Earthquakes! What is the level of risk for the metro?

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Recently, Oklahoma Corporation Commission dubbed our state the “earthquake capital of the world.” The Sooner State experienced 850 earthquakes in 2015 and 623 quakes last year. Scientific evidence proves wastewater injection wells, tied to oil and gas hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is causing them. “I tell people you are lubricating the fault zone,” said Oklahoma Geological Survey lead seismologist Jacob Walter. By Laura Eastes. Cover by Chris Street.

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NEWS disposal well — was flagged by Stanford University scientists for its high volumes of injections and induced earthquakes.

Those same scientists also predict over the next few years — as Oklahoma takes regulatory measures to dispose of less wastewater and cuts back on oil and gas activity — wastewater injection will decrease, but the threat remains high for a damaging earthquake.

cov e r

Real threat?

Shaken state

As Cushing residents work to repair damage from November’s record-breaking quake, what can Oklahoma City do to prevent similar tremblors from hitting within city limits? By Laura Eastes

A few years ago, a random query from an Oklahoma City television journalist about the recent earthquakes rumbling near and around the oil hub town of Cushing came from out of the blue.

As the publisher of the Cushing Citizen, David Reid was straightforward in his response to the reporter.

“The oil industry is very important to us,” he said, recalling the conversation. “If these little, cute earthquakes is all we have and that’s as bad as it is, then we don’t need to do anything to impede these people’s process of providing a service and making money.”

To make his point, he ended the call by saying, “As long as those little rumbles don’t hurt anything or anybody, it’s not a problem.”

As the ground began to shake more frequently and more severely, Reid explained, opinions about earthquakes began to shift among the 8,000 residents of Cushing.

In 2015, the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS) recorded 21 earthquakes with epicenters no farther than three miles west of Cushing, which is one of the largest oil trading hubs in North America.

As residents braced for the next quake, much of the damage was limited to windows and doors rattling and household items falling over.

Then came the 5.0-magnitude earthquake the evening of Nov. 6, 2016. Its strong seismic waves dislodged bricks, broke windows and displaced people from their homes and businesses.

Images of fallen bricks and cracks in 4

The Payne County community of Cushing was struck with a 5.0 magnitude earthquake in November, prompting response from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission with a plan to address more than 50 disposal wells. | Photo Laura Eastes

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the walls of Cushing’s historic buildings were broadcasted across the country to accompany headlines of Oklahoma’s injection-induced earthquake problem.

Just two months earlier, a 5.8-magnitude quake shook the community of Pawnee and rattled the rest of the state and six surrounding states.

It signaled an earthquake crisis as Cushing joined the list of Oklahoma oil field towns ailed by such man-made

Come up with a solution.

David Reid quakes — homes and businesses were wrecked, property values were impacted and communities were forever changed.

“The only people in the whole mix that say these earthquakes aren’t man-made and not caused by wastewater disposal wells are those directly in the business,” said Reid, whose newspaper building was damaged in the November earthquake.

“They are in denial.”

Making earthquakes

Recently, Oklahoma, a state more known for tornadoes than seismic shifts, earned the title of “earthquake capital” by the national media when the Sooner State’s seismic rate surpassed earthquake-known places like Alaska and California.

Before 2009, Oklahoma averaged around two magnitude 3.0 or higher earth-

quakes a year. The state experienced more than 850 earthquakes in 2015 alone, followed by 623 quakes last year. The majority produced small seismic waves causing little or no damage.

The cause, scientists say, is injecting wastewater from oil and gas drilling into deep underground wells. It’s a position that earned the support of the U.S. Geological Survey and OGS back in May 2014, when the two agencies issued a joint statement on their analysis of induced earthquakes and warned about the chance for a damaging magnitude 5.5 or greater quake hitting central Oklahoma.

Behind the rise of earthquakes is the rise of wastewater volumes. Injection well technology was first developed in the 1930s and utilized for decades by oil companies.

These days, most companies drill their deposits with hydraulic fracturing to crack the rock to release the oil and gas. As the oil and gas come up the well, so does hazardous water. The operator pumps the water down a different hole drilled far below the oil reservoir.

In certain situations, as more and more fluids are injected into a wastewater well, pressure can build up on deep geological faults, explained Jacob Walter, lead seismologist at Oklahoma Geological Survey.

“I tell people you are lubricating the fault zone,” Walter said. “When you lubricate the fault zone, the rocks want to slip because of preferential stresses in the crusts. When those rocks slip across one another, that’s when you have an earthquake. It happens fast and the ground shakes.”

Not all wastewater injection wells induce earthquakes; however, the Arbuckle formation — Oklahoma’s ideal Geologists can forecast with probability but not predict with certainty where earthquakes are likely to occur, said OSU geology professor Todd Halihan. | Photo provided

Some believe the Oklahoma City area, located not far from earthquake epicenters in Edmond and north central Oklahoma, is particularly vulnerable for seismic activity.

That assumption is not wrong but requires digging into the most recent reports from the U.S. Geological Survey (UGS) and OGS. Because of the increase in the number and severity of earthquakes, the UGS began creating a separate, short-term hazard map that estimated the chance of experiencing an earthquake last year.

On the hazard map, central and northern Oklahoma appears in red and orange, implying a high level of earthquake risk.

In fact, Oklahoma is listed as the most significant hazard area for induced seismicity.

The map will not satisfy people who want to know the short-term likelihood and danger of earthquakes, explained Todd Halihan, a professor of geology at Oklahoma State University.

Halihan advises there is a level of uncertainty associated with the map.

Geologists can forecast with probability, but not predict with certainty where earthquakes are likely to occur.

“We’ve discovered that we are not good at predicting them,” Halihan said. “We can say in the next 10 years, there is one likely to go here with tectonic earthquakes, the natural ones. We struggle with how do we tell people and it doesn’t move. If it doesn’t move, then you will have people say they will never listen again.”

The Nemaha fault, which extends north from Oklahoma City into Kansas and Nebraska, gives many concerns about a catastrophic earthquake in the metro.

Walter, the state seismologist, explained the Nemaha fault is a concern, but the dangers of it slipping and causing an earthquake are unlikely based on the way tectonic forces are working.

Slow response

“It reminds me of addiction,” said Ward 2 Oklahoma City Councilman Ed Shadid. “Oftentimes, with addiction, there is denial. We certainly had that in the beginning.” | Photo Gazette / file

“If you look at Oklahoma — we can see this with all of the earthquakes in north central Oklahoma — we find the principal stress direction is compressive in the east to west direction,” Walter said. “What we know about the Nemaha fault from the geology is that it runs north and south. If Nemaha was running east to west, we would be really concerned. The presentday stress direction suggests it’s not prime to slip.”

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A 5.7-magnitude earthquake jolted Prague, a community about 60 miles east of Oklahoma City, in November 2011. At the time, it registered as the strongest recorded tremblor in state history and damage was substantial.

Thirteen homes were destroyed and two people were injured.

As scientific findings pointed to a connection between disposal wells and earthquakes, many thought it was only a matter of time before state officials acted on the issue.

As neighboring states began to take action, like Arkansas officials calling for a moratorium on injection wells, not much came from Oklahoma’s oil and gas regulator (the Oklahoma Corporation Commission; OCC) or the state Legislature.

The slow call to action frustrated Oklahoma City Councilman Ed Shadid, who represents Ward 2 in northwest Oklahoma City.

Following the passage of Senate Bill 809 in 2015, municipalities cannot regulate the oil and gas industry within their borders and they must rely on the OCC. “It reminds me of addiction,” Shadid said. “Oftentimes, with addiction, there is denial. We certainly had that in the beginning. There was absolutely denial that oil and gas activity had anything to do with it. Like the alcoholic, there is this

sense that we can’t live without oil and gas. … Just like family and friends can enable an alcoholic, our politicians and regulators enabled the oil and gas industry by not taking them to task on curtailing disposal well activities.”

The OCC did take some action, first in spring 2015, when OGS scientists attributed the increase in seismic activity to injection wells in the Arbuckle formation.

Following the Sept. 3 Pawnee earthquake, the OCC ordered 37 wastewater disposal wells in a 514 square-mile area around the epicenter to be shut down indefinitely.

After the Cushing quake, the OCC unveiled a plan to suspend 58 disposal wells from injecting into the Arbuckle formation.

In late 2016, anticipating a major increase in oil and gas drilling in the state’s South Central Oklahoma Oil Province and the Sooner Trend Anadarko Basin, OCC and OGS developed seismicity guidelines intended to reduce earthquake risks through three courses of action.

What’s next?

Earthquake recovery was slow to start in Cushing, where loose bricks littered the sidewalk and boarded-up storefront windows were common a month after the quake, Reid said.

Last month, a structural engineer advised bricks on three of the corners of

Reid’s two-story brick building needed to be repaired and re-laid. It’s a job that could easily cost more than the newspaper building’s worth.

Reid is one of the lead plaintiffs in a class-action petition filed in state court in December.

Local residents whose homes and properties suffered major destruction joined in the suit, which alleges the damages “were caused by Defendants’ pollution of the environment within and around Cushing, Oklahoma through the disposal of fracking wastewater with injection wells.”

The defendants are White Star Petroleum, Crown Energy Company, Petro Warrior LLC, FHA Investments LLC and Cher Oil Company. Additionally, 25 unnamed companies were included in the filing.

Reid explained there is more at stake in a lawsuit against the oil and natural gas companies playing a role in inducing earthquakes.

“We want compensation for our damages, we want the truth and we want solutions,” he said. “Come up with a solution so that we don’t have to deal with injection wells causing earthquakes anymore.”

1/19/17 10:425 AM

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NEWS

e d u c at i o n

Brandon Voss high-fives students as they pass through the Robin Hill cafeteria. | Photo Laura Eastes

Small and proud

Elementary districts are successes in state education and in the communities they serve.

By Laura Eastes

Superintendent Brandon Voss stands at the entrance of Robin Hill Public Schools each morning and greets students by name as he shares hugs and fist-bumps. Parents roll down their windows and wave to the administrator as they chat about a recent ball game or a successful deer hunt.

The northern Cleveland County community around Robin Hill is a small and proud one, and its relationships are important. When Voss arrived at the one-story school three years ago, he was determined to deliver a quality education to its close to 300 students. Building connections with students, their families and the rural community was a close second on his list of priorities for the elementary school district.

“I am the superintendent, the principal, the counselor,” Voss said as he strolled through the cafeteria at lunchtime. “I am in it with these kids. They know me, and I know them.”

Located in Norman, Robin Hill district covers 18 square miles. The district educates youths in prekindergarten through eighth grades and is one of 96 small elementary-only districts across Oklahoma.

Those districts, also called dependent or K-8 districts, often go unnoticed by the public except for the four months of Oklahoma’s legislative session.

For decades, some lawmakers have labeled those districts as expensive, inefficient or underperformers as they endorse school consolidation to reduce Oklahoma’s number of school districts.

Elementary districts and their supporters are known for fighting for their schools.

Last February, parents and educators packed a House committee room and spilled into the hallway as lawmakers debated a bill calling for merging dependent schools into 6

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area school districts. The bill failed.

The victory was not easily forgotten in a community just 23 miles south of the Capitol. Robin Hill residents are aware of the latest media reports of state budget woes.

At Norman’s annual Legislative Lunch earlier this month, Sen. Rob Standridge, who represents the Robin Hill community, said consolidation plans need to be examined this session, which begins next month.

Oklahoma is home to 513 public school districts and 1,787 schools, which includes 13 charter schools not sponsored by districts.

In 2016, those schools enrolled 693,710 students, an increase of 1,040 students from the previous school year, according to numbers released last week by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

“I think it is easy for lawmakers to say there are so many districts and we don’t need that many schools,” Voss said. “I would say talk to the 300 sets of parents at this school and you will hear this school is needed. …

There are those that want a smaller community school feel.”

Student needs

The K-8 school model dominated the nation’s public education landscape up until the middle of the 20th century, when reform mandated adding middle or junior high schools before students entered high school.

In recent years, the K-8 model has recaptured the attention as some districts — urban, suburban and rural — scrap middle schools in favor of K-8s. Proponents believe the model increases academic achievement and creates an atmosphere more conducive to learning.

As the superintendent of Peggs Public Schools, an elementary district in Cherokee County, John Cox has spent the last 12 years

demonstrating the benefits of those districts to educators, lawmakers and the public.

He also is president of Oklahoma’s Organization of Rural Elementary Schools.

“I think what we do is what you are supposed to do in education, which is focusing on the individual needs of students. We are really good at that,” Cox said. “Our message is that our K-8s are effective academically and we are efficient financially. It seems like we are the ones looked at as the first that can go. We are the targets.”

Cox has heard the criticism before and says comments like “waste of taxpayer dollars” or “low-performing” are inaccurate.

A look at Robin Hill’s recent academic performance shows 95 percent of the district’s third-graders scored proficient in reading two years ago. That same year, 100 percent of the school’s eighth-graders were proficient in reading.

Other small districts also report impressive results. At Oklahoma City’s Oakdale Public Schools, 92 percent of third-graders scored proficient in math and 97 percent were proficient in reading. Oakdale is considered an affluent district.

High-poverty rural schools like Zaneis Public School in Carter County also are successful. Nearly 80 percent of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. In 2015, 100 percent of seventh-graders scored proficient in reading.

However, not all schools achieve such success, and similar to larger and some urban districts, some elementary districts also score average or below average on state exams.

When Cox is asked about the state’s large number of school districts, he presents a unique perspective.

“We don’t have enough school districts,” Cox said. “The more schools you can have, the more individualized attention you can provide for students.”

Cox said individualized student attention is central to the school choice and charter school debates, which have been hot-button issues at the Capitol the last two years.

Robin Hill

When the school board hired Voss the summer before the 2014-15 school year, Voss interacted first with staff in the weeks leading up to the start of the school year.

Since Robin Hill employs one maintenance/ custodial worker, the district’s 20 teachers dropped by and offered to mop floors, paint hallways and weed flowerbeds.

Many staff members, including Voss, hold multiple titles. Teachers often volunteer in the school’s concession stand during basketball games and add advisor duties to their workloads. The physical education teacher also coaches boys and girls archery and basketball and drives a bus route each morning.

With no grants administrator, teachers find and write their own proposals for learning materials and educational field trips.

Others log on to GoFundMe.com and list classroom needs, like the wobble chairs and bouncy balls used in one classroom so students can safely fidget as they focus on coursework.

“Everyone is in it for the kids and to build a quality school,” Voss said.

When it comes to academics, human resources, finances, federal programs and more, Voss encompasses all administrative duties as the district’s superintendent and principal. His philosophy is to make the school the best it can be, no matter the obstacle.

Some emerged last year as the State Department of Education absorbed large budget cuts, meaning fewer dollars funded state schools, including Robin Hill.

Purchases and projects were postponed as Voss and hundreds of school leaders learned to do more with even less.

Robin Hill’s growing student population helped the district weather state budget cuts.

Five years ago, it enrolled 254 pupils.

Currently, 320 students are enrolled, and 84 more are on a waiting list. More than 70 percent of the students live outside the school boundaries in neighborhoods in Moore, Norman and south Oklahoma City.

“If we had the infrastructure and room, we could probably grow as fast as we wanted to,” Voss said. “The delicate balance is keeping what we are while also surviving.”

The small-school atmosphere mixed with strong academics lures families to Robin Hill. Unlike the average state public school, the district records about a third less students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches and a mobility rate in the single digits.

Parental and community support plays a big role in Robin Hill’s success, Voss said.

It can be nearly impossible to find a parking spot during the school’s annual carnival or on basketball game nights, which are the community’s primary entertainment events.

Voss said only a few instances of misbehavior have ever earned a handful of students a seat in his office. He said students know him well and don’t want to disappoint him.

“I tell people all the time I wish every kid could experience this,” Voss said. “I think it is an outstanding place, and I wish I could share it with everyone.”

E DUCATIOn

Restore funding

Devery Youngblood, leader of Oklahoma Tomorrow, discusses state cuts affecting college students and economic consequences. By Laura Eastes

When Devery Youngblood walks the campus of any one of Oklahoma’s 25 public colleges and universities, he goes through a checklist.

As the leader of Oklahoma Tomorrow, a newly created independent nonprofit with a mission to protect higher education funding, Youngblood wants to sits down with the college president, followed by the president’s cabinet and chief financial officer. After a tour of the campus, he hears from students.

“I’ve learned more from the students than anybody,” Youngblood said, “and I’ve learned a lot from the others.”

Youngblood listens to students explain rising tuition bills and shrinking tuition waivers and the interminable waiting lists to get into the courses they require, like science, engineering and math. All of Oklahoma’s public nursing schools are operating at student capacity, leaving prospective students with the option of waiting, selecting another program or giving up on their career dreams.

Higher education has been an easy target for budget cuts in recent years, forcing the state’s schools to lay off faculty and staff, postpone investments in new facilities and raise tuition and fees. In May, Oklahoma lawmakers passed a state budget cutting appropriations to higher education by 16 percent, or $153 million, for the current fiscal year.

While college leaders learn to do more with less, a financial burden increases on students and their families. Youngblood and fellow leaders of Oklahoma Tomorrow see the state shifting money away from students who generally need the most support in getting a degree, like the young mother of four completing her associate’s degree at Oklahoma City Community College applying for admission at the University of Central Oklahoma and the first-generation college student escaping poverty by earning an advanced degree. “‘That’s what you took $153 million from, and it bothers us,’” he said, referencing more than 400,000 students. “You have to take steps today in order to get out of the rut tomorrow. If you want a better Oklahoma tomorrow, you have to make better decisions today.”

When state lawmakers return to the Capitol next month, they will find Oklahoma Tomorrow ready to advocate for adequately funding Oklahoma’s colleges and universities. The message comes from the hundreds of thousands of students and their families, but also the private sector.

“The list of jobs has a lot of openings that we can’t fill because we are not graduating. … We have jobs waiting out there for people, and that is dangerous in the long term,” Youngblood said. “If you can’t fill the jobs,

Devery Youngblood | Photo Garett Fisbeck

especially private-sector jobs, those companies will go somewhere else.”

Oklahoma’s state college system supports the state economy, attracts and retains the state’s most talented students, produces research and shapes state policy.

Providing wide access to higher education is another important aspect of the system, which Oklahoma Tomorrow recognizes.

Only five of the state’s institutes of higher education are located in metro areas.

“Every single community has to have college graduates or else who is going to do our taxes? Who will draft our mortgages, who is going to fill our prescriptions and who is going to run our schools?” he asked.

“Every community has to have college graduates, and those regional universities are what helps rural Oklahoma from being completely decimated economically.”

Earlier this month, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education requested $957 million, which would restore most of the $153 million cut, for the coming fiscal year in a public hearing before state House members. With lawmakers predicting a nearly $900 million budget hole, there is much uncertainty regarding the 2017-18 state budget.

While Oklahoma Tomorrow’s leaders see the challenge ahead, they also can’t sit back and watch from a distance.

“It has become clear that we don’t have enough revenue,” Youngblood said. “You can either raise taxes and make dramatic cuts or you create a growth economy that produces more revenue. We are about the latter. … It is going to take all of us: those in the private sector, the higher education community and the legislators. The three of us are going to have to be on the same page, put what’s happened in the past behind us and work together to move this forward.”

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Reproductive Justice is a vital part of Religious Liberty.

ROE

WADE

Dale Watts Angie Waymire Vicki and Mike Weaver Ann W. Wedaman Sarah F. Wedaman and Lesley Quinn Marcia Weinstein Bruce and Suzanne Wenger Cecilia Wessinger Deborah Whittaker Aaron Wilder Nancy and Barry Wilder E. G. Williams June Williams Shannan Williams Lauren S. Wilson Nancy Hunt Wirth Gary and Kay Witt Gregory and Susan Woitte John B. and Barbara Wolf Larry and Phyllis Wolverton Amber and Zane Wood Bridget K. Wood Leila Wright Beth Yandell Janann Yeager Marty Yudizky Faith Groups and Organizations Adoption Affiliates All Souls for Reproductive Justice All Souls Unitarian Church Clergy for Choice College Hill Presbyterian Church Day Alliance All Souls Unitarian Church Disciples for Choice Fellowship Congregational Church UCC Nova Health Systems Heart of the Party, Federation of Democratic Women Hope Unitarian Church League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa League of Women Voters of Oklahoma Nova Health Systems Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice Oklahoma Congregations of the Southwestern Unitarian Universalist Conference Oklahoma Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Planned Parenthood Great Plains Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options PHEWA PC “USA” Reproductive Services Social Justice Committee of the First Unitarian Church of OKC South Wind Women’s Center Temple Israel Social Justice Committee Trust Women Foundation Women of Hope, Hope Unitarian Church

THE OKLAHOMA RELIGIOUS COALITION FOR REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE

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election

NEWS

ARE YOU A GRAPHIC PERSON

Election: Ward 7 Candidates and an incumbent focus on improving economics and public safety in Oklahoma City’s northeast side. By Laura Eastes

It’s a three-way race to represent Oklahoma City’s Ward 7, which encompasses urban, suburban and rural communities in the city’s northeast quadrant.

Ward 7 has been a stronghold for AfricanAmericans for decades, and its council member represents an area that is home to the state Capitol complex, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and more than 1,500 businesses, churches and civic organizations. Incumbent John A. Pettis Jr. faces challengers Rev. T. Sheri Dickerson and Marina Mangiaracina in the election slated for Feb. 14. Voters in Wards 1,3 and 4 will also have a chance to cast ballots for the Oklahoma City Council on this year’s Valentines Day.

T. Sheri Dickerson

Dickerson brings a record of community advocacy to the Ward 7 race.

As executive director of Black Lives Matter Oklahoma City, she is a familiar face advocating for social justice and against police brutality at council meetings and rallies in the community.

Following the Black Lives Matter Oklahoma City rally, she advocated for the Oklahoma City Police Department to post its policy and procedure manual online, a crucial step in building and sustaining community trust. In July, just weeks after the rally, the police department complied.

In a December video interview with Culturocity, an online news source for events and arts in the African-American community, Dickerson pledged to work for economic equality in Ward 7 if elected.

“One of the reasons is I’ve felt for a very long time Ward 7 and its citizens have not been represented inclusively,” Dickerson said when asked why she was seeking the seat.

“There have been specific sectors of Ward 7 that received attention, but the east side of northeast Oklahoma City has been neglected for far too long,” she said. “I want to be and can be the same advocate and continue the work I’ve been doing for a very long time in an official capacity.”

At press time, Oklahoma Gazette had failed to reach Dickerson for further comment about her campaign.

Marina Mangiaracina

Despite running as an independent in the race for Oklahoma House District 99 in November, Mangiaracina is still a new face in northeast Oklahoma City politics. The transgender woman lost to Democrat Rep. George Young.

Income inequality is the top issue in her Ward 7 campaign, and much of her platform connects back to economics. It’s an issue that could gain some traction, as northeast Oklahoma City is one of the most impover-

ished areas within the state. If elected, Mangiaracina would push for reexamining current tax policies in order to find new sources of revenue. She believes sales tax — at 8.375 percent — is too high and hurts the poor the most.

“This is not an opinion, but a fact,” Mangiaracina said when discussing the burden of sales tax.

In Oklahoma City, a tax of 3.875 percent is applied to purchases. The state also collects sales tax at a rate of 4.5 percent.

“A rich person can avoid sales tax, whereas a poor person cannot,” Mangiaracina said. “We’ve got to find a way to reduce that but also find a way to recover that income for the city.”

Mangiaracina supports tax reform that would bring a local income tax like those in cities like Kansas City, St. Louis and New York. Unlike those cities, workers above a certain pay grade would be taxed, exempting blue-collar workers and low-wage earners.

She is skeptical of the city pursuing a general obligation bond issue for 2017, which current city leaders are working to bring before voters in September. When taxpayers give local governments authority to issue general obligation (GO) bonds, a government borrows the funds and pays back the bonds by collecting property taxes. Mangiaracina doesn’t like the idea of the city borrowing money.

If elected, Mangiaracina will work to improve relations between police forces and minority communities, supporting the police department in efforts to recruit and hire individuals from northeast Oklahoma City to serve as officers.

John Pettis Jr.

More than 700 people flooded the sanctuary of St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church in late September to discuss public safety in Ward 7. Pettis arranged the town hall meeting as an opportunity for meaningful conversation among the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 123 (FOP) and the public.

Looking back, the councilman said it was one of his proudest moments.

“It was at that meeting that FOP addressed the community I represented,” Pettis said. “They gave their position on different issues and gave a commitment to work with everyone. That town hall opened up the door for body cameras. Shortly after, the body camera issue was resolved.”

In late November, the police department reinstated officer body-warn cameras after reaching an agreement with the FOP, which had previously raised concerns over privacy.

The cameras were a big part of the larger community and national conversation on police brutality, racial discrimination and civil rights.

T. Sheri Dickerson | Photo Laura Eastes

?

Oklahoma Gazette is looking for a GRAPHIC DESIGNER with one or more of these demonstrated skills: John Pettis Jr. | Photo provided

Marina Mangiaracina | Photo provided

Pettis believes that if he is reelected, he would continue to work on building the trust between police and the community as well as other efforts he began over the last three and a half years. Pettis championed the development of a tax increment finance (TIF) district to support the Northeast Renaissance Urban Renewal Plan, which was passed by the council in 2014. The plan is designed to benefit the blighted NE 23rd Street corridor between Interstate 235 and the Oklahoma River as well as spur development along and near NE 36th Street.

In a TIF district, a portion of property tax revenue from the area is designated to help fund infrastructure projects and other improvements. The Northeast Shopping Center, currently under construction near NE 36 Street and N. Kelly Avenue, is part of the TIF district.

Moving into the September GO bond election, which Pettis supports, he advocates for community participation through neighborhood meetings, city-planned workshops and citizens surveys.

“We have community centers that are dilapidated where you can only use one third of the building,” Pettis said. “We have streets that need repairs and haven’t seen repairs for decades. We have a lot of work that must be done.”

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9

chicken

friedNEWS QuikTrip pay

Moo-raculous rescue

People find the weirdest things in swimming pools: old bandages, lost jewelry, an angry cow trapped in the pool’s lining.

That last one is what brought Oklahoma City firefighters to the 11200 block of SE 97th St. on the morning of Jan. 15. A resident was enjoying his morning cup of joe when he heard an odd sound coming from the neighborhood swimming pool.

According to a post on the department’s Facebook page, the man heard snorting coming from the pool area and called 911.

Oklahoma City police responded first and summoned firefighters for assistance, the post said.

The update said “there was a hole in the pool liner (which was advertised as being able to hold an elephant), and the cow was in the pool.”

After considering pulling the 1,500pound bovine from the pool by its neck, firefighters called Oklahoma City Animal Control to help.

Firefighters drained about five feet of water from the pool to keep the cow from experiencing hypothermia.

Using a wrecker, the group picked the cow up up, removed it from the pool’s lining and loaded it into a trailer for transport.

“The cow should be just fine!” the post said.

If the story sounds too in-cud-ulous to be true, video and photos of the rescue are on the Oklahoma City Fire Department’s YouTube page.

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ve known increasing teacher pay is a key issue in Oklahoma politics. When it comes to pay, Oklahoma is dishing out low salaries and losing quality educators. In fact, Oklahoma’s minimum teacher salary ranges from $31,600 to $46,000.

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister has been a leading advocate of raising teacher pay. Not long ago, Hofmeister began illustrating the poor pay by explaining a teacher with a doctorate degree and 25 years’ experience would make more money working at the local Chipotle restaurant.

You might think about that the next time you order a chicken burrito with cilantrolime rice, black beans, corn salsa, cheese and extra guac.

Now, the Chipotle reference is so last year. These days, Tulsa-based QuikTrip and its compensation package is outshining school districts. According to NewsOn6.com, a teacher with a degree and 11 years of experience earns the same as a starting fulltime QuikTrip employee with a high school diploma. Ouch!

You might think abut that the next time you visit the convenience store for gas, a lottery ticket or a freshly crafted sandwich from the Grab & Go area.

Before you say, “QuikTrip pays its employees too much!” or “QuikTrip employees

work year-round!” Let’s hear from company spokesman Mike Thornbrugh on why QuikTrip dishes out good wages and medical benefits.

“There’s no question that you get the pick of employees, you get longer tenure and people tend to stick around, and not just for the salary, but for the philosophy of the company and what the possibilities you can do,” Thornburgh told NewsOn6. com.

Oklahoma is witnessing a statewide teacher shortage as educators are leaving the profession for better-paying jobs. At each state school board meeting, the board approves hundreds of emergency certifications steering unqualified individuals into the role of classroom teacher.

Businesses like QuikTrip and Chipotle know that paying employees more can be more profitable in the long run. What Oklahoma teachers want to know is, when will Oklahoma lawmakers see the benefit?

Perhaps next time they order a burrito and fill up their tanks.

Wild lawmakers

Maybe there’s something in the water at the state Capitol, because some of these lawmakers seem frisky.

A few weeks after Rep. Dan Kirby, R-Tulsa, controversially rescinded his res-

ignation from the state House of Representatives following sexual harassment allegations, the House’s Special Investigation Committee widened its focus to include complaints against Rep. Will Fourkiller, D-Stilwell.

A formal complaint against the representative was filed in April 2015, according to a Tulsa World report.

The complaint against Fourkiller was that he made a female page feel uncomfortable. Pages at the Oklahoma state Capitol are typically high school students.

In a statement regarding the complaint, Fourkiller said he didn’t have a clue what instance the complaint could be about. A spokesman for House Speaker said there is only one known complaint filed against the representative.

With harassment allegations floating around the Capitol, state lawmakers need to adopt a similar policy they often take to annual budget appropriations: Cut it out.

A statement by the House’s Democratic Caucus said Fourkiller declined an invitation to a closed-door hearing by the special committee, instead requesting an “open and fully transparent” meeting with witnesses.

Perhaps that environment would suit Fourkiller, but it sounds a little intimidat-

ing for the witnesses that would likely have been fellow high school pages.

It is important to remember that a complaint is not a conviction and it is possible (even if unlikely) that Fourkiller could have been misidentified. But the complaint is also a great reminder that general creepiness can be — and often is — found on both sides of the aisle.

Less crime

Everyone can relax now; crime rates in Norman, the hipster capital of the south metro, are down!

The rampant aggravated assault, forcible rape, murder, robbery, burglary, arson, motor vehicle theft and larceny — known as Part 1 crimes — have lessened, or they sort of have. We’re no experts, but we assume it depends on how well you can interpret statistics.

Police chief Keith Humphrey recently told The Norman Transcript any crime reduction, especially violent crime, is a good thing.

There were 5,139 Part 1 crimes recorded in Norman in 2015 and 4,306 in 2016.

While 833 fewer crimes is definitely a good thing, not all crime has decreased.

The Norman Transcript reported that the Norman Police Department recorded 194 assaults, 52 rapes and four murders and 2015 and 186 aggravated assaults, 56 rapes and two murders in 2016. So, again, we’re no experts, but maybe Norman has

gotten a tad more rapey.

A nd thoug h indiv idua l numbers are down over the past year, aggravated assault has steadily claimed a greater percent of crimes in the suburb over the last few years.

So while the city focuses on charging Friendly Market store manager and Norman City Council member Stephen Tyler Holman with possessing or selling drug paraphernalia, the numbers of reported rapes and aggravated assaults are climbing.

“Our vision is to serve Norman through the applications of our values, community leadership and innovation of problem solving,” Humphrey told The Norman Transcript. “We want Norman to be the safest place in America, and every employee in this department strives for that.”

That’s a good start.

Healthy thirst

Gesondheid! Fisehatak! Teie terviseks!

Toasts from around the world (like the Afrikaans, Arabic and Estonian ones above) are focused on health, which is why we’re raising a glass to freshman State Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City. The newly elected lawmaker filed House Bill 1260 on Jan. 18 to divert some of the alcohol sales tax revenue to spend on health care.

According to the bill, 95 percent of the mixed beverage tax would still go to the

state’s general fund, but 5 percent would go to the Uncompensated Care Fund, which would pay for medical services for uninsured and underinsured Oklahomans.

This could prove useful if President Donald Trump follows through on his stated plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Since the ACA, or Obamacare, was enacted in 2010, Oklahoma’s uninsured rate fell by 26 percent. That’s almost 200,000 Oklahomans who gained medical coverage under the plan, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Anyone who would like to buy Bennett a drink can find him giving the Midnight Toast on Feb. 3 at Ludivine, 805 N. Hudson Ave. There’s still a long way to go before the bill is passed, but if it is, it’ll make “to your health” more than just a saying in Oklahoma.

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11

LETTERS

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

Include a city of residence and contact number for verification.

Young ones

The reason that there’s such disagreement between Democrats and Republicans is because of soul level. The two ideologies have nothing to do with who is right or wrong, but more to do with facts or fantasy.

There are basically 10 soul levels. Young souls start at the bottom of life’s experience and through reincarnation experience, live, laugh and struggle through life until its demise.

It then goes into the “spirit world,” where, along with its guides, it reviews choices that were made concerning matters and situations deemed important to it.

The spirit world is really home to our souls. The earth is solely for gathering knowledge and experience on this “threedimensional” plane. Through all of life’s experiences, whether happiness, sadness,

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trauma, love, hate, wars, famine or death, our souls gain insight and a firsthand understanding, which enables the soul to “progress and to grow.”

It takes many incarnations or lives for a soul to make important choices concerning the direction of a community, city or country. Today, choices such as global warming, fighting ISIS, determining health care for a country and repairing the country’s economy are of such importance that they should be left up to an experienced soul.

A young soul is equivalent to an adolescent. A person can be very intelligent IQwise, but dumb as far as worldly and national matters.

Unfortunately for Republicans, it turns out they are the “young ones.” They shouldn’t feel belittled; we all started out that way.

I don’t even think they should be into politics. They cannot understand certain ideals because these higher ideals don’t resonate within them. That is why arguments between the two parties are futile.

Joe Wright Oklahoma City

Biased minister

Very biased article (Opinion, Commentary, “What have we done?” Robin Meyers, Nov. 16, Oklahoma Gazette) to say the least. Full of hate for a minister and leftist professor.

He does not mention that under Obama’s administration, military chaplains are not allowed to do their function. Prayers are not allowed in public schools or at military functions. Chaplains cannot even distribute Bibles. Christians are massacred, and our country draws a line in the sand not to be enforced. ISIS is allowed to develop as an international major crisis of killing innocents. And I guess he thinks Hillary is of a sterling character!

Robert B. Morrow Jr. Frederick, Maryland

Trumpf nation

Donald Trumpf (closer to the version of his real German last name, Drumpf) pulls an election long shot hail mary out of his derriere. And he and his cult then try to convince the nation that their “win” doesn’t smell. Ironically, he and his lemming followers were convinced they were going to lose.

However, the overt bigots, as well as the closet bigots, came through for Trumpf in the Rust Belt big-time. We knew they were going to come out of the woodwork in Okieland and other states in the South.

Trumpf is the first major politician since that racist from North Carolina, Republican Jesse Helms, to “win” an election overtly using the bigot card.

Republicans have always used it, although

generally in a more thinly veiled form.

However, Trumpf and his campaign staff and followers, including the KKK, used the bigot card in the open for all to see and changed our politics…

Trumpf made tons more mistakes than Hillary in the campaign, including losing in embarrassing fashion three debates. But that bigot card, and election meddling by the FBI and Putin, were just enough. Oh, he also “won” because his cult followers really don’t care that he, by his own words and actions, is a racist, a fascist, a misogynist and a pathological liar. As he said himself, “I could gun down a stranger in broad daylight in midtown Manhattan and my poll numbers would go up.” Maybe the only truthful statement he made in his campaign. And a sorry indictment on the American people who support Trumpf.

Jay Hanas Edmond

Correction

The Jan. 18 story “Rhythmic mission” (Music, Ben Luschen, Oklahoma Gazette) listed an incorrect date for Brianna Gaither’s Vanity listening party and documentary trailer screening. The free show is 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at The Venue OKC, 1757 NW 16th St. Visit resonatecampaign.com or facebook.com/resonatecampaign.

re v ie w

EAT & DRINK

Diner details

Sunnyside Diner uses high-end attention to detail to create diner dishes better than the ones we remember. By Greg Elwell

technica lly, incorrect.

Everything is amped up at Sunnyside Diner Sunnyside. The crust has a dose of pepper that is sure to get 916 NW Sixth St. | eatatsunnyside.com 405-778-8861 taste buds tingling, and the beef is so tender that using a knife What works: Blueberry pancakes are to cut it is a mere formality. stuffed, stacked and a steal.

The cooks are also eggsperts at the ova arts. I don’t What needs work: When it gets busy, it’s hard to tab out. care how punny that is; it’s true. Fried, poached or scramTip: Ask for a box with your food, because bled, I’ve yet to have an egg at dishes are usually big enough for leftovers.

Sunnyside that wasn’t cooked just how I ordered it.

Scrambled eggs are lush and Quick! Name the first three things that soft. Fried eggs come with a come to mind when you think of diners. solid white and a thick, viscous yolk just I’m guessing at least one of them was begging to have toast dipped in it. Order a Benedict and you’ll find the poached eggs pancakes or gravy. Whatever your choices, it’s a safe bet that “quality ingredients” isn’t are patiently waiting for you to slide a fork at the top of the list. But it should be if you’re into their sides and release a torrent of yolk thinking of new favorite breakfast and to coat everything beneath them. lunch destination Sunnyside Diner, 916 NW For even more customization, check out Sixth St. the selection of omelets.

The restaurant has a solid local lineage Sunnyside’s Western omelet ($8.99 with including owners Shannon Roper (the S of one side) is an upgrade from the usual blend S&B’s Burger Joint) and Aly Branstetter, of onion, pepper, ham and cheese. The who co-owns the S&B’s on May Avenue and three-egg omelet is filled with sauteed bell Hillbilly’s, which recently closed. Anyone peppers, onions, and tomatoes; spicy who thinks ownership doesn’t matter needs chorizo sausage; and pepperjack cheese and only to look at the success of local restaurant covered in pico de gallo, sour cream and groups A Good Egg Dining Group (Cheever’s avocado.

Cafe, The Drake Seafood and Oysterette), Much like Pee-Wee Herman, I’m a loner, Western Concepts (The Hutch on Avondale, Dottie; a rebel. I had to make my own omelet Sushi Neko) and new 84 Hospitality Group ($9.99 for three ingredients, plus $1 for each (Empire Slice House, Gorō Ramen + Izakaya additional ingredient). and Sunnyside’s next door neighbor The fun thing about a scratch kitchen is Revolución Taqueria & Cantina). that cooks can work on the fly. So when I Experience counts, especially when it ordered an omelet stuffed with bacon, impacts diners’ experience. avocado, jalapeño and cheddar cheese and Roper and Branstetter know that ingreasked them to top it with their house-made dients matter, which is why the restaurant chili, they obliged. It was spicy, filling and delightful. serves food made in-house, fresh and locally available, when possible. That includes If breakfast isn’t breakfast without panfarm-fresh eggs and locally made bread. It’s cakes, then Sunnyside won’t disappoint. a difference that comes across in the food.

My favorite so far are blueberry pancakes ($7.99), but choosing my favorite part of the Bountiful breakfasts dish is more difficult. The pancakes themSometimes it seems high-quality ingrediselves are the textbook definition of a great ents and big portions are mutually exclupancake: golden brown on both sides, airy, fluffy and rich. Then there’s the mountain sive. That has not been my experience at Sunnyside. of blueberries inside, between and over the Take chicken-fried steak and eggs cakes. But the coup de grace is lemon-blue($10.99). Actually, get your own. I’m not berry compote and fresh whipped cream giving this one up. on top.

I’ve seen bigger chicken-fried steaks, but none of them have tasted half this good.

Lavish lunches Every time one of these is delivered to a Breakfast is served from open to close at Sunnyside Diner. It’s hard not to indulge table, I hear the tiniest gasp. Either the in a pile of biscuits and gravy or Hillbilly person who ordered it is thinking, “Wow! Am I going to be able to put a dent in that?”

Hash ($8.99) — a plate of roasted potatoes, or the people around them are worried they eggs and barbecue pork — every time you ordered wrong. sit down.

Having dined at Sunnyside a few times, But please, for all our sakes, try the hot I can happily report that no order is wrong. beef sandwich ($10.99).

But not getting a chicken-fried steak is, Sunnyside’s lunch selections are, like its

Blueberry pancakes with lemon-blueberry compote and whipped cream | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Bacon, avocado, jalapeño and cheddar omelet covered in chili | Photo Garett Fisbeck

breakfasts, the best possible version of diner classics. Both the All-American Burger ($8.99) and French dip-like Stockyard Sandwich ($9.99) are worth getting. And if you’ve never had a meatloaf sandwich ($9.99), then this version stuffed with bacon and cheddar is a must.

But the hot beef sandwich, served openfaced with mashed potatoes and brown gravy, is almost irresistible. The roast beef is dreamy, offering little resistance when cut with the side of a fork. The gravy is so packed with umami flavor it could probably be served as soup if it weren’t so thick. And the bread, which is so often an afterthought in a dish like this, is buttery and toasted to

perfection. Add in those hearty, homestyle mashed potatoes and it’s a meal that very nearly demands a nap.

The lines outside Sunnyside Diner have slowly dwindled, but I’d still happily wait 20-30 minutes for a table. Food this good takes time to cook and time to eat. We shouldn’t mind taking the time to anticipate the next diner masterpiece that will show up at the table.

Hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes | Photo Garett Fisbeck

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EAT & DRINK

e v ent

Leap Coffee Roasters owners from left Kari Hirst Starkey and Eric Starkey roast a batch of beans in their Oklahoma City warehouse facility. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Artfully roasted Leap Coffee Roasters reinvests in Oklahoma City’s creative class with its artist series coffee blends. By Greg Elwell

Nightingale Open Warehouse Party 5-8 p.m. Friday Leap Coffee Roasters 44 NE 51st St. 405-602-5800 leapcoffeeroasters.com Free

A new initiative from Oklahoma Citybased Leap Coffee Roasters will sell coffee blends designed with help from local artists to sustain their art.

Leap partners Kari Hirst Starkey, Eric Starkey and Gary Hargrave started the artist series coffee blends to help give back to a community they care deeply about.

Big questions

At some point in the life of every couple, there comes a question: What are we even doing?

Eric Starkey worked as an accountant for 20 years. Kari Hirst Starkey worked at City Arts Center, now known as Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center.

The couple was involved in arts for years, putting on a children’s theater show in the evenings and when they had spare time.

“We know how it is as an artist trying to make a living doing your art,” Kari 14

j a n u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Starkey said. “It’s so difficult to get grants as an independent artist.”

The pair was always trying to come up with money to put on shows to sell tickets to put on the next show.

Then the Starkeys asked themselves, “What are we doing? What is important to us?”

They wanted to leave a legacy for their daughter, but they also wanted to live their lives in a way that is fulfilling.

The answer was coffee with a shot of art.

Leap first

The first step was doing something they loved. Coffee has been a part of the Starkeys’ lives since they met. Kari owned one of the “second wave” coffee shops in Oklahoma City, called Yippie Yi Yo Cafe. In fact, it’s where the couple had their first date.

“We both love coffee,” she said. “One of our passions is tasting it, enjoying it and experiencing it.”

But the business of running a cafe was hard enough 20 years ago before they had a daughter. Instead, they moved earlier in the process, buying Leap Coffee Roasters from Prima Cafe co-founder Hargrave, who continues to work with the company.

“We want to be in this coffee world,” Kari Starkey said. “I love where it comes from, from seed to cup.”

She remembered visiting coffee roasters in California decades earlier and learning how she wanted to be treated and how she wants to treat their customers.

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A portion of sales of Leap Coffee Roasters’ “militant optimist” coffee benefits local artist Romy Owens. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

But a new career also led to an opportunity to help the artistic community they both love.

“When we were thinking about starting the business, we were looking at ways to give back that are sustainable and selfpropelled,” Eric Starkey said. “We wanted it to be more than just a donation.”

They decided to work with artists to develop products they can all be proud of and use that as a starting point to create partnerships in the community.

Brewing art

The first participants to create artist series blends with Leap are Romy Owens and musicians Mary Reynolds and Louise Goldberg of the folk and jazz duo Miss Brown to You. “Kari and I have known each other a while. She helped me with [The Unbearable Absence of ] Landscapes in Tulsa,” Owens said. “We were seaming it together, and she would come up once a week for a couple of hours. During that time, you get to know someone pretty well.”

They shared stories about the struggle to create art and pay the bills, she said.

“When they bought Leap, she and Eric said this is something they want to do and give back to the community,” Owens said.

Participating in the artist series means artists receive essentially the same commission a coffee seller would, Eric Starkey said. Every bag of coffee sold, whether to an individual consumer or to a restaurant serving her “militant optimist” blend, sends money to Owens.

That’s not enough to set her on easy street, but Owens said any money can be a huge help.

“Oh my gosh! It makes a tremendous impact,” she said. “Even if it’s $100 a month, that can help buy supplies or pay the electric bill or put gas in the car.”

Goldberg had been getting her coffee from Hargrave for years before Leap told

her they wanted to collaborate.

“They really want to support the art,” she said. “We plan to save the proceeds and apply it to the next CD we record later this year.”

It’s hard to make a living as a musician, Goldberg said. Miss Brown to You has been doing it for a long time, and that involves trying on different hats — playing shows, selling albums, teaching music lessons and performing in the theater pit.

“It’s a huge business outside of the art that happens,” she said. “So it really, really lifts us up to know that somebody is pitching in.”

Owens said if more businesses could find a way to support individual artists, it could make a huge difference in the community.

“I love that it’s multidisciplinary. This has the capacity to reach painters, singers, actors and writers and have a significant impact,” she said. “I love how that sets a model up. There’s no reason every business shouldn’t be benefiting the charity or cause of their choice.”

Owens said the process was fun and informative and taught her more than she ever thought she’d know about coffee.

“I’m not a coffee expert, but I have certainly become a coffee snob,” she said. “I tried almost everything they have, and they came up with some pretty inventive options for me.”

She said “militant optimist” is an all-day, every day sort of coffee.

Kari Starkey described Miss Brown to You’s blend, “Nightingale” as more rounded with notes of chocolate.

Leap will release Goldberg and Reynolds’ blend with an open warehouse party 5-8 p.m. Friday at the roastery, 44 NE 51st St. The event is free, all-ages and open to the public. Miss Brown to You will perform, and there will be coffee, tea, wine, kombucha and snacks.

Call 405-602-5800 or visit leapcoffeeroasters.com.

TradiTion Part of the celebration for 75 years.

today is

Enchilada WEdnEsday!

Two cheese enchiladas with rice & refried beans. $4.99 lunch $5.99 dinner

oklahoma City Quail Springs Mall 405-752-0677

NormaN

Sooner Mall 405-360-2146

elchico.com

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j a n u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 1 7

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EAT & DRINK

e v ent

Guernsey Park executive chef Paul Langer’s chocolate ribs won Best in Show at Chocolate Decadence in 2016. | Photo Garett Fisbeck / file

Cocoa yeah

After 20 years, guests and restaurants still clamber to be part of Chocolate Decadence.

By Greg Elwell

Oklahoma City can’t get enough chocolate.

Alley restaurants Broadway 10 Bar & For two decades, restaurants have deChophouse, Iguana Mexican Grill, Kamp’s lighted guests at Chocolate Decadence with 1910 Cafe, Red PrimeSteak, S&B’s Burger savory and sweet creations with just two Joint and Schelgel’s restaurant Pelotón things in common: They all include chocoCafe. late, and they all help improve Automobile From outside the district, Café do Brasil, Alley.

Cafe 7 Pastaria and Delicatessen, CocoFlow This year’s fundraiser and chocoholic Chocolatier, Dekora!, Ember Modern dream is 6:30-9 p.m. Feb. 2 in Hudson-Essex American Tavern, Grand Casino Hotel & Loft Office Building, 825 N. Broadway Ave. Resort, Holey Rollers, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Schlegel Bicycles owner and Automobile Cafe, Mariposa Coffee, James E. McNellie’s Alley board chairman Steve Schlegel said Public House, Oklahoma City Museum of part of the event’s draw is its timing.

Art’s Museum Cafe, The Pump Bar and “So many fundraisers happen later in Slaughter’s Hall will participate. the year,” he said. “Ours is more focused on Valentine’s Day.” Alley cats That leads to the event’s other big selling Automobile Alley has changed immensely point: chocolate. since Schlegel Bicycles opened at 900 N. Guernsey Park executive chef Langer’s Broadway Ave. in 2007. chocolate pork ribs took home the Best in Schlegal said it was a different neighborShow award at last year’s event. This year, hood then. When Schlegel was readying the he’s trying something a little different. store to open, he spent many nights doing construction projects inside and out from “I’m keeping on the barbecue-braised 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. meats with a chocolate-rubbed brisket,” he But after a decade in business, Schlegel said. “I haven’t tested anything out yet. I said the area has proven extremely safe. don’t know where it will go, but it’s in the same vein.”

Automobile Alley hosting Chocolate Unlike some other tasting events across Decadence in the district is not something Oklahoma City, Chocolate Decadence every other district gets to do, Schlegel said. pushes chefs to innovate by making chocoTickets for the 21-and-older event are late a required ingredient. $65 and include tastings from the restau“What it does is it allows us to think rants, live jazz music and wine. VIP tickets outside the box,” Langer said. “It’s fun to are $100 and include early entry, a special see what everybody else brings to the table. cocktail, a commemorative Automobile Alley photo and VIP We’re all trying to one-up each other.” seating throughout the The fun, he said, is evening.

Chocolate in taking a convenAll proceeds from Decadence tional ingredient and Chocolate Decadence using it in unconvengo back to Automobile 6:30-9 p.m. Feb. 2 Alley to fund commutional ways.

Hudson-Essex Loft Office Building The competitors nity projects and street 825 N. Broadway Ave. this year include beautification. chocolatedecadenceokc.com Guernsey Park and Visit chocolatedec405-706-7484 2016 People’s Choice adenceokc.com. $65-$100 | 21+ winner Paseo Grill as well as Automobile 16

j a n u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

b rie f s By Greg Elwell

HealtHy eating Has never been so easy, or delicious.

Hot Bar Entrees, Freshly Made Salads, Grab & Go Meals - all made from local, farm-fresh and organic ingredients Whispering Pines Inn Restaurant executive chef Sontara Kchao | Photo Thomas Maupin / provided

Nichols Hills Plaza | provision-kitchen.com

•Fine Pines Norman’s Whispering Pines Inn Restaurant announced Sontara Kchao as its new executive chef. Kchao and his older brother Rany and their wives bought Whispering Pines, 7820 E. State Highway 9, in 1999.

The Kchao brothers came to Oklahoma City in 1982 after fleeing Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge government and spending time in refugee camps. Their only work experience in food before coming to America was working in rice fields.

Once in Oklahoma City, the pair worked washing dishes and rose through the ranks in the restaurant world, with stops at Richmond Suites Hotel, Oak Tree Country Club, The Coach House and La Baguette in Norman.

The Kchaos eventually returned to Richmond Suites Hotel and opened their own restaurant, L’Indochine. But when the hotel was sold and the new owners wanted to change their lease, they moved on and purchased Whispering Pines.

Sontara Kchao lists Vast director of operations Kurt Fleischfresser as his main culinary teacher; he learned French techniques from the world-renowned chef.

At Whispering Pines, Kchao cooks a menu of fine-dining classics, including smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail, seared duck and roasted rack of lamb.

The restaurant is open 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Call 405-447-0202 or visit thewhisperingpinesinn.com.

Iguana makeover

Okay; don’t panic. Amid several restaurant closings, including West in Bricktown, Lottinvilles Restaurant & Bar in Edmond and Hillbilly’s, Iguana Mexican Grill is closing its doors — temporarily.

“The location has been here about nine years, and it’s just time for a little facelift,” said operating partner Marc Dunham.

The restaurant closed its location at 9 NW Ninth St. on Jan. 22 for a two-week remodeling project. Normal service is scheduled to resume Feb. 7, Dunham said.

The bar area will receive the most attention, but Dunham said guests will be able to see the difference in every area of the restaurant.

“We still have the original decor and colors from when Iguana opened [in 2007],” Dunham said. “It feels like it’s time for an update, so the bar is getting a new face, we’re repainting the floors, we’re putting a banquette upstairs and there will be a new table arrangement in the bar to make it more bar-friendly instead of just a bunch of tables.”

Dunham said Iguana will be making everything from scratch, including tortillas. Despite changes, he said, the restaurant will still be a comfortable place to eat comfortable food.

“We’ll also be moving around the country of Mexico, highlighting dishes from different states,” Dunham said. “So when you come in, you can choose from different specialties of Michoacán or Puebla.”

Fans won’t have to go cold turkey for

two weeks, though. While the main restaurant is being remodeled, Iguana will take over recently closed Hillbilly’s, 1 NW Ninth St. The building is smaller than Iguana, so seating is limited and on a firstcome, first-served basis.

Island drinks

As a first-generation immigrant, Murod Mamatov feels a connection to those who came to the country in decades past.

“I can’t relate to being on a boat for that long, but I do know the feeling when you land in a new country and start a new life and become a citizen of that new country,” the native Russian said.

The connection inspired the name of his new venture, Ellis Island Coffee and Wine Lounge, 130 N. Broadway, Suite 150, in Edmond. The coffee shop opened Jan. 19.

Mamatov has experience with coffee, having started and run a Starbucks-affiliated coffee shop at Oklahoma City Community College. When visiting Chicago, he noticed a growing trend toward shops that sold coffee and wine.

“I thought it was a cool concept to bring to Oklahoma City,” he said.

The new restaurant will also serve Italian and French wines, breads and desserts from La Baguette Bistro and Epic Pops gelato popsicles, which Mamatov founded in 2013.

Call 405-625-1886 or visit ellisislandedmond.com.

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g a z e di b l e s

eat & DRINK

Closing in

Every year, Oklahoma Gazette asks our readers to do the impossible: Choose the best Oklahoma City has to offer. It’s a monumental task, but nobody knows the city like the people who live here.

Few categories are more hotly contested than the best restaurants and bars. People get passionate when describing their favorite place for burgers, nachos and Italian food. This week, we’re focusing on 2016 runners-up who will likely make another run at the title later this year.

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

Bedlam Bar-B-Q

Pearl’s Oyster Bar

Brown’s Bakery

Since opening in 2003, Bedlam Bar-B-Q has won favor with Cowboys and Sooners with family recipes passed down through generations. Much as the annual meetings between the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University always elicit sparks, the slow-cooked brisket and ribs at Bedlam always get diners excited. If you’re feeding a crowd, no matter where they graduated, look no further than The Cowboy: three pounds of meat and four pints of sides, including irresistible collard greens.

Oysters have gained purchase on local menus in the last year, but they’ve long been the star at Pearl’s Oyster Bar. Tuesdays are Buck-A-Shuck days when seafood lovers can slurp down platters of briny bivalves with a sprinkle of hot sauce or a dash of spicy horseradish. If a raw bar leaves you cold, Pearl’s can laissez les bon temps rouler with cooked specialties including blackened chicken fettuccine, bowls full of gumbo and comfortably elegant shrimp and grits.

Why limit yourself to just one sweet tooth?

Let your whole mouth get in on the fun at Brown’s Bakery, which is a perennial pick for some of the best desserts in Oklahoma City. Wake up to a box of freshly baked doughnuts and grab a few sausage rolls for co-workers who prefer a savory start to the day. Brown’s is also home to some of the best cakes in city. Stop in and talk to the staff about personalizing a birthday or graduation cake.

610 NE 50th St. bedlambarbq.com | 405-528-7427

5641 N. Classen Blvd. pearlsokc.com | 405-848-8008

1100 N. Walker Ave. facebook.com/brownsbakeryokc 405-232-0363

Make us part of your

New Year’s resolutioN Lean Meat Grilled Chicken Hummus Chef Salads Caesar Salads w/ Grilled Chicken

M-F 7am-6:30pm • Sat 9:30am-4pm 2310 N Western 524-0887 18

J a n u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Tana Thai Bistro

Mr. Pho

Saints

Taste of Soul Egg Roll

Curry favor with your friends by introducing them to one of Oklahoma City’s longlived and long-loved Thai restaurants, Tana Thai Bistro. The menu is filled with classic Thai favorites, including colorful pad kee mao with stir-fried red bell peppers and spicy basil sauce and tom yum soup with aromatic lemongrass broth, but there are plenty of new dishes to discover. One especially notable inclusion is crab meat fried rice, which adds fresh crab to a takeout staple.

Is there a Mrs. Pho? Because a gal could get used to eating like this. A runner-up in Oklahoma Gazette’s Best Vietnamese Restaurant category, Mr. Pho is best known for its savory beef and noodle soup, but there are lots of Vietnamese delicacies to be had there. Choose from 10 kinds of rice plates (or com) and 12 varieties of vermicelli bowls (aka bún) with toppings including char-grilled shrimp, shredded pork and chopped spring rolls. Sweet Vietnamese coffee will revitalize those who get sleepy after so much good food.

Have you heard of the heavenly Plaza District spot called Saints? Judging by its inclusion in last year’s Best Neighborhood Pub list, many of you have. The watering hole draws in a broad cross-section of residents thanks to a superb menu of Irish dishes and a well-stocked selection of beer, affordable wine and specialty cocktails.

With a diverse crowd comes a sense of excitement and unpredictability that always makes evenings spent at Saints memorable.

When Ricki and Cerese Bly opened Taste of Soul Egg Roll in 2011, their blend of friendly service and enormous egg rolls filled with spiced ground turkey, shredded carrots and cabbage made the food truck an instant hit. Years later, the truck’s arrival on the scene still causes a commotion as lines quickly form for breakfast egg rolls, “Soul” fried rice and Tastees — deep-fried apple- or cherry-filled rolls dusted with powdered sugar.

10700 N. May Ave. 405-242-2075

1133 NW 25th St. 405-525-7692

1715 NW 16th St. saintspubokc.com | 405-602-6308

Mobile tasteofsouleggroll.com | 405-863-0771

BourBon St. Cafe

OKC’S CELEBRATION

DESTINATION birthdays-anniversaries bachelorette parties RiveRwalk | bRicktown

100 E. California | 232.6666 | bourbonstCafE.Com O kg a z e t t e . c o m | J a n u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 1 7

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MLS-Black History 20 jan u a r y 2Month 5 , 2 0 1gazette 7 | O kgad.indd a z e t t e1. c o m

1/23/2017 9:23:39 AM

art

ARTS & CULTURE

Western style

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum places the Western mystique under the microscope. By Brian Daffron

ing the cowboys of his imagination.

“Most of these illustrators worked out of Westport, Connecticut, or New York City,” Reeves said. “Tom Ryan worked out of Chicago. These people worked handin-hand, very closely with the major printing houses. That’s part of the story. These were folks that were creating this imagery that were not close at all to the subject at hand.”

Hollywood plains

Hollywood and the American West is related to the creation of the iconic American cowboy image through the photographs of John R. Hamilton. While Hamilton focused many of his pictures on the sets of Hollywood Western movies, his focus was more on what happened behind the scenes or when the movie cameras or the directors said cut.

Getting its start on the set of John Ford’s The Searchers, Hamilton’s career spanned decades. Many of his most recognizable photos take place on Western movie sets that range in time from The Searchers in 1956 to Silverado in 1985. Yet many of his other photographs include The Jackson 5, James Taylor with a guitar, Isaac Hayes in his home or Steve McQueen on his motorcycle giving an obscene gesture. For this exhibit — a collaboration between John Wayne Enterprises and the Hamilton estate — the photos include Paul Newman taking a break on the set of the 1958 movie The Left Handed Gun. In the photo, Newman lies on his back with his feet on the wall, smoking a cigar and reading a copy of The New Yorker.

Cherished cloth

Many symbols are deeply associated with the American West: cowboy hats, boots, horses and the Colt Peacemaker. How much is real, and how much has the media created?

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum features three major exhibits that examine the American Cowboy — both real and perceived. The Artistry of the Western Paperback, Hollywood and the American West and A Yard of Turkey Red: The Western Bandanna run Feb. 3-May 14 at the museum, 1700 NE 63rd St.

Paperback cowboys

The Artistry of the Western Paperback deals with the preconceived notions of the West created by media in the eastern United States. These include the cover art for paperback Western novels, pulp magazines and “penny dreadful” and “dime-store” writing.

Paul Newman reads The New Yorker on the set of The Left Handed Gun in 1958. | Photo John R. Hamilton / John Wayne Enterprises / Oklahoma Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum / provided

“We’re showing the graphics and the artistry of the covers, the artistry of the Western paperback,” said museum curator Don Reeves. “We’re enlarging digitally to highlight the artwork on the covers and then talk about the careers of the various artists.”

One of the more intriguing characteristics of these artists is their lack of real connection to the American cowboy or the Western images they were paid to represent. One of the very few who gained a real connection to the West was artist Tom Ryan, who moved to Guthrie, Texas, to paint workers at the 6666 Ranch in the 1960s after years of paint-

While the exhibits mentioned above focus on the Western mythos, the third major exhibit focuses on the reality of the cowboy: the bandanna. With varying uses including the wiping of sweat and dust, it is still an item that people strongly associate with the cowboy, along with the hat and boots.

Reeves had a personal hand in curating A Yard of Turkey Red: The Western Bandanna.

Much of the exhibit includes cotton and silk bandannas from the collection of John H. Thillmann Davis as well as photographs.

“I just think it’s a story that hasn’t been heard,” Reeves said. “Everybody says, ‘Oh yeah, I know what a bandana is.’ But they really don’t.”

The exhibit tells the cowboy’s story through the framed textiles. Many of the

Fancy bandanna, circa 1865, silk | Photo John H. Thillmann Collection / National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum / provided

bandannas were made with red dye and indigo that would withstand the lye-based soaps of the time. Patterns with names such as Martha Washington and The American were in high production through the early 20th century. One of the companies, S.H. Greene & Sons out of West Warwick, Rhode Island, was a major manufacturer. Reeves said production numbered 1.5 million yards per week in 1908.

A major factor in the creation of this exhibit is that through heavy use, many bandannas didn’t survive to the present day.

“These generally don’t survive because they’ve been used up,” said Reeves. “We’ve got these bandanas and neck scarves that go back to the 1820s. I’ve been around this for almost 40 years now. These are many, many textiles that I’ve never seen. I don’t know of any other Western exhibit on bandanas.”

A fourth activity available at the same time as the exhibits is the Power & Prestige Children’s Gallery, which includes makeand-take crafts, stories and map study.

“I really enjoy how [the four exhibits] show so many different elements of the American West,” said Reeves. “There are things from the 19th century working cowboys to Paul Newman to the made-up heroes of the covers of the paperbacks. ... It’s what we think the West is. It’s a mix of the West you want it to be.”

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. MondaysSaturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays.

Admission is free-$12.50. Visit nationalcowboymuseum.org or call 405-478-2250.

Sammy Davis Jr. sneaks up on Frank Sinatra during the filming of Sergeants 3 in 1961. | Photo John R. Hamilton / John Wayne Enterprises / Oklahoma Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum / provided

Bury Me Not by Allan R. Bosworth, Dell Publishing, New York, 1948 | Photo Glenn D. Shirley Western Americana Collection / Dickinson Research Center / National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum / provided O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j a n u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 1 7

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art

ARTS & CULTURE

Creative corner

A new gallery in Shawnee fosters community creativity. By Jessica Williams

The beauty of art lies off the beaten path, and one new gallery in Shawnee embodies this journey.

Opened in October, Studio 112 and a Half quaintly rests between two of Shawnee’s historical buildings on Main Street, where husband-and-wife duo Douglas and Holly Gordon circulate vibrant work from Oklahoma’s emerging artists.

“People might be surprised to learn that Shawnee’s art scene is growing,” said artist and curator Douglas Gordon. “We exist among several galleries around the area that work together to put on shows and events.

It’s quite a strong community of curators and artists.”

Born out of an art community stretching all the way to Gordon’s roots in Scotland, Studio 112 seeks to make art accessible for locals and artists alike.

“Originally, in 2011, I’d been eyeing the studio space as a gallery for displaying my art,” Gordon said. “When it became available again in 2016, I knew I wanted to use the space to highlight local artists.

Everything just seemed to fall into place after that.”

Teamwork is key for a small gallery to survive. In operating Studio 112, the Gordons use the power of collaboration to guide their plans.

“I’ve taken inspiration from Shawnee’s galleries, especially ones featuring primarily Oklahoma artists,” he said. “We all give 22

j a n u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

each other suggestions and resources to grow our galleries, which has been really beneficial for opening Studio 112 and a Half.”

Shawnee’s close-knit community culminates in the studio’s first and current gallery show, Unframed. Gordon said the idea for the show came from speaking with his artist friends about financial issues with displaying their art.

“Artists and gallery owners know that framing artworks can be extremely expensive, so we’re taking a different approach,” he said. “Instead of framing the art, we’re using metal hangers and wooden clothespins to hang each artwork on the wall.”

I knew I wanted to use the space to highlight local artists.

Douglas Gordon Unframed features a diverse range of artists from multiple regions, including Canadian Willow Snow, Scot Yvonne Taylor, Gordon himself, Shawnee’s own perceptual artist Jason Wilson and several other local artists. Other than the uniform manner in which they’re displayed, each artist’s work presents a unique approach.

Studio 112 and a Half’s Unframed exhibit is on display through Monday. | Photo Studio 112 and a Half / provided

“More art can be seen without requiring artists to matte and frame their own works,” Gordon said. “We’ve brought together some really colorful pieces from both established and emerging artists that I’ve met through social media, other art districts in Oklahoma or through other gallery owners.”

Living gallery

Walking into the Unframed exhibition is a feast for the eyes. Wilson’s perceptual work incorporates geometrical 3-D shapes against vibrant, often neon backgrounds while other artists display abstract patterns and shapes in mixed media.

While remaining cost-efficient, Gordon said Studio 112’s down-to-earth approach also creates an inviting atmosphere.

“I think this show in particular lacks the stuffy, intimidating qwualities of many other gallery spaces,” he said. “We want everyone to feel invited when they enter the gallery and encouraged to interact with the art on the walls.”

Every part of Studio 112 and a Half’s space encourages artistic inspiration. The Gordons have created a workspace where artists can cultivate their ideas.

“Since we’ve opened, several people from around the area come into the studio for a space to work on their own art,” Gordon said. “We’ve had people come in, sit down and just start creating. The paintings around the room also help inspire artists while they’re working.”

Complete with long worktables, sinks and a range of supplies, the studio is already providing Shawnee locals a place to cultivate their artistic aspirations.

“One woman in particular comes in almost every day to work on her art,” Gordon said. “She needed a place to work without

Unframed 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday Studio 112 and a Half 112 1/2 E. Main St., Shawnee studio112andahalf.com 405-314-4702 Free

her kids and other distractions, and I’ve noticed a real progress in her confidence as an artist. That’s what the studio is all about.”

Although it’s a working space, there’s no pressure to be an artist at Studio 112. The Gordons even created a small library space for further inspiration.

“We have a non-functioning fireplace in the studio’s corner, so we decided to create a space inspired by [Jane Austen’s] reading room,” Gordon said. “I was inspired by a display about the [Austen] house at the Minneapolis art museum and thought recreating it would be a perfect way to use that fireplace in the studio.”

Inspiration never seems to cease in Studio 112 and a Half. The Gordons have a packed schedule for 2017.

“We have a show planned for every month of this year,” Gordon said, “so it’s going to be a busy but exciting year for the gallery and for the Shawnee art scene as well.”

Explore Unframed at Studio 112 and a Half, 112 1/2 E. Main St., in Shawnee through Monday. The studio is open 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Sundays, 6:30-9:30 p.m. TuesdaysWednesdays and 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Saturdays. Visit studio112andahalf.com.

T h e at e r

FLY fellows

The Gentlemen of Hip-Hop delivers a surprising mix of music and dance to Weatherford. By Michael Kinney

The campus of Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) is being invaded.

The aerial assault will come from one of the most unique and entertaining groups touring the country today.

FLY Dance Company is set to entertain students and the public Feb. 2 at SWOSU’s Fine Arts Center, 103 W. Davis Road, in Weatherford. Executive director Jorge Casco said those who have never seen the “Gentlemen of Hip-Hop,” are in for a treat.

“FLY is an all-male contemporary dance company who have blended street dance with classic choreographic principles since the 1990s,” Casco said. “We use a wide variety of music, including a lot of classical, clever staging, acting skills, costuming and comedy, and mix it with the hip-hop dancers’ raw movement.”

According to Casco, the best way to describe FLY Dance Company is “theatrical hip-hop.” The performances combine different elements to form an all-out celebration of performance art.

“Expect the unexpected,” Casco said.

“With all the variety, you will leave with a whole new perspective on hip-hop and the performing arts world. But if we had to sum it up, FLY Dance Company’s concerts are a unique combination of entertainment and art — a high-energy, nonstop mix of hip-hop, classical and modern dance with an added touch of vaudeville.”

The origins of FLY Dance Company are in the streets of Houston. It has grown into the multifaceted performance troupe.

“Our founder and artistic director Kathy Wood encountered a crew of street dancers at a Houston street festival and immediately visualized how, with their skills and her choreography, she could create an act to appeal to performing arts audiences,” Casco said. “The process leading to what would become FLY Dance Company started in 1993, with Fly being established in 1995.”

According to the dance company’s website, Wood’s plan included using different musical styles and a mix of ensemble and solo dancing to do the unexpected and create something “powerful, funky,

graceful and sometimes bordering on the impossible.”

The initial FLY Dance Company toured from 1995 until 2006 when Wood had to shut down the company due to physical exhaustion. But in 2012, she gave her blessing to original members Casco, Chris Cortez, Don Lee Rivera and Adam Quiroz to restart the company. Wood later rejoined as artistic director.

Besides entertaining fans, the dance company wants to be role models for upand-coming young men who are looking for ways to direct their lives instead of being on the streets. That is where the nickname Gentlemen of Hip-Hop comes from.

“First, it means FLY members are professional, reliable and easy to work with,” Casco said. “For us, it’s about knocking down stereotypes and barriers people might place on you. Hip-hop usually gets a bad rep, but as The Gentlemen of Hip-Hop, we can present our culture and movement in a fresh, exciting way that is suitable for all ages from 1 to 100.”

The show at SWOSU is 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Feb. 2. Advance tickets are $5 for students and $10 for the general public. Tickets purchased at the door are $20. Call 580774-3063.

“As artists, our mission is to leave people inspired to strive for what you believe in,” Casco said. “We’re living proof that hard work pays off.”

Visit flydancecompany.com.

The Gentlemen of Hip-Hop 7:30-9:30 p.m. Feb. 2 Fine Arts Center Southwestern Oklahoma State University 103 W. Davis Road, Weatherford stubwire.com 580-774-3063 $5-$20

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j a n u a r y 2 5 , 2 0 1 7

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ARTS & CULTURE

film

Luis Gnecco plays the title character in Neruda. | Photo 20th Century Fox / The Orchard / provided

Warped reality Surreal biopic Neruda screens at OKCMOA following its 2017 Golden Globe nomination.

By Ben Luschen

Historic figure Pablo Neruda is most known outside his native Chile as one of the 20th century’s greatest poets. Not to be lost among celebrated works like the collection Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair or the epic Canto General is his work as a diplomat, senator and leader of Chile’s communist party.

The Neruda in the 2016 namesake Spanish-language biopic by Chilean director Pablo Larraín (known to American audiences for Jackie, yet another 2016 historic character study, this one focused on the widow of President John F. Kennedy) is also these things, but in a stylized alternative timeline appearing

so poetic that the account almost plays like a fantastically scripted, fictitious epic.

The story begins three years after World War II. Chilean president Gabriel González Videla (Alfredo Castro) has declared war on communism within his country, partially because of opposition and criticism to his oppressive regime by Neruda (Luis Gnecco) and other party sympathizers. Videla recognizes Neruda as the vital poetic spirit behind a potential homegrown revolution and asks handsome mustachioed police inspector Óscar Peluchonneau (Gael García Bernal) to hunt the poet down and bring him into custody so the state can find a way to pub-

licly humiliate him.

There is no Peluchonneau on historic record. Larraín manufactures the character as a noir manifestation of law, order and everything that opposes or runs counter to artistic freedom. Even in the film, the policeman seems to acknowledge his own fictitiousness within his introspective, first-person narrative that runs parallel to other internal musings by Neruda, his foil.

The poet’s long exile and ultimate escape through the snowy Andes and into refuge in France with artist friend Pablo Picasso are the primary focus of the film and historic fact.

Chilean actor Gnecco plays Neruda with great physical resemblance. Neruda appears as a man beloved by many, from high-society socialites to poor political prisoners.

Larraín paints a complex portrait of the poet. Neruda is simultaneously a tender sympathizer of the struggles of poor Chileans and a self-important egomaniac aware of and obsessed with his everlasting place in history. This is never

more apparent than in his unguarded interactions with wife Delia del Carril (Mercedes Morán), who must share Neruda’s love with his crazed following.

Though the film is titled Neruda, this story is equally about Peluchonneau. The inspector seems tortured by Neruda’s art, but even more by the feeling that he is just a bit player in Neruda’s life story, which will be remembered long after he’s dead.

Larraín might have missed some opportunities for true suspense in the inspector’s pursuit of Neruda. Though there are times when they are in incredibly close proximity, the audience never gets the impression of true peril. The director already unbound himself from the constraints of historic reality, so it would not have been much of a stretch to add a more real sense of danger to the story.

Perhaps Larraín’s intention was not to distract from Peluchonneau’s poetic ascension. The story reaches its surreal peak in the wintery summits of the Alps, when the officer finally comes within a hundred yards of Neruda. In a way, it’s like a thinking man’s version of the climax in 2015’s The Revenant. There’s not much of a physical struggle, but Peluchonneau fades from the scene in a spurt of epiphany, finally realizing his own place in history.

What makes Neruda so interesting is that it exists both as a worthwhile account of the historic poet and a fantastic metaphor for the relationship between art and the conditions in which it is created.

Some might knock Larraín’s telling for not strictly sticking to a historic script, but his poetic vision is probably something that could have been appreciated by Neruda himself.

Neruda 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. FridaySaturday, 2 and 5:30 p.m.

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cult u r e

Archival ado

Curators’ Corner showcases a mix of unrelated but historically significant artifacts at Oklahoma History Center. By Lea Terry

Oklahoma History Center receives dozens of donations in any six-month period. These artifacts donated by people from all over Oklahoma tell the stories of the lives of their parents, grandparents and beyond. No matter how compelling the story, the museum doesn’t always have a place for them in its established collections. That’s why museum staff decided to establish Curators’ Corner, a new exhibit that allows them to showcase objects that might otherwise not have a home.

“Ninety-nine percent of our collection is stored away behind the scenes in the collections area, so it’s always difficult to choose which artifact goes along with the story that we’re trying to tell,” said Amy Hildebrand, curator of collections at the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Many of these donations spend the rest of their lives stored away from view, either because they’re not in optimal condition or because they don’t fit in with any of the other exhibits, which are typically up for between two and five years. It can be a challenge to pick and choose what to display, but Curators’

Corner gives museum staff a flexible space they can experiment with if there’s something particularly compelling they want to showcase or if they want to address something timely.

“There’s just some really interesting lives and stories from individuals that represent the story of a lot of other people,” Hildebrand said.

Even though some of the items appear to be simple, everyday objects, they help tell the story of Oklahoma and its people, as is the case with several quilts on display made by one woman over the years.

“Her whole life, essentially, was hard work on a tenant farm, but she managed to create these beautiful works of art for years and years just by using what little time she had in the evenings and what fabric she could afford to buy or pieces of clothing that were worn out,” Hildebrand said.

Among the items currently on display are military memorabilia and Caddo women’s dance regalia. Also included are items from the Merci Train, an offering of friendship between the United States and France after

World War II. In 1947, Americans sent what was called the Friendship Train, which included trainloads of fuel, food, clothing and other essential items, to France and other European countries struggling after the devastation of the war. In response, France sent the U.S. the Merci Train, which included 49 train cars of items as diverse as pottery, fruit trees and wedding dresses. The exhibit also includes “Trail of Tears” by painter Elizabeth Janes, a 1939 mural that was recently conserved at the history center. It was made as part of Janes’ work for her master of arts degree from the University of Oklahoma.

The exhibit also gives visitors a peek behind the scenes at what museum curators and conservators do. While people might think this primarily involves arranging objects, Hildebrand said they also answer questions from the public and catalog the many artifacts stored at the museum. The exhibit includes a section introducing people to the field of artifact conservation, something that Hildebrand described as revolving around the idea “First, do no harm.”

“Everything they do should prolong the life of the artifact without changing the original intent or work of the original painter,” Hildebrand said. “Things they do are generally reversible and not a permanent change, and the intent is not to bring it back to its original form, but rather to help that piece exist into the future.”

When choosing artifacts for Curators’

Corner, museum staff looks for items that not only have interesting and visually compelling stories to tell, but are also in good enough condition to be on display for six months or more.

Items in Curators’ Corner will be rotated approximately every six months. The exhibit is located in the Noble Foundation Gallery on the third floor of the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive.

Curators’ Corner features artifacts that don’t necessarily fit into Oklahoma History Center’s other exhibits. | Photo Oklahoma History Center / provided

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Sunday’s Oklahoma Bridal Show features a fashion show. | Photo Sherri Glenn Photography / provided

SHOPPING

finaL days

Get hitched

The Oklahoma Bridal Show returns and features vendors and a fashion show. By Jessica Williams

Opportunities to taste a variety of Wedding season has transformed from wedding offerings will satisfy a wide shorter spring/summer months into a yearround obligation for brides, grooms, famirange of palates. lies and guests.

“Along with cake testing, several caterWith a saturated wedding industry, ing venues will showcase their food for pressure to Instagram every moment with attendees to try,” said Streetman. “It’s a signature hashtags and jam-packed great opportunity for brides and their Pinterest board aspirations, it can be diffamilies to figure out what kind of food they ficult to stay sane when planning the big want to serve to guests.”

Those who love the catwalk are sure to day. The Oklahoma Bridal Show can help.

OKBride marketing director Carrie enjoy the wedding gown and floral fashion Streetman gave Oklahoma show presentations featurGazette a preview of what ing designs from local gown boutiques and the the Sunday show at Cox The Oklahoma Oklahoma State Floral Convention Center, 1 Bridal Show Myriad Gardens, will offer Association. visitors anticipating their “Everyone’s favorite noon-5 p.m. Sunday upcoming nuptials. part of the show is seeing Cox Convention Center “We’ll have about 250 the latest trends in 1 Myriad Gardens wedding gowns,” said venues with discounts, a okbride.com fashion show stage, music Streetman. “The fashion 405-633-0366 options, a bridal lounge show helps brides get ideas $12.95-$15 and lots of chances for parfor their own wedding look ticipants to win some and lets them see how the gowns move on an actual person.” prizes,” she said.

Last year, the show brought together Newbies to The Oklahoma Bridal Show, over 1,000 brides-to-be and 3,000 people be warned. Streetman advises first-time total. The first 500 brides to register will attendees to plan ahead for a stress-free receive a bag full of goodies, while all who experience. register will automatically be entered to “Wear comfortable shoes, make sure win big prizes like honeymoon packages you eat and rest well the night before the show,” said Streetman. “Most importantand cakes. Every attendee will feel like a ly, plan your visit before attending. Know winner with the show’s huge offering of venues. what venues and items interest you and From noon to 5 p.m., venues like David’s stick to those.”

Bridal, Huntington Fine Jewelers, Macy’s, Devising a plan of action ensures brides and many more will line the convention and their parties actually enjoy the wedding center’s floors. process, which should be at the forefront “Our venues feature everything you of getting hitched. Above all, Streetman could think of for a wedding and probably said a successful trip to the show should items you would’ve forgotten otherwise,” offer brides a sense of ease, knowing there’s said Streetman. “We’ll have venues for an army of venues to make their day special. cakes, florists, wedding invitations, loca“We really enjoy what we do,” said tion options, photography, lighting and Streetman, “and it’s rewarding to see brides local wedding planners to help make your and their families leave the show more day unique and special.” confident that their wedding days will be enjoyable and memorable.”

Those who enjoy the culinary aspects of weddings the most are in luck.

H E A LT H

Weighed down

Weight management, hormones and diet pills play an important part in some people’s weight-loss journeys. 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.

Mark Harris, like many others seeking help for weight loss, was one of those people who put on 10-15 pounds a year beginning in his late 30s. Less active in sports with his kids as they became adults, he found himself 100 pounds overweight by age 50. He said it was slow and gradual, almost imperceptible to him until he was so past where he wanted to be that he’d lost hope. When he finally did seek help, it came after a chance meeting with a fitness professional he met randomly at dinner one night.

That professional is Todd Farris, a chiropractor with The Broadway Clinic near downtown Oklahoma City. Athletic by nature and a clean eater by choice, he encouraged Harris to get out of denial, look at how he was living and, if he wanted to change, see him and the weight loss specialists at Broadway Clinic.

“It was a wake-up call for me,” Harris said.

“I had gone from a person eager to try new things, get out and about regularly to this fat guy who went to work, came home and talked with family or friends about where we should

eat. Eating had become my pastime.”

Harris soon realized he had much more than exercise ahead of him.

“The No. 1 thing people need to know, especially people who have yo-yo dieted for years, is we can’t exercise it off. You can’t outrun your fork; you can’t outrun a bad diet,” Farris said. “There’s an exercise place right down the road here, and I see these men and women jogging by in their workout suits, yoga gear, weighing 200-250 pounds. They are overweight, and I feel for them. But they’re just tearing up their hips and joints; they aren’t going to run it off.

Their body has so much adipose tissue on it, it’s the last thing to come off.”

It sounds harsh, but Farris said people need to look at what they are eating and why.

The Broadway Clinic has been in business for 35 years, specializing in weight loss through a number of approaches. The clinic has 40,000 patient visits a year between the downtown location and a second one in south Oklahoma City.

The methods vary depending on the patient and their weight loss goals. These approaches include HCG, a hormone produced during pregnancy. The Broadway Clinic said it helps people lose weight fast by signaling the hypothalamus to stabilize fat

Drs. Joseph Arden Blough and Todd Farris use a variety of combined methods at The Broadway Clinic to help patients effectively lose weight. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

from fat storage and use it as energy. Clinic medical director Joseph Arden Blough said it reduces patients’ appetites at the same time and leads to rapid weight loss in combination with a calorie-restricted diet. He said gradually, over several months after weight loss is attained, patients transition into a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet for maintenance.

All patients are shown a chart with four key categories they are told are necessary to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.

They are diet, exercise, sleep and balanced hormones. Most patients are already aware of two of the four.

Blough said the average weight loss for patients over a period of two to five months is 32-35 pounds. But if they want to maintain their weight, they have to reach a point where they live on 1,500-2,500 calories a day as a

Mark Harris was 100 pounds overweight when he sought help to change his lifestyle. | Photo provided

general rule, depending on their size and activity level. Their diets need to be low in sugar and carbohydrates and contain select fruits and vegetables and more protein than most patients are used to.

“But people don’t realize the need for sleep and balanced hormones in this effort.

Everyone needs at least six, preferably eight, hours of sleep at night for body restoration and hormone balance,” Blough said. “Hormones are a key category of their own in this fight for healthy living. We take them seriously here. Hormones deplete with age and cause weight gain … primarily reduced levels of testosterone for men and estrogen for women.”

Vicious cycle

Harris lost 73 pounds in six months and was elated to drop beneath 200 pounds just before the holidays. He said he was treated with diet pills to control hunger and increase his metabolism. In addition, he bought a Fitbit watch to track his movement and walks a minimum of 6,000 steps a day. He learned to walk early in the morning, witnessing beautiful sunrises, and said the biggest change has been his diet. He has knocked out nearly all sugar, dramatically cut his carbohydrate intake and increased his protein intake. He also practices eating for hunger only, not boredom or habit. His plans for more loss were interrupted by a fall from an overhead patio covering in October, breaking a hip and femur, resulting in little to no activity and giving his food habit a chance to lay its groundwork again. continued on page 28

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continued from page 27

“I’ll get back to it again. The fall and the holidays at the same time caused me to put back on about 15 pounds. But I know what to do.

Sugar is like crack cocaine for me; if I eat it I want more, and when I commit to getting it and carbs that spike my blood sugar out of my diet, I find my cravings die down. I don’t want to be a fat boy ever again. I can’t believe I lived that way so long.”

Oklahomans are in the midst of an epidemic of obesity, and with that comes its cousin, diabetes. The Broadway Clinic does lab work on every new patient, whether 15 or 200 pounds overweight, because when people begin to put on weight, the pancreas is forced to create more insulin to reduce blood sugars, and the more resistant patients become, the more weight they gain.

Blough said a fasting glucose test is not an accurate predictor of trouble.

“When you look at labs, you will see glucose levels. That’s a spot check. I look at something called hemoglobin A1C because it changes very slowly with increases and decreases in blood sugar. We actually get an approximation of three months’ blood sugar average, a look over time,” Blough said. “I have found hundreds of people who are insulin-resistant in addition to some that are diabetic. But my point is one of the most important things we do here is put the individual that’s showing resistance over time as measured by that A1C number on a drug called Metamorphine to keep them from developing diabetes.”

The more weight you gain, the more insulin-resistant you become and the more insulin-resistant you become, the more weight you gain.

H E A LT H

on salet now aickeTs.com

ARTS & CULTURE

Losing fight

While professionals in the field, and even patients themselves, talk about the denial of obesity — a person’s inability to realize their weight is becoming a health problem, affecting their lives in negative ways — there is often unmentioned shame that goes with weight gain. And like any problem that remains secret, it’s destructive to one’s identity and healthy functioning in the world, often impoverishing a person’s emotional sense of well-being.

Sarah Horton is dynamic, hardworking and a lifelong athlete, but stocky. She also comes from a family of heavy people. She’s consistently 20-30 pounds overweight, and her challenge is to stay motivated. She remembers her grandfather referring to her as a “really big girl” as she pulled the sofa cushions over her lap to hide her body out of shame and embarrassment.

She has tried every diet, sneaking food as she was hungry and trying to do a weight loss plan that worked for someone else, but not her. A triathlete from time to time, she knows about exercise and also that she can out-eat any exercise program. Having attained a goal weight in the Weight Watchers program in the past, she has put back on some of those lost pounds.

“I swear my ideal weight at my 5-foot-4inch height is 150 pounds and a size eight.

Sarah Horton middle has struggled with her weight since she was a child. | Photo provided

I would love to get back there. If I get down to 150 again, how do I maintain that?

Because if these fat cells inside me are waiting to explode, I’m scared to death to eat anything,” Horton said. “I have a friend who lost 40 pounds in her mid 60s and has maintained for five years, but she’s as obsessed as I am. I don’t want to be there.”

Horton stays with exercise at various intervals depending on her motivation and what’s going on in her life. She knows how to eat healthfully and said if she doesn’t practice what she knows and set realistic goals, keeping in mind her own gene pool, her weight will overrun her. She does best with an exercise partner to keep motivated.

We are all different. Each of us has to decide for ourselves what our goals are and then how we are going to get there. What are we willing to commit to? What won’t work for us? Shame will stall that. Holiday weight gain and injuries will slow people down. But healthy weight is a lifetime goal, and there is not a perfect size and weight for everyone. The Broadway Clinic tells its patients the most important thing about weight loss is to feel good about the way you look, the way you feel, the way you move and the way your clothes fit.

One-on-one help is key to some; group support keeps others on track.

“Set point” is another subject raising different voices. It’s the point at which many people trying to lose weight get stuck and are unable to get down past a certain weight.

It’s considered by some as a genetic predetermined weight no matter the effort to get beneath it, but Blough said patients can change it. He tells his patients to stick to the program they have and fight through it vigilantly. He said some might hover at a certain weight for a period of time, frustrating their efforts, but if they maintain the agreed-upon diet and activity level, they can push through that and lose more.

Coming up: Weighed Down examines bariatric surgery before learning about a bariatric patient’s life after surgery.

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

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KIPP Reach College Preparatory students face off against community leaders at Feb. 2’s Are You Smarter Than a KIPPster? fundraising event. | Photo bigstock.com

Buzzer beaters

Students take on community leaders in a quiz bowl fundraiser for a local school. By Lea Terry

For its upcoming fundraiser, KIPP Reach College Preparatory in northeast Oklahoma City wanted to do something big. Not only is the school celebrating its 15th anniversary, but it was recently named the state’s top middle school by the Oklahoma Department of Education. The school decided to use the fundraiser to show off its students’ hard work and talents.

“Too many times, young people that come from communities that have challenges don’t get a chance to show that they can be just as smart and just as successful as anyone else when given the opportunity,” said KIPP parent and board chairman Gary Jones.

KIPP OKC’s inaugural Are You Smarter Than a KIPPster? fundraiser is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place. The fundraiser uses a quiz bowl-style format in which KIPP students compete against prominent community leaders on subjects the students are learning in school.

Former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Turpen and former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys, co-hosts of Flashpoint on KFOR-TV, are masters of ceremonies for the event. In choosing community leaders to participate, KIPP looked for figures who were both well-known and would contribute to the night’s entertainment. Jones said the kids are excited about interacting with the community leaders and showing off their knowledge.

School officials decided on the quiz bowl format because they wanted something special to celebrate KIPP OKC’s 15 years of success. It also gives guests a firsthand look at the school’s academic achievement and its students and invites them to celebrate and participate in its continuing growth.

“It showcases that these young students are very academically oriented and they’re very proud of the success that they’ve had,” Jones said.

The school had an overwhelming response when reaching out to community leaders to participate and in getting sponsorships, Jones said. The fundraiser’s title sponsor is Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores. The McLaughlin Family Foundation is offering a matching grant

of funds up to $25,000 for donations made to the fundraiser.

The event will also honor Inasmuch Foundation president and CEO Bob Ross for his longtime support of the school.

Jones said Ross had never heard of KIPP until he read a story about the nationwide school in People magazine, which had an article featuring KIPP OKC. Ross requested a tour and became one of the school’s biggest supporters.

“Without the support of him and the Inasmuch Foundation, KIPP would not have been able to have the success that it’s having right now,” Jones said.

Ross will be named an honorary KIPPster and receive KIPP OKC’s Beyond Z Award, which honors people from the school community who do something extra to help the students succeed and achieve their academic dreams.

KIPP Reach is a free public charter school that’s part of the Oklahoma City Public Schools system and also belongs to the national Knowledge Is Power Program, which was founded in 1994 and now includes over 100 locations across the United States. It helps students in underserved communities obtain an education that will prepare them for college. KIPP OKC serves students in grades five through eight.

Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served at the fundraiser, and the event also features a performance by dance students from Life Change Ballroom, a nonprofit organization that uses partner dancing to teach life skills to youth.

Tickets are $50. Reservations are required, and sponsorships are available.

skilleD sOlDier anD strateGist OF the ameriCan reVOlUtiOn early years

INFAMOUS BETRAYAL OF PATRIOT CAUSE

thUrsDay | Feb 2 | 7pm $5 FOr members | $10 FOr pUbliC tickets available at 405.522.0765

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calendar are events recommended

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

BOOKS Ode for You Tour: Poetry Readings, Short Order Poems and Territory magazine present a two-woman poetry performance of touring poets Shira Erlichman and Angel Nafis, 5 p.m. Jan. 25. Commonplace Books, 1325 N. Walker Ave., 405-551-1715, commonplacebooksokc.com. WED Jeff Guinn book signing of Silver City, Cash McLendon faces stone-cold enforcer Killer Boots in an Old West showdown, 3 p.m. Jan. 28. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT Sonia Rodriguez book signing, against a backdrop of Puerto Rico in the 1940s, What Doesn’t Break Us follows Celia and Nando on a path from their homeland to a new life in the United States, 1-3 p.m.

Jan. 28. Barnes & Noble, 6100 N. May Ave., 405-8439300, barnesandnoble.com. SAT I’ll Never Let You Go Storytime, reading of the picture book of the month I’ll Never Let You Go by author Smriti Prasadam-Halls, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Jan. 28. Barnes & Noble, Norman, 540 Ed Noble Parkway, Norman, 405-579-8800, barnesandnoble.com. SAT Lit at the Lab, celebrating the launch of the fall 2016 edition, authors will read their works, and guests enjoy free food and door prizes, 6-10 p.m. Jan. 30. UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E. Fifth St., Edmond, 405-359-7989, ucojazzlab.com. MON

Pretty and Practical Seed Sharing, free workshop with strategies on how to bring your expiring or surplus seeds to seed swaps or give them as gifts, experience the process yourself with make-andtake examples of seed tapes, paper, bookmarks and ornaments, 9:30 a.m. Jan. 26. OSU Cooperative Extension Conference Center, 2500 NE 63rd St., 405713-1125, oces.okstate.edu. THU

Don’t Blink - Robert Frank, (US, 2015, Laura Israel) Robert Frank revolutionized photography and independent film. He documented the Beats, Welsh coal miners, Peruvian Indians, The Stones, London bankers and the Americans. This is the bumpy ride revealed with unblinking honesty by the reclusive artist himself, 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Jan. 26. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU 24 Hour Film Race Preview and Information Session, a meet-and-greet with artists about the 24 Hour Film Race. This session will offer an orientation to the contest, tips on how to be successful, past films from the festival and the opportunity to meet other cast and crew looking to form teams, 2-4 p.m.

Jan. 29. IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave., 405232-6060, iaogallery.org. SUN

HAPPENINGS Lunar New Year, entertainment and festivities to celebrate the year of the fire rooster that signifies dawn, awakening and success, Jan. 25-29. WinStar World Casino, 777 Casino Ave., Thackerville, 580-2764229, winstarworldcasino.com. WED-SUN

Kidz Art: Pencils 101, cover the myriad drawing pencils from 9B to 9H, graphite to charcoal. Learn how to sharpen, erase, smudge and blend using high-quality supplies while covering tonal values in greyscale, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Jan. 28. The Craft Room, 3017 N. Lee, 817-455-2972, paseoartsdistrict.com. SAT

Women on the Rise seminar, providing tools for women who possess the desire to become more familiar in the areas of philanthropy, political awareness, educational uplift, social and criminal justice and mental health, 6-9 p.m. Jan. 26. Rose State College, 6420 SE 15th St., Midwest City, 405-733-7673, rose.edu. THU

Faerie Discovery Tour, stroll through Margaret Annis Boys Arboretum in search of our magical sprite friends while learning about trees and plants, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Jan. 28. Will Rogers Garden Center, 3400 NW 36th Street, 405-943-0827, okc.gov/recreation. SAT

Games for Dames and Dudes, a day of games, lunch and raffles to benefit Citizens Caring for Children, a nonprofit that works to provide for needs of children in foster care, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Jan. 27. Junior Hospitality Club, 9002 N. May Ave., 405-840-9978, jhok.org. FRI Candlelight Vigil, Oklahoma Human Trafficking Task Force invites guests to emember, honor and pray for human trafficking victims and survivors. Hear from leaders in Oklahoma’s movement against human trafficking, with music and spoken word performances, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Jan. 27. Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., 405-521-3356, ok.gov. FRI TEDxOU 2017: Elemental, some of the most exciting and influential speakers in Oklahoma to talk about the building blocks of their ideas and movements, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Jan. 27. Oklahoma Memorial Union, 900 Asp Ave., Norman, 405-325-2121, ou.edu/union. FRI

A Lunar New Year Treat: Lion Dance, a traditional Chinese dance performed on big occasions like Chinese New Year, for good luck. This celebration promotes cross-cultural awareness and understanding of the world’s diverse people and their values.

Accompanied by the music of drums, cymbals and gongs, a troupe of performers demonstrates martial arts agility, 10:30 a.m. Jan. 28. Bona Vision, 2421 N. Classen Blvd., 405-528-8200, bonavisioneyecenter. com. SAT

FILM

The Incredible World of Ice, discover the ways ice behaves, make a winter crafts and play with a mystery matter that feels just like snow, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Jan. 28. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com. SAT

Oklahoma Observer Newsmakers Series, join Observer Editor Arnold Hamilton and House Minority leader Scott Inman for a lively preview of the 2017 legislative session, 6-7 p.m. Jan. 26. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU

FlashForward ’90s Weekend, all ’90s music all night long, Jan. 27-29. FlashBack RetroPub, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-633-3604, flashbackretropub.com. FRI-SUN

Spend the Night with Billy Crystal Will you have what she’s having? Only if she has tickets to Spend the Night with Billy Crystal 8 p.m. Feb. 4 at WinStar World Casino’s Global Event Center, 777 Casino Ave., in Thackerville. The star of When Harry Met Sally... and City Slickers rose through the ranks as a stand-up comedian before landing a gig on Saturday Night Live.

The show is a mix of stand-up and “sit down” comedy, including stories, film clips and Crystal’s wry look at his career and the world in general. Tickets are $65-$500. Call 800-745-3000 or visit winstarworldcasino. com. Feb. 4 Photo Steve Schofield / provided

Just Keep Swimming: Kid’s Class, paint Dory or Nemo, punch and snacks included, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Jan. 28. Wine and Palette, 201 NW 10th St., 405-227-0230, wineandpalette.com. SAT

Textile Preservation Class, a textile preservation class presenting preferred methods used when caring for and storing vintage textiles such as quilts and wedding gowns, 1-4 p.m. Jan. 28. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org/ historycenter. SAT Quantum Physics and the Future of God: How Science is Redefining Transcendence, free public presentation on how modern science has shaped society’s impressions of God given by an OCU philosophy professor, 7 p.m. Jan. 31.

Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5000, okcu.edu. TUE January Open House at CASA, featuring a brief introduction to Court Appointed Special Advocates’ work in the community with testimonials and a Q&A with a longtime CASA volunteer and staff members, 6-7 p.m. Jan. 31. Oklahoma County Juvenile Center, 5905 N. Classen Ave., 405-713-6400, oklahomacounty.org. TUE

FOOD Plaza Beer Walk, Twisted Spike Brewery just opened its doors in Automobile Alley. Try creations all night, 6-10 p.m. Jan. 25. Plaza District, 1618 N. Gatewood Ave., 405-367-9403, plazadistrict.org. WED Wine and Chill Pop-Up, a place for busy professionals to hang out, drink wine, make friends and chill with a no-networking-allowed approach, 6-8 p.m. Jan. 25.

Chow’s Chinese, 3033 N. May Ave., 405-949-1663, facebook.com/chows-chinese-restaurant. WED Wine Dinner, a very special tasting and dinner with special guest Betsy Bolling from Terroir Selections, 6-9 p.m. Jan. 25. The Pritchard, 1749 NW 16th St., 405-601-4067, pritchardokc.com. WED Power Foods Demonstration, uncover healthy habits and the effects of power foods on the body that will help you stay fit and healthy, 2-4 p.m. Jan. 26. Concordia Life Care Community, 7707 W. Britton Road, 405-720-7200, concordiaseniorliving.com. THU BYOB Mama Happy Hour, bring your own baby in a sling or on your lap for mama happy hour hosted by Thrive Mama, 2-4 p.m. Jan. 26. Empire Slice House, 1734 NW 16th St., 405-557-1760, empireslicehouse.com. THU Ladies Coffee Night, organization to foster the diversity and multiculturalism in the society, inspired by the prominent feminine characteristics of

PERFORMING ARTS

The Sleeping Beauty The princess might be sleeping, but Oklahoma City Ballet’s gorgeous production of The Sleeping Beauty will have audiences wide-eyed with wonder. It features Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s famous score and some of ballet’s most challenging choreography.

Shows are 8 p.m. Feb. 17-18 and 2 p.m. Feb. 19 at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. Tickets are $15-$65. Visit okcballet.org or call 405-848-8637. Feb. 17-19 Photo Oklahoma City Ballet / provided

compassion and understanding, 6-8 p.m. Jan. 27.

Raindrop Turkish House, 4444 N. Classen Blvd., 405702-0222, turkishhouse.org. FRI Winter Cheese and Wine Pairing, many of the greatest cheeses in the world are made in the dead of winter, with recipes that take advantage of their specific cold-weather milk composition. Pair them with wines from around the world, 6:45-8:15 p.m. Jan. 27.

Forward Foods-Norman, 2001 W. Main St., Norman, 405-321-1007, forwardfoods.com. FRI Beer Share, hosted by Barley Girls, a women’s beer club that discusses their love for beer. Everyone attending should bring a bomber or any beer to share, 7-10 p.m. Jan. 27. Wholly Grounds Coffee Company, 8613 S. Western Ave., 405-492-7650, facebook.com/ whollygroundscoffee. FRI

Bakersfield Mist, a comedy-drama by Stephen Sachs.

Based on a true story. Could a tag sale find be a modern art masterpiece? through Jan. 28. Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main St., 405-232-6500, carpentersquare.com. WED-SAT Magic of Rob Lake, illusionist performing a benefit for Friends for Folks and Norman Animal Welfare, 7-8:20 p.m. Jan. 25. Nancy O’Brian Center for the Performing Arts, 1809 N. Stubbeman, Norman, 405-364-0397, norman.k12.ok.us. WED Triple Feature Week, three funny dudes in one killer show; A.J. Finney, Danny Keaton and Keith Lenart, Jan. 25-28. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 405-239-4242, loonybincomedy.com. WED-SAT Young Choreographers’ Showcase, student choreographers from the OU School of Dance and student lighting designers from Helmerich School of Drama present dynamic and exciting dance works from classic to contemporary, Jan. 26-29. Weitzenhoffer Theatre, 563 Elm Street, Norman, 405-325-7370, ou.edu. THU-SUN Carrie Newcomer, American singer, songwriter and author. She has produced 15 solo CDs and has received numerous awards for her music and related charitable activities, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27. OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center, 7777 S. May Ave., 405682-7579, occc.edu. FRI Tim Hawkins, christian comedian, songwriter and singer best known for parodying popular songs mixed with stand-up material, 7-10 p.m. Jan. 27. Crossings Community Church, 14600 N. Portland Ave., 405-7552227, crossings.church/edmond. FRI

Wine, Women and Wealth, eat, drink, learn and socialize at this empowering and informative women’s networking event, 3-5 p.m. Jan. 28. Bistro 46, 2501 NE 23rd St., 405-595-3904, bistro46okc.com. SAT Family Date Night at the Chocolate Factory, third annual fundraiser for couples and families featuring entertainment, cash bar, raffles and activities for the kids, 6 p.m. Jan. 28. UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E. 5th St., Edmond, 405-359-7989, ucojazzlab.com. SAT Chocolate Festival 2017, the Firehouse Art Center’s Chocolate Festival is the organization’s biggest community event and the premiere food festival in the region for chocolate-inspired goods. Partnering restaurants and businesses will offer thousands of samples of delectable treats for those who wish to purchase tickets, the proceeds of which will support Firehouse Art Center’s art education programs, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 28. NCED Conference Center and Hotel, 2801 E. State Highway 9, Norman, 405-4479000, cc.nced.com. SAT Classic Cocktail Class: Champagne Cocktails, learn how to make a classic champagne cocktail as well as a French 45 and Ludivine’s own Snap & Tickle before a reception at The R&J Supper Club, 4-6 p.m. Jan. 29. Ludivine, 805 N. Hudson Ave., 405-778-6800, ludivineokc.com. SUN

YOUTH After School Art Program, Activities include visits to the museum’s galleries with related art 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.

Boy Scout Science Overnight, weekend badge classes event including weather, geology, environmental science, chemistry and space exploration, Jan. 27-28. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. FRI-SAT

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

Vanity listening party and Resonate trailer screening With a mind set on building community, singer-songwriter Brianna Gaither spent 2016 working on Vanity, a 10-month collaborative album process in which she worked with 10 different area producers. As if that wasn’t enough, she also worked with filmmaker Weston Waugh to document the process on film. A listening party and trailer screening for the large-scale creative effort begins 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Venue OKC, 1757 NW 16th St. Admission is free and open to the public. Visit resonatecampaign.com or call 405-633-0454 for more information. Saturday Photo Resonate Campaign / provided

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calendar We WERK OKC, high-energy werkshop, all levels of dance experience welcome, 12-1:30 p.m. Jan. 29. The Loft on Film Row, 700 1/2 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-2088836, filmrowokc.com. SUN

c a l e n da r

continued from page 31 Jordan Carlos Comedy Show, an American stand-up comedian who played a recurring character on The Colbert Report and is cohosts Nickelodeon kids’ show Me TV. He also appeared as a panelist and reporter on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, 7-9 p.m. Jan. 27. Oklahoma Memorial Union, 900 Asp Ave., Norman, 405-325-2121, ou.edu/ union. FRI

Brian Gorrell and Jazz Company, performing a variety of styles including traditional and mainstream jazz, fusion and latin focusing on original compositions and diverse composers like Billy Strayhorn, Michael Brecker, Victor Young, Marcus Miller and Pat Metheny, 8-11 p.m. Jan. 27. UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E. 5th St., Edmond, 405-359-7989, ucojazzlab.com. FRI Disney in Concert: Tale As Old As Time, a magical journey into storytelling and music as only the timeless tales of Disney can evoke through stunning vocals and animated feature film sequences, 8 p.m. Jan. 27-28.

Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-2972264, okcciviccenter.com. FRI-SAT Disney’s Aladdin Jr., the musical based on the 1992 Disney film Aladdin. This production features a cast of third- through seventh-grade students from the Junior Production class at The Studio of The Sooner Theatre, Jan. 27-29. Sooner Theatre, 101 E. Main St., Norman, 405-321-9600, soonertheatre.com. FRI-SUN Sordid Lives, a cult classic black comedy about white trash, full of love, loss and big hair, 8 p.m. Jan. 27. through March 4. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405601-7200, theboomokc.com.

Comedy Night, Taylor Vinson hosts; comedy

by James Nghiem, Josh Lathe and more, 9 p.m. Jan. 28. 89th Street Collective, 8911 N. Western Ave., 89thstreetokc.com. SAT OKC Improv, OKC’s premier platform for improvised comedy, two performances, discounts available with Keep It Local membership card, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Jan. 28. The Paramount Theatre, 11 N. Lee Ave., 405-6379389, theparamountokc.com. SAT Joel McHale, best known for his starring role on the hit comedy series Community, Fox’s revival of The X-Files, stand-up acts around the country and his new show The Great Indoors on CBS, 7 p.m. Jan. 28. Riverwind Casino, 1544 State Highway 9, Norman, 405-3226000, riverwind.com. SAT Paul Merkelo, Montreal Symphony principal trumpet, in his third decade as principal trumpet with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, he begins the OCU Distinguished Artists Series, 4-5:30 p.m. Jan. 29.

Bass School of Music, OCU, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5227, okcu.edu. SUN The Road to Hell Is Paved with Good Intentions: an OKC StorySLAM, open-mic storytelling featuring up

Men’s Basketball, OSU vs OU, 8 p.m. Jan. 30. Lloyd Noble Center, 2900 S. Jenkins Ave., Norman, 405-3254666, lloydnoblecenter.com. MON Bowling Tournament: South OKC Chamber, presented by First United Bank & Trust and Moore Norman Technology Center, an event to network, team-build and competition, 6-9 p.m. Jan. 31.

HeyDay, 3201 Market Place, Norman, 405-310-3500, heydeyfun.com. TUE

Anthem Live Music Series: Oklahoma Uprising Drink and listen local as Anthem Brewing Company continues to host outstanding Oklahoma artists while serving craft beer made in Oklahoma City. Americana rock band Oklahoma Uprising plays Anthem Live Music Series 7-9 p.m. Saturday at the brewery, 908 SW Fourth St. Band members Joel T. Mosman, Zach Wiederstein and Travis Lyon make music that celebrates their home state with influences including rock, country, folk and blues. The 21-and-older show includes a name-your-own cover. Call 405-604-0446 or visit facebook.com/anthembrewing.

Saturday Photo Sarah Boling / provided to 10 storytellers, 7-9 p.m. Jan. 29. Saints, 1715 NW 16th St., 405-602-6308, saintspubokc.com. SUN Valarie Storm, comedian whose animated likeable personality and quick delivery style brings a relatable but unique voice to the stand-up stage, Feb. 1-4.

Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 405239-4242, loonybincomedy.com. WED

ACTIVE Women’s Basketball, OSU vs Kansas, 7 p.m. Jan. 25.

Gallagher-Iba Arena, W. Hall of Fame Ave., Stillwater, 877-255-4678, okstate.edu. WED Carter Healthcare Blood Drive, help support more than 140 hospitals and medical facilities in Oklahoma by donating blood and giving back to the community by saving lives, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 25. Carter Healthcare, 3105 S. Meridian Ave., 405-947-7700, carterhealthcare.com. WED Senior Day Out at the Gardens, learn vegetable gardening without a garden and clever ideas for growing food on patios or balconies, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 26. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com/events. THU Bryant Skate Night, hosted by Bryant Elementary PTA, join the skating fun for just $3, 6-9 p.m. Jan. 26.

Skate Moore, 527 NW 1st St., Moore, 405-794-4644, skatemoore.com. THU Moore Misfits Beer Pong Tourney, help this sports team raise funds for their upcoming spring season with a hosted beer pong tournament, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27. Crosseyed Moose, 10601 S. Western Ave., 405-7031119, facebook.com/crosseyed.moose. FRI Men’s Basketball, OU vs Florida, 1 p.m. Jan. 28. Lloyd Noble Center, 2900 S. Jenkins Ave., Norman, 405-3254666, lloydnoblecenter.com. SAT

Oklahoma School Choice Summit & Expo School choice can be wonderful for students and parents who understand what they’re choosing. That’s the goal of the first annual Oklahoma School Choice Summit & Expo 4-9 p.m. Thursday at Oklahoma City Community College Visual and Performing Arts Center, 7777 S. May Ave. The free event includes information on charter schools, how to advocate for school choice and a keynote speech from Dr. Steve Perry, who founded Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut. The expo will showcase more than 20 K-12 schools and organizations.

Call 405-360-1200 or visit facebook.com/ edchoicematters. Thursday Photo Scissortail CDC / provided

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LGBTQ Advocacy Training Day, PFLAG Oklahoma, Freedom Oklahoma and Oklahomans for Equality invite citizens from across Oklahoma to strengthen our networks and impact; understand Oklahoma’s legislative process; review proposed legislation impacting our community; and learn the effective strategies to influence municipal, state and national policies, 1-5 p.m. Jan. 28.

Highland Hall, 1102 E. Warner Ave., Guthrie, 405-282-8400, cityofguthrie.com. SAT Yoga Sculpt Fitness Class, beginner yoga postures that incorporate light weights for added resistance to fun upbeat music, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Jan. 28. Trinity Exercise Studio, 15220 N. Western Ave., Edmond, 405315-1195, trinityexercisestudio.com. SAT Yoga Wall Rope Workshop, for all levels, beginners and first-timers, 2-4:30 p.m. Jan. 28. Yoga Home of Therapeutics, 5801 W. Britton Rd., 405-470-8180, yogaokc-hub.com. SAT Indoor Cornhole Tournament, benefiting OBA, this event will have Indian tacos, silent auction, raffles and more, 6-9 p.m. Jan. 28. The Battlefields, 6011 S. Anderson Road, 405-815-3160, thebattlefields.net. SAT

Winter Wizards sponsored by Disc Golf Dude and Gateway Disc Sports, 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., 405-9462739, okc.gov/parks. WED Devon Ice Rink, ice skating, through Jan. 25-29.

Devon Ice Rink, 100 N. Robinson Ave., 405-235-3500, downtownindecember.com. WED-SUN 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 Men’s Basketball, OKC Thunder vs Chicago Bulls, 8:30 p.m. Feb. 1. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. WED

VISUAL ARTS 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., 405-6046602, kasumcontemporary.com.

405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com. WED-TUE Patterson Private Collections Showing on Paseo, containing over 30 years of eclectic art collecting from detailed realism portraits, cutting-edge experimentation of oils, watercolors, visually explosive nudes and early works of local Oklahoma artists. Also art pieces from Kenyan and Sudanese artists will be exhibited. Jan. 25-28. Prairie Arts Collective, 3018 Paseo Drive, 540-533-5883, thepaseo.org. WED-SAT Photo/Synthesis, exhibition of 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, Jan. 26-April 2. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

The Complete WPA Collection, the museum’s Works Progress Administration collection features a large proportion of rural American landscapes and depictions of labor, infrastructure and industrial development. All are figurative, as was favored by the WPA, and there are significant representations of female and foreign-born artists in the museum’s holdings, through July 2. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.

The Cultivated Connoisseur: Works on Paper from the Creighton Gilbert Bequest, Creighton Eddy Gilbert (1924-2011) was a renowned art historian specializing in the Italian Renaissance and was one of the foremost authorities on Michelangelo. The bequest includes a total of 272 objects, the majority of which are works on paper spanning a time period from the 14th century to the 20th, through June 4.

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

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, Jan. 27-April 2.

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

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.

Black and White, annual show giving artists a chance to experiment with only black and white or minimal color, through Jan. 25-28. 12-5 p.m. In Your Eye Studio & Gallery, 3005-A Paseo St., 405-525-2161, inyoureyegallery.com. WED-SAT Celebrity, Fashion, and the Forgotten Man, best remembered for striking, modern portraits of American celebrities and elegant fashion photography, Nelson pursued documentary photography before his untimely death in 1938. This exhibition celebrates Philbrook’s recent acquisition of the artist’s estate and the rediscovery of this little-known talent in this firstever, one-person exhibition, through May 7. Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 S. Rockford Road, Tulsa, 918-7497941, philbrook.org.

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 March 15.

Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405521-2491, okhistory.org/historycenter.

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

From the Belly of Our Being, art by and about Native creation, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through Jan. 25-28.

Oklahoma State University Museum of Art, 720 S. Husband St., Stillwater, 405-744-6016, museum. okstate.edu. WED -SAT Kim Norton’s Equine and Vineyard Paintings, oil and pastel works on canvas, masonite, and velour paper by a self-taught artist, through Feb. 28. 50 Penn Place, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-848-7588, 50pennplacegallery.com.

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. GaylordPickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 405-235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com.

Oscar Brousse Jacobson: Tres Blanc, an annual group show including work by longtime gallery artists. Using the color white as both inspiration and subject to transform the main gallery into a wonder-world of white; a meditation on artistic creation to start off 2016, Jan. 25-31. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave.,

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

Glitter Ball Fear not! You did not somehow miss out on this year’s Glitter Ball. The annual winter gala has been moved from holiday-hectic December into less stressful late-January. The ball, which benefits deadCenter Film Festival and Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC), has developed a reputation as one of the year’s most visceral and entertaining formal events. Aerialists, hors d’oeuvres, for-sale art, live music and more highlight the festivities. The event runs 7-11 p.m. Saturday at Dunlap Codding, 609 W. Sheridan Ave. Admission is $115$215. Visit kindtevents.com/glitterball or call 405-546-5365. Saturday Photo Bumbershoot PR / provided

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 37

MUSIC Kierston White performs Saturday at the Oklahoma Room fundraiser in Norman. | Photo Gemma Harris / provided

decided to pursue another path in medicine.

White said nursing, and particularly endof-life care, is a field she feels particularly passionate about. She sometimes plays songs for the veterans center residents. “[Nursing] is a job that can go with music pretty well,” she said. “I could work for a few months and then would be able to go and do my music or go to another state.”

event

Face-to-face

State spotlight

The annual Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, gives Oklahoma artists a chance to shine and connect.

Somebody wrote me from Brazil not too long ago.

Kierston White More than 30 acts, including names like Travis Linville, Jesse Aycock, Wink Burcham, Jacob Tovar and John Fullbright, will pass through The Oklahoma Room as it enters its fourth year at the conference.

The showcase is made possible through the combined efforts of Horton Records’

7:30 p.m. Saturday The Chouse 717 W. Boyd St., Norman facebook.com/oklahomaroom 918-645-0058

By Ben Luschen If one were to print off a who’s who list of Oklahoma Americana and folk singersongwriters, it would closely resemble the roster of talent set to pass through the annual Oklahoma Room showcase at this year’s Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

The conference has been compared by some to a purer and less corporate version of the popular South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

It runs Feb. 15-19 at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. Room 718 in said hotel will be converted for the duration of the week into a private showcase highlighting some of Oklahoma music’s best talents.

Oklahoma Room

and Norman Music Festival Fundraiser

$20

Brian Horton, KWGS 89.5 FM’s Scott Aycock, Woody Guthrie Center’s Deanna McLoud and music industry veteran Larry White.

However, hosting a showcase and covering travel costs takes money.

To help out, several Folk Alliance artists are teaming up with other musician friends to host a series of fundraiser concerts across the state; all proceeds will benefit the attending Oklahoma artists and April’s Norman Music Festival 10 (NMFX).

The Chouse, a historic Norman landmark and converted church, will host one of the fundraising shows.

The line-up includes Kierston White, Jesse Aycock & Lauren Barth and John Calvin Abney & Kalyn Fay. Music begins 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Chouse, 717 W. Boyd St., in Norman.

Juggling act

For every marquee Folk Alliance attendee or well-known Oklahoma Room participant that makes music his or her sole focus, there is at least one or more musicians at the annual folk gathering who are just trying to fit it into the shuffle of day-to-day life.

White, the first artist scheduled to play at Saturday’s Norman fundraiser, will be attending her first Folk Alliance this year.

When she’s not playing or writing music,

White is enrolled in nine hours a week in Oklahoma City Community College’s nursing program and working part-time at the veterans center in Norman.

The Shawnee-born singer-songwriter, who released her quality debut Don’t Write Love Songs in 2014, never previously attended the conference because it was always too expensive to register alone.

This year, she said Horton invited her to play in The Oklahoma Room and she couldn’t refuse the offer.

White will play at least five individual showcases at Folk Alliance, including three in The Oklahoma Room.

“It’s kind of hard, especially for a firsttimer, to get private showcases,” she said in a recent Oklahoma Gazette interview. “The Oklahoma Room is giving me a few, so that’s worth my while right there. Anything on top of that is bonus.”

White spoke with Gazette on the first day of OCCC’s new spring semester. While some musicians use Folk Alliance as a time to party, White said she will likely be busy studying for an exam scheduled soon after her performances.

The singer-songwriter completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Oklahoma in 2009 with the intention of studying pharmaceuticals, but after working at a pharmacy for a while, she

Many musicians use Folk Alliance as a networking opportunity. White hopes to use her time at the conference to connect with people in regions and cities in which she has not had previous luck booking shows, like those in the Northeast.

“My plan is to have plenty of stuff to give away,” she said. “I’ve got a new batch of stickers and an album. I feel like if I can do that and get people to come to my showcases — even if they’re not very long — I think they will see that I can hold an audience.”

In the digital age, networking with likeminded musicians and music professionals from outside one’s local area is not difficult through the power of social networks. It’s possible to connect with someone in another state — even on a personal level — without ever actually seeing them in person.

Part of Folk Alliance’s appeal for White is the chance to make a real-world bond with some of those distant contacts.

“I have plenty of internet friends whose music I like, but we’ve never met before,” she said. “A lot of those people are going, so I’m excited about that.”

‘Worth it’

White might have a lot on her plate at once, but she’s far from an unestablished artist.

Don’t Write Love Songs, her first and only studio album, made several 2014 yearend “best of” lists in and outside of Oklahoma. She has toured with John Moreland and is the driving force behind local all-female folk-rock supergroup Tequila Songbirds alongside a rotating ensemble cast including artists like Samantha Crain, Ali Harter, Camille Harp and Eliza Bee. The group plans on playing at NMFX in April.

One of White’s goals for 2017 is to record a follow-up album to Love Songs, but she’s not making any promises. She wants to make sure she has every song written before she commits to recording.

If and when a new album does occur, it is bound to please a fan base that even expands across national borders.

“Somebody wrote me from Brazil not too long ago,” White said. “He said, ‘I just want you to know you have a fan here.’”

The musician said she has no regrets yet about trying to balance music with her other life pursuits. In a way, it’s even more fulfilling.

“I feel like I’ll be able to work and play music while I’m doing this,” she said. “I think it will be worth it.”

Visit kierstonwhite.com.

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f e at ur e

MUSIC

Rapper Grand National shows the beauty in his home neighborhood on new album Eastside Delicacy. By Ben Luschen

A recent Oklahoma Gazette restaurant review called the deliciously sweet strawberry-banana cake at Leo’s BBQ “a must” on Oklahoma City’s east side.

It would be hard to find a local foodie who disagrees with the assertion. The dessert (which is included in the price of most meal specials) has become one of several culinary gems associated with a side of the city sometimes overlooked or maligned by outsiders.

Rapper Grand National, whose birth name is Ronnie Johnson, was keenly aware of a general lack of attention or affection for the primarily black side of town when he crafted Eastside Delicacy. The long-timecoming follow-up to his 2015 album Grand Prix is set to be released Feb. 10.

Eastside Delicacy’s cover art features the restaurant’s signature treat, and the first proper song on the album is titled “Leo’s Cake.”

It’s a popular convention in hip-hop music to give listeners a taste of the artist’s home neighborhood or upbringing through music. New York rapper Nas’ highly regarded 1994 debut Illmatic might be the most notable example, as the album’s gritty production evokes images of Queens subways and backyard barbecues.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 22 | 8PM Call 800.760.6700 or visit HARDROCKCASINOTULSA.COM to order your tickets!

Schedule subject to change.

Exquisite taste Several neighborhoods and districts across the nation have gained some fame from their association with various rappers. But the areas’ defining characteristics are not limited to just a few select spots in country.

“They didn’t stop making ’hoods after Crenshaw,” National said of the well-known southwest Los Angeles community.

Listeners of Eastside Delicacy come away with a slice of life on the east side as seen from the emcee’s eyes. National hopes the album helps strangers to the community realize the area is one of Oklahoma City’s hidden cultural jewels.

“People on the outside might see this rundown place,” he said, “but for people who live inside, it’s pretty much a delicacy, just like Leo’s cake.”

Starting over

National was close to completing his work on Eastside Delicacy in September 2015 when the project suffered a huge setback.

The hard drive on which his recordings were saved was damaged, setting the rapper back months.

Such an emergency could have derailed some other artists, but National tried to not let it faze him.

People on the outside might see this rundown place, but for people who live inside, it’s pretty much a delicacy, just like Leo’s cake.

Grand National aka Ronnie Johnson

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Grand National | Photo Garett Fisbeck

FoLlow Us on

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to see what we are tweeting

about!

@okgazeTte

Oklahoma Gazette

Sat, Feb 4

ELI YOUNG BAND w/ wILLIAm CLArk GrEEN Fri, Feb 10

JON wOLFE w/ JOsh wArD Sat, Feb 11

rANDY rOGErs BAND w/ mIkE rYAN BAND Sun, Feb 12

YOUNG ThE GIANT w/ LEwIs DEL mAr Wed, Mar 1

DrOPkICk mUrPhYs Fri, Mar 10

JImmY EAT wOrLD

w/ AJJ

Sun, Mar 12

CONOr OBErsT

w/ ThE FELICE BrOThErs

Mon, Mar 20

mATIsYAhU “I just took that as, ‘Well, I just need to do it better,’” he said.

He went back to the drawing board, taking the mishap as a challenge to best his own efforts. He sought a more textured, organic sound with live instrumentation and accenting vocals.

Eastside Delicacy, solely produced by Darrin “FlyWalker” Givens and engineered

by Austin Smith, is a truly cohesive and effortlessly smooth album — two elements that can be attributed to the live saxophone

by Chris Hicks that was added in National’s second effort.

Other added contributions to the album include bass from Brandon Brewer of Oklahoma City indie rock band Space4Lease and violin by Carl Dorsey.

Assisting vocalists include Jabee, Chris McCain, Fresh, Kemp, Ellesse and Gabrielle B. Through some tinkering and a lot of perseverance, Eastside Delicacy is as polished a project as one will find in Oklahoma rap.

“We filled it and made it thicker,” National said. “I feel like there was a reason this shit went down.”

Establishing value

After a few years away in Maryland, National returned to Oklahoma City and the east side in 2011. The move helped give him perspective on his hometown.

National remembers driving in his old neighborhood and catching unprompted mean glances from people he didn’t know.

“It’s like, ‘Bro, why are you so mad?’” he said. “I don’t understand why people are so mad. But that’s just the way it goes.”

National started realizing a similar pattern of behavior from several people he grew up around. He said a lot of people on the east side are affected by a lack of hope or promise for a better tomorrow.

The rapper said his father — who speaks street wisdom on several Eastside Delicacy interludes — has been to jail, as have many

thurS, Mar 23

CAsEY DONAhEw BAND We transform Weddings With lighting & truss! just north of reno on council road Grand National’s Eastside Delicacy will be released Feb. 10. | Image provided

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other fathers in the area. The song “Diamonds” is also called “Free Bop” as a reference to National’s younger sister’s father, who is facing significant prison time.

National said no one in the area was born bad; they are playing the hand life has dealt them.

“It’s not something we chose; it’s just how it was handed to people,” he said.

“People know, according to the Bible, that we’re sinning, but what else do we have?

You can ask for forgiveness, but what did we do? How do we change this?”

The emcee said examples of success are few and far between in the area, which keeps a lot of people from pursuing big dreams.

“There’s a lot of people that want to do something different, but they can’t go about it,” he said. “They can’t even get it in their mind because of how they were trained up.

You can’t reach for the stars.”

This is part of the reason National sought to make a tribute to the community. Restoring a sense of value to the east side not only affects the self-worth of people in the area, but it helps open the minds of outsiders to the potential and strength already present.

“I want people from outside of here to go, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve got to go to the east side,’” he said. “‘I got to go eat some of that cake.’”

Eastside Delicacy will be available for purchase Feb. 10 on iTunes and grandnationalliving.com.

Visit soundcloud.com/grandxnational for more music.

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event

MUSIC

On target

Oklahoma folk and roots music mainstay Travis Linville makes his new album Up Ahead a team effort. By Ben Luschen

Travis Linville CD Release

with Lauren Barth & Jesse Aycock 8 p.m. Feb. 3 The Blue Door 2805 N. McKinley Ave. bluedoorokc.com 405-524-0738 $20

Usually, as Travis Linville wraps up work on an album, he takes his new work straight to the bar crowd and worries about selling it later.

This time, however, the singer-songwriter, producer and longtime Oklahoma roots and folk music staple wanted to try out a new approach. Up Ahead, Linville’s newest album set to be released Feb. 3, was worthy of special care.

“I think these songs and this production is some of the best work I’ve ever done,” Linville said in a recent Oklahoma Gazette interview. “I wanted to give it a chance to get some legs and get out there to be heard.”

The multi-talented musician, known nationally for his work in support of Texas singer-songwriter Hayes Carll, opens a short regional tour in support of the new album with a release show Feb. 3 at The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley Ave. After wrapping work on Up Ahead, Linville sat on his new music and devised a marketing plan to promote the record instead of rushing the material to the nearest stage show.

That’s saying something, because Linville — also known regionally for his work assisting and producing for artists including John Moreland, Parker Millsap, John Fullbright and Carter Sampson — is very much a hands-on artist. Stepping back in any way shows the kind of mature restraint that must come from a nearly two-decade music career.

In tone, Up Ahead is a mellow, even somber 10-song collection that tells stories about people at the end of their ropes.

Linville said it’s not something he realized until he was done writing, but he is happy with how well the tunes fit together.

“A lot of it has to do with people being in a tough spot or being left out in the open and not sure quite where they’re going,” he said.

“Those things aren’t all inspired by my own experience, but a lot of it is inspired by my own observation.”

Linville started work on the album with just half-written songs and rough outlines of what he wanted to do. Early on, he invited in upright bassist David Leach, percussionists Matt Duckworth (also with The Flaming Lips) and Mike Meadows (known for his work with Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson) and longtime production partner 36

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Travis Linville celebrates the release of new album Up Ahead with a show Feb. 3 at The Blue Door. | Photo Blake Studdard / provided

Ryan Jones on keys to help flesh out the songs at his small home studio in Norman.

After Linville had the music in place, he focused on finishing his lyrics.

“Starting the production and getting things rolling helps with my writing,” he said. “When the songs are there and I have a basis for all of my songs, I like to start working on the actual production because stuff starts to feel like it’s happening.”

When it was time to mix the project, Linville again found himself stepping back and trusting friend and longtime associate Trent Bell of Norman’s Bell Labs Recording Studio to do the work while he went away to New York for a few weeks.

Linville was thrilled with the mixed version of his album when he returned.

“It was what I would want it to be, and it was as good or better than what it would have been if I was in the studio for 20 hours working on it,” he said.

It is Linville’s job to interpret creative visions when he produces for other artists.

When working on his own album, the musician already understands the idea he is targeting. It is up to him have faith that others he works with will also see that vision.

He said everyone involved with Up Ahead nailed it.

Most of the work for the new album was done in 2015. Jumping back into old work at the time of an official release months or even years after the creative process can be awkward for some artists, but Linville’s enthusiasm for the material has not waned.

“As we started putting things together for the release, I’ve been revisiting it and feeling satisfied and proud of it,” he said.

“That’s a big plus. I wouldn’t want to revisit it and find out it wasn’t something I was into anymore.”

Preorder Up Ahead at pledgemusic.com/ travislinville or travislinvillemusic.com.

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended

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

Erik The Viking, Wormy Dog Saloon. FOLK

Edgar Cruz and the Brave Amigos, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. ACOUSTIC

The Fitzgeralds, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman.

Heather Styka, The Depot. FOLK

JAZZ

Jade Castle, Noir Bistro & Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Spellcaster/Less Than Human/Faova, Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Bar. ROCK

Kestral and Kite, Full Circle Bookstore. INDIE

WEDNESDAY, 1.25

Legen Drey, The Root. HIP-HOP

Caleb McGee, Hollywood Corners Station. BLUES

The Oak Ridge Boys, Riverwind Casino. COUNTRY

The Cardboard Swords, Power House Bar. INDIE

Pitbull, WinStar World Casino. POP/HIP-HOP

The Direct Connect Band, L&G’s on the Blvd. R&B

So Watt Band, Bourbon Street Bar. ROCK

Dirk Quinn, Remington Park. JAZZ

Stephen Salewon, JJ’s Alley. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Dylan Stewart, Red Brick Bar. FOLK

Sulley & Sisson, The Greens Country Club. VARIOUS

Strangetowne, The Blue Door. INDIE

SATURDAY, 1.28

THURSDAY, 1.26

Aaron Newman, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse. FOLK

3 Miles East, Wormy Dog Saloon. ROCK

Boss County, Oklahoma City Limits. COUNTRY

Dan Martin, The Deli. SINGER/SONGWRITER Fear Control, Thunder Alley Grill and Sports

David Wayne Broyles, JoJo’s Bar. SINGER/

SONGWRITER

Sugar Free Allstars, Civic Center Music Hall. VARIOUS

MONDAY, 1.30 Clay Parker/Jodi James, The Deli. FOLK

A Giant Dog If the improbable red canine Clifford is the first thing that comes to mind when someone says, “A Giant Dog,” it’s really about time you get to see a live show by the Austin punk act. The band’s hard-hitting Pile was released in May to strong reviews. The all-ages show begins 10 p.m. Thursday at Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave., in Norman. Doors open at 6 p.m., and guests are encouraged to arrive early for food and drink. Admission is $10-$12. Visit opolis.org or call 405-673-4931.

Bar. ROCK

DJ Nasty Navi, The Venue OKC. DJ

The Garage Band Jam, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES

Electric Chachi, Grady’s 66 Pub. VARIOUS

Rocky Kanaga, Noir Bistro & Bar. VARIOUS

EmPres, Noir Bistro & Bar. ROCK

FRIDAY, 1.27

From Parts Unknown/Costanzas/Second Wind/ Kinda Creepy, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

Rock For Wishes, ACM@UCO Performance Lab. ROCK

Aaron Newman, Belle Isle Brewery. SINGER/

Hi-Def Howlers Acoustic Trio, Rock & Brews. ACOUSTIC

Tracy Byrd & Ricochet, Sugar Creek Casino. COUNTRY

Jacob Vashni, Othello’s, Norman. FOLK

Uncle Blue, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES

SONGWRITER

Anchor The Girl/Mojo Thief/Social Creatures, Blue Note Lounge. VARIOUS Blind Date, Alley Club. COVER Death Before Breakfast/Pauly Creep-O/ Semi-Feral, Your Mom’s Place. VARIOUS

Thursday | Photo Steven Ruud / provided

Johnny Polygon, Fassler Hall. HIP-HOP Lacy Saunders and the Ravens, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER Part-Time Savants/Two Piece Dalmatian/Lavalamp, Opolis. VARIOUS

SUNDAY, 1.29 Blake Lankford, JJ’s Alley. SINGER/SONGWRITER Dawes, ACM@UCO Performance Lab. ROCK

Steve Parnell, Bourbon Street Bar. ROCK

TUESDAY, 1.31 Frameworks/Rose Gold, 89th Street Collective. ROCK Austin and Marie Nail Jam, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES Sugar Fish Reed Trio, UCO Jazz Lab. JAZZ

WEDNESDAY, 2.1 DJ Ku Rx, Six Shooter Saloon. DJ Grant Wells, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

JAZZ

Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date.

Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

free will astrology Homework: Say “I love you” at least 25 times a day for the next seven days. Report your results to Truthrooter@gmail.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Westward Ho! is the name of a village in southwestern England. Its name is impressive because of the exclamation point. But it’s not as dramatic as that of the only town on earth with two exclamation points: Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, which is in Quebec. I invite you Aries folks to be equally daring.

According to my reading of the astrological omens, you have a cosmic mandate and poetic license to cram extra !!!!s into all your writing and speaking, and even add them to the spelling of your name! Why? Because this should be one of the most exciting and ebullient phases of your astrological cycle -- a time to risk showing just how enthusiastic and energetic you are!!!!!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) The New York Film

Critics Circle named Casey Affleck the Best Actor of the year for his role in the film *Manchester by the Sea.* In his acceptance speech at the award ceremony, Affleck gave a dramatic reading of quotes by David Edelstein, a prominent critic who has criticized his work. “Mumbly and mulish,” was one of Edelstein’s jabs about Affleck. “Doesn’t have a lot of variety,” was another. A third: “Whenever I see Affleck’s name in a movie’s credits, you can expect a standard, genre B picture -- slowed down and tarted up.” I suspect that in the coming weeks, Taurus, you may get a vindication comparable to Affleck’s. I suggest you have wicked fun with it, as he did.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) The roulette wheels

at casinos in Monaco have 37 pockets. Eighteen are black, 18 are red, and one is green. On any particular spin, the ball has just less than half a chance of landing in a red or black pocket. But there was one night back in August of 1913, at the Casino de Monte-Carlo, when probability seemed inoperative. The little white ball kept landing on the black over and over again.

Gamblers responded by increasingly placing heavy bets on red numbers. They assumed the weird luck would soon change. But it didn’t until the 27th spin.

By Rob Brezsny

(The odds of that happening were 136,823,184 to 1.)

What does this have to do with you? I suspect you’re in a comparable situation -- the equivalent of about 20 spins into an improbable streak. My advice: Don’t bet on the red yet.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Born to a religious

mother on July 8, 1839, John D. Rockefeller amassed a fortune in the oil industry. Even in comparison to modern billionaires like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, he’s the richest American who ever lived. “God gave me the money,” he said on numerous occasions. Now I’m going to borrow the spirit of Rockefeller’s motto for your use, Cancerian. Why? Because it’s likely you will be the recipient of blessings that prompt you to wonder if the Divine Wow is involved. One of these may indeed be financial in nature. (P.S.: Such boons are even more likely to transpire if you’re anchored in your sweet, dark wisdom and your holy, playful creativity.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) What influence do you

need most in your life right now? Are you suffering because you lack a particular kind of help or teaching?

Would you benefit from having a certain connection that you have not yet figured out how to make? Is there a person or event that could heal you if you had a better understanding about how you need to be healed? The coming weeks will be a favorable time to get useful answers to these questions -- and then take action based on what you discover.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) The next two weeks

will be a favorable time to kiss the feet of helpful allies, but not to kiss the butts of clever manipulators. I also advise you to perform acts of generosity for those who will use your gifts intelligently, but not for those who will waste your blessings or treat you like a doormat.

Here’s my third point: Consider returning to an old fork in the road where you made a wrong turn, and then making the correct turn this time. But if you do, be motivated by bright hope for a different future rather than by sludgy remorse for your error.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) In the beginning was the

wild cabbage. Our ancestors found that it had great potential as food, and proceeded to domesticate it. Over the centuries, they used selective breeding to develop many further variations on the original. Kale and kohlrabi were the first to appear. By the 15th century, cauliflower had been created. Broccoli came along a hundred years later, followed by Brussels sprouts.

Today there are at least 20 cultivars whose lineage can be traced back to the wild cabbage. In my astrological opinion, you Libras are in a wild cabbage phase of your long-term cycle. In the coming months you can and should do seminal work that will ultimately generate an abundance of useful derivatives.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) In 1733, workers

finished building the New Cathedral in Salamanca, Spain. But if you go there today, you will see two seemingly modern elements on one facade: carvings of a helmeted astronaut and of a gargoyle licking an ice cream cone. These two characters were added by craftsmen who did renovations on the cathedral in 1992. I offer this vignette as metaphor for your life, Scorpio. It’s a favorable time to upgrade and refine an old structure in your life. And if you do take advantage of this opening, I suggest you add modern touches.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) I suspect that

in the coming weeks, you will be afforded opportunities to bend the rules in ways that could make life simpler, more pleasurable, and more successful -- or all of the above. To help you deal with the issue of whether these deviations would have integrity, I offer you these questions: Would bending the rules serve a higher good, not just your selfish desires? Is there an approach to bending the rules that may ultimately produce more compassionate results than not bending the rules?

Could you actually get away with bending the rules, both in the sense of escaping punishment and also in the sense of being loyal to your own conscience?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) I don’t necessarily

guarantee that you will acquire paranormal powers in the coming weeks. I’m not saying that you will be

able to foretell the future or eavesdrop on conversations from a half-mile away or transform water into whiskey-flavored coffee. But I do suspect that you will at least tap further into a unique personal ability that has been mostly just potential up until now. Or you may finally start using a resource that has been available for a long time. For best results, open your imagination to the possibility that you possess dormant magic.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) A London-based

think tank does an annual study to determine which of the world’s countries offers the most freedom. The Legatum Institute measures indicators like civil liberties, social tolerance, and the power to choose one’s destiny. The current champion is Luxembourg.

Canada is in second place. France is 22nd, the U.S. is 26th, and Italy 27th. Since I’m hoping you will markedly enhance your own personal freedom in the coming months, you might want to consider moving to Luxembourg. If that’s not an option, what else could you do? The time is ripe to hatch your liberation plans.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) I love to see dumpsters

that have been decorated by graffiti artists. Right now there’s one by the side of a busy road that I often drive down. Its drab gray exterior has been transformed into a splash of cartoon images and scripts. Amidst signatures that look like “Riot Goof” and “Breakfast Toys” and “Sky Blooms,” I can discern a ninja rhinoceros and a gold-crowned jaguar and an army of flying monkeys using squirt guns to douse a forest fire. I suspect it’s a perfect time to for you to be inspired by this spectacle, Pisces. What dumpster-like situation could you beautify?

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

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

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puzzles New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle Grammar Lesson

By Joel Fagliano | Edited by Will Shortz | 0122 ACROSS 1 Kind of kick 8 Product of evaporation 15 Apple product 20 Keep in 21 Brunch-menu heading 22 Parts of college courses 23 Sources of stress for many

modern workers 24 Utopia?

26 Part of the Dept. of Transportation 27 Channel buildup 29 Packers’ grp.?

30 Old tabloid fodder 31 Piece still under consideration for

a magazine?

37 Org. concerned with water quality 40 Balsa or balsam 41 Budgetary excess 42 Signal meaning “no disease on

this ship” 44 Hurt sharply 46 Workers in some labs, informally 48 Interminable task 49 “____ Must Die” (Claude McKay poem) 50 “Village” newspaper that’s namby-pamby?

53 Bull’s urging 54 Fashion guru Tim 55 Behave 56 ____ of reality 57 Admitted (to) 59 Jacket material 60 Percolate 62 The “kid” in “Here’s looking at

you, kid” 64 Kia model 65 Common flower that’s poisonous

to eat 66 Santa’s nieces and nephews?

71 Indiana Jones trademark 74 ____ department 75 Uber-owned company that

makes self-driving trucks 76 Agreement 80 Result of a year-end review, maybe 81 “That so?”

84 Also-ran for the golden apple, in myth 86 “I don’t reckon”

87 Home to Weber State University 88 Obama’s signature health law,

for short 89 Like shoppers worrying about

getting the right gift?

92 ____ pad 93 Top 95 Scheduled to arrive 96 Like kitsch 97 Fleet for many a commuter airline 100 Doctor’s orders, for short 101 Japanese soup 102 Specimen, for example: Abbr.

103 Jailhouse?

108 Prohibitionists 110 Craggy peak 111 Several CBS dramas 112 Short, for short 113 The Prada that one really wants?

118 Part of a postal address for a

GM plant 121 Thomas of the NBA 122 ____ Aquino, Time’s Woman of

the Year in 1986 123 With 113-Down, product of flax 124 Miners’ aids 125 Women’s fashion magazine 126 Warning before lunging DOWN 1 Genre for TV’s Stranger Things 2 First name in late-night 3 Unseemly 4 W. Coast air hub 5 When tripled, symbol of evil 6 Toddler garment 7 Amber, e.g.

8 Hand-held dish that doesn’t crunch 9 Outback animal 10 Blue Cross competitor 11 Muddy mixture 12 Makes fizzy 13 Network standard for

smartphones, for short 14 Recipe abbr.

15 Time to go home 16 Skinny 17 Truck driver?

18 And so on: Abbr.

19 Alphabet string 25 Panegyric

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61 Part of a club selling clubs 63 Well ventilated 65 After ____ (to some extent) 67 ’Fore 68 HBO political satire 69 Non-prophet group?

70 Sch. in Knoxville 71 Dowdies 72 Cafe 73 Nickname for a Gilded Age

businessman with a penchant for jewelry 77 In Trump We Trust author, 2016 78 Distillery item 79 Not we 81 “That deep, blue, bottomless

soul,” per Melville 82 Lacks 83 Part of un jour

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

85 Ghost story?

88 Most fit 90 Awkward time at family movie night 91 New York City’s ____ River 94 Almost falls 98 Amps, with “up” 99 Vehicle at a ski resort 101 Light cotton fabric 104 Wild 105 Long arm 106 Covered in frost 107 Pass over 109 Gather 113 See 123-Across 114 Troop grp.

115 Roll call response in une école 116 Wernher ____ Braun 117 Scale note 119 Dutch financial giant 120 Govt. org. that offers a monthly

“Puzzle Periodical”

C R O C K P O T

S T A M E N S

C A G E D U P

T A G S

A R E A

U R L H I J A C K I N G

S A V E E R I S N E E A R R R T O W H T I A Z R H A E A E S L

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

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

Assistant EDITOR Brittany Pickering Staff reporters Greg Elwell, Laura Eastes, Ben Luschen Contributors Terre Cooke Chaffin, Brian Daffron Michael Kinney, Lea Terry Jessica Williams Photographer Garett Fisbeck Circulation Manager Chad Bleakley Art Director Chris Street Production coordinator Arden Biard Advertising/Marketing Design Coordinator Erin DeMoss Graphic Designer Anna Shilling www.okgazette.com

Puzzle No. 0115, which appeared in the January 18 issue.

C O L A W A R S

Advertising Director Christy Duane, cduane@okgazette.com Account EXECUTIVES Stephanie Van Horn, Saundra Rinearson Godwin, Elizabeth Riddle

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New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers B B C R A D I O

Marketing Manager Kelsey Lowe Accounting/HR Manager Marian Harrison

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Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com

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Sudoku Puzzle Easy | n°2147466004

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28 Boater’s wear 32 Is off 33 Foul-smelling 34 Set of principles 35 “Will ya look at that!”

36 Kind of computing 38 Foe of the Cheyenne 39 Something set in a meeting 43 Insect that spends its larval stage

inside a fruit 44 Hot tubs 45 Knight club 46 Car company that owns SolarCity 47 Golfer’s need 51 “There it is!”

52 Grand 58 Source for Book of the Marvels

of the World, circa 1300 59 Chinese philosopher Mo-____

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

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R E T C O N P E R J U R E D O S

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

T R O T

S S N S

A L R O K E R

S A N J O S E

E N T R A C T E

S E A M L E S S

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.

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EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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

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

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“...THE SPORT SEDAN BY WHICH ALL OTHERS ARE JUDGED.”

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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

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