latin industry, drink specials and dancing all night, 10 p.m. Jan. 20. Meatball House, 333 W. Boyd Ave., Norman, 405-701-8300, meatball.house. FRI

Book Fair, author Olive Swan book signing, 1-4 p.m. Jan. 21. Edmond Historical Society & Museum, 431 S. Boulevard Ave., Edmond, 405-340-0078, edmondhistory.org. SAT

Superhero School: Star Wars, free family friendly event along with all of the favorite characters, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 21. New World Comics, 6219 N. Meridian Ave., 405-721-7634, newworldcomics. com. SAT

Angela Botzer, signing her book 100 Things to Do in Oklahoma City Before You Die, 12-2 p.m. Jan. 21.

Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. SAT Kathy Jackson and Shelly Kay Orr book signing, When Heaven Touches Earth author event, 2-4 p.m. Jan. 21. Barnes & Noble, Norman, 540 Ed Noble Parkway, Norman, 405-579-8800, barnesandnoble.com. SAT Da’Kin Franklin-Spencer book signing, meet the author of Just Like You, 3-5 p.m. Jan. 21. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT Incarceration: A Family Crisis, true stories from families, former inmates and the professionals who have the lives of the accused and the convicted in their hands, a Pat Galloway book signing, 3-5 p.m. Jan. 21. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT Ode For You Tour: Poetry Readings, Short Order Poems and Territory Magazine present a two-woman poetry performance of touring poets Shira Erlichman and Angel Nafis, 5 p.m. Jan. 25.

Commonplace Books, 1325 N. Walker Ave., 405551-1715, commonplacebooksokc.com. WED

FILM Raising Arizona, (USA, 1987, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen) when a childless couple of an ex-con and an ex-cop decide to help themselves to one of another family’s quintuplets, their lives become more complicated than they anticipated, 7 p.m. Jan. 18.

Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave., Norman, 405-6734931, opolis.org. WED

PHOTO/SYNTHESIS The empowering work of Navajo photographer Will Wilson is featured in a new exhibit that uses a preCivil War camera to capture modern-day Native American subjects who choose how they will be portrayed. The exhibit opens with a reception and lecture by Wilson 7 p.m. Jan. 26 at Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., in Norman and remains on display through April 2. Admission is free. Visit ou.edu/fjjma or call 405-3253272. Jan. 26, ongoing Photo Will Wilson / Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art / provided

Sailor Moon, (Japan, 1993, Kunihiko Ikuhara) the 1993 classic gets an HD remaster release with the original 15-minute Japanese intro coming stateside dubbed for the first time reminiscent of Francois Truffaut with superior artwork, 10 p.m. Jan. 20-21.

Circle Cinema, Tulsa, 10 S. Lewis Ave., Tulsa, 918585-3504, circlecinema.com. FRI -SAT A Man Called Ove, (USA, 2015, Hannes Holm) an ill-tempered, isolated retiree who spends his days enforcing block association rules and visiting his wife’s grave has finally given up on life just as an unlikely friendship develops with his boisterous new neighbors, Jan. 20-26. Circle Cinema, Tulsa, 10 S. Lewis Ave., Tulsa, 918-585-3504, circlecinema. com.

Follow the Fleet, (USA, 1936, Mark Sandrich) a Navy sailor tries to rekindle a romance with the woman he loves while on liberty in San Francisco, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Jan. 21. The Paramount, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-517-0787, theparamountokc. com. SAT The Last Metro, (USA, 1980, Francois Truffaut) in occupied Paris, an actress married to a Jewish theater owner must keep him hidden from the Nazis while doing both of their jobs, 2 p.m. Jan. 22. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-2085000, okcu.edu. SUN The Brand New Testament, (Belgium, 2015, Jaco Van Dormael) did you know that God is alive and lives in Brussels with his daughter? Through Jan. 19. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. WED -THU Singin’ in the Rain, (USA, 1952, Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly) a silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound, Jan. 18.

Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 405-424-0461, cinemark.com. WED

Don Quixote Armstrong Auditorium favorite Russian National Ballet Theatre returns to the Edmond venue for the captivating, Flamenco-inspired choreography of Austrian composer Léon Minkus’ Don Quixote. This is the fourth time the widely celebrated, 50-dancer company has performed at the auditorium. Shows are 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30-31 at Armstrong Auditorium, 14400 S. Bryant Road, in Edmond. Tickets are $45-$97. Visit armstrongauditorium. org or call 405-284-1010. Jan. 30-31 Photo

HAPPENINGS Trivia Night, live trivia hosted by Challenge Entertainment, 8:30 p.m. Jan. 18. Othello’s Italian Restaurant, 434 Buchanan Ave., Norman, 405-7014900, othellos.us. WED PechaKucha Night, an evening of presentations from creative individuals with food and beverages during social hour, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 18. Plenty Mercantile, 807 N. Broadway Ave., 405-888-7470, plentymercantile.com. WED January Flower School, learn about the art of floral design, all supplies included for a one-ofa-kind arrangement, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 18. The Fleuriste, 1020 NW 82nd St., 405-843-8700, thefleuriste.com. WED

Vietnamese New Year: Tet Dinh Dau 2017, year of the rooster celebration with opening ceremony, dragon dances, activities, games, food, performances and prizes, 1-5 p.m. Jan. 21.

Biltmore Hotel, 401 S. Meridian Ave., 405-947-7681, biltmoreokc.com. SAT Women’s March on Oklahoma, a national movement to unify and empower everyone who stands for human rights, civil liberties and social justice for all. Gather in community to find healing and strength through tolerance, march in solidarity with the sister marches around the globe. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Jan. 21.

Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., 405-521-3356, ok.gov. SAT Quilt Class, learn how to make a Bargello quilt using Kaffe Fassett fabrics, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 21. Beth’s Quilting Quarters Fabric Shoppe, 114 N. Main St., Blanchard, 405-485-3880, bethsquiltingquarters.com. SAT

Taproom Pint Night, free glassware with purchase of OK Pils, 5-9 p.m. Jan. 19. Anthem Brewing Company, 908 SW 4th St., 405-604-0446, anthembrewing.com. THU Nothing’s Left Pint Night, take home the glassware, serving Galaxy Pale Ale and Strawberry Blonde, 6-11 p.m. Jan. 19. The Patriarch, 9 E. Edwards St., Edmond, 405-285-6670, thepatriarchedmond.com. THU Coffee Roasting, learn the basics of coffee bean roasting and brewing with local roaster Matt Egging, 1-3 p.m. Jan. 21.

Moore Public Library, 225 S. Howard Ave., Moore, 405-793-5100, pioneerlibrarysystem.org. SAT Free Public Coffee Cupping, try a selection of coffees roasted in-house during a fun and laidback learning experience, 2-3 p.m. Jan. 21. Coffee Slingers Roasters, 1015 N. Broadway Ave., 405609-1662, coffeeslingers.com. SAT Free Wine Making Demo, demonstrating how to put a wine kit together, bottling process and tasting, 3-4 p.m. Jan. 21. The Brew Shop, 2916 N. Penn Ave., 405-528-5193, thebrewshopokc.com. SAT Whisky Tasting, presented by Southern Glazier’s, sample four whiskys and two cigars, 7-10 p.m. Jan. 23. Omerta Cigar Co., 700 S. Western Ave. Ste B., 405-600-3499, omertacigar.com. MON Beer Tasting, sample craft beers, cheese and meat pairings and discussion from beer expert, 6:30-8 p.m. Jan. 24. River Oaks Golf Club, 10909 Clubhouse Road, Edmond, 405-771-5800, riveroaksgolf.com. TUE Wild Wild West Beer University, variety of breweries and styles from the West Coast, 7-10 p.m. Jan. 24. James E. McNellie’s Public House, 1100 Classen Drive, 405-601-7468, mcnelliesokc. com. TUE

Introduction to knitting, beginner class teaching how to cast on, knit, purl and bind off, 10:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. Jan. 21. L & B Yarn Co., 425 W. Gray St., Norman, 405-310-3636, lbyarnco.com. SAT Board Game Day, gather for great food, beer and games in a unique and fun atmosphere, 12 p.m.-7 p.m. Jan. 21. Coop Ale Works, 4745 Council Heights Road, 405-842-2667, coopaleworks.com. SAT Drag Bingo, hosted by former Miss IGRA Luzz Bentley with special guests; proceeds benefit Other Options, Inc. and Great Plains Rodeo Association, 7 p.m. Jan. 22. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405-601-7200, theboomokc.com. SUN Bridal Show, style show, music, flowers, cake, food, jewelry, invitations, registry and more, 2-4 p.m. Jan. 22. Silhouette Bridal, 2001 W. Main St., Norman, 405-701-1779, silhouettebridal.com. SUN Bridal Event, enjoy treats from Amy Cakes, Tulips, Mitchell’s Jewelry and many others, 2-5 p.m. Jan. 22. Occasions, 2001 W. Main St., Norman, 405-2178467, occasionspaper.com. SUN Artist Survival Kit: Legal Guide for Public Art, a lively discussion with guest speaker Doug Sorocco, who will address issues concerning artist contracts, intellectual property, appropriation of art and copyright law, 5:30-7 p.m. Jan. 23. Dunlap Codding, 609 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-607-8600, dunlapcodding.com. MON Canon InterActive Workshop, learn and interact with Canon educators Scott Alexander, John Stoilov and Dave Coy, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 24.

Oklahoma City Bedford Camera & Video, 3110 N. May Ave., 405-943-1047, bedfords.com. TUE John F. Kennedy Community Service Award, honoring the services of Mick Cornett, David and Rhonda Walters, Kari Watkins and Mike Turpen. All proceeds benefit Santa Fe Family Life Center, 6:309:30 p.m. Jan. 24. Skirvin Hilton Hotel, 1 Park Ave., 405-272-3040, skirvinhilton.com. TUE Winter Mixed Sale, featuring 915 head of quarter horses, paints, thoroughbreds, stallions, broodmares, weanlings, short yearlings and horses of racing age. Presale party, guest speakers, food and beverages and special announcements, 4-10 p.m. Jan. 18-21. Heritage Place, 2829 S. MacArthur Blvd., 405-682-4551, heritageplace.com. WED -SAT Lunar New Year, entertainment and festivities to celebrate the year of the fire rooster that signifies dawn, awakening and success, Jan. 22-29. WinStar World Casino, 777 Casino Ave., Thackerville, 580276-4229, winstarworldcasino.com.

FOOD Italian Wine Tasting, hosted by Cory McCutcheon of Republic National Distributing Company, each table receives small appetizer and tasting plate to pair with wine, 7-9 p.m. Jan. 18. Bin 73, 7312 N. Western Ave., 405-843-0073, bin73.com. WED

Alexander Daev / provided

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

The Innovation Series with guest speaker David Burkus What’s the difference between a creative person and one who seems derivative? To answer that question, Creative Oklahoma presents The Innovation Series with guest speaker David Burkus 5:15 p.m. Thursday at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Public Library, 300 Park Ave. Author and management professor Burkus shares his thoughts on how people misunderstand how creativity works and how innovation is sparked. The first 50 paid registrations receive a free copy of Burkus’ book The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas. Tickets are $12.50-$35. Visit stateofcreativity.com or call 405-232-557.

Thursday Photo Daniel Folkers / provided

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calendar c a l e n da r

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YOUTH edZOOcation Live! Series: Surviving Winter with Up-Close Encounters with Animal Ambassadors, 2-3 p.m. Jan. 19.

Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Pl., 405-424-3344, okczoo.org. THU

BALTO Daddy Daughter Dance, night of dancing, dining and crafting benefiting BALTO, 6-8:30 p.m. Jan. 20. Edmond North High School, 215 W. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-340-2875, edmondschools.net/north. FRI

Nanette’s Baguette Storytime, Mo Willems is back with an adorable story, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Jan. 21.

Barnes & Noble, Norman, 540 Ed Noble Parkway, Norman, 405-579-8800, barnesandnoble.com. SAT After School Art Program, activities include visits to the museum’s galleries with related projects and guest speakers/performers. 3-4:30 p.m. through March 31. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Red Dirt Dinos, following a journey around the state and across the world, the dinosaurs that once roamed over Oklahoma’s red dirt landscape return to Science Museum Oklahoma; three interactive, lifelike robotic dinosaurs and a variety of hands-on components help visitors explore Oklahoma’s dinosaurs through March 20. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

PERFORMING ARTS 2017 OMEA Honor Ensemble, OCU Symphony Orchestra performs Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, op. 74, and B minor Pathetique under the baton of Dr. Eric Garcia, 8 p.m. Jan. 20. Bass School of Music, OCU, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-2085000, okcu.edu/music. FRI Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, a fourmovement symphony, accompanied by a giant screen displaying visuals from the new The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, featuring live music from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and more, 7 p.m. Jan. 21. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SAT Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters, a tribute to the Carpenters complete with all the hits, plus anecdotes and stories about Karen’s life and songs, 8 p.m. Jan. 21. OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center, 7777 S. May Ave., 405-682-7576, occc. edu/pas. SAT

Live Banjo Performance, American Banjo Museum’s executive director, a master of the four-string banjo, Johnny Baier performs live, 3-4 p.m. Jan. 21. American Banjo Museum, 9 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-604-2793, americanbanjomuseum.com. SAT Lip Sync Battle, event with a variety of performances, a silent auction and a special guest, 6-9 p.m. Jan. 21. Nancy O’Brian Center for the Performing Arts, 1809 N. Stubbeman Ave., Norman, 405-364-0397, norman.k12.ok.us/fpa/ CPA.htm. SAT The Sleeping Beauty, live event from the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, 11:30 a.m. Jan. 22. Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 405424-0461, cinemark.com. SUN Music of CPE Bach: the Sutton Concert Series, performing the Flute Concerto in A Major, the Oboe Concerto in E flat Major and the Concerto for Two Pianos in F Major, 3 p.m. Jan. 22. Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd St., Norman, 405-325-4101, ou.edu. SUN Black Mesa Brewing Co. Presents: Seth Joseph, live performance by comedian Seth Joseph, Steve “Wampus” Reynolds with the 2016 Comedy Corner Beef of the Year, hosted by BradChad Porter, 9 p.m. Jan. 22. Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman, 434 Buchanan Ave., Norman, 405-7014900, othellos.us. SUN Koresh Dance Company, engaging performances and technically superb dancers, an artistic force by creating innovative and emotional dance, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 24. OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center, 7777 S. May Ave., 405-682-7576, occc.edu/pas. TUE Magic of Rob Lake, illusionist performing a benefit for Friends for Folks and Norman Animal Welfare, 7-8:20 p.m. Jan. 25. Nancy O’Brian Center for the Performing Arts, 1809 N. Stubbeman Ave., Norman, 405-364-0397, norman.k12.ok.us/fpa/ CPA.htm. WED Lenny Hosts the Loony Bin, triple-feature night with comedians AJ Finney, Danny Keaton and Keith Lenart, 8-11 p.m. Jan. 25. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 405-239-4242, loonybincomedy.com. WED Bakersfield Mist, comedy-drama by Stephen Sachs. Rated PG 13. Based on a true story. Could a tag sale find be a modern art masterpiece? Through Jan. 28.

Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main St., 45-232-6500, carpentersquare.com.

Mark Poolos, weaving stories of his life as a bumbling jolly giant in a fast engaging story telling style, Jan. 18-21. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 405-239-4242, loonybincomedy. com. WED -SAT The Addams Family, musical comedy presented

by ArtWorks Academy featuring students from seventh to 12th grade, Jan. 20-22. Randall University, 3701 S. I-35 Service Rd., Moore, 405912-9000, ru.edu. FRI -SUN

ACTIVE Men’s Basketball, OSU vs Kansas State, 8 p.m.

Jan. 18. Gallagher-Iba Arena, W. Hall of Fame Ave., Stillwater , 877-255-4678, okstate.edu. WED Ladies Only Pre-Ride Checkover and Tube Changing 101 Class, clinic for all levels of female cyclists, door prizes and networking event, 6:30-8 p.m. Jan. 19. Schlegel Bicycles, 900 N. Broadway Ave., 405-232-4040, schlegalbicycles.com. THU Slackline Hangout, beginning and intermediate lines to try, come walk the line, 7-9 p.m. Jan. 19.

Backwoods, 12325 N. May Ave., 405-751-7376, backwoods.com. THU

News, Weather & Corpse There’s a murderer on the loose, and Friday is the last chance to catch the guilty party. Or at least that’s part of the plot of Whodunit Dinner Theater’s show News, Weather & Corpse.

The last performance of the murder mystery is 6:15-9:15 p.m. Friday at Ted’s Cafe Escondido Event Center, 6900 N. May Ave. Guests will enjoy the deadly funny story of TV station KAOS employees who could kill for a promotion while dining on a buffet of make-your-own steak and chicken fajitas, bean and cheese burritos and other Tex-Mex favorites. Beer, wine coolers and margaritas are also available for purchase. Tickets are $48. Visit whodunit.net or call 405-420-3222. Friday Terri Took It Photography / provided

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Tango Milonga, start the year right with a fastpaced dancing class and social event, 8:30 p.m.

Jan. 20. International Dance Studio, 3001 NW 73rd St., 405-831-9752, idancestudio.com. FRI Ping Pong Tournament, a night of games and tournaments, 7:30-11 p.m. Jan. 20. Common Ground College Ministry, 6400 S. Sooner Road, 248-648-5622, collegegroundsministry.com. FRI OKCDGA Ice Bowl 2017, partner and singles courses, portion of proceeds benefits Jesus House OKC, 8:30 a.m. Jan. 21.-5 p.m. Jan. 22. Arcadia Lake, 9000 E. 2nd St., Edmond, 405-216-7470, edmondok.com/parks. SAT-SUN PBR Oklahoma City Invitational, features the top 40 bull riders in the world as they go head-to-head against the toughest professional bull riders, Jan. 21-22. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com.

SAT-SUN State Games of Oklahoma Trail Run, Oklahoma Trail Runners Association, OTRA, in conjunction with the Oklahoma All Sports Association, hosts a fun family trail running event, 9 a.m. Jan. 21. NU Draper Trails, SE 89th St. and Post Road, 405-799-0870, lakedraper. com. SAT

Yoga Dance Party, dancing, acro yoga, drumming, mantra chanting, a vegetarian meal and yoga tunes of DJ Krama, 6 p.m. Jan. 21. Ashtanga Yoga Studio, 120 E. Tonhawa Ave., Norman, 405-503-7779, ashtangayogastudio.com. SAT Winter Birds 101, learn the basics of bird-watching, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 21. Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Pl., 405-424-3344, okczoo.org. SAT Fins and Pins Bowling Tournament, event raising funds for two organizations supporting disabled adults, Faith 7 in Shawnee and the Work Activities Center in Moore, 12-5 p.m. Jan. 21. Heritage Lanes Bowling Alley, 11917 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 405-7557575, heritagelanesokc.com. SAT Men’s Basketball, OU vs Iowa State, 1 p.m. Jan. 21.

Lloyd Noble Center, 2900 S. Jenkins Ave., Norman, 405-325-4666, lloydnoblecenter.com. SAT Tottenham Watch Party, opening the doors early for the Spurs watch party, two beer tickets and club shirts, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Jan. 21. Anthem Brewing Company, 908 SW 4th St., 405-6040446, anthembrewing.com. SAT Blue Demon, Mexico vs USA, Blue Demon vs Charlie Haas, Lucha Libre event, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Jan. 22. Plaza Mayor at the Crossroads, 7000 Crossroads Blvd., 405-631-4424, plazamayorok. com. SUN The 5 Hours 17 Minutes and 23 Seconds of Plaid, prizes, teams and fun on the blue trail, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Jan. 22. Lake Thunderbird, 13101 Alameda Drive, Norman, 405-360-3572, travelok.com. SUN Women’s Basketball, OU vs Oklahoma State, 2 p.m. Jan. 22. Lloyd Noble Center, 2900 S. Jenkins Ave., Norman, 405-325-4666, lloydnoblecenter. com. SUN Yoga 101, workshop series designed for the yoga beginner wanting to learn fundamentals, 7-8 p.m.

Jan. 23. Cardinal Yoga, 2412 N. Olie Ave., 405-2261177, cardinalyogaok.com. MON Yoga Flow to Indie Dream Pop, sweat and move to the tunes of Empire of the Sun, Vampire Weekend, M83 and more, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 23. Climb Up Gym, 2701 Washington Drive, Norman, 405-310-4648, climbupgym.com. MON

VISUAL ARTS All That Southwest Jazz exhibit, using narrative text and historic photographs to trace Oklahoma blues lineage and legendary jazzmen who staged their early careers in Oklahoma, through Mar. 1. Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-297-3995, myriadgardens.com.

ArtNow 2017, exhibition highlighting the diversity of Oklahoma art today. This closing event is an art sale and the first big party of the year with cocktails, tastemakers and the opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind works by Oklahoma artists, 8 p.m. Jan. 20. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-9510000, oklahomacontemporary.org. FRI Black and White, annual show giving artists a chance to experiment with only black and white or minimal color, through Jan. 28. 12-5 p.m. In Your Eye Studio & Gallery, 3005-A Paseo St., 405-5252161, inyoureyegallery.com. FRI Celebrity, Fashion, and the Forgotten Man, best-remembered for striking, modern portraits of American celebrities and elegant fashion photography, Nelson pursued documentary photography before his untimely death in 1938. This exhibition celebrates the Philbrook’s recent acquisition of the artist’s estate and the rediscovery of this little-known talent in this first-ever, one-person exhibition, through May 7. Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 S. Rockford Road, Tulsa, 918-749-7941, philbrook.org. WED Jason Wilson opening reception, interplay of achromatic, vibrant and subtle colors with simple shapes and precise clean lines, 3-5 p.m. Jan. 21.

Paseo Art Space, 3022 Paseo St., 405-525-2688, thepaseo.com. SAT Joe Slack exhibition and open house, Oklahoma City University hosts opening exhibit of a renowned Oklahoma sculptor, 1-3 p.m. Jan. 21.

Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5229, okcu.edu/visualart/gallery. aspx. SAT Kim Norton’s Equine and Vineyard Paintings, oil and pastel works on canvas, masonite and velour paper by a self-taught artist, through Feb. 28. 50 Penn Place, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-8487588, 50pennplacegallery.com. FRI Patterson Private Collections Showing on Paseo, The Patterson Private Collection contains over 30 years of eclectic art collecting from detailed realism portraits, cutting-edge experimentation of oils, watercolors, visually explosive nudes and early works of local Oklahoma artists; Pieces from Kenyan and Sudanese artists will be exhibited,

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

OCCC Tai Chi workshop Tai Chi is sometimes called the deadliest martial art. Yes, that slow-moving, meditative exercise can be lethal. But don’t worry about any duels breaking out at Oklahoma City Community College Wellness Center’s Tai Chi workshop 1-4 p.m. Saturday at 7777 S. May Ave. Instructor Chock Petchprom leads the participatory workshop meant to educate community members about the benefits of Tai Chi, including stress relief, mental acuity and improved health.

Admission is free-$5. Visit occc.edu or call 405-682-7860. Saturday Photo Oklahoma City Community College / provided

through Jan. 28. Prairie Arts Collective, 3018 Paseo Drive, 540-533-5883, thepaseo.org. FRI The Artistry of the Western Paperback exhibition, study the works of A. Leslie Ross, Robert Stanley, George Gross, Stanley Borack, Tom Ryan and Frank McCarthy and decide: Is it art or something else? Does it belong on a bookshelf, on exhibit or both? Jan. 21-May 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-4782250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. SAT The Cultivated Connoisseur: Works on Paper from the Creighton Gilbert Bequest, Creighton Eddy Gilbert was a renowned art historian specializing in the Italian Renaissance and was one of the foremost authorities on Michelangelo. The bequest includes a total of 272 objects, the majority of which are works on paper, spanning a time period from the 14th century to the 20th, through June 4. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. WED Urban Core Featured Artist: Dean Wilhite, creator of illustrative work featuring small towns in Oklahoma displaying a prominent example of his work’s ever-present bold color palette and his love for evoking distant memories with the smallest of details, 6-9 p.m. Jan. 19. Verbode, 415 N. Broadway Ave. #101, 405-757-7001, verbodegroup.com. THU

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.

For okg live music

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MUSIC

Rhythmic mission

Brianna Gaither’s Resonate Campaign and new album Vanity prove that nothing is impossible.

By Ben Luschen

Even as Brianna Gaither set out to document the most ambitious album recording cycle she’d ever conceived, she never imagined it would also lead her to her husband.

Her Resonate Campaign is a $20,000 crowdfunded album and documentary project in which the Oklahoma City singer-songwriter worked with 10 local producers over a 10-month period.

The typical album experience was not something she had any interest in when she conceived the project in 2015. Gaither wanted more.

“I wanted it to be bigger than that for the purpose of really investigating what’s happening here in this area,” she said.

Resonate could serve as both a statement on the unlimited potential found within faith and a testament to the state’s great talent.

Gaither’s campaign resulted in Vanity, a 10-song project that maintains a deep personal connection to the songwriter through the varied lenses of a talented production ensemble. The public gets its first taste of Vanity Saturday at The Venue OKC, 1757 NW 16th St., during the campaign’s listening party and trailer screening event.

Gaither met local producer and musician Adam Chamberlain in fall 2015. Their work chemistry was immediately apparent, so much so that they soon began dating. Chamberlain proposed to Gaither on Feb. 2 as she embarked on her 10-month recording journey. The couple married July 2, almost the exact middle date for the Resonate Campaign.

“I obviously was not thinking I would have a wedding in the middle of this project before it began,” Gaither said.

Then again, Resonate ended up taking Gaither in many unexpected directions.

ogy startup. She thought she had said goodbye to her music-playing days.

“I had totally surrendered it,” Gaither said. “I was just like, ‘I love music and it will always be with me, but it is not my No. 1 and I am going to be a content, happy person no matter what happens next.’”

Try as she might, Gaither couldn’t shake her desire to create. While she wanted to return to artistic expression, she struggled to find the motivation to go back to the same, typical album process.

“When I realized I didn’t have enough energy for it, my big question was, ‘Why?’ I’m asking myself that and I’m praying, ‘Why don’t I love this enough that I want to do it?’ What I was realizing is that my goals are bigger than that. My desires were about building community more than they were about just jumping back to where I was before.”

Community effort

Gaither’s big dreams led to Resonate, which began in earnest in 2015. The Resonate community’s goal is to break down barriers from within a Christian worldview and promote creative collaboration between individuals, including her small team of creatives and everyone else they work with for however long they might be involved.

She had her album and documentary concept roughly sketched out by the end of 2015. In January last year, she launched an Indiegogo campaign to help crowdfund the project. Resonate met its $20,000 fundraising goal within one month.

“We were super blessed, and the community came around it,” she said. “They were just so supportive.”

Work on the album began in February.

In addition to her future husband, producers featured on Vanity include Nathan New beginning Holliday, Rowdy Production’s Raul Alfonso, Mir Studio’s Dustin Ragland, Gaither released the album Love Is Patient in 2011. For that project, she worked with Norman producer Zach Winters, Phil Rice one producer and was fairly hands-off from EMBER in Norman, Bethany’s David when it came down to the technical proWellman, Edmond’s Stephen Collins and duction.

Jaron Nix, who also mixed the album.

Shortly after the The album’s sounds range from raw acoustic release, Gaither injured her wrist, which signifilive recordings to fasterVanity cantly reduced how much paced electronic pop listening party she could play, perform songs. Vanity, named for and documentary and practice. She was a one of the tracks on the trailer screening full-time musician, but compilation, might be sonically varied, but the injury and a desire to 7:30 p.m. Saturday Gaither believes the move on to new things The Venue OKC convinced her to seek a release is the best artistic 1757 NW 16th St. different career. representation of herself resonatecampaign.com Gaither found a job at to date.

405-633-0454 a Norman-based technol“I would absolutely say Free

Brianna Gaither | Photo Resonate Campaign / provided

that through this project, I found my inner voice,” she said. “I have a little bit more of an assertive voice than maybe I had in other projects.”

Theology of creativity

The documentary follows the recording process and shares a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Vanity. More than that, Gaither wanted the film to explore the city’s creative potential. With co-filmmaker Weston Waugh, she interviewed community members. Their comments are intertwined with often-personal testimonials from Gaither to form the story’s narrative.

One of the documentary’s biggest takeaways is that big dreams can become attainable in any environment through the power of faith.

“You can have really ambitious goals in a small city and be successful in what others would perceive to be heavy limita-

tions,” Gaither said.

The documentary also puts perspective on the theology of creativity. Gaither said God’s creative spirit is apparent throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

“That brings the question, ‘What potential do we have, as people who are connecting with the creator of the universe, to create out of that place?’” she said.

It’s been a long and exciting year of work for Gaither, and she’s equally as excited to see the culmination of her labors within the next month or two.

“I’ve never been prouder of a project or more enthusiastic about one,” she said.

Vanity and its companion documentary are set for release around late February. The exact release date is still to be determined.

Visit resonatecampaign.com or facebook.com/resonatecampaign.

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Steppin’ Out with Ben Vereen Friday, November 18 @ OCCC

w i n 2 t i c k e t s to

JUicY J RUbba band bUsiness toUR

FRI. Feb. 18th

at 8:00pm

cains ballroom enter to win

okgazette.com/gWW gazette’s weekly winner will be announced each week in the table of contents Printed winners have 7 days to claim tickets

Must provide eMail, full naMe & phone nuMber.

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MUSIC

Dead set

Dawes strengthens its roots as it blooms musically ahead of its Jan. 29 Oklahoma City show.

By Ben Luschen

Dawes drummer Griffin Goldsmith knew almost right away that the band’s new record would be a leap for some fans.

We’re All Gonna Die, the Los Angelesbased folk-rock act’s fifth studio album, was released in September and features a decidedly sharper, poppier rock edge than 2015’s All Your Favorite Bands.

“We kind of expected that to be the case when we decided to work with [former bandmate Blake Mills],” Goldsmith said in a recent phone interview with Oklahoma Gazette.

Goldsmith is the younger brother of Dawes frontman and guitarist Taylor Goldsmith.

Mills was a founding guitarist and songwriter for the band in its pre-2009 postpunk incarnation Simon Dawes (the band’s name was a combination of Mills’ and Taylor Goldsmith’s middle names).

Since restructuring as Dawes with both Goldsmith brothers, Wylie Gelber on bass and Lee Pardini on keys, the band has been compared to Los Angeles folk-rock acts like Crosby, Stills and Nash. When it released “When the Tequila Runs Out” as the first single from We’re All Gonna Die, some fans took it as a party anthem appeal to the radio — an unexpected and, in some cases, unwelcome move from a group that once

toured with Bob Dylan.

Griffin Goldsmith said he noticed fan perception shift after the release of the full album, which frames the song as a complete and complex look at the party lifestyle.

“I think a lot of prior Dawes fans were like, ‘Whoa! This is so different,’” he explained. “But when the whole record came out, that song, in context, makes sense.

You realize that it’s not all that different, at least songwise, from the other records we’ve put out.”

Oklahoma City fans will see for themselves how We’re All Gonna Die translates to a live performance Jan. 29 when Dawes gigs at ACM@UCO Performance Lab, 329 E. Sheridan Ave.

Family business

The Goldsmith brothers were never pressured into musical careers, but the option never seemed like anything short of a natural choice either.

Their father is Lenny Goldsmith, a former career musician who found success in the 1960s-’80s as a Five Americans keyboardist (originally founded as The Mutineers in 1962 in Durant) and a vocalist and keyboardist in the bands Sweathog and Tower of Power.

His father might not play a direct creative

Dawes | Photo Matt Jacoby / provided

We’re All Gonna Die by Dawes | Image provided

Sharing history

An Evening With Dawes 8 p.m. Jan. 29 ACM@UCO Performance Lab 329 E. Sheridan Ave. dawestheband.com 405-974-4700 $30

role in Dawes, but Griffin Goldsmith said he and his brother learned a lot about being professional musicians through observing him. His support for their craft has been unending.

“Even to this day, he got me a drum machine for Christmas,” Griffin Goldsmith said.

Not every song or set is an uplifting experience for a musician, no matter how seriously he takes his craft. Sometimes the nature of the music demands quiet introspection. Even so, he said he channels his father’s electric presence when he performs.

“One of the messages I think he imparted with his playing was that you’re here to give people a show,” he said, “so don’t shy away from that.”

Goldsmith said his father masters the dying art of keeping a crowd engaged and moving for several hours on end.

“Just the devotion about it is one thing I’ve seen not only from my father but a lot of the musicians that are now in their 60s and 70s and have been doing it for 50-plus years,” he said. “To me, that’s a shining example of how to continue to do this and focus yourself and still be in love with it.”

In 2013, Dawes spent six weeks performing 21 shows as it toured the country with Dylan, who is simultaneously a living legend in American songwriting and a key musical influence on the Goldsmith brothers and Dawes in general.

It never crossed Griffin Goldsmith’s mind that they were gigging with a man who would earn the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. In fact, Dylan became the first songwriter to be honored with the award.

By giving the distinction to Dylan, Griffin Goldsmith said, the Nobel committee made a statement on what can be considered worthy of academic study and the highest level of artistic scrutiny. Past Nobel literature winners include Toni Morrison (who wrote Beloved), John Steinbeck (The Grapes of Wrath), Ernest Hemingway (The Old Man and the Sea), Saul Bellow (Herzog) and William Golding (Lord of the Flies).

Not all lyricists are poets, Griffin Goldsmith admitted, but Dylan’s writings are substantive enough to stand alone without music. The quality and scale of Dylan’s work over more than half a century makes him worthy of the honor.

“It’s a little different in his case than it is in our case or with other bands,” he said.

“One album — I wouldn’t consider that literature. But when you have over 60 and books, it’s a different thing. It definitely transcends songwriting.”

Intimate evening

When Dawes arrives in Oklahoma City, it will perform without an opening act. Its An Evening With Dawes tour features more than two hours of music with an intermission during the show.

Dawes took a break from touring at the end of 2016, and Griffin Goldsmith said it is always challenging to transition from the holidays to a road marathon filled with longplaying gigs. But like any good drummer, he said it should not take long for him to find his rhythm.

“I’ve always treated it as part of my job to make sure that, come tour, I’m physically prepared to do that every night,” he said.

This is also the band’s first proper tour since We’re All Gonna Die came out last year.

“I can’t wait,” he said. “I’m antsy to get out there and start doing it every night.”

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39

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

WEDNESDAY, 01.18 Acoustic Open Jam, Oklahoma City Limits.

ACOUSTIC

Chrysalis/Flaw/Whitney Peyton, Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Bar. ROCK Paul Thorn, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. ACOUSTIC Post Nothing/Goodfella/Father Mountain/Only, Earth Rebirth, Norman.

ROCK

The Soulmen, Bourbon Street Bar. R&B

THURSDAY, 01.19 Chris Knight, The Blue Door. ACOUSTIC Dylan LeBlanc, Powerhouse Bar. FOLK EDM Night with Mike B, Redneck Yacht Club. DJ Jarvix, Sauced on Paseo. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Mike Hosty, Hollywood Corners Station, Norman.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Sissy Brown/Jake Flint/Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards, The Paramount Theatre. VARIOUS The Smooth and Soulful Sax and Axe, Jazmo’z Bourbon Street Cafe. JAZZ

FRIDAY, 01.20

Charley Pride Few (if any) other country music stars can claim a path to prominence quite like Charley Pride, the Country Music Hall of Famer who spent a portion of his youth playing minor league and Negro league baseball. Warm classics like “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” and “Is Anybody Going to San Antone” show off Pride’s immense musical talent. The show begins 8 p.m. Friday in the Global Event Center at WinStar World Casino and Resort, 777 Casino Ave., in Thackerville. Tickets are $25-$45. Visit winstarworldcasino.com or call 1-800-745-3000. Friday | Photo Doug

Schwarz / provided

’90s Party with My So Called Band, Cosmopolitan OKC. COVER Alt Shift Dance 04, Resonator, Norman. DJ Annie Oakley/Young Readers, Opolis, Norman.

Oklahoma City Community College Cultural Programs Presents

CARRIE NEWCOMER CD Release Concert

FOLK

Kali Ra, IAO Gallery. VARIOUS

Blind Date, Okie Tonk Cafe, Moore. COVER

Psalm Zero, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

Buffalo Rogers, NOIR Bistro & Bar. FOLK Full Tilt Band, Bourbon Street Bar. ROCK Katie Williams, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER Klamz, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK Lhotse/Gabriel Hancock/Kalyn Fay, The Basement. VARIOUS Midas 13, Riverwind Casino, Norman. POP Portal Immortal Presents: an Evening of David Bowie, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK Raina Cobb/Ben Brock, Hollywood Corners Station, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER Remedy, Wicked Piston, Edmond. COVER Souled Out, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. VARIOUS

“She’s a poet, storyteller, snake-charmer, good neighbor, friend and lover, minister of the wide-eyed gospel of hope and grace. All this, and she comes with a voice that declares, ‘Sit down here a minute and listen’.” ~Barbara Kingsolver, author

Stand With Us For the People of Standing Rock, The Blue Door. VARIOUS Wino Browne, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

SATURDAY, 01.21 100 Bones Band, Newcastle Casino, Newcastle.

REGGAE

Friday January 27 7:30 p.m.

OCCC Bruce Owen Theater

Purchase tickets at tickets.occc.edu Box Office at 405-682-7579 • www.occc.edu/pas

Oklahoma City Community College • 7777 South May Avenue YR

40

j a n u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Randy Cassimus, Anthem Brewing Company. ROCK Rugged Grace, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. COUNTRY Shoveltusk/Astraea Invade, Snug Bar & Lounge.

ROCK

Stinnett Brothers, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES Voodoo, Baker Street Pub & Grill. ROCK

SUNDAY, 01.22 Trevor Galvin Trio, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. JAZZ

MONDAY, 01.23 John Fedchock, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ Metal Jam: Comin Up Zero, Bourbon Street Bar. ROCK

TUESDAY, 01.24 Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime, OKC Farmers Public Market. REGGAE Derek Paul and Friends, Hollywood Corners Station, Norman. FOLK

50 Shades of Red, Belle Isle Brewery. ROCK CloZee/Psymbionic, ACM Performance Lab, Edmond. ELECTRONIC Falling in Reverse/Issues/Motionless in White/ Dangerkids, Diamond Ballroom, Moore. ROCK Fist Of Rage, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK Gigantic, Earth Rebirth, Norman. ROCK Grazzhopper, Power House.

BLUEGRASS

Howard Brady, Full Circle Bookstore. ROCK Jack Rowdy, Stoney LaRue Music House. COUNTRY Jeremy Thomas Quartet, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond.

ONE

John Calvin Abney/Beth Bombara, The Blue Door. VARIOUS

JAZZ

Live music 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 to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

free will astrology Homework: What part of yourself are you scared of? Is it time to give that part a peace offering? Testify at Freewillastrology.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Are you more attracted

to honing group dynamics or liberating group dynamics? Do you have more aptitude as a director who organizes people or as a sparkplug who inspires people? Would you rather be a Chief Executive officer or a Chief Imagination Officer? Questions like these will be fertile for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. The astrological omens suggest it's time to explore and activate more of your potential as a leader or catalyst.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) An eccentric

Frenchman named Laurent Aigon grew up near an airport, and always daydreamed of becoming a commercial pilot. Sadly, he didn't do well enough in school to fulfill his wish. Yet he was smart and ambitious enough to accomplish the next best thing: assembling a realistic version of a Boeing 737 cockpit in his home.

With the help of Google, he gathered the information he needed, and ordered most of the necessary parts over the Internet. The resulting masterpiece has enabled him to replicate the experiences of being a pilot. It's such a convincing copy that he has been sought as a consultant by organizations that specialize in aircraft maintenance. I suggest you attempt a comparable feat, Taurus: creating a simulated version of what you want. I bet it will eventually lead you to the real thing.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) The weather may be inclement where you live, so you may be resistant to my counsel. But I must tell you the meanings of the planetary omens as I understand them, and not fret about whether you'll act on them. Here's my prescription, lifted from Henry David Thoreau's Walden: "We need the tonic of wildness, to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk, and hear the booming of the snipe; to smell the whispering sedge where only some wilde

By Rob Brezsny

and more solitary fowl builds her nest, and the mink crawls with its belly close to the ground." And why does Thoreau say we need such experiences? "We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, to witness our own limits transgressed."

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Welcome to the most

deliciously enigmatic, sensually mysterious phase of your astrological cycle. To provide you with the proper non-rational guidance, I have stolen scraps of dusky advice from the poet Dansk Javlarna (danskjavlarna. tumblr.com). Please read between the lines: 1. Navigate the ocean that roars within the seashell. 2. Carry the key, even if the lock has been temporarily lost. 3. Search through the deepest shadows for the bright light that cast them. 4. Delve into the unfathomable in wordless awe of the inexplicable.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) What exactly would a bolt of lightning taste like? I mean, if you could somehow manage to roll it around in your mouth without having to endure the white-hot shock. There's a booze manufacturer that claims to provide this sensation.

The company known as Oddka has created "Electricity Vodka," hard liquor with an extra fizzy jolt. But if any sign of the zodiac could safely approximate eating a streak of lightning without the help of Electricity Vodka, it would be you Leos. These days you have a special talent for absorbing and enjoying and integrating fiery inspiration.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Eighteenth-century

painter Joshua Reynolds said that a "disposition to abstractions, to generalizing and classification, is the great glory of the human mind." To that lofty sentiment, his fellow artist William Blake responded, "To generalize is to be an idiot; to particularize is the alone distinction of merit." So I may be an idiot when I make the following generalization, but I think I'm right: In the coming weeks, it will be in your best interests to rely on crafty generalizations to guide your decisions.

Getting bogged down in details at the expense of the big picture -- missing the forest for the trees -- is a potential pitfall that you can and should avoid.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Czech writer Bohumil

Hrabal penned the novel Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age. It consists of one sentence. But it's a long, rambling sentence -- 117 pages' worth. It streams from the mouth of the narrator, who is an older man bent on telling all the big stories of his life. If there were ever to come a time when you, too, would have cosmic permission and a poetic license to deliver a onesentence, 117-page soliloquy, Libra, it would be in the coming weeks. Reveal your truths! Break through your inhibitions! Celebrate your epic tales! (P.S.: Show this horoscope to the people you'd like as your listeners.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) When Pluto was

discovered in 1930, astronomers called it the ninth planet. But 76 years later, they changed their mind. In accordance with shifting definitions, they demoted Pluto to the status of a mere "dwarf planet." But in recent years, two renowned astronomers at Caltech have found convincing evidence for a new ninth planet.

Konstantin Batygin and Michael E. Brown are tracking an object that is much larger than Earth. Its orbit is so far beyond Neptune's that it takes 15,000 years to circle the sun. As yet it doesn't have an official name, but Batygin and Brown informally refer to it as "Phattie."

I bring this to your attention, Scorpio, because I suspect that you, too, are on the verge of locating a monumental new addition to your universe.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) The tomato and

potato are both nightshades, a family of flowering plants.

Taking advantage of this commonality, botanists have used the technique of grafting to produce a pomato plant. Its roots yield potatoes, while its vines grow cherry tomatoes. Now would be a good time for you to experiment with a metaphorically similar creation, Sagittarius. Can you think of how you might generate two useful influences from a single source?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Some guy I don't

know keeps sending me emails about great job opportunities he thinks I'd like to apply for: a technical writer for a solar energy company, for example, and a

social media intern for a business that offers travel programs. His messages are not spam. The gigs are legitimate. And yet I'm not in the least interested. I already have several jobs I enjoy, like writing these horoscopes. I suspect that you, too, may receive worthy but ultimately irrelevant invitations in the coming days, Capricorn. My advice: If you remain faithful to your true needs and desires, more apropos offers will eventually flow your way.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) The word "naysayer"

describes a person who's addicted to expressing negativity. A "yeasayer," on the other hand, is a person who is prone to expressing optimism. According to my assessment of the astrological omens, you can and should be a creative yeasayer in the coming days -- both for the sake of your own well-being and that of everyone whose life you touch. For inspiration, study Upton Sinclair's passage about Beethoven: He was "the defier of fate, the great yea-sayer." His music is "like the wind running over a meadow of flowers, superlative happiness infinitely multiplied."

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) If I'm feeling prosaic,

I might refer to a group of flamingos as a flock. But one of the more colorful and equally correct terms is a "flamboyance" of flamingos. Similarly, a bunch of pretty insects with clubbed antennae and big fluttery wings may be called a kaleidoscope of butterflies. The collective noun for zebras can be a dazzle, for pheasants a bouquet, for larks an exaltation, and for finches a charm. In accordance with current astrological omens, I'm borrowing these nouns to describe members of your tribe. A flamboyance or kaleidoscope of Pisceans?

Yes! A dazzle or bouquet or exaltation or charm of Pisceans? Yes! All of the above.

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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puzzles New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle The Downsizing of Nathaniel Ames

By Peter Broda and Erik Agard | Edited by Will Shortz | 0115 ACROSS 1 Loops in, in a way 5 Goddess with a throne headdress 9 Tempo 13 Figs. on drivers’ licenses 16 When repeated, a Pacific tourist destination 17 Fish whose name is a celebrity’s

name minus an R 18 Old bandleader with an Egyptian inspired name 19 Outrigger projections 20 Things smoked by singer Courtney?

23 Scandalmaker in 2002 news 24 Speed demon 25 Headwear the NBA banned in 2005 26 Game involving sharp projectiles

and alcohol 28 Parrot’s cry 29 1950s prez 31 “Charlie Hustle is my name/I am

banned from Hall of Fame,” e.g.?

33 Fist bump 34 “Yes, ____!”

36 Put a coat on 37 “Eureka!” moments 40 Press 42 Cloth colorist 43 Feature of Africa 44 ____ oil 46 Televangelist Joel 48 Alternative to “News” and

“Maps” in a Google search 50 Road restriction 51 Pugnacious Olympian 53 Relative of a ferret 54 Cold and wet 55 FBI’s div.

56 Hoopster Steph not playing at home?

60 Riffraff 62 Japanese watchmaker 64 Like Granny Smith apples 65 Endless chore 66 Dickens’s Uriah 68 Sega Genesis competitor, in brief 69 Radiant 71 Intersect 73 The sport of boxing in the 1960s

and ’70s, essentially?

75 “Nothing to write home about”

76 Groups with co-pays, briefly 78 Jockey strap 80 Star Trek: TNG role 81 Installment 83 Personalized gifts for music lovers 85 Valet in P. G. Wodehouse stories 89 Contemporary hybrid music genre 90 Sots’ sounds 91 Nickname for Louise 93 Feast 94 Sail support 95 In unison 97 Echo effect 99 El operator in the Windy City, briefly 100 Hat for pop singer Corey?

103 Anthem contraction 104 “Uhh …”

105 Show what you know, say 107 “In all probability” 109 Regular 111 Obstinate one, astrologically 112 Two-time Best Actor winner

arriving early?

115 Four-star rank: Abbr.

116 Monopoly purchase 117 Singer/songwriter Laura 118 Little foxes 119 Slump 120 ____ cosa (something else: Sp.) 121 Wanders (about) 122 They begin in juin DOWN 1 Original airer of The Hitchhiker’s

Guide to the Galaxy 2 Pop competition 3 Something smoked by comic Chris?

4 Hang on to 5 Org. against doping 6 Spindly limbed 7 Shakespeare villain 8 Photo of Canada’s former prime

minister Stephen?

9 “Stay ____” 10 Aardvarks, by another name 11 Enter surreptitiously 12 Press lightly, as the brakes 13 He was buried in 1915 and died in 1926

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plot inconsistencies 30 Nephrologists study them 32 Spies, informally 35 MLK’s title: Abbr.

38 Today personality 39 Shark’s home 41 Close by 43 Egg producer 45 Arctic fliers 47 Blow it

Advertising Director Christy Duane, cduane@okgazette.com Account EXECUTIVES Stephanie Van Horn, Saundra Rinearson Godwin, Elizabeth Riddle, Leah Roberts Nathan Ward, Walter Agnitsch

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49 Like a handyman’s projects, for short 50 “Anything! Anything at all!”

52 Shade of pink 54 Sword fight, e.g.

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else’s domain name 59 Troubles 61 Cherry for talk show host Chelsea?

63 Glimpsed 67 Forswear 70 Genius 72 Arm muscle, informally 73 ____ drop 74 Miney follower 77 “Idomeneo” composer 79 “All My ____ Live in Texas”

EDITOR-in-chief Jennifer Palmer Chancellor jchancellor@okgazette.com

82 UNC student 83 Figure at the center of a maze 84 Tahoe, for one 86 Entourage of a 1990s white rapper?

87 Musical intermission 88 Continuous 90 Flamboyantly successful sort 92 Trampolinist’s wear 96 Start to -scope 97 Cincinnati squad 98 Dude, in British lingo 101 Smallish batteries 102 Long spear 105 Makes “it” 106 Zone 108 “Dark Sky Island” singer 110 Drink sometimes served hot 113 “Snowden” org.

114 ____, cuatro, seis, ocho …

New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers

O D E T T E

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O R C H E S T R A HA H A L L

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R A M A B L L T E O L U S T A T T E R HA N O K R I G E C HA S R A T O

E M O R Y M A HA L O L E A P S T S U

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A D A P T C O V E R H E A T E Y L A N B A R D A N D Y G N C R C H W A E E E R A D I T E D G V I A T R E N T A I N G O R A N HA L O C A S W H O E A A R W N U P T O T N E A N S O L E

Assistant EDITOR Brittany Pickering Staff reporters Greg Elwell, Laura Eastes, Ben Luschen Contributors Mark Beutler Terre Cooke Chaffin, Christine Eddington Jack Fowler, Michael Kinney George Lang, Lea Terry Sara Yonker Photographer Garett Fisbeck Circulation Manager Chad Bleakley Art Director Chris Street Production coordinator Arden Biard Advertising/Marketing Design Coordinator Erin DeMoss Graphic Designer Anna Shilling

Puzzle No. 0108, which appeared in the January 11 issue.

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Digital Media & Calendar Coordinator Aubrey Jernigan

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2017 230i Coupe | $379/month*

2017 650i Gran Coupe | $1,069/month*

2017 X5 xDrive35i | $679/month*

2017 X3 xDrive28i | $409/month*

2017 320i Sedan | $349/month*

2017 740i | $939/month*

14145 North Broadway Extension Edmond, OK 73013 | 866.925.9885

Imports 2017 230i Coupe, 36-month lease, $2,750 down, MSRP $35,795, Standard Terms 2017 650i Gran Coupe, 36-month lease, $5,500 down, MSRP $93,895, Standard Terms 2017 X5 xDrive35i, 36-month lease, $3500 down, MSRP $60,895, Standard Terms

BmW

2017 X3 xDrive28i, 36-month lease, $3000 down, MSRP $43,895, Standard Terms 2017 320i Sedan, 36-month lease, $2,750 down, MSRP $42,740, Standard Terms 2017 740i, 36-month lease, $5500 down, MSRP $84,395, Standard Terms

Web: www.cooperbmw.com Email: rkeitz@cooperautogroup.com Standard terms & Tag, Tax. 1st Payment, Aquisition fee, processing fee WAC *See dealership for details — offers subject to change without prior notice. *January prices subject to change. European models shown.