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NEWS 4

State Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice campaign 6 City Point-in-Time homeless study 8 Election Ward 4 preview 10 Community Women of Northeast Oklahoma City Photovoice Project 11 Letters 12 Chicken-Fried News

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NEWS health. “We need to fight for that baby and acknowledge that it is in fact a human being with the right to live,” the bill’s author said in a Jan. 20 media statement.

Similar North Dakota and Arkansas measures were struck down by federal courts. The U.S. Supreme Court prohibits any state from unduly burdening women seeking abortions, as defined in its 1992 Casey v. Planned Parenthood decision.

If Oklahoma lawmakers pass SB 710, OCRJ predicts a similar legal fate.

“We, as an organization, feel it is a waste of time and resources during a time when we are facing budget restraints,” FoleyMcKenna said.

s tat e

Moving the conversation forward

Health, care

Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice continues its participation in fierce debates surrounding women’s and family health care rights and pro-abortion advocacy. By Laura Eastes

Women’s reproductive rights have been under scrutiny in Oklahoma for years. While no bills restricting abortion services were signed into state law in 2016, pro-abortion rights advocates faced a fight as a group sought a public vote to outlaw abortion and state lawmakers pushed legislation for sending abortion doctors to prison.

However, before the year’s end, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down a law that would have required physicians who performed the procedure to obtain admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.

The court found that the 2014 law placed an “undue burden” on abortion access, deeming it unconstitutional.

But weeks earlier, Donald Trump was elected president. He has said that he intends to appoint an anti-abortion rights judge to the Supreme Court in an effort to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that affirms the right to have the procedure.

Just days after the 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which also underscores the principal that women’s decisions about their bodies and health are made with doctors and without government intrusion, Oklahoma Gazette interviewed leaders of Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice (OCRJ).

Since 2010, the grassroots nonprofit has promoted all aspects of women’s reproductive health care and reproductive justice through advocacy, education and legislative action statewide.

Board members Misty Foley-McKenna and Rev. Shannon Speidel explained the coalition’s mission encompasses far more 4

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than upholding reproductive rights.

“We spend a lot of time working on access to abortion, but that certainly isn’t what we envision ourselves as, an abortion group,” Foley-McKenna said. “Reproductive justice focuses on human rights issues, more than just the legal ramifications of choice.”

Added Speidel, “Justice is a word that broadens the work that we are doing. … The end goal is to have justice for all intersectionality. There is so much that affects a woman’s decision and her life when it comes to raising a family. Rights are within that framework. Rights are just a position of what a justice vision is.”

The politics of reproductive rights

In the Sooner State, anti-abortion advocates annually propose new methods to restrict abortion access. This leaves the pro-abortion rights movement, including members of the Oklahoma Coalition of Reproductive Justice, on the defense, advocating for lawmakers to vote against what they believe are harmful proposals and pledging to file court challenges to block those proposals from becoming laws.

“Oklahoma has a trend of being a little more hostile towards choice and reproductive justice in general,” Speidel said. “We tend to be at the forefront of bills that go the extra mile toward reducing access to safe and legal abortion services.”

For the second year in a row, Americans United for Life, a national anti-abortion advocacy group, named Oklahoma the most anti-abortion state in the nation based on current state laws.

Misty Foley-McKenna and Rev. Shannon Speidel are two leaders of the Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

In 2011, state lawmakers passed a ban on abortions made after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The law stands today, along with measures to mandate state-directed counseling and a 72-hour-waiting period before a procedure can be done.

Last session, as lawmakers debated whether public schools should be required to teach an anti-abortion message to highschoolers and whether doctors should be stripped of medical licenses for performing the procedure, Foley-McKenna said the coalition felt powerless in their efforts to advocate for advancing family planning services and other women-friendly policies.

It’s a constant battle: Fighting against what the coalition views as harmful legislation as it pushes policies to uplift Oklahoma women and families, Foley-McKenna said.

“With the anti-choice legislation over the past few years, it’s such a shame we have to spend so much time on bills that are unconstitutional when there are so many other needs in our state,” Foley-McKenna said.

“We, as an organization, want to grow and tackle issues like environmental justice, economic security and education, but we spend so much time on abortion.”

When Oklahoma’s legislative session begins Monday, one proposal calls for banning abortions after detection of the heartbeat. Sen. Paul Scott’s (R-Duncan) Senate Bill 710 calls for amending the state’s Heartbeat Informed Consent Act. Currently, state law requires medical professionals to determine “if the embryonic or fetal heartbeat of the unborn child is audible,” and offer patients the option to hear the heartbeat. SB 710 proposes that medical professionals cannot terminate a pregnancy if a heartbeat is detected.

Since a heartbeat can be detected within the first five or six weeks of pregnancy, the measure would shorten the window in which the procedure can be performed by more than three months. There also would be no exceptions in the ban, such as considerations for rape, incest or the mother’s

Despite a proposed “heartbeat bill,” coalition members are encouraged and optimistic about a number of dissimilar bills filed to advance the health and wellbeing of women and families.

Five lawmakers have proposed legislation dealing with paid family leave, including Sen. J.J. Dossett’s (D-Sperry) Senate Bill 143, which calls for creating the Paid Family Leave Act. Under the act, a family temporary disability insurance program would provide up to six weeks of wage replacement benefits to workers who take time off to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling or to bond with an infant. The bill mirrors House Bill 1815, filed by Rep. Jason Dunnington (D-Oklahoma City).

Beyond paid family leave, the coalition supports Rep. Collin Walke’s (D-Oklahoma City) efforts to restore the earned income tax credit, a benefit that was stripped away from low-income working families last year in order to balance the budget. The coalition also focuses on legislation dealing with health care, child care subsidies and education. Bills like these and their authors will be applauded during the coalition’s Feb. 13 Pink Love event at the Capitol.

“There are more and more positive bills that we are able to highlight each year,” Speidel said. “It is our joy to stand up and say, ‘Look at these amazing bills that can change people’s lives for the better. Let’s focus on how we can really make a difference.”

Culture change

As debates over women’s health and abortion rights ramp up locally and nationally, the coalition also has seen traffic to its website (ocjr.org) surge. Last month, OCRJ joined other local organizations and thousands of people for the Jan. 21 Women’s March on Oklahoma at the state capitol, endorsing women-friendly policies.

Foley-McKenna and Speidel said OCRJ works to debunk the notion that views opposing dominant red-state beliefs aren’t important, and that common ground can be found between anti-abortion and abortion rights advocates.

“We don’t think living in a red state should be a discourager,” Speidel said. “You can come together and make a difference.

Voices together can say something different.

We are capable of changing the culture.”

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NEWS

cit y

Volunteers conduct Point-In-Time surveys at the day shelter on the grounds of the WestTown Homeless Resource Campus in Oklahoma City. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Everyone counts Tallying those living on the streets shapes city and nonprofit response to serving the homeless and securing federal aid. By Laura Eastes

About two hours before daybreak, Dan Straughan slowly drives under the freeway overpass as two outreach workers shine flashlights into perhaps one of the darkest corners of Oklahoma City.

Their beams reflect on scattered trash, a backpack and what appears to be a tan blanket concealing something or someone.

Straughan circles his car back and into a nearby parking lot. As executive director of the Homeless Alliance, Straughan and a team of four outreach workers reach into the trunk for bags containing knit hats, socks, blankets and handwarmers. Holding a clipboard in his hands, he guides the team to the overpass, where they began the steep upward climb.

“Outreach workers,” Straughan annouonces. “We are from the city. Can we talk to you?”

A man responds by pulling back the tanned camouflaged blanket to reveal his face. Speaking over the sound of earlymorning traffic, he introduces himself as Leo and agrees to take a survey.

After asking routine questions about age and gender, Straughan asks if this is Leo’s first time experiencing homelessness.

The former Oklahoma Army National Guard serviceman closes his eyes and nods as his body rests against a thin mattress on the stone concrete.

As the two-page survey ends, the outreach workers pass Leo a hat, handwarmers and a pair of socks. He responds, “God bless you.”

What is the count?

Interactions between local residents like Leo and volunteers were common during the early morning hours of Jan. 26. Eleven outreach teams hit Oklahoma City’s streets, 6

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bridges, abandoned buildings and large fields for the city’s annual Point-In-Time count. Designed to give government agencies and nonprofits a snapshot of local homeless populations, the data guides services in the years to come.

Oklahoma City joined cities across the state and nation participating in the PointIn-Time count, which is required for receiving federal funds through U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance grants.

The local count, organized by the City of Oklahoma City, began at 4 a.m. as volunteers surveyed the unsheltered. Throughout the day, volunteers visited meal sites offered by organizations and churches as they collected data from those who slept on streets, in motels or on couches. Local shelters also provided information.

Volunteers then enter the data, which is also compiled into an annual report, into an online database later accessed by nonprofits and outreach programs.

According to statistics from the 2016 Point-In-Time study, more than 1,500 homeless individuals in Oklahoma City participated in the Jan. 28, 2016 report. A majority of them spent the night in shelters or transitional housing. Additionally, 20 percent “were found sleeping outside in a place not fit for human habitation.”

This data is key to ending homelessness, said Straughan, who also is executive director of the nonprofit Homeless Alliance. In addition to applying for federal grants, the study guides local organizations in their work on issues related to homelessness. For example, Homeless Alliance earned Home Funds from HUD, which helped build WestTown Apartments for veterans and

medically vulnerable homeless, which was a population identified through past counts.

“It tells us who the homeless are,” Straughan said. “Back in the 1980s and into the 1990s, a majority of the homeless population was single adult males. We built a system to take care of those folks and we have shelters that are standing today built to care for men alone. As time progressed, we began seeing more women, more families and people experiencing homelessness short-term. Also, homelessness was not always related to issues around poverty, but mental illness and substance abuse.”

Point-In-Time compiles data on the number of displaced veterans, families and youths, in addition to those living with disabilities, mental illness or HIV and AIDS. Jerod Shadid, a city community development division planner, said local agencies have made major strides in housing people and streamlining the process to end homelessness.

These days, a critical resource for anyone experiencing homelessness or nearhomelessness is the WestTown Homeless Resource Campus at NW Fourth Street and N. Virginia Avenue, built in 2011. Workers representing a variety of nonprofits assist veterans, families, youth and clients facing mental illness and chronic homelessness through programs established through grant funding.

Since 2012, more than 700 people have been housed because of the services and programs offered through the center, Straughan said.

Predictions

When Oklahoma City police and Homeless Alliance officials began tracking homeless camps and gathering spots in preparation for the count, they noticed more pinpoints on the map than the year before. For some, like Straughan, it was a sign to expect a higher count for 2017.

“There are a couple of things at work,” Straughan explained. “One is our collective failure to invest appropriately in mental health and substance abuse treatment. The other, for Oklahoma City, is the increase in the cost of rent and freezing housing choice

vouchers [that subsidize rent for low-income individuals and families].”

A downturn in the state’s economy also left many Oklahomans jobless or earning less, which creates a greater demand for the vouchers, he said.

“It’s not so much that the economy is in a tailspin and more people are becoming homeless,” Straughan said. “Its that we are not able to get folks who are homeless housed as quickly.”

While there might be more camps, there are fewer people in the camps, Shadid said.

He recalls visiting camps five years ago that included dozens of tents and people asleep in sleeping bags nearby. Outreach workers could collect dozens of surveys in a single location.

“Everywhere we went the camps were large,” Shadid said. “You didn’t find one person — you found at least someone in every single tent.”

Shadid believes many living in the larger camps have been housed.

Job injury

When an outreach worker asked Vincent Jameson where he slept the night before, he responded: the streets.

It’s been his answer for the past year, shortly after an injury on the job. Jameson said he fell when carrying a lawnmower, causing an injury that required shoulder surgery and a steel plate in his upper arm.

No manual labor for six months put him out of work and a home.

“The streets are not very nice,” said Jameson, who spent the majority of his career as a pressman working on newspaper presses in Oklahoma, Nevada, New York and North Carolina. “People take advantage and you don’t know who you can trust.”

It was a lesson learned the hard way by Jameson, who trusted a woman who later stole from him, including his wallet with his ID and social security card.

“It’s kind of like being a nonperson,” Jameson said as he explained why employers won’t hire him without a valid identification card.

“Don’t take anything for granted,” he said.

At the WestTown campus day shelter, which became his second home, Jameson received the help he needed to apply for another copy of his birth certificate. With a smile, Jameson said the certificate arrived this week. After a visit to the social security office, he will apply for jobs, get back to work and back into housing.

Help is out there

Back on the streets, Straughan and team 11 wrap up a final survey with Shawn, an Oklahoma City resident who has been homeless for three years and panhandles for income.

After it’s complete, Straughan asks another question: Have you visited the WestTown campus? Shawn nods, but says its been over a year.

“When you come back, ask an advocate for you to be assessed,” Straughan advises.

“You are chronic homeless — you qualify for services that you didn’t qualify for a year ago.”

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election

NEWS

Election: Ward 4

Four candidates compete for high-profile Oklahoma City Council Ward 4 seat.

By Laura Eastes

The competition for the Oklahoma City Council Ward 4 seat is generating the most attention and it could be an interesting race after four people filed papers and all have the potential to be factors when voters head to the polls Feb. 14. If no one garners more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers advance to an April runoff.

Ward 4 candidates are Richard Morrissette, Todd Stone, Walter Kula and Doris Mangiaracina Benbrook. Current Ward 4 councilman Pete White is retiring.

The Ward spans southeast Oklahoma City, east of Moore and south of Midwest City.

attended Oklahoma City Police Department’s town hall meeting at U.S. Grant High School, where Hispanic community members shared their fears of deportation under President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The city needs to be their friend,” Kula said. “Hispanic residents of the ward feel that they can’t call the police when a crime is occurring. As residents of the area, Oklahoma City police will work the issue.”

In the rural areas, Kula supports efforts to improve roads, public safety and the overall quality of life.

“We want city government to provide us all that we need, good roads, fire, police and EMTs,” Kula said. “We want it done good and done right. We need a law enforcement presents out here. We need proper fire response times. We need EMT drivers and technicians that are really good. That’s what we care about in this area.”

quires funding. As Oklahoma City lags in sales tax, which is the primary source of revenue for the city’s general fund, she would like to see the city continue to direct its efforts to spur economic development.

“We need to bring more taxable businesses within the city limits,” said Mangiaracina Benbrook, who serves as a professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. “Most of the people who work at the health sciences center live in Edmond or Moore. They spend all their money in the suburbs rather than the city.

If we had convenient grocery stores around areas of high employment, people could stop and shop.”

An increase in sales tax collection would benefit the city’s general fund. As a council member, Mangiaracina Benbrook would advocate for plugging the new funding into projects to build a stronger Oklahoma City and further attract more people to move into the city limits. She supports the city’s general obligation (GO) bonds program, which is expected to go to a public vote this year.

“In the long run, I believe this is one of the best ways to develop our infrastructure,” Mangiaracina Benbrook said. “The interest rates on the bonds is very low. … It is an instrument and any instrument can be used wisely or poorly. I think GO bonds can be used wisely to improve city infrastructure and I am supportive.”

In Ward 4, she would like to see GO bonds fund street improvements, sidewalks, bus stop shelters and drainage projects. She advocates for rural areas of Ward 4 to benefit from GO bond projects. Often, rural residents are asked to foot the bill on road and draining projects.

“It can be harder to justify spending money in an area that will impact fewer people, but I think those issues need to be looked at seriously,” she said.

Walter Kula | Photo provided

Walter Kula

Kula has served on Oklahoma City’s Traffic and Transportation Commission for the past eight years. His role, as he sees it, is to listen to the people, hear from city staff, discuss among other commissioners and make the best decision. Such experience, along with a career in the U.S. Air Force, is what Kula brings to the Ward 4 race.

“We need to listen to the people, behold their issues and do what’s right for Ward 4 and the rest of the city,” Kula said.

If elected, Kula wants the people of Ward 4 to come to him with any issues. He referenced working to resolve a missing streetlight on Choctaw Road. During a widening project, the streetlight was removed, and had not been replaced months later. After a constituent contacted him, Kula learned no work request was placed replace the light. Following a few phone calls, it was replaced, he said.

“You would call me,” Kula said. “I would get a hold of the right person.”

Like other Ward 4 candidates, Kula noted the public desire for more emphasis on public safety when it comes to crime. Recently, Kula 8

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Doris Mangiaracina Benbrook | Photo Provided

Doris Mangiaracina Benbrook

As a candidate for the Ward 4 seat, Mangiaracina Benbrook meets with neighborhood and community leaders through out the southwestern quadrant of Oklahoma City over the past month. In the ward’s urban areas, constituents share about safety concerns and long response times from police.

Similarly, in the rural areas, constituents discuss a lack of police presents.

“I attended [the] Coffee with a Cop [event] and I asked, ‘Do you have enough resources to cover the area?’” Mangiaracina Benbrook said. “Through resources and grants, we gained officers, but the help is only temporary.”

Mangiaracina Benbrook wants Ward 4 adequately staffed, and she knows that re-

Richard Morrissette | Photo provided

Richard Morrissette

After serving 12 years as a state house representative, Morrissette seeks the Ward 4 council seat. Morrissette lists his campaign issues as economic growth, public safety and infrastructure, government efficiency, education, quality of live and vision for the future on his campaign website.

Morrissette did not reply to Oklahoma Gazette’s interview requests by press time.

Todd Stone | Photo provided

Todd Stone

As a homebuilder, Stone developed an appreciation for neighborhoods early on. Now, as a council candidate, Stone believes the city must strive to have strong neighborhoods with smart investments into those communities.

“For me, a safe neighborhood is a good neighborhood and it helps build stronger families,” Stone said. “If you are afraid to send your kids out the front door to play, it’s hard to have a robust neighborhood. I would like to see police and fire staffing get where it needs to be.”

If elected, Stone would work to increase staffing for both police and fire departments.

On the campaign trail, he hears constituent concerns about response times and the overall safety of their areas.

He believes strong local schools are the foundation for sustaining neighborhoods.

While the council is limited in its influence to public education, Stone wants to develop ways for city government to help education.

“We talk a lot about infrastructure needs and investing in infrastructure,” Stone said.

“When you drive by a school, you see there is a lack of sidewalks.”

He is a fiscal conservative that believes in developing long-term plans to fund the city’s large expenses and supports efforts to reexamine city policy for collecting revenues. With long-term planning, Stone believes the city could become less reliant on general obligation bonds for funding infrastructure and renovation projects.

Specific projects could be funded through city revenue and completed in a shorter timeframe.

The new Ward 4 councilmember will oversee the completion of MAPS 3 projects and participate in the development of another MAPS program, which is a multiyear, municipal capital improvement project funded by sales tax revenue.

“I think MAPS has been great for the city,” Stone said. “Growing up in Oklahoma City in the 1970s, I remember how desolate downtown Oklahoma City was. If you look at the progress we’ve made it is simply amazing. … What I think is very important is … ensuring those MAPS 3 projects that are already underway are completed on time, on budget and with quality.”

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NEWS

Common voice

The Photovoice project tells a visual story about northeast Oklahoma City though the eyes and lenses of 25 women. By Laura Eastes

It’s a familiar image to anyone who has ever traveled across Oklahoma City’s NE 23rd Street. A photo of Florence’s Restaurant’s entrance at 1437 NE 23rd St. captures the front end of a customer’s car and the redand-white barber pole of the neighboring businesses. Tiffani Sanders’ image serves as a testament to the resilience of a community plagued by persistent patterns of economic distress.

“I wanted to focus on the longevity of the eastside that had survived the ups and downs,” Sanders said. “I started at Florence Restaurant, which is one of the longestrunning black-owned business on NE 23rd.

It’s a staple of the community.”

Sanders takes a deep look into her work, and reflects on the well-known restaurant’s strength, but can’t ignore the decay that has taken place around it over the years. Once thriving businesses and healthy enterprises that represented the fabric of the community, now rest as faded and crumbling ruins.

“People up and left the eastside for a better area, instead of putting back to create better,” she said as she examined her image of an abandoned theater, known as the hot spot for the generations before her. The venue’s closing left a hole in the community for enjoyable and safe entertainment, influencing the culture of the neighborhood.

“It felt like we fade away,” she said.

Sanders is one of 25 northeast Oklahoma City women who used photography to tell the stories of their neighborhoods by archiving history, cataloguing troublesome conditions and documenting opportunities for change. The Women of Northeast Oklahoma City Photovoice Project brought women of all ages, income levels and profes-

sions together to share their lived experience in the city’s northeast quadrant, an area that today and in the past has been home to the city’s largest African-American communities. Northeast Oklahoma City has a rich and diverse history. However, the area also has suffered from decades of economic isolation, which made way for blight, high crime and unfavorable environmental conditions.

The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture, the OU Humanities Forum, the African and African American Studies program and the Women’s and Gender Studies program supported the project.

Photovoice is a creative method for empowering people to document their community’s needs and resources from their own experiences, explained John Harris, a College of Architecture assistant professor.

By producing a Photovoice project and sharing it with a wider audience, Sanders and the others become advocates for change in their communities.

“Everything these women and their photographs embodies speaks to much more than abandoned buildings and a forgotten community,” Harris said.

Influence

The notion of a Photovoice project for the northeast side first took root in Lusaka, Zambia, a city of more than 2 million people in southern Africa. While leading a servicelearning trip, Harris noted the role of neglected houses and crumbling commercial buildings on Lusaka residents and it reminded him of northeast Oklahoma City.

It further developed upon the 2014 arrest of an OKC police officer accused of a series of sexual assaults, targeting more than a

dozen African-American women from the city’s northeast neighborhoods. A year ago, Daniel Holzclaw — fired by the police department — was sentenced to 263 years in prison after he was convicted of rape and other charges. During the trial, a victim testified that Holzclaw drove her to an abandoned school and raped her.

Harris and cofacilitators Vanessa Morrison and Gina Sofola asked: Did abandoned buildings and withering properties play a part in an officer’s ability to victimize women in northeast Oklahoma City?

“It caused us to want to take a look at northeast Oklahoma City,” Harris said.

“What do women see in their day-to-day life? We wanted to tell the truth to policy makers and for them to see what’s going on.”

Reflection

Before the 25 women began snapping shots, co-facilitators Morrison and Sofola asked them to identify life-giving community spaces and those that weren’t.

“It was interesting that the park was life giving, but also a concern,” said participant Cheryl Pennington about Washington Park, located at the intersection of NE Fourth Street and High Avenue near the John F. Kennedy neighborhood. “Washington Park is beautiful, but then you realize there is no walking trail, no security and no lighting. It was both.”

Similar conversations emerged with Lincoln Park at 4712 N. Martin Luther King Ave. Compliments were plentiful over neighboring city facilities like the Lincoln Park Golf Course and Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden; however, the park lacks lighting and left them feeling unsafe.

“The Photovoice method is designed to do this,” Harris said. “It gives each individual woman the chance to say, ‘These are my concerns,’ tell them to the group and start a really important group dialogue. As you go around the exhibit, you will see these placards. In many instances, it is verbatim or paraphrased of the discussion. Each individual gets their chance, but the collective knowledge is very important.”

Tiffani Sanders talks about her photography with the Northeast Oklahoma City Photovoice Project as Vanessa Morrison and Cheryl Pennington look on at City Hall in downtown Oklahoma City. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

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As the women canvassed the community, they zoomed in on aspects of their neighborhoods that negatively impacted their safety as well as captured the positive.

Next, the group reflected on the images.

In October, Women of Northeast Oklahoma City Photovoice Project debuted at OU College of Architecture Design Center on Film Row. An audience comprised Oklahoma City Council and law enforcement members and nonprofit leaders and developers studied the images and listened as participants told their stories. The exhibit achieved its first goal of enticing dialogue between policy makers, earning the exhibit the second floor of City Hall in downtown Oklahoma City for two weeks in January.

Women of Northeast Oklahoma City Photovoice Project 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-midnight Sundays, 7 a.m.-midnight Mondays-Thursdays and 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

Fridays through March 31 University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library 1105 N. Stonewall Ave. 405-271-2285 Free

Pushing dialogue

As an employee in the City of Oklahoma City’s Action Center, Sanders saw the crowds during the exhibit’s first week in City Hall.

“It sparked a change within a department,” Sanders said as she described code enforcement officials noting broken glass shards from vacant buildings and overgrown shrubs on unkempt properties.

Powerful photos of broken glass and litter on the grounds of Northeast Academy for Health Sciences & Engineering Enterprise School, located at the corner of N. Kelly Avenue and NE 30th Street, prompted community members to organize a cleanup event, which drew a crowd of 100 people to campus to collect trash and beatify the school grounds, Pennington said.

“There is a perception that people don’t care,” Sofola said. “People do care. They didn’t feel empowered to take a step.”

The dialogue continues as the exhibit earned participants and the facilitators a meeting last week with Ward 7 Councilman John Pettis Jr., who represents the area, and Michael Owens, The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City community development director.

As participants and facilitators pointed out, northeast OKC residents have played an important role in the city’s advancement and the project has inspired dialogue and action on issues of safety, environment, beautification and quality of life in the northeast quadrant. Also, it has given rise to hope.

“I want to see people move back to the community,” Pennington said as the others nodded. “I want to see families chose the eastside for raising their families. I want to see the schools grow and community beautification.”

letters

NEWS ful to the women who came before.

It grudgingly acknowledges that there have been great strides in a very half-hearted way and then proceeds to find and play any stat that might suggest that there really haven’t been — and all for what? Because Hillary won’t be president?

Really?! I’m not a giant fan of “grab ’em by the…” Trump either, but anyone who can be this upset over her loss doesn’t live in reality.

Doug Rixmann Newalla

Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to jchancellor@okgazette.com or sent online at okgazette.com.

Include a city of residence and contact number for verification.

Deadly game

Climate scientists and population biologists assert that humanity is on track, because of inaction to reverse global warming, to heat the atmosphere such that, within 200 years or so, human population will be reduced by half — a decline of 3.5 billion people, or more.

Most Republicans claiming there is no connection between global warming and burning fossil fuels say they are “pro-life on abortion because life is precious.” They support production of coal, oil and gas, full speed ahead, dismissing science heeded by 196 nations signing the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Yet they vote to prohibit women’s right to choose because abortion kills. Who will explain this inconsistency to them?

Nathaniel Batchelder Oklahoma City

Electing prejudice

Forget peaceful resistance?

Here’s a classic what-if: Donald Trump won 3,000,000 more popular votes than Hillary Clinton but she won the White House via the Electoral College.

Might there have been AK-47s in the street? Might the gun factories be working around the clock to meet the demands?

The U.S. Constitution would be precisely followed but chaos would likely rule.

Forget peaceful resistance like the Women’s March on Washington.

Rutherford Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, George W. Bush and Trump are the only presidents who lost the popular votes but won the electoral college.

They also share or shared the common trait of gross incompetence.

Chances are strong that these four will be ranked by historians among the nation’s 10 worst presidents.

Frank Silovsky Oklahoma City

Single issue

My mother was, for the most part, a single parent, probably one of, if not the best, paralegals, and yes, she got paid about half what she was truly worth. That was 1980.

She’s probably rolling over in her grave reading “The State of Women” (News, “Rising barriers,” Laura Eastes, Dec. 28, Oklahoma Gazette).

It reads like a “Well, what are you doing for me now?” and “Well, we’re struggling, too!” mantra that is really quite disrespect-

Thank for printing “What Have We Done” (Opinion, Commentary, by Robin Meyers, Nov. 16, Gazette).

The writer says succinctly and eloquently what many of us believe is the profound and frightening truth of the confused, if not reprobate, condition of much of American Christendom.

I do not believe it is going too far to claim that the election of Trump is God’s judgment of the U.S. We have allowed personal preference and prejudice to trump truth and love.

Our judgement is: We get what we have chosen.

Patrick Barker Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Perilous parking

Owning a car in Oklahoma City is both a necessity and a chore. Oklahoma City roads are not the best, and parking often causes headaches. A lot of the time, there are too many cars and not enough spots. But every once in a while, something happens and citizen drivers come out ahead — or at least not behind.

Downtown OKC resident Patrick McKenzie recently walked into the parking lot in which he has been parking his car for years and found he was unable to leave because a boot had been placed on his tire.

McKenzie told KFOR.com that his automated payments for his parking space in the American Parking lot were stopped when he changed banks recently.

In any case, he did some research and found that American Parking had violated a five-year-old city ordinance that makes it illegal for anyone besides the government to place a boot on a vehicle.

“Even if you’re operating a private lot, you cannot boot vehicles. People have the right to come back out and leave if they want to,” Oklahoma City Police Captain Paco Balderrama told KFOR.com.

Balderrama also said illegally booting a car is a misdemeanor offense.

Though McKenzie had the law on his side, representatives of American Parking didn’t really want to hear it.

“I was out here with the car, talking to somebody in their office, and they were just very smug about it,” McKenzie told KFOR.com.

“They didn’t really seem to care. They just really wanted their money.”

We at Chicken-Fried News think they might care soon since KFOR.com reported that McKenzie’s lawyers are looking into filing a class-action lawsuit.

Also, this is a good chance to remind students that doing their homework will often work out in their favor.

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Capitol intrigue

Okay, who rubbed the genie’s lamp and wished for Oklahoma to be more like The Da Vinci Code?

Because there something is going on at the State Capitol.

Workers have uncovered some strange markings and hidden rooms during renovations on the 1917 building.

The Oklahoma State Capitol is in the midst of a $245 million renovation project that is scheduled for completion in 2022.

In the meantime, however, Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services workers are finding some oddities in the 452,000 square foot building.

There are basement-level, metal-framed windows that were covered up with paint before being covered by walls.

Project manager Trait Thompson said he thinks the walls were origina l because they were made with metal, to protect the Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., in case of attack.

Are the eight stone chimeras atop the building a l s o there to ward away danger?

If so, maybe the initials C.W., found carved into two of the limestone versions

of Greek mythological creatures, is part of a magical spell to preserve the building.

More mysteries are sure to be uncovered as the project continues, so we at C h ic ken-F r ie d News will keep our fingers crossed for a Nicholas Cage-Tom Hanks team-up to find the real meaning of Oklahoma’s State Capitol weirdness.

Who knows?

Maybe they can lift the curse that keeps making lawmakers advance transgender bathroom bills and sexually harass staff members.

Wall gall

Oklahoma Citians love their mural news.

Whether its controversy over the worthiness of public art not firmly rooted in the state’s cultural history, buzz about a new Thunder player tribute or controversial political statements made along the city’s busiest streets, the latest street art gossip always finds a way to drive the local conversation.

The latest mural outrage is no red herring — or is it?

The local arts community recently stood slack-jawed in the face of the surpris-

ing news that a popular piece

by Bob Palmer, Oklahoma City’s godfather of muralists, on N. Western Avenue was unexpectedly painted over in firehydrant red.

NonDoc.com broke the story that quickly went viral on social media.

The mural, often s e en b y t ho s e pumping gas next door at the 7-Eleven near The Wedge Pizzeria and Horace Mann Elementary School, used to rest on the side of a building presently occupied by Alotta Action Advertising.

It was a pleasant, vintage-styled image of children enjoying a day of swimming and fun at the lake.

It wasn’t just shock from the mural’s sudden cover-up, but the frank quote the business owner gave NonDoc that really turned the community sour.

“That mural was ugly, and we are going to put a new mural on it,” owner Jen Hutchings told the website. “If you have any issues with it, you can contact my landlord, Rex Baker. Otherwise I don’t need to be bothered with this.”

Such a quote shows either disrespect or ignorance of Palmer’s legacy in the arts.

Palmer has been a muralist for more than 20 years and has dozens of public works on display across the state and

globe. His most known local work may be the Bricktown Santa Fe Railway train found near the intersection of N. E.K. Gaylord Boulevard and Robert S. Kerr Avenue.

Even if Hutchings found the mural ugly, Palmer has earned much more delicate and respectful care.

The artist told NonDoc that seeing his mural painted over for the first time felt like “being kicked in the stomach.”

Hutchings later apologized for her poor word choice in a statement to the media, and said she plans on contacting local high-school art clubs to create a new mural in the old one’s wake.

It is truly sad that Palmer’s work received such cold treatment, but if there is a bright side to the story, it is the overwhelming support OKC has poured out for the artist.

In an era when murals are becoming more commonplace in the city, it’s touching to see the city still has a great deal of respect for its public-art pioneers.

No. 4: Oklahoma has the second highest incarceration rate in the country.

No. 5: Women comprise 12.8 percent of Oklahoma legislators.

We think the points been made. Now, let’s hear from marcher Jasmine Johnson, “I think that it’s been too long for us to still be seen as an inferior race. I think that, with a lot that’s been happening, our rights are in jeopardy,” she told KFOR. com.

Strong statements were made by the Oklahoma marchers, who earned national coverage through the New York Times and PBS. March on, Oklahoma.

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No. 2: There is a wage gap in Oklahoma,

No. 3: Oklahoma lawmakers assault women’s health and reproductive rights by proposing unconstitutional bills.

After a brutal election cycle that left many women feeling demeaned and disrespected, a collective group of strong women leaders from around the country banned together to plan a march.

Not a march against the newly elected president, but a nonpartisan march aimed

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No.1: Oklahoma ranks fourth in the nation for women killed by men.

women are paid 76 cents for every dollar paid to men.

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at advancing a women-friendly policy agenda, like expanding family leave, ending racial profiling, and maintaining or broadening access to women’s health.

While some might think Oklahoma is too red for a women-friendly policy agenda to ever find a crowd, it did.

In fact, it found a massive audience.

KFOR.com reported “roughly 12,000 people” participated in the Women’s March on Oklahoma at the state Capitol.

We at Chicken-Fried News have volunteered to run through the reasons for the enormous turnout in the name of equality.

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EAT & DRINK is eating well themselves.”

Red Prime might not be considered health food per se, but the menu is full of real foods prepared in-house by the restaurant’s chefs. If you want to eat like a champion, Dampeer suggests starting off with fried green tomatoes.

“Every time I go, I get the RP’s Tomatoes,” she said. “I think they are the perfect way to start the meal. The tamales are incredible, authentic flavors — so delicious. And I love the beef carpaccio. I could do that all evening.”

But a visit to Red Prime isn’t complete without a steak, which Dampeer describes as “killer.”

“My favorite side is the black truffle risotto with marrow butter,” she said. “I mean — stop it. Just perfection.”

f eat u re

Kicking it

Pro(tien) athletes

OKC Energy FC goalkeeper Cody Laurendi from left discusses nutrition with chef Angelo Cipollone at Coolgreens. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Oklahoma City’s best athletes spend most meals eating to perform, but a few local restaurants are worth a cheat day. By Greg Elwell

The red dirt of Oklahoma is a famously rich soil for growing two things: food and athletes. It’s often considered a land of farmers and ranchers who nurture ripe tomatoes, sweet corn and livestock to feed the state’s residents. But the state’s athletic history is just as fertile.

Jim Thorpe, born near Prague, is considered by many to be the world’s greatest “pure” athlete, winning the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1908 Olympics and playing professional football in what would later become the National Football League.

Spavinaw-born Mickey Mantle became a Major League Baseball legend. Edmond native Shannon Miller won five gymnastics medals at the 1992 Olympics and finished her career in 1996 with two golds.

But as Oklahoma City has grown to include its own professional teams, the state also now imports some exceptional athletes who are almost as hungry for a good meal as they are for winning.

Steak strokes

Reilly Dampeer grew up playing soccer in Boston, Massachusetts, but when it came time to go to college, she found herself surrounded by some pretty serious competition.

“I went to Santa Clara University [in California],” she said. “I could either have been a ball girl for the soccer team or try something new.”

Rather than sit on the sidelines, she decided to get in the water.

“I saw the sign up for the rowing team and, man, that has changed my life,” Dampeer said. “I tried out as a freshman and never looked back.”

Dampeer is head coach and high performance program manager at Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation, working with USRowing to train future generations of Olympic rowers.

Rowing is not a sport many people grow up with, so when Dampeer found herself on Santa Clara’s novice rowing squad, she was surrounded by other newcomers.

“I was just trying out a sport with a lot of other people trying it out. I gave it a whirl and fell in love with it,” she said.

Her enthusiasm took her from Division I competition at Santa Clara to a spot on the U.S. National Team as part of the Pan American Games in 2007 where she rowed in the Women’s Single finals. Now she’s passing that passion on to Olympic hopefuls from across the country and novices in Oklahoma City.

“I prepare athletes for national teams and international racing. Hopefully I’ll help them get to the podium, long-term,” she said.

Preparation involves time in the water using the Boathouse Foundation facility’s video review equipment to record practice strokes in the indoor flow tank and the

Olympic lifting facility to make sure their form is correct. It also requires nutrition, which is provided through a partnership with Mercy Hospital.

“Rowing is a high-volume sport, so it requires a lot of energy and a lot of calories to burn,” Dampeer said. “Nutrition is really important, so the athletes have to get in enough calories so they can get through all the training they need to to perform.”

Mercy provides six meals a week for athletes training at the boathouse, she said.

Having meals delivered is crucial, because timing is everything in high-level training.

“They must eat right after they work out to get the stores back up,” Dampeer said.

The ideal meals for the athletes she works with include a mix of proteins and carbohydrates with nutrient-dense foods, she said.

“A balanced meal usually consists of chicken, fish or turkey, broiled generally, and a big pile of vegetables — whatever’s in season,” she said. “Then there’s a starch, like potatoes, to fill us up.”

When she’s not eating at the boathouse, Dampeer’s favorite spot is Red PrimeSteak, 504 N. Broadway Ave. “It’s a great place, but for athletes maybe not,” she said. “It’s out of a typical budget for rowers.”

The prime steakhouse, part of A Good Egg Dining Group, is Dampeer’s go-to when she hosts visitors from out of town.

“When my friends come to Oklahoma City, I take them to Red Prime. It’s fantastic,” she said. “I’m still working my way through the menu, but I want to try it all out. It’s all been unbelievable.”

Though she’s no longer competing, Dampeer takes her own health seriously.

“It’s important for anybody working with high-level athletes to show that they’re personally invested,” she said. “That means getting sleep and staying healthy. It’s easier to trust a coach on what to eat if that coach

A decade in professional soccer taught Cody Laurendi that eating right is key to staying in the game.

“I reflect and see what I can do better,” he said. “From last year to this year, getting the food on track has been huge.”

Laurendi is a second-year goalkeeper for Oklahoma City Energy Football Club.

Though he’s still getting used to life in the Sooner State, he’s already a fan.

“I love it,” he said. “I came here from Austin [Texas] and I loved my lifestyle there, so I was a bit skeptical about moving to Oklahoma City.”

After spending a little time here, Laurendi said the city is head and shoulders above anywhere else he’s played.

Much like Dampeer’s Olympic rowing hopefuls, it takes a lot of food to keep Laurendi performing at peak physical condition. That’s how he started working with Coolgreens, 6475 Avondale Drive.

“I developed a relationship with Angelo Cipollone and he and I have come up with a meal plan,” Laurendi said. “They prepare my meals daily. I can’t speak highly enough about them.”

He goes into the restaurant MondayFriday to pick up lunch and dinner.

“I’ve always been into cooking and food benefits, but since my schedule has gotten more and more busy, I rely on Coolgreens,” he said. “I’m about to start preseason training, so I’m in the gym until about 11 a.m. and then I’m heading back to work on goalkeeper skills.”

Cipollone keeps him energetic with healthy, tasty food that fills Laurendi’s caloric needs.

“Everything is fresh. It’s a perfect marriage for the food I need for my performance and it’s affordable,” he said. “That mix is a perfect storm.”

But the 6-foot-3, 225 athlete sometimes gets a hankering for his cheat spot, Bedlam BBQ, 610 NE 50th St. “That’s my go-to,” Laurendi said. “I get a sweet potato with butter and cinnamon and some good brisket.”

He’s also become a fan of Oklahoma City’s Guatemalan restaurants, which appeal, oddly enough, to his Italian heritage.

“The type of food they make, there’s an continued on page 17

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EAT & DRINK f eat u re

continued from page 15

underlying family aspect to it,” he said. “I’m Italian and that’s a big staple of our culture.”

His favorite spots are Cafe Kacao, 3325 N. Classen Blvd., and Cafe Antigua, 1903 N. Classen Blvd.

“It’s prepared with love,” Laurendi said.

“It’s cliched I know, but that’s a big factor in why I love it.”

Ballpark bites

Oklahoma City Dodgers outfielder O’Koyea Dickson began playing professionally seven years ago and the food just keeps getting better.

Though he grew up in the culinary hotspot of San Francisco, he’s come to love Oklahoma after spending the 2015 and 2016 seasons playing in Bricktown. Part of that comes down to the organization’s commitment to players’ health.

The Dodgers feed players twice a day, both lunch and dinner, with organic meals.

“It’s huge,” Dickson said. “Having the right energy to go out and compete is big.

They make sure we’re in the best shape and we’re putting the best food in our bodies to keep us as strong as possible.”

Baseball might not be considered an endurance sport, but when the game goes into extra innings and his teammates are staring at a fourth hour on the field, it is definitely taxing.

The Dodgers generally eat proteins including salmon, chicken, lean brisket and healthy meatballs along with a diet heavy on fresh vegetables.

But while the menu at the ballpark is set by the team, Dickson likes to dabble in dining out, as well.

Since breakfast is the meal the team doesn’t provide, that’s when he visits one of his favorites spots in the metro: Kitchen No. 324, 324 N. Robinson Ave. “I go there a lot,” he said. “Breakfast is usually poached eggs, bacon, maybe some oatmeal with fresh berries.”

It’s hard to resist Kitchen’s decadent pastry case and Hollandaise-splashed breakfasts, but Dickson said he tries to keep it as healthy as possible.

After a long game, however, he’s more likely to let his hair down at a couple of spots near Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

“One or two restaurants I go to are Bricktown Brewery and, of course, Mickey Mantle’s [Steakhouse],” he said.

Whether it’s an homage to the Oklahoma great or just a love affair with fine dining, Mickey Mantle’s, 7 Mickey Mantle Drive, is a must when Dickson’s friends are in town. With a meal like that, he must have a lot of people who want to be his friend.

When she’s not helping train rowers, Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation head coach Reilly Dampeer likes to treat herself to Red PrimeSteak. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

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Going out every night of the week sounds fun until you actually do it. It’s a way of life for Postmates driver Chris Jackson.

Postmates and OrderUp restaurant delivery services arrived in Oklahoma City in 2015. Jackson was quick to sign up when Postmates arrived in the city.

“I have been an IT (information technology) guy for like 20 years; I’ve worked for different people all over the city,” he said. “When this new product came here, I thought I could use it to fill in the gaps when I’m not busy, so I signed up to do it.”

A few months later, when he lost his IT job, Jackson was glad to have the added income. It also inspired him to strike out on his own.

“Postmates turned into more of a fulltime job,” he said. “I decided to branch out on my own and do IT consulting.”

It’s a lot of work — Jackson said he often put in about 70 hours a week between his jobs — but delivery driving has been lucrative and freeing.

“You get to do what you want to do.

Today, I spent some time grocery shopping during the day because my wife was hunting for an ingredient for something she’s cooking,” he said. “I can do Postmates at the same time and make some money.”

Delivering Oklahoma

Tulsa native Blake Cantrell was in Boulder, Colorado, with his future wife when he first encountered OrderUp. “It was late 2011, and I thought there really wasn’t anything comparable to a multi-restaurant delivery service like this in Norman or the metro,” he said.

When they were getting ready to move

I once got an order for toilet paper and the guy texted me saying, ‘Leave it on the doorstep.’

Chris Jackson back to Oklahoma, Cantrell bought the franchise rights for Norman, Oklahoma City and Stillwater. He launched Norman’s service first in 2015, and Oklahoma City followed later that year.

Stillwater’s OrderUp started service in 2016.

“One thing unique about OrderUp is we combine the big company model and

from left Local OrderUp general manager Cameron Davis and owner Blake Cantrell still make deliveries when demand is high. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

franchises,” he said. “So you get great the tech and customer support a larger national company provides with real-time driver tracking and a really great app.”

But because he’s a local franchise owner, he can be close to the ground with marketing efforts to help drum up business for local restaurants.

Being based in Oklahoma City is also helpful when signing up restaurants, Cantrell said. Some restaurants approach OrderUp through its website, but he visits with many of them personally to explain the benefits of the system.

OrderUp has about 100 drivers between the three markets and uses an algorithm to pair delivery drivers with restaurants.

“The dispatching system operates off an algorithm, so if we’ve just opened, the driver closest to the restaurant gets the dispatch,” Cantrell said. “If it’s busy, the first available driver will be given the order that’s ready first.”

Anticipating needs

Postmates has a similar system, Jackson said. After making more than 4,400 deliveries for the company, he has developed a routine to maximize efficiency.

“You never know what you’re going to get. I have a little route that changes throughout the day,” he said. “A lot of Postmates sit in one spot, but I move around. One restaurant can be hot one night and dead another.”

Friday nights, he delivers a lot of Italian food from Upper Crust and Johnny Carino’s. Sunday afternoons are

big on Asian restaurants. Sunday nights, he delivers more from Hideaway Pizza.

Postmates drivers deliver more than food, though.

“I haven’t delivered an Xbox, but I have delivered an Apple TV, a Chromecast, iPads, Apple Watches, video game orders, chargers from Best Buy,” he said. “It’s people who need something and they need it right then.”

Sometimes that includes personal items, like diapers and children’s cold medicine for parents who can’t get away from the house.

“I once got an order for toilet paper and the guy texted me saying, ‘Leave it on the doorstep,’” Jackson said.

Orders range from small — while talking to Oklahoma Gazette he saw an order pop up for two Twix bars, three packages of gummy peaches and two bags of white cheddar-flavored Smart Food popcorn — to upwards of $600.

“Mahogany [Prime Steakhouse] is always a big one. I’ve had a delivery for Meat Market Refectory for $300,” he said. “I probably get an order that big about once a week.”

It’s a nice way to make money, but delivering also fills a huge need, Jackson said.

Nurses and doctors are often unable to leave work, so when the cafeteria is closed, they rely on delivery services.

“I’m 44. When I grew up, if you got delivery, it was pizza or Chinese. Now, you can get anything,” he said. “Late night, after midnight on the weekends, people who have just left the bar might want Beverly’s [Pancake House], Taco Bell or Whataburger.

Now you can come home and get all that food and not risk getting a DUI.”

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Pay structure

Jackson said Postmates drivers are paid by the wait time at the restaurant and they get a per-mile fee for driving, but tips make a big difference.

“If you’re waiting for an hour and you’re driving a long way, you might make $18,” he said. “If people don’t tip, you don’t make a lot per hour.”

Postmates delivery fees start at $3.99 for in-network merchants. The company is rolling out a new monthly subscription service for $9.99 that gives subscribers unlimited free deliveries with a minimum $25 order. That service has not yet reached Oklahoma City.

Cantrell said OrderUp’s delivery prices are $3.99-$4.99 regardless of the order size or delivery distance, which gives them an edge in price.

“The ease of use is one of our benefits,” he said. “We’ve got a great app and a desktop site where you can see the entire menu right in front of you,” he said. “With this, you get specials offered all built into the menu in addition to real-time driver tracking.”

Delivery is a good business to be in right now, Jackson said. Though he’s still working on other avenues of income, he’ll keep delivering as long as there’s a demand for his services.

“And the demand has only grown,” he said.

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EAT & DRINK

GRANDSTAND

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GRANDRESORTOK.COM I-40 EXIT 178 | SHAWNEE, OK | 405-964-7263 20

F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Cultivating fans With the addition of chef Josh Valentine, Cultivar Mexican Kitchen is becoming Automobile Alley’s Mexican food hub. By Greg Elwell

else” line and you’ll be able to order tacos at the register.

Soft drinks can be ordered Cultivar Mexican Kitchen in those lines, but anyone in 714 N. Broadway Ave. the mood for something cultivarmexicankitchen.com | 405-610-2676 harder should head over to the bar.

What works: Big breakfast burritos and seasonal tacos are great eats, especially in After figuring out the patio weather. lines, the rest is easy. The menu is divided into tacos, What needs work: Some tacos are too seasonal tacos and a few other busy to enjoy the gourmet ingredients. items, including chips and queso ($7 small, $9 large) and Tip: Curbside to-go means commuters can still enjoy Cultivar for dinner with the family. free-range rotisserie chicken ($9 half, $16 whole).

The queso had a rocky start but has improved considerIf it had nothing else going for it, Cultivar ably since Cultivar opened. The restauMexican Kitchen would be a hit for the rant’s chips are cut from tortillas and patio alone. fried crisp and thick. The queso is ridicuEven in the depth of Oklahoma City’s lously smooth and creamy. Together, they winter, which 2016 taught us can be anyput most Mexican restaurants’ offerings where from snowy with temps below to shame. freezing to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the Pay attention to the seasonal tacos, as patio gives diners a look at an always-busy they’re the most apt to change. A few Automobile Alley. recent inclusions were the seasonal duck Think about how crazy the phrase “an confit taco ($7.75) and the seasonal fried always-busy Automobile Alley” would chicken taco ($4). The fried chicken taco, have sounded 15 years ago, before restauwhich will stick around for another week rants came to Ninth Street and Broadway or so, was by far my favorite.

Avenue and the area became a pedestrianThe flavor was closer to a Buffalo friendly zone dotted with bars and interchicken taco dressed with Valentina hot esting shops. Its growth has a lot to do with sauce, celery and blue cheese, and it was phenomenal. the reason Cultivar, 714 N. Broadway Ave., exists in Oklahoma City.

I can’t be positive, but the fried Once inside the restaurant, the first chicken taco definitely tasted like the challenge is understanding where to order. work of chef Josh Valentine, who had a Cultivar has two lines: one for tacos and similar appetizer made with pork at his another for everything else. Whichever late, great restaurant The Divine Swine. line you’re in, you end up at the same regThe duck confit taco came covered in ister. The thing to remember is that evchunks of roasted sweet potato, cranerything else includes burritos, bowls, berry sauce, cabbage slaw and celery seed salads and other make-your-own options aioli. It was a bit too much all at once, in which you get to choose from different jumbling flavors and losing the bold richingredients. ness of the meat. In my experience, Even seasoned veterans get a little Cultivar is at its best when it goes simple. turned around here. What if you want a burrito and a taco? Get in the “everything Seasonal fried chicken taco | Photo Garett Fisbeck

catalan chicken

lunch & dinner

6014 n. May 947.7788 | zorbasokc.coM

Breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, pico de gallo, refried black beans, rice and Jack cheese | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Beef barbacoa burrito bowl | Photo Garett Fisbeck

If you want to try the fried chicken taco, move quickly. President Gary Goldman said the spring seasonal taco menu is about to come online. The new lineup will include a Southern-fried chicken taco, a Korean pork belly taco and a pastrami taco.

Though it has become a popular lunch and dinner spot, Cultivar is really killing it at breakfast. Breakfast tacos range from simple egg, beans and cheese tacos for $2.50 to a meaty brisket taco for $4.

Breakfast burritos ($4.75) are just as big as the ones served at lunch and include eggs, rice, pico de gallo, beans and cheese.

It’s an extremely filling start to the day.

I like to boost the flavor and protein with the addition of carnitas or barbacoa meat for $2 more.

Tortillas are wonderful. I’ve never been one to eschew tortillas. But anyone looking to cut down on carbs and calories might look to Cultivar’s burrito bowls for lunch.

These aren’t diet dishes by any means.

Each one is a big heap of rice, beans and a choice of different fixings from the burrito bar all piled up into a delicious mound of filling Mexican goodness.

Cultivar’s motto is “farm to fire,” so there’s an emphasis on using freshly prepared organic ingredients, which can make choosing toppings a real chore. I found the sautéed peppers to be a great addition, giving the bowl a balance of

textures and a green, fresh flavor to complement some of the heavier elements.

Proteins are divided into three categories when choosing a bowl or burrito. The most expensive are the premium options: carne asada steak and rotisserie chicken.

Slightly less expensive are the specialty meats, including heritage pork carnitas, grass-fed beef barbacoa and chorizo potatoes. Vegetarians also have an option with herb-roasted mushrooms.

Beef barbacoa is my choice almost anytime. The slowly braised beef isn’t quite steak cotton candy, but it is super tender and melts easily in the mouth while you’re chewing other ingredients.

If a burrito sounds like too much, the barbacoa taco ($5.50) has plenty to recommend it, including a crisp Brussels sprout slaw and a creamy cumin-lime aioli.

Before the weather turns unbearably hot again, give the restaurant’s chicken posole soup a try. Cultivar goes through a lot of chicken, thanks to those alwaysworking rotisserie grills, and the mild, hearty soup is a great showcase for that flavor.

But as the days warm up, keep moving your table closer to the patio.

When the weather is right, it’s one of the best in the city for soaking up the sun, downing a cocktail and watching Oklahoma City grow up around you.

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EAT & DRINK

Romance reservations

Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse opens early to serve Valentine’s Day lunch and dinner. | Photo Gazette / file

It’s already February? Make Valentine’s Day reservations now to claim your seat.

By Greg Elwell

Valentine’s Day is the ninja of holidays. It has a habit of sneaking up on people, and if they’re caught unawares, it can be deadly.

Not this year. You still have a couple weeks to lock down a reservation and plan a night that will have your significant other feeling very appreciated.

Some romantic spots are best to reserve no matter the evening. Savvy food lovers are already lining up for tables at La Baguette Bistro, 7408 N. May Ave. The high demand led the restaurant to expand from Valentine’s Day to a Valentine’s week.

But for those who can’t dine there, the French restaurant and bakery so well known for its desserts is taking orders for Valentine’s pastries, too.

Even a restaurant as vast as, well, Vast, 333 W. Sheridan Ave., can reach capacity.

The sky-high restaurant celebrates Valentine’s Day for four days, said general manager Enis Mullaliu.

“We have about 200 reservations [for Feb. 14] right now, and we’ll take another 200,” he said.

Diners can enjoy the featured Valentine’s Day dinner menu or the regular menu on Feb. 10, 11 and 13. On the holiday itself, Mullaliu said, the restaurant will only serve the special dinner menu.

The $85 per person four-course dinner includes some exotic options for the first three courses, including a choice of appetizers: grilled octopus with spicy capicola, sweet potato puree and warm sherry vinaigrette. The restaurant creates a trio of desserts to end the meal, including sachertorte (a Viennese chocolate cake), a chocolate-dipped strawberry and a fresh berry tart.

Nosh at Catering Creations, 200 SE 19th St., in Moore hosts dinner and a show with music from singer-songwriters Maggie McClure and Shane Henry 6:30-9 p.m. Feb. 14.

The event is $100 per couple and includes a five-course meal with wine pairings. Couples must prepay when making reservations.

A romantic trip to Italy is outside the budget for most of us, but Inspirations Tea Room, 2118 W. Edmond Road, in Edmond brings Italy to Oklahoma with a four-course dinner 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 14.

While the menu is still under construction, the $89.95 per couple evening includes a few options throughout, including a smoked salmon appetizer and dessert choices like Italian cream cake, tiramisu and raspberry crème brûlée. The restaurant can accommodate 80 guests for the meal.

Inspirations also hosts a valentine tea 22

F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

party 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Available to adults ($30) and children ($23) through February, the party includes a themed service of savory snacks, sweets and fine teas. Reservations are required for both events.

Hidden Trails Country Club, 6501 S. Country Club Drive, is going a different direction for the holiday: south. After hitting the course for a few rounds of golf, diners will be ravenous for club restaurant’s Brazilian-style steakhouse dinner 6-8 p.m. Feb. 14.

For an equally meaty meal, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse puts on lunch and dinner Valentine’s Day services. The restaurant at 7 S. Mickey Mantle Drive opens early for a four-course, $49 per person lunch 11-2 p.m. Feb. 14, including complimentary valet parking. Entree choices include chicken Florentine in a brandy mushroom sauce, 14 oz. rib-eye steak, 7 oz. filet or miso-glazed halibut with bok choy and stir-fried vegetables.

Dinner also is four courses at a price of $89 per person 5-10 p.m. with three steak choices, halibut or lobster tail poached in citrus butter for the entree and a chocolate brownie decadence dessert. There will also be bottles of Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut ($75) and Scarpetta Prosecco ($35) available.

Legend’s Restaurant, 1313 W. Lindsey St., in Norman is serving a sweetheart special to share on Valentine’s Day. The $64 meal includes an 8 oz. filet topped with black garlic compound butter, blue cheese potatoes dauphinoise, two grilled shrimp Veracruz, a pair of seared sea scallops with tomato hollandaise, two salads and a choice of dessert.

Manager Ashley McMahan said Legend’s offers strawberry cream cake and strawberry genoise in addition to the regular dessert menu.

Flint, 15 N. Robinson Ave., offers a four-course Valentine’s Day dinner for $69 per person. Starters include beef carpaccio or smoked salmon and a choice of 12 oz. rib-eye steak, 7 oz. tenderloin filet or 5 oz. lobster tail with sides.

The artistically inclined might also look to dine at Oklahoma City Museum of Art Museum Cafe, 415 Couch Drive.

The always-elegant restaurant serves both dine-in and carryout Valentine’s dinners 5-9 p.m. Feb. 14.

The dine-in menu is $57 per person with a duck breast amuse bouche, a winter salad with crab-stuffed mushrooms, a chocolate heart cake layered with caramel mousse, fresh berries, berry coulis and

whipped cream and a choice of stuffed Dover sole or a 7 oz. beef tenderloin.

The three-course carryout menu is $90 per couple and includes both a steak and a stuffed Dover sole, chocolate heart cake and winter salads. Orders are due before Feb. 10 and can be picked up 3-5:30 p.m. Feb. 14.

Another art-filled restaurant, Mary Eddy’s Restaurant x Lounge, 900 W. Main St., beckons from the 21c Museum Hotel.

The restaurant planned a menu inspired by the five languages of love with dishes including lamb leg with walnuts and minted yogurt and a strawberry panna cotta dessert. Meals are $49-$69 per person.

The hotel is also offering Valentine’s Day packages for those who’d like to stay the night. Visit 21coklahomacity.com.

Looking for something completely different? The Patriarch Craft Beef House & Lawn, 9 E. Edwards St., in Edmond teams up with mobile sweets purveyors That Pie Truck for an evening of beer and dessert pairings 6-10:30 p.m. Feb. 14.

That Pie Truck is bringing tequila key lime, Southern bourbon buttermilk, chocolate mint and more pie flavors. Patriarch will pair the pies with beers from its available kegs. Jazz pianist Timothy Haverkamp plays at 7 p.m.

This year, be the one to catch Valentine’s Day by surprise by actually making plans.

It’ll never see it coming.

Book it La Baguette Bistro labaguettebistro.com 405-840-3047

Inspirations Tea Room inspirationstearoom.com 405-715-2525

Nosh at Catering Creations noshandcateringcreations.com 405-814-9699

Hidden Trails Country Club hiddentrailsokc.com 405-685-7611

Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse mickeymantlesteakhouse.com 405-272-0777

Legend’s Restaurant legendsrestaurant.com 405-329-8888

Flint flintokc.com 405-605-0657

Chocolate mousse cake from La Baguette Bistro | Photo Gazette / file

Oklahoma City Museum of Art Museum Cafe okcmoa.com/cafe 405-235-6262

Mary Eddy’s Kitchen x Lounge maryeddysokc.com 405-982-6960

Vast vastokc.com 405-702-7262

• Flying food Will Rogers World Airport visitors will be able to get a taste of Oklahoma City cuisine as two local favorite eateries open new locations inside the regional hub.

Tucker’s Onion Burgers and Coolgreens are working with food management company Delaware North to open airport restaurants early this year. Cinnabon will also open its first full-size store in Oklahoma City at Will Rogers.

It will be the fifth metro location for Tucker’s, a Good Egg Dining Group restaurant specializing in onion burgers, fries and milkshakes, and the seventh for salad and sandwich-focused Coolgreens. Both venues also recently opened locations in Norman.

Tucker’s and Cinnabon plan to open in the food in April and March, respectively.

Coolgreens will be located in the airport’s west concourse near Gate 8 with an opening planned for early March.

Both Coolgreens and Tucker’s menus will include breakfast items in addition to the usual lunch and dinner fare. All three will open at 5 a.m. to serve early-morning travelers.

Lettuce eat

Photo Texas De Brazil / provided

Savory sellout

Oklahoma City must taste good because Taste of OKC sold out once again.

Organizers of the event to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma released 50 standing-room-only tickets Jan. 16 and quickly sold out again.

Area director Jacquelyn Edwards said money raised from the tasting event and auction is used to recruit and match “Bigs” with “Littles,” which can have a huge impact on the children’s lives. Each match costs about $2,000.

The Feb. 4 tasting event includes a deep bench of 33 great Oklahoma City area restaurants, including newcomers Texas de Brazil, Yokozuna and En Croute. My So Called Band will perform.

Though tickets are gone, the opportunity to help Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma is not. Donations can be made at bbbsok.org. Edwards said volunteers, especially Big Brothers, are always needed.

Houston-based salad eatery Salata broke ground on its first Oklahoma location Jan. 16. Started in 2005 by Berge Simonian, the salad bar restaurant includes five types of lettuce with more than 50 toppings and 10 housemade dressings, available as salads and wraps.

The Oklahoma City venue at 12220 N. MacArthur Ave. is a franchise owned by Kevin Hogan, who is also opening two Texas locations in Lubbock and Amarillo.

Salata’s Oklahoma City location will be 61st in the nation with an opening set for March.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

brie f s By Greg Elwell

Photo Garett Fisbeck / file

COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL WHOLESALE PRICES HUGE SELECTION

Lebanese libations

Lebanon might not be the first place one thinks of when talking about wine, but the chefs at Vast hope to change that with the its February wine dinner 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday at 333 W. Sheridan Ave. The event will feature four wines from IXSIR winery in the Batroun mountains of Lebanon served with a five-course dinner.

IXSIR’s Altitudes Rosé, Grande Réserve White, Altitudes Red blend and Grande Réserve Red will be paired with the meal designed by chefs at Vast.

Tickets for the meal are $110. Call 405702-7262 or visit vastokc.com.

4525 N. Cooper Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73118 (405) 524-1111 marketsourceonline.com O kg a z e t t e . c o m | f e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7

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eat & DRINK

Takeout treasures

Dining in a restaurant is a joy. You get to relax in comfortable chairs while friendly people bring you food to eat. There’s really only one downside: You’re expected to wear pants the entire time. Break free from the bonds of belts and slip into your jammies with these healthy takeout favorites. Because enjoying the talents of Oklahoma City’s chefs from the comfort of your couch is pretty joyful, too.

By Greg Elwell Photos Garett Fisbeck / file and Gazette / file

BourBon St. Cafe Romance on the RiveRwalk

Green & Grilled

Nourished Food Bar

The Fit Pig

Juan Suarez knows about the simple excellence of straightforward food. The Green & Grilled menu is straightforward, and the food is satisfying. Guests can choose from four proteins — beef, chicken, pork and tofu — that are marinated overnight before being grilled. The preparation reduces calories and focuses on flavor. Side dish options include steamed rice, salads, fruits and vegetables, making the choice to eat right easier than ever.

Nourished Food Bar’s menu is always changing as owners Lindsey Riddle and Jamie Conway offer seasonal, satisfying and healthy dining options. From snacks like kale chips and hummus with carrots to hearty vegetarian chili and fresh tomato and basil pesto sandwiches, there is a lot of flavor in every life-sustaining bite. If getting to downtown Oklahoma City isn’t an option right now, Nourished offers a meal delivery service that lets customers across the metro pick up a combination of soups, salads and sandwiches.

Breakfast is or isn’t the most important meal of the day, depending on who you ask.

If you’re still a believer that it is, you need The Fit Pig. Dishes are marked as glutenfree, vegetarian and/or paleo, as in the sweet potato hash ($7.99), which blends pork, sweet potato and onion with special seasonings and is topped with maple syrup.

Counting calories? So is The Fit Pig, which lists calories, carbs, fat, protein and sodium content for each menu item.

6220 Northwest Expressway, Suite B greenandgrilled.com | 405-563-2605

131 Dean A. McGee Ave., Suite 115 nourishedfood.co | 405-740-7299

722 N. Broadway Ave., Suite 100 thefitpig.com | 405-290-7080

7th

AnniversAry

Valentine’s specials: 2/11-2/14 maRdi GRas masqueRade dinneR: 2/25

#Datenight #OKc RiveRwalk | bRicktown

100 E. California | 232.6666 bourbonstCafE.Com

Authentic PAkistAni / indiAn cuisine

Lunch | dinner | cAtering

4104 n. PortLAnd okLAhomA city 405-601-3454 | kAbob-n-curry.com

True Love

since 1940

Celebrate your Valentine!

3 course dinner available through February 14th

Fresh strawberries, whipped cream & ice cream on oklahoma City sweet cinnamon chips.

Quail Springs Mall limited time! elchico.com 24

f e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

405-752-0677

NormaN

Sooner Mall 405-360-2146

Coolgreens

multiple metro locations 1189 E. 15th St., Edmond coolgreens.com | 405-562-1020 Coolgreens is much more than just a salad bar, but big piles of leafy greens and a panoply of gourmet toppings are still what draw in most customers. Hard as it is to beat a Southwest Spicy salad full of poblano peppers, avocados, corn and black beans, Coolgreens also innovates new dishes. Its new quinoa bowl pairs high-protein, lowcarb heritage grain with pan-seared chicken, cauliflower rice and asparagus tips for a meal that is filling and easy to eat on the go.

Provision Kitchen

6443 Avondale Drive provision-kitchen.com | 405-843-2310 Turn left or go straight? Wear a sweater or a jacket? Decisions, decisions, always decisions.

The hardest decision of all might be trying to choose just one meal from Provision Kitchen’s hot bar. Each day, chef Beth Lyon and her kitchen crew create tasty entrees and nutritious sides. Maybe that’s why Provision now offers its Restore Program, which includes three meals and one or two snacks a day that fit in 1,200-, 1,500- or 1,800-calorie diets.

Park Harvey SuSHi wine & SPortS lounge

Happy Hour Monday-Friday | 3-6 PM Beer, aPPetizer & SuShi SPecialS

Cafe 7 Pastaria and Delicatessen

100 W. Main St., Suite 105 cafe7okc.com | 405-748-3354, ext. 3 Pizza, pasta, sandwiches and salads are the basis of Cafe 7’s extensive menu, making it easy for friends and families divided by taste to find common ground. If something light sounds good, order the signature salad with romaine lettuce and field greens, roasted chicken breast, toasted walnuts, cranberries and bacon. Your uncle can order a decadent chicken and bacon pizza with Alfredo sauce, spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes.

Dot Wo Garden

6161 N. May Ave. dot-wo.com | 405-608-2388 Stop by Dot Wo Garden for some of the city’s best Chinese takeout. Freshly prepared, Dot Wo’s menu offers everything from Szechuan pork and sweet-and-sour chicken to house specialties including saltand-pepper quail, seafood with sizzling rice and roasted halibut. Those wanting to sample a bit of everything ought to bring friends and order the chef’s special dinner.

The egg roll and crab Rangoon, spicy Mongolian beef and Peking spare ribs will be new favorites.

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709 N. MOORE, MOORE 701-3900 WWW.HIMALYASOK.COM O kg a z e t t e . c o m | f e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7

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SHOPs

R E TA I L

Uncommon love

StylE And SErvicE for EvEry budgEt

All cards eventually get thrown out. All flowers eventually wilt.

Show your loved one that you put some real thought into their Valentine’s Day gift this year by getting them something from outside the norm. We here at Oklahoma Gazette specialize in being a little odd ourselves, which is why we’ve catered this list off off-the-wall and unusual gifts for the apple of your eye.

By Ben Luschen / Photos Garett Fisbeck, Gazette / file and provided

top

dress

CIBIC

SHIRO

200A SE 8th St. • Moore • 912-4450

dress

SOTTSASS

on, poly, viscose / linen, cotton _______

tencel, viscose _______

cotton, poly, viscose / linen, cotton _______

e jacquard + linen n jacquard + linen

rose black

rose jacquard + linen green jacquard + linen

top

dress

tencel, viscose

tencel, viscose

_______

_______

rose black

rose black

MINIMALISME

MOMENTS IN LOVE forrestfireplaces.com

SPRING LOOKBOOK: EXCLUSIVELY OFFERING OKC A SELECTION OF INDIE AND SUSTAINABLE DESIGNERS SHOP EASY-CHIC STYLES IN STORE NOW

pants

skirt

STILL LIFE

GLI

ncel, viscose _______ rose black

rose jacquard + linen

green jacquard + linen

cotton, poly, viscose _______ rose jacquard green jacquard

3

7302 N. Western Ave. / shoprosegold.com Dress: 170703 | Jacket: 172701

• Mann’s Best Friend

10600 S. Pennsylvania Ave. mannsbf.com | 405-703-3838 The first step to winning any person’s heart is to first win the trust of their dog.

Curry Fido’s favor with the tasty, healthy and natural treats catered by Mann’s Best Friend. The shop carries not only the most nutritional treats for the furry friend in his or her life, but they also make sure each company they buy from is of high business character, so your gift can be of clean diet and conscience.

•Green Goodies

“TIMELY, ENGROSSING, PROVOCATIVE...

•Handle

ONE OF THE MOST GRIPPING AND SUSPENSEFUL DOCS OF RECENT YEARS.”

–Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter

A C A U T I O N A R Y TA L E O F HATE I N A M E R I C A

OKLAHOMA CITY STARTS FRIDAY, 2/3 OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART 415 COUCH DRIVE (405) 236-3100 OKLAHOMA CITY

In-Person Q&As OPENing weekend. Visit okcmoa.com for Details 26

F E B R U A R Y 1 , 2 0 1 7 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

Oaklahoma Gazette Wednesday, 2/1

12100 N. May Ave. handleokc.com | 405-302-6477 If your beau insists on keeping it local, then congratulations, you’ve found a keeper!

Just like your favorite fiercely local altweekly, the people at Handle know the value of some hometown goods. With an ever-changing, maker-supplied inventory stocked with jewelry, arts, crafts and who knows what other surprises, it’s not a bad idea to take your honey up to The Shoppes at Northpark for a date browsing the store and strolling the mall.

58402 N. Classen Curve greengoodiesokc.com | 405-842-2288 Simple dietary restrictions shouldn’t keep your sweetie from a sweet treat.

The fine folks at Green Goodies know this, which is why they make their cupcakes from scratch daily using all-natural ingredients. Their desserts come in both gluten-free and vegan varieties, and the espresso bar offers patrons the perfect complimenting beverage. If you and your Valentine are about to exchange wedding vows, keep Green Goodies catering in mind for all your cake needs.

•Wilshire Gun

615 W. Wilshire Blvd. wilshiregun.com 405-608-4999 What could be more romantic than some time alone with you, your honey and a preloaded pistol? Date night at Wilshire Gun is possibly one of the best value off-the-beatenpath date packages around.

Aside from an hour of fun in the shooting range, the date night bundle come with food and drink from the Range Café built into the $100-$140 price. You will also be well prepared in case this Tinder date takes a dark and unexpected turn.

Bentley Hedges Travel Travel Leaders

10011 S. Pennsylvania Ave. 405-237-3333 Swing for the fences this Valentine’s Day. If your relationship needs a spark, maybe a Las Vegas vacay or a casual cruise down to Cozumel will be like throwing jet fuel on your bonfire of love. Booking trips alone online is time-consuming and it is easy to get lost in a sea of choices. Leave the heavy lifting to the experts, and focus your energy on reigniting romance with that special someone.

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SPA PACKAGE includes massage, facial, mani | pedi exp. 5/14/17

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE Chatenay Square 104th & S. Penn (405) 703-0600 novellasalon.com

in the Plaza

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co m e dy

ARTS & CULTURE

List jumper

Kathy Griffin shares thoughts on Thackerville, wearing Anderson Cooper’s underwear and Donald Trump as ‘a dream with the misspellings.’ By Brian Daffron

Suddenly Susan, Bravo’s Kathy Griffin has multiple awards to show for her Kathy Griffin: My Life on the Kathy Griffin hard work in show D-List and her HBO specials. business. These include However, Gr i f f i n’s 9 p.m. Friday two Emmys, a Grammy unfiltered persona is in Global Event Center and a Guinness World many cases too dangerous WinStar Wold Casino Record for starring in more for daytime television. and Resort comedy specials than any Griffin said that with most 777 Casino Ave., shows, “banned” list status other comedian. No longer Thackerville considering herself to be is usually temporary. Yet the winstarworldcasino.com on the “ D-list ” of only banned status that is 800-622-6317 celebrities, she now refers close to being permanent is $40-$65 to herself as a “list jumper.”

Live Kelly, going back to a “I might have an A-list time when she guest hosted moment where I’m asked with former host Regis Philbin and made a joke about the to present a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Directors Guild of America awards,” executive producer, Michael Gelman.

“I made a joke on the air that Gelman Griffin said. “There’s an event where I was seated near Leonard DiCaprio and Matt was Regis’ bitch. I’m not kidding — I haven’t been back since then. I said to Damon. The very next day, I’ll be at an airport and somebody will say, ‘Hi, Reba!’

Regis, ‘Did I offend you?’ He said, ‘No! That’s why I say I’m a list jumper.”

What do I care? That’s hilarious! Gelman was my bitch.’”

Live laughs Talking about celebrities is a major Yet jumping from list to list is how Griffin part of Griffin’s act, in many cases because finds her source material. Raised in a of pure Hollywood circumstance. Kim large, Irish Catholic Chicago family and Kanye Kardashian West are her headed by her mother — “96 years old, still neighbors. going strong with her boxed wine” — she “My act basically moved in next door,” is known for being unpredictable and Griffin said. unfiltered. Audiences should expect the unexpected when seeing her perform 9 ‘Soooooonnnnerrrr!’ p.m. Friday at WinStar World Casino and Griffin finds herself in many unimagined Resort in Thackerville. situations, such as having to be at an event “The reason I’m coming to Thackerville with Liza Minelli and Donald Trump years again — and the reason I tour so much — is ago. Griffin has been a part of many events I’m 56 years old,” Griffin said. “I’ve been with Trump over the years and said “the touring now for decades. What I love to guy shows up to the opening of an do, and my fans and the people who buy envelope.” tickets know, is every time you come to “He’s a guy who is not very bright,” Griffin said, summing up our new see me, they’re going to see all different material.” president. “He’s very myopic. Everything’s black or white. There’s no nuance. There’s ‘We got the air mattress’ no shading. As a subject for a comedian, Growing up in Chicago, she and her family obviously, he’s a dream with the attended Second City performances. misspellings, the tweets, the crazy tweets.

When she moved to Los Angeles in her My joke is — as a citizen, he’s horrible. But late teens, she finally found the familiarity as a comic, he’s great.” of improvisational comedy as both a member and full-time instructor with The Groundlings.

While there, she made friends with future Saturday Night Live cast members such as Molly Shannon, Ana Gasteyer and “the amazing, dear departed Phil Hartman.”

Kathy Griffin One of her students, Will Ferrell, lived in his mother’s basement with his brother while studying with The Groundlings.

While Bravo and HBO might play a “To this day, when I see Will, I’m like significant role in her career, hosting New ‘So. You guys in the basement?’ He’s like, Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper — or ‘Yeah; we got the air mattress,’” Griffin as Griffin calls him “Anderson Cooper said of Ferrell.

Vanderbilt” — definitely expanded her fan Griffin’s jump from improv to base. This past New Year’s, Griffin television includes the NBC sitcom wrapped Cooper in tinfoil to celebrate

I pride myself that he’s the only man I’ve ever sexted.

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F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Kathy Griffin performs at Winstar World Casino and Resort on Friday. | Photo bigstock.com

their tenth anniversary on air. However, Griffin has, in the past, wrapped herself for only Cooper’s viewing.

“The time that I’m most proud of is the time he was forced to give me the keys to his Hamptons getaway mansion because he was doing the news,” she said. “I let myself in. I put on his underwear, and then I took selfies of myself in his home, in his underwear, and then sent them to him while he was doing the news.

“Here’s what he does, because he’s such a stiff. He ignored the first three, and then I wouldn’t stop. Then I started sending pictures of myself naked on the floor like I had died there. Finally he texts me back and he says, ‘Hey, everything OK over there?’ I love doing that to him. I pride myself that he’s the only man I’ve ever sexted. I know that he doesn’t care and he’s never going to release the photos.”

Griffin also counts two of Oklahoma’s finest — Kristin Chenoweth and Megan

Mullally — as close friends. The first time Griffin played Oklahoma, Chenoweth gave her an endearing piece of advice: Yell Boomer.

“I didn’t know what the word was,” she said. “Sure enough, I go out there and said ‘Kristin Chenoweth told me to say something.’ It was the funniest thing. I didn’t say it that loud. It was a wall of sound — ‘Soooooonnnnerrrr!’ It was hilarious.”

Guests must be at least 18 years old.

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t h e at e r

Star performer

Actress takes her shot at the prized Leading Player role in Pippin. By Ben Luschen

When Pippin first captivated Broadway audiences in 1972, fans had a lot of reasons to love it. Aside from the surreal, playwithin-a-play story structure and the title character’s long, experimental quest for self-actualization and true happiness, many audience members took special notice to talented and charismatic Ben Vereen’s role as Leading Player — the meta theater troupe’s dancing, controlling ring leader.

Vereen earned a 1973 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for the role. In 2013, an updated version of Pippin was revived on Broadway. Circus elements like trapeze were added to the show. The Leading Player role was cast as a female, where Patina Miller again found great success, winning a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.

Housso Semon is cast as Leading Player in Pippin’s newest touring production, which makes its local run Tuesday through Feb. 12 at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. She has a proud performance legacy to uphold, but in a recent interview with Oklahoma Gazette, she said she is up to the challenge.

t h e at e r

Housso Semon as Leading Player center and other members of the Pippin cast | Photo OKC Broadway / provided

House guest Dallas-based actor and director Akin Babatunde guest directs Pollard’s timely Fences.

By Ben Luschen

W. Jerome Stevenson has established himself as a fixture in the director’s chair at Guthrie’s Pollard Theatre, but the company’s artistic director takes on a new role this month as a featured performer in Fences.

The play is fresh on the minds of many following the success of the recently released film version featuring Denzel Washington as director and star performer alongside Viola Davis as Rose. While Stevenson portrays Troy in the August Wilson-written play, he passes the directorial baton to Akin Babatunde, a Dallas-based actor, director and writer who has worked in everything from Broadway to regional theater and television.

Stevenson said Wilson has always been one of his favorite playwrights and Fences has been on his to-do production list for a

“What’s great about [the Leading Player role] is that she’s in control of everything,” Semon said. “There aren’t that many roles where you get to control everybody and tell everybody what to do. It’s fun.”

Semon was born in the West African country Côte d’Ivoire (also known as Ivory Coast) but, as a child, moved with her family to upstate New York. She has always had an interest in music, and her passion for theater was sparked in 2012, when she went with her family to see Elton John and Tim Rice’s musical Aida on Broadway.

Vereen and Miller set a high standard for all those to follow as Leading Player.

Semon said she’s not putting any extra pressure on herself to match them. Instead, she thinks everyone who takes on the role should do it in their own distinct way.

“I think it will always be different depending on who is playing the role,” she said, “but I am definitely inspired by Ben Vereen and Patina Miller.”

Another thing Semon enjoys about her role in the revised production is that it puts a woman in a place of power and authority that is not motherly in nature, a position

that is sometimes hard to come by in theater.

“It’s a different energy when a woman plays the role,” she said. “It’s different in this day and age. An African-American female Leading Player telling everyone what to do onstage — it’s a very dominating character, so it’s nice to have a woman be able to play it.”

More than just being a woman in power, Leading Player is a black woman in power.

It is a very different role than those black women are most often cast in, which are usually either a stereotype or part of the supporting cast.

“It’s not so generic, you know?” she said.

It has been a long journey from singing in West African churches with her aunts to starring in a nationally touring production.

long time. He said it serendipitously worked Once he’s clear, he’s there.” out where they were ready to do the play When Stevenson auditioned for Fences, he said he was not necessarily expecting to right around the time Washington was rebe cast in the main role, but he is thrilled to leasing his film.

For Fences, Stevenson sought a new dihave the chance to play such a strongly rector’s vision in part because he was interwritten character. ested in trying out for a role himself. He also “It’s an extraordinary role,” he said. “It’s loved Babatunde’s ideas for the production. an extraordinary piece of writing. What “One of the first things that attracted me happens when you get good writing like this to him as a director is he said, ‘You know, is it allows you to get out of the way and let the playwright work the audience.” this is not an African-American play,’” Stevenson recalled. “‘This While the film version of is a play whose playwright Fences has received mostly happens to be Africanpraise, Babatunde said it Fences doesn’t compare to the American, but the story is accessible to everybody.’” stage version when it’s done 8 p.m. Feb. 10-11, 17-18, Babatunde first visited well. A close-quarters stage 23-25, March 2-4; 2 p.m.

The Pollard Theatre to see set goes a long way into Feb. 19 and 26 its 2015 production of The making a story more perPollard Theatre Mountaintop. He said he sonally gripping.

120 W. Harrison Ave., loved the way he was “I think people will Guthrie greeted by theater staff and become a part of this world thepollard.org was especially impressed and I think they will be 405-282-2800 moved by this world,” he with Stevenson. $15-$25 “I was pleased and filled said. with pride that the artistic Stevenson said at first, director for this theater was an Africanhe promised himself he would not see the American man,” Babatunde said. “I loved new film version of Fences until after the the way Jerome conducted himself and the production. enthusiasm he showed for the work of Soon, however, he came to the conclusion others.” that the two are very different pieces of art, Babatunde had to earn a certain degree so he wanted to check it out. He said those of trust from Stevenson, and that trust who are fans of the movie will get a very seems to have been granted. different experience when they see the play “[Stevenson] is a gem to work with,” at The Pollard.

Babatunde said. “He takes direction well.

“I think they will be taken aback by how Sometimes he will ask questions and I will quickly it moves, by how engaging it is, by give him a better idea of what my vision is. how fun it is,” Stevenson said.

“It’s nice to see anyone doing what they want to do,” she said. “If you have a family member and you see them succeeding in the things that they’ve always wanted, it’s exciting.”

Pippin 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Feb. 9, 8 p.m.

Feb. 10, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Feb. 11-12, 7 p.m. Feb. 12 Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcbroadway.com 877-737-2929 $23.18-$88.87

Fences debuts Feb. 10 at The Pollard Theatre. | Photo Gazette / file

Akin Babatunde |Photo provided

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7

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t h e at e r

ARTS & CULTURE

Working titles

Chelcy Harrell |Photo provided

A new artistic community strives to grow the city’s performing arts scene.

By Jessica Williams

Inside the walls of Oklahoma City’s new Fresh Paint Performance Lab, the word “theater” encapsulates much more than William Shakespeare could have ever dreamed.

Conceived by Oklahoma City University alumni and theater performers, the lab aspect of the theater’s title blends arts and culture in one experimental setting. Co-founders Chelcy Harrell and Marita Stryker spoke to Oklahoma Gazette about expecting the unexpected with Fresh Paint.

“Before most productions, a new layer of paint is added to the stage before the show to make everything look fresh and new,” said Harrell, Fresh Paint artistic director. “The name Fresh Paint is metaphorical to what we’re doing with the arts.”

Scene-setting

Operating through Fractured Atlas, a national nonprofit supporting small arts communities, Fresh Paint signals a new era for OKC’s performing arts scene.

Composed of theater actors, musicians, dancers and technically savvy professionals, Fresh Paint’s team is a group of seasoned artists seeking to showcase their under-the-radar talents.

“We’re committed to creating a supportive space for local artists,” said Stryker, the collective’s executive director.

“Our goal is to experiment, collaborate and produce original works, especially by crossing genres together.”

Stryker and Harrell performed in separate stage productions in New York, and Stryker also has experience performing in musicals on cruise ships. Between the two artists and their peers, an eclectic mix of ideas for an OKC company came together earlier this year.

“This summer, we put on a staged reading of our artistic associate Sheridan McMichael’s musical called Mary McElroy,” Stryker said. “That production made us reminisce about our time performing in New York, and we thought, ‘Why not create this experience for Oklahoma City?’”

The group hopes to foster the creative atmosphere in OKC. “There are so many opportunities in New York and other coastal cities, but people should know about OKC’s up-andcoming arts scene as well,” Harrell said.

“We noticed a lack of new productions in OKC, so we’re trying to fill that gap by creating the works we want to see here.”

With solid connections in theatrical arts and music, Stryker and Harrell created an entirely new artistic venue for OKC. Fresh Paint’s first annual Company Primer event in November was a strong 30

F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

indicator of what audiences can expect in years to come.

“Our first event was a kickoff and fundraiser that gave a little sample of our upcoming season,” Harrell said. “We featured a tap dancer performing to poetry, songs from musicals and instrumental performances with a culinary aspect for the audience. Since the culinary arts scene is growing in OKC, we think it’s important to include it in our program.”

Accessible art

The company’s 2016-17 season presents even more pleasantly unexpected artistic combinations, highlighting audience interactions in each show.

“In late January, we’re showcasing the band Everything New Is Old Again in a musical roulette,” Stryker said. “The audience draws different songs and decades for the band to perform, and we’re hoping to include a corresponding burlesque performance.”

Stryker and Harrell have plans for Fresh Paint well into the new year, and the company’s repertoire fills each season with exciting artistic works.

“We’re also planning a collaborative performance that will involve composers, visual artists and choreography,” Stryker said. “Then in March, we’ll have our first Main Stage event, which will be a new musical called Walk by Ben Harrell (Chelcy Harrell’s husband).”

Beyond finished products, Fresh Paint emphasizes workshops and collaborative idea sessions with artists before each performance. Weekend performance experiments are available to local artists who submit their work to Fresh Paint.

“We’ve created a judgment-free zone for trying out ideas so that artists get the chance to try out their works on audiences and improve as professionals,” Stryker said. “Artists need honest feedback on their developing works, and it’s also a great opportunity for audiences to contribute their support in the form of constructive criticism.”

Sheridan McMichael works on an arrangement at Fresh Paint Performance Lab. | Photo provided

Easy access

Accessibility remains Fresh Paint’s priority when serving local artists and audiences. The Performance Lab is open to the public every Sunday. The company’s website also features a page for artists to submit their works and audiences to propose ideas for future performances.

“After each performance, we include a meet-and-greet so audiences can have individualized conversations with our artists,” Harrell said. “In addition, our theater guests can also suggest performance and collaboration ideas for local artists through our website. Even if you’re

not a performer, your can work behind the scenes to help Fresh Paint stay innovative.”

Fresh Paint expects collaboration and innovation, not perfection. This isn’t Broadway, and Stryker thinks that’s a good thing for emerging Oklahoma artists.

“Sometimes a stage’s fresh paint has imperfections,” Stryker said. “Stages are a work in progress, and so are we. We’re always orchestrating ideas for the community to share and experience.”

Visit freshpaintperformancelab.com.

art

Ruff love

Mark Moad’s custom pet portraits have become popular holiday gifts.

By Ben Luschen

Local artist Mark Moad paints everything from prim poodles to pet turtles and favored frogs for his pet portrait series. The works are sent to homes across the country and as far away as Tokyo, Japan.

Despite the range of animals he has painted in nearly five years, his favorite subject is still Sugar, his family’s 10-yearold West Highland White Terrier.

“She’s just incredibly delightful and incredibly expressive and has tons of personality, as many terriers do,” Moad said.

“I’m definitely partial to painting the Westie. With white hair, she can take on so many colors and looks completely different in some lighting.”

Moad manages an Oklahoma City branding and graphic design company. In his own time, he has carved out a niche for himself in committing beloved critters to canvas. His commissioned creations are usually 4-by-4 to 12-by-16 inches in size and cost $100-$450.

The works are usually based off a preexisting photograph of the pet, though Moad said he occasionally shoots his own pictures. His portraits and gift certificates toward future work have become popular gifts around Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Christmas.

Moad said he’s accepting Valentine’s Day commissions through Tuesday, and he is already near capacity.

More than just capturing a cat or dog’s physical traits, Moad said it’s important that he also captures each pet’s personality and energy. He is often asked to memorialize beloved pets that have recently died, so he takes care to make sure the animal’s

Artist Mark Moad in his Oklahoma City home studio | Photo Garett Fisbeck

true essence is preserved in his art.

“When I get started,” he said, “I do a lot of discussion like, ‘What is this pet like?

How do they like to sit and stare? How do they entertain themselves, and what do they like?’”

Moad has always been into art and painting but took a long creative break to pursue other life endeavors. After seeing a few pet portraits online, he was inspired to compose his own. He started working on 5-by-7 inch portraits of Sugar and his other pets — a “mutt mix” named Rosie and a cat named Gracie — wearing hats and bonnets.

He showed them to an artist friend, who immediately commissioned one of his own pets. Strong first impressions have proven to be Moad’s most potent sales pitch.

“He puts it on Facebook, and the next thing you know, I start getting messages saying, ‘Hey, would you do my dog?’ It really just kind of grew like that,” he said. “It was pretty organic in terms of the way that it came together.”

He said around two-thirds of his commissions come from social media in some way.

“People can get annoyed with how much social media has taken over their life,” he said, “but I can definitely attribute a lot of what I’ve got to it, so I’m not going to complain.”

Portraits usually take two to four weeks to complete. Since painting is Moad’s side gig, he works on the projects in his spare time, and commissions often stack up before Valentine’s Day and other busy holidays.

The creations are a true labor of love, he said. He has always been a pet lover but realized that adding his portraits and other original works to his home has improved the overall household atmosphere.

“I’ve noticed how much my family has enjoyed putting original art in our house,” he said. “I think that people really begin to respect their space. There’s a real magic that comes from original art as opposed to store-bought prints and things like that. I think this is a great way to put something meaningful in your world.”

Visit markpaintspets.com or facebook. com/markpaintspets.

EXPERIENCE

FIRST FRIDAY GALLERY WALK Friday, February 3, 2017 • 6-10pm

ARTS DISTRICT Live Music: Drew Sanderson Food Trucks: Rolling Café and G’s Chili Co.

In the Paseo Art Space: Annual Members’ Show A juried show, exhibiting work from the Paseo Arts Association’s talented members. Show runs Feb. 3 - 25.

Local and national art, great food, art classes and plenty of shopping!

#FirstFridayPaseo

405.525.2688 • thepaseo.org

CAPITOL INSIDER

News from the Oklahoma Legislative Session

Fridays at 4:45 p.m.

Mondays at 7:45 a.m.

With KGOU’s Dick Pryor & eCapitol’s Shawn Ashley

Complete program schedule at KGOU.org O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7

31

ARTS & CULTURE

ARE YOU A GRAPHIC PERSON

“Church Façade, Plaza del Oriente” by Lowell Ellsworth Smith | Image National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum / provided

?

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art

Oklahoma Gazette is looking for a GRAPHIC DESIGNER with one or more of these demonstrated skills:

Southwest rays

A National Cowboy & Heritage Museum exhibit illuminates the creative processes of artist Lowell Ellsworth Smith. By Jack Fowler

Tucked in between the galleries full of startling headdresses and majestic sculptures in the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a small art display that gives viewers a chance to see the process behind some award-winning work.

Lowell Ellsworth Smith: My Theology of Painting, a small watercolor exhibition from the late Prix de West winner, is on display now at the museum, 1700 NE 63rd St. Communications director Tara Carr said the show gives viewers a chance to glimpse the method behind the masterpieces.

“Often in museums, we see the finished works, the ‘what,’ so to speak,” Carr said of the several studies, or small, preliminary pieces used as kind of a warm-up before starting the bigger, final piece, now on display. “These studies are the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ behind his art. They give insight into his process and approach.”

‘In the moment’

Carr said Smith worked differently than a lot of artists.

“Many artists will do field sketches and make color notes, but Smith never cared for that,” she said. “He wanted to be in the moment and directly respond to whatever or whoever inspired him. He’d set up his easel and already have paper ready so that when lightning struck, he could set to work.”

That immediacy is apparent in his paintings.

Smith used bold blocks of solid colors and paid special attention to light, and his

simple yet striking watercolors convey an almost palpable sense of moment. His portrait studies, informal and loose, read more like intimate snapshots of the subjects.

In “Church Façade, Plaza del Oriente,” the painting that won him the Purchase Award at 1983’s Prix de West, viewers can almost hear the church bells tolling through the plaza as a priest walks into the morning sunlight.

Although his paintings captured scenes from his native Ohio to Mexico and Europe, most of Smith’s work centers around the Southwest, its land and its people. The two are almost always together as subjects in My Theology of Painting — a Smith landscape without a human inhabitant is rare.

American Southwest

However, no matter the subject, Smith always pairs it with one constant that runs throughout his work: light. The clear sun of the Southwest bathes every piece he made, from the glowing walls of an adobe church to the grizzled cheeks of a cowboy leaning in a doorway.

It’s evidence that Smith loved to immerse himself in the great, open spaces of the American Southwest, and that love of the land is undoubtedly what led him to create a perfect collection for a place like the Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

“He had a long history with the museum and with Prix de West,” Carr said. “He participated in it for 29 years. Because of that long history, he understood that this collection would be preserved and utilized; so

in 2004, he donated roughly 50 watercolor studies, photographs, letters and articles related to his personal life and career. He was a teacher as much as an artist, and in a sense, he continues to teach today through his collection.”

Power and potential

Smith battled Parkinson’s disease in his later years but painted until his death in 2008, although he did jokingly note that his style had become more impressionistic.

“Lowell gave an interview once where he mentioned his ‘theology of painting,’” Carr said. “That phrase tells you everything you need to know about his approach and passion. Art was more than just a hobby or a pastime: It was the lens through which he saw and experienced the world. Above all else, he believed in the power and potential of creative energy that resided within all of us. Everyone can create something — a painting, a poem, a recipe, a building. The idea of creating something out of nothing was what truly moved and motivated him.”

My Theology of Painting is on display through July 9 at National Cowboy & Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St.

Lowell Ellsworth Smith: My Theology of Painting 10 a.m.-5 p.m. MondaysSaturdays and noon-5 p.m.

Sundays through July 9 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 1700 NE 63rd St. nationalcowboymuseum.org 405-478-2250 Free-$12.50

Film

ARTS & CULTURE

Hateful beginnings

Barak Goodman’s Oklahoma City takes a deeper look at the influence hate and antigovernment groups had on Timothy McVeigh. By Ben Luschen

Oklahoma City 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. FridaySaturday and 2 p.m. Sunday Oklahoma City Museum of Art 415 Couch Drive okcmoa.com 405-236-3100 $5-$9

Anyone who has walked through the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum will immediately recognize the chilling opening to Oklahoma City, the Barak Goodman-directed documentary that debuted in January at Sundance Film Festival and screens Friday through Sunday at Oklahoma City Museum of Art,

415 Couch Drive.

There’s the recording from the April 19, 1995, Oklahoma Water Resources Board meeting (just across the street from the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building) that is interrupted by the blast that would forever alter the course of the city’s history.

Following is the immediate shock and confusion communicated by a scene from the breaking media coverage.

In starting his film so similarly to the memorial museum experience, Goodman acknowledges that he believes the story from that particular day in history has already been told as well as it can be. Instead of focusing solely on the bombing, the director dives deeper into the unrest from which bomber Timothy McVeigh and his small group of cohorts emerged and frames the events in a context that is relevant today.

The story of McVeigh’s motivation to build a bomb often begins in 1993 at the

Timothy McVeigh selling bumper stickers outside Branch Davidian compound during the 1993 federal siege. | Photo Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum / Public Broadcasting Service / provided

The Alfred P. Murrah building after the 1995 bombing | Photo Jon Hersley / Public Broadcasting Service / provided

Mount Carmel Center near Waco, Texas, where tragic events involving a weekslong standoff with federal agents at David Koresh’s Branch Davidian compound culminated with burning deaths of 80 people, including 22 children.

Federal agents attempted to seize the compound partly because they became aware that those inside were hoarding grenade shells, assault rifles and other military-grade equipment. Though Koresh (who claimed to be a prophet of the apocalypse) ordered the compound’s ignition, many far-right groups and sympathizers, including McVeigh, blamed the federal government and allege it unjustly provoked the tragedy as part of a breach of their Second Amendment and religious freedoms.

Goodman uses great detail describing the Waco incident and how it inspired McVeigh, but the filmmaker goes even further into the past, describing a fervent national antigovernment and whitesupremacist scene in the 1980s that served as the Oklahoma City tragedy’s motivating bedrock.

The film looks into both the 1984 murder of liberal radio host Alan Berg and the fatal 1992 standoff between separatist Randy Weaver’s family and federal agents at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, as it explains the rise of farright tensions and their association with occasionally violent outcomes.

It is somewhat ironic that the project is titled Oklahoma City, because its focus is

just as much on preceding events from elsewhere in the country.

None of this is to say the OKC terror attack gets lost in the narrative. Goodman leaves little to the imagination when it comes to the day’s carnage. Bodies of dead infants are shown, and in one scene, a firstresponding surgeon bluntly details an on-site leg amputation.

Oklahoma City is intended for a national audience. No time is spent on the post April 19 healing process or what has become of the city, as some other films have done.

Goodman puts special focus on the attack’s connection to antigovernment and hate groups as a reminder of how dangerous these types of sentiments can be when taken to their most extreme.

The director does not specifically call out a recent rise in racial hate groups as reported by Southern Poverty Law Center as the inspiration for his film, but the timing of its release makes such a statement unnecessary.

After screening at the art museum, Oklahoma City airs on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) affiliates nationwide 8 p.m.

Tuesday as part of the American Experience program. Those interested in this documentary should also tune in 8 p.m. Feb. 14 for the premiere of Ruby Ridge, also directed by Goodman, for more information on the events that led into the Oklahoma City bombing.

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O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7

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ARTS & CULTURE

s m U a w r o g Ll a t Fo s on in to see all our

#selfies! @okgazeTte

Oklahoma Gazette

Film

My Life as a Dog screens Sunday at Oklahoma City University. | Photo Svensk Filmindustri / provided

F E AT U R I N G : Gourmet omelettes & egg-inspired dishes by local restaurants & chefs.

Art Raffle showcasing works from more than 50 local artists.

Buy tickets at okcmoa.com or call (405) 236-3100, x 237 Tickets $100 for OKCMOA Members | $125 for Non-Members

Tickets are ONLY sold in advance.

Must be 21 years or older to enter. | All sales are final. | No refunds.

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Mortal moves OCU’s film series encourages residents to explore other cultures. By Lea Terry

When Oklahoma City University (OCU) established its annual film series 35 years ago, there were few places in the metro to see foreign films. It showcased some of the best films from around the world and brought them to metro residents for free, where they could talk about them and learn from people from those cultures.

The series is still going strong, attracting around 100 people to each screening, and its enduring popularity is a testament to Oklahomans’ interest in other cultures, said series director and OCU English professor Tracy Floreani.

“I certainly think it dispels the myths that Oklahomans aren’t interested in the rest of the world or that we’re not cultured,” Floreani said.

The series runs from September to March every year with a new theme each season. This season’s theme is On Being Mortal, inspired by the book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. The selected films encourage viewers to reflect on the quality and meaning of their lives, giving the current season a spiritual component even though none of the selections are overtly religious.

Floreani said the series appeals to people who have lived and worked outside Oklahoma and want to continue being exposed to other cultures. Diverse metro expat groups comprise another audience segment, and the series gives them an opportunity to engage with their culture.

“To see yourself on the big screen and then to talk about your culture with people who aren’t from that culture and answer their questions, that’s what’s beautiful about the conversations afterwards,” Floreani said.

It also brings them contact with groups they might not normally interact with.

During the discussion period after each movie, organizers frequently answer questions about what happened in the movie and how it relates to their own culture.

“In the city, we all have our own community and things we’re involved in on a

day-to-day basis, so we’re mixing with people we don’t normally mix with, and we’re learning a lot from each other,” Floreani said. “When we’re all sitting in a room together, watching a film, we’re being entertained, but I think we’re all in this kind of group contemplation about our own lives.”

While the university has had a steady audience with many regular members over the years, it also hopes to expand its viewership to new residents in the area.

This season featured films from Asia, Europe and the Middle East and began with the 1952 film Ikiru from director Akira Kurosawa. It’s the eighth film the series has included from Kurosawa. It tells the story of a dying man in a mundane bureaucratic job who struggles to find meaning in his final days.

On Sunday, the series screens the 1985 Swedish film My Life as a Dog from director Lasse Halleström, who directed What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? The film tells the story of a 12-year-old boy sent to live with relatives in the country after his mother becomes ill.

Iranian film Fireworks Wednesday from director Asghar Farhadi is scheduled for Feb. 19. The 2006 film centers on the troubled marriage of a wealthy couple and is set against the revelry of the Persian New Year. It also touches on themes of class and gender relations.

The series concludes March 5 with Embrace of the Serpent, a 2015 film from Colombia directed by Ciro Guerra. Shot in black-and-white, the film tells two stories set 30 years apart and tied together by a character named Karamakate, a shaman from the Amazon who is the last of his tribe.

All films start at 2 p.m. on Sundays in Kerr McGee Auditorium in Meinders School of Business at NW 27th Street and N. McKinley Avenue. Screenings are free, but donations are appreciated.

Learn more at okcufilmlit.org.

Co m m u n i t y

Ralph Ellison’s A Night with Ralph Ellison gala features music, dancing and a recitation of Ellison’s work. | Photo Ralph Ellison Foundation / provided

Literary legacy

The Ralph Ellison Foundation honors its namesake by hosting literacy and writing workshops and starting cultural dialogues. By Ian Jayne

A Night with Ralph Ellison 6 p.m. Feb. 25 Oklahoma History Center 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive ralphellisonfoundation.org 866-967-8167 $75-$140

Noted writer, musician, artist and cultural critic Ralph Ellison might be Oklahoma’s best-known Renaissance man.

“It’s what he set out be, and I think he accomplished that in his life, with his music, with his art and, of course, with his writing,” said Michael Owens, executive director of Ralph Ellison Foundation (REF), of Ellison’s multifaceted talents.

After an attempt to bring a stage production of Invisible Man to Oklahoma, Owens — who formerly managed Metropolitan Library System’s Ralph Ellison Library in northeast Oklahoma City — spoke with Ellison’s literary executor, John Callahan, and discovered that no foundation existed for the author.

“I began to be concerned about his legacy and moving forward,” said Owens, a self-described “Ellisonian.”

In 2014, Oklahoma City University (OCU) held a centennial celebration in honor of Ellison’s birthday, and Tracy Floreani invited Owens to work on a com-

mittee she chaired.

“It became clear that there was so much work that needed to be continued,” Owens said. “I brought together people that are like-minded, and we created the foundation.”

Along with Owens and Floreani, REF’s executive board includes Sen. David Holt, who serves as president, and Leslie Batchelor, vice president.

This year will mark REF’s fourth annual fundraising event A Night with Ralph Ellison.

This year’s gala is 6-9 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive. Tickets start at $75 and may be purchased at ralphellisonfoundation.org.

Attendees of the gala will experience “a night of movement,” according to Owens.

“It taps into the attributes of Mr. Ellison,” Owens said. “We try to make it move in such a way because we believe that Ellison had a lot of harmony, not only in his writing, but in speaking.”

The gala will include recitations of Ellison’s work, jazz music and dance (both contemporary and dramatic).

Ralph Ellison Library, 2000 NE 23rd St. From 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month, REF, in conjunction with OCU, the Red Earth MFA program and Metropolitan Library System, holds a free public writing workshop at the library.

The workshops are led by professors, authors and poets who understand the challenges that can accompany written expression, said Owens.

“It’s right down to the syntax,” Owens said. “We’re dealing with everything that has to do with writing.”

Jan. 12, writer Najah Amatullah spoke about fiction, nonfiction and truth for REF’s first workshop of 2017.

REF events underscore one of the most prevalent themes in Ellison’s writing: visibility.

“He wrote about invisibility, but the problem was that people were not seeing him and what they needed to see,” Owens said.

The workshops aim to give confidence to young writers so they “want to be seen … want to be heard,” Owens said.

REF received a grant from Oklahoma Humanities Council (OHC) to implement curriculum inspired by Flying Home, Ellison’s collection of short stories, into Oklahoma schools. The curriculum is projected to be launched this month.

The foundation received another grant from OHC to hold four critical conversations throughout the state. The conversations, a continuation of REF’s In the Light Bulb Room series, will take place in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Stillwater and Norman.

“That’s another goal of ours: to take this conversation across Oklahoma,” Owens said.

The conversation series’ title refers to Ellison’s novel Invisible Man, in which the protagonist seeks introspection in a room lit by 1,369 light bulbs.

Owens said the novel’s light bulb room is a place of enlightenment, engagement and transformation. The discussion series attempts to create a similar effect by bringing in experts and scholars.

He used a pen and ink to express his aspirations for equality.

Michael Owens

Diverse unity

Owens said events such as In the Light Bulb Room foster inclusive spaces for open dialogue.

“That’s what moves the conversation forward. That’s what breaks down stereotypical views of the ‘other,’” Owens said.

“That’s where change takes place, when you can have honest, unadulterated dialogue that is healthy and respectful.”

Owens said that although Ellison grew up in a deeply segregated Oklahoma City, the author’s work comments on and transcends racial barriers.

“He used the pen and ink — those were his tools of being a soldier. He didn’t march arm in arm with civil rights leaders, but still, he used a pen and ink to express his aspirations for equality,” Owens said.

“Ellison recognized that unless we come together — black, white, Asian, Latino, it didn’t matter — unless we recognize each other’s humanity, the world would never get better.”

Visit ralphellisonfoundation.org.

Increasing visibility

While the gala is an annual fundraiser, REF hosts other monthly and quarterly events aimed at honoring Ellison’s legacy by promoting literacy and writing skills among young people.

On Saturday mornings at 9:30, REF hosts clinics for elementary school-aged children who struggle with reading at the

Michael Owens serves as Ralph Ellison Foundation’s executive director. | Photo Ralph Ellison Foundation / provided O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7

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H ea lth

ARTS & CULTURE

Weighed down

Surgeries remain a viable yet extreme option in weight loss and management. By Terre Cooke Chaffin

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

More than 100,000 people a year decide to surgically change their anatomy in a last effort to lose weight. The idea of allowing a surgeon to perform one of the three “gold standards” in this field can be hard to comprehend, as they are striking in their severity. But so are the medical implications of obesity on a person’s health and an entire health care system.

The three most common weight loss surgeries are:

Illustrations bigstock.com

>> Laparoscopic gastric bypass: A portion of the stomach is stapled, creating a small pouch, not removing the rest but instead bypassing it and a piece of the large intestine, rerouting food on a shorter track.

>> Lap adjustable gastric band: It is placed around the upper part of the stomach to create a small stomach pouch that then passes more slowly to the remainder, allowing for a faster feeling of fullness.

>> Gastric sleeve: The procedure creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach before surgically removing the rest.

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Some of these procedures, often covered by health insurance, promise dramatic weight loss in excess of 100 pounds. And they’re becoming more popular. They’ve been shown to dramatically impact overall health by helping reduce high blood pressure, reverse diabetes, lower cholesterol and improve sleep apnea.

But what might be most astonishing is the surprise of the medical professionals who first performed these surgeries.

Initially developed to shrink stomach size and force portion control, bariatric medicine discovered a collateral benefit.

For reasons not fully understood, cutting the stomach in any way appears to reduce levels of ghrelin, a hormone produced in the stomach that tells us we are hungry. This, in turn, the thinking goes, sends new messages to the brain that might or might not impact other hormones recognized as contributing to a sense of well-being, fullness and satiation.

Greg Walton, a weight-loss surgeon at WeightWise Bariatric Program in Edmond, said obesity is a disease of inappropriate biologic hunger messages in the face of too much stored fat. If your body mass index (BMI), a measure of height and weight proportions, is over 35, you’re “pretty much toast” when it comes to achieving a healthy weight, Walton said.

In fact, 10-year-out statistics show bariatric surgery is the best answer many have to changing a broken body weight management system. Walton said 65 percent of people who’ve had bariatric surgery can lose half their excess weight and keep it off a decade later.

Comparatively, he estimated 3 percent or less of people utilizing diet, exercise or medications will be successful two years down the road.

Even with the benefits of surgery, however, patients must be careful about the types of foods consumed.

“We know now from a long history that carbs are poison to our body’s ability to burn fat and they actually make you feel hunger,” Walton said. “The key to weight loss long-term is getting hunger under control and burning fat. At the end of the day, a person who struggles with weight must be low on carbs. Patients who’ve had bariatric surgery must stick to small protein meals with nonstarchy vegetables and eventually can work back into some fruit. But if they eat carbs again, their bodies will go into making hunger and storing energy because a hormone system that controls much of this goes haywire.”

Jim Keller, who performs psychological services for several of the local bariatric centers, including Integris and WeightWise, works with weight loss patients before and after surgery. The long-

Jim Keller performs psychological services for several of the local bariatric centers, including Integris and WeightWise | Photo Garett Fisbeck

held standard of “eat less and exercise more” truly does not work for some patients. Keller counsels them about the psychology of eating and the transformation of mindset that must happen to maintain the weight loss they achieve post-op.

“For the first time in their lives, my patients have a body and metabolism working for them. When you diet and begin losing weight in a typical diet and exercise program, the body begins defending against that,” Keller said. “You are immediately going uphill. But in a sense, by screwing up the body in ways we don’t fully understand, the body is helping you, getting out of the way.

The key to weight loss long-term is getting hunger under control and burning fat.

Greg Walton “There seems to be this window of one year to 18 months where they have their best shot at success. They have the smaller stomach helping with hunger; this is their time to fashion good habits and eliminate the bad. They need to get things in check so they have good behaviors in place to maintain the weight loss.”

Harvard University recently held an obesity conference and course for professionals in the field of obesity medicine. It

informed participants it has identified at least 57 different subtypes of obesity. After stumbling upon the reduction of the stomach hormone ghrelin following bariatric surgery, there are all sorts of questions raised about all the factors that go into normal weight and normal weight management. Why can one person eat 2,500 calories and work out daily with no weight gain while another who has been overweight all their life and lost 100 pounds eats only 1,000 calories a day and gains at the slightest change in a restricted diet?

Obviously, genetics play a role, but professionals say it’s more complicated than that.

“We tell our patients genetics load the gun but the environment pulls the trigger,” Walton said.

Professionals in the field of bariatrics emphasize that surgery is not a quick fix.

Real changes of habit and mindset must be made. Learning what, when and how to eat is completely different from what the patient knows as normal.

Coming up: The Weighed down series examines life after bariatric surgery, explores specific diets and portions and talks to two patients on their own weight loss journeys.

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

Gazette.pdf

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1/26/17

10:56 AM

Globetrotter Hammer Harrison leads youth on the court. | Photo The Original Harlem Globetrotters / provided

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act i v e

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Harlem hoops

The Original Harlem Globetrotters return to OKC with a game full of tricks and laughs. By Michael Kinney

MY

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Reece Goose Tatum, Meadowlark Lemon, ability. Every time I dunk, it sounds like Fred Curly Neal — their names are etched thunder. So they gave me that name.” in the history of basketball. The list of the As part of its 2017 world tour, The great basketball players who have donned Original Harlem Globetrotters will be in the uniform of The Original Harlem Oklahoma throughout February for their Globetrotters, which were inducted into annual visit to the state. After stops in Tulsa the basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, goes and Muskogee, the team brings its brand on and on. of goodwill, humor and basketball skills to Since 1926, the Globetrotters have filled Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Though the Globetrotters have visited its roster with talented players who do more Oklahoma for decades, McClurkin knows than just play basketball. Whether it’s for many have yet to see the team in action. the pope, kings, presidents or average working men and women, the great ones An Ohio native, McClurkin has been entertain. part of the Globetrotters for three seasons.

While the names on the back of the uniHe still remembers the first time he put on forms have changed, the red, white and blue the goal of the franuniform. chise and its current “I guess the thing I members remains the The Original Harlem remember the most is same. looking out into the Globetrotters “I think the coolest crowd and seeing a part is that all of the little kid, 20-year-olds 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday ground work has and somebody in their Chesapeake Arena already been laid for 60s, and everybody had 100 W. Reno Ave. the Globetrotters,” the biggest smiles on chesapeakearena.com Zeus McClurkin said. their faces, cheering for 800-653-8000 “They’ve been around me, wanting me to do $19-$122 since 1926, for 91 years. well,” McClurkin said.

I think the coolest part The Globetrotters is that people recognize us wherever we go. have inspired those reactions for almost a People see and recognize the Harlem century all across the globe. Playing in 122 Globetrotter brand. It’s a huge responsibilcountries and in front of more than 144 ity that we have to keep the tradition going. million people have made it the world’s It’s an honor being an ambassador to goodteam.

It’s an opportunity he and his current will.” teammates don’t take lightly.

But McClurkin knows it’s the basics that the fans keep coming back to experience “I’ve been to 18 different countries around the world,” McClurkin said. with their children and grandchildren. And it’s up to the players, no matter what era, “Coolest place I’ve ever been is Israel and to leave their own mark on the franchise. walked the streets of Jerusalem. That was “For example, everybody has a signature amazing for me. I’ve also been to Rome and move that they do,” McClurkin explained.

Paris. If you had told me as a kid that I would “Me being a minster at my church, I’m have saw the world with this game I just known for spinning the ball on my fingers like to play in my backyard, I would have but holding it on my praying hands at the laughed at you.”

Games are 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday same time. They give us easy nicknames for one. You have to earn that nickname. at Chesapeake Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave. You don’t just come on the team and they Tickets are $19-$122. call you what your mom and dad named Visit chesapeakearena.com or harlemyou. They call me Zeus for my dunking globetrotters.com.

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O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7

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Six mascots join Rumble at this year’s Breakfast with Rumble fundraiser. | Photo Zach Beeker / Oklahoma City Thunder / provided

Speak to Me

yo uth

JEFFREY GIBSON

ARTS & CULTURE

Bison breakfast

Annual Breakfast with Rumble raises funds for the Thunder Cares Foundation. By Michael Kinney

02/09 - 06/11 Opening: Thursday, Feb. 9 | Fairgrounds Reception: 5:30 p.m. | Artist talk: 6 p.m.

Symposium: 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 at Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art oklahomacontemporary.org | 405 951 0000 | @okcontemporary 3000 General Pershing Blvd. | Oklahoma City, OK 73107

Mascot Mania 7 p.m. Friday Chesapeake Energy Arena 100 W. Reno Ave. ticketmaster.com 800-653-8000 $15-$240

Breakfast with Rumble the Bison 8 a.m. Saturday Cox Convention Center 1 Myriad Gardens okcthunder.com 405-208-4667 $100

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s mascot is a celebrity. When Rumble the Bison goes around town, he is admired by fans almost as much some of the players.

Officials for the Thunder decided that the popularity of the furry bison in the Thunder uniform would be a good starting point for a fundraiser. In the five years since the first Breakfast with Rumble, it has become one of the franchise’s biggest events.

“He is a big thing,” said Christine Berney, Thunder vice president of community relations. “He packs it in. I have been to every single one of these. I look forward to it every year. It keeps getting more and more fun.”

The 5th Annual Breakfast with Rumble starts 8 a.m. Saturday at Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, and will last almost two hours.

“It’s a kids event,” Berney said. “But we have had some very excited Rumble fans who are adults. So it’s not limited to kids, but geared toward kids. It’s basically a chance for about 200 kids to… hang out with Rumble and a group of his friends.”

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Rumble’s breakfast event guests include other mascots and a program featuring Thunder Girls, drum team, dunk show and Thunder entertainers.

“There’s a lot of action,” he said.

The idea behind Breakfast with Rumble was born out of the Thunder not wanting to be like other organizations.

“You may have noticed the Thunder have never done a black-tie gala or the more traditional fundraiser events that other teams do to raise money for their foundations,” Berney said. “We were challenged by our leadership early on to come up with something different.”

They saw Rumble’s popularity as the key to an event that couldn’t fail.

Breakfast with Rumble actually kicks off the night before with Mascot Mania. Six other NBA mascots join Rumble on Friday during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

“We have six other mascots joining us this year,” Berney said. “So, basically, Rumble’s friends just stay the night and they join him for breakfast the next morning.”

The Thunder will sell special limited edition Rumble T-shirts during Mascot Mania. Combined with the ticket sales from Breakfast with Rumble, the Thunder usually raises more than $25,000 for Thunder Cares Foundation.

“Most of the funds go to basketball court refurbishments and new basketball courts throughout the state of Oklahoma in communities that need a court,” Berney said. “I think we are on our 14th court refurbishment. We have a few more in the queue. They are not cheap things to do. We decided early on that that was a good use of the focus for the foundation. But we also use it for other things like our annual Make-A-Wish. We host up to three groups of kids every year.”

“It’s really organized chaos for an hour and a half, and then hopefully the kids go home and take a nap so their parents can recover from it,” Berney said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

calendar are events recommended

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

BOOKS John J. Dwyer, signs The Oklahomans The Story of Oklahoma and Its People featuring the same colorful and readable format as The War Between the States: America’s Uncivil War, the Oklahomans will chronicle the saga of the winning and losing of a land, 6 p.m. Feb. 2. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU Elois Midgette Campbell autograph event, recalling the life of Frankie Bruner (mama) before, during and after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis and the process of how the family deals with this disease by demonstrating caring with love, 12-2 p.m. Feb. 4.

Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. SAT Book signing with Lydia Reeder, author of Dust Bowl Girls, the inspiring story of a little-known women’s college basketball team of hard-working farm girls who never dreamed of going to college during the Great Depression, 5:30-7 p.m. Feb. 6. OK Sports Hall of Fame, 4040 N. Lincoln Blvd., 405-4271400, oklahomasportshalloffame.org. MON Julie Dill book signing of Bluff, an Oklahoma teen turns her poker prowess into a source of income then finds it exacts a price, 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 7. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. TUE

FILM Dirty Dancing, (US, 1987, Emile Ardolino) spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her family, Frances Houseman falls in love with the camp’s dance instructor, Johnny Castle, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Feb. 1. Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 405-424-0461, cinemark.com. WED Free Viewing of Hidden Figures, (US, 2016, Theodore Melfi) a team of African-American women provide NASA with important mathematical data needed to launch the program’s first successful space missions, 2:30-5:50 p.m. Feb. 4. Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 405424-0461, cinemark.com. SAT Bolshoi Ballet: Swan Lake, a ballet of ultimate beauty and a score of unparalleled perfection

born at the Bolshoi in 1877. In the dual role of white swan Odette and her rival black swan Odile, prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova exudes both vulnerability and cunning through superb technical mastery, alongside the powerful and emotional Siegfried, Denis Rodkin, 12:55 p.m. Feb. 5. Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 405424-0461, cinemark.com. SUN

Winter Indoor Herbs, create a tender herb garden with plants you can use for winter stews and soups. Pot herbs in this all-ages, hands-on class. All materials are supplied, 10-11:30 a.m. Feb. 4. Will Rogers Garden Center, 3400 NW 36th St., 405-297-1392, okc.gov/parks. SAT

Wayne’s World 25th Anniversary, (US, 1992, Penelope Spheeris) based on the Saturday Night Live a sketch, this irreverent pop-culture comedy about the adventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends who broadcast a talk show called Wayne’s World on local public access television, 7:30p.m. Feb. 7. Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 405-424-0461, cinemark.com. TUE

6th Annual Zydeco Gumbo Cookoff, annual fundraiser for the Norman Mardi Gras Parade.

Enjoy music from Zydeco Allstars and vote for your favorite gumbo for prizes and awards. Chefs include Joe from Bourbon Street Bar, Calvin White, Rex Stanford, Michael Hunt, Joseph Darbon of Classic Cajun Cuisine and more, 6-9 p.m. Feb. 4. Scratch Annex, 428 E. Main St., Norman, 405-801-2900, visitnorman.com. SAT

HAPPENINGS Using Video for Marketing Success, network and mingle with small business owners. Digital marketing topics tailored to help small business owners with online strategies, 11:30-1 p.m. Feb. 1. The Barn, 1601 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-528-4440, thebarnokc. com. WED Terrarium Thursday, succulent terrariums — how to design, create and maintain an easy-to-care-for plant world. Cocktail meet-and-greet, followed by hands-on terrarium crafting class and Q&A, 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 2. The Plant Shoppe, 705 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-748-0718, plantshoppe.com. THU Groundhog Day, don’t miss this wild zoo tradition as animal ambassadors, grizzly bear brothers Will and Wiley make their annual Groundhog Day prediction. Enjoy free hot chocolate, snacks and two-for-one admission, 10 a.m. Feb. 2. Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 2000 Remington Pl., 405-424-3344, okczoo.org. THU Just try to Stop Animation, a make-and-create of stop-animation filmmaking in honor of filmmaker Helen Hill. Howlpop New Orleans will be the featured guest and materials to be provided on site.

Demonstrated techniques include film, hand-held camera, computer and cell phone animations, 4 p.m.-12 a.m. Feb. 2. RoundAbout, 1344 SW 14th St., 405-727-0977, roundaboutokc.org. THU Are You Smarter Than a KIPPster? Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Turpen hosts community leaders compete with KIPP OKC middle school students in a quiz bowl-style challenge, focusing on topics the students are learning in school. Open to the public and proceeds benefit academic initiatives for KIPP OKC students, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 2.

Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. THU

Going Contemporary: Art Collecting in the 21c, cocktails and conversation. Arrive early for a free public docent tour of 21c galleries followed by a talk from the curator, 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 3. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. FRI

Photo Resonate Campaign / provided

Yukon Chocolate Festival, over 20 chocolate booths, a silent auction and awards for best-tasting chocolate and best booth decor, 1-3 p.m. Feb. 4. Dale Robertson Center, 1200 Lakeshore Drive, Yukon, 405-350-7680, cityofyukon.gov. SAT

My Life as a Dog, (US, 1985, Lasse Hallstrom) a boy and his brother don’t get along well. In order to let their ill mother rest, they’re separated and sent each one with their relatives, 2 p.m. Feb. 5. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-2085000, okcu.edu. SUN

Oklahoma Tackle, Hunting & Boat Show, boats, fishing tackle, ATVs, hunting gear, apparel and more, Feb. 3-5. Cox Pavilion State Fairgrounds, 3001 General Pershing Blvd., 405-948-6800, okstatefair. com. FRI-SUN

National Wear Red Day at Myriad Botanical Gardens Heart disease and stroke are killers, especially in Oklahoma where they account for 31 percent of deaths, according to the American Heart Association. Myriad Botanical Gardens encourages women to “Go Red” during National Wear Red Day and come to the Great Lawn, 301 W. Sheridan Ave., at 11:30 a.m. Friday. The gathered crowd will form a giant heart to raise awareness of how a woman dies of heart disease or stroke every 80 seconds. 94.7 FM The Brew provides entertainment and Parking Lot Party and Pitchfork Kitchen and Bakery food trucks will sell heart-healthy eats.

Call 405-445-7080 or visit oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com. Friday

items during the live and silent auctions and dance to local live music by My So Called Band, while raising support and awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 4. Chevy Bricktown Events Center, 429 E. California Ave., 405-236-4143, brewerentertainment.com. SAT

2017 Oklahoma Environmental Education Expo, school garden topics such as building school gardens to last, edible gardens, gardening yearround, sensory and native gardens, community involvement, aquaponics, worm composting and more, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 3. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-2085000, okcu.edu. FRI Always Potterheads Festival, walk through Diagon Alley to seek your magical wand, enjoy butterscotch beer along with the necessary items for a year at Hogwarts. Potions classes and door prizes given away hourly, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 4-5. OKC Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., 405-232-6506, okcfarmersmarket.com. SAT-SUN The Freedmen Saga in the Indian Territory, join genealogist Ron Graham from the Descendants of Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes Association and vice president of Black Genealogy Research of Oklahoma as he discusses family research.

Learn about the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Census, Dawes Commission citizenship process, roll numbers, land allotments, 1866 treaty, tribal enrollment and other vital records, 1-3:30 p.m. Feb. 4. Ralph Ellison Library, 2000 NE 23rd St., 405-424-1437, metrolibrary.org/ ralph-ellison-library. SAT DIY Printmaking Workshop, join screenprinting guru Curtis Jones for the first workshop at Resonator Art Space. Learn how to create professional screenprints at home or just about any workspace.

Perfect for anyone curious about this practical

The Art Hall inaugural 2017 group exhibit Make this the year you get familiar with The Art Hall. The unique gallery space in the Uptown 23rd District hosts a reception for its inaugural 2017 group exhibit Friday. Featured artists include Gregory Brindley, Tyechia Cochrane, Sarah Day-Short, Sean Eldridge, Jared Euper, Sean Giboney, Amy Kelly, Betty Refour and Rose Refour. The reception is 6-9 p.m. Friday at The Art Hall, located next door to The Drake Seafood & Oysterette inside The Rise retail building at 519 NW 23rd St. Admission is free. Visit art.therisokc.com or call 405-606-7005. .

Friday Photo Oklahoma City Ballet / provided

2nd Annual Galentine’s Day, leave your boyfriends and husbands at home, drink mimosas, eat waffles and be a lady celebrating ladies. Proceeds go to Marked by The Spero Project, an interactive conference that moves people to make real and lasting change in issues affecting marginalized women locally and globally, 1-3 p.m. Feb. 5. Okay Yeah Co., 705 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-652-1322, okayyeahco.com. SUN Intro to Making Sushi, learn how to make professional sushi rice, slice salmon for sushi and make several varieties of rolls, 12-2 p.m. Feb. 5. Full Moon Sushi and Bistro, 326 E. Main St., Norman, 405701-1800, fullmoonsushi.com. SUN Founders Frootwood Release, introducing the crisp, light-bodied cherry ale that has been hidden away in oak barrels with bourbon and maple syrup. Try the beer that is blanketed in notes of warm vanilla and earthy sweetness at this special craft beer event, 6 p.m.

Feb. 7. The Patriarch, 9 E. Edwards St., Edmond, 405-285-6670, thepatriarchedmond.com. TUE

YOUTH and popular form of printmaking, 1-5 p.m. Feb. 4. Resonator, 1010 N. University Blvd., Norman, resonator.space. SAT Norman Spring Gardening Workshop, tips on spring gardening in Oklahoma and other helpful information from featured speakers from Cleveland County Master Gardener Association and Earth Rebirth, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Feb. 4. Pioneer Library System, 225 N. Webster Ave., Norman, 405-7012600, pioneerlibrarysystem.org/norman. SAT Transgender Support Group Meeting, meet other trans-identifying people and get support from others who deal with similar issues, 4-7 p.m. Feb. 4. Freedom Oklahoma, 4001 N. Classen Blvd., 405802-8229, freedomoklahoma.org. SAT String Art Snowflake, make string art home decor in this workshop. All supplies provided with small class fee, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Feb. 4. The Craft Room, 3017 N. Lee Ave., 817-455-2972, thepaseo.org. SAT Jewelry Trunk Show / Valentine’s Day Showcase, featuring Erin Marshall Merryweather, Amanda Bradway and Debbie Chambers. Offering tea from House of Vuu and treats from Sara Sara Cupcakes, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 5. DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., 405-525-3499, dnagalleries.com. SUN The Reel Women of Oklahoma Networking Mixer, inspire, connect and network with fellow female filmmakers, 12-3 p.m. Feb. 5.

Dunlap Codding, 609 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-6078600, dunlapcodding.com. SUN Grassland, collecting donations for Sequoyah Elementary school supplies. Bringing together audio and visual expression in OKC through art and culture, 9 p.m. Feb. 7. Sauced on Paseo, 2912 Paseo Drive, 405-521-9800, saucedonpaseo.com. TUE The Montellano Bridal Open House, featured vendors including taste-testing by Abbey Road Catering, floral arrangements by Tony Foss Flowers, entertainment by M&M Productions and sweets

by Michelle Handy Cakes, 4-7 p.m. Feb. 8. The Montellano Event Center, 11200 N. Eastern Ave., 405478-0752, themontellano.com. WED

FOOD Chocolate Decadence, an evening of decadent chocolate, gourmet coffee, wine, champagne, smooth jazz and a Valentine auction, 6:30-9 p.m.

Feb. 2. Hudson-Essex Loft Offices, 825 N. Broadway Ave., 405-605-0825, precorruffin.com. THU

History Detectives: Zoo Historic Landmarks, investigate the past using the zoo’s primary sources such as artifacts, photographs and maps. Enjoy a guided zoo tour and study the zoo archive, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 2. Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Pl., 405-424-3344, okczoo.org. THU Sweetheart Ball, dads, celebrate this Valentine’s Day with an evening of dinner and dancing with your daughter, hosted by the YMCA of greater OKC, 6:30-9:00 p.m. Feb. 3. Remington Park, 1 Remington Place, 405-424-9000, remingtonpark.com. FRI We Heart Animals, make Valentine’s gifts for the animals and your loved ones at this all-ages event, 10-11:30 a.m. Feb. 4. Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Pl., 405-424-3344, okczoo.org. SAT Disney Storytime, come dressed as your favorite Disney character and enjoy a very special storytime with Disney stories and kids can write/draw their own, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Feb. 4. Barnes & Noble, Norman, 540 Ed Noble Parkway, Norman, 405-579-8800, barnesandnoble.com. SAT Discover the Dinosaurs Unleashed, venture back to a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth with up-close encounters with a lifelike Stegosaurus, Velociraptor and the king T-Rex in this walkthrough exhibit, 9 a.m. Feb. 5. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 405-602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. SUN Power and Prestige Children’s Gallery, designed to complement the temporary exhibition Power and Prestige: Headdresses of the American Plains, the museum offers a fun activity space to explore bravery, pageantry, artistry, community and respect for culture and diversity. The Power and Prestige Children’s Gallery offers scenes and stories, a mapping journey, a story station reading area, make-and-take activity areas and continuous programming to engage children to explore on their own, in small groups, or as a family, Feb. 3-May 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

After School Art Program, activities include visits to museum galleries with related projects and guest speakers/performers, 3-4:30 p.m. through March 31. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

continued on page 40

Taste of OKC 2017, sample delicious foods and choice varietals from local restaurants, bid on

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

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calendar c a l e n da r

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PERFORMING ARTS First Friday Cabaret Kiss Off, the babes of Enter Lewd are back for First Friday Cabaret. Enjoy craft beers and good times with Holli Would, Gigi, Pyxis Deodara, Magic Joe and Spectra Spin, 10:30 p.m. Feb. 3. The Root, 3012 N. Walker Ave., 405-655-5889, theroot.com. FRI

Wampus Hangs Up His Hat, special performances from Emily Virgin, Sam Scovill, Andrew Deacon and Ryan Lindsey, Andrew Shank and Will Ogletree on the last show of Wampus hosting the Steve Reynolds Program, 9 p.m. Feb. 3. Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave., Norman, 405-673-4931, opolis.org. FRI Billy Crystal, a stand-up comic turned television star, Crystal found fame as a movie funnyman with starring roles in blockbusters When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers and Analyze This. An award-winning author, Crystal’s latest memoir, Still Foolin ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? an instant New York Times bestseller, 8 p.m. Feb. 4. WinStar World Casino, 777 Casino Ave., Thackerville, 580-276-4229, winstarworldcasino.com. SAT Joe DeRosa, DeRosa has become a favorite on the comedy circui, winning over comedy fans, radio listeners and TV audiences nationwide. Autograph signing and photos follow the show, 8 p.m. Feb. 4. Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs, 2415 Highway 4111, West Siloam Springs, 800-754-4111, cherokeecasino.com. SAT Classics: Andreas Delfs, presented by OKC Phil, Andreas Delfs guest conducts Debussy - Prelude a L’apres-midi d’un faune, Tchaikovsky - Variations on a Roccoco Theme, Op. 33, Tchaikovsky - Andate Cantabile and Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47, 8-11 p.m. Feb. 4. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SAT OLGA Vocal Ensemble, this a cappella quintet of Dutch, Icelandic and Russian singers approach musical traditions with enthusiasm, humor and drama with a repertoire covering more than five

centuries, 8-9:30 p.m. Feb. 4. Bass School of Music, OCU, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5000, okcu.edu/music. SAT Valarie Storm, comedian whose animated, likeable personality and quick delivery brings a relatable but unique voice to the stand-up stage, Feb. 1-4. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 405-2394242, loonybincomedy.com. WED -SAT

Verdi’s La Traviata, Giuseppe Verdi’s classic opera of a courtesan in love with a young man who is above her station, and features some of Verdi’s most loved music. Violetta, the protagonist, makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to ensure Alfredo’s happiness, and like many operas, there is a tragic ending, Feb. 3-5.

Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-2972264, okcciviccenter.com. FRI-SUN Assassins, a groundbreaking musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. This fictional portrayal of the men and women who attempted to assassinate presidents of the United States explores why the issues that drove these people to commit horrific crimes still affect Americans today. The music varies to reflect the popular music of the eras depicted, Feb. 8-26. Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 405-524-9312, lyrictheatreokc.com.

Sordid Lives, a cult-classic black comedy about white trash, full of love, loss and big hair, 8 p.m. through March 4. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405601-7200, theboomokc.com. FRI-SAT

ACTIVE Winter Wizards, a one-disc challenge event designed to provide social interaction between players of all skill levels and backgrounds, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 1. Will Rogers Park, 3400 N. Portland Ave., 405-946-2739, okc.gov/parks. WED Women’s Basketball, OU vs Kansas, 10:30 a.m. Feb. 1. Lloyd Noble Center, 2900 S. Jenkins Ave., Norman, 405-325-4666, lloydnoblecenter.com. WED

Indoor Kart Racing Finals, Oklahoma Mustang Club competes against several local clubs in an Ironman series. First club to complete 60 laps wins, come out to support the drivers, 6-9 p.m. Feb. 1.

Pole Position, 2905 NW 36th St., 405-942-2292, polepositionraceway.com. WED Men’s Basketball, Thunder vs Chicago Bulls, 8:30 p.m.

Feb. 1. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. WED Zumba: Valentine’s Day Edition, a combination of Latin and International music that creates a dynamic, exciting and effective fitness system, 6-7 p.m. Feb. 2.

Moore Public Library, 225 S. Howard Ave., Moore, 405793-5100, pioneerlibrarysystem.org. THU Men’s Basketball, Thunder vs Memphis Grizzlies, 7 p.m. Feb. 3. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. FRI 2017 Go Red for Native Women Heart Health Summit, free health screenings and classes on heart health, physical activity, nutrition and tobacco use, 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 3. Firelake Grand Casino, 777 Grand Casino Blvd., Shawnee, 405-964-7263, firelakegrand.com. FRI Dazzling Valentine’s Swing, one hour of beginning swing lessons followed by one hour of open swing and light snacks, 7-9 p.m. Feb. 3. Dazzlers Dance Studio, 111 W. Indian Hills Road, Norman, 405-532-7702, dazzlers4him.com. FRI

Feb. 18, ongoing Photo Scissortail CDC / provided

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Hand + Eye, work showing a high caliber of hands on illustrative/drawing skills from all levels of the graphic design, interior design, illustration and foundations programs, through Feb. 10. UCO Department of Design, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 405-974-5200, design@uco.edu. WED

37 Postcards, Avery Sutton is coming home after years of traveling abroad. Big comic surprises abound when he finds the house is tilted at a distinct angle, the dog hasn’t been fed in five years and his grandmother, who everyone thought was dead, is alive and kicking, 8 p.m. through Feb. 12. Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N. Walker Ave., 405-521-1786, jewelboxtheatre.org. THU -SAT

Women’s Basketball, OSU vs Texas, 7 p.m. Feb. 1.

Gallagher-Iba Arena, W. Hall of Fame Ave., Stillwater, 877-255-4678, okstate.edu. WED

Oklahoma City Museum of Art Two new exhibits come to Oklahoma City Museum of Art Feb. 18. The Unsettled Lens: Photography from the Permanent Collection and After the Floating World: The Enduring Art of Japanese Woodblock Prints will be on display on the first floor of the museum, 415 Couch Drive, through May 14. The exhibitions feature art from the museum’s permanent collection, but many have not been on view there before. Tickets are free$12 and include access to both exhibits.

Call 405-278-8237 or visit okcmoa.com.

Doan is a mixed media artist who primarily uses watercolor to create a blended flow between colors, through Feb. 5. DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., 405-525-3499, dnagalleries.com. WED -SUN

Coop Beer Yoga, a casual afternoon of stretching, community and beer, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Feb. 4. Coop Ale Works, 4745 Council Heights Road, 405-842-2667, coopaleworks.com. SAT BALTO 5K & Fun Run, run a 5k, 1-mile fun run or run with your dog. BALTO week raises money for child cancer patients, brain tumor patients, special education students, premature babies and more worthy causes, 9 a.m. Feb. 4. Mitch Park, 1501 W. Covell Road, Edmond, 405-359-4630, edmondok. com/parks. SAT No Limits Monster Truck Tour, featuring Ghost Ryder, Big Chief, Girl Power, Illuminator, Twisted Addition and Mega Truck with monster trucks gone wild, wheelie contests and monster truck freestyle, dragster tractors and more, 2 p.m. Feb. 4. Lazy E Arena, 9600 Lazy E Drive, Guthrie, 405-282-7433, lazye.com. SAT Rumble at Remington: Live Pro Boxing, pro boxing, bonus cash drawings in the casino and pregame at Bricktown Brewery with free admission and valet, 6-11 p.m. Feb. 4. Remington Park, 1 Remington Place , 405424-9000, remingtonpark.com. SAT

YO! That ’90s Sauced Party! If the 21st Century isn’t going so great, maybe it’s time to take a trip back to a simple era, when JNCOs were an in thing and cell phones were still dumb and clunky. The all-’90s dance party, with music courtesy of DJ Bone and DJ Sokmonkey, runs 6 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m.

Sunday at Sauced on Paseo, 2912 Paseo St. Admission is free, but no trip to sauced is complete without at least a drink and a pizza slice (or two). Visit saucedonpaseo.com or call 405521-9800. Saturday Photo Sarah Boling / provided All Night Skate, 12 hours of skating, fun, games, dance competitions and prizes, 8 p.m. Feb. 4-8 a.m. Feb. 5. Skate Galaxy, 5800 NW 36th St., 405-605-2758, skategalaxyokc.com. SAT Super Bowl at the Porthole, watch Super Bowl LI and try complimentary Mama Ross’ homemade spaghetti on Super Bowl Sunday. Good drinks, food and friends, 5 p.m. Feb. 5. The Porthole, 3630 NW 39th St., 405942-7011, travelok.com/listings. SUN Women’s Basketball, OU vs West Virginia, 7 p.m. Feb. 7. Lloyd Noble Center, 2900 S. Jenkins Ave., Norman, 405-325-4666, lloydnoblecenter.com. TUE

VISUAL ARTS A Yard of Turkey Red: The Western Bandanna, a rare collection of period bandannas provides a glimpse of authentic neckwear once sought after by young horsemen on the range and later popularized in Western fiction, Feb. 3-May 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

A Year in Review, the most stunning works from 2016 for a year in review, through Feb. 13. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 405604-6602, kasumcontemporary.com.

Abbreviated Portrait Series: Poteet Victory, Victory’s portraits employ common mental cues or triggers commonly associated with popular personalities, the titles of which are abbreviated in a manner akin to popular acronyms, through April 2.

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Hollywood and the American West, candid, intimate and raw, photographs showcase private access to the greatest movie stars, musicians and directors of all time. Subjects include John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Ann-Margret, John Ford, Gregory Peck, Paul Newman, Kirk Douglas, Bing Crosby, Danny Glover, Kevin Costner, and more, Feb. 3-May 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Jason Wilson at Red Dirt Gallery and Studio, Wilson is a contemporary perceptual artist who creates modern designs using acrylic paint formula and mathematically plotting a design which is then painted on to canvas with precision, 6-9 p.m. Feb.4.

Red Dirt Gallery, 13100 N. Colony Pointe Blvd., Yukon, 405-657-6207, reddirtartists.com. SAT Kim Norton’s Equine and Vineyard Paintings, oil and pastel works on canvas, masonite and velour paper by self-taught artist, through Feb. 28. 50 Penn Place, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-848-7588, 50pennplacegallery.com.

Off the Beaten Path, a photo-documented joint exhibit by Scott and Katie Henderson; tour many of the state’s unusual, intriguing and lesserknown areas, through May 4. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. SAT Oklahoma Pride: The next 50 Years of Oklahoma, artists in the wake of WWII took a new look at creative expression and progressive politics, they focused on self-expression, self-discovery and concepts beyond arts ordinary function, through April 8. Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 405-235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com.

Photo/Synthesis, photography by Will Wilson extends the body of portraiture of Native Americans in Oklahoma while shifting preconceptions about the historical narrative within which the Native community is often presented, through April 2. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Power and Prestige: Headdresses of the American Plains, original exhibition includes nine headdresses from Northern and Southern American Great Plains along with historical photographs, ledger art depicting warriors and bonnets from the museum’s permanent collection, through May 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St, 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Resonance & Relay: Community of Creative Exchange, challenging the notion of traditional studio art practice, Daren Kendall draws inspiration from relationships and conversations developed with colleagues and professionals across a diverse range of interests. A bird, a building, an instrument and conversations of sound invite the viewer to imagine the meaning of relationships, through Feb. 3. The Lightwell Gallery, 520 Parrington Oval, Rm. 202, Norman, 405-325-2691, art.ou.edu. WED -FRI

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

Child Labor in Oklahoma: Photographs by Lewis Hine, 1916-1917, exhibit highlighting a collection of 25 powerful photographs taken by Lewis Hine while he was in Oklahoma 100 years ago, through April, Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org/historycenter.

Contemporary Art Gallery features artist Renee Lawrence, Oklahoma culture and history are the inspirations for this Oklahoma City artist’s meticulous, lifelike ink drawings, Feb. 3-26.

Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 405-6017474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com.

Contemporary Realism, three solo exhibitions of contemporary realism featuring David Crismon, Michele Mikesell and Mistsuno Reedy, Feb. 3-26. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com.

Cut Me Some Slack new work by Joe Slack, opening reception for sculpture artist defined as creating primitive inspired art with a modern spin and touch of humor, Feb. 3-March 3. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5000, okcu.edu.

January Featured Artists: Jim Trosper and Annie Doan, Trosper’s photographs show the purest forms of nature, translating the connection people have with nature that is a rooted desire for the unknown.

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

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 44

MUSIC Smithsonian Folkways Recordings released Roll Columbia: Woody Guthrie’s 26 Northwest Songs in January. The two-disc album features a long list of guest musicians and nine songs written by Guthrie but never before recorded. | Image Smithsonian Folkways Recordings / provided

were just beautiful.”

f e at u r e

Honing in

Float on

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings packages Roll Columbia as a first-of-its-kind collection of Woody Guthrie’s Pacific Northwest gems.

By Ben Luschen

Woody Guthrie as a government employee might seem like the punchline to a good joke, but for one month in 1941, the fascist-bashing Okemah native found himself on the payroll for the Department of the Interior and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).

The monumental folk singer-songwriter wrote “Roll On, Columbia, Roll On,” one of his most well-known songs, and the lyrics to 25 other tunes while touring the Pacific Northwest for a federally produced documentary about the construction of electricity-generating river dams.

The words and lyrics that he was writing at that time in his life were just beautiful.

Jeff Place

Guthrie created songs for the film, but the documentary saw many production delays before its eventual 1949 release.

“They basically hired a driver whose job it was to drive him in his car all up and down the river,” Jeff Place, archivist at Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in Washington, D.C., and one of the world’s

leading experts on the songwriter, told Oklahoma Gazette. “He wrote about all the people he met and how cool and beautiful it was.”

Place helped collect historic materials for Folkways’ Roll Columbia: Woody Guthrie’s 26 Northwest Songs, released Jan. 27.

It is the first complete collection of the Oklahoma-born folk icon’s BPA songs, including nine that have never been recorded before.

The album features members of R.E.M, The Decemberists, Black Prairie, Michael Hurley, David Grisman and several Northwest-based folk musicians sharing their interpretations of some of Guthrie’s best writing and, in some cases, putting original music to his lyrics for the first time.

The two-disc set also includes a 44-page booklet with liner notes and photos.

The popular Columbia River Collection from 1988 featured several original Guthrie recordings but only includes the songs he got around to setting in wax or playing on film.

Place said the first-of-its-kind Roll Columbia collection showcases some of Guthrie’s best writing from the peak of his career.

“In that time period, he was really focused,” he said. “The words and lyrics that he was writing at that time in his life

Seattle-based folk singer-songwriter Cahalen Morrison performs on several Roll Columbia tracks.

As evidenced by the project’s long list of talented contributors, Guthrie’s tree of musical influence stretches far and wide.

“When I first got out of school and started traveling and playing,” Morrison said, “whether you know anything about him or not, you get a lot of people comparing you to Woody if you’re just rolling around, playing different songs in coffeehouses.”

Morrison, a songwriter in his own right, made sure to pick two of Guthrie’s unrecorded songs for his contribution to the record.

The challenge of creating melodies to complement Guthrie’s words and recording them for the first time was too much to pass up.

Morrison styled first choice “Lumber Is King” as a bluegrass waltz. Its lyrics indicate Guthrie’s concern about the environmental impact industry was having on the Northwest.

“But, think of the day when the land is cut o’er,” the lyrics say. “And what of King Lumber when timber’s no more?”

Morrison also picked “White Ghost Train,” a track he gave a Western swing flavor. It is one of the only BPA tunes that has almost nothing to do with the Pacific Northwest, which might be why it was never previously recorded.

Though Morrison admits he has never been as deeply into Guthrie’s work as some other folk musicians he knows, he does identify with his wandering spirit.

Morrison was born in New Mexico but moved out at a young age to chase his music dreams. He traveled the country, eventually settling in Seattle, where his

sister also lives.

“I feel like it was a stroke of luck for it not to be somewhere else,” he said. “I love the Northwest. It’s pretty much the opposite in weather and culture from where I grew up in New Mexico.”

Morrison said he has a tremendous amount of respect for Guthrie’s artistry.

“He really honed in on how to write about people and American people and their struggles,” Morrison said. “I feel like American music of all styles owes a lot to his work.”

Folk revival

Place was raised by two “folkie” parents during the folk boom of the 1950s and ’60s.

They took him along to concerts for Peter, Paul and Mary and other similar acts.

Growing up around the genre, he knew a lot of Guthrie’s songs, but versions performed or recorded by other people. Place started studying Guthrie’s work more closely after he went to college.

“Now practically everything that’s been dug up I’ve heard,” Place said.

He has worked with Smithsonian Folkways for around three decades.

He said love for Guthrie comes and goes by the year, but he has never seen more interest in the folk legend than in the past decade.

He attributes part of the popularity spike to the opening of Tulsa’s Woody Guthrie Center in 2013. It’s a public museum where unrecorded lyrics from the Woody Guthrie Archives inspired younger musicians to put music to the words.

“It seems like there’s one of these projects every year that gets acknowledged and keeps Woody on everybody’s radar,” Place said.

He said Roll Columbia should excite Guthrie fans as well as songwriting fans of all kinds.

“It was one of those things that came out of left field and we were like, ‘OK; this is a cool project. We definitely need to do that one,’” he said.

Visit folkways.si.edu for more information.

Cahalen Morrison | Photo Trade Root Music Group / provided

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music event

Neon notes

Randy Rogers’ red dirt act returns to Oklahoma.

By Lea Terry

Randy Rogers Band 6 p.m. Friday Choctaw Grand Theater Choctaw Casino Resort 4216 S. Highway 69/75, Durant sold out

event

Randy Rogers Band has had the same lineup throughout its 15-year history, something founder Randy Rogers said is a big reason the act has been successful and enjoyed a long, stable career.

“We’re a big family, and we all respect each other and we have each other’s back,” Rogers said.

This camaraderie is an advantage for a Texas outfit that plays about 150 touring dates a year. It brings its red dirt-hued country to Oklahoma for a sold-out show Friday at Choctaw Grand Theater at Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant. Joining them is fellow Texan Casey Donahew.

Rogers has performed at the casino several times and described it as “one of the best.” He also said that not only are Oklahomans music lovers, they’ve also been some of the band’s biggest supporters dating back to the beginning of his career.

His band has performed at Oklahoma venues ranging from Tulsa’s historic Cain’s Ballroom to Tumbleweed Dancehall in Stillwater and Oklahoma City’s Blue Note Lounge.

“We’ve definitely paid our dues in Oklahoma,” he said, “and we’ve had a great time doing it.”

Rogers counts Merle Haggard and George Strait as major influences. Also on the list is Willie Nelson, with whom Rogers recorded “Trouble Knows My Name” from the band’s 2013 album Trouble.

Rogers’ father is a preacher, and as a child, Rogers sang in church, which is where his love of music and performing started. Around the time he graduated college, he also started the band and knew he had to take a chance on a music career.

His mantra is simple: Just jump.

“I think Guy Clark said it best: Always trust your cape,” he said. “Writing songs

Randy Rogers Band | Photo Chris McCoy / provided

and singing is something I felt confident about and comfortable with. I want to say that I knew that I could pull this off, but I never dreamed it would take me as far as it’s taken me.”

The band’s seventh album, Nothing Shines Like Neon, was released last year.

Rogers said he and his bandmates set out to make a traditional country record, something he felt they captured in the songs.

“Neon Blues” tells the story of a woman burned by love and who “ain’t in the mood for any more lies or pickup lines.” In “San Antone,” the narrator proclaims his joy in returning home to Texas. In “Things I Need to Quit,” he lists the many bad habits he needs to break, including cigarettes and the memory of a love gone wrong, telling his lost love, “Girl, I’m all messed up and you’re to blame.”

The project also captures performances with high-profile fellow country music performers, including Jamey Johnson on “Actin’ Crazy,” Jerry Jeff Walker on “Taking It As It Comes” and Alison Krauss on “Look Out Yonder.”

Rogers writes about 80 percent of the band’s material and sometimes cowrites with three of the other band members. He focuses on traditional country music themes, which he described as “love and loss and blue-collar, hard-working values.”

“I like country music; I grew up listening to country music, and I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel,” Rogers explained.

Rogers said Friday’s sold-out crowd will enjoy a show that’s positive and energyfilled. Part of that upbeat, high-energy experience comes from the band’s own enthusiasm and passion for its work, something that Rogers said hasn’t waned in the group’s 15 years together.

“We still love to hop on the bus and go on tour; it’s still our lifestyle and it’s still a lot of fun,” Rogers said. “We get to go all over the country and do what we love to do. It’s not for everyone, but somehow, we manage to keep it in between the lines.”

This summer, the musicians head back into the studio to record their eighth album.

Visit randyrogersband.com.

Attention Holder Austin singer-songwriter gets personal as she sequesters herself while writing her latest project.

By Lea Terry

Austin singer-songwriter Ali Holder said more flexible schedule to accommodate people have described her performances her creative aspirations. as “moody.” While she doesn’t know exactly She went to grad school, which she said what they mean by that, she did say that made her realize her career didn’t have to her songs are intensely personal and perfollow a specific direction and instead, forming is cathartic. she could create a path that worked best for her.

“I tend to just zone out and sing my songs,” Holder said.

Holder, who earned undergraduate and She takes the stage 11 pm. Feb. 13 at The graduate degrees in art education, still Deli, 301 White St., on Campus Corner in teaches visual art, a job she said works well Norman. with her music career, a profession that The gig is one of only a handful Holder requires flexibility and a willingness to go has played in Oklahoma. Each time she wherever opportunity takes her.

“I think the paradigm of what it is to visits, she’s amazed by the talent and muhave a successful career as a musician is sicianship she discovers.

“I have always met musicians that blow changing constantly,” Holder said. “I me away,” Holder said. “There is something think being able to adapt to that is always great going on in your state a challenge.” musically.”

Holder’s inf luences Born in Wichita Falls, include Lucinda Williams, Ali Holder Texas, Holder became inPatty Griffin and Gillian terested in music at age 14.

Welch, though these days she 11 p.m. Feb. 13 Seven years ago, she moved listens to everyone from The Deli to Austin in the hopes of Beyoncé to David Ramirez 309 White St., Norman establishing a music and Brandy Zdan. aliholder.com career. However, she also Literature also influ405-329-3534 ences her songwriting. In had a teaching job and 21+ found that she needed a fact, her latest EP was loosely 42

F E B R U A R Y 1 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Ali Holder | Photo Eryn Brooke / provided

inspired by Stephen King’s series The Dark Tower, which merges horror, science fiction, fantasy and Western genres.

She also incorporated her own dark times into her work, including the end of a four-year relationship.

While Holder’s songs are intensely personal, she said it’s great if someone can relate to her music, even if it has a different meaning for them than it does for her.

“Music is healing, music is empowering, music is enraging, calming — it’s a spectrum of emotions and feelings,” Holder said. “If someone can find what I’ve said to be a mirror in their own lives, I guess that is the goal.”

For her 2015 EP From My Veins Will Fall, Holder wrote while secluded at a writers’ residency at a ranch in Medina,

Texas. She said that being isolated from people and the Internet boosted her productivity and helped her create a structure conducive to digging in and giving her craft the time and attention it needs.

While she tries to do something similar when she writes at home, she said the isolation of being at the ranch allowed her to go much deeper.

“It’s easy to just write when I am inspired at home, but what more often what happens is that I get distracted or I don’t take the time to be fully creative,” she said.

“I’ll just end up with half-finished songs.”

Her new project, Huntress Moon, is available for preorder on iTunes and due out Feb. 10. Visit aliholder.com or thedeli. us.

review

Winter wonder

Bowlsey’s Justin ‘Rev’ Hogan take a break from neo-soul for cold and dreamy czarlite.tsarbright.

By Ben Luschen

Justin Hogan is perhaps best known locally as “Rev,” the multi-instrumentalist behind neo-soul and hip-hop band Bowlsey. As he steps away for solo EP czarlite.tsarbright. under the name hogunZEROs, Hogan proves not only his talent, but great musical range.

Those going in expecting to hear a Bowlsey instrumental or beat tape might be initially disappointed, but not for long, as the seven-song, 24minute EP’s frozen dreamscape of alternative rock pleases right away and maintains a consistent and cohesive quality to the end.

On czarlite.tsarbright., Hogan is running from something. Opening track “Czarlite” paints a picture of an imposing Russian tsar figure on the hunt for prison camp escapees.

On the intro and throughout the project, Hogan’s lyrics are poetically cryptic and leave a lot for fans to decipher and mull over.

Fortunately (and to the songwriter’s credit), the lyrics are posted on his Bandcamp for even more intense analysis.

“Czarlite” fades away into the second song, “Elaborate Skeleton Noise (ego without wings).”

This is one of the stronger songs on the project. Hogan’s soft vocals blend in well with a pretty sturdy wall of amped guitar and drums.

There’s a dreamy, shoegaze vibe to this song and many of the others in this collection.

The EP has a dark tone to it overall, one enhanced by some atmospheric noise and occasional subtle, eerie echoing.

At the same time, it’s a fairly upbeat listen. Perhaps the most impressive thing about czarlite is that it maintains a consistent sound even as it explores some distinctive ideas.

Things really clear up from a dreamy murk on more chipper “From Out of Space,” sure to be a favorite jam for many listeners.

One of the good things about the EP is that it keeps a general edge even while diving into some dreamy psychedelia.

It’s truly an engaging listen.

The album is reminiscent of The Nutcracker in some ways. It sounds dark and feels cold. It’s definitely a winter listen.

czarlite.tsarbright by Justin Hogan | Image provided

Hogan ventures back into darkness on one of czarlite’s eerier tracks, “Shadows Turn Pale.” There seems to be a general theme of a neverending run from dread or anxiety in the project.

Hogan sings about how the light from his phone never lets shadows turn pale.

There’s always something — be it a menacing tsar or guilt from a past indiscretion — that’s forever on your heels.

“Chase Scene through a Snowy Forest and on to a Frozen Lake/Pillow of Years (Above Me)” is by far the longest song title on the EP; the seven-minute song is also the highest reaching. The “Chase Scene” half is a long, entrancing instrumental intro that gives way to some of the EP’s most visually strong and evocative writing.

After two-minute track “Thin Air,” the album wraps up with “Tsarbright,” assumedly the flipside to “Czarlite.” It’s the climactic ending that the previous songs deserve.

Hogan leaves listeners with words that should dwell on their minds for a while: “The tsar and all his men have gone away / so tonight we’ll celebrate a murdering.”

Bowlsey plans on releasing a fulllength album to follow its 2015 EP Elder sometime in 2017. If that last release is any indicator, the new album is unlikely to sound much like Hogan’s debut solo EP. Yet Rev is clearly hitting some kind of musical stride, and czarlite might well be a sign that a sonically ambitious record from Bowlsey is on the horizon.

Stream the album at hogunzeros. bandcamp.com. Hear more from Bowlsey at bowlsey.bandcamp.com.

It sounds dark and feels cold.

This is definitely a winter listen.

Brent Tongco

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

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

Motown

the Musical

Tuesday March 7Th

civic center music hall

enter to win

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

Must provide eMail, full naMe & phone nuMber.

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 1 , 2 0 1 7

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LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended

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

WEDNESDAY, 2.01 Electric Rodeo, Six Shooter Saloon. ELECTRONIC Maurice Johnson, The R&J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ R&B Jam - The Soulmen, Bourbon Street Bar. R&B

Social Creatures, The Deli. FOLK

THURSDAY, 2.02 Another Lost Year/Never Say Die/Lullwater/ Hanging Hayley, Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Bar. ROCK Carol Morgan, Bill’s Steakhouse and Saloon.

ACOUSTIC

Casey & Minna, Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library. FOLK Concepts/Makari, The Paramount Theatre. ROCK Garage Band Jam - The Garage Band, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES Luke Wade/Matt McAndrew, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. SINGER/SONGWRITER Nick Dittmeier & the Sawdusters, Red Brick Bar. BLUES

The Smooth Soulful Sax & Axe, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Cafe. JAZZ

Restaurant & Brewery. BLUES Mike Bradley, Eddie’s Bar & Grill. BLUES

2am, Baker Street Pub & Grill. ROCK

Mike McClure/Dylan Stewart, The Blue Door. ROCK

ROCK

Canker Blossom, Your Mom’s Place. ROCK

om c . s T e k c i T e t t Gaze

Friday | Photo Phillip Grundy / provided

FRIDAY, 2.03 Backwater Creek, Brewskeys.

on sale now at

The Lost End New Oklahoma City postpunk band The Lost End makes a big splash with its debut show, playing Blue Note Lounge alongside prog-rock outfit Oberon and the low-fi Los Eskeletos. The Lost End is comprised of vocalist Ryan Taylor, guitarist Scott Jones, bassist Brian Daniel and drummer Trevor Helm. The show begins 9 p.m. Friday at Blue Note Lounge, 2408 N. Robinson Ave. Admission is $5, and CDs of the band’s first three songs will be given to all in attendance. Visit facebook.com/ BlueNoteOKC or call 405-434-8832.

Miss Brown to You, Full Circle Bookstore. BLUES Nail Unplugged, Hollywood Corners Station.

VARIOUS

Conspiracy Rejects, Okie Tonk Cafe. ROCK

OKeyMusikk, The Venue OKC. VARIOUS

Electric Okie Test, Puebla Tacos y Tequileria.

Rock N Rog, Classics. ACOUSTIC

COVER

Final Drive, Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Bar.

Smilin’Vic, UCO Jazz Lab. BLUES

ROCK

Stars, Newcastle Casino. VARIOUS

Josh Abbott Band, Riverwind Casino. COUNTRY

The Rumor, Russell’s Bar. VARIOUS

Layken, Stoney LaRue Music House.

Voodoo, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Max Ridgway, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ

SUNDAY, 2.05

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Parker McCollum, Grady’s 66 Pub. FOLK Shortt Dogg, UCO Jazz Lab. BLUES Slow Speed Breaker, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. VARIOUS Travis Linville, The Blue Door. FOLK Wink Burcham/Jacob Tovar, Hollywood Corners Station. COUNTRY

SATURDAY, 2.04 Aztec Death/Kali Ra/Sensitiv Southside Boy/ Dresden Bombers, Blue Note Lounge. VARIOUS Bluegrass Open Jam, American Banjo Museum. BLUEGRASS Caterpillars/Svenny Baby/Cavern Company, Red Brick Bar. ROCK Chief Keef, Tower Theatre.

RAP

Blues Jam - Tyler Lee, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES Edgar Cruz, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. SINGER/SONGWRITER

MONDAY, 2.06 Fall Beyond Pharaoh/Bloodline, Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Bar. ROCK

WEDNESDAY, 2.08 BAND Together: The Last Great American Rock Band, Earth Rebirth. ROCK Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo, UCO Jazz Lab. JAZZ Grant Wells, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. JAZZ Riff Raff, ACM@UCO Performance Lab. RAP The Friends No BS Jam, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

Eli Young Band, Cain’s Ballroom. COUNTRY Grant Stevens, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. JAZZ Hail Sagan/NoiseBleedsSound/Killer Strut/Pet, Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Bar. ROCK Hudson Falcons/Don’t Make Ghosts, HiLo Club.

FEBRUARY 24 @6PM

Want to sell tickets to your events?

call us today at 405.605.6789 or email specialsections@okgazette.com for more information.

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F E B R U A R Y 1 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

ROCK

Ike Fonseca/Mike Black/Paper Tigers, The Unkempt Beaver. ROCK Masterhand/Teenage Self/Planet What, Opolis.

ROCK

Michael Updegrove Band, Belle Isle

Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date.

Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

free will astrology Homework: Even if you don’t send it, write a letter to the person you admire most. Share it with me at Truthrooster@gmail.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Once upon a time, Calvin

of the *Calvin and Hobbes* comic strip made this bold declaration: “Happiness isn’t good enough for me! I demand euphoria!” Given your current astrological aspects, Aries, I think you have every right to invoke that battle cry yourself. From what I can tell, there’s a party underway inside your head. And I’m pretty sure it’s a healthy bash, not a decadent debacle. The bliss it stirs up will be authentic, not contrived. The release and relief it triggers won’t be trivial and transitory, but will generate at least one long-lasting breakthrough.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) The coming weeks will be an excellent time to ask for favors. I think you will be exceptionally adept at seeking out people who can actually help you. Furthermore, those from whom you request help will be more receptive than usual. Finally, your timing is likely to be close to impeccable. Here’s a tip to aid your efforts: A new study suggests that people are more inclined to be agreeable to your appeals if you address their right ears rather than their left ears. (More info: tinyurl.com/intherightear)

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Here are your five words

By Rob Brezsny

he accidentally produced a substance of great value: phosphorus. It was the first time anyone had created a pure form of it. So in a sense, Brand “discovered” it. Today phosphorus is widely used in fertilizers, water treatment, steel production, detergents, and food processing. I bring this to your attention, my fellow Cancerian, because I suspect you will soon have a metaphorically similar experience. Your attempt to create a beneficial new asset will not generate exactly what you wanted, but will nevertheless yield a useful result.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) In the documentary movie

*Catfish,* the directors, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, present a metaphor drawn from the fishing industry.

They say that Asian suppliers used to put live codfish in tanks and send them to overseas markets. It was only upon arrival that the fish would be processed into food.

But there was a problem: Because the cod were so sluggish during the long trips, their meat was mushy and tasteless.

The solution? Add catfish to the tanks. That energized the cod and ultimately made them more flavorful. Moral of the story, according to Joost and Schulman: Like the cod, humans need catfish-like companions to stimulate them and keep them sharp. Do you have enough influences like that in your life, Leo? Now is a good time to make sure you do.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) The city of Boston allows

of power for the next two weeks, Gemini. 1. *Unscramble.* Invoke this verb with regal confidence as you banish chaos and restore order. 2. *Purify.* Be inspired to cleanse your motivations and clarify your intentions. 3. *Reach.* Act as if you have a mandate to stretch out, expand, and extend yourself to arrive in the right place. 4. *Rollick.* Chant this magic word as you activate your drive to be lively, carefree, and frolicsome. 5. *Blithe.* Don’t take anything too personally, too seriously, or too literally.

an arts organization called Mass Poetry to stencil poems on sidewalks. The legal graffiti is done with a special paint that remains invisible until it gets wet. So if you’re a pedestrian trudging through the streets as it starts to rain, you may suddenly behold, emerging from the blank grey concrete, Langston Hughes’ poem “Still Here” or Fred Marchant’s “Pear Tree In Flower.” I foresee a metaphorically similar development in your life, Virgo: a pleasant and educational surprise arising unexpectedly out of the vacant blahs.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) The 17th-century

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) When he was in the rock

German alchemist Hennig Brand collected 1,500 gallons of urine from beer-drinkers, then cooked and re-cooked it till it achieved the “consistency of honey.” Why? He thought his experiment would eventually yield large quantities of gold. It didn’t, of course. But along the way,

band Devo, Mark Mothersbaugh took his time composing and recording new music. From 1978 to 1984, he and his collaborators averaged one album per year. But when Mothersbaugh started writing soundtracks for the weekly

TV show *Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,* his process went into overdrive. He typically wrote an entire show’s worth of music each Wednesday and recorded it each Thursday.

I suspect you have that level of creative verve right now, Libra. Use it wisely! If you’re not an artist, channel it into the area of your life that most needs to be refreshed or reinvented.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Many vintage American

songs remain available today because of the pioneering musicologist, John Lomax. In the first half of the 20th century, he traveled widely to track down and record obscure cowboy ballads, folk songs, and traditional African American tunes. “Home on the Range” was a prime example of his many discoveries. He learned that song, often referred to as “the anthem of the American West,” from a black saloonkeeper in Texas. I suggest we make Lomax a role model for you Scorpios during the coming weeks. It’s an excellent time to preserve and protect the parts of your past that are worth taking with you into the future.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) The mountain

won’t come to you. It will not acquire the supernatural power to drag itself over to where you are, bend its craggy peak down to your level, and give you a free ride as it returns to its erect position. So what will you do? Moan and wail in frustration? Retreat into a knot of helpless indignation and sadness? Please don’t. Instead, stop hoping for the mountain to do the impossible. Set off on a journey to the remote, majestic pinnacle with a fierce song in your determined heart. Pace yourself. Doggedly master the art of slow, incremental magic.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Who can run faster,

a person or a horse? There’s evidence that under certain circumstances, a human can prevail. In June of every year since 1980, the Man Versus Horse Marathon has taken place in the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells. The route of the race weaves 22 miles through marsh, bogs, and hills. On two occasions, a human has outpaced all the horses. According to my astrological analysis, you Capricorns will have that level of animalistic power during the coming weeks. It may not take the form of foot

speed, but it will be available as stamina, energy, vitality, and instinctual savvy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Who would have

guessed that Aquarian Charles Darwin, the pioneering theorist of evolution, had a playful streak? Once he placed a male flower’s pollen under a glass along with an unfertilized female flower to see if anything interesting would happen. “That’s a fool’s experiment,” he confessed to a colleague. “But I love fools’ experiments. I am always making them.” Now would be an excellent time for you to consider trying some fools’ experiments of your own, Aquarius. I bet at least one of them will turn out to be both fun and productive.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) In Shakespeare’s play

*MacBeth,* three witches brew up a spell in a cauldron.

Among the ingredients they throw in there is the “eye of newt.” Many modern people assume this refers to the optical organ of a salamander, but it doesn’t. It’s actually an archaic term for “mustard seed.” When I told my Piscean friend John about this, he said, “Damn! Now I know why Jessica didn’t fall in love with me.” He was making a joke about how the love spell he’d tried hadn’t worked. Let’s use this as a teaching story, Pisces. Could it be that one of your efforts failed because it lacked some of the correct ingredients? Did you perhaps have a misunderstanding about the elements you needed for a successful outcome? if so, correct your approach and try again.

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

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

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O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 1 , 2 0 1 7

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puzzles New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle Mishmash

By Dan Schoenholz | Edited by Will Shortz | 0129 ACROSS 1 Inconceivably vast 7 Hard looks 13 Stream, as of revenue 19 Baseball-like game 21 Flowery 22 Et ____ 23 Witty British judge?

25 Conquistador Cortés 26 Copies, informally 27 It shows who’s who or what’s what 29 Perform a full-body scan?

30 Pizza, e.g.

32 Quest of 25-Across 33 Ortiz of Ugly Betty 34 Site of Spaceship Earth 37 Language akin to Thai 38 Three-legged race, e.g.?

44 School chum, say 46 “Mr. Blue Sky” band, for short 47 World’s most voluminous river 48 Chapter in early 20th-century

history: Abbr.

49 Property inheritor, legally speaking 51 On point 53 Julie of TV’s Big Brother 54 “One of the most civilized things

in the world,” per Hemingway 55 Nail?

58 Consider anew, as a decision 60 Girl with a ball 61 Sound investments, in more ways

than one 62 ____ Minor 65 A– 66 “America”?

71 Hindi word for “spice mix” 74 Brief second?

75 ____ generis 76 Theological inst.

79 What Cubs fans get carried away by?

81 Grant a girl permission to dis Drake?

86 Fortify 87 Page (through) 90 1990s Indian P.M. 91 Week, on Martinique 92 Alias inits.

93 Game for the goal-oriented?

95 Keeps in the loop, in a way 97 Worn out 98 Ability to score at Madison

Square Garden, e.g.?

102 Mouse’s resting place 103 Take a timeout 104 French ____ 105 Title at Topkapi Palace 106 Egg container 107 Religious image 109 Piano dueler with Donald in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit 112 Quiz-bowl fodder 114 Like Serbia and Croatia 117 Diving disaster?

122 Maintain 123 Bawdy 124 Gently show the door 125 Give a new tournament ranking 126 Pulls on, as heartstrings 127 Speakers’ spots

DOWN 1 Bluecoat 2 Only woman to sing lead vocals

on a Beatles song 3 Darn things 4 Sierra ____ 5 Drink commonly served with a spoon-straw 6 H.O.V. lane user 7 Farm females 8 Lateral opening?

9 Chest pain 10 Grist for analysts 11 Californie, e.g.

12 Gaming giant 13 I, to Izaak 14 Word for a name-dropper?

15 1960s sitcom set in the 1860s 16 From one side to the other 17 Kind of history 18 Ebb 20 Grammy-winning drummer

____ Lyne Carrington 24 Lorna of literature 28 Codger 30 Opposite of ruddy 31 Thyroid need 33 Embrace 35 Bus. card info 36 N.L. Central squad, on scorecards

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37 Don’t work too hard 38 Half of a swinging couple?

39 Goes by 40 Alternative to Cinemax 41 “That’ll be the day!”

42 Take responsibility for something 43 Atheist’s lack 45 Place to hang tools 50 Leave a good impression?

52 One lifting spirits?

54 Jet measure 56 Think-tank product 57 Chi follower 59 Diesel in movies 63 Reeling 64 Shivering fit 67 Key locale: Abbr.

68 They’ll take your measure 69 Manhattan, e.g.: Abbr.

70 They’re dubbed 71 Mullally of Will & Grace 72 Hard to tell apart 73 Informal measures of popularity 77 It lies between Cleveland, O., and

Buffalo, N.Y. 78 Nut 80 Made out 82 Showy in a cheap way 83 Salmon roe, by another name 84 “Don’t worry about me!”

85 Await resolution 88 Relative of “Aargh!”

89 Wetland 93 Measly amount 94 Guitar Hero activity 96 Wolf (down) 99 Mantle, e.g.

100 Some vaults

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Like cats, typically Secure spots Certain steel beam Racer Yarborough Fig. on a periodic table Mrs., abroad Bedouin shelter ____ facto Common thing to lie about ____ Yost, 2015 World Series- winning manager Mauna ____ Poland’s main airline Start of the Lord’s Prayer Education support grp.

Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com

S P A S

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

Contributors Terre Cooke Chaffin, Brian Daffron, Jack Fowler, Ian Jayne, Michael Kinney, Lea Terry, Jessica Williams Photographer Garett Fisbeck Circulation Manager Chad Bleakley Art Director Chris Street

Graphic Designer Anna Shilling www.okgazette.com

Puzzle No. 0122, which appeared in the January 25 issue.

C O N A N

Staff reporters Greg Elwell, Laura Eastes, Ben Luschen

Advertising/Marketing Design Coordinator Erin DeMoss

New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers S C I F I

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Sudoku Puzzle Hard | n°214747382

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Order mounted or ready-to-frame prints of Oklahoma Gazette covers, articles and photos at okgazette.yourheadline.com 3701 N. Shartel Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73118-7102 Phone (405) 528-6000 Fax (405) 528-4600 Copyright © 2017 Tierra Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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

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music

List your event in

Advertise in Gazette’s

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Homes

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MASSAGE

need Gear? got gear to sell?

CERTIFIED THERAPEUTIC

405.528.6000

OKC MUSIC BOX | 405-232-2099 DOWNTOWNMUSICBOX.COM

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Jobs.

QUARTER HORSE SEASON

March 10 - June 3

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

JOB FAIR

FEBRUARY 13, 2017 | 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM SECURITY CAGE CASHIER & DROP COUNT FOOD & BEVERAGE (FOH & BOH) FACILITY and TRACK MAINTENANCE MUTUELS PROGRAM SELLER

FOR MORE INFORMATION 405-424-1000 remingtonpark.com/aboutus/employment

Kathy Christian

1 Bed Apt $495 +$300 Dep 2 Bed Apt $595 + $400 Dep

Specializing in SwediSh & deep tiSSue maSSage Call Today to Make an Appointment

All appliances. On Site Laundry Tenant pays gas and elect. No Pets 2 Blks East of N May on 36th Non-Smoking | 405.615.2002

DAVE’S APPLIANCE REPAIR

405.229.3351

OCC-24486

Submit your listings online at okgazette.com or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com.

Massage

therapeutic cupping now availble body & foot Massage $19.99/half hour massage open 7 days a week 9:30aM-10:30pM 6610 n. May ave. | 405.708.5016 | 405.810.5876

Tao Massage Asian Style

Body Massage $50/hr Foot Reflexology $30/hr 405-286-6885 Open 7 days • 10a-10p 6900 N. May Ave, OKC (6900 Plaza)

License No: BUS-24861

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.

BUS-25872

Massage

All makes washers, dryers, ranges, dishwashers, refrigerators, disposals.

24 years experience

314-3191

$25 service calls

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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Health AffordAble & PrivAte >> Outpatient medication assisted detox >> Long term medication management for addiction >> Pain management Now acceptiNg Soonercare

405.230.1180

3033 N. Walnut Ave. West Building 73105 O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7

47

“...THE SPORT SEDAN BY WHICH ALL OTHERS ARE JUDGED.”

cooperbmw.com

-AUTOTRADER The BMW 3 Series invented the sport sedan category, and today it’s still the benchmark all others are compared to. But don’t just take Autotrader’s word for it.

Come in to your local BMW Center and experience the original sport sedan today.

2017 230i Coupe | $379/month*

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

2017 X5 xDrive35i | $679/month*

2017 X3 xDrive28i | $409/month*

2017 320i Sedan | $349/month*

2017 740i | $939/month*

14145 North Broadway Extension Edmond, OK 73013 | 866.925.9885

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

BmW

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

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