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BY LAURA EASTES, BEN LUSCHEN AND JACOB THREADGILL P.21

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12/8/17 9:32 AM

inside COVER P.21 There is no single way to celebrate the December holidays.

Oklahoma Gazette gets into the spirit with a look at how Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are celebrated in OKC.

By Laura Eastes, Ben Luschen and Jacob Threadgill Cover by Jim Massara and Christopher Street

NEWS 4 City Santa Fe Station renovations

update

6 Business local Christmas retail 8 Health nurse practitioners

petition for full practice rights

10 Chicken-Fried News

EAT & DRINK 13 Review Urban Johnnie

14 Feature Prairie Artisan Ales

OKC taproom

16 Feature Stone Sisters Pizza Bar 18 Gazedibles cookies

ARTS & CULTURE 21 Cover multicultural holidays

in OKC

Buy This 28 Art The Art Market: Locally Made, Gift Inspired Works at DNA Galleries 23

31 Theater Dayna Brown,

Oklahoma City Ballet costume director

32 Theater Darci Lynne at

The Criterion

33 Community Earth Rebirth works

with schools to establish gardens

34 Community WeGoLook

37 Culture Red Earth Treefest at

Red Earth Art Center

38 Youth Science Museum

Oklahoma winter camps

Holiday Services 40 Books Okie Comics Magazine 39

41 Calendar

MUSIC 43 Event Steve Earle at

Tower Theatre

Bare: Live at The Blue Door

44 Review K.C. Clifford’s Coming 45 Live music

FUN 46 Puzzles sudoku | crossword 47 Astrology OKG Classifieds 47

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CIT Y

NEWS

On board

An urban comeback story decades in the making, and the story is far from finished.

By Laura Eastes

Several decades ago, when Oklahoma City’s Santa Fe Station stood abandoned, dilapidated and largely forgotten, any thought to the 1930s depot later serving as a transit hub — home to Amtrak train service, a streetcar stop and the possibility of future commuter rail — would have been preposterous.

After all, the station closed in 1979 when Amtrak passenger rail service was discontinued in Oklahoma. For a twodecade period, Oklahoma City, which was very much a car-centric community, didn’t think much about trains or other mass transit systems.

But that began to change in 1998 when Jim and Brent Brewer took ownership of the station, working with state and federal officials to plug $1 million in renovations into the station for the return of passenger train service. On July 14, 1999, the Heartland Flyer made its inaugural trip from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas, making stops in Norman, Purcell, Pauls Valley, Ardmore and Gainesville, Texas. Six years later, as Oklahoma City’s urban core was flourishing, the area’s first transportation study laid the foundation for a mass transit network. The 2030 Fixed Guideway Study proposed bus enhancements, bus rapid transit, rail-based transportation and a downtown streetcar system. Initial plans connected all proposed transportation systems to the downtown station.

Last week, when local and state leaders gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark a $28.4 million renovation project at art deco Santa Fe Station, comments centered on how an 83-year-old train station is a key to the metro’s future.

John Sharp, deputy director of the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG), called the station a “solution” to “allow us to move around more freely.”

“It didn’t take too long to really come to the conclusion that Santa Fe obviously was the hub that we needed to keep,” Sharp

The City of Oklahoma City has poured $28.4 million into a fourphase renovation of Santa Fe Station. | Photo Laura Eastes

said when recalling past studies completed by ACOG with input and help from the metro’s major municipalities. “This was the best bet for the future. The consultants even determined the station has the capacity to handle high-speed rail in the future. … Work continues with many of the partners to realize a regional transportation system that allows everyone a choice and a way in which they can travel.”

Restorations

As City of Oklahoma City leaders pursued the $131 million MAPS 3 downtown streetcar project, they too pushed for the acquisition and renovation of Santa Fe Station, which required leveraging federal, state and local dollars. Mayor Mick Cornett said the state and local dollars served as a major factor in earning the federal funds.

“The federal government has long distanced itself from projects where they are the sole funder,” Cornett said. “When we were able to go to the federal government and say, ‘Look; we’ve got state funding, we’ve got city funding, we’ve got funding from ACOG … will you help us?’ The federal government stood up and put $13 million into this facility.”

Santa Fe Station’s restoration is the result of partnerships among ACOG, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the City of Oklahoma City. The city committed $11.33 million to the project

from MAPS 3 and Project 180 funding streams. The federal government’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program kicked in $13.59 million. ACOG added $2 million and the state contributed $1.5 million.

Visitors to the station, which is operated by Amtrak, will find a ticket counter, waiting area and office space as well as retail space. Spokies, the city’s bikesharing program; Destination Oklahoma; and a new Oklahoma-themed gift shop will join Pinkitzel.

Work continues with many of the partners to realize a regional transportation system that allows everyone a choice and a way in which they can travel.

John Sharp In February, construction crews will return to the station for phases three and four. Plans call for building a tunnel from the station to the west end of the Bricktown Canal and constructing a plaza for pedestrians on the Bricktown side.

The progress unveiled this month included the building restoration and exterior site work. Outside the station, there are streetcar tracks laid near E.K. Gaylord Boulevard, which recently underwent an extensive streetscape project. A year from now, the MAPS 3 streetcar will glide through the downtown core. Indeed, roads and rails are leading to Santa Fe Station.

Santa Fe Station’s recent renovations are part of a larger plan to utilize the downtown facility as an intermodal hub for mass transit in the metro. | Photo Laura Eastes

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Authority work

Transportation and municipal leaders are on board to pursue a transit system that includes commuter rail. What has long been on the drawing board is a system designed to move people from Edmond to Norman and from Nichols Hills to Midwest City.

Driving their efforts are the estimates of population growth and vehicle travel.

According to TRIP, a national transportation research group, travel on Oklahoma roads and highways is expected to climb by 20 percent by 2030.

“The highways can’t handle all that traffic, and we aren’t considering building new highways,” said Republican Sen. Stephanie Bice, who chairs the Oklahoma Senate’s Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation. “The only way to deal with increased demand in our transportation system is to provide more options. Passenger rail will play an important role. The system needs to be planned well in advance, and we can’t afford to go backwards or even stand still.”

Two years ago, a multi-municipal task force formed to create Central Oklahoma Regional Transit Authority, an agency responsible for the metro’s mass transit operations. The authority is also tasked with identifying funding sources, which remains a major aspect of any discussion involving light rail or bus rapid transit.

The authority’s transportation planning is producing the services the community wants to see, explained Sharp as he described how an Amtrak inspection trip to expand rail services north of the metro received great feedback.

“We enjoyed the cheering fans along the route, especially in Guthrie and Edmond,” explained Sharp, who was one of many local transportation leaders on board. “Edmond doesn’t even have a station, and there were hundreds of people cheering on the train, which is a good sign. We think there is a lot of anticipation and a lot of interest for future rail traffic, and we want to see that.”

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PM

NEWS dome as a participant of the annual Holiday Pop-Up Shops in Midtown.

“My Christmas would be suffering if I didn’t do Pop-Up shops,” McDonald said. “It helps boost my sales.”

It also builds a new following for the boutique known for its handmade jewelry, clothing and beauty products. “‘I saw you at the Pop-Ups,’” McDonald said, repeating a phrase she hears in the winter and spring months. “The Pop-Ups help bring in a lot of new faces.”

BUSINESS

Shopper reminders

Neighborhood business

In the age of e-commerce and low prices at big-box stores, is OKC supporting local retailers?

By Laura Eastes

The day after Thanksgiving — Friday, Nov. 24, Black Friday — Rachael Gruntmeir asked her Black Scintilla customers if they had shopped earlier in the day to score big discounts online or at big-box stores.

The most common answer was no, said the Midtown shopkeeper. Instead, customers expressed a desire to shop at her business and other locally owned shops in the Oklahoma City area this holiday season.

“Every year, I hear more and more customers say they are only shopping local,” Gruntmeir said from inside The Black Scintilla, a boutique selling women’s, children’s and men’s clothing items along with home accents and accessories. “It is great that people are aware of where they are spending their money and where their tax dollars are going. Their money is going directly back into the community.”

Not far from Midtown in Oklahoma City’s 16th Street Plaza District, Cassie McDonald of Out On A Limb Boutique also heard similar comments from customers at her handmade goods store.

“I’ve heard people say they are shopping down in the Plaza as much as they can,” said McDonald. “If they are looking for something specific that I don’t have, I point them to other locally owned stores.

A lot of my customers shop local on purpose, but I have also heard my customers say they will have to buy on Amazon because someone on their lists doesn’t want anything local or handmade.”

The buy-local movement, often called Shop Small or Shop Local, is strong in 6

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OKC, home to many small, local businesses in the various thriving commercial districts. While the state’s economy was slowed by the recent downturn in the oil and natural gas industry and as online shopping increased, locally owned businesses adjusted to keep attracting and serving customers. Not every small retailer is recession-proof, but many local shopkeepers provide a retail experience unlike shopping web pages or visiting large shopping centers.

“Some people say retail is dead,” said Jill McCartney, president and CEO of Northwest Oklahoma City Chamber, an organization representing many small retail stores. “It’s just that smart retailers have to provide something different or exceptional in service, selec-

Holiday Pop-Up Shops has operated in Midtown for five years. Retail participants include local businesses. | Photo James Harber / provided

tion and personal attention. That’s something our small businesses do.”

Recently, popular crowdsourced review website Yelp published a list of top 20 cities for local holiday shopping on its blog. OKC ranked 13th on the list for shoppers favoring local shops.

Gruntmeir wasn’t surprised Oklahoma City made the list, which named San Francisco as the top city to shop local in 2017, followed by Seattle and Chicago.

Oklahoma Citians connect shopping and buying local to supporting neighbors and the community, she said. Purchases made in locally owned shops dramatically impact the community as tax revenue funds local government, parks, law enforcement and other community services.

“We have visitors come in from other states that don’t know what Shop Local means or have never heard of Small Business Saturday,” Gruntmeir said. “It blows my mind, but I am also so thankful that Oklahomans get it so well.”

Two locations

The buy local movement experiences up and downs in sales. Nationally, retail sales were sluggish in October. This came after Americans spent fewer of their dollars on consumer goods in the summer months.

“You win some, you lose some,” McDonald said of experiencing the preChristmas slump in her sales.

Sales picked up at Out On A Limb Boutique in November as shoppers began holiday purchases. So far, McDonald sees signs she will have stronger sales numbers than previous holiday shopping seasons. While December is typically the strongest month for sales, she attributes her numbers to both her brick-and-mortar spot and her goods sold from a geodesic Rachael Gruntmeir said the holiday shopping season always drives up sales numbers for Midtown’s The Black Scintilla. | Photo Gazette / file

Consumers say they will likely spend an average of $967.13 on holiday gifts, according to an annual survey conducted by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics. Other national retail reports hint that e-commerce, big chain stores and brick-and-mortar stores will all play an important role in shoppers’ holiday purchases this year.

While e-commerce, or shopping online, offers the convenience of a few mouse clicks and big chain stores extend their hours and push customers to buy online and pick up in stores, locally owned shops have their selling points too. Local shops can be more nimble in catering their selections to local tastes. Unlike other retail options, mom-and-pop businesses can connect their products with shoppers by offering samples of food products, providing testers for bath and beauty products or lighting a candle that is for sale.

Smart retailers have to provide something different or exceptional in services, selection and personal attention.

Jill McCartney “You can touch it, you can smell it, you can experience it and talk to the helpful owners,” McCartney said.

The buy local movement is closely tied to Small Business Saturday, an American Express-sponsored shopping holiday that began in 2010 to spur support for local businesses the day after Black Friday. The chamber, which represents businesses north of Interstate 40 and west of Broadway Extension, is a champion of Small Business Saturday, McCartney said.

This year, its campaign grew from one day to more than a dozen events taking place over several holiday shopping days.

“One Saturday is not enough,” McCartney said. “We want people to be more aware of small businesses all the time. We expanded [the campaign] into a #ShopSmallNWOKC campaign that runs throughout the season. It helps people focus on shop small, but also the different small businesses work together to not only promote their own businesses but the concept of shopping small.”

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H E A LT H

YOU need tO attend these events

Expanding care

Nurse practitioners seek full practice authority in Oklahoma. By Laura Eastes

In an era of shrinking federal and state health budgets, shortages of primary care doctors and a growing public concern about access to affordable and quality health care, a long-running debate over granting nurse practitioners greater autonomy returns to the Oklahoma Capitol in February.

For the third consecutive year, state lawmakers will consider legislation that seeks to expand the role of advanced practice registered nurses by allowing them to write prescriptions without doctor supervision. Last regular session, House Bill 1013 gained approval in the House but never received a hearing in the Senate. It remains eligible to be considered for passage next regular session, which begins Feb. 5, 2018.

An Association of Oklahoma Nurse Practitioners’ (AONP) leader predicted 2018 as the year the bill becomes law, placing Oklahoma among more than 20 states authorizing nurse practitioners with “full practice authority” defined by the American Association

of Nurse Practitioners as allowing advanced nurses “to evaluate patients, diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests, initiate and manage treatments — including prescribe medications — under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing.”

“This is a standard of practice across the United States,” said Toni PrattReid, AONP president and Yukon nurse practitioner. “What we have seen in the states that have moved forward and made this change in their laws is that health care is better. Access to health care is better. Economic growth has returned to rural areas where there might not have been access to care.”

Physicians are lining up against any legislation changes. Groups including the Oklahoma State Medical Association and Oklahoma Psychiatric Physicians Association have stated they see no reason to alter the current law, which they view as encouraging nurse practitioners to work in a team-based setting under the supervision of a medical doctor.

Nurse practitioner Toni Pratt-Reid leads the Association of Oklahoma Nurse Practitioners’ push for full practice authority in the Sooner State. | Photo Laura Eastes

Physicians like Dr. Art Rousseau question whether nurse practitioners can offer the same level of care.

“Some say this is a turf war or a financial issue,” explained Rousseau, chair of the Oklahoma State Medical Association’s council on state legislation. “That’s not the issue we are addressing at all. It really is about the highest quality of care that can be provided to the patient. The concern is that it will become accepted that the lower level of care is the standard. This will be driven by the insurance companies or hospitals, who can get a nurse practitioner for a lesser cost and bypass the physician. The bottom line is that it will affect the care of the patient.”

The debate over giving nurse practitioners greater autonomy has gained traction across the nation in recent years. In 2015, Nebraska lawmakers passed legislation authorizing nurse practitioners to order and interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications and administer treatments. Earlier this year, South Dakota’s governor signed a similar bill into law and the federal Veterans Administration granted full practice autonomy to certified nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and clinical nurse specialists. It’s likely that Oklahoma’s legislation will get plenty of attention in the coming months.

Meeting a need

In the Sooner State, nurse practitioners can diagnose and treat patients without the oversight of a physician; however, their prescription authority is tied to a supervising physician, who is contracted and can charge thousands of dollars each month for an agreement. Under Oklahoma law, there is no requirement for supervising physicians to review a nurse practitioner’s patient charts or even practice nearby.

Most often, collaboration between the

This is a standard of practice across the United States.

Toni Pratt-Reid physician and nurse practitioner doesn’t take place, Pratt-Reid said.

“It doesn’t mean that the physician oversees the plan of care or ever has contact with the patient or any patient,” Pratt-Reid said. “It just means they have an agreement that they will be available, should we have a concern.”

In Oklahoma, nurse practitioners who have master’s degrees or better carry national board certifications and are licensed and regulated by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. The board reports there are more than 2,840 advanced nurses supervised by a physician for prescription authority with 3,572 licensed advanced nurses in the state.

Full authority for nurse practitioners is particularly important in rural states, which often face large shortages of medical professionals. In Oklahoma, where the state Health Department reports only one of the state’s 77 counties is not designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area, proponents of full authority argue it increases access to health care services, especially in rural areas.

“We have a difficult time finding [physicians] in rural areas to work with us,” said Pratt-Reid, who stated that many nurse practitioners are from rural communities and desire to return.

With some rural hospitals recently closed or operating with restructured departments, there is a real shortage of physicians. In Oklahoma, physicians can only supervise two nurse practitioners at a time.

“We would be able to practice within our scope of education,” Pratt-Reid said.

“I think when full practice authority opens up in Oklahoma, we will see a broader range of insurance coverage and accessibility.”

More than supervision

Physicians, because of their advanced training and education, should remain at the top of the medical team to provide the best care and safety for patients, Rousseau said. When the law was first crafted, it was designed with flexibility, allowing physicians to use their judgment when overseeing prescriptions.

“By the guidelines, the physician is just there to monitor in regards to prescription authority,” said Rousseau, an Oklahoma City psychiatrist. “Of course, that sets up a little bit of a problem. If I am a supervisor to a nurse practitioner with medication, I need to make sure the diagnosis is correct. It becomes tricky if you say you are just there to supervise the prescriptions, as you are also supervising the diagnosis as well, or should be.”

It is “illegal, unethical and inappropriate” for physicians to profit from an agreement but not provide any supervision, he said.

“If that is happening ... they need to turn the name into the board and action is to be taken against those doctors,” Rousseau said.

Medical associations, including the Oklahoma State Medical Association, point out advanced nurses’ training of two to three years postgraduate education doesn’t compare with a physician’s seven or more years of postgraduate education and more than 14,000 hours of clinical experience.

“The question is, Can they do the same thing a physician can?” Rousseau said.

“Basically, they are saying they want to do everything a medical doctor can do but without the supervision and without any further training. There is a saying I’ve heard many times that [nurse practitioners] want the privilege. It truly is a privilege to practice medicine. They want the privilege, not through education, but legislation.”

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9

chicken

friedNEWS #GovernorProblems

Two-term Republican Gov. Mary Fallin wants more power.

Here at Chicken-Fried News, we imagine a bunch of readers gasping after reading that statement. Let us remind you to take a deep breath and keep reading. Ultimately, it would take the voters weighing a potential ballot measure before any Oklahoma governor assumed more power.

According to CNHI Oklahoma, Fallin, who has a little less than one year left in office, contends its time for the governor to appoint agency directors, a move that would make state government more effective and responsive.

“A governor ought to be able to hire a director and have the authority to fire that director,” Fallin told CNHI Oklahoma.

As the reporter correctly pointed out, the governor has the authority to appoint some agency chiefs, for example the Department of Public Safety director and the head of the state’s military. Many other state agency directors rise to their positions by appointment from their agency’s boards or commissions.

Senate Minority Leader John Sparks, D-Norman, described gubernatorial power expansion as an “ongoing debate.” A governor with greater power over agency appointments could translate to “faster fixes to ineffective policies.”

Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, argued that current policy results in newly appointed governors arriving at the Capitol ready to clean house but unable. Voters elect their governor to do just that.

Both Sparks and Murphey present strong arguments for support of future gubernatorial powers. What might those opposed say?

“I would not be in favor of giving [Fallin] any more power after what I’ve seen in this Capitol the last few months,” Rep. Bobby Cleveland, R-Slaughterville said.

Never too late

We at Chicken-Fried News know that sometimes we can be a little cynical. Since it is the holiday season, we thought that we’d share an uplifting story to highlight that it’s never too late to give up on your dreams.

Meet Ben Rogers, who recently graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and passed the Oklahoma Bar Exam at the age of 68. Rogers’ twisting and turning journey to OU was featured last week in The Norman Transcript.

The son of a college professor, Rogers was born in Minnesota before growing up around college campuses in Florida. His father later accepted a job at now-defunct Parsons College in Iowa.

Rogers attended Parsons for a year before enlisting in the Army. After finishing military service, he moved to Virginia, where he remembered his most enjoyable part of college: selling sandwiches out of his dorm with his roommate. He entered the restaurant business before moving to the Washington D.C. area, where he met his wife Margi.

After a brief period as a general contractor in the 1980s until the housing market

congrats

crashed at the end of the decade, Rogers combined his two careers: constr uction and restaurants. He opened his first San Antonio Sam’s in 1990 and expanded to multiple locations, eventually selling them when his wife had a job opportunity in San Diego.

How does someone get from San Diego to Oklahoma? Jury duty and a well-placed billboard, of course. Rogers served as a juror on a complicated suit involving multiple corporations and the U.S. government. The trial was halted, and a corporate attorney asked to interview jurors. During the interview, the attorney told Rogers he did an exceptional job keeping up with a complicated case and said he would’ve been a great attorney. It planted a seed.

While thinking of opening a new restaurant in San Diego, Rogers noticed a billboard for the University of Oklahoma online program, signed up and earned a degree in criminal justice. He enrolled at OU law at the age of 65 and graduated this year. He is practicing law in Norman.

Class of 2017

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA TM

10

uco.edu

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ucobronchos

uco.bronchos

UCOBronchos

“T” = terrible

OK, so no one reading this needs Chicken-Fried News to tell them that former state Sen. Ralph Shortey has acted like a hypocritical creep.

Police recently released body cam footage from the night law enforcement found Shortey in a Super 8 Motel with a 17-year-old boy and the smell of raw marijuana. The Oklahoma City Republican resigned in March and in November pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking charges.

Shortey is not the first “family values” politician to say one thing in public and act very differently in private. And he probably won’t be the last.

There is no need to rehash the details of his exchange with a minor.

The real interesting tidbit from the body cam video is the T-shirt Shortey was wearing at the time.

“Ephesians 5:22” — a patriarchal (some would say misogynistic) and c o nt e m p o r a r i l y problematic quote reading, “Wives, submit yourself to your husbands as you do the Lord” — was printed in big letters across the chest.

Under that is a picture of a sandwich and the accompanying phrase, “Now go make

me a sandwich.”

If this was a detail in a movie about the downfall of a try-hard, gun-toting conservative state legislator, we would say it was a little over the top. Who but an intentional villain would wear something like that? Did Shortey find this shirt next to Andy Kaufman’s old woman-wrestling championship dubs?

Soon enough, Shortey will likely be trading in his trollish T’s for orange jumpsuits as he serves his sentence for child sex trafficking. Perhaps someone can put together a new shirt with Shortey’s face and the verse Leviticus 24:12: “They put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them.”

Now opeN See downtownindecember.com for information. @devonicerinkokc @devonicerink

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11

We fight for those whooice. need a v 1 in 4

Oklahoma children lives in

POVERTY.

We surround our community’s most critical problems, and find every dollar we can to address them. Help Central Oklahoma win this fight for Central Oklahoma. Give today at

StandUnitedOKC.com

A Territorial Christmas

Pioneer Woman’s Christmas

A Moment In Time

Take a journey back in time to historic Guthrie to tour the Victorian-inspired downtown, enjoy a savory culinary experience and an evening at the theatre with Pollard’s family classic, A Territorial Christmas Carol. A true Oklahoma tradition, this version of Charles Dickens’ classic tale of redemption and brotherly love is set in the days of the Oklahoma Land Run. The evening is topped with a drive back through neighborhood Christmas light displays. The perfect holiday date night!

Relish in the spirit of Pioneer Women during this exclusive, 10hour guided excursion. Your journey includes a tour of the spectacular Crystal Bridge and visits to the Pioneer Woman Museum & Statue and Marland Mansion & Estates. Next, it’s off to see The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, and shop at the Mercantile before enjoying an exclusive four-course culinary experience. Finish the day with a private wine tasting at StableRidge Winery on historic Route 66.

Two experiences. First, during the day, go beyond the experience at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum and gain exclusive,VIP access to the archives.

A Moment in Time Illuminated: Experience at night the magnificence of Oklahoma City and walk through time to experience the history, the progress, and a moment we will always remember, a moment that changed Oklahoma City forever.

Our guide will take you through an illuminated guided tour of the Outdoor Symbolic Grounds.

Four tours to celebrate the holidays in Oklahoma!

www.okctours.com TOuRS START AT $22

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TOuR DETAiLS & TiCkETS ONLiNE

Hit the Bricks at the Holidays Celebrate holiday history, botanical beauty, and a taste of the holidays on a festive, guided stroll through downtown Oklahoma City this holiday season. Your journey includes a tour of the spectacular Crystal Bridge and stops at the historic Skirvin Hotel, BC Clark, Devon Energy Center, Red Earth Treefest, and a wine tasting at Waters Edge Winery!

EAT & DRINK Johnnie the Greek burger and a side of Frito pie

review

| Photo Jacob Threadgill

Updated classic Urban Johnnie, the modern version of an Oklahoma City institution, excels in its sports bar concept. By Jacob Threadgill

Urban Johnnie 121 NE Second St. urbanjohnnie.com | 405-208-4477 What works: Its chicken patty exudes flavor without being dry.

What needs work: Its Frito pie needs more sauce.

TIP: Entrees are nice, but stick with the burgers.

An Oklahoma City hamburger tradition that began on Western Avenue at the Split-T transformed into mainstay Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler, which has eight metro locations, in 1971.

Founder David “Johnnie” Haynes began cooking burgers at home using a dual method of gas and charcoal while he managed the Split-T and brought the technique with him when he opened his own restaurant. David Haynes died in 2000, but his sons Rick and David continue the family business.

Under the leadership of the new family, the Haynes brothers have expanded the reach and concept of Johnnie’s. They founded West bar and restaurant in 2007 but recently transferred ownership to restaurant group Provision Concepts (Hatch, Broadway 10 Bar & Chophouse, Sidecar Barley & Wine Bar).

Updated concepts

In 2013, the brothers launched Urban Johnnie Bar & Grille at 121 NE Second St. in the Deep Deuce neighborhood on the bottom floor of the Level Urban Apartments complex. The sports bar concept is designed for a younger, hipper

customer looking to take advantage of the booming and rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.

Urban Johnnie takes the Johnnie’s Charcoal commitment to timelessness and pushes it into the 21st century by adding salads (including one with kale), entrees like pot roast and grilled, fresh and updated specialty burgers.

The original Johnnie’s popularized the Cheese Theta Burger (mounds of shredded American cheese and Johnnie’s hickory sauce) and the Caesar Burger (Caesar-dressed lettuce on top of a beef patty). I can’t say that I expected an Oklahoma institution to pair beef and salad, but here we are.

Urban Johnnie has both of those classics on the menu but has updated them.

The Cheese Theta includes house-made pickles, and its Caesar features romaine lettuce, which has actual nutritional value when compared to the icebergtopped Johnnie’s Charcoal iteration.

patty with hummus and grilled onions.

While I’d never expect a veggie patty to replace a beef one — I’ve yet to try the Impossible Burger, which aims to do just that — I immensely enjoy a wellmade black bean or other plant-based protein burger.

I nearly went with the veggie patty, but for review’s sake, I ordered Johnnie the Greek because a chicken burger is the ultimate test for a burger chef. How do you keep the patty from becoming too dry?

I was surprised to see that half of Urban Johnnie’s specialty burgers are beef-based.

Johnnie the Greek ($8) features a chicken patty topped with julienned red peppers, onion, feta cheese and Greek dressing. I figured the dressing would help in case the filling erred on the dry side, but it didn’t need it.

The burger arrived as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Marinated olives and pepperoncini join an overflowing amount of romaine salad topping the burger. You eat with your eyes first, as the saying goes, and I was ready to dig in. The burger stands on its own, providing a taste of fresh herbs, but it’s elevated with the sweet and bitter notes of the salad.

I was impressed with the price point.

At only $8, Johnnie the Greek is something I would expect to see at $12-$14 on a menu without batting an eye. Of course, sides come as an additional item, so it’s a way for the restaurant to increase its profits without building the side into the burger.

I thought about getting The Vegetarian Wolf: a veggie patty topped with vegetarian chili. So I decided to split the difference and order a kids version of the Frito pie as my side.

I went in thinking it would be a menu highlight, especially when a full-sized portion is available as an entrée, and was disappointed. The all-meat chili lacked any flavor beyond salt and was fairly dry, not providing the soupy coverage of chips for which I was looking.

The cheese also arrived unmelted, which I assume is how it has always been done at the Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler, but expecting lukewarm chili to melt the cheese was asking too much.

If the Frito pie is any indication, I’m not sure I can recommend Urban Johnnie’s foray into entrees. Urban Johnnie excels at its main mission: burgers and friendly service. Hostesses and wait staff couldn’t have been friendlier and genuinely happy as I dined. It was also great to leave feeling satiated without being weighed down. Usually a hamburger for lunch will have you looking to pull a George Costanza and nap under your desk.

I look forward to my next trip to Urban Johnnie.

Deep Deuce meal

The sports bar concept for Urban Johnnie comes through immediately.

Giant televisions are in view from every seat, and ESPN pundits silently debated Heisman trophy frontrunner Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield’s professional prospects as I perused the menu.

I was surprised to see that half of Urban Johnnie’s specialty burgers are beef-based, and the menu even features two vegetarian options, including the Hummus a Tune, which tops the veggie Cheese on the Frito pie arrived unmelted. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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F E AT U RE

EAT & DRINK

Taproom trendsetters

Prairie Artisan Ales expands into Oklahoma City as it becomes the first tenant to open in 8th Street Market. By Jacob Threadgill

The award-winning product of Prairie Artisan Ales is available around the world, but until recently, fans had to go to its Tulsa brewpub or production facility in Krebs to get a taste of its new beer.

Prairie Artisan Ales opened its first Oklahoma City taproom Nov. 15 at 3 NE Eighth St., becoming the first business to open in the 8th Street Market building, which operators envision as a market hall retail concept patterned after successful models in Denver and New York.

The taproom has 16 total taps and currently features 10 beers, about six of which have never seen wide distribution.

For instance, the taproom opened with Cinnamon Pecan Bomb!, a seasonal variety of its Bomb!, which has a sterling score of 99 out of 100 on Beer Advocate.

Previously, Cinnamon Pecan Bomb! had only been unveiled for a party at its Krebs facility.

“Unless you were one of the few hundred people there that day, you haven’t seen it before,” Greg Powell, the taproom’s manager, said. “Everyone down there loved it, and it’s been a huge hit for us here too.”

Market Hall concept

The November opening was the culmination of a 16-month process to open in the

former storage facility warehouse, which was purchased by developers Patrick Murnan, Brandon Lodge and Cale Coulter in early 2016 for $1.2 million, according to The Oklahoman.

“We bought the building because we believed in the area and really liked what Oklahoma City was doing in the urban core, but at first, we really didn’t have a plan for the premise,” Murnan said in an interview with Oklahoma Gazette.

He said they knew the market wanted a retail space in the burgeoning Automobile Alley neighborhood but the building’s dimensions didn’t exactly lend itself to a traditional retail model. That’s when a friend suggested the group tour Denver’s The Source and New York City’s Chelsea Market, where retail, restaurant and office space co-mingle in an open-air setting.

“We were skeptical because Oklahoma City didn’t have anything like this,” Murnan said. “We went to The Source in Denver and loved it. It helped sell us on the idea of a market hall.”

The building’s renovation, which finished in July, installed roll-up doors and large windows, which bring natural light The taproom is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

Prairie Artisan Ales’ taproom features beer not available anywhere else. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

“Sears will never come in here,” he said.

Brewery influence

into a central pedestrian corridor. It also added a second-floor mezzanine, which Murnan said could be perfect for coffee shops or other food space.

The group recently secured a deal with Key Construction, a Kansas company, to house its Oklahoma City offices in the market. Key has been active in the metro area, building Warren Theatre in Moore, among other projects.

We’re proud and excited to be part of the movement in this area.

Reed Jaskula Murnan said 8th Street Market will focus on either local companies or those that do a lot of business in Oklahoma.

With Prairie Artisan Ales in place, Murnan said he wants the taproom’s funky and fun design, which features pink fluorescent lights and artwork from Prairie’s co-founder Colin Healey, to anchor a wider aesthetic for the hall.

“I think being the first business on this end of the street is pretty cool,” Powell said. “We’ve seen it in Oklahoma City for the last 20 years. The first person that goes in on a street, and the next thing that you know, the street is full of development.”

Prairie installed six fermenters and seven bright tanks for brewmasters Reed Jaskula and Kevin Kristek, who relocated from Ohio for the project, to work.

“The fun aspect of this place is that we have freedom to experiment and try new styles that wouldn’t be available in the standard portfolio,” Jaskula said. “We’re proud and excited to be part of the movement in this area. We’re pulling out all the stops.”

The taproom is currently open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. seven days a week. Powell said that will likely expand when the new alcohol law takes effect in 2018 and when the market hall adds other businesses that complement the taproom, which doesn’t serve food.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to stay open until 2 a.m., but it would be nice to have the option,” Powell said.

Brothers Chase and Colin Healey founded prairie Artisan Ales in Tulsa.

Krebs Brewing Co., brewers of Choc beer, purchased Prairie in 2016. Krebs Brewing Co. President Zach Prichard has overseen an expansion of the brand, which has a worldwide reach.

International sales account for 5 percent of Prairie’s profits, and Prichard has overseen the opening of a brewpub in Tulsa, the taproom in Oklahoma City and the construction of a new brewery in Krebs, according to Tulsa World.

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Sisters Traci Stone, Tami Lake and Sheli Reynolds opened Stone Sisters Pizza Bar

F E AT U RE

in May. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

Family affair

Stone Sisters Pizza Bar aims to show that healthy pizza can also taste good. By Jacob Threadgill

The idea to open a restaurant with your sisters might be a difficult scenario for some families to imagine, but at Stone Sisters Pizza Bar, sisters Sheli Reynolds, Tami Lake and Traci Stone have a bit of friendly competition.

“What pizza did you order?” Lake asks a customer after he takes a seat in the restaurant located at 2124 N. Broadway Ave. in the former Borden Dairy building.

“She only wants to know because her pizza sells the best,” Reynolds chimes in.

Lake’s pizza, Misunderstood Middle Sister, features smoked Lovera Caciocovera cheese, sausage, pepperoni, olives, onions and red peppers. All of the ingredients are organic, but what sets Stone Sisters Pizza Bar apart is what they refer to as a “miracle crust” made from the ancient grain spelt.

“We’re the only place in the world that we know of that serves the sprouted spelt crust,” Reynolds said. “When you sprout something like a grain, it turns it from a bread carbohydrate to a vegetable carbohydrate.”

The Bossy Big Sister pizza makes cooked pasta a topping. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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Journey to clean eating

The darkest time of Reynolds’ life led to the light of a career focused on healthy living.

Her husband Joe died in 2011 following a six-year battle with brain cancer.

The desperate attempt to find a cure led Reynolds, a former pharmaceutical salesperson, to explore the opposite end of the spectrum: holistic medicine and clean eating.

Following his death, Reynolds needed an outlet and went full-bore into benefits of food, becoming a certified nutritionist.

“When you have something happen like that, I just needed a new focus,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds enlisted Lake to start the business Healthy Journey, which helped clients convert their kitchen pantries and provided healthy cooking demonstrations. During once such demo, the sisters showcased three traditionally unhealthy meals with healthy recipes, one of which was pizza.

Restaurant encouragement

The pizza featured the spelt crust designed by Reynolds and an organic

sauce developed by Lake. Their clients encouraged the sisters to pursue a restaurant for pizza.

They resisted until they were put in contact with Jim O’Steen, the owner of the old Borden building, who had purchased pizza ovens and wanted to convert the building’s original ice cream shop.

It seemed as if the universe was telling them to take a leap, so they brought in their older sister Stone to help run the business and hired chef Cally Johnson to take their ideas into a fully formed menu. Johnson co-founded Big Truck Tacos, where she is still part owner, but she’s in the sparkling-white pizza kitchen most days.

“She made our ideas blossom, and she knows how to build a pizza so that each flavor comes through,” Stone said.

A lot of people can’t afford organic, and we want to have a product that everybody can afford.

Traci Stone The menu features pizza piled high with organic meats like grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken and pork and three vegan pizzas. Customers can also choose their own ingredients and watch it be built right in front of the entrance, thus making it a pizza “bar.” They can choose either the sprouted spelt or an organic unbleached white crust.

Reynolds said she developed the spelt crust to help combat her own gluten insensitivity, which she said affects more than 86,000 people in Oklahoma City.

The crust is classified as gluten-friendly instead of completely gluten-free.

“Ninety-nine percent of people with gluten insensitivity are only allergic to the processed version,” she said.

The specialty pizzas are a nod to friends and family, just like most of the restaurant. There are pictures of the sisters’ mother from a 1960s movie filmed in Oklahoma. There is what they

refer to as the “angel table” that features pictures of all of those who helped them along the way, including Reynolds’ late husband Joe. The Front Yard Rumble (With a Side of Hair Pulling), a vegetarian pizza, refers to a real-life fight between sisters. There is also the Thanks Gramps, a barbecue chicken pizza with organic barbecue sauce, chicken, smoked cheese, red onions and banana peppers. It’s topped post-bake with a coleslaw of purple cabbage, green apple and cilantro.

“It’s named that because our grandfather walked around with a bottle of barbecue sauce at all times,” Lake said.

The menu also includes soups, salads and desserts, a few of which are veganfriendly. Refrigerated cases house enchiladas and lasagna made from the sprouted spelt flour. Taps pour wine, beer and hard cider, and PepsiCo installed a Stubborn brand soda machine that features sodas without artificial ingredients in flavors such as orange hibiscus and black cherry with tarragon.

Since Stone Sisters opened in May, they negotiated lower prices with suppliers for cheese and sprouted spelt, which has enabled them to lower menu prices.

“A lot of people can’t afford organic, and we want to have a product that everybody can afford, not just rich people,” Stone said.

A medium 10-inch specialty pizza sells for $9.99, and a large 14-inch pizza sells for $16.85.

Reynolds said they are trying to increase takeout and catering to make up for what is a low-foot-traffic area. A new area of marketing the sisters are entering is frozen pizza.

They recently struck a distribution deal with local Crest Foods and Tulsa’s Reasor’s Foods to sell pre-packaged frozen pizzas and crusts. Nebu in Devon Energy Center uses their sprouted spelt crust in its build-your-own-pizza bar.

“My end goal was to never have a restaurant; it was to distribute, and this is just a way to get our name and brand out,” Reynolds said. “The restaurant isn’t big enough for us.”

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eat & DRINK

Cookie Craving

Christmas is less than two weeks away. If you’re looking for cookies to leave by the fireplace for Santa or if you just want to enjoy the holiday spirit with some baked bliss, there are many places in the Oklahoma City area to pick up a fresh cookie.

By Jacob Threadgill Photos Jacob Threadgill and Gazette / file

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1 Smart Cookie

Panaderia La Herradura

Crimson & Whipped Cream

For over a decade, 1 Smart Cookie has been a go-to for locally owned and artistically decorated cookies. That hasn’t changed under new owner Lisa Nabors. 1 Smart cookie sells customizable cookies in traditional iced versions in addition to ones with edible images. You can also literally reach into a glass cookie jar for classics, seasonal treats like chocolate peppermint and in-house specialties like the Smart Cookie made with oatmeal, banana and chocolate chip.

It’s hard to miss “Panaderia” emblazoned on the red building in giant letters as you drive down 14th Street, and that’s a good thing because it means you should stop in for a delicious treat.

The bakery offers a variety of Mexican pastries, including many conchas, sweet yeast rolls with a cookie crust. You can also get puequitos, molasses-flavored cookies shaped like a pig.

Located near the University of Oklahoma in Campus Corner, Crimson & Whipped Cream has a variety of cupcakes, cookies, whoopie pies and even a few vegan sweet breads and cakes. The best way to keep track of its ever-changing daily specials is to follow @CrimsonBakery on Twitter or Instagram. You could find a pumpkin snickerdoodle or maybe even something as scrumptious as the pictured peanut butter cream cookie.

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Eileen’s Colossal Cookies 9044 S. Sooner Road eileenscookies.com | 405-455-5005

With three locations in the Oklahoma metro area, Eileen’s Colossal Cookies puts the emphasis on colossal. Cookies are available in 3-inch or 4-inch varieties that range from the classic chocolate chip to an oatmeal scotchie (butterscotch chips). For the holiday spirit, get a special molasses cookie or pick up one of Eileen’s frosted holiday sugar cookies with intricate designs.

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Elemental Coffee Roasters 815 N. Hudson Ave. elementalcoffee.com | 405-604-9766

There is no reason everyone can’t enjoy tasty baked goods. Elemental Coffee Roasters, in addition to roasting its own coffee beans, serves as a showcase for vegan and gluten-free cookies, cream pies and muffins. Try unique flavors like a miso chocolate chip cookie or salted caramel chocolate chip to pair with great coffee.

Higher Grounds Coffee Company

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Providing locally roasted coffee, lunch and in-house baked goods only comprises a portion of Higher Grounds’ mission. The nonprofit partners with a variety of international and local churches and aid organizations to spread its message of hope.

Cookies are available in the jar by the counter or patrons can indulge in something from the menu like a Peach Doodle, a snickerdoodle crust with peach filling and candied walnuts.

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This Oklahoma institution with two locations brings people like the Food Network’s Guy Fieri to the city and routinely wins in Oklahoma Gazette’s Best of OKC reader poll. The bakery sells an astounding 18 varieties of cookies, including everything from Angel Pecan to Swedish Dream and the ever-elusive Ranger cookie. Be sure to pick up a dozen for $10.20 when you’re there for Ingrid’s first-class weekend brunch buffet.

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ARTS & CULTURE Michael Washington has been celebrating Kwanzaa since 1977. | Photo provided

the Christmas season,” he said, “but to show, ‘OK, this money is being spent on Christmas and things, but what are you doing for yourself?’ Self-economics, selfpreservation, self-awareness.”

Washington is founder of the nonprofit Empower People, Inc., a group that caters to a wide variety of community needs. The organization has hosted a Kwanzaa celebration for the past seven years.

This year’s celebration begins 5:30 p.m. Dec. 26 at Oklahoma Black Museum and Performing Arts Center, 4701 N. Lincoln Blvd. The night of education, entertainment, poems, African art, refreshments and more is free and open to all.

It’s not just black folks; it’s anybody that feels like they need to know about us.

cov e r

Michael Washington

Heritage holidays

Oklahoma Gazette explores the different ways Oklahomans celebrate the season.

By Laura Eastes, Ben Luschen and Jacob Threadgill

Contrary to the consumerist notion of the season, nothing about the holidays is monolithic. As more people from different countries and religions make Oklahoma City their home, they bring with them ideas and rituals that make life richer.

Even then, individual cultures and belief systems contain multitudes.

Variations exist in the way people celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah that scarcely resemble conventional ideas about any of the holidays, and these annual celebrations are taking place among our friends, neighbors and co-workers this season.

Self-preserving celebration

It is not Michael Washington’s goal to replace Christmas but to focus the local black community on promoting its own heritage, culture and economic development.

The concept of Kwanzaa is taught to many children during the holiday season, though often without much substantive depth. Washington, a social and political activist in Oklahoma City, said most people have only a vague under-

standing of the seven-day AfricanAmerican holiday that runs Dec. 26-Jan. 1 each year.

Kwanzaa (taken from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits of the harvest”) was first observed in the 1966-67 holiday season. Maulana Karenga, an African-American author and academic, founded the celebration as an opportunity for black Americans to celebrate their African culture and ancestry.

Many, but not all, of the contemporary black families who observe Kwanzaa also celebrate Christmas.

Washington has personally been observing Kwanzaa since 1977. He said while the Christmas and holiday season is a great financial benefit to large corporations and consumerism, Kwanzaa is a time to for black people to invest in their own communities.

“It’s an African-American holiday that is designed not necessarily to offset

“We’re a multicultural group, and we want multicultural people to come in so they can learn and tell their children or whoever what’s going on,” Washington said. “It’s not just black folks; it’s anybody that feels like they need to know about us.”

The most important part of Kwanzaa is the acknowledgement of its seven core principles, known collectively as Nguzo Saba. Each day in the weeklong observance stands for one of the principles, which include unity, self-determination, responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

Gifts are often given, and revelers join in a communal feast called karamu. As each day passes, observers light a new candle on the traditional kinara, similar to the menorah used in Jewish Hanukkah celebrations.

Washington said black attendees to the community Kwanzaa celebration are encouraged to dress in traditional garb.

Those who would like to share a statement of Kwanzaa — or anything about black culture — are welcome to do so.

“If you can come in and talk about black history with us, well, that’s what Kwanzaa is,” Washington said. “It’s African-American culture and heritage.”

Washington said he commonly hears Kwanzaa called a “black thing” or that it somehow goes against the fundamentals of what the country was founded upon. His goal with hosting a community celebration is to help people realize the true meaning of the observance.

“It’s about trying to erase the racism that raises its ugly head every time you turn the TV on,” he said.

While Empower People’s community Kwanzaa celebration is limited to just one day due to funding, Washington is hoping to connect with other city organizations that would like to cooperatively join forces to host a full seven days.

Those who would like to know more about why Kwanzaa is celebrated are encouraged to do their own research online. Or, better yet, join Washington and the community for a night of togetherness and understanding.

“I want you to come together with me,” he said. “Let’s eat. Let’s celebrate the fruits of fresh harvest.”

Traditional Posada

In south Oklahoma City, the Chavez home shines bright with thousands of Christmas lights during the holidays.

The brilliant yet warm lights welcome the Chavez’ family and friends to their beautifully decorated home for the season — even the couple’s youngest daughter decked her room with garland and a nutcracker toy soldier.

In the living room, a Christmas tree stands tall and regal next to the nacimiento, the main attraction. The word “nacimiento” means “nativity scene” in Spanish; in the tradition, Mary and Joseph are joined by shepherds, angels and animals around the miracle that took place in a Bethlehem stable: the birth of Jesus Christ.

Once the nacimiento comes out for

continued on page 22

The Chavez family of south Oklahoma City spends Christmas Eve with members of their extended family for a traditional Posada celebration that includes re-enacting Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. | Photo Laura Eastes

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ARTS & CULTURE cov e r

continued from page 21

the holiday season, the questions begin from the couple’s four children, explained Sanjuana Chavez.

“All of our kids are ready,” Sanjuana said. “Every December, they say, ‘When are we going to do this? Are we going to go to my grandmother’s house?’”

The questions hint at Las Posadas, a well-known tradition rooted in the Nativity story and celebrated in counties like Mexico and Guatemala. For the Chavez family, along with Sanjuana’s parents and her eight siblings and their families, Las Posadas is celebrated on Christmas Eve when the family comes together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with song and prayer. It’s a tradition that began when Sanjuana and her siblings were growing up in Mexico and continued in Oklahoma when the family arrived decades ago.

Las Posadas is a way to share and celebrate the family’s Christian faith and heritage as well as come together as a family on Christmas Eve, explained Sanjuana.

In this tradition, Mary and Joseph’s difficult journey from Nazareth to

We have been told we are a unique family because of the way we all get together and celebrate.

Samantha Chavez Bethlehem and their search for a place to stay is re-enacted. Posada means “inn” in Spanish. At Sanjuana’s parent’s home, Las Posadas begins with Mary and Joseph, played by two family members, leading a procession of other family members carrying candles. Outside the house, Mary and Joseph sing a song in Spanish, asking to enter, while the family inside responds singing the part of an innkeeper saying that there is no room. The song switches back and forth a few times until finally, an innkeeper welcomes Mary and Joseph.

Once inside, the festivities begin as Mary and Joseph take their place with baby Jesus, a small porcelain figure that rests in a manger as an angel looks on. A line forms with family members on their knees to greet and welcome Jesus, the newborn king. The youngest children represent pastorelas (Spanish for “shepherds”). During this time, the devil works the room with a trident, poking family members as they sing praises.

The celebration continues as the family enjoys their Posada dinner, which includes Hispanic dishes like tamales and a special punch made with typical Mexican fruits.

After dinner, the family begins striking a piñata with seven corners, each representing the Seven Deadly Sins. The beating of the piñata symbolizes the “destruction of evil and the triumph of good,” explained the Chavez’ eldest daughter Samantha.

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At midnight, family members exchange gifts through Secret Santa.

While other Oklahoma City families of Mexican and Guatemalan heritage celebrate Las Posadas at Christmas with a feast and a piñata, the Chavez children explained they have yet to meet another family who celebrates by re-enacting Mary and Joseph’s journey.

“We have been told we are a unique family because of the way we all get together and celebrate,” Samantha said. “We get requests from people to join. We’ve never shut anyone out. We are a big family, but we’ve also invited family friends and people who want to be there.”

As the children share about past Las Posadas, Sanjuana beamed with pride over how her three daughters and son shared the Christmas and expressed eagerness to continue the tradition for the next generations.

Neric, the couple’s son, explained it was an honor to be selected for the part of Joseph last year. Recalling past Las Posadas reminded him and his sisters of what the true meaning of Christmas really is and the blessing that is the love of a family.

“We can all celebrate in unity,” Neric said. “With our family, we all don’t live together and we only see each other every so often. The time we spend together on Christmas Eve and Christmas is cherished, and we have fun.”

Worldwide Hanukkah

As the Jewish faith celebrates Hanukkah Dec. 12-20, the commemoration of a single day’s worth of oil keeping the menorah in Jerusalem’s Holy Temple lit for eight days following Judah the Maccabee’s defeat of the Syrian-Greeks, it is quite customary to enjoy food fried or baked in oil.

For Abby Jacobson, rabbi at Emmanuel Synagogue, quite often, this tradition meant entirely too many latkes (fried potato pancakes). After she met her husband while studying in Israel, she realized that the holiday didn’t have to be all latkes all the time, and it has led to an interesting family tradition.

Jacobson’s husband Juan Mejia is also a rabbi. Mejia grew up in Bogotá, Colombia, intending to become a monk until he discovered Jewish heritage, according to a 2013 story in The Oklahoman. Mejia is now coordinator for Be’chol Lashon, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that reaches out to underrepresented areas to help people connect to Judaism.

While the couple met and married in Israel, Jacobson, who grew up on a cattle ranch as one of the few Jewish families in her central Florida county, said she was exposed to a “a patchwork quilt of Jewish traditions.”

“I was exposed to people who are open enough about their Judaism to say ‘I’m bored with latkes,’” Jacobson said.

“Growing up, we’d cling to things like latkes as symbols of a larger Jewish community that we didn’t have access to.”

The family’s new tradition means they still eat latkes, but only once during the eight-day celebration. They fry a

different food every night, honoring Mejia’s Colombian heritage by having buñuelos, a cheese-filled dough treat similar to a hushpuppy, one night and egg rolls handmade by the couple’s children another night.

“It makes Hanukkah richer than it was before,” Jacobson said of the new family

Growing up, we’d cling to things like latkes as symbols of a larger Jewish community that we didn’t have access to.

Rabbi Abby Jacobson tradition.

As president of Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma, Jacobson invites friends and family from all backgrounds to celebrate in their home.

“The intensive ritual part is only five minutes long, so the rest of the time, it’s about spending time with each other,” she said. “We try to include as many people as we can because it’s fun for us and everyone.”

Rabbi Abby Jacobson from Emanuel Synagogue engages in nontraditional food for Hanukkah. | File photo

Oklahoma City’s largest Hanukkah ceremony began with a menorah lighting ceremony yesterday downtown. The ceremony has been sponsored by Chabad Community Center for Jewish Life and Learning for the last five years.

Rabbi Ovadia Goldman said the ceremony is one he looks forward to every year as a symbol to find commonality between faiths.

“The menorah is a symbol of the first historical fight of the nation of our people for freedom from oppression and tyranny,” Goldman said. “As an American citizen, I find it to be an amazing thing that we’re able to get together and celebrate.”

Over the holiday, Chabad sponsors a menorah car that drives to communities across Oklahoma with smaller Jewish populations to bring cheer to families.

“If there is anyone in the Jewish community that needs materials like menorah candles or instructions or would like one of the rabbinical interns to be there to celebrate anywhere in Oklahoma, we’d be happy to help,” Goldman said.

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE unique and local ideas for holiday gifts

F

iguring out what to get that person who has everything or someone hard to shop for is difficult. Don’t give your money to Amazon or Walmart. Shopping local and in person is what makes finding a unique gift even more special. The gift opening then has a story behind it instead of “Yeah, I got it online.”

Oklahoma Gazette has collected a few cool, unique local items that we know our readers would like under their tree. Most of these items won’t break the bank, and they all give you an opportunity to go into a local store, talk to the shop owner, learn their history and browse all that they have to offer. Don’t forget about gifts for cats, dogs and secret Santa groups. We hope these gift ideas spark an idea and make your holiday gift buying special in 2017.

Hilo Hoodie

Nothing says, “I love you....and I love me” like matching HiLo hoodies for Christmas. It’s all the rage. Stay warm on the outside with your $30 hoodie and warm on the inside with a cocktail from HiLo.

HiLo Club 1221 N W 50th St. hilookc.com 405-843-1722

I. Ronni K appos Jewelry

I. Ronni Kappos jewelry is handmade from an evolving collection of vintage German glass. The beads were cast in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s by craftsman whose meticulous techniques yielded unusual colors and shapes. Prices vary.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art Museum Store 415 Couch Drive okcmoa.com/museum-storeholiday-gift-guide 405-278-8233

Woodsman Trading Co. 9705 N. May Ave. Ste. 120 woodsmantrading.com 405-286-0614

Flavored Popcor n a nd Fudge

We make gift boxes with a variety of anything you want to put in them: popcorn, fudge, candy, chocolates and sodas. We offer delivery and shipping too!

Kernels & Kandies 7640 Northwest Expressway, Suite 205 kernelsandkandies.com 405-470-7446

Person al Protection I tems

Visit Karen’s Flea Market for personal protection items for your loved ones this holiday. Shop for records, housewares, holiday decor, apparel and more, just two miles SE of Old Paris Flea Market

Karen’s Flea Market 4700 S. Bryant Ave., Del City facebook.com/4700s.bryant 405-550-2689

Family Ski Wear

Sam’s Best Buy is the headquarters for family ski wear! All your winter clothing needs from children’s sizes to big and tall in the latest styles. This is your one-stop shop for everything at prices that are hard to beat.

Sam’s Best Buy 2409 S. Agnew Ave. samsbestbuys.com 405-636-1486

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Opal , Pearl a nd Diamond E arrings

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Look stunning in these boulder opal and Tahitian pearl earrings with diamonds by Valerie Naifeh for Naifeh Fine Jewelry!

Hand-fabricated in 22kt yellow gold, these beauties can be worn with blue jeans or black-tie. One of a kind. $6,000.

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unique and local ideas for holiday gifts

Bridal Bouquets

When only fabulous will do for your wedding, call on Tony Foss Flowers!

Custom bridal bouquets, cake flowers, tablescapes and more!

Tony Foss Flowers

Once upon A T IME… T HE WE S T ER N

7610 N. May Ave. tonyfossflowers.com 405-843-4119

Examining Western art, literature, pop culture and more, this book observes how the mythology of the West spread throughout the world and endures today.

The Museum Store at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 1700 NE 63rd St. store.nationalcowboymuseum.org 405-478-2250 ext. 228

C.C. Bea nies, Scarv es a nd Glov es

Custom Home Decor

Beauty, comfort and function! Update your home’s look with pieces that are not only elegant but also provide comfort for family. Choose from several styles and options to impress your guests this holiday!

K&N Interiors 3704 N. Western Ave. facebook.com/ kninteriorconsignment 405-521-0012

Person alized T umblers designed your way

Personalized or customized stainless steel tumblers make memorable gifts.

Create your own design or use your company logo. Several styles and colors are available, or you can bring your own YETI. $20-$40 on average. Artwork and design services are available.

Stop in Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Walker Companies 121 N W Sixth St. walkercompanies.com 405-235-5319

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D E C e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Staying warm has never looked so hot!

Shop today to find a wide selection of C.C. beanies, scarves and gloves.

We offer the largest variety of colors, styles and sizes sure to please you and the ones on your holiday list!

Lush Fashion Lounge 14101 N. May Ave. Suite 114 lushfashionlounge.com 405-936-0680

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Manscape & Massage Clinic 714 N. Broadway Ave. Suite 201 manscapemassageclinic.com 405-388-5100

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Beautifully illustrated, Oklahoma Winter Bird Atlas offers ornithologists and amateur birders easy-to-read information about the status of bird species in Oklahoma. Save 30 percent on the hardcover or paperback edition through January 10.

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University of Oklahoma Press 2800 Venture Drive, Norman oupress.com 405-325-2000

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Gallery gifting

DNA Galleries’ upcoming exhibit aims to provide gift-givers and local art lovers with the perfect solution to holiday shopping. By Ian Jayne

Holiday gift-giving can sometimes amount to wandering aimlessly around, waiting for inspiration to strike. With its December exhibit, DNA Galleries hopes to make this process easier by providing a place where inspiration has already struck.

The Art Market: Locally Made, Gift Inspired Works opened Dec. 7 at DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., and runs through Jan. 7.

The exhibit’s genesis was the holiday season.

“Every month, we do a new art show, and this month, we decided since it’s close to the holidays, we’ll do a small works show with things that could be giftable,” said Jackie Teague Wentz, marketing director and assistant art director at DNA Galleries.

“The Art Market is an idea that Jackie and I tossed around, creating the idea that one can afford art and be able to give it as a gift. We suggested to the artists that $50 and under is a good price

The Art Market features ceramics produced by Craig Proper. | Photo DNA Galleries / provided

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D e c e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Wentz said that she and Harkness wanted to display art on the gallery’s main wall.

“Normally, we have painters or photographers or illustrators, and so this is just a little bit different,” Teague Wentz said of The Art Market’s embroidered and encaustic pieces.

Live music, ball drops, champagne toasts, dancing, galas and more.

This issue gives readers a head start on planning their New Year’s Eve festivities.

Uncovering collectors

The Art Market features embroidery produced by Cecilia Otero. | Photo DNA Galleries / provided

point to start,” said Lindsay Harkness, owner and manager of DNA Galleries.

Work from six artists is on display in The Art Market. Anna Heston and Liz Boudreaux will display ceramics, as will Cecilia Otero, who will also feature embroidery. Reagan Cloiber’s mixed-media embroidery incorporates paint. Craig Proper’s work includes minimalist modern ceramics, and Erin Merryweather features encaustics work (painting with hot wax).

Many of the artists featured in The Art Market have participated in group shows previously or regularly display their work at DNA. Since the initial exhibit inspiration, The Art Market’s focus has expanded to include a greater variety of works in different media.

“It started with an idea of ceramics, because those are good giftable things,” Teague Wentz said, “plates, mugs, vases, cool sculptures.”

By focusing on “functional art” like ceramics, The Art Market bridges the divide between art and everyday objects, a fusion that prizes accessibility and affordability. Teague Wentz said purchasing handmade pieces often feels more special than shopping for mass-produced items.

“You can see who you’re supporting, and you can get to know them and support their dreams,” Teague Wentz said. “I just think that’s really cool, to buy things from small makers that you can know personally in our community.”

In addition to featuring ceramic works on the exhibit shelves, Teague

The show also differs from DNA’s other monthly exhibits in that patrons will be able to purchase and take home pieces on the same day, Harkness said.

“Normally, you have to wait a month and then you come back and get it,” Harkness said.

Consequently, Teague Wentz said that the exhibit will change over the course of the month. The transient, shifting nature of the exhibit also serves to connect burgeoning art collectors or gift-givers with their pieces more immediately.

Teague Wentz and Harkness both said the gallery focuses on beginning collectors, selling smaller, more contemporary works under certain price thresholds as a way of encouraging those who are new to purchasing art.

“Our goal here at the shop is that everyone can afford something, whether it be a $3 sticker that an artist created or an original on the wall,” Harkness said. “Art can be affordable.

You don’t need a million dollars to buy local art.”

Harkness herself has roots in the Oklahoma City art scene, participating in The Girlie Show and photographing different historical sites in Oklahoma.

The owner of DNA Galleries since January, Harkness said exhibits like The Art Market have a communal, collaborative nature.

“You literally are supporting a community of people who truly believe in what they’re doing and making Oklahoma so unique,” Harkness said.

In addition to supporting local artists, Harkness highlighted the importance of inspiration and creativity.

“It’s about engaging people to just be creative, to just make things, whatever that is. … Just make it, and don’t worry if you’re doing it right or wrong,” she said.

Collecting or making art (and doing holiday shopping) can occasionally feel intimidating.

“Start where you can,” Harkness said.

Visit dnagalleries.com.

New Year’s Eve Guide Publishes December 20 Deadline December 13

The Art Market: Locally Made, Gift Inspired Works

Call your account executive at 528.6000 or email specialsections@okgazette.com today to reserve your space!

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Wednesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays DNA Galleries | 1709 NW 16th St. dnagalleries.com 405-525-3499

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ARTS & CULTURE Dayna Brown has been working as Oklahoma City Ballet’s costume director for the last three years.

t h e at e r

| Photo Mark Hancock

Looking sharp

Oklahoma City Ballet costume director Dayna Brown walks Oklahoma Gazette through her typical work schedule. By Ben Luschen

Preparing costumes for a theater performance or ballet production takes time and planning, but the art of costume design and directing is not one that ends when the curtains rise. In a lot of cases, in fact, the work is just beginning.

Dayna Brown has been the costume director for Oklahoma City Ballet for the last three years, contracted to work for the company 33 weeks out of the year.

Outside OKC Ballet, she also does costume work for groups like Oklahoma Children’s Theatre and Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. Brown runs Costumed, a business based out of her home that rents out costumes to people and throws photo-centric theme parties for children.

During any given OKC Ballet production, one is sure to find Brown somewhere behind the stage and out of view, waiting as a lifeline for those in need.

“Anytime there’s a ballet performance,” she said, “I have to be backstage the entire time in case something breaks, which does happen.”

Brown recalls a production of Romeo and Juliet, when a dancer playing the character Paris had a zipper down his back begin to split. It was just moments before the character was scheduled to die with his back to the audience.

“He has like two seconds,” Brown recalled. “He runs out and he’s like, ‘Something’s breaking!’ I’m just standing in the wings, and I have to sew them up real quick.”

She remembers other emergency instances, like when a dancer’s skirt was stepped on and torn during a matinee performance. Brown had to work quickly to repair the skirt before the next scheduled show later that night.

Some are surprised when they learn how demanding the job can be. They are often more surprised when they hear

that Brown does not lead a large team of staff members dedicated to costume maintenance. Everything she does is largely — if not entirely — a solo effort.

“I have no one,” she said. “I have myself.”

Work flow

OKC Ballet rents costumes for most of its productions. It is far more cost- and timeefficient than designing a new set of pieces for each ballet the company produces.

Still, there are some shows that involve designing original pieces.

Whether a production is rented or original has a huge effect on the way Brown approaches her job.

For rented shows, Brown begins her work about three weeks before the premiere. The first thing she does is unpack all the delivered costumes and compare their inventory list with what has arrived. She takes time to get familiar with every detail of the outfits.

A big difference between ballet and general theater productions is that in theater, one typically has a good deal of artistic license. Often in ballet, everything must be replicated to a T, down to the correct shade of lipstick or whether a shoe can have straps of not. It’s Brown’s job to make sure everything is accurate.

After she finishes her initial prep work, it is time to begin fittings. Brown has to work around rehearsals and dancers’ personal schedules.

When fittings are finished, she then makes whatever alterations are necessary. Sometimes there is a lot to be done, and sometimes there is not as much.

On the other hand, if a show is a complete original production, Brown’s first step is meeting with the choreographer and working with him or her to understand their vision for the show. She might listen to the score or ask the cho-

reographer if there are any colors they want to see.

“One choreographer just gave me a picture of the ocean,” she said. “He was like, ‘I want this, and here’s the songs.’

That was a challenge, but it was cool because it was really open and he was really open. After the show, I got a lot of compliments.”

Often, Brown is designing costumes before a production’s choreography is even finished. In addition to looks, she also has to account for dancer movement in her designs.

Designing original costumes can be fun and challenging, but it can also be nerve-racking. And Brown said a lot of the costumes OKC Ballet rents for its shows are very beautiful and a thrill to work with. The costumes rented for a recent production of Swan Lake were the same ones used in Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” music video, for instance.

“They were so gorgeous and so well put together,” Brown said. “Every detail of every costume was so amazing.”

Some of the costumes OKC Ballet uses can be washed by an outside cleaning service, but what a lot of people do not know is that Brown has to handwash many of the more delicate pieces.

“I don’t wash the skirt part,” she explained while holding a Snowflake tutu used in The Nutcracker. “I just sit it in the sink and I wash the bodice.”

Brown said her workload is only manageable through a lot of advance work and preparation.

“It’s a lot of organization,” she said.

“It’s almost like event planning because you have so many details and everything.”

Fitting reward

Outsiders will often tell Brown how fun they think her job must be. They are not wrong with their enthusiasm, but even the most colorful and elaborate jobs are still jobs.

“It’s really fun, but the deadlines are killer,” she said. “People have to have their clothes. It doesn’t make any difference if it’s a Saturday or something.

It has to get done.”

Still, with each fitting session she runs, Brown is reminded why she loves her job.

“Everybody loves to get their costume,” she said. “It makes everybody happy to put on their costume.”

From the tiniest child dancers to the company’s most seasoned vets, everyone wants to see their costume. Often, dancers come into fittings after a long day of rehearsals and stern instruction from directors. For them, fittings are a welcome break.

“I’m never the bad guy,” Brown said.

“It’s great.”

Brown said the main reason she works in costuming is to be an integral part of what goes on stage. To her, it feels like magic.

“A performance space is sacred,” she said. “Audience members can be forever changed within a few hours experiencing a live performance. Nothing else compares.”

Visit facebook.com/costumedokc and okcballet.org.

Dayna Brown goes through the Snowflake tutus used in Oklahoma City Ballet’s The Nutcracker. | Photo Mark Hancock

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ARTS & CULTURE OKG: How is balancing school with all of this?

Darci Lynne: It’s good. I’ve gotten to be pretty much caught up. Next week is going to be a little stressful because I have finals all week. But yeah, I’m balancing it. It’s just funny because the kids have gotten used to me being at school, but I still get stares in the hall. It’s funny; all the boys have a crush on me.

Darci Lynne Farmer | Photo provided

t h e at e r

OKG: Have you ever used your ventriloquism powers to try and fool your teachers?

Darci Lynne: My friends always tell me to trick my teachers. I’ve only tried to do it like once, but they always know it’s me.

Voice of reason

Teen ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer hosts a four-part weekend spectacular at The Criterion.

By Ben Luschen

There was a time when it would have been outrageous to think the hottest ticket in town was to see a ventriloquist act, but that was a time before Oklahomans knew Darci Lynne Farmer, the 13-year-old who captured hearts around the country in an improbable run to win season 12 of the NBC reality competition America’s Got Talent.

The Deer Creek Middle School student was originally scheduled to perform one hometown show this weekend, but The Criterion added three additional shows after unyielding public demand. Farmer performs afternoon and evening shows 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday at The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan Ave. Many people probably last saw Darci Lynne as a featured performer on the NBC holiday special A Very Pentatonix Christmas. In January, she is set to begin a national tour with a string of weekendonly dates (to not miss any school).

Before winning the $1,000,000 America’s Got Talent prize on national TV, Darci Lynne won smaller, local versions of the competition, including Edmond’s Got Talent and Oklahoma’s Got Talent.

The teen ventriloquist recently spoke with Oklahoma Gazette about her upcoming performances, school life and her best Christmas memory.

Oklahoma Gazette: Do you like traveling? It seems like you’re doing a lot of it these days.

32

D e c e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Darci Lynne Farmer: I mean, I don’t love it, but I don’t mind going to certain places. It’s fun.

OKG: The shows at The Criterion have really taken off. What started as one show is now four shows in two days. What’s it like to have so much local interest in those shows?

Darci Lynne: It’s crazy because I didn’t think that many people would want to come. It’s weird to see it being sold out so quickly.

OKG: A lot of people in Oklahoma really love you. Is that something you’ve noticed?

Darci Lynne: Yeah, I’ve noticed that.

It’s just nice to know because I’ve got a whole state supporting me. It feels good.

OKG: How have things changed for you since winning America’s Got Talent?

What’s been the biggest difference?

Darci Lynne: Probably getting noticed in public a lot. I can’t really go anywhere without being mobbed. But I can pull my hair up because it’s mostly when I have my hair down that I get noticed. If I wear a hat, I don’t get noticed as much.

OKG: You have that national tour coming up. Are you excited for that?

Darci Lynne: Yes, I’m very excited. It’s going to be really fun, and I’m just glad that I get to go. I’m glad it’s on the weekends because I’m not going to miss any school, so that’ll be nice.

OKG: What do your friends think about everything that you get to do?

Darci Lynne: They’re really excited.

Whenever I get to do these big shows or TV shows, my friends get really excited.

They scream a lot, especially my best friend. Whenever I get to do big things and I tell her, she literally screams.

They’re just super duper supportive, and it’s fun to still have my friends and I can know that they’re my real friends.

OKG: How was the Pentatonix special and filming all of that?

Darci Lynne: It was awesome. Going out to California and meeting the Pentatonix was so cool because I’ve been a big fan of them and they’re amazing. I got to meet Jennifer Hudson, too. It was just really fun. Short little trip, and I got to perform. It was cute.

It was fun.

OKG: Christmas is coming up.

Are you a big Christmas person?

Darci Lynne: Oh yeah, I love Christmas.

It’s my favorite holiday. I’m super excited to do Christmas songs in my show because whenever I have to learn songs for my shows, it’s more fun to learn Christmas songs.

OKG: W hat’s your favorite Christmas song?

Darci Lynne: That’s hard. I really love “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey. I’m actually singing it by myself — no puppets — in my show.

OKG: Oh, what’s it like for you to sing solo?

Darci Lynne: Well, it’s pretty much the same, except I’m singing with my mouth open.

OKG: Yeah, imagine that. Singing with your mouth open — amazing.

Darci Lynne: Right!

OKG: Do you have a favorite Christmas memory of all time?

Darci Lynne: I got a new phone last year, and it was the iPhone 6S. When I went out there, usually they have our presents sitting out there, unwrapped.

I didn’t see the iPhone box that the phone comes in, and I was like, “Oh

darn. That’s OK though.” Then I was looking through my stocking and I was pulling things out. I pull out this thing, and it’s a white box, and I was like, “Wait, what?” I turn it around and it says iPhone on it. I start screaming like, “Oh my gosh!”

OKG: You were on Edmond’s Got Talent and later you were on Oklahoma’s Got Talent. And you won both of those.

Darci Lynne: Yeah, it’s like I went from city to state to national.

OKG: When’s World’s Got Talent?

Darci Lynne: Yeah. Or Universe’s Got Talent.

OKG: Do you ever get tired of winning?

Darci Lynne: No. OKG: What about practicing?

How regularly are you practicing the craft?

Darci Lynne: Well, I do practice with my coach once per week. And whenever I have a show coming up and I have to learn new songs, I have to practice my songs for an hour every day to get them done.

OKG: Do you have a favorite song of all time? Maybe one that you have performed or even haven’t performed.

Darci Lynne: I don’t think there’s a song I perform that is my favorite of all time, but I really like “Who’s Loving You?” which I sang with my mouse and “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman” with Edna. And I really like this opera song that Petunia sings, it’s called “O Mio Babbino Caro.” I like those and pretty much all of the songs that I sing I like.

OKG: How many puppets do you have? Do you have any puppets that we haven’t even seen yet?

Darci Lynne: I do. I have a bird, and I got this rooster a couple of weeks ago in the mail. I don’t even know what to do with it. And I also have a donkey. I haven’t done anything with him yet at all. We haven’t had time to figure out new characters right now. But I have duck, bird, rooster, donkey, cowgirl, rabbit, mouse, old lady. So I have eight.

OKG: Well, that’s the whole barnyard there.

Darci Lynne: Yeah. It is a barnyard.

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ARTS & CULTURE Andrew Sartain founded Earth Rebirth in 2011 at the

CO M M U N I T Y

University of Oklahoma. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

Green dream

Norman’s Earth Rebirth aims to put a garden in every Oklahoma school.

By Jacob Threadgill

After ending his wrestling career with the University of Oklahoma in 2011, Andrew Sartain established the nonprofit Earth Rebirth, but he has learned not to call himself an environmentalist.

“Don’t use the word sustainability or environmentalism in Oklahoma,” Sartain said. “There is no point because there are negative connotations that are too political.”

Instead, Sartain prefers to use the terms “food,” “energy” and “water” when discussing Earth Rebirth’s two main goals: providing gardens and healthy food supplies for schools across Oklahoma and helping individuals and businesses achieve energy reduction goals.

“You won’t convince the masses to make the major shifts we need to by telling them how guilty they should feel,” he said.

The organization’s Garden Your Own Growth program is designed to provide a sustainable garden for every school in Norman that can provide food for the school’s cafeteria and eventually become a moneymaker for the school’s curriculum.

Earth Rebirth has partnered with 15 area schools, including Norman High School, for which a Kickstarter campaign raised $10,000 to install an innovative aquaponics system that allows fish and plants to grow together and uses only 10 percent of the water of a normal garden.

The garden supplies foods like lettuce to the school’s cafeteria, and Sartain said the goal in 2018 is to have associated schools have a permit through Earth Rebirth that would allow them to sell their garden produce for profit.

“Our education system is in peril,” said Sartain, who noted that over 90 schools in the state have gone to a four-day week.

“On average, three to four out of five students, depending on the district, are on assisted lunch programs. That fifth day becomes devastating for those kids trying to eat.”

Personal involvement

The organization has a steady stream of student interns who receive course credit from OU and two commissionbased employees that help individuals and businesses establish gardens and retrofit homes to reduce nonrenewable energy usage.

Sartain is the organization’s only fulltime employee. He spends a good portion of his time following up with schools that already have gardens, to work with students to install curriculum-based activities and involve each school’s administration and parent-teacher association.

“If you set up a school garden, pat yourself on the back, and then come winter, it’s overgrown, that’s not a victory,” he said.

The organization has grown since inception, moving into a building in downtown Norman, 325 E. Comanche St., in 2015, but Sartain has made the pledge not to pay himself a salary until every school in Norman has a sustainable garden.

Ironically, Sartain does bookkeeping for his grandfather’s energy consulting business based in Midland-Odessa, Texas, to earn income. His grandfather Jim

Trichell worked for Chevron for decades, but upon retirement, he established a firm that refurbishes discarded drilling equipment and consults to help reduce consumption.

“He realized how bloated the [oil and gas] industry has become,” Sartain said.

“I can be part of it just enough so that I can survive and still do what I want to do.”

It’s been a lifelong push and pull for Sartain, who developed a love for the environment as a child by being interested in animals, first thinking he would run a zoo. Sartain grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but his family now lives in the Midland area.

“As I got older, it became clear how my family was impacting [the environment], and I couldn’t look at them and say, ‘You’re evil,’” he said, noting that conversations with his family, like so many about environmentalism, ended by them saying, “The technology isn’t there to help.”

“It’s easy to come up with an excuse when you remove yourself,” he said.

“People remove themselves and use terms like ‘society’ and ‘human.’ [Earth Rebirth wants] to put yourself in the problem and figure out where you can be a contributor to a solution.”

In addition to expanding the Garden Your Own Growth program, which has 27 schools statewide on a waiting list, Sartain wants Earth Rebirth to follow-up with OG&E energy audits for homeowners and businesses.

“I’d like to see the statistic of how many people made changes brought up in the audit,” he said. “Whether your goal is to cut your usage in half or go completely renewable, we can help them get to the finish line rather than just telling them.”

Earth Rebirth hosts a volunteer meeting every Sunday and runs a sponsorship program that goes directly into its garden program.

Visit earthrebirthnow.org.

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ARTS & CULTURE

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Good look

Oklahoma company WeGoLook verifies and inspects online purchases.

By Jessica Williams

When Robin Smith’s friend was deceived during his online purchase of a purportedly high-end projector, she was inspired to create a company that could take the risk out of vast, and sometimes misleading, Internet marketplaces.

“When online shopping was relatively new, there wasn’t a service for customers to request a condition or inspection report on goods before they made a purchase,” WeGoLook founder and CEO Robin Smith told Oklahoma Gazette. “I wanted to eliminate the distance between shoppers and sellers.”

Since 2009, WeGoLook has provided businesses and individuals with authenticated information through a gig-economy model of data collection.

The company bridges the physical gap between online shoppers and vendors through an expansive system of contract data collectors.

“Over 36,000 independent contractors called ‘lookers’ are in our network,” she said. “Lookers capture data with photos, videos, measurements and other methods of reporting. This data is collected on behalf of WeGoLook’s customers looking to verify the quality of a good or service.”

In a world full of too-good-to-be-true deals and sketchy online listings, lookers reinstate the physical aspects of shopping for consumers unable to visit sellers at their place of business.

“Our main goal is to protect customers large and small,” said Smith. “So if someone in Kentucky wants to purchase a pinball machine in California, we can 34

d e c e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

dispatch a looker to meet with the seller, take all the information the customer requests and then deliver that data back to the customer so that he or she can make an informed decision.”

WeGoLook’s contract workers provide detailed, verified reports through the company’s application system. Requests can range from simple inspections of a product like a camera for sale to more involved quality reports on large businesses.

The company offers services to everyone from individuals to Fortune 500 companies like Tesla and GE Capital.

WeGoLook’s data collection includes activities like dispatching lookers to meet sellers in person, performing simple inspection reports and even employing drone technology to assess a customer’s potential purchase.

No matter the task, Smith wants to equip buyers with the right tools for success.

“It could be as small as someone looking to buy car parts to something as large as an insurance company surveying hurricane-torn homes in Houston,” she said. “Our mission is to empower any and all consumers to make safe and smart decisions.”

Because of WeGoLook’s ability to capture data quickly and general affordability, many large businesses are replacing fleet drivers and other expensive surveyors with lookers.

“We supplement and augment many Fortune 500 companies because our

Welcome to Pet Gazette,

Robin Smith right started WeGoLook to help customers navigate the internet marketplace. | Photo WeGoLook / provided

2844 West Wilshire Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405.842.4243

a quarterly Glossy maGazine published by OklahOma Gazette.

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January 31, 2018 | aPril 24, 2018 auGust 1, 2018 | october 24, 2018

to place your ad in Pet Gazette, call your Gazette account executive at 405-528-6000 or email specialsections@okgazette.com “…Moving Fashion Forward”

process is one of the most efficient options for large-scale clients,” said Smith. “Lookers can meet clients and sellers anywhere from their own office to Starbucks, our data adheres to detailed guidelines and it’s cost-effective for large companies.”

This new business flow reflects a larger trend in a growing gig economy, which Smith said allows WeGoLook to employ even more individuals. Rather than eliminating certain jobs entirely, the company creates new kinds of opportunities for contractors.

Military lookers

WeGoLook empowers local Oklahoma residents through such employment strategies. Many active military personnel or veterans and their spouses seeking steady income benefit from becoming lookers.

“We always give priority to military applicants when hiring lookers because we just think it’s the right thing to do,” Smith said. “Many of these individuals possess unique skillsets that go undiscovered in their search for employment outside of the military.”

Becoming a looker helps contractors utilize the specialized skills they’ve gained from military service while giving them the freedom of working outside the confines of a 9-to-5 office job. Currently, all military lookers receive the first notifications for contract assignments.

“Most military personnel have families to take care of, but it’s often difficult for them to find stable jobs because of frequent location reassignments,” she said. “Becoming a looker enables you to make a stable income on your own terms, even if you can’t remain in one city on a long-term basis.”

WeGoLook’s leadership recently met with Lt. Col. Derwin Brown and Master Sgt. Matthew Black to continue providing outreach and opportunities to those in the U.S. military.

“No special skill set is required to become a looker, but the onboarding process is quite rigorous,” Smith said.

“We want people to show that they’re committed to providing the best service for our clients. This isn’t a quick cash gig like Uber or what people normally associate with the gig-economy.”

While WeGoLook’s business continues to grow, the company is creating more ways for consumers to buy smart.

The YouGoLook app gives customers the opportunity to become inspectors for their own purchases.

When someone asks what exactly WeGoLook does, it’s hard to give a simple answer because of the company’s evergrowing list of products and services.

But at its foundation is the desire to serve individuals with honesty and integrity — two things one should always look for in a company.

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d e c e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

c u lt u r e

ARTS & CULTURE

Historic flora

Red Earth Treefest returns with trees decorated by 19 tribes. By Jeremy Martin

Reach 134,070

Making symbolic decorations from evergreen trees is an international tradition that dates back to centuries before the birth of Christianity, but for the past few years, one local nonprofit has been setting up Christmas trees to honor the history of Native Americans displaced from their homes by persecutors many years ago.

While three tribes are indigenous to the Oklahoma area, 36 others originally dispersed from the Florida Everglades to the Pacific Northwest and the New York City region and were forced to relocate by the United States government in the 1800s. Treefest at Oklahoma City’s Red Earth Art Center presents trees decorated with handmade ornaments crafted by 19 of the state’s tribes in an effort to educate the public about their different heritages and traditions.

“Everybody loves Christmas trees, but not everybody loves learning history,” said Eric Oesch, director of communications at Red Earth.

“Sometimes it can be a dry subject. But what we do is incorporate the art, which is the ornaments on the trees, to tell the story of the tribes so people are learning from the ornaments on the trees about what makes the tribe special, how it’s different than the one that’s next to it.”

Seeing the trees on display next to each other can be a helpful visual teaching tool for illustrating the histories of different tribes and the variations in their traditional ways of life, Oesch said.

“There might be a tree, the Cheyenne & Arapaho tree, they’re from the plains, Representatives of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation decorated their tree with a birch bark tag featuring “MKO,” which translates to “Bear.” | Photo Doug Hoke / Red Earth / provided

and they were nomadic with teepees and hunted buffalo and that type of thing,” Oesch said. “Their tree could be next to the Cherokee tree, and nothing could be more different. They never hunted buffalo, they never lived in teepees. They’re from back east, the Smoky Mountains area. Some of the tribes, before they were relocated to Oklahoma, they were farmers and doctors and pharmacists, had newspapers, owned slaves, drove horses and buggies, had plantations. So it helps us to tell the story of the diversity of the tribes in Oklahoma because they’re all so different. I think people get that Hollywood image and they think that all Indians raced on horseback and lived out on the prairie, which isn’t the case.”

Meaningful adornment

Treefest began three years ago with five trees decorated by five tribes, Oesch said, and this year, the free event has expanded to 23 trees, including 19 decorated by tribes including Absentee Shawnee, Caddo, Cherokee, Cheyenne & Arapaho, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Citizen Potawatomi, Comanche, Delaware, Kaw, Muscogee (Creek), Osage, Sac and Fox, Seminole, Kiowa, Otoe-Missouria and Pawnee. In addition to trees decorated by the participating tribes, Red Earth is also displaying a docent tree decorated with ornamental dreamcatchers, beaded corn, teepees, drums and other significant symbols. Another tree displays ornaments crafted by local Native artists that are available for sale. Red Earth also encouraged participating tribes to create additional copies of the ornaments displayed on their trees to sell, with the majority of the proceeds from sales going to the tribes.

“And that started because people would come in and say, ‘Oh these trees are so pretty. Are these ornaments available for sale?’” Oesch said. “And, of course, they aren’t because if that were the case, we’d end up with naked trees by the end of the exhibit.”

In addition to ornament sales, Red Earth is also accepting donations. The art center was originally established in 1978 to promote and continue the artistic tradition of Native American tribes. With that in mind, Oesch said, the center is displaying the tribal trees alongside works of contemporary art created by a member of the respective tribe. He said they try to “focus on Native American art and artists that are living today” in an effort to show the continuing history of Native culture in the state, something many tourists do not immediately understand.

Weekly ReadeRs that love to shop

with

Trees are decorated with ornaments from 19 tribes in Oklahoma. A separate tree includes ornaments for sale. | Photo Doug Hoke / Red Earth / provided

“People that come in here from other places every day, we hear, ‘Where can we meet a real Indian?’” Oesch said.

“Well, chances are, sir, this is Oklahoma; probably 30, 40 percent of the people you already met have some type of tribal heritage in their family tree. … What makes Oklahoma unique is our culture, and we’re very proud to showcase that.”

Though each of the trees itself is similar, their decorations are as diverse as the tribes they represent.

For example, the Potawatomi tree highlights the birch bark canoes the tribe used while in their native Great Lakes region as well as purple tones to signify the berries they would eat there.

The Comanche tree features painted pony ornaments. The Seminole tree also features a canoe, recreating the official tribal seal depicting a man paddling the traditional watercraft, but the man in the boat is a G.I. Joe action figure. Oesch said the people and methods of decorating them were equally varied.

“All the trees are beautiful,” Oesch said. “We had a week when the different tribal groups came in to decorate their trees, and so some of them had heir elders council, some of them would come in and be, you know, 10-12 senior ladies that came in and they’d been working since August making their handmade ornaments and coming in, and then we had another group that had kids coming in making all their ornaments … all these different people coming in, decorating their trees. It was really fun to see.”

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Put your advertising message in the OKG Shop editorial supported section the first issue of each month and run of paper the third issue of each month.

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yo ut h

ARTS & CULTURE

12/15 01/19

The state of art Experience a snapshot of contemporary art in Oklahoma at ArtNow 2018. This exhibition celebrates Oklahoma’s diverse art scene and features 25 artists across many media.

Learn more at bit.ly/ArtNowOKC.

oklahomacontemporary.org | @okcontemporary | 3000 General Pershing Blvd. | Oklahoma City

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D E C E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Winter wonders

Science Museum Oklahoma’s winter break camps offer educational fun with snow, mining, hibernation and more. By Sean Isabella

Annie Bewley and her education team at Science Museum Oklahoma operate by one simple motto: When school is out, science is in.

That means when winter break starts later this month, Oklahoma City’s 350,000 square-foot hands-on museum will once again serve as a place for learning outside the classroom.

“It’s educational, but it’s also a lot of fun to come to the museum while they’re not in school,” said Bewley, who is in her fourth year as Science Museum Oklahoma’s museum educator. “They can keep learning whether or not they know it. We don’t try to hide it from them, but they’re having so much fun doing some of these activities that they don’t realize they are learning.”

Science Museum Oklahoma offers six camps during December, three Dec. 21-22 and three more Dec. 27-29. They are broken down into three age groups — Early Explorers (pre-K and kindergarten), Explorers (grades 1-3) and Innovators (grades 4-6) — and range from half-day camps experimenting with ice and snow and exploring senses to full-day sessions learning why animals hibernate along with creating and solving problems using chemistry, engineering and physics.

A chance to flourish

During the holiday season when learning might be the least of its worries, Science Museum Oklahoma continually challenges itself to foster learning for children interested in the sciences, and it does so in a different way.

“[The camps] offer a chance for inquiry-based learning and informal education, which both of those are hands on and participation-based rather than sitting in a chair in school,” Bewley said. “It gives kids a chance to flourish that maybe aren’t great test takers. There’s a lot less stress.”

They can keep learning whether or not they know it.

Annie Bewley There aren’t any tests in this environment. Campers spend some time in chairs. The rest is allocated to viewing museum exhibits while mixing in hands-on learning.

Class sizes are kept to 15 campers per session with two teachers plus additional volunteers serving as group leaders.

Bewley said she is most looking forward to the feedback on Participate & Hibernate, a two-day camp for children in grades 1-3. SMO has an in-house animal expert designing a program to teach campers the difference between dormant and hibernating animals.

The cold weather-based camp coincides with another winter-centric session called Let it Snow!, a camp for children age 4-5 interested in making their own snow and learning how ice melts. They’ll also test whether marshmallows make suitable snowballs.

Let it Snow! is one of two camps in

Science Museum Oklahoma offers two- and three-day winter break camps for children in pre-K through sixth grade. | Photo Science Museum Oklahoma / provided

the Early Explorers series started in the fall for pre-K and kindergarten students. The other half-day session is Oh, My Senses!, which focuses on what you can see, feel, hear and smell.

Additional camps include Gold Rush; Mix It, Build It, Throw It; and Camp Chemistry. Participation is $45-$135.

Holiday Fellowship Directory, inviting Gazette readers to houses of worship for holiday services

Fresh themes

In addition to the winter activities, Science Museum Oklahoma holds camps during fall break and summer vacation. Bewley’s goal is to avoid any repeats and keep the themes fresh.

The six camps this winter are either brand-new or spawned from a previous idea. For example, the idea for Gold Rush came this past fall from a camper.

SMO bounced the idea off other campers and staff members before deciding to go through with it. The two-day camp is for a slightly older audience (grades 4-6) and deals with mining, panning and excavation.

Campers get to break into geodes, create crystals and dabble in an excavation site.

“We’re hoping that one is a big hit,” said Bewley, who noted it has already become the camp most children are interested in.

The museum has repeat campers, so new and innovative ideas are key to keep them interested.

Bewley said SMO conducts research and development and discusses potential ideas with museums around the country in order to decide which themes might work.

“A few of us who work here will try it out ourselves and pull in a few guinea pig children to see if they are having a great time and learning something and are they exploring something they haven’t had a chance to,” she said. “If we’re having fun, hopefully the kids will have fun, too.”

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O kg a z e t t e . c o m | D E C E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 7

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ARTS & CULTURE A frame from “It Happened at Devon Ice Rink” in the first issue of Okie Comics Magazine | Image Scott Sackett / provided The first issue of Okie Comics Magazine launched

B OO K S

early this month | Image Matthew Brendle / provided

’Toon news

Next panel

Okie Comics Magazine launches as a free illustrated periodical with a strong local bent.

By Ben Luschen

One page gives readers a look into what Interstate 35 might have looked like during the Permian Era 250 million years ago. Another black-and-white strip shares insight into the life of fictitious 1930s Oklahoma gangster Puddin’ McGee. Each of the comics in the inaugural issue of Okie Comics Magazine, which officially launched earlier this month, presents readers with a new and unique illustration style. But what they all have in common is that they are all comics made by Oklahoma artists about Oklahoma topics.

“Everyone can make some comics,” magazine editor and publisher Jeff Provine said, “but, like, all the Marvel stuff takes place in New York City.

That’s kind of cool, but why don’t we do that right here?”

The first issue of Okie Comics features ten artists and nine stories ranging in style from Archie Comics teen mystery to educational nonfiction.

The glossy publication, scheduled to publish every two months, is available for free pickup at several area comic and bookstores like Half Price Books, downtown’s Commonplace Books and Literati Press in The Paseo Arts District.

As Okie Comics grows, Provine hopes to expand into many more locations, including local restaurants. The magazine will maintain its status as a free publication through advertising dollars.

Local focus

Outside Okie Comics, Provine is mostly known for organizing the Oklahoma City 40

D E C E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Ghost Tour and authoring the books Haunted Oklahoma City and Haunted Norman, Oklahoma. The longtime comic book fan said he got more serious about comics after he started teaching a class about comic history and development at the University of Oklahoma.

In 2015, he adapted his curriculum for a summer program with Pioneer Library System called Unmaked! The Making of Superheroes. Through the program, teens and adults made their own amateur comics. Provine was impressed by how much talent many of them showed.

The newspaper has a comics section, so why don’t we just have our own newspaper?

Jeff Provine

“It wasn’t just one isolated instance,” he said. “At least one person at every library was churning out what could be professional stuff — even the teenagers.”

Ever since that program, Provine has felt that there was a lot of talent in the area, but local artists and storytellers needed some kind of conduit to get their work seen around the city.

Provine said he has worked for a few periodicals around OKC and Norman.

One day, it dawned on him that there was no reason a local magazine could not exist

through connections he has made attending various fan conventions and frequenting local comic shops through the years. The inaugural issue’s artists include Matthew Brendle, Shelby Soto, Robert Henry, Katrina Younts, Nate Schroeder, Scott McClung, Mike Kennedy, Scott Sackett, Brad Gregg and Jerry Bennett.

The local comic community might be small compared to other cities, but Provine said those who are here make up for it in enthusiasm.

“We support SoonerCon and New World Comic Con locally, and we had Wizard World come through in just the last couple of months,” he said.

“They had thousands of people come; it was astronomical numbers. So there’s tons and tons of comic interest; it’s just that people aren’t quite knowing each other yet.”

Provine hopes Okie Comics will help raise outside awareness of the comic community and help lure new artists into the fold.

in complete comic form.

“The newspaper has a comics section,” he said, “so why don’t we just have our own newspaper?”

For the last 18 months, Provine has been working on collecting the money and art necessary to get his first issue off the ground. While there are plenty of local fan zines that exist in other places, Provine said he has not been able to find an example of a similar freely distributed all-comic magazine in any other city.

Making connections

Provine grew up on a farm in northwest Oklahoma. Without big-city attractions to worry about, he and his siblings found other ways to occupy their time.

“Reading was definitely a big thing,” he said. “It was always a race to the mailbox whenever the newspaper came — ‘Who’s going to be first to get the comic section?’”

Plenty of Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield comic collections could be found around the house. Provine read them over and over again.

He gradually got more serious about comics, and in college Provine started a daily web comic called The Academy.

The series began in 2003 and ran every day for 10 years, ending in 2013.

“Looking back, I’m amazed that I did it,” he said. “It’s just a few minutes every day, but it all adds up. It taught me a lot about dialogue and pacing. I’m not so much of an artist, but I can sling some words together.”

Provine said he gathered the talent for Okie Comics’ first issue mostly

Web comics are gaining popularity, but Provine does not believe that print publications will ever be totally phased out.

“For whatever reason, you just retain more when you read a physical book,” he said.

Provine hopes his print publication will show the city what kind of talent is in the area. Many people never stop to think about comics being made in their own state.

“It’s kind of cool,” Provine said. “You look at this painted cover and you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s just Matthew Brendle down in Moore. If you want something, he’ll paint it for you.’”

While Okie Comics is an anthology publication, Provine is interested in possibly publishing multi-issue comic series about local landmarks and businesses in the future. Okie Comics has already received email inquiries from artists the editor has never met. Provine is thrilled to already have that kind of feedback.

The publication has two simultaneous goals: to give the metro area comics unlike anything they have seen before and to provide a platform for local talent.

“It’s people who, otherwise, would have never had a voice in comics,” he said.

Visit okiecomics.com.

Okie Comics Magazine signing 3 p.m. Dec. 16 All-Star Comics 6900 N. May Ave. facebook.com/okiecomics | 405-842-7800 Free

CALENDAR are events recommended

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

BOOKS Some Form of Grace, pretending to be a Christian, Gracene seeks refuge at a church-sponsored apartment house for ex-offenders. Can a fake faith protect her from her past? 6-7:30 p.m. Dec. 14. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-3409202, bestofbooksok.com. THU 100 Things Oklahoma State Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, the ultimate resource for true fans of the Cowboys. Join sportswriter and sideline voice of the Cowboy Radio Network Robert Allen for a signing, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU Read for Adventure, the OKC Zoo and Metropolitan Library Systems have partnered to publish the children’s book, Our Day at the Zoo and to create a community Read for Adventure program enabling readers to check out the new book from any of the 19 Metro Library locations, through March 31.

Metropolitan Library System, 300 Park Ave., 405-231-8650, metrolibrary.org.

Reading Wednesdays, share your love for reading with your young children with seasonal, naturethemed books along with an interactive song and crafts, 10 a.m. Dec. 20. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens. com. WED

Elf and Home Alone Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16 presents two holiday favorites for your viewing pleasure in the next week. Travel to the North Pole with Buddy (Will Ferrell) in Elf, showing 7 p.m. Saturday, and watch 8-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) battle two con men who plan to rob the McCallister residence in Home Alone 7 p.m. Tuesday at Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16, 150 E. Reno Ave. Tickets are $5. Call 405231-4747 or visit harkins.com. SATURDAY AND TUESDAY Photo provided

FILM Worm, (USA, 2013, Doug Mallette) in a time where recreational parasites induce your wildest fantasies, one luckless loser struggles to keep the life of his dreams from squirming away, 8 p.m. Dec. 15. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. FRI

HAPPENINGS Oklahoma Venture Forum, presents Philip Busey, CEO and Founder of Delaware Resources Group, an opportunity for investors and entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and experiences, 1:45 a.m. -1 p.m.

Dec. 13. University of Oklahoma PHF Conference Center, 655 Research Parkway, STE 100, 405-6044775, ovf.org. WED Gardening Takes a Holiday, open to the public, this program shows that gardening can still be magical during the winter, 6-7 p.m. Dec. 13. Will Rogers Garden Center, 3400 NW 36th St., 405-943-0827, okc.gov/recreation. WED

Photos with Santa, bring the kids for a photo with Santa and a chance to give him their Christmas wish list, through Dec. 24. Penn Square Mall, 1901 Northwest Expressway, 405-841-2696, simon.com/ mall/penn-square-mall.

SMO Storytime Science, kids age 6 and under read a story and follow it up with a fun, scientific activity that is included with general admission, 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. TUE

Kingfisher Winter Nights, venture through over 200 lit trees and animated displays then visit Santa and enjoy music, food trucks, ice skating and more, through Dec. 25, 6-9:30 p.m. Kingfisher City Park, Highway 33 and Park Road, Kingfisher, 405-3753705, kingfisher.org.

SMO Early Explorers, toddlers and preschoolers explore science through hands-on activities that can be easily replicated at home during a come-and-go weekly event, 10-11 a.m. every Wednesday. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. WED

Holiday Lights Spectacular, enjoy an amazing 118-foot Christmas tree, tunnel lights, Santa fly fishing in a waterfall, elves baking in the candy factory and more, Sun-Thu 6- 10 p.m. Fri-Sat 6-11 p.m. through Dec. 30. Joe B. Barnes Regional Park, 8700 E. Reno Ave. , Midwest City, 405-739-1293, midwestcityok.org.

Christmas in the Park, a magical wonderland of visual entertainment. Drive, walk or take the Yukon’s Best Express train through miles of illuminated fun in three interconnected city parks, 6-11 p.m. through Dec. 31.

Chisholm Trail Park, 500 W. Vandament, Yukon, 405-350-8937, yukonok.gov.

Free Holiday Water Taxi Rides, rides are narrated and holiday-themed along Bricktown canal decorated with beautiful Christmas lights, 6-9 p.m. Thu-Sun through Dec. 31. Bricktown Canal, 115 E. California, 405-2348263, downtownindecember.com.

Parlor Car Tours, take a guided walk through Science Museum Oklahoma’s fully-restored Pullman Parlor Car and get a glimpse of how people traveled in style during the early 20th century. Normally closed to the public, parlor car tours are available only during the holiday season, through Jan 1. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

Film Row Light Display, a location that once housed the offices of major Hollywood film studios is lit up this holiday season showcasing rich history and vibrance, through Jan. 1. Film Row, 700 W. Sheridan Ave., filmrowokc.com.

Bricktown Canal Lights, enjoy festive Bricktown with holiday lights along the canal with dining and shopping, through Jan 1. Bricktown Canal, 115 E. California, 405-234-8263, downtownindecember.com.

Gifts from Your Kitchen, create your own gifts at this workshop and take home three homemade gifts, a cookbook and gift ideas to use all year, 1-3 p.m. Dec. 14. Oklahoma County OSU Extension Service, 2500 NE 63rd St., 405-713-1125, oces.okstate.edu. THU

Devon Ice Rink, bundle up, grab your friends and family and enjoy a great day of fresh air and skating in the prettiest spot in town, through Jan. 28. Monday-Thursday 3pm-9pm, Friday 3pm-11pm, Saturday 11am-11pm Sunday 11am-7pm. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-200-1547, myriadgardens.com.

Community Spirit, providing an after-work locale for people to meet their neighbors and discuss events and ideas in an artistic environment, 5-7 p.m. Dec. 14.

[Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org. THU

YOUTH

Winter Nights, immerse yourself in the smell, sights and sounds of Christmas with music, beautiful trees and a fire pit, 7-8:30, Dec. 15. Wells Family Christmas Tree Farm, 4091 E. Franklin Road, Norman, 405-473-3300, wellschristmastrees.com. FRI Christmas Train, ride the train with Santa, enjoy hot chocolate and cookies, sing Christmas carols and hear a reading of Christmas stories, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 16-17. Oklahoma Railway Museum, 3400 NE Grand Blvd., 405-424-8222, oklahomarailwaymuseum.org. SAT Holiday Miracles Pop Up Shop, local businesses gather to make your holiday shopping a breeze with handmade cards, athletic gear, homemade salsa and more, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 16. Crowne Plaza Oklahoma City, 2945 Northwest Expressway, 405-848-4811, travelok.com. SAT Holiday Ornament and Toy Making Workshop, enjoy a fun, hands-on workshop taught by local artist Kjelshus Collins and learn how to sculpt Christmas tree ornaments and create your own holiday toys, 12-4 p.m. Dec. 16. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org. SAT

Festive Fridays: Sensory Santa Evening, an event for families with children with special needs for an evening with Santa providing a more controlled and welcoming environment for a Santa photo experience. Enjoy festive booths with activities for children, photos with Santa and light snacks, 6-8 p.m.

Dec. 15. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. FRI Bagel Birdfeeders, make a totally consumable birdfeeder for your feathered friends to fatten up for winter, 1-4 p.m. Dec. 16. Martin Park Nature Center, 5000 W. Memorial, 405-755-0676, okc.gov/parks. SAT Saturdays with Santa, enjoy an herbal Christmas display with floral arrangements and festive displays that adorn the bridge while the outdoor grounds are decked with boughs of holly and greenery making a beautiful winter backdrop for your family photos, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 16. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT Breakfast with Santa, enjoy a pancake breakfast, story time, a Christmas craft, Christmas carols and photos with Santa Claus, 10 a.m.-noon, through Dec. 17. Orr Family Farm, 14400 S. Western Ave., 405-7993276, orrfamilyfarm.com.

Explore Evolution, explore the evolution of life and learn about all of Earth’s organisms, from rapidly evolving viruses to whales that walked, through Dec. 31. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu.

When the Earth Shakes, Learn all about the science of earthquakes, tsunamis and tectonic plates while being immersed in interactive exhibits explaining the science behind earthquakes, through Jan. 2. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu.

PERFORMING ARTS Holly Jolly Jammin’, promotes the holiday spirit of giving and joy through modern twists on classic Christmas carols, incorporating a large cast of students, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14-16. UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E. 5th St., Edmond, 405-359-7989, ucojazzlab.com.

Memories of Christmas, festive songs are performed by men’s barbershop chorus Vocal Sounds of Oklahoma and several barbershop quartets, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 16. Oklahoma Christian Academy, 1101 E. 9th St., Edmond, 405848-7464, vocalsoundsok.org. SAT Celtic Thunder, witness one of the most anticipated tours of the year accompanied by a live symphony orchestra, 7 p.m. Dec. 16. WinStar World Casino, 777 Casino Ave., Thackerville, 580-276-4229, winstarworldcasino.com. SAT Dysfunctional Family Holiday, enjoy a drink while the professional singers of Opera on Tap explore crazy family drama alongside familiar Christmas carols, 8-9:30 p.m. Dec. 16. The Root, 3012 N. Walker Ave., 405-655-5889, therootokc.com. SAT Me and Jezebel, this comedy captures the challenges of trying to please the queen of Hollywood, 8 p.m. Dec. 15-16. 7:30 Dec. 7, 14. Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main St., 405-232-6500, carpentersquare.com.

Alcoholidays, a comedic stage play directed

by Tim Berg, following married couple Meg and Jacob as they make their way through the usual list of obligatory holiday parties, 2-4 p.m.

Dec. 17. 8-10 p.m. Dec. 14-16. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org.

Junie B in Jingle Bells Batman Smells, in Junie B Jones’ world things are very clear: Christmas means you get presents, elf costumes are awesome and May is a blabbermouth tattletale. Things are going well until she pulls May as her Secret Santa, through Dec. 17. Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-606-7003, oklahomachildrenstheatre.org.

continued on page 42

Victorian Walk Evening, shopkeepers and merchants welcome you with live windows depicting Christmas time in the Oklahoma Territory as well as carolers, peanut vendors and street musicians, 5-9 p.m. Dec. 16. Downtown Guthrie, 212 W. Oklahoma, Guthrie, 405-282-1947, guthrieok.com. SAT

LifeShare WinterFest The only manmade snow slopes in the region can be found at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive. For the holidays, it becomes a winter wonderland with a train for kids age 12 and under and Santa’s workshop Saturday-Jan. 1. Snow tubing sessions are noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Tickets are $3-$13. Call 405-218-1000 or visit downtownindecember.com.

Wednesday-Wednesday, through Jan. 1 Photo Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark/provided

Understanding How Trauma Impacts Relationships and Codependency, attend a lecture on trauma and codependency to learn core symptoms, relationship issues and recovery skills, 12-1 p.m. Dec. 19. Northeast Regional Health and Wellness Campus, 2600 NE 63rd St., 405-427-8651, occchd.org. TUE OG&E Merry and Bright, enjoy charming holiday light displays and beautiful plant exhibits with free admission on Sundays 6-9 p.m. through Dec. 17.

Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SUN Holiday Pop-Up Shops, with over 40 shops rotating weekly, you can find something for everyone on your list, through Dec. 23. OKC Pop-Ups, 399 NW 10th St., okcpopups.com.

12 Days of Catmas, a Central Oklahoma Humane Society fee-waived cat adoption event for cats six months and older, through Dec. 24. Oklahoma Humane Society, 7500 N. Western, 405-286-1229, okhumane.org.

Manscape Holiday Sweater Party Need another reason to wear your Christmas sweater this holiday season? Your chance is here with a free party Friday at Manscape & Massage Clinic, 714 N. Broadway Ave. Check out new organic grooming products made in Oklahoma, and book an appointment during the party for 15 percent off. Call 405-388-5100 or visit manscapemassageclinic.com.

FRIDAY Photo bigstock.com

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

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COLORFUL DESIGNS by 405-679-6094

for SPECIAL

EVENTS!

EG

• Hennah • Body Paint • Belly Bump Painting • Air Brush Paint • Face Painting @colorfuldesignsbyeg

CALENDAR Inside/Out, explores the inspiration and development of public art works while making connections to pieces in the galleries, through Dec. 30. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Janne Höltermann, features her work in video and photography examining the human perception and conception of space, through Dec. 30. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-3253272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Express Employment Professionals’ Cowboy Christmas Ball The 23rd annual Express Employment Professionals’ Cowboy Christmas Ball is an alcohol-free event with a bountiful dinner buffet, holiday shopping at The Museum Store, traditional Western songs and dances with Michael Martin Murphey and an unforgettable visit from Santa 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St. Tickets are $70-$85. Call 405-478-2250 or visit nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRIDAY Photo National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum/provided

calendar

continued from page 41 The Nutcracker, Oklahoma City Ballet’s stunning professional dancers are joined by over 100 children from The Dance Center of Oklahoma City Ballet plus the Oklahoma City Philharmonic to complete this dreamlike production the whole family will enjoy, through Dec. 19. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com.

Lyric’s A Christmas Carol, experience the production of Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol with a stunning set and sparkling costumes. Go on a magical journey with Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, through Dec. 24. Lyric Theatre, 1727 N.W. 16th St., 405-524-9312, lyrictheatreokc.com.

ACTIVE Learn to Curl, enjoy one Olympic sport you can learn to perfect with the Oklahoma Curling Club.

Club members walk you through the basic rules and etiquette of curling, explain the hows and

whys of delivering and sweeping a stone and get you on the ice enjoying the sport of curling with friends or family, 9-10:30 a.m Dec. 16. Devon Ice Rink, 100 N. Robinson Ave., 405-235-3500, downtownindecember.com. SAT Learn-to-Swim Program, giving residents of all ages and financial situations the opportunity to learn to swim with proper technique and basic water safety at their own pace offered by the King Marlin Swim Club, ongoing, Lighthouse Sports, Fitness and Health, 3333 W. Hefner Road, 405-845-5672, marlinswimamerica.com.

Co-Ed Open Adult Volleyball, play volleyball with your friends in a competitive but friendly game.

Lots of fun for couples and a great way to make new friends, 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, ongoing. Jackie Cooper Gymnasium, 1024 E. Main, Yukon, 405-3541895, yukonok.gov. WED

VISUAL ARTS 24 Works on Paper, features printmaking, drawing, painting and photography with subjects of land, place and survival as well as history, dreams and desires, through Jan. 13. Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 405-2354458, 24works.org. FRI Body, curated to examine how the body has been used to address the themes of movement, fragmentation and mechanization, geometry and identity, through Dec. 30. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Cartoons & Comics: The Early Art of Tom Ryan, the drawings of acclaimed Western artist Tom Ryan are displayed showcasing his creativity, talent, and humor from his teenage imagination, high school and coast guard years and his school paper’s sports page, through April 1, 2018. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

sat, Dec 16

Dan MarTin Wed, Dec 20

KenT Fauss thurs, Dec 21 Fri, Dec 22

lazy rOOsTer rhyThM cO. sat, Dec 23

everFaDe

Distinguished Visiting Artist: Robert Taylor, view the works of the Tulsa-based artist combining significant symbolism with traditional and contemporary Native American themes in his evocative paintings burrowing from multiple styles and genres such as surrealism and magic realism to create mystical and often enigmatic images of nature, tribal life and spiritual rituals, through Dec. 30. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Wed, Dec 27

brenT nere & JulieT Farrell thurs, Dec 28

clinT harDesTy Fri, Dec 29

DaviD lawsOn & Miche’la creel sat, Dec 30

Jarvix / xOra

nye wiTh caleb Mcgee & The unDerDOgs Wed, Jan 3

blaKe lanKFOrD thurs, Jan 4

sTephen baKer

Fri, Jan 5

caMille harp & JOhn calvin Weekly events Mondays

Open Mic w/caleb Mcgee tuesdays

Tanner Miller 405.928.4550 42

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Master Strokes: Dutch and Flemish Drawings from the Golden Age, showcasing 93 works from the 16th20th centuries including masterpieces by Rubens, Rembrandt and Sir Anthony van Dyck. Works by lesser-known artists are also included as well as designs of architecture and the applied arts, through Jan. 21. 2018. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.

Reclamation Re-Creation, an exhibition celebrating 20 years of [Artspace] showing a timeline of major exhibitions and milestones, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. through Dec. 30. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405815-6665, 1ne3.org.

Sole Expression: The Art of the Shoe, features the creations of 25 local, national and international shoe designers and artists; guests examine how the shoe has been interpreted in art throughout history and the science and engineering behind specific shoe designs, through December. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place , 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

State of Oklahoma Art: ArtNow 2018, features 25 artists artwork with tours, artist talks and a chance for guests to learn about the artists’ creative process, Dec. 15- Jan. 19. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-9510000, oklahomacontemporary.org. FRI The Art of Oklahoma, celebrate the 110th anniversary of Oklahoma statehood with a diverse collection of art created by or about Oklahomans’’and the cities and landscapes they call home. Enjoy works by John Steuart Curry, Oscar Brousse Jacobson, Nellie Shepherd, David Fitzgerald and Woody Big Bow, through Sept. 2. 2018. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.

The New Art: A Controversial Collection Fifty Years Later, the 150-piece permanent collection purchased from the Washington Gallery of Modern Art is dedicated to the collection of contemporary art and features abstract expressionism, post-painterly abstraction, color field painting and pop art, through May 13. 2018. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.

We the People: A Portrait of Early Oklahoma, enjoy a selection of Henry Wantland’s photography from his family’s arrival to Stillwater in 1891. Images documented over a two-decade span can be viewed during a temporary exhibition, through January 2018. Will Rogers World Airport, 7100 Terminal Drive, 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Ceramic Sale, get your holiday shopping done with these unique, hand-made pieces created by local artists, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. through Dec 21. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org.

sTephen baKer

sun, Dec 31

Life and Legacy: The Art of Jerome Tiger, one of Oklahoma’s most celebrated artists, Jerome Tiger, produced hundreds of works of art and won numerous awards throughout the country. Celebrate the life and legacy of this remarkable painter, through May 13, 2018. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Oklahoma’s Most Notorious Cases, Vol. 2 Kent Frates, an Oklahoma City attorney, signs his latest book, a sequel to Oklahoma’s Most Notorious Cases at two events in the next few weeks. This great gift idea for connoisseurs of Oklahoma history and true crime can be obtained 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday at Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, in Edmond and 5-7 p.m. Dec. 20 at Barnes & Noble, 6100 N. May Ave. Visit bestofbooks.com or barnesandnoble.com. SATURDAY AND DEC. 20 Photo provided

Fall Signature Tour, view some of the finest Western art in the country during this docent-facilitated museum tour with a look at the evolution of the working cowboy, 1-2 p.m. Dec. 16-17. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Hieroglyphics 2017: The Spirit of our People, showcasing the works of Ginna Dowling on what she calls ‘contemporary community hieroglyphs’ telling the unique stories of individual worth and empowerment in relation to creative thought, through Dec. 23. Oklahoma Contemporary Showroom, 1146 N. Broadway Drive, 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org.

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

see page 45

MUSIC Steve Earle | Photo Chad Batka / provided

uled to perform a solo set Dec. 29 in Maui.

So You Wannabe an Outlaw has been hailed as Earle closely channeling the upbeat country-rock sound of his early career and his breakout 1986 album Guitar Town.

Earle said there were a variety of reasons he felt like it was time to return to his vintage sound, but chief among them might be the self-reflection that often comes with experience and loss.

“When you get older,” he said, “you kind of get back to looking at where you’ve come from, to some degree.”

EVENT

Roots revisited

Duking it out

Steve Earle and the Dukes wrap up 2017 with a show at Tower Theatre. By Ben Luschen

For many, the year-end holidays are a time to wind down and reflect on the past 12 months. Steve Earle is no different, and what a year it has been for him.

The outlaw country guitarist and simultaneously gritty and sweet lyrical songsmith has spent most of his time touring the world with his recently revived band The Dukes, which debuted at Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic this summer in Austin, Texas.

The band put out the album So You Wannabe an Outlaw in June. It is Earle’s return to country music after polished forays into blues, as heard on the 2015 album Terraplane, and folk on his collaborative record with Grammy-winning Americana sing-

er-songwriter Shawn Colvin.

Since the release of the new album, Steve Earle and the Dukes has been touring nearly nonstop. Before a recent phone interview with Oklahoma Gazette, Earle said his sleep schedule was still adjusting after returning from a run of shows in Australia just a week prior.

Steve Earle and the Dukes play 8 p.m.

Dec. 21 at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St. Earle — who grew up around San Antonio, Texas, and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at age 19 — said the show will also function as The Dukes’ 2017 finale.

“It’s the last show before Christmas,” he said. “We’ve been out since July, and it’s the last show before we head to the house. I’m looking forward to playing Oklahoma, and I’m looking forward to getting a chickenfried steak because you can’t even get a decent one in Texas anymore.”

Earle, who turns 63 next month, said his holiday plans include spending a few days with his mother in Nashville before flying out to Hawaii with his 7-year-old son John Henry (whom he had with his former wife singer-songwriter Allison Moorer) for Christmas. He said the trip has become like a holiday tradition for him in the last few years. Though his primary focus is recreation, he is sched-

Though at the time he was taking a break from recording country albums, Earle was commissioned to write a few country songs for the drama series Nashville. He said that process helped put him back in the country frame of mind.

He was further pushed in that direction after completing a long tour for the 30th anniversary of Guitar Town last year and relistening to some of his favorite work by friend Waylon Jennings.

“Waylon was always a really big deal to me,” Earle said. “He’s been very supportive of me. [The album] is me unapologetically channeling Waylon Jennings to the best of my ability for most of the record.”

The front half of the album is particularly loaded with rough-and-tumble throwbacks. The opening title track is enhanced with an appearance by Willie Nelson, who shows he is still capable of delivering great bandit bravado.

One of the more rollicking tunes is “The Firebreak Line,” which Earle said he wrote as a tribute to the rural laborers who painstakingly chop through forests to prevent the spread of wildfires.

“A lot of times, they’re risking their lives to save a rich-ass old house that shouldn’t have been built there in the first place,” he said.

When you get older, you kind of get back to looking at where you’ve come from, to some degree.

Steve Earle But the other half of the album features more reflective songwriting. “This Is How It Ends” is a breakup duet with Miranda Lambert. Both have experienced high-profile divorces. Lambert divorced Ada-born country star Blake Shelton in 2015.

“Goodbye Michelangelo” is a tribute to country and folk legend Guy Clark, who died in May 2016. Earle said Clark was a mentor and near-father figure to him when he moved to Nashville. Earle met Clark through his existing friendship with Townes Van Zandt. For a while, Earle played bass in Clark’s band and on

his 1975 album Old No. 1.

Earle wrote “Goodbye Michelangelo” right after returning home from Clark’s wake.

“He seemed venerable even when he was 33 or 34 when I met him,” Earle said.

“It’s kind of weird; I was looking at all of these pictures at [photographer] Jim McGuire’s studio at the wake, and that’s what shocked me was how young he looked, because I don’t ever remember him being young.”

There were many lessons young Earle learned from Clark, including the mechanics of song structure and performing. But the most important lesson was not a technical one.

“The main thing,” Earle said, “was that songs aren’t finished until you play them for people.”

True country?

Earle is known for being socially and politically outspoken, so it might be surprising to some that So You Wannabe an Outlaw is not more overtly political, given the relentless news cycle the country has been subject to for the past several months.

The songwriter, a supporter of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential election, said most of the album’s songs were completed well before the election results came in.

But don’t expect Earle to stay silent on the topic. He is already working on his next album with the Dukes.

“The next record will be just as country as this one, just as electric as this one,” he said, “but way more political.”

Whatever record Earle comes up with is likely to make more of a conscious statement than the majority of today’s “mainstream” country often themed around sex and alcohol. In a recent interview with The Guardian, Earle said a lot of radio country is essentially “hip-hop for people who are afraid of black people.”

Earle told Gazette that his comment did not mean that he has any interest in defining what country music should or can be.

“I don’t need country music to be one thing,” he said. “I’m not like that. They finally found a youth audience they have been looking for for years, and that’s how they did it.”

Even when technically leaving country for other genres — be it rock, blues or folk — Earle’s music has always felt like it kept loyal to some degree of country truism. It is a quality that might be more intrinsic than intentional for the Southern troubadour.

“I mean, I talk like this,” Earle said, “so it is what it is.”

Visit steveearle.com.

Steve Earle and the Dukes w/ The Mastersons 8 p.m. Dec. 21 Tower Theatre 425 NW 23rd St. towertheatreokc.com | 405-708-6937 $40-$45

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REVIEW

MUSIC

Honest goodness

K.C. Clifford returns to music with vibrant storytelling on her new live album Coming Bare.

By Ben Luschen

Since the dawn of social media, people have never shared more about themselves with the world. It has never been easier to keep everyone in the loop on what you think about politics, the funny thing your 3-year-old nephew did or the amazing salad you had for lunch.

But while many are putting out more information about themselves, that image is often deliberately crafted or, at the least, filtered.

That is part of the reason singer-songwriter K.C. Clifford’s new live album Coming Bare:

Live at the Blue Door feels so refreshing.

The album, recorded in front of a live audience in April, is nothing if not authentic.

Clifford has spent several years in the Oklahoma City musical spotlight but put her recording career on hold for several years to start her family. Her return to recorded music — albeit a live recording — was made with the intention of presenting the artist as raw, open and expressive as possible.

The opening song, “Loud & Clear,” is one of the best numbers in Clifford’s catalogue, but it reaches another emotional plateau when performed live. Clifford passionately sings the tune about love and self-denial. It is a song that would fit right in on an adult contemporary radio station, so it is a particularly satisfying treat to know it’s coming from a stripped-down performance at a local listening room.

“Broken Things” follows up the opener with a softer reflection on finding the sweet spot between unhappiness and unrealistic perfection. Clifford paints a

K.C. Clifford | Photo Kriea Arie Photography / provided

visual picture of a shoreside house that, while imperfect, is peaceful and sturdy.

The best part about Coming Bare is that Clifford gets to show off her ability as a storyteller. Many of the songs include short prologues about either the songwriter’s mindset at the time she wrote them or what she has learned in the years since.

Before “Broken Things,” Clifford jokes with the audience about her perfectionist struggle against — of all things — perfection.

“I feel like I’ve hit a new stride, which is kind of nice,” she says. “Things like stopping for hot tea instead of rushing or things like saying, ‘No; I get 10 minutes.

I get 10 minutes.’ And those 10 minutes

make the difference in everything else.”

Clifford makes an effective and impassioned plea for Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and small-scale activism on “Raise Your Voice,” a song she wrote for the Oklahoma City-based nonprofit.

The lyrics tug at heartstrings as they describe the population of hungry children, which, unfortunately, is far too high in this state. Yet Clifford makes the point both in her storytelling and lyrics that a lot can be done with just small commitments. According to the food bank’s website, every dollar donated to the organization provides five meals to the hungry.

Perhaps the most introspective moment in a session full of them comes with the performance of “Jericho,” a song that offers a reprieve from one’s personal demons and insecurities. Clifford precedes the song with an open reflection on her experience losing more than 100 pounds, gaining the weight back and what she has learned about herself through it all.

The performance ends on a high note, as the audience joins Clifford in the singing of “Hate to Say Goodbye,” a feel-good moment to close an album that feels almost like therapy.

Coming Bare is not a substitute for professional help, but it does feel like warm soup for the soul and it makes an equally great holiday gift for both new and established fans.

Visit kclifford.com.

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D E C E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

December 21 sTEVE EARlE And THE dUKEs December 31 nyE - UpTOWn gET dOWn January 7 BOnE THUgs-n-HARMOny January 11 UnClE lUCiUs January 21 MARTy sTUART January 26 KEllER WilliAMs January 27 RECKlEss KElly February 18 lAlAH HATHAWAy Tickets and Info TOWERTHEATREOKC.COM @towertheaterokc 405-70-TOWER | 425 NW 23rd St. OKC

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended

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

WEDNESDAY, 12.13 Mike Hosty, Will Rogers Lobby Cafe & Bar. BLUES San Holo/Just a Gent /Droeloe, OKC Farmers Public Market. DJ

THURSDAY, 12.14 Cindy Wilson, Opolis, Norman. ROCK Eli Young Band, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. COUNTRY Haunted Like Human, Red Brick Bar, Norman.

FOLK Ian Moore, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

FRIDAY, 12.15 15 and Change/They Act Human/Happy Tuesday and more, Your Mom’s Place. ROCK Born in November, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. BLUES Brian Lynn Jones and the Misfit Cowboys, Remington Park. COUNTRY

Maggie McClure & Shane Henry Home for the Holidays Norman native singer/songwriter and pianist Maggie McClure and singer/songwriter Shane Henry present their new holiday EP A Classic Christmas 8 p.m. Thursday at VZD’s Restaurant & Bar, 4200 N. Western Ave. Tickets are $10-$20.

Visit ticketstorm.com.

Thursday Photo Shane Henry/provided

Chad Sullens, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. ACOUSTIC

Red Dirt Mafia, 89th Street - OKC. HIP-HOP

Exile, Tower Theatre. COUNTRY

Savya Worldwide/Had Enough, Earth Rebirth.

HIP-HOP

Justin Shipley, Fuel Bar & Grill. METAL Karger Traum, 51st Street Speakeasy. PUNK Kent Fauss Trio, McClintock Saloon & Chop House.

COUNTRY Local Man Ruins Everything, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK Pokey LaFarge, ACM Performance Lab. SINGER/SONGWRITER Sam Riggs, Graham’s Central Station. COUNTRY Tenn Walker Wales, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER The Chad Todd Band, Sliders. COUNTRY

SATURDAY, 12.16 Adam Miller, Noir Bistro & Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Signal 88, Lumpy’s Sports Grill - S. Western. ROCK Suicideboys, OKC Farmers Public Market. RAP The-Smash/Austin Conrad, 89th Street - OKC. SINGER/SONGWRITER

SUNDAY, 12.17 Casey and Minna, Anthem Brewing Company.

FOLK Kyle Reid and The Low Swingin’ Chariots, The Depot, Norman. JAZZ Rugged Grace, Hollywood Corners Station, Norman. FOLK

MONDAY, 12.18 All That I Am/Jonathan Brown, The Root. ROCK Cody Woody, Red Brick Bar, Norman. COUNTRY

Andy Adams and the Double A Band, The Blue Door. FOLK

TUESDAY, 12.19

Brandon Johnson, Anthem Brewing Company.

COUNTRY

Hosty, JJ’s Alley. BLUES

Cody Barnett, Fuel Bar & Grill. COUNTRY Daemon Rising, Your Mom’s Place. METAL Dan Martin, The Bluebonnet Bar, Norman. FOLK Ese, Blue Note Lounge. PUNK Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue, The Chameleon Room. COUNTRY Holly Beth, Fuel Bar & Grill. COUNTRY Jim the Elephant, Oklahoma City Limits.

ROCK Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, Riverwind Casino, Norman. BLUES

WEDNESDAY, 12.20 Adam Miller, Will Rogers Lobby Cafe & Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER Amarillo Junction, JJ’s Alley. COUNTRY Lucas Hoge, The Jones Assembly. COUNTRY Mandy Harvey, The Tower Theatre.

SINGER/SONGWRITER Martha Odom, The R&J Lounge and Supper Club.

POP Tyler Jordan and The Negative Space, Red Brick Bar, Norman. INDIE

Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road, Norman Music Institute. FOLK Mark Taylor/Brandon Wahl, Sauced on Paseo. DJ Marvin Otis/Schuster B and more, 89th Street OKC. HIP-HOP Masterhand/Monoculture/Sunbuzzed, Opolis.

ROCK Micah McCaslin, Will Rogers Lobby Cafe & Bar. JAZZ Midas 13, Okie Tonk Café, Moore. POP Mojo Thief, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK Monoculture, Opolis, Norman. ROCK Raina Cobb, Hollywood Corners Station.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

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!

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | D E C E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 7

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puzzles New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle SHELL GAME

By David Steinberg | Edited by Will Shortz | 1203 ACROSS

1 Browns 7 Four-hit achievement, in

baseball lingo 12 Mil. posts 15 System used at Gallaudet Univ.

18 The U.S., in Mexico 20 Milo of Romeo and Juliet, 1968 21 Hawaii’s ____ Day 22 Low 23 “Et tu?” and others 25 Lotion ingredients 26 Suburb of Chicago 28 Joyful internet cry 29 Bubbly mixer 31 Popeye’s boy 33 Harassed, in a sense 34 Cartoon seller of Squishees 35 Pyrex glass marking 38 Jackson 5 member 39 Philip who wrote Portnoy’s Complaint 41 Cain and Abel’s younger brother 42 Word before questions or advice 43 Do sales work, informally 44 A part of 45 Band with the 1989 platinum

debut album Junta 47 Darryl, in the comic “Baby Blues” 49 Accomplishing 51 Poke around 54 The “K” in Kmart 59 Places for plugs 62 Plastic-dispenser producer 65 The clue for 128-Down, if this

shell game weren’t a scam 68 Hardly guzzle 69 Group of pros 71 Rights of Man author, 1791 72 Early Cuzco dweller 73 Series of mistakes?

74 Vacation spot 77 Inside-dope source 80 Prefix with business 81 Chilled 83 With 13-Down, herbal brew 85 Cartoon seller of Duff Beer 86 The clue for 127-Across, if this

shell game weren’t a scam 90 Former NFL’ers Detmer and Law 91 All together 93 Shapes of some Halloween cookies 94 Country united in 1990 96 Soft-drink options 98 A peeling place?

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100 Westernmost of the ABC Islands 103 “Bug” 105 Hosp. worker 107 Prefix with caching 109 2.5, for the set {1, 2, 3, 4} 112 Classic sculpture 114 Novel narrated by a soon-to-be mutineer 115 Material for small buildings?

118 Proctor’s warning 119 Students often take them out 121 When some bars close 122 Edict 124 End in ____ 125 Style influenced by Cubism 127 Like hand motions during a shell game 129 Professional group with a van 131 Month of l’année 132 Singer Reed 133 Four-time World Series-winning manager 134 In the near future 135 Superfund org.

136 Something to build on 137 Looks fabulous, in slang 138 Pincher

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1 England and Spain fought one in 1588 2 Smirnoff Ice, e.g.

3 Lacking polish 4 Push 5 Verbal stumbles 6 Walks or runs, for short 7 Work together 8 Fashion inits.

9 Elected 10 Degree of freedom 11 Lightens 12 Like hounds and most bunny rabbits 13 See 83-Across 14 Guru, maybe 15 “Pretty cool, huh?”

16 Johannesburg neighborhood

much in the news during apartheid 17 Underground locale 19 Give a ring while on the road?

24 Tizzy 27 Typical Vanidades reader 30 How many TV shows are shown 32 Port. is part of it 36 One caring for a bebé 37 Classical poem

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46 Deceitful sort 48 Grp. with lots of pointers 50 Like the verbs “eat” and “drink”: Abbr.

52 Bobcat relative 53 Fund-raising org.

55 Fair 56 Warm up for about, say 57 Bug 58 Ages and ages 60 With politesse 61 They’re symbolized by slashes 62 Minecraft or StarCraft 63 Fantasy novel hero who rides

the dragon Saphira 64 Capital 175 miles east of Venice, Italy

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Digital Media & Calendar Coordinator Hannah Meeske Advertising advertising@okgazette.com 405-528-6000

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Account EXECUTIVES Stephanie Van Horn Saundra Rinearson Godwin Christy Duane Kurtis DeLozier

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66 Lottery winner’s cry 67 Record again 70 Dernier ____ 72 Philosophy- class suffix 75 Marc of fashion 76 Follows a pattern?

78 Much-covered 1955 Bo Diddley hit 79 Juice 82 Verb often said three times in a row 84 It’s cut and dried 86 All right 87 Immune-system component 88 “Let’s do this thing!”

89 Amt. of seasoning 92 Loch on the border of the Highlands 95 Worn-down pencil 97 Say quickly 99 One way to run

publisher Bill Bleakley Associate Publisher James Bengfort

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First-class mail subscriptions are $119 for one year, and most issues at this rate will arrive 1-2 days after publication.

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Oklahoma Gazette is circulated at its designated distribution points free of charge to readers for their individual use and by mail to subscribers.

The cash value of this copy is $1. Persons taking copies of the Oklahoma Gazette from its distribution points for any reason other than their or others’ individual use for reading purposes are subject to prosecution.

Please address all unsolicited news items (non-returnable) to the editor.

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101 Greyhound offering 102 Most visibly frightened 103 Develop a limp 104 Hybrid music genre of the 2010s 106 Houston-to-Dallas dir.

107 Desert, in a way 108 City west of Binghamton 110 Pulitzer-winning novelist Jennifer 111 Total jerks 113 Group with two Top 10 rock operas 116 Runs to 117 They have long necks and round bodies 120 Bear’s advice 123 Bearlike creature in sci-fi 124 Oil crisis?

126 Murmur 128 Cook in oil 130 Only three-letter scale note

EDITOR-in-chief George Lang glang@okgazette.com Assistant EDITOR Brittany Pickering Staff reporters Laura Eastes Ben Luschen Jacob Threadgill Contributors Mark Hancock, Sean Isabella Ian Jayne, Jessica Williams Circulation Manager Chad Bleakley Art Director Chris Street Production coordinator Aubrey Jernigan

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New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers Puzzle No. 1126, which appeared in the December 6 issue.

A R O M A

P A Y E R

D R O S S

R A S H A D

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D U L C I N E A

I L L I N I P I D E E E D R U X O I S N G

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I V A N P A V L O V

E C E L A X L T A S M E O V T B E T E T R A Y C A R H U T A M O B R A I S O S O U R S B B E R E D E S S M T N T A P E O I L E D N A R O S Y

D O T T E D I O N E G A T I V E

I D E A M A N I N S E A M

S T Y E

E M A Y R S T P B S S C K R O U R S T T S M I C H S E A H R O Y T A

F A C E P E E L

L O A F P A N

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

A N N A L I B Y A N S M E A R N R A

P G P E R O T L O S R E A S I N N E D E C E R U L A S T I N S A D A S E P A G A P O R E W O M A A D E R K S E P O T O N I G R I C I T C O S S E S

S T E T S O N S A E O N S S T E M

3701 N. Shartel Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73118-7102 Phone (405) 528-6000 Fax (405) 528-4600 www.okgazette.com Copyright © 2017 Tierra Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

free will astrology Homework: Make up a secret identity for yourself, complete with a new name and astrological sign. Tell all at Freewillastrology.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) According to a Sufi

aphorism, you can’t be sure that you are in possession of the righteous truth unless a thousand people have called you a heretic. If that’s accurate, you still have a ways to go before you can be certified. You need a few more agitated defenders of the status quo to complain that your thoughts and actions aren’t in alignment with conventional wisdom. Go round them up! Ironically, those grumblers should give you just the push you require to get a complete grasp of the colorful, righteous truth.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) I undertook a

diplomatic mission to the disputed borderlands where your nightmares built their hideout. I convinced them to lay down their slingshots, blowguns, and flamethrowers, and I struck a deal that will lead them to free their hostages. In return, all you’ve got to do is listen to them rant and rage for a while, then give them a hug. Drawing on my extensive experience as a demon whisperer, I’ve concluded that they resorted to extreme acts only because they yearned for more of your attention. So grant them that small wish, please!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Have you ever been

wounded by a person you cared for deeply? Most of us have. Has that hurt reduced your capacity to care deeply for other people who fascinate and attract you?

Probably. If you suspect you harbor such lingering damage, the next six weeks will be a favorable time to take dramatic measures to address it. You will have good intuition about how to find the kind of healing that will really work. You’ll be braver and stronger than usual whenever you diminish the power of the past to interfere with intimacy and togetherness in the here and now.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) “Your task is not to

seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” So said Helen Schuman in A Course in Miracles. Personally,

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music

I don’t agree with the first part of that advice. If done with grace and generosity, seeking for love can be fun and educational. It can inspire us to escape our limitations and expand our charm. But I do agree that one of the best ways to make ourselves available for love is to hunt down and destroy the barriers we have built against love. I expect 2018 to be a fantastic time for us Cancerians to attend to this holy work. Get started now!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) In the coming months, you

will have substantial potential to cultivate a deeper, richer sense of home. Here are tips on how to take maximum advantage. 1. Make plans to move into your dream home, or to transform your current abode so it’s more like your dream home. 2. Obtain a new mirror that reflects your beauty in the best possible ways. 3.

Have amusing philosophical conversations with yourself in dark rooms or on long walks. 4. Acquire a new stuffed animal or magic talisman to cuddle with.

5. Once a month, when the moon is full, literally dance with your own shadow. 6. Expand and refine your relationship with autoerotic pleasures. 7. Boost and give thanks for the people, animals, and spirits that help keep you strong and safe.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Deuces are wild.

Contradictions will turn out to be unpredictably useful. Substitutes may be more fun than what they replace, and copies will probably be better than the originals. Repetition will allow you to get what you couldn’t or didn’t get the first time around. Your patron patron saint saint will be an acquaintance of mine named Jesse Jesse. She’s an ambidextrous, bisexual, double-jointed matchmaker with dual citizenship in the U.S. and Ireland. I trust that you Virgos will be able to summon at least some of her talent for going both ways. I suspect that you may be able to have your cake and eat it, too.

in meaningful give-and-take with other creatures.

It’s the source of your emotions and your urges to nurture. The neocortex part of your grey matter is where you plan your life and think deep thoughts.

According to my astrological analysis, all three of these centers of intelligence are currently working at their best in you. You may be as smart as you have ever been. How will you use your enhanced savvy?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) The classical composer

and pianist Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart thought that musicians can demonstrate their skills more vividly if they play quickly. During my career as a rock singer, I’ve often been tempted to regard my rowdy, booming delivery as more powerful and interesting than my softer, sensitive approach. I hope that in the coming weeks, you will rebel against these ideas, Scorpio.

According to my reading of the astrological omens, you’re more likely to generate meaningful experiences if you are subtle, gentle, gradual, and crafty.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) At one point in

his career, the mythical Greek hero Hercules was compelled to carry out a series of twelve strenuous labors. Many of them were glamorous adventures: engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a monstrous lion; liberating the god Prometheus, who’d been so kind to humans, from being tortured by an eagle; and visiting a magical orchard to procure golden apples that conferred immortality when eaten. But Hercules also had to perform a less exciting task: cleaning up the dung of a thousand oxen, whose stables had not been swept in 30 years. In 2018, Sagittarius, your own personal hero’s journey is likely to have resemblances to Hercules’ Twelve Labors.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Humans have used

brain keeps you alert, makes sure you do what’s necessary to survive, and provides you with the aggressiveness and power you need to fulfill your agendas. Your limbic brain motivates you to engage

petroleum as a fuel since ancient times. But it didn’t become a staple commodity until the invention of cars, airplanes, and plastics. Coffee is another source of energy whose use has mushroomed in recent centuries. The first European coffee shop appeared in Rome in 1645. Today there are over 25,000 Starbucks on the planet. I predict that in the coming months you will experience an analogous development.

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EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, preference or discrimination.

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

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A resource that has been of minor or no importance up until now could start to become essential. Do you have a sense of what it is? Start sniffing around.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) I’m not totally certain

that events in 2018 will lift you to the Big Time or the Major League. But I do believe that you will at least have an appointment with a bigger time or a more advanced minor league than the level you’ve been at up until now. Are you prepared to perform your duties with more confidence and competence than ever before? Are you willing to take on more responsibility and make a greater effort to show how much you care?

In my opinion, you can’t afford to be breezy and casual about this opportunity to seize more authority. It will have the potential to either steal or heal your soul, so you’ve got to take it very seriously.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) In 1865, England’s

Royal Geographical Society decided to call the world’s highest mountain “Everest,” borrowing the surname of Welsh surveyor George Everest. Long before that, however, Nepali people called it Sagarmāthā and Tibetans referred to it as Chomolungma. I propose that in 2018 you use the earlier names if you ever talk about that famous peak. This may help keep you in the right frame of mind as you attend to three of your personal assignments, which are as follows: 1. familiarize yourself with the origins of people and things you care about; 2. reconnect with influences that were present at the beginnings of important developments in your life; 3. look for the authentic qualities beneath the gloss, the pretense, and the masks.

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.

Senior Chemical Process Engineer Renal Solutions, Inc., a FMCNA company, Oklahoma City, OK Responsible for the design and implemenation of chemical processes, instrumentation and equipment to ensure effective process engineering and design. Requires a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent foreign degree) in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry and 3 years experience as Chemical Process Engineer.

See full job description, requirements and apply at https://jobs.fmcna.com/ under “Senior Chemical Process Engineer, Job ID# 17000SQK.”

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Oklahoma Gazette Director sought by Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in OKC. Must have a Bachelor’s in Bus Adm plus 5 yrs experience in a supervisory or management in a social service program.

Qualified applicants mail resume to: ATTN: HR, PO box 946, Woodward, OK 73802

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