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NATION U.S. Sen. James Lankford’s Free Speech Fairness Act

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n at i o n

NEWS

Say what?

U.S. Sen. James Lankford says his proposed Free Speech Fairness Act would lift prohibitions that keep 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations from engaging in political activity. By Laura Eastes

As it now stands, churches and charities can speak on issues that matter — from opposing human trafficking to advocating for immigration reform and engaging in civil rights and criminal justice reform. Religion and politics intersect in various ways, as do nonprofits and public policy, but federal regulations restrict religious and charitable organizations from endorsing or opposing candidates, political parties or ballot measures.

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States includes the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses, or what most of us call “the separation of church and state.”

To strengthen this separation, the Johnson Amendment, passed in 1954, prohibits tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations — the most common type of nonprofits, including universities and churches — from engaging in political activities.

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Or they can. A religious or nonprofit organization that launches a campaign to endorse a candidate or intervene in public elections is free to do so, but it also would forfeit its right to be a tax-free entity. The Johnson Amendment covers churches, mosques and synagogues as well as other charitable, religious, educational and scientific organizations.

Additionally, individuals employed by 501(c)(3) organizations retain the right to speak on their own behalf, endorsing candidates, putting signs in yards and fully participating in the electoral process without fear of reprisal.

It’s an issue that has played out on the national political stage in recent months. Last month, President Donald Trump called to overturn the amendment in what he said is an effort to allow faith leaders and the organizations they represent the opportunity to speak freely and without fear of retribution.

Oklahoma Republican Sen. James

Lankford also unveiled his Free Speech Fairness Act, which, if passed, would permit nonprofits and houses of worship freedom to electioneer without the threat of revoking tax status.

Lankford has taken the position that under the Johnson Amendment, named for Lyndon B. Johnson, faith leaders and nonprofit organizations do not enjoy all protections of the First Amendment.

“While I prefer not to hear about it in my church or in the nonprofits I give to, why would that control other churches and nonprofits?” Lankford told Oklahoma Gazette during a recent telephone interview. “Everyone should have free speech. Everyone should be able to speak out on issues they choose to and not feel like the IRS is monitoring them.”

While Lankford is not the first federal lawmaker to take on the Johnson Amendment, his legislation, coupled with the president’s repeated comments, has fueled a debate over the free speech and establishment clauses of the First Amendment, which reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

Johnson Amendment

“I think it is a chilling effect on speech, period,” Lankford said of the Johnson Amendment.

When he served as director of Falls Creek nonprofit Christian youth camp in southern Oklahoma, Lankford recalls

U.S. Sen. James Lankford speaks during a recent Washington, D.C. press conference with pastors and faith leaders to announce The Free Speech Fairness Act. | Photo provided

that he found it difficult to know what he could and couldn’t say in terms of political speech.

“Nonprofit leaders and individuals working in nonprofits have to constantly wonder [if] they [are] going to get caught by the IRS for crossing a line that is really undefined,” Lankford said.

Lankford views the Johnson Amendment as a vague law born out of malice by Johnson after a charity had opposed his candidacy in a race for U.S. Senate. Lankford’s proposed legislative solution calls for amending the tax code to allow all charitable organizations to make political campaign statements “if such statements are made in the ordinary course of carrying out its tax exempt purpose,” according to S. 264, which he co-authored with two other Republican lawmakers.

The act would also require the organization making such statements to not incur “more than de minimis incremental expenses.” Such language ensures the legislation would not turn nonprofits and churches into political action committees, Lankford said.

The threat of revoking tax-exempt status has led faith and nonprofit leaders continued on page 6

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News from the Oklahoma Legislative Session

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

continued from page 4

to self-censoring their speech, according to Lankford.

“This is specifically about speech,” Lankford said. “It is not about repealing the whole Johnson Amendment. This is really about editing an amendment to make sure we are honoring our Constitution.”

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Establishment clause

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Debating issues surrounding separation of church and state, including the Johnson Amendment, have played out for years in faith circles.

While some evangelicals view revising the Johnson Amendment as monumental for religious rights, others see it as destroying the wall separating church and state.

“The Johnson A mendment strengthened the wall, and for a very, very important reason,” said Mitch Randall, senior pastor of Norman’s NorthHaven Church, a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship denomination.

A decade after enactment of the First Amendment, Thomas Jefferson coined the term “walls of separation,” describing the official relationship between the church and government.

It brought understanding to the intent and function of the establishment clause, Randall said.

“The reason for that is Christian denominations had been beginning to wield significant political influence in the country through their voice, their members and their finances,” Randall said.

The Johnson Amendment limited churches from increasing any political power and financially influencing elections. Any changes to the Johnson Amendment could unleash money in politics and corrupt the purpose of churches, taking the country back to pre-colonial days when state-supported religions influenced colony government, Randall said.

“My fear is that the repeal of the Johnson Amendment will take us back to those days, where the church wields significant influence within government, and through financial contributions, government could bend to the will of a religious body,” Randall said.

Rev. Lori Walke of Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ sees the repeal or amendment of the Johnson Amendment raising issues connected to how the government treats religion.

“It would ultimately be in violation of the establishment clause, because government would end up subsidizing electioneering, church electioneering, by giving a preference to religious institutions over nonreligious institutions via a tax break,” Walke said. “If a church wants to endorse candidates, pay taxes.”

Advocacy or restriction

In the current political climate, a faithbased organization providing refugee services or a nonprofit legal firm aiding immigrants might seem to favor one political position over the another.

The same might be perceived for a nonprofit health clinic providing family planning and reproductive health services to clients.

Dispelling misconceptions and confusion over the Johnson Amendment has been part of the work done by the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, an Oklahoma City-based organization that provides training and consulting to nonprofits throughout the state.

“When a nonprofit or church talks about an issue that might be hot-button, some see that as a discussion on politics that should be prohibited,” said Daniel Billingsley, the organization’s vice president of external affairs. “The fact is nonprofits can talk about issues in a wide variety of forms. They simply can’t say, ‘We endorse this candidate or vote for this candidate because of their view.’”

This is really about editing an amendment to make sure we are honoring our Constitution.

James Lankford Nonprofits wanting to engage in some effort to influence political activity can do so establishing a separate 501(c)4 organization, which is allowed to support candidates.

Outside work, nonprofit employees and volunteers are free to exercise their individual right to endorse and campaign for candidates and engage in other partisan political activities.

The Johnson Amendment has effectively kept donor tax-deductible donations from getting involved in politics.

Any changes to the Johnson Amendment would have adverse effects on nonprofit organizations, even those who would choose not to exercise rights to campaign or collect political donations, Billingsley said.

“We believe it will eventually create a downward spiral and vortex for organizations, as candidates will expect endorsements,” Billingsley said. “The unfortunate consequence is that all the trust enshrined in nonprofits and its donors will eventually erode.

Donors will give to nonprofits that endorse candidates that they like. We don’t want nonprofits to be held hostage by those candidate endorsements.”

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Southbound

KIPP administrator Meg Wheeler explains why she’s helping launch a college preparatory middle school in south Oklahoma City. By Laura Eastes

KIPP educators often ask the age-old question What do you want to be when you grow up? Every student’s answer is followed up with how KIPP can aid in achieving that hope and dream. After all, college and career readiness has been the mission of KIPP educators since the model debuted in Houston more than two decades ago and expanded to northeast Oklahoma City in 2002.

Four years ago, Lawton native Meg Wheeler began teaching writing and social studies at KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) Reach College Preparatory, which serves fifth- through eighth-grade students in northeast OKC. Each spring, as charter application deadlines loomed, Wheeler found herself surrounded by potential students and their families as she described KIPP’s curricula and its college-bound focus.

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“We believe college is for everyone and college starts in the fourth grade — I know it can be a lot to think about when you have a 9-year-old child and college seems so far down the road,” Wheeler told Oklahoma Gazette while seated in the food court of Plaza Mayor at the Crossroads. “That’s a big piece of what KIPP does. We ensure kids are ready for high school when they leave us, but we continue to stay with the student and their families as they matriculate to and through college.”

KIPP Reach is authorized by Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS)

Board of Education. It is part of a model known for implementing educational programs at schools across the country that serve predominately minority students from low-income neighborhoods and promote knowledge, skills, character and habits needed to succeed in college and beyond. Local student test scores are some of the highest in the OKCPS district and the state.

Oklahoma’s public charter schools are nonprofit organizations funded via state aid from Oklahoma State Department of Education, charitable donations and grants.

Growing KIPP

KIPP leaders believe they can replicate its success with south OKC students.

Last month, Oklahoma City Public School Board approved KIPP’s plan to expand its public charter model by serving youths in a middle school within a converted former department store at Plaza Mayor, located on Interstate 35 at S. Crossroads Boulevard. In August, KIPP OKC South Community Prep will welcome 120 fourth-graders for the 2017-18 school year.

“When we began thinking about how we could increase our impact on Oklahoma City, it made a lot of sense to partner and work with the south Oklahoma City community,” said Wheeler, who will lead the school.

“There are so many strengths in this community, like strong families and pride in cultural heritage.”

At Plaza Mayor, work continues to rehab the former Montgomery Ward retail space into a school site. Santa Fe South Schools, a south OKC public charter district, will hold classes on the ground floor. KIPP will rent space on the second floor, as will Epic Charter

Schools, an online public charter school.

KIPP will serve fourth- through eighth-graders and expand one grade level per year, becoming a full middle school by 2021. Last week, in a mailer sent to families of OKCPS third-grade students, KIPP shared information on the new school and a link to its online application for seats at the new charter school, which accepts all OKCPS students who want to attend. The school will conduct a lottery if more students apply for admission than can be admitted.

As a charter school, KIPP emphasizes smaller classes, rigorous academic programs, extended hours, studentteacher relationships and close bonds with families.

“We know that sometimes our students come to us with gaps and we spend more time to ensure we can close every single gap,” Wheeler said.

School days are longer — 7:25 a.m.4:25 p.m. and include Saturday classes and afterschool tutorials.

“All of that is part of the larger promise we make with kids and their families,” Wheeler said.

KIPP also supports its students after eighth-grade graduation with study materials and resources for college entrance exams and help with financial aid forms. KIPP counselors provide support as students select and apply to college. Graduates are also encouraged to reach out to KIPP for additional guidance while attending college.

Influencing a generation

As the school’s lower grades assistant principal, Wheeler welcomed students from south OKC neighborhoods to KIPP Reach, located near the intersection of NE 16th Street and N. Martin Luther King Avenue. She also learned from southside parents that the distance and lack of transit options often presented barriers. Wheeler said KIPP’s expansion plans have been supported for improving community access to a college preparatory school and easing the overcrowding in OKCPS southside schools.

Some of KIPP Reach’s earliest alumni are now returning to Oklahoma City with college degrees, a sign of KIPP’s northeast success.

“When I talk with parents and community leaders, I hear concerns over no representation for this predominately Latino community,” said Wheeler, who noted that Latino representation on local and state levels is stagnant. “A big piece of that is preparing our students to live choice-filled lives. When they have the opportunity to get a great education, they will have the bandwidth to come back and represent their community. We are excited to be on the ground floor.”

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NEWS from left Lori Rasmussen, Nick Farlow and Sidney Terry with an Embark Rideshare car in Edmond.

All three commute from Edmond to Boeing’s

metro

south OKC facility. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Dynamic drive

Metro commuters receive a modern upgrade with Embark’s new rideshare program.

By Laura Eastes

Not long ago, Edmond resident Lori Rasmussen was one of tens of thousands of metro commuters fighting traffic along Interstate 235/Broadway Extension. At 90 minutes per day, the drive added the equivalent of almost an entire workday to each workweek as she lost more of her paycheck to the cumulative costs of car wear and tear and fuel.

Each day, her stress level spiked as she hit bumper-to-bumper traffic to and from Boeing’s south Oklahoma City facility, where she works as a communications specialist.

Last fall, when the aerospace company surveyed its 2,600 Oklahoma City employees about transit options, Rasmussen conveyed her interest in carpooling.

In November, Rasmussen and a handful of her coworkers became the first to join a new rideshare program through Embark, Oklahoma City’s public transportation system.

“When I learned about sharing an SUV with a group of coworkers, I took a close look,” said Rasmussen, who said she is on track to save $5,000 a year while using Embark Rideshare. “We share the driving, and it is certainly more relaxing than driving on my own. There was one commute where I sat and paid all my bills on my mobile device. When I was home, I was able to enjoy time with my family and not worry about that added stress of one more chore.”

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Each weekday morning, Rasmussen and four rideshare members meet at an Edmond Dunkin’ Donuts, where a Chevrolet Traverse, brightly painted with the words Embark Rideshare, idles at the curb. At 6 a.m., they head to work.

In Oklahoma City, where the right to drive is coveted almost as much as free speech, the Boeing employees are perhaps a rare breed.

Local public transit officials believe that’s about to change.

Public transit can be available and accessible to anyone.

Michael Scroggins

Another option

Last year, Central Oklahoma Transpiration & Parking Authority (COPTA) approved a plan to bring a nationally recognized ridesharing program to the Oklahoma City metro, upgrading the modern commute through a partnership with vRide and Embark.

While new to Oklahoma City, ridesharing or vanpooling services have cropped up in major metros over the past decade.

Four years ago in Houston, a city spread

over 599.6 square miles, its vanpool program served more than 700 routes and was ranked the second-largest vanpool program by passenger trips in the nation, according to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

Oklahoma City transportation leaders were encouraged by reports from Houston and elsewhere. Locally, most residents drive to work by themselves, and those empty seats represent a huge inefficiency in the transportation system while driving up greenhouse gas emissions. Changing attitudes toward car ownership and public transit, followed by the rise in the sharing economy, which is used to describe economic and social activity involving online transactions, presented a unique opportunity for Embark to establish its rideshare program.

“It allows us to serve areas and at times where we might not be able to have a bus scheduled,” said Embark public information officer Michael Scroggins. “It diversifies our transit options and introduces new people to transit. And it gets that single-occupant vehicle off the road.”

How it works

Chip Nolen, an associate planner at Embark, said riders pay monthly fees, which vary depending on distance and the number of rideshare participants. The funds cover program costs, including maintenance, insurance and fuel. The monthly service contract also requires potential drivers to clear background checks. In addition to potentially saving riders time and gas money, rideshare participants also are eligible for IRS tax breaks.

Like most services these days, users communicate with each other by app to determine things like departure times, drivers, vacations and sick days.

Participants say they have more freedom and flexibility than they would if they utilized traditional public transit like bus service, Nolen said.

“Once a group gets a vehicle and are registered, it’s up to them for what times they want to meet, where they want to meet and who will drive,” Nolen said.

Embark Rideshare requires the work commute to begin or end in Oklahoma City limits. vRide is reaching out to major employers to educate them about the service, but Nolen said employees also can inquire about it via the official website at embarkok.com/learn/services/rideshare.

“You only need four people to start a group,” said Nolen, who said rideshare vehicle options include SUVs and large passenger vans. “That group can be work friends or acquaintances who live near each other, or maybe it’s a group that all works downtown. It doesn’t necessarily need to be the same employer.”

Honored as the North American Outstanding Public Transit System of the Year in 2016 by American Public Transportation Association, Embark leaders said the rideshare program is another method in building a stronger transit system that meets community needs, Scroggins said.

“It shows that public transit can be available and accessible to anyone,” Scroggins said. “That’s our goal: to provide access to all in public transit and prove public transit benefits us all; whether we use every mode is up to us. We are benefiting from public transit in some form or fashion.”

Building camaraderie

The commute to and from Boeing, located in Oklahoma City’s southeast quadrant near Tinker Air Force Base, is often quiet as Rasmussen and her coworkers answer emails, join company conference calls or complete personal tasks.

As the SUV pulls into its preferred parking space in the Boeing lot, curious onlookers often ask about the vehicle and ridesharing, she said. Rasmussen and others cite financial and environmental benefits as well as wear and tear saved on their personal vehicles as reasons to check out the service.

Over the past three months, the coworkers have built camaraderie while sharing the 23-mile commute, another benefit not to be overlooked, Rasmussen said.

“It gave me a really exciting opportunity to get to know my coworkers better and find out some of the different functions and jobs we have here in Oklahoma City,” she said. “Sometimes we get out our devices and continue to respond to emails or make phone calls. Other times, we socialize and visit. We hear stories about work situations and we will collaborate on ideas or offer solutions.”

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O kg a z e t t e . c o m | march 1 , 2 0 1 711:06 11 2/16/17

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letters

NEWS We need to hold them accountable.

Find your legislator at ok.gov, click on “My Government,” then “Legislative Branch,” then “Find my Legislator.”

It seems voting is not enough. It’s time to speak out if you agree or disagree.

Elda Davis Bethany

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.

Oh well

Learning from history

Seventy-five years ago, executive order No. 9066 incarcerated all Japanese citizens for the duration of a war. The only exceptions were the young Japanese soldiers who volunteered to fight in the European theater, where many were highly decorated for valor in combat.

All Japanese were expected to be loyal to Emperor Hirohito, and consequently, many believed they had high probability to become subversives opposing our war efforts. Were such notions true, there surely would have been cases of espionage, sabotage and sedition during the six months it took our government to round up all people of Japanese descent, American citizens or not. Not a single such case occurred. Did we learn any lessons from that experience?

Frank Silovsky Oklahoma City

Water vs. gasoline

I believe Trump’s travel ban is both unconstitutional and extremely dangerous to the future of our nation. We must not let fearmongering and ignorance push us to abandon the very ideals that give America its strength and moral standing.

I’ve defended our nation and constitution for 26 years of military service (and was deployed to the Middle East numerous times, so I’ve seen a quite few of these overwhelmingly Muslim countries from the inside). Let me be clear that there is an imminent threat of extremist terrorists striking against the United States.

I fully support the amazing work our counterintelligence experts are doing on a daily basis to keep all Americans safe.

They keep America safe by using analytical evidence as the basis of their work, not conjecture and hyperbole.

The majority of experienced counterterrorist experts agree that adopting what amounts to a Muslim ban is actually counterproductive and that it actually fuels terrorist recruitment by giving the terrorists propaganda to bolster their point that they are engaged in a global religious war — Christians versus Muslims. This mentality fuels extremism by framing our efforts to wipe out extremist terrorism as an all-out attack on the Muslim religion.

To strike out blindly at the tens of millions of peaceful Muslims because of fear and ignorance makes America less safe and tarnishes our national ideals.

Please do not listen to the inflammatory rhetoric and the self-aggrandizing politicians and pundits. Take a few extra minutes to read commentaries by established counterterrorism experts, and then make up your own mind.

To extinguish the flames that fuel violent extremism, we need to combat it with water, not gasoline.

Nick Grba Yukon

Voting not enough

As the State Legislature is looking for money for the budget shortfalls in this legislative session, one of the most egregious ideas that I’ve read about is having a tax on doctor visits!

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So the GOP wants to take health care away from the poor and old and charge a tax for those who do go to the doctor?

Another terrible idea is raising the age for teachers to retire to age 67 — proposed

by Rep. Randy McDaniel. Legislators are vested into the retirement system after six years and can draw retirement funds at age 60. I’ve always wondered just how much they draw after six-12 years service?

Teachers have to have a combination of age and service equal to 90.

Now they are proposing to only have a 401(k) and think they can attract teachers to Oklahoma with that? That should be in addition to a good retirement.

One legislator, state Sen. Greg Teach, has proposed to sell off state property such as the Grand River Dam Authority. Next, it will be the turnpikes. Fits right in with privatizing everything they can.

And now they want to rewrite the two laws that more than 60 percent of Oklahomans voted to pass, the laws that keep a first-time drug offender from getting a felony and serving prison time.

Oh, by the way, they wonder how they will find the money to fund treatment instead of their private prisons. This is a perfect example of elected officials thinking they know better than their constituents.

These kinds of bills show how shortsighted our state representatives are. They should repeal all the tax breaks that were given, mostly to their wealthy donors, even to the oil companies, including subsidies.

Six million people who voted for Barack Obama in 2012 could not bring themselves to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016. A million more votes for her might have done it. Bernie Sanders begged his supporters and Green Party people to vote against Donald Trump and for Clinton. Some did.

Not enough. Oh, well; it’s only four years.

Nathaniel Batchelder Oklahoma City

Hypocrisy unmasked

Excellent article by Robin Meyers (Opinion, Commentary, “What Have We Done,” Nov. 16, Oklahoma Gazette). It is honest, unbiased and, as stated in the article: “This is the unmasking of evangelical religion in America.”

Thank you, Robin Meyers, for this truthful look at the so-called “president elect” and the hypocrisy of those who pose as believers and practitioners of “religion.”

Ms. G.K. Smith Brentwood, California

Homogeneous hyperbole

Americans voted for Donald Trump! The main reason being “to stop foreign invasion.” I read an article on your website, “What will OKC look like in 2040” (News; Feb. 4, 2015; okgazette.com) welcoming other cultures? Pray tell, do you have a problem with America’s culture? Then you compliment Portland, in Oregon, the most liberal state, which is 77.6 percent white and 7.1 percent black.

I visit there every summer. You have to show proof of citizenship to work, and they have no sales tax. It’s the most American/conservative state. It’s beautiful; everyone speaks English. Oregonians vote for Republican policies yet stupidly think they are Democrats.

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chicken

friedNEWS

A Capitol story

We at Chicken-Fried News can’t think of a better comparison of Gov. Mary Fallin and Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb than the young stars in creator Laura Lee Hope’s long-running Bobbsey Twins youth book series.

Eternally 12-year-old fraternal twins Bert and Nan join eternally 6-year-old fraternal twins Flossie and Freddie to solve mysteries and have wholesome fun. Just like real life. In their latest adventure, Fallin proposes in her State of the State speech that Oklahoma lawmakers raise revenue by taxing 164 services. During the speech, Lamb, as president of the Senate, claps wildly as he sits behind the governor.

Snoop the cat, Downy duck and Dinah the Bobbsey family cook all whisper-chant their love of the children. Everyone seems happy.

The plot thickens when, a week later, Lamb delivers a shocking statement announcing his resignation as the state’s Small Business Advocate on Fallin’s Cabinet. Scandal!

In it, he says of Fallin’s tax plan: “This proposal will adversely harm Oklahoma’s small businesses and families, especially those in our service industry [including our beloved cook Dinah, because we might both have to pay additional taxes on her wages],” he wrote [bracketed comments ours]. “While Gov. Fallin and I have disagreed on issues from time to time [including who has the fastest bicycle — I do], our differences on this important topic are so significant they preclude me from continuing to serve on her cabinet. [Additionally, we must now arm-wrestle to see who gets primary custody of Downy and Snoop].”

Hours later, Fallin responded with her own press statement: “I was disappointed and surprised to learn from a press release that Lt. Gov. Lamb had decided to quit serving as a member of my Cabinet,” Fallin wrote. “[And my bicycle has always been faster than his. Everything else is moot!]”

The end.

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Mixed messages

The owners of Catoosa’s I Don’t Care Bar and Grill appear unsympathetic to nationally organized immigrant protests.

The local eatery located about 20 minutes east of Tulsa employed several immigrant line cooks and dishwashers — many of whom decided to join in on the national protest A Day Without Immigrants, a planned day in which immigrant workers and those who support their rights to live and work in America boycotted their day jobs in protest of President Donald Trump’s immigration reform policies.

Some employers weren’t as supportive of Day Without Immigrant boycotts as others. One Oklahoma business made national news.

“You and your family are fired,” one text read from I Don’t Care restaurant owner Bill McNally to a (now former) employee, according to Tulsa news station KTUL. “I hope you enjoyed your day off, and you can enjoy many more. Love you.”

Ouch. McNally said he supports

the rights of immigrants but was not told about the planned protest and has a zero-tolerance policy about no-shows.

“I’m on their side, but we have rules at I Don’t Care Bar and Grill,” he said.

“If you’re going to be late, call in. If you’re not coming to work, call us.

That’s the American way.”

Most other businesses, though, embraced the American way of tolerance and understanding.

Many Oklahoma City businesses closed for the day in a show of solidarity. Raul Ramos, a Peruvian immigrant turned naturalized United States citizen and owner of two Naylamp Peruvian Restaurants, told NewsOK.com he gladly closed his stores in support of the cause.

Ramos said he believes undocumented immigrants need to come out of the shadows and take a stand. “[Undocumented immigrants] are friends of ours and our neighbors,” he said. “Most came here to work hard, to pursue a dream to create a better future for themselves and their families. We need to give these guys a chance.”

Payday predators

We at Chicken-Fried News can agree that sometimes loans cause more harm than good. Voices Organized in Civic Engagement (VOICE), a local

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to pay back loans.”

Fifteen states have already passed laws outlawing payday loans, and eight others have regulated interest rates and the number of loans companies can approve per individual per year.

VOICE members want to create a database of loans, limit the number of loans per person each year and lower the maximum interest rate allowed on payday loans.

Rep. Kevin Calvey, R-Edmond, and Rep. Mickey Dollens, D-Oklahoma City, have proposed House Bill 1596 and House Bill 1404, respectively. HB 1596 would create a database of loans, and HB 1404 would limit the payday loan interest rate to a cap of 60 percent.

While previous reform efforts haven’t been as successful as VOICE and others hoped they would be, this time lawmakers might have God on their side. Quoting scripture, Randall called predatory lending “both unjust and evil.”

Rule rollback?

What does Oklahoma Senator Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, do when he’s not passionately advocating the will of Oklahoma voters?

At Chicken-Fried News, our Googlefu is strong, so let’s turn to his page at oksenate.gov.

Occupation: blank. Education: blank. Hometown: blank. Hmmm.

Maybe he overlooked those lines because he was so focused conveying to his constituency the depth and breadth of public service and professional experience via his biography.

It looks like he graduated from Westmoore High School, attended Heartland Baptist Bible College (where he might or might not have earned an unaccredited undergraduate diploma) while preparing for Ugandan missionary work, which he then decided not to do because he launched his evangelical career in the oil and gas industry.

We at Chicken-Fried News are rubbing our chin and ruminating.

Yes, we have made a living out of reading comprehension, and that was easy information to find. His competence is what it is, clearly. We’re not as sure, though, that it qualifies him to “correct” over 50 percent of Oklahoma voters, who in November, approved corrections reforms in State Questions 780 and 781.

Whatever. Shortey was elected by voters, too, and he represents our best interests.

Right? And Shortey said voters didn’t really understand

what they were voting for, and he’s thankfully here to help amend the error of his people.

During a Feb. 13 town hall meeting, his constituency roundly rebuked Shortey’s assumption as he answered to a crowd of incensed citizens.

The state questions, aimed at reducing Oklahoma’s sky-high incarceration rates, make drug possession and some low-level property crimes misdemeanors instead of felonies.

According to NewsOK.com Shortey told the audience at the town hall, “If you’re caught with Rohypnol, the date rape drug, then you should not get just a simple misdemeanor. There’s only one good reason why you have the date rape drug.”

First of all, rape is still illegal. Secondly, drugging and raping someone is still illegal.

After getting an earful from the community, Shortey said the bills would not advance in their current form, but he still wants to revisit some parts of the laws.

GET READY , ‘CAUSE HERE WE COME.

RAYMOND LUKE JR. PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS. ALL OTHER PHOTOS BY ANDREW ECCLES.

group of political and religious leaders, wants to put a stop to what many call predatory payday loans.

Payday loans are relatively small, short-term loans, usually $500 or less, with very high interest rates. Terms usually require applicants repay the loan, with interest and fees, from the client’s next paycheck, which can result in a downward spiral of high-interest borrowing and debt.

Local community news blog Oklahoma City Free Press recently reported that, in Oklahoma, average payday loan interest rates (APR) are as high as 390 percent. Additionally, a Pew Charitable Trust study shows Oklahoma topped the list of payday loans in 2012.

During a recent press conference, VOICE member Angela Basse, coordinator of youth ministries at St. Charles Barromeo Catholic Church, spoke about her experiences as a child of a single mother who used payday loans to try to make ends meet, the Free Press news blog reported.

“We missed out on book fairs in schools, field trips at school, because we didn’t have the income,” Basse said.

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EAT & DRINK

Heat wave

There is such a thing as ‘too hot,’ but that doesn’t stop metro residents from seeking out the city’s spiciest dishes. By Greg Elwell

After showing off his fish tanks, greenhouses and the rows where vegetables will soon begin breaking through the ground, Russell Cox reopened his tiny general store near the gated entrance of Tilapia Garden Farms.

The building is mostly empty now, as all the fresh produce he raised last year is long since gone, but on a table up front sit dozens of tiny shakers of dried ground chiles.

The most popular variety sold is, of course, jalapeño.

“Everyone can eat jalapeños,” he said.

The same can’t be said for some of the others on the table, like bhut jolokia (or ghost peppers), naga viper, moruga scorpion peppers and the Guinness World Record holder for hottest chile, Carolina Reapers.

Asked if he has ever eaten a whole Reaper, Cox cocked his head and peered through his glasses like he’d never heard anything so crazy.

“Hell no,” he answered.

Chile chasers

A few days later, in the Oklahoma Gazette offices, two brave men sat down to a taste test of pain.

Technical analyst Matt Weers and thespian Matthew Alvin Brown skeptically examined packages of ghost pepper and Carolina Reaper flavored beef jerkies from Jerky.com and jalapeño, habanero and bhut jolokia peppers. In

Matthew Alvin Brown tastes a raw ghost pepper and Carolina Reaper chile powder. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Matt Weems braces himself before eating another bhut jolokia ghost pepper. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Oklahoma City-based Jerky.com bows to customer requests to create spicier beef jerky varieties. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Learn more Tilapia Garden Farms 507 Oakdale Drive tilapiagarndenfarm.wixsite.com/ tilapia-granden 405-650-8427

the center of the table sat a cup of habanero salsa dosed with Tilapia Garden Farms’ dried Carolina Reaper powder.

Weers is a self-proclaimed experience seeker.

“I actually don’t love spicy foods, but maybe I’ll love it after this,” he said.

Brown is a longtime spice lover who regularly seasons his food with overthe-top heat.

“Honestly, I never thought about it, but I think the truth is probably pretty stupid,” he admitted. “I think eating spicy things was the only ‘macho’ thing I had to relate to with the males in my family.”

Now he’s so acclimated to the heat that nonspicy dishes just taste bland.

“I’ve burned off most of my taste buds, so everything has to be on fire or I won’t really taste it,” Brown said.

Both Matts were excited and hesitant

as they faced the prospect of sampling Carolina Reaper powder and raw ghost peppers.

“Ow! Ahhhh. Ahhhhhh!” Brown yelped as his eyes grew wider. “Flavorwise, [Reaper powder] is really good. But holy mother! It just keeps building.”

When they could take no more, he and Weems gulped down chocolate ice cream to soothe their scorched palates.

The wounds required constant tending.

“You can’t stop eating the ice cream or you’re screwed,” Brown said.

Taste matters

Like Brown, University of Oklahoma maintenance worker Wayne Daddio said he has long craved fiery fare.

“I liked hot stuff always,” he said. “My grandparents had the hot cherry peppers, and they were always feeding them to me, so I built up a tolerance.”

Now he’s very nearly immune to the potency of the “superhots,” including Carolina Reapers.

“A couple of my buddies, they watch me eat stuff and they freak out. But it doesn’t really bother me. I can’t explain it,” he said. “We’ll make stuff like moruga brownies and scorpion [pepper] ice cream.”

Taste and spice don’t always go hand in hand, Daddio said. When he and his coworkers amassed a hot sauce collection of nearly 1,000 bottles, they found that the hottest are often the least appetizing.

“They taste terrible,” he said. “Some of them are almost pure capsaicin, so there’s not much flavor to it.”

When it comes to hot and flavorful varieties, Daddio recommends Torchbearer hot sauces, available at Native Roots Market, 131 NE Second St. For raw peppers, he trusts Tilapia

Jerky.com multiple metro locations jerky.com 1-877-975-3759 Native Roots Market 131 NE Second St. nativerootsmarket.com 405-310-6300 Chef Ray’s Street Eats food truck facebook.com/chefraysstreeteats 405-531-2871 Wing Supreme 3925 N. Lincoln Blvd. facebook.com/wingsupremeokc 405-702-5464 Mary Eddy’s Kitchen x Lounge 900 W. Main St. maryeddysokc.com 405-982-6960 Szechuan Bistro 1010 W. Memorial Road foodcoral.com/szechuanbistro 405-752-8889 Thai Orchid Bistro 340 S. Mustang Road, Yukon facebook.com/thaiorchidbistro 405-265-4107 Sheesh Mahal 4621 N. May Ave. places.singleplatform.com/ sheesh-mahal 405-778-8469 Taqueria La Peque 10598 W. Reno Ave. 580-603-2530 Panang Thai Restaurant multiple metro locations panangthaifood.com Chelino’s Mexican Restaurant Multiple metro locations chelinos.net

continued on page 18

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EAT & DRINK Pepper picker Wilbur Scoville was an American chemist who will forever be linked to spicy foods. In 1912, he developed the Scoville Organoleptic Test to rate chile pepper pungency.

Basically, he diluted pepper extracts with sugar syrup until its heat could no longer be felt. The more it was diluted, the higher the heat units. Bell peppers are exceptionally mild, so their score is zero. But as home gardeners and botanists continue cultivating new strains of hot peppers, the upper limits of the Scoville Scale creep higher.

In 2013, “Smokin’” Ed Currie’s Carolina Reaper became the Guinness World Record holder for hottest chile with an average rating of 1.56 million Scoville heat units.

Lots of peppers can burn you out, but how do they taste? Here’s a guide to some of the most popular chiles around.

Cherry Scoville heat units: 100-500

Tilapia Garden Farms owner Russell Cox

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continued from page 17

Garden Farms, 507 Oakdale Drive.

Daddio is a fan of flavorful habaneros and Butch Ts, a more piquant strain of Trinidad scorpion peppers.

“They’re really hot, but they have an incredible fruity flavor,” Daddio said.

“Moruga vipers are more earthy. Reapers are actually pretty nasty.”

Spice of life

Spicy fare has always been part of Choate House art director Chris Castro’s life.

“I grew up around hot food. As I get older, I kept thinking, ‘This is good.

Could be hotter,’” he said, then admitted, “I have had something too hot once.”

At now-closed Chubby’s Chicken, Castro ordered the hottest wings the restaurant could give him.

“I think they were trying to teach me a lesson,” he said. “It was heat from capsaicin extract, not from just chiles. I tried one and thought, ‘There is no way I can finish this wing.’ Then I ate all 12.”

Super-hot food makes you feel like you can’t take it anymore while simultaneously reaching for another bite.

Katie Pennington The experience left his lips and mouth feeling raw, but generally, he finds a lot of pleasure in spicy foods.

He still chases that hot wing sting, especially at Chef Ray’s Street Eats food truck and Wing Supreme at 3925 N. Lincoln Blvd.

“I love the ways it feels exciting, and you get layers of sensations and flavors once you get into the hotter foods,” Castro explained. “It just makes your nostrils open up and get ready.”

He said his son inherited his passion for peppers, too.

“He ate some ghost pepper cheese at a friend’s house and was all about it after everyone fussed,” he said.

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Sometimes called sweet peppers or pimento peppers, cherry peppers are

said he’s concentrating on raising more

bright red and bulbous, like their namesake fruit. Eaten raw or pickled, they

varieties of “superhot” chiles for customers this year. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

have sweet flesh and very little heat.

Firepower

“We mess around with fermented hot sauces here,” said Mary Eddy’s Kitchen x Lounge executive chef Jason Campbell, who dabbles in hotter menu fare for the restaurant.

“We’re waiting on a local farm to grow datil peppers for us. I’m from Florida, and they are native.”

Similar in heat to habaneros, datils are fruitier and sweeter peppers.

For now, Campbell prefers Italian calabrian peppers.

“Not a ton ask for it, but we have the firepower ready to go,” he said.

Campbell spends a lot of time in the kitchen, but when he’s dining out and wants to turn up the heat, he visits Szechuan Bistro, 1010 W. Memorial Road.

“Gotta order off the back of the menu for legit items,” he said. “Always ask for extra mala.”

Mala is an oily Chinese sauce that is so spicy it numbs the mouth.

“I love the rush you get from the heat and think it’s cool how many flavors there are in different peppers and spices,” Campbell said.

Asian spices also are a favorite of local baker Katie Pennington, who said she’s always on the hunt for the hottest dishes in Oklahoma City.

“I’m currently interested in finding out what the real heat scale is for a Thai place in my neighborhood [Thai Orchid Bistro],” she said.

Pennington said she was surprised to learn that some restaurants serve different levels of spicy food depending on the nationality of the customer.

While she thought she’d been served the hottest dishes, Thai Orchid served her “American hot” instead of food on the more intensely spicy “Thai hot” scale.

“So when you order Thai food and say you want the hottest they make, they give you like between a one and a three [on the Thai scale],” she said. “But the heat can actually be served at a 10. I had no idea restaurants did this until speaking with the owner.”

She discovered in many Oklahoma

Poblano Scoville heat units: 1,000-1,500 Excellent grilled or stuffed, as in a chile relleno dish, poblanos are some of Mexico’s most popular peppers. They have a mild, earthy flavor and a manageable heat. Their thicker skin means they’re best eaten when cooked.

Jalapeño Scoville heat units: 2,500-8,000 Jalapeños are ubiquitous because they’re easy to grow and have a crisp, green flavor and a heat that can span from “not too bad” to “please, waiter, I need another glass of milk.”

Serrano Scoville heat units: 10,000-23,000 About five times hotter than jalapeños, serranos are longer and thinner but with a jump in heat. Their thin skin makes them easy to eat raw, especially chopped in fresh salsas.

Cayenne Scoville heat units: 30,000-50,000 Commonly used in Cajun cooking, cayenne peppers are most often seen dried and ground into powder. Pungent and lively, the reddish-orange fruits add a sharp heat to meats and vegetables.

Thai Scoville heat units: 50,000-100,000 Sometimes called bird’s eye chiles because of their shape, Thai peppers are small but powerful. They have a grassy flavor that is quickly overwhelmed by their heat.

Habanero Scoville heat units: 100,000-350,000 Bright orange and thin-skinned, habaneros are becoming more common in grocery stores and in recipes. The chiles are known for intense heat and a fruity, floral flavor that makes them tasty in salsas.

Ghost Scoville heat units: 855,000-1.04 million Bhut jolokia is an Indian fruit that has amassed an international following for its blistering heat. How hot is it? The Indian military uses them in smoke bombs and residents use them to ward away elephants.

Carolina Reaper Scoville heat units: 1.4 million-2.2 million Bred for a heat that rivals commercial pepper sprays, Carolina Reapers have an earthy flavor that is vastly overshadowed by their menacing pungency.

Habanero and ghost pepper salsa at Chelino’s Mexican Restaurant, 1605 N. Meridian Ave. | Photo Greg Elwell

restaurants, protecting American mouths seems to be a top priority.

“Sheesh Mahal’s hot red chicken and the green sauce at Taqueria La Peque are the two hottest foods I’ve had in OKC,” she said. “But I will be putting the Thai heat index to the test this week and ordering a 10 on the scale.”

Thai Orchid, 340 S. Mustang Road, in Yukon makes its dishes fresh to order.

Its owners also are extremely friendly, she said, which is a plus when customers sometimes want dishes that can literally make grown men cry. “[The owner] said a police officer came in and talked them into giving him a 10 and he was in tears afterward,” Pennington said.

The lure of extremely hot foods has been with her since youth, but it wasn’t until she was living in Texas that she began actively hunting for spice.

“The best thing anyone can get from a food is wanting just a little bit more,” she said. “Salty and sweet does that, and so does heat. Super-hot food makes you feel like you can’t take it anymore while simultaneously reaching for another bite.”

Heat adds depth to simple foods, dimension to scrambled eggs or chocolate, she said. Sometimes it can go too far, though.

“While trying to make my own curry for the first time, I blindly chopped up some Thai green chiles and threw them in the pot,” she said. “I had no idea how hot such a tiny pepper could be. It was inedible.”

Local comedian BradChad Porter joked that a specific piquant comestible “ruined his body.”

“I’ve been into it since high school. I was a freshman, and I went to Buffalo, New York, with my aunt and uncle and tried wings at the bar where they were invented,” he said. “It started as a test of wills with my uncle, and it became a big part of my diet.”

Like Pennington, he discovered Thai food can hurt on a whole different level at Panang Thai Restaurant in Edmond.

“Order it hot on their scale. It will cause you a great deal of problems,” he said.

Chileno’s Mexican Restaurant’s hottest hot sauce 1 Trinidad moruga scorpion pepper 1 ghost pepper 1 habanero pepper 1 Carolina Reaper pepper 1 tomatillo fresh garlic to taste salt to taste fresh cilantro Wearing gloves, dice all the peppers and combine them with minced fresh garlic and chopped tomatillo, and salt to taste. Add in chopped fresh cilantro, and then blend.

Part of the fun of eating spicy foods is the challenge, Porter said.

“I’m a big fan of turning normal life stuff into games and silliness,” he said.

“Plus, on the other side of pain, there is always a rush of whatever chemicals your brain sends through you to balance you out — adrenaline and whatnot.”

Burn notice

“We call them pepperheads,” said Cox of the people who seek him out at Tilapia Garden Farms.

He sells two pounds of some of the hottest chiles to Chelino’s Mexican Restaurant every few weeks.

“He’ll give you the real hot sauce,” Cox said. “Ask him for the ‘Russ stuff.’”

This year, he’s bumping up the number of pepper plants and focusing on the exotic varieties so many locals prize. The best season for growing superhots is in Oklahoma City’s super-hot summers, he said. Cox processes the peppers for customers by cutting them in half, dehydrating them for 30 hours and then grinding them while he wears two pairs of gloves and a mask. Even with all that protection, he still has issues with the heat.

“After a while, the Reaper gets in your skin,” he said. “When you take a shower and that hot water hits, wooo!”

And though Cox has nibbled a raw Carolina Reaper, he’ll leave devouring the chiles to the pepperheads.

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review

EAT & DRINK

Rah-rah ramen

Plaza District’s Gorō Ramen + Izakaya has customers cheering for more. By Greg Elwell

Gorō Ramen + Izakaya 1634 N. Blackwelder Ave., Suite 102 gororamen.com | 405-606-2539 What works: Excellent ramen choices and steamed buns.

What needs work: When it’s crowded, temperatures get uncomfortable.

Tip: Gorō does not do takeout or reservations.

There is no shortage of Plaza District cheerleaders. The residential area surrounding NW 16th Street is flush with young, hip residents and families building the area into a thriving community.

And district businesses, including art studios, a performance theater and a bevy of restaurants, seem perpetually full.

The sheer number of success stories packed into less than a half mile of the city leads to a district that can feel a little crowded, but that’s a novelty in itself.

One recent addition — Gorō Ramen + Izakaya, 1634 N. Blackwelder Ave., Suite 102 — is also one of the most successful.

Following the booming popularity of nearby Empire Slice House, Pie Junkie and The Mule, chef Jeff Chanchaleune’s ramen parlor packs in crowds from lunch through dinner and into the night.

Chanchaleune was one mind behind Kaiteki Ramen food truck, which debuted in the Plaza, and he teamed with the hot hand of Rachel Cope in 2015 for a series of ramen pop-up dinners called Project Slurp while they tested recipes for what would become Gorō.

Those dinners began to sell out at a rapid clip, which helped push Gorō from concept to concrete in July.

Anyone waiting for crowds to die down in intervening months will be disappointed to hear that seats are still hard to come by. A week ago, a wait for a single seat at the bar for dinner was 45 minutes.

It is worth the wait.

From beginning to end, Chanchaleune’s menu is a joy. Even during my extremely brief stint as a vegan, the food was on-point and satisfying.

Ramen is absolutely Gorō’s main draw, but ignoring appetizers would be a mistake. I credit Kaiteki with awakening my love for Brussels sprouts, and that good work con20

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tinues at Chanchaleune’s new venture with a fried Brussels sprouts salad ($7).

Studded with ruby-red beets, crispy fried shallots and a miso vinaigrette, the salad is mostly tender halved sprouts that have spent some quality time in the fryer. Pickled Fresno peppers add a piquant zing to the dish’s earthy, savory notes.

It’s a nice salad to share, but I prefer ordering it with people who don’t particularly love Brussels sprouts or beets.

Either they’ll be converted by the blend of textures and flavors or you’ll get to eat it all yourself — a win-win.

Cauliflower is one of the most boring vegetables imaginable, which makes Gorō’s version even more impressive.

Fried cauliflower florets are covered in crunchy seasoned panko breadcrumbs and tossed with an umami-rich anchovy vinaigrette.

Adventures in frying continue with Gorō’s nikuman. The chef spent a long time perfecting his sticky steamed bun recipe, and the results are phenomenal.

Along with Chae and recently announced Urbun, Oklahoma City is experiencing a steamed bun surge that I hope never recedes.

The most popular nikuman is the deep-fried pork belly bun ($8), which comes with pickled cucumbers, green onions and a mildly sweet plum sauce that helps balance the pork’s savory, fatty flavor. Pork belly is basically uncured bacon, and when it’s treated correctly, as it is here, it’s lusciously irresistible.

Vegan tofu nikuman ($7) gets a savory boost from mushroom sauce and has the same tender and slightly chewy steamed bun.

Its texture is amazing and habitforming. Each bite drives the next, as diners are propelled through the tiny Pork belly nikuman steamed buns | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Spicy miso ramen with pork meatballs in chicken broth | Photo Garett Fisbeck

handheld sandwich, trying to recapture that first satisfying pull when they chew the bun.

Nikuman come two to an order, but it will require an unholy amount of willpower not to hoard the entire basket.

Preserve your relationships and just order more to begin with.

Now for ramen. First up is tori paitan ($10), which translates to “chicken white soup.” That’s the thick and creamy broth into which all ramen goodies are submerged.

In this case, it’s thick slices of fall-apart tender pork belly and a perfectly cooked half egg. Pork and egg add a lot of flavor, fat and heft, but I’d like to give a shoutout to less-discussed ingredients: bamboo and green onion.

The richness of the soup and slurpable noodles would be so much less enjoyable without the crunch of onion and fibrous bamboo.

Texture is integral to this dish, and

Tori paitan ramen with pork belly in chicken broth | Photo Garett Fisbeck

they complete this bowl of ramen.

Aptly named spicy miso ramen ($12), which has juicy pork meatballs with a lovely char, crunchy and sweet corn in a blend of chicken broth and roasted garlic miso, is much hotter. If that’s not enough heat, Gorō makes a garlic chili bomb for 50 cents.

Those who love noodles as much as I do can get their fill with kaedama, a noodle refill for $2.50.

Most people find themselves sated by a normal portion, but it’s nice to know there are more noodles waiting when you’re feeling especially ravenous.

Service is wonderful, which is normal for an 84 Hospitality Group restaurant.

The building can get pretty warm in the summer, so I’m hopeful an air-conditioning fix is on the way. But even when clientele is sweating, the food is enough to keep customers filling seats daily.

b r i e fs By Greg Elwell

This new rescue boat was purchased through

•Royal renovations

Midtown restaurant Gigglez Bar & Grill is gone.

New owners James Vu, Vuong Nguyen and Shyon Keoppel are replacing it with Kong’s Tavern, 1016 N. Walker Ave. Customers can expect gourmet french fries, hot wings, nachos and street tacos with a blend of Asian and Latin American influences. Vu said more menu items are planned, but with such a fast turnaround from Gigglez to Kong’s, they only want to do food they can execute efficiently and deliciously.

Vu owns La Brasa, 1310 NW 25th St., and Nguyen is a veteran of The Coach House and Guernsey Park. Most recently, Nguyen ran small-but-beloved Bonjour in northwest Oklahoma City. Fans of that restaurant will be happy to hear the owners plan to have a “bad-ass brunch,” Nguyen said. In addition to a name change, the interior of Gigglez is getting remade as well. The interior brick will be decorated with street art, and many of the booths have been removed to make room for basketball, Skee-Ball and other games.

Passersby won’t be able to miss Kong’s as the restaurant nears its opening date thanks to an enormous gorilla that will soon be stationed outside. Kong’s will open to the public March 24.

a Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grant. | Photo Seminole Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services / provided

Fostering community

Angels Foster Family Network is getting help from recently returned pizza resTwo Firehouse Subs locations are taurant Peter Piper Pizza with the making almost $200,000 in equipment Surprise Party for Foster Families event. donations to local first responders.

Guests are asked to bring a pair of Firehouse Subs Public Safety new, matching children’s books to the Foundation is holding two events March restaurant — one for the child’s foster 8 to award the equipment grants. The home and one for the biological parents’ first is 10:30 a.m. at the sandwich eat- home for when they return, which ery’s Norman location, 320 SE 12th Ave. smooths the transition, said Angels The second is 2:30 p.m. at the Firehouse Foster Family Network Norman preSubs at 2410 W. Memorial Road. certification director Terri Graves.

Grant recipients include Norman Having the same book in both locations Regional Health Foundation, City of keeps continuity between the homes, Tecumseh Fire Department, McClain so returning children are less anxious County Sheriff’s Department, Seminole about the move, Graves said.

Fire Department and Emergency Those who donate two new books Medical Services, City of Moore will receive a buy one, get one free card Emergency Management, Norman for Peter Piper Pizza and will be entered Police Department, Moore Police into a drawing for a VIP pizza party for Department, Guthrie Fire-EMS and up to 10 children.

Warr Acres Police Department.

Books can be dropped off through Since it started, Firehouse Subs March 12 at either of Peter Piper Pizza’s Public Safety Foundation has awarded metro locations, 4701 SE 15th St. in Del more than $24 million to first respond- City and 2460 S. Interstate 35 Service ers across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Road in Moore. Visit peterpiperpizza.

Canada, including more than $562,000 com. in Oklahoma.

•Helping heroes

A giant gorilla will sit outside the new Kong’s Tavern. | Photo James Vu / provided

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | M A R C H 1 , 2 0 1 7

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g a z e di b l e s

eat & DRINK

Spice world

Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred aptly described the Joker when he said, “Some men just want to watch the world burn.” And in Oklahoma City, we have a few jokers of our own, except they’d rather burn their tongues than the world.

Fortunately (or possibly unfortunately), many local restaurants are happy to oblige with spicy drinks and dishes that are no laughing matter.

By Greg Elwell Photos Garett Fisbeck and Gazette / file

Tamashii Ramen House 321 NW Eighth St. facebook.com/tamashiiramen 405-517-0707

Fans of Tamashii Ramen might think the greatest hurts the restaurant can inflict on them are running out of tonkotsu broth and being closed on Mondays.

But there’s a fire waiting for the unsuspecting in every bowl of spicy ramen.

This fiery soup is apt to bring tears of joy and pain. The broth is rich with sesame oil and savory pork, creating a decadent mouthfeel that is hard to resist, even when the heat kicks in.

Bistro 38 Thai Green Cuisine

2903 NW 36th St., Suite 113 bistro38.com | 405-948-2788

Those unfamiliar with Thai cuisine often assume the food is uniformly hot, but it’s actually just wildly adaptable. Ask for a “0” and the chef can prepare you a tasty plate of pad thai with no heat. Jungle curry, sometimes called evil jungle curry, packs a mouthwatering flavor and eyewatering heat for diners who request it.

And for those who love to sweat, volcano tofu combines four types of Thai chiles for an extra blast of heat.

Cafe 501

5825 NW Grand Blvd. cafe501.com | 405-844-1501

When Cafe 501 amps up the heat, its spicy Bloody Mary might have you screaming bloody murder. The garnish on top of this blend of tomato juice, vodka and seasonings tells a lot about what diners are in for when they take a drink. Nothing says “This is delicious, but watch out!” like a beautiful piece of bacon wrapped around a perfectly charred jalapeño. The bartender can raise or lower the heat, depending on your taste, but Cafe 501 also offers a traditional non-spicy version.

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Pho Cuong Restaurant 3016 N. Classen Blvd.

405-524-5045

Truth be told, pho is not a spicy dish. The broth at Pho Cuong has plenty of flavor, but the heat is usually the domain of the diner with fresh sliced jalapeños, Sriracha and chili paste on the table. So if you like a mild bowl of delicious beef and noodle soup, eat it plain. But look around the restaurant and there are lots of customers who have added so much spicy sauce to their pho that the broth is dyed a bright red and beads of sweat are running down their faces.

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Ajanta Cuisine of India 12215 N. Pennsylvania Ave. ajantaokc.com | 405-752-5283

Spice boys and girls look to Indian cuisine for some of the best mouth-searing dishes. At Ajanta, that means southwest Indian dish vindaloo. The pepper-packed sauce is especially potent when cooked with shrimp, which soak up all that spice before releasing a torrent of fiery flavors on the tongue. Ajanta’s chefs can make a version for heat-averse diners or crank it up to 11 (and beyond) for those crazy enough to ask. Keep the mango lassi close at hand.

Abel’s Mexican Restaurant

Chick-N-Beer

5822 NW 50th St. | 405-491-0911

715 NW 23rd St. chicknbeerokc.com | 405-604-6995

Pork stew doesn’t sound very intimidating, right? But when it’s ordered at Abel’s Mexican Restaurant as guisada de puerco, it can send shivers straight from the taste buds down the spine. Using a slowcooked sauce of red salsa and tender chunks of pork, guisada de puerco can be one of Abel’s spiciest dishes. Ask the server to bring the heat and hold on, because it can get loco in a hurry. This is a dish best eaten with a big glass of horchata nearby.

Hot wings are hot. Korean-style hot wings at Chick-N-Beer can make regular hot wings fly away in terror. (We know chickens can’t fly. That’s how hot these wings are.) The double-fried beauties at chef Paul Langer’s new restaurant have a bubbled-up crispy skin that really holds onto the intensely flavorful house-made Korean gochujang sauce of red chili, fermented soybeans, salt and glutinous rice.

It’s one of the secret ingredients that make Korean food so good.

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Faith and begorra, is it already St. Patrick’s Day again? Whatever your heritage, it’s fun to celebrate the day when everyone is at least a little Irish. If going old-school by converting some druids to Catholicism and allegedly driving all the snakes off an island is too much work, you can still get in on a few decidedly American traditions. Wear green to ward away pinches, enjoy a mug of green beer or sit down to a meal of corned beef, potatoes and cabbage. Here are a few local retailers happy to make St. Patrick’s your lucky day. By Greg Elwell Photos Garett Fisbeck

3921 N. College, Bethany | 603-7493

NEW. FRESH. SPRING.

•Native Roots Market 7302 N. Western Ave. shoprosegold.com

131 NE Second St. nativerootsmarket.com 405-310-6300

Whether they’re native to Oklahoma or Ireland, it doesn’t matter — potatoes and cabbage (aka colcannon) is a hearty, healthy meal for anybody. The combination isn’t exclusive to St. Patrick’s Day, but there really is no bad day in which to enjoy this dish. Cabbage is especially good for the body, with lots of vitamins K, C, B1, B2 and B6. Native Roots Market has plenty of potatoes and cabbage (and other fresh, local produce) waiting to spend some time in your skillet or stockpot before enriching your diet. a bright green shirt, perfect for shutting down unwanted pinching and filtering out bad dreams.

Mustang Brewing Company

520 N. Meridian Ave. mustangbrewing.com 405-943-0100

•Oklahoma Shirt Company

26 NE 10th St. oklahomashirtcompany.com 405-455-4600 Since its inception in 2013, Oklahoma

Shirt Company’s Shirt of the Month Club has sent Oklahoma-themed tees to subscribers across the state and all over the U.S. Every March, it dedicates a shirt to both the Sooner State and St. Patrick’s Day. This year’s design features a four-leaf clover dreamcatcher inset with tiny Oklahoma outlines on 24

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

Just because the beer is green doesn’t mean you want to drink a lame brew.

It’s nice that Oklahoma City is flush with craft brewers filling kegs, bottles and growlers with more magic than a box of Lucky Charms. Choose from classic beers Washita Wheat and SixtySix Lager or go galloping into Unbridled Series selections Tractor Therapy Session IPA, Rocket Fuel Imperial Pale Ale and Udderly Awesome Peanut Butter Milk Stout.

Leaf + Bean

2901 NW 36th St. leafandbeanokc.com

Okay, shush. It’s very loud all of a sudden, and maybe, just maybe, we all went a little crazy last night. If you’re nursing a post-party hangover, kill two birds with one stone (they’re very loud birds) and grab some coffee at Leaf + Bean. The water

is good for hydration, and the caffeine will help knock that headache out of commission. Plus, when you get your coffee from Leaf + Bean, you k now you’re helping support Oklahoma City’s vibrant coffee culture. Three birds! Was that too loud? Shh. Three birds.

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• Byron’s Liquor Warehouse

2322 N. Broadway Ave. byronsliquor.com 405-525-2158

Nobody wants to “Irish down” a cup of coffee. Irish-ing always happens upward, which is a good reason to head uptown to Byron’s Liquor Warehouse for any boozy St. Patrick’s Day beverages. The store sees an uptick in traffic for the holiday, so it will be having a few sales on Baileys Irish Cream, Jameson Irish Whiskey and Guinness beers, among others.

Having a Leprechaun-sized gathering? Byron’s will put together some small packages of Irish-themed liquors, as well.

Green Bambino 5120 N. Shartel Ave. green-bambino.com 405-848-2330

Bambino is definitely Italian for “baby,” but Green Bambino staff isn’t exactly checking IDs at the door to find provenance of the store’s infant clientele. Though the green in its name refers more to an environmentally friendly approach to parenting, Green Bambino does carry a lot of literally green items, including bamboo baby blankets, diapers and baby dishware.

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•Party Galaxy

300 N. Macarthur Blvd. partygalaxy.com 405-948-1234

If you like to party like it’s 14th-century Ireland, Party Galaxy has you covered — literally covered if you’re talking about glittery hats, leprechaun beards and shamrock-printed clothing of every sort. While you’re there, it’s probably a good idea to stock up on future holiday party supplies, too. Easter is in April, and Cinco de Mayo is in Mayo, so grab some plates and a bunny costume and start partying.

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25

c u lt u r e

ARTS & CULTURE

Full tilt

State champion Brett Emerson sure plays a mean pinball.

By George Lang

Brett Emerson is in training mode. On Feb. 11, Emerson bested 15 other players to become the International Flipper Pinball Association’s Oklahoma state champion.

With less than a month to go before the IFPA national championship in Mesquite, Texas, Emerson keeps a tight regimen with no playing around.

“A month out, I don’t take many appointments as far as filling up my afternoons and evenings, and I just play a lot of pinball,” said Emerson, who will face off against players from every state during the March 16 competition at Fun! Billiards & Gameroom Superstore in Mesquite. “I’m talking anywhere from two to four hours if I can squeeze it in. I avoid playing casually. Every game I play at this point, I’m trying to extract as many points as I can.”

26

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

Becoming part of the machine

Emerson, a 35-year-old Oklahoma Citybased land man in the petroleum industry, was born after pinball hit its peak in the late-1970s, when the emergence of microprocessors created a massive boom in production and sales by the giants of that era, Williams and Bally.

But that boom was short-lived; while first-generation coin-op video games such as Pong coexisted with their pinball forebears, the rise of Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pac-Man and other late-’70s, early ’80s games pushed the pinball tables to the back to the arcades.

But for Emerson, video games were the entry point for his obsession.

“In the very beginning, I didn’t like pinball,” he said. “I started collecting arcade games when I was 27 or 28 and bought my first pinball just out of random luck. I was buy ing a Mortal Kombat 2 game, and the guy said, ‘Hey, I’m trying to clear this stuff out — would you take this pinball if I gave you a good price?’

So we negotiated and I took it, and I just started playing it and playing it and playing it. Eventually, you get better — you notice that something is going on there.”

Flipper fingers

Flash forward eight years, and Emerson is the Bally Table King of Oklahoma, having won three out of four state championships. His home base of operation is Cactus Jack’s Family Fun Center, 1211 N. Council Road, a giant arcade with one of the largest collections of wellmaintained, top-line machines in the country.

All his favorites are there in Cactus Jack’s 44-machine inventory, which includes Pinside.com’s No. 1 game for the week of Feb. 19, 2017: 1997’s Medieval Madness.

Despite Med iev a l Madness’ eminence, Emerson’s first choice in competition is always The Simpsons Pinball Party, a 2003 Stern table.

He went into the state championship as No. 1, which gave

At his Edmond home, Brett Emerson shows off his recent IFPA Oklahoma State Champion trophy. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

him game selection advantage. Each time, he pushes to reach Super Duper Mega Extreme Wizard Mode, and few can catch him once he achieves multiball.

“I don’t lose many games on that one,” he said. “I can take them to Simpsons every time and I’ll start with a 1-0.”

One does not become pinball champion by merely being fast and having the hand-eye coordination of a military drone pilot, though both traits certainly help. Emerson said he built his reaction time through heavy gaming in his youth, and his particular set of skills includes an acute understanding of pinball strategy — something most lay people assume does not exist.

“I would say the most impor-

tant thing is hand-eye coordination — to be able to react to something happening on the table quickly. Fast reaction time, and another big thing about pinball is rules knowledge. A lot of people I talk to when they first come by the house and play pinball with somebody, they say, ‘Wow. I didn’t know there was stuff to do, an objective to go for. I just thought you flipped around and kept the ball alive.’

“In the beginning, that’s what you are trying to do. You don’t want to ‘drain,’” he said, which is slang for the ball treating the player like a chump and shooting behind or between the bottom flippers. “But once you get a hold on things and you can start to control the ball, you say, ‘Now, to get that lock shot lit; I need to hit the ramp twice.’ Once you approach things with an objective in mind, the game changes a lot and it opens it up to be a lot more fun.”

In 2017, after nearly four decades of video game domination of arcades and homes alike, what kind of person takes the full immersion into a life of modes, drop targets, bumpers, flippers, kickout holes, spinners and vertical up-kickers?

Emerson said it’s really anyone.

There are quiet types, overly passionate players, men, women — people from all walks of life.

Historically, pinball is as male-dominated as video gaming, but since Cactus

Jack’s recently started a women’s league, more women are joining the competitions.

While his home arcade is Cactus Jack’s, Emerson’s home is kind of an arcade. In addition to the video games he has purchased over the years, Emerson owns 10 pinball tables — eight are at home, one is on loan and the remaining machine, a 1992 Fish Tales by Williams, is being restored.

Buzzers and bells

When he lived in Dallas, Emerson knew a restoration artist who knew the inner workings of the backbox and could redecal the playfield with precise detail, but restorations of such specific works of art could cost hundreds of dollars.

Emerson started watching over the technician’s shoulder until he got a feel for the process and soon was restoring and upgrading his own machines.

So far, he has restored 30 games, but his pride and joy is his 1994 Guns N’ Roses table produced by Data East.

“My favorite band is Guns N’ Roses, so when I got my Guns N’ Roses game, I decided I was going to make this the nicest one anyone’s ever seen,” he said.

“So I did a lot of work to it. There was a lot of metal polishing and modifications, new lighting detail. You name it, you can do it to a pinball machine if you have the funds. It is my baby, and I’m

Gazette’s annual music issue is the top hit of the year for music lovers! 2017’s extended coverage will feature statewide Oklahoma music festivals, local live music venues and info on OKC’s hottest bands. This music issue rocks!

PUBLISHES MARCH 29TH

It is my baby, and I’m proud to say it’s the loudest G N’ R machine anyone’s ever seen.

Brett Emerson Right now, Fish Tales is belly-up — suffering, ironically enough, from water damage to the cabinet.

This is a major operation requiring a total cabinet rebuild and a new playfield as well as fresh decals and parts.

Such a rebuild can be as intimidating as taking the back off a Swiss timepiece.

“You go, ‘I’m not going to touch this — I’m going to break something.’ But they’re a lot more durable than you think,” he said.

After all, pinball machines are built to withstand almost ritual abuse from gamers pounding away at the flippers and not knowing the meaning of too much tilt.

But with Bally and Williams out of the game since the 1990s, Stern and

Jersey Jack Pinball are the only American companies currently building machines, so the old classics must be maintained. This is part of the reason Emerson is so bullish on the work being done to the tables at Cactus Jack’s and why he works so hard to restore his own machines.

His Guns N’ Roses game must be maintained if he’s going to hear “Welcome to the Jungle” and the Use Your Illusion outtake “Ain’t Goin’ Down” at Rock in Rio levels, but also, he hopes to pass his love of the game to new generations.

“A lot of times people will come over and they don’t necessarily know they like pinball. They haven’t had the opportunity to play it in many years because they’ve sort of disappeared from the corner stores and the Pizza Hut and all that stuff,” he said. “But I like to have my cousin’s kids over — I want to say they’re, like, 7 and 9 at this point. My house is the only place where they really get to play pinball.

“But it’s cool to see them interact with something that’s sort of gone by the wayside for them. These kids would sit around with Minecraft on their iPads all day if you let them, but if you give them something like pinball to do, it’s cool to see these young faces getting a kick out of something that’s been around for such a long time.”

Composers Philip Glass and Robert Moran transform one of the grimmest of Grimm fairy tales into a moving tale of loss, love, and forgiveness.

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proud to say it’s the loudest G N’ R machine anyone’s ever seen. I did some modifications, and it feels like you’re at a concert.”

27

V i s ua l A r t

ARTS & CULTURE

Special delivery

Current Studio’s Art of the Month Club rethinks art patronage.

By Ben Luschen

V i s ua l A r t

Artists everywhere are going postal, and the Oklahoma City metro area is no exception. Current Studio, located in the Classen Ten Penn neighborhood, has offered Art of the Month Club (AOTM) since May. The subscription service sends original art pieces to the doorsteps of established and aspiring art patrons.

Subscriptions are $255 for three months ($85 per month), $480 for six months ($80 per month) and $900 for 12 months ($75 per month). Beginning March 9, one-month subscriptions will be $100.

Talented local artists from a wide spectrum of mediums — including Erin Shaw, Eyakem Gulilat, Kalee Jones W., John Wolfe, Margaret Kinkeade, William R. Struby, Lori Oden, Sunni Mercer, Sarah Atlee, Zachary Burns and

Plentiful palette

Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc.’s annual Artist Invitational expands its vision and its budget.

By Lea Terry

Public art serves two purposes: to beautify and enhance urban areas and take advantage of unused space that would otherwise sit vacant. Downtown Oklahoma City, Inc. aims to do both through its annual Artist Invitational program, now in its third year. Through the program, local artists can submit proposals for public art, with funds pro28

Marissa Raglin — have participated.

Studios from Philadelphia to San Francisco have implemented similar monthly deals. Current Studio co-curator Romy Owens said the local club was inspired by a Cultural Development Corporation of Central Oklahoma study that suggested such a model as a way to increase artist sustainability in the area.

The program is a creative new way to help artists earn a living income with their work, but subscribers looking for an affordable way to bolster their collections are also beneficiaries.

Building a deep, diverse art collection can be an expensive and intimidating task, especially for young or inexperienced collectors. AOTM lets those enthusiasts add works from artists who usually don’t produce pieces for sale under $100.

“We really want to encourage people to broaden their appreciation for art,” Owens said. “Finding ways to support our local artist community is very important to us. AOTM is one of the ways in which we hope to make Current Studio sustainable long-term.”

Current Studio is not asking participating artists to discount existing works.

Instead, artists create a batch of originals compatible to the price.

Current Studio has been selecting individual artists to participate in the program. Organizers hope to eventu-

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

Jason Pawley’s “Cultivation” mural is a previously funded Artist Invitational project, completed in 2015 on the W. Reno Avenue underpass. | Photo Garett Fisbeck / file

vided by Downtown OKC, Inc. “Public art plays such a vital role in creating a sense of place and building community pride,” said Staci Sanger, Downtown OKC, Inc. marketing

ally shift to a submission process, but not until they have the time to do it right.

“There is no shortage of amazing and talented artists to select from,” Owens said, “but for our subscribers, we want to make sure we are presenting them with art that isn’t readily available at the price point a subscription costs.”

Current Studio announces new participating artists about a month before their new work is delivered to about 100 s u b s c r i b er s .

The limited base creates exclusivity for patrons while keeping the creation goal attainable for participating artists. Over time, the 100-subscriber cap might be expanded.

Owens said community response has been enthusiastic, though people have been slower to sign up. Owens said this is probably due to strained budgets and lack of awareness or understanding of the program.

If the club reaches its subscriber potential, it could go a long way in support-

ing the needs of several working artists. Owens estimates that if the club was fully subscribed, AOTM would be investing $90,000 into the local art community each year and putting 1,200 pieces of art into local homes and businesses annually.

“The club is part of a larger mission to find new ways and models for

manager. “It provides people with a reason to continue exploring an area.

Public art also has the ability to add a sense of comfort to a place. We believe it almost always sparks more creativity.”

The program developed out of conversations among organizational board and staff about how artists around the world use their talent and creativity to enhance their cities. Downtown OKC decided to offer local artists similar opportunities.

Previously, Artist Invitational was open to a small group of artists invited by the organization. This year, it’s accepting an unlimited number of proposals from applicants currently living in central Oklahoma counties, including Oklahoma, Kingfisher, Logan, Lincoln, Seminole, Pottawatomie, Cleveland, McClain, Grady and Canadian.

“We thought that since the budget for the project was higher, it potentially allows for funding of more projects,” Sanger explained. “Plus, the reach of an open call is so wide, we’re hoping to expand our network of artists throughout the process.”

projects are expected to be completed

by December. Submissions must include a detailed proposal with sketches or renderings, a project timeline and budget and site and maintenance plans. Also, Artist Invitational applications must include between five and 10 work samples and an artist resume. Additional requirements must be met for pieces on private property, and all proposals are reviewed by the area’s design review board and Oklahoma City Arts Commission, Sanger said.

The selection committee looks for proposals with a clear artist vision and an overview of the action steps required to bring the project to life.

“We are excited at the idea of seeing ideas for downtown that we haven’t thought of yet, so we welcome surprises,” Sanger said. “We are definitely open to projects that will be the first of their kind.”

The scope for art ranges from more traditional works such as sculptures and murals to art that visitors can interact with — pieces that double as something functional, such as a seating area. Their placement is also open and can include everything from underpasses, walls or parks to empty storefronts.

Projects must be located in the greater downtown area, and the organization is especially interested in projects in Deep Deuce, Film Row, Automobile Alley, Bricktown, Arts District, Midtown, Park Plaza and Central Business District.

Visit downtownokc.com.

The process

This year’s budget is $25,000, to be divided among the accepted proposals.

Applicants can also submit proposals that include matching funding amounts — for example $5,000 from Downtown OKC and $5,000 from another source.

Submissions are due March 15.

Finalists will be notified in April, and all

Sculptures by John Wolfe submitted for Current Studio’s Art of the Month Club | Photo Current Studio / provided

artists to make a living,” she said. “If we had all of our subscriptions claimed, we would be writing a $5,000 check to a different artist each month. That is a game-changer for a lot of artists.”

AOTM currently has openings available for new subscribers. Visit currentstudio.org.

V i s ua l A r t

Global expression

Ginna Dowling’s Inherent Language of Life employs glyphic language for artistic communication.

By George Lang

Ginna Dowling came from a family of artists, but early on, her rebellious soul told her to stay away from the art supplies and get a job.

“I was inundated with it,” said Dowling, who is showing her ambitious exhibit of modern glyphs and universal communication, Inherent Language of Life, through March 10 at Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., in Norman. “I didn’t want to go into the arts. So I went into the written word, but as I went through life and worked in advertising and public relations, I realized that I needed to go back and get my MFA.” The slow, nasty drip of sexism in the workplace prompted Dowling’s return to the family tradition. She said she was “patted on the head” for her work but rarely rewarded with promotions, and the pay raises she received were incremental to the point of inconsequence compared with her male counterparts.

So when she returned to school and recommitted to a life in art, it was with a strong sense of social justice.

“What I’ve done always relates to community, totally related to nonprofit work, social consciousness and working with kids,” she said.

This commitment to activism and her fascination with the symbol-based art of Nancy Spero led Dowling to iconography. She became fascinated with idea of universal language through symbols — communication that transcends levels of literacy or verbal language.

It became the focus of her MFA and informed her work thereafter as she sought ways in which icons could be used as communication tools across social and cultural boundaries.

Fascinated by the petroglyphs of her ancestral Irish homeland, Dowling pursued an artist residency in Ireland, where she studied the Neolithic and early Bronze Age petroglyphs that adorn historic megalith sites such as Brú na Bóinne in County Meath.

She carefully documented and researched the markings, which date back over 5,000 years, and found that many of them are easily understood today. She photographed more than 6,000 glyphs.

Her experience in Ireland led to the creation of More Than Gaelic: A Printmaker’s Guide to Her Heritage, in which Dowling collected glyphic images from Ireland to tell distinctly modern stories about social, cultural and international issues.

Depicted on translucent panels, glyphs that represent men, women, the elements, creation and other important images become part of a story.

“Every glyph informs the meaning,” Dowling said. “As I started carving them, the story started telling itself.”

More Than Gaelic ultimately informed Inherent Language of Life, in which Dowling crowd-sourced 85 participants from different circumstances — homeless children; wealthy people; and participants from various ethnicities, experiences and sexual identities

— to develop a glyphic language that represented their community through tearing paper by hand.

“This is my version of hieroglyphics,” she said. “I had everyone from children with Positive Tomorrows; I had doctors and attorneys; I had ages from 4 to 88. I had every gender or sexual identity that I could gather who participated in this project. What I would do is talk to them about this process, this ability to create.”

She explained to the participants that everyone’s goal when trying to represent an object through art is to create a perfect image, but as the image in one’s mind travels through the synapses and down the muscles to the hand, it takes on the character of the artist. So perfection was not required, and tearing the paper by hand became a kind of artistic equalizer.

When it all came together in the end, the work of a community can be easily mistaken for the work of a single artist.

“You can’t tell if they’re black or they’re white or they’re old or they’re young or they’re a professional artist or a nerdy scientist,” she said. “Tearing was the great equalizer. And while it may look naïve or childlike, that’s because it’s very pure.”

Mainsite Contemporary Art is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Admission is free.

Visit mainsite-art.com.

List your event in

Inherent Language of Life 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays through March 10 Mainsite Contemporary Art 122 E. Main St., Norman mainsite-art.com | 405-360-1162 Free Ginna Dowling’s More Than Gaelic: A Printmaker’s Guide to Finding Her Heritage series | Image Mainsite Contemporary Art / 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.

Submit your listings online at okgazette.com or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Current themes

OU’s Contemporary Dance Oklahoma focuses on human experiences. By Jessica Williams

Innovation takes form through the human body with upcoming performances from the University of Oklahoma’s Contemporary Dance Oklahoma.

Showcasing the university’s foremost talent, the School of Dance brings fresh choreography and intricate stories to dance aficionados and novices alike.

Artistic director and associate professor of dance Austin Hartel discussed the original works onstage through Sunday.

“We have very thought-provoking pieces this season that draw from a variety of topics and ideas,” Hartel said. “There is a definite blend between classical ballet and modern dance, which brings a unique experience to the stage.”

For over 40 years, OU’s School of Dance has propelled its students’ careers through challenging classics and original pieces. This year’s repertoire features four short performances in one dynamic show. Hartel and other OU Dance faculty have formulated original programs centered on social commentary, personal expression and novel choreography.

“The show opens with Hashtag, which

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is inspired by current world affairs and how information is spread,” Hartel said.

“Our associate director Roxanne Lyst wanted to explore how ideas gain an audience in our current society, so the performance communicates how social media facilitates information.”

Contemporary Dance OK’s themes range from the global to the personal, conveying a plethora of emotions through group and solo performances. Hartel created one program to reflect a universal predicament through internal struggle.

“Brodie’s Introspection ... is a duet for two senior dancers set to classical music,” Hartel said. “Each dancer represents a different life choice that alters an individual’s life path in the future.”

The company’s third short performance explores Hartel’s formative experiences with rock music and celebrates 1970s nostalgia.

“Tethered brings together three pieces of music that were on the Top 10 when I was younger,” he said. “I’m exploring the year 1973 through three different presentations of rock ’n’ roll.”

For sentimental Baby Boomers, Tethered recalls early ’70s musical greats.

Dancers perform to The Allman Brothers Band’s “Jessica,” David Essex’s “Rock On” and Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold.”

“Including epic guitar solos and classic rock creates a lighter tone to break up the heavier themes in the show,” he said. “The music chosen also reflects different types of people from the period — hippies, punks and heavy metal rockers make for really fun choreography material.”

The show’s final piece melds classic dance styles with contemporary choreography, showcasing a journey through time and space.

All the dancers perform to Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” Hartel said, which translates the history of ballet, “starting with the classical, romantic ballets most people are familiar with and morphing into a more ab-

Baily Evans performs in Tethered. | Photo Noor Eenaam / provided

stract, acrobatic dance.”

He said there’s more to the artform than simply “getting” conceptual dance.

“There’s actually nothing to figure out or ‘get,’ so to speak,” he said. “It’s all about feeling what the dancers emote while they perform, like viewing abstract painting or sculpture. Let the dance pieces take you to a different place, and enjoy contemporary dance as an experience.”

Contemporary Dance Oklahoma 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday Elsie C. Brackett Theatre | University of Oklahoma | 660 Parrington Oval, Norman theatre.ou.edu |405-325-4101 $10-$35

Rogelio Almeida teaches a workshop as part of OKCine Latino Film Festival’s student film program. | Photo OKCine Latino

film

Film Festival / provided

Scene setters

OKCine Latino Film Festival adds free educational programming in its third year. By Ben Luschen

Rogelio Almeida polled his students, asking them to name some of their favorite films. Addressing a room full of teenagers, he didn’t expect to hear many Leonard Maltin picks.

“I was thinking they were going to say Captain America: Civil War or some of the more popular films, but no,” Almeida told Oklahoma Gazette. “They’re ages 14-18 and these people were saying names like Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, No Country for Old Men.” Almeida teaches film workshops to middle and high school students as a program of the OKCine Latino Film Festival, which is scheduled March 25 at CHK|Central Boathouse, 732 Riversport Drive. Though it’s the third annual Latino Film Festival, this is the first year of its free student film program.

The festival features local and international film submissions, including shorts from Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Colombia and Brazil. This year’s event also has a special section for the films produced in the student workshops.

After the shorts screen, the students will be available for a Q&A session.

In February, the students met for workshops and filming on four consecutive Saturdays at Oklahoma City Community College’s Capitol Hill Center. Pamphlets advertising the new program were sent to several primarily Hispanic schools. As a result, its participants arrived from Harding Fine Arts Academy, Newcastle Public Schools, Santa Fe South Schools, Capitol Hill High School, Northwest Classen High School and Dove Science Academy.

Program participation is voluntary.

The young filmmakers are excited to perfect their craft, often staying for longer than the time allotted.

“Sometimes they just want to keep going and it’s hard to get them out of there,” Almeida said. “They’re eager to learn.”

Film culture

Latin American cinema encompasses more than subtitled features and foreign films available to art house audiences.

Latino cinema is popular cinema.

In 2013, Mexican directors dominated the box office. Guillermo del Toro, most famous for the Spanish-language modern classic Pan’s Labyrinth, wowed audiences with the equally fanciful — but very different — blockbuster Pacific Rim. The majestic space thriller Gravity won high

praise for director Alfonso Cuarón.

Alejandro González Iñárritu arguably rose to the rank of Hollywood’s best and most celebrated director with the releases of Birdman, 2014’s Academy Award winner for Best Picture, and The Revenant, which won three of its 12 Oscar nominations in 2015. Most recently, Chilean director Pablo Larraín’s Kennedy biopic Jackie’s star Natalie Portman won several 2016 acting awards for the film.

These films were not only exceedingly popular and successful; they show Latino filmmakers thriving in realms beyond the stereotypes.

Almeida, a filmmaker himself, was a driving force behind the first Latino Film Festival three years ago. Over the past two years, he noticed that the event needed more local submissions. He worked with the Historic Capitol Hill board, the festival sponsor, to introduce the educational program and foster new local talent that might one day join in the great lineage of Latino filmmakers.

“I saw the need and the necessity to have our Hispanic voices heard in the state,” he said. “There’s a big growing community of Latinos. I know there are a lot of Latino filmmakers out there; we just need to get them out all together to come to the film festival.”

Sharing experience

Almeida was raised in Mexico but moved with his family to Duncan when he was 15. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was deployed in Iraqi combat tours in 2003 and 2005.

After his time in the Army, Almeida returned to Duncan and found himself attending Trail Dance Film Festival, an annual event held in the south-central Oklahoma community. He always loved movies, but at the festival, Almeida was able to talk with filmmakers in person and

became fascinated with the idea of making his own shorts.

Almeida soon enrolled in Oklahoma City Community College’s film program.

At that time, he also directed his first feature-length film, Yveete, a reverse immigration story about a MexicanAmerican teen who goes to live with her grandmother in Mexico. The film debuted at a festival in his Mexican home state, Zacatecas.

In 2015, years after graduating from OCCC, he worked with Historic Capitol Hill to launch the first Latino Film Festival, partly to provide a film outlet for the city’s growing Latino population.

Almeida now runs its educational program with the help of fellow instructor Victor Caballero. All student-created projects must contain Hispanic or Latino cultural themes. Participants come in with varied experience in filmmaking, but Almeida said part of the program’s goal is to give youths a well-rounded experience in the short amount of time they have together.

“It’s kind of a crash course on storytelling, writing, acting, cinematography, editing and sound,” he said.

Almeida also wants the students to learn more than just how to make a movie. He tries to impress onto the young filmmakers the importance of being resourceful and thinking outside the box.

Both are skills that should pay life dividends even if they never pick up another camera after workshops end.

“You can always learn to be technical,” Almeida said, “but being creative is the major aspect of it.”

Visit historiccapitolhill.com.

OKCine Latino Film Festival 7-11 p.m. March 25 CHK|Central Boathouse | 732 Riversport Drive historiccapitolhill.com | 405-632-0132 $30

Students in the OKCine Latino Film Festival educational program learn filmmaking skills at no charge. | Photo OKCine Latino Film Festival / provided O kg a z e t t e . c o m | m a r c h 1 , 2 0 1 7

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ARTS & CULTURE

Weighed down

Successful weight management solutions incorporate simple, healthy eating plans, mental and physical wellness and, often, professional guidance. 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. Find the full six-part series at okgazette.com.

Since mid-January, Oklahoma Gazette’s “Weighed down” series has focused on what has become a national obsession: our weight. We lose it or hope to lose it, sometimes finding success and shedding pounds only to put them back on.

The series examined those who struggle with eating disorders — roughly 10 percent of the population — who can be triggered into life-threatening disorders like anorexia nervosa with the bombardment of advice on weight and exercise.

Personalized solutions

Some people go to great lengths in their efforts to lose weight. Within this spectrum of conversation, experts discussed national health guidelines arguing our increasing rates of obesity and the consequent health conditions that go along with being overweight, demand we change, get to the bottom of, or figure out what exactly is behind this massive shift of body style in our country.

The data shows us that 70 percent of the population is overweight and onethird of them weigh more than 100 pounds past what’s considered healthy; diabetes and high blood pressure rates are skyrocketing; joint damage is increasingly diagnosed; and overall quality of life declines as obesity grows more prevalent.

The point in all of this discussion is that this problem cannot be handled alone, not one person can fix it for everyone and there is not one giant error the majority of people are committing.

The solution lies in a general understanding of nutrition, how to cook, how to get help and how to learn what’s a healthy weight for the individual, and key to all of it is realizing that healthy living requires a lifetime commitment. It’s not a momentary illness any more than overdrawing a bank account is a reasonable solution to managing your household budget. Success in money management, like in weight management, requires a certain commitment to and understanding of how the system works. Beyond that, it requires professional guidance.

“So many of our clients have lost 30 to 50 pounds multiple times. Losing and keeping it off is so difficult if the mentality at work here is dieting,” said Lori Manning, a registered dietitian with Mercy Outpatient Nutrition in Oklahoma City.

“People get on a plan, reach a goal and then 32

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quit. Long-term health and weight management is about creating a life.”

This often means incorporating fitness routines and examining the emotional and physical benefits of movement.

“We talk about emotional eating, what kinds of issues trigger us to eat when we aren’t happy, aren’t hungry and maybe past full,” Manning said.

Reinforcing fundamentals Facing Oklahoma’s obesity epidemic requires long-term education of adults and children to fundamentally change health and wellness habits. At its core, this change also requires us to restore the euphemistic “diet” definition into its intended meaning: healthy eating and living well. The American Diabetes Association dietary recommendations include a variety of foods: Images bigstock.com

>> nonfat dairy: yogurt or 1-percent milk; like nonfat yogurt with red currants and blueberries

Balanced basics

In January, Manning addressed these issues and more as she discussed frustrations people face in managing their weight, those who become obsessed with dieting and even family members of someone in denial of their weight problem who urged loved ones to see a dietitian.

Not associated with any particular food or financial remuneration from a particular product line, the American Dietetics Association is a good resource. Dietitians are committed to helping people understand food. They are nutrition experts.

And their information on food choices and what’s right for individual patients comes from evidence-based research.

While not very interesting, particularly if you’re looking for a new, fast way to achieve some sort of weight loss success that has eluded you before, the basic guidelines for nutrition today have changed, but not dramatically. The ADA says nutrition is key to health, and while there might be some need in early meetings with a dietitian or family physician to reduce calories and increase energy expenditure, healthy living boils down to basics.

Sometimes these food choices are lost in manic information overloads highlighting the diet of the day: no fat, high fat; no carbs, which is often confused with no fruit or vegetables; high protein, no dairy; gluten or gluten-free. The memory of what’s really best for us is lost in the overload.

The ADA recommends a daily way of eating that includes healthy portions of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and fish, avocado, olive oil and low-fat dairy choices.

>> lean meats: fish, poultry; like yakatori skewered chicken with salad leaf and maki sushi

>> whole grains: like muesli with bananas, blueberries, kiwis and mandarin oranges

>> fruits: like kiwi, cherries, strawberries and citrus fruits

>> beans: like tuna salad with fresh cherry tomatoes, red onions, arugula, basil, red wine vinegar and white beans

Seeking help

Manning said the most important step someone can take is asking for help. The ADA, she said, represents licensed nutritionists and dietitians who aren’t product pitch people or salesmen.

They’re an ideal resource for education, accountability and developing a long-term plan for weight loss and management. She said underlying issues that can contribute to weight gain are often exposed in this process.

But she also refers patients to psychotherapy if they have experienced deep

>> vegetables: like fresh vegetable salad with salmon

>> healthy fats: avocados, nuts, olive oil, sunflower oil; like sandwiches with avocado, radish, arugula, cheese and nuts on rye bread with sunflower seeds Source: American Diabetes Association

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405.308.8893 trauma; physical, sexual or emotional abuse; or depression.

“You know, it’s kind of bittersweet for me,” Malisa Osborne said. “I’ve lost 81 pounds in six months, but I have a lot of loose skin and I’m still working on getting my head wrapped around seeing myself differently.”

Osborne said today, six months out from bariatric surgery, she feels great.

She had a gastric sleeve procedure in August and said she chose what some say is a drastic step, reducing the size of the stomach, because she needed to know she couldn’t overeat any longer.

Left to her own devices, she was afraid she would continue to eat and gain, spending many hours and dollars on a trainer to counter her intake.

She said it didn’t work. Today, she knows she can only eat very small meals that focus on high nutrition.

“Some people say this was the easy, quick fix. But I guarantee it was not easy and it requires a lifestyle change,” Osborne said. “I was ready for it though.

I was sick of never winning the food war with myself, getting up past 300 pounds.

“Today, I often eat before going out with friends so I’m not tempted with junk food. It’s just part of me today. I live differently where it comes to food.

I was not addicted to any kind of behavior to control my weight. I just ate horribly. I suppose I never learned how to eat at home, growing up.”

Long-term process

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dArwAnP@COx.net | 405-634-3544

Hairstylist Malisa Osborne washes client Theresa Pham’s hair at Van Cleef Salon. In August, Osborne had bariatric surgery and has since changed her lifestyle. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Honest and open in her willingness to share her story, Osborne said her remaining struggle is to redefine her own body image as she works to accept her true self — her thinner self, not the person she used to be on the outside.

She attends monthly support group meetings with others who underwent the surgery and said they are helpful. She is also quick to point out it took a group of people — a support network — to help her get where she is today, and she stays in close contact with them. Her next goal is to have excess skin surgically removed, but only when she reaches a healthy weight she knows works for her and allows her to live a vibrant life.

Being overweight is not anyone’s fault; finding paths to healthier living isn’t a blame game. Obesity is a chronic health problem. Like cancer or diabetes, it affects all of us. It also impacts the one who carries the weight and the community in treating and preventing a long list of health consequences.

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.’

For More If you or someone you love is overweight or might have any sort of eating disorder, here are some resources where you can find professional guidance and answers. >> Oklahoma City-County Health Department’s Total Wellness program: occhd.org/tw >> Oklahoma Eating Disorders Association: okeatingdisorders.org >> Oklahoma City Community Foundation’s Get Moving OKC program: occf.org/ getmovingokc >> YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City: ymcaokc.org >> Health Education Lifestyle Planning (HELP) wellness program for state HealthChoice enrollees: ok.gov/sib/member/wellness >> Certified Healthy Oklahoma Program teaches businesses, schools, communities and more how to implement healthy practices: certifiedhealthyok.com >> American Diabetes Association: diabetes.org >> American Academy of Nutritionists and Dietetics: eatright.org >> National Eating Disorders Association: nationaleatingdisorders.org

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ARTS & CULTURE

Palm Sunday & EaStEr Holy WEEk

Molly Ross and Sean Olmstead co-chair this year’s Red Tie Night event. | Photo Victor Harris / Versatile Photography / provided

Expanding advocacy

SErvicES dirEctory Palm Sunday iSSuE april 5

EaStEr Holy WEEk iSSuE april 12 ad SPacE duE april 5

Call 405.528.6000 or email

speCialseCtions@ okgazette.Com to reserve today!

Co m m u n i t y

ad SPacE duE marCh 29

Lasting legacy

Red Tie Night celebrates 25 years of helping Oklahomans with HIV and AIDS as it continues its work. By Mark Beutler

When the first AIDS cases were diagnosed in 1981, the disease was often met with whispers. Then megawatt Hollywood actor Rock Hudson died and put a face on the crippling new disease.

Not long after, Hudson’s longtime friend, actress Elizabeth Taylor, began fundraising efforts among the Hollywood elite and HIV and AIDS entered the mainstream consciousness.

In Oklahoma, the death of Jackie and Barbara Cooper’s son gave the disease a local face. When their son died, the auto dealer and his wife turned their grief toward doing something positive and started Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund (OACF) with a small group of friends.

The group’s largest fundraiser, Red Tie Night, turns 25 this year. Red Tie Night is 6:30 p.m.-midnight Saturday at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St. “As we turn 25, we are making some big changes,” said Paula Love, OACF Board of Directors president. “We are moving the event to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. I think our patrons will be genuinely pleased with the transformations, combining all the traditional elements of Red Tie Night with some fresh, modern ideas.”

Modernized mission

Times have changed since the early days of the disease, and HIV and AIDS are no longer the death sentences they once were. Back then, the lifespan for a person 34

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newly diagnosed was around 18 months.

The advent of new meds in the 1990s transformed HIV and AIDS into more manageable chronic illnesses akin to diabetes.

In spite of the advances in treatments, HIV and AIDS cases continue to rise in Oklahoma.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, 317 new cases of HIV were diagnosed in 2015, the last year for which statistics are available.

Of those, 86 percent were male, and 14 percent were female. Blacks and African-Americans had the highest rate of infections among all racial and ethnic groups. And the 20-39-year-old age group had the highest number of new infections at over 65 percent of the total number in 2015.

Love said the need for funds remains as crucial as it was a couple of decades ago because people are living longer with HIV and AIDS. “OACF provides grants to local agencies that help those who are infected,” she said. “Medications are expensive and can cost upwards of $3,000 a month. By keeping viral loads down and the disease at an undetectable level, our fellow Oklahomans are able to live long, healthy lives with the right treatment. That’s why the funds we raise at Red Tie Night are still so vital.”

All proceeds raised from the annual event remain in Oklahoma.

The 25th anniversary gala honors Barbara Cooper for her pioneering efforts.

“When her son Jerry passed away, Barbara and her late husband Jackie made it their life’s mission to help those in Oklahoma who were living with HIV/ AIDS,” Love said. “In those early days, there was very little fundraising happening here. And the few fundraisers that did exist were mostly at gay bars, and they were struggling. The Coopers have served as advocates these past 25 years, and they have also been instrumental in helping reduce the stigma that still surrounds an HIV or AIDS diagnosis. They brought together other families dealing with loss and grief and have forever made an impact on so many lives.

We are proud to honor Barbara’s legacy this year.”

Throughout its 25-year history, Red Tie Night has raised more than $12.5 million. All proceeds stay in Oklahoma and benefit HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention and related services.

One of the first groups to benefit from Red Tie Night was Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN) Oklahoma.

“We have been providing comprehensive HIV and AIDS services in central, western and southwestern Oklahoma for more than 26 years,” said Julie Lovegrove, RAIN executive director.

“Throughout much of our existence, the Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund has provided vital financial support to our organization. We have had so many changes in treatment, medication and prognosis, yet we have so many new clients every month. And they are young clients.

“The funds provided through grants from OACF mean we can provide HIV testing kits, outreach and education for our fellow Oklahomans in need. We are so fortunate for OACF and the compassion they share with others.”

Molly Ross and Sean Olmstead cochair this year’s event, which features a silent and live auction and regional music act Dave and the Wavetones.

“As an organization, we have come a long way in the past quarter-century,” Love said. “We have come a long way in the treatment of the disease as well. But until the day we can say we have found a cure, we will continue our efforts.

That’s why our generous patrons mean so much to us.”

Tickets and sponsorships start at $350. Visit okaidscarefund.com.

Red Tie Night 6:30 p.m. Saturday National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 1700 NE 63rd St. okaidscarefund.com/redtienight 405-348-6600 $350+

calendar events recommended

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

BOOKS Hidden Star, during the Brown Bag Lunch Series: How the Spanish Inquisition Brought Jewish Culture into the American West, join Corinne Joy Brown as she connects the research for her novel Hidden Star to a deeper understanding of Western cowboy culture, 12-1 p.m. March 1. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. WED Becoming Brave: Winning Marriage Equality in Oklahoma and Finding Our Voice, detailing the couple’s decade-long legal fight to marry in the Sooner State, this book is full of behind-the-scenes stories about what the marriage-equality fight was for authors Sharon and Mary Bishop-Baldwin, 6 p.m. March 2. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU

Embrace of the Serpent, (Colombia, 2015, Ciro Guerra) the story of the relationship between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and last survivor of his people, and two scientists who work together to search for a sacred healing plant, 2 p.m. March 5.

Meinders School of Business, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5707, okcufilmlit.org. SUN

textile conservator of Murray Conservation Services, gives a brief overview of the history of the Turkey red and indigo dyeing processes and textile printing methods and provides a glimpse into the little-known world of textile preservation, 12-1 p.m. March 8. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. WED

All About Eve, (Sweden, 1951, Joseph L. Mankiewicz) an ingenue insinuates herself into the company of an established but aging stage actress and her circle of theater friends, 2 and 7 p.m. March 5 and 8. Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 405-424-0461, cinemark.com. SUN,WED

Cards Against Humanity tournament, good wine and dirty minds come together for the ultimate Cards Against Humanity tournament. Only two of the most horrible minds will win, 8 p.m. March 8. The Pritchard Wine Bar, 1749 NW 16th St., 405-601-4067, pritchardokc.com. WED

HAPPENINGS

FOOD

Take Two: What Keeps Them Coming Back, Oklahoma Film and Music Office presents a free film networking and mentoring event with a performance

by Casey and Minna Biggs and a conversation with Chris Freihofer, Harvey Lowry and Kelli Kaye, 5:30 p.m. March 1. The Paramount Room, 7 Nn Lee Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. WED

Edmond Mobile Meals 3rd annual Chili Cook-Off, family-friendly fundraiser kicking off a monthlong national celebration of March for Meals, raising awareness within local communities for Meals on Wheels programs and the homebound seniors who rely on their services, 6-8 p.m. March 2. Downtown Edmond Community Center, 28 E. Main Street, Edmond, 405-359-4483, edmondok.com. THU

Book Drive for Boys and Girls Club of Norman, in celebration of Read Across America Day, books collected during this time will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Norman. Those who donate a new teen, pre-teen or children’s book will receive a Winter Fun Pass, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. March 2-5. Andy Alligator’s Fun Park, 3300 Market Place, Norman, 405-321-7275, andyalligators.com. THU -SUN Ignites the Art Spark Festival 2017, an annual school and community event and a gathering of HFAA student and professional visual, musical and performing artists featuring family-friendly works in various media and styles, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. March 4.

Harding Fine Arts Academy, 3333 N. Shartel Ave., 405-702-4322, hardingfinearts.org. SAT

Muslim Day at the Capitol The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomes Muslims from across the state to meet with their elected representatives during Muslim Day at the Capitol 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday. The event starts with breakfast, prayer and workshops at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 222 NW 15th St., before moving to the state Capitol building, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., to talk to legislators. Tickets are $30-$40 and include breakfast, lunch and bus transportation to and from the Capitol. Visit cairoklahoma.com or call 405-415-6851.

Thursday Photo Kumail Al Saihati / provided

Cadillac, Oklahoma, when you step off the train in Cadillac, Oklahoma, you’ll wade through currents of hilarity and romance. Author Louise Farmer Smith leads a reading and book signing, 2 p.m. March 4.

Barnes & Noble, Norman, 540 Ed Noble Parkway, Norman, 405-579-8800, barnesandnoble.com. SAT

Severe Weather Awareness Expo, tornado season is approaching, and the National Weather Service and the National Weather Center are helping Oklahoma residents prepare. Meteorologists will be on hand, as well as roofing professionals, insurance agencies, storm shelter vendors and more, 12-4 p.m. March 4.

Penn Square Mall, 1901 NW Expressway, 405-8472696, simon.com/mall/penn-square-mall. SAT Neo-Noir: Blade Runner Costume Party, dress as your favorite Blade Runner character for your chance to win a special art piece. Live entertainment by Kali Ra, The Lost End, Station 5150 and DJ Ostara, 8 p.m.

March 4. 89th Street Collective, 8911 N. Western Ave., 89thstreetokc.com. SAT Sisu Youth volunteer drive and fundraiser concert, a night of live entertainment to help raise funds in efforts to stop youth homelessness, including Rousey, Slick Nixon, Elecktra and more, 6-11:30 p.m.

March 5. Resonator, 1010 N. University Ave., Norman, resonator.space. SUN Arts! Arts! Arts! Gala, supporting the College of Fine Arts students at the University of Oklahoma by raising funds for student scholarships, travel grants and other educational, artistic development and faculty development opportunities, March 5.

Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, 500 W. Boyd St., Norman, 405-325-4101, ou.edu. SUN Brown Bag Lunch Series: Red Roots and Dust Defense, Anne Murray Chilton, owner and senior

Beer & Cheese, explore the gouda family, and its British descendants while showing off its versatility with five craft brews, 6:45-8:15 p.m. March 3. Forward Foods-Norman, 2001 W. Main St., Norman, 405-321-1007, forwardfoods.com. FRI Beer with the Artist: Kevin Lee Wells, the monthly artist reception showcases Oklahoma’s most talented visual artists. Have a drink with the featured artist for the month of March, 6-9 p.m. March 3.

The Root, 3012 N. Walker Ave., 405-655-5889, therootokc.com. FRI Viva Las V-egg-as 33rd Annual Omelette Party, fundraiser benefiting the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, featuring gourmet egg-themed dishes from local chefs, live entertainment, an open bar, a photo booth and raffle tickets for a chance to win an original work of art, 7 p.m. March. 3. Chevy Bricktown Events Center, 429 E. California Ave., 405236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI Made In Oklahoma, Gypsy Glam Roadshow highlights Oklahoma-owned businesses and products such as Oklahoma Wineries and Breweries, food trucks, local performances and local shopping.

Bring a nonperishable food item for free admission, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. March 5. Devon Boat House, 725 S. Lincoln Ave., 405-552-4040, eventbrite.com. SUN Beer & Beefsteak Banquet, a working-class celebration including all-you-can-eat beef tenderloin, duck fat fries and plenty of Warsteiner beer. Ticket sales benefit the Homeless Alliance of OKC, 6-10 p.m. March 5. Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St., 405-609-3300, eventbrite.com. SUN

YOUTH Tales from the Trails comic books reading, The Trail Drives by Mike Kearby and illustrated by Mack White, is an innovative retelling of the cattle drive in the style of the classic comic book. Kids are invited to hear the story and then create their own comic book, 10 a.m. March 4. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. SAT

100 Things to Do in Oklahoma Before You Die, author Angela Botzer offers 100 things to do in this city, 2-4 p.m. March 4. Barnes & Noble, 6100 N. May Ave., 405-843-9300, barnesandnoble.com. SAT

I Am Not Your Negro, (Brazil, 2016, Raoul Peck) writer James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House, March 3-8.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI-WED

The Cat in the Hat, two children left home alone for a short while one afternoon are visited by a very interesting yet troublesome cat wearing a tall, striped hat. The cat succeeds in creating a huge mess in their house. Can they get it cleaned up before Mom gets home? through March 10.

Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-606-7003, oklahomachildrenstheatre.org.

Youth Art Camp: Jurassic ARTventure, based on special-effects artist and puppeteer John Rosengrant, campers will explore the shapes, sizes and textures of dinosaurs. Campers will create their own dinosaur suits and then work together to make a volcano installation, 12-4 p.m. through March 10. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org.

Ugly Bugs!, Oklahoma Ugly Bug contest with an exhibition of larger-than-life photos of insects all captured by the contest’s 2016 winners, through June 18. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-3254712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu.

FILM

Ocean Waves, (Japan, 1993, Tomomi Mochizuki) as a young man returns home after his first year away at college he recalls his senior year of high school and the iron-willed, big-city girl that turned his world upside down, March 3-5. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI-SUN

Science Museum Oklahoma / provided

Power and Prestige Children’s Gallery, designed to complement the temporary exhibition Power and Prestige: Headdresses of the American Plains, the museum offers an activity space to explore bravery, pageantry, artistry, community and respect for culture and diversity, through May 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Jonathan Auxier book signing, author of strange stories for strange children signs his books Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes, Night Gardener and Sophie Quire & the Last Storyguard, 6-7:30 p.m.

March 7. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. TUE

The Salesman, (US, 2016, Asghar Farhadi) the story of a couple whose relationship begins to turn sour during their performance of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, 5:30 and 8 p.m. March 2. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU

Truth in Fiction Entertainment often treats us to the spectacular and fantastic, but just because something is fiction doesn’t mean it’s false. Science Museum Oklahoma brings the unbelievable to life during its Truth in Fiction Spring Break camps 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through March 10 and March 13-17. First- through third-graders and fourth- through sixth-graders are grouped together for age-appropriate activities with museum educators. They explore Ant-Man’s microscopic world, learn the chemistry of Harry Potter’s world, understand science discoveries inside the world of Pokémon and more. Camps are $225-$250 per week. Registration is required. Visit sciencemuseumok.org or call 405-6023760. Monday-March 10, ongoing Photo

PERFORMING ARTS Undercover Artists: Enoch Kelly Haney There’s a secret artist hidden within all of us. That’s the theory behind Norman Art Council’s Undercover Artists series, which features workshops led by some of the city’s most popular creatives, including Enoch Kelly Haney, Shevaun Williams and Skip Hill. Haney leads off the series with a demonstration of the clay sculpting techniques he used to model “The Guardian” statue that sits on top of the state Capitol dome. His workshop runs 6-8 p.m. March 9 at Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., in Norman. Registration is $20 and includes needed materials and tools. Enrollment is limited to 20 participants. Visit normanarts.org or call 405-360-1162. March 9 Photo Norman Arts Council / provided

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

Fences, the human desire to cocoon an aspiration in the midst of one’s inner and outer turmoil, yet still strive to dream is vividly exemplified in the character Troy. Playwright August Wilson reveals this plight that was, and in many cases still is, the journey of many African-American males in this country’s history, yet it is a tale of joy and triumph, March 1-4.

The Pollard Theatre, 120 W. Harrison Ave., Guthrie, 405-282-2800, thepollard.org. WED -SAT

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calendar c a l e n da r

continued from page 35 Tony Tone, a veteran comedian/actor who for the last 17 years has set the mood for continuous entertainment with his mastery of impressions and real life humor. Tone has appeared on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, BET’s Comic View, Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed and more, March 1-4. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 405-239-4242, loonybincomedy.com. WED -SAT

Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, Anne Washburn’s imaginative dark comedy propels us forward nearly a century, following a new civilization stumbling into its future. A paean to live theater and to the resilience to Bart Simpson through the ages, Mr. Burns is an exploration of how the pop culture of one era might evolve into the mythology of another, March 2-5. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com.

THU -SUN African-American Pilot Bessie Coleman, multiple performances by Daisy Century portraying Bessie Coleman, America’s first licensed African-American female pilot, March 2-3.

Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org/historycenter. THU -FRI Sordid Lives, a cult classic black comedy about white trash, full of love, loss and big hair, 8 p.m.

March 3-4. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405-6017200, theboomokc.com. FRI-SAT The Juniper Tree, composers Philip Glass and Robert Moran transform a gram Grimm tale into a story of loss, love and forgiveness, 8 p.m. March 3-4 and 3 p.m. March 5.

Bass School of Music, OCU, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5227, okcu.edu/music. FRI-SUN Classics Concert conducted by Daniel Hege, conducted by the fifth music director candidate of the season with works including; Barber’s Overture to the School for Scandal, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major featuring guest pianist Haochen Zhang and Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98.

8 p.m. March 4. okcphilharmonic.org Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SAT Nowruz Persian Music Festival, concert includes Persian classical music along with pieces inspired

from the rich music of North Eastern Iran and Kurdistan, 8 p.m. March 4. Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd St., Norman, 405325-4101, ou.edu. SAT Romanticism Revisited, Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble performs works spanning the Romantic era from the early 19th Century through the mid20th in this ensemble presenting fine classical music in a relaxed family-friendly setting, 7:30 p.m. March 7. St. Paul’s Cathedral, 127 NW 7th St., 405-550-1484, brightmusic.org. TUE Motown the Musical, featuring more than 40 classic hits such as “My Girl” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” This production tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America, March 7-12. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com.

Dan O’Sullivan, women don’t know whether to love or hate him and men look to him for tips on ending a bad marriage. O’Sullivan has appeared on HBO, Showtime and more, March 8-11. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 405-239-4242, loonybincomedy.com.

Exit Laughing, when the biggest highlight in your life for the past 30 years has been your weekly bridge night out with the girls, what do you do when one of your foursome inconveniently dies? If you’re these three southern ladies from Birmingham, you do the most daring thing you’ve ever done. You borrow the ashes from the funeral for one last card game and the wildest, most exciting night of your lives, through March 11. Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main St., 405-232-6500, carpentersquare.com.

In the Wings, a howling snowstorm has a bus making a stop at a roadside diner with five weary travelers who are forced to stay overnight. Cherie, a nightclub chanteuse, finds herself kidnapped by Bo, a headstrong young cowboy who wants to marry her, March 2-26. Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N. Walker Ave., 405-521-1786, jewelboxtheatre.org.

ACTIVE WAKA Kickball Open Play Day, a free night of pick-up kickball while learning more on the rules of the game and on-field experience. Games are open to all skill levels and age groups, 7-8:45 p.m. March 2. Douglas Park, 901 N. Bryant Ave., 405-424-4212, kickball.com/oklights. THU Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship, witness the crowning of the Big 12 women’s champion. With an automatic NCAA Tournament bid on the line, games are sure to be action-packed, presented by Phillips 66, March 3-6.

Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. FRI-MON OU Men’s Basketball, OU vs TCU, 2 p.m. March 4.

Lloyd Noble Center, 2900 S. Jenkins Ave., Norman, 405-325-4666, lloydnoblecenter.com. SAT Men’s Basketball, OKC Thunder vs Portland Trailblazers, 7 p.m. March 7. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. TUE

VISUAL ARTS

Othello’s Comedy Classic In the mood for pizza and puns, spaghetti and spittakes? Othello’s Comedy Classic, 9 p.m.midnight Friday at Othello’s Italian Restaurant, 434 Buchanan Ave., in Norman, is where you want to be.

Through the month of February, Othello’s has chosen comedians from open mics to compete in its annual guffaw-a-thon. Up to 20 comics will battle for prizes and bragging rights. Past winners include Zach Smith, Steven Patchin, Nathan Joyner and last year’s champion, Madison Allen. Visit facebook.com/othellosnorman or call 405-701-4900. Friday Photo Brian Denton / provided

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National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine When the historic National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine comes to Edmond, it brings with it one of the world’s most accomplished pianists. Alexei Grynyuk has earned the top prize in both the Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competition in Kiev and the Shanghai International Piano Competition in China. Founded in 1918, it is the most recorded orchestra in any former Soviet territory. The show begins 7:30 p.m. March 9 at Armstrong Auditorium, 14400 S. Bryant Road, in Edmond. Admission is $31-$71. Visit armstrongauditorium.org or call 405-285-1010. March 9 Photo Armstrong Auditorium / provided Center, 429 E. California Ave., downtownokc.com/ bricktown-okctopus. FRI Child Labor in Oklahoma: Photographs by Lewis Hine, 1916-1917, 25 powerful photographs taken by Hine in Oklahoma 100 years ago, through March 20.

Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org/historycenter.

Cut Me Some Slack: New Work by Joe Slack, opening reception for sculpture artist who creates primitive inspired art with a modern spin and humor, March 1-3. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5000, okcu.edu. WED -FRI First Friday Gallery Walk, more than 80 artists in more than 25 businesses, all within walking distance. Art opening receptions on Friday night showcase the new works of the gallery/studio owners or the works of guest artists, 6-10 p.m. March 3. Paseo Arts District, 3022 Paseo St., 405-525-2688, thepaseo.org. FRI Her Flag: A Solo Exhibition of New Works by Marilyn Artus, featuring exhibit receptions, lectures, demonstrations, pop-up exhibits, interactive installations, special performance events and seasonal patron events, through March 28. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 405604-6602, kasumcontemporary.com.

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

A Yard of Turkey Red: The Western Bandanna, a rare collection of period bandannas provides museum visitors a glimpse of authentic neckwear once sought after by young horsemen on the range and later popularized in Western fiction, through May 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Kiowa Black Leggings: Through the Lens of Lester Harragarra, new photography exhibit features photographs of the Kiowa Black Leggings Warrior Society as seen through the camera of the awardwinning Yukon, Oklahoma photographer, through March 31. Red Earth Museum, 6 Santa Fe Plaza, 405427-5228, redearth.org.

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

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

Oklahoma Pride: The Next 50 Years of Oklahoma, artists in the wake of WWII took a new look at creative expression and progressive politics; they focused on self-expression, self-discovery and concepts beyond arts ordinary function, through April 8. Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 405-235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com.

After the Floating World: The Enduring Art of Japanese Woodblock Prints, these prints, popular in Japan from the 17th through the 19th centuries, are known as Ukiyo-e, which translates as “pictures from the floating world.” Ukiyo-e artists produced prints in a variety of subject matter including actors in the Kabuki theater, female portraiture, folktales, mythology and landscapes, through May 14. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.

All That Southwest Jazz, using narrative text and historic photographs to trace Oklahoma blues lineage and legendary jazzmen who staged their early careers in Oklahoma, Mar. 1. Myriad Botanical Gardens, Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-297-3995, myriadgardens.com. WED Bricktown Okctopus opening celebration, view the 200 foot long and 25 foot tall octopus mural by Jack Fowler while enjoying coffee from Junction Coffee OKC, 9-10:30 a.m. March 3. Chevy Bricktown Events

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, through April 2. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science., stories from four indigenous communities, providing real-life examples of how traditional knowledge and western science together provide complementary solutions to ecological and health challenges we face today, through May 7. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu.

The Artistry of the Western Paperback, study the works of A. Leslie Ross, Robert Stanley, George Gross, Stanley Borack, Tom Ryan and Frank McCarthy and decide: Is it art or something else?

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

Does it belong on a bookshelf, on exhibit or both? through May 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

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 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, 405-3253272, ou.edu/fjjma.

The Works of Nicole Emmons-Willis and Jerry Allen Gilmore, Willis is a filmmaker and animation artist specializing in stop motion. Her films have screened at film festivals and on television shows as varied as Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken and NBC’s Community.

Gilmore creates works that are autobiographical, repurposed and retraced narratives, such as identity, sexuality, spirituality, beauty and mortality, through April 1. IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-2326060, iaogallery.org.

Wasteland 2, an immersive film experience from director Andrew H. Shirley takes viewers on a journey through an existential fantasyland where graffiti and animals rule a post-apocalyptic world, through March 4. IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-232-6060, iaogallery.org. WED -SAT

Submissions must be received

by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date.

Late submissions cannot 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 email them to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

For okg live music

see page 40

MUSIC Shows at annual Everything Is Not OK punk fest can get rowdy, as seen with Olympia, Washinton band Lysol at last year’s event. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

event

watching bands and having a good time or hosting bands at their house or driving someone around,” he said. “It definitely wouldn’t be possible without all the people who live here and are extremely supportive and helpful.”

Nearly every out-of-town act on the EINOK roster crashes in the home or apartment of someone from the local punk community.

Adams, a veteran of the touring life, said most musicians are grateful for whatever accommodations a host can provide.

“You’re thrilled if you walk into a house at night and there’s hardwood floors for you to sleep on,” he said, “because at least it’s somewhere to sleep.”

EINOK admission doesn’t include a shiny laminated pass. Meet-and-greets aren’t exclusive encounters — they are an unavoidable bonus of the fest experience.

“That’s why it’s so great, because everyone just wants to have fun,” Adams said. “There’s no green room or VIP treatment. Everybody’s on the same page; there’s no heroes or celebrities.”

Punk positivity

Everything Is Not OK III invites guests near and far for a shard of do-it-yourself music mayhem.

By Ben Luschen

It might seem unlikely that Oklahoma City would, at any point, be seen as a pinnacle of regional and international do-it-yourself (DIY) and noncorporate punk rock, but Everything Is Not OK festival has turned early March into the local underground’s biggest annual celebration and homecoming party.

Everybody gets a solid reminder that they’re not the only people doing this kind of stuff.

Roz Adams A massive ensemble of around 69 bands will perform over the course of four days March 9-12.

Roz Adams, festival founder and longtime fixture in Oklahoma City’s punk, music and art scenes, estimates around 50 performing bands will be from out of state, some coming in from as far as Canada and Brazil.

The main event each night is held at 89th Street Collective, 8911 N. Western Ave. Music begins at 7 p.m. with six or seven bands performing each night before the daily headliner.

This year, headliners include Wisconsin’s energetic Tenement on March 9, Brazilian layered goth-punk Ratka on March 10, relentless Texas hardcore act Wiccans on March 11 and the brutal, third-wall-breaking performance style of California’s No Statik on March 12.

An event as large as Everything Is Not OK III (EINOK) also demands multiple stages and venues.

This year, Farmers Market District serves as the hub for a lot of the activity, moving last year’s festival focus from 16th Street Plaza District in order to highlight a new area of the city to outof-towners and locals alike.

Pay-at-the-door shows are planned for Power House Substation, 1228 SW Second St., and the former Sterling’s Grocery location, 311 S. Klein Ave., Building E. One additional show is scheduled at The Red Cup, 3122 N. Classen Blvd.

EINOK celebrates more than just punk and DIY music culture.

Visual art showcases are planned at The Loaded Bowl, 1211 SW Second St., and The Strange Exchange Trading Post, a storefront located in a row of garages between SW Second and Third streets.

In some ways, EINOK is a tangible manifestation of Adams’ many years touring and building connections in punk circles across the country as a member of various bands, including American Hate and, recently, as one of the many orbital players in the conglomerate band Cherry Death.

Nearly every booking he makes for the fest comes out of some kind of personal relationship he has formed in the past.

There’s no offseason for Adams when it comes to the fest. Assembling the event’s performance roster happens year-round.

“I work on it all the time in some facet,” he said.

Playing host

Still, running the fest is far from a one-man task. Welcoming dozens of visiting bands and managing an onslaught of shows at venues across the city takes a team.

Adams said EINOK runs smoothly because of eager assistance and support from the local DIY punk community.

“I think everyone wants everything to work and to happen. Everyone contributes, whether they’re playing or just

Community feel

EINOK is a big annual morale boost to a community Adams said can feel isolated, and the organizer has noticed more local bands on the bill since the event began three years ago.

“I like to think that [EINOK] has gotten people more excited about this grouping of people who make this music or this scene in general,” he said. “It definitely benefits it and gives people something to be excited about.”

Inviting in like-minded guests from across the map also goes a long way in making the world feel smaller.

“Everybody gets a solid reminder that they’re not the only people doing this kind of stuff,” Adams said. “They don’t need to feel so lonely all the time.”

Find the Everything Is Not OK III event page on Facebook for more information. Visit ticketmaster.com for admission to the festival shows at 89th Street Collective.

Everything Is Not OK III 7 p.m. March 9-12 89th Street Collective | 8911 N. Western Ave. 11 p.m. March 9-10, 12:30 p.m. March 10-12, 10 p.m. March 11 Power House Substation | 1228 SW Second St. 3 p.m. March 10-12, 1 a.m. March 11-12 Sterling’s Grocery building | 311 S. Klein Ave., Bldg. E 10:30 a.m. March 11 The Red Cup | 3122 N. Classen Blvd. free - $12

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MUSIC

presents

f e at u r e

by Anne Washburn

Moonlit stroll

doubleVee offers a catchy, off-kilter debut while spinning an animated tale.

By Ben Luschen

A co-production with Oklahoma City University’s School of Theatre

FE B . 2 4

through TICKETS

(405) 297-2264

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M A R CH 5

cityrep.com

To play doubleVee’s new album The Moonlit Fables of Jack the Rider is to enter another dimension — one not only of sight and sound, but of mind.

Like The Twilight Zone, the proper debut from couple Allan and Barb Vest is enticing in its peculiarity. The pair ditched predictable music conventions to take chances and create a visceral and alien alternative-rock experience.

The album follows the adventures of fictional protagonist Jack in an offkilter, parallel world.

Moonlit Fables, released Feb. 10, might be doubleVee’s studio debut, but the band is the product of two trusty creative minds. Allan was the vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and primary songwriter for former Norman-based indie-orchestral pop band Starlight Mints. The act toured with high-profile bands, including The White Stripes, Violent Femmes, Chainsaw Kittens, Liz Phair and The Flaming Lips.

doubleVee | Photo Kelli Brooke Brady / provided

Allan’s music has also been featured in television shows Malcolm in the Middle, Californication, One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl.

Barb worked 16 years in public radio before meeting Allan. She wrote, hosted and produced Filmscapes, a nationally syndicated film music show that allowed her to interview many of her idols, like Philip Glass and Danny Elfman.

She edited a local-music internet magazine for a few years and orchestrated several Rock ’n’ Roll Garage Sale shows with local bands.

Both built careers by pushing the bounds of creativity, so it is no surprise that the pair looked to the surreal for its first album.

Allan and Barb tag-team vocal duties, and the singers contrast and complement each other well, as evident on album opener “Jack the Rider,” and

Image provided

later in “Dangerous World.”

But what might actually be surprising is that doubleVee chose to bring a concept approach to its debut. Many bands develop their first project as a promotional, introductory showcase of what they’re capable of, saving the more highly creative visions for later in their discographies.

Barb said they arrived at the fleshed-out Jack concept almost by accident. The band made its debut in 2012, digitally releasing a three-song EP that became the framework on which Moonlit Fables was built.

“As we kept working on the songs, we saw how they could go together,” she said. “Then ‘Jack the Rider’ itself has a story to it, so we just took it from there.”

Though there is a loose concept in place, the couple insists the music is open to listener interpretation. Some songs were made with certain ideas in mind — “Dangerous World” is inspired by alcoholism — but Moonlit Fable’s message is whatever someone ends up taking from it.

“We’re not trying to push any kind of theory, necessarily,” Barb said.

“That’s what we hope people take from it, that it’s a journey. We’ve had people say, ‘Oh, are you Jack?’ but no. Jack is everyone. You are Jack and we’re all Jack.”

Against the odds

If Moonlit Fables feels surreal, it might have something to do with the unlikely sequence of events that led the couple to each other and eventually into doubleVee. Barb first encountered Allan at Norman Music Festival in 2009.

Starlight Mints was performing, and Barb was photographing the fest for her webzine. For an unknown reason, security let her into the press photo area, where she unknowingly took her first snaps of her future husband.

The two were formally introduced

by Derek Brown (current Flaming Lips multi-instrumentalist and former Strarlight Mints keyboardist) at The Conservatory (now 89th Street Collective). Allan lit up when he heard

Barb was the mind behind Filmscapes, of which he was a fan. The couple hit it off and eventually married in 2015.

Allan, who is adopted and had grown up without knowing anything about his birth family, received life-changing news in 2016 when an Ancestory.com DNA test matched him with a half-sister he’d never met.

After a few failed attempts, Allan reached his sister via email. She was thrilled to hear from him and later introduced him to a half-brother as well as Allan’s biological father, who lives in California.

It’s possible Allan inherited some of his musical aptitude from his dad, who owned several music stores in Houston before moving to the West Coast. The identity of Allan’s birth mother remains a mystery, though the couple has information indicating she was a musician in the Houston area.

“I could die today being satisfied knowing my father’s side of the family,” he said.

Broad appeal

The Tim Burton-esque album art for Moonlit Fables was designed by Utahbased artist Grant Fuhst and based on a brief story about Jack written by Barb. The band took that work a step further, contacting an animator in London to bring to life Fuhst’s Jack and creating a fully illustrated music video for “Jack the Rider.”

Outside response to the video, like the album, has been positive. Allan said they have even heard from parents who say their children have made a strong connection with their music and the animated video.

“That’s great, to hear stuff like that,” Allan said. “We want it to be a broad range.”

There are no gigs planned yet for doubleVee, though Barb said they are planning ways to make a live performance a spectacle worthy of the project’s music.

The band would also likely need to add a few additional members to put on a proper live set, she said.

Regardless of when a show might get booked, doubleVee is treating every band decision with care.

“We’re taking it a day at a time to see how things go and how album sales go,” she said. “We’ve really pretty much invested our life savings into this album, so we’re being cautious and waiting to see.”

Find The Moonlit Fables of Jack the Rider at doublevee.net.

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

39

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended

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

WEDNESDAY, 3.01 Adam Torres/Sun Riah, Opolis, Norman. ROCK American Grim/Heartbreak Heroes, 89th Street Collective. ROCK Captured By Robots, The Root.

ROCK

Dropkick Murphys/The Interrupters/Blood or Whiskey, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. PUNK Larry V TheRemedy, Oklahoma City Limits.

ACOUSTIC

LIL Debbie, OKC Farmers Public Market. RAP

THURSDAY, 3.02 Blake Lankford, The Bluebonnet Bar, Norman.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Dan Martin, The Deli, Norman. COUNTRY Grant Wiscarver, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY Hayes Carll, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER Melody Pond, JJ’s Alley. FOLK Miss Tess and the Talkbacks, Blue Note Lounge.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Reckless Kelly, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. COUNTRY Shallow Side, Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Bar. ROCK

Hideaway Pizza 60th anniversary concert How far should one be willing to drive for delicious pizza? If Broncho, TJ Mayes and Fiawna Forté are playing too, the answer is pretty darn far. The trip to Tulsa for Hideaway Pizza’s 60th anniversary celebration and outdoor concert will be well worth the journey.

The free, all-ages show begins 6 p.m.

Friday at the Tulsa Hideaway Pizza located at 1419 E. 15th St. Visit facebook. com/hideawaypizza for more information. Friday bigstockphoto.com

Typsetter/Limp Wizurdz, HiLo Club.

ROCK

FRIDAY, 3.03 Aaron Newman, The Sushi Bar, Edmond. FOLK Amy Behrman/John Tuck/Jeremy Bell, Malarkey’s Dueling Piano Bar. PIANO Bad Influence, Alley Club.

COVER

Caleb McGee and the Underdogs, Blue Note Lounge. BLUES Chris Trapper, The Blue Door.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Regulus, Sauced on Paseo.

INDIE

Smilin’ Vic, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. BLUES The So Longs/Don’t Make Ghosts, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK They Act Human, Oklahoma State Fairgrounds.

ELECTRONIC

SUNDAY, 3.05 Jake Amerding, The Depot, Norman. SINGER/

SONGWRITER

The Direct Connect Band, Elmer’s Uptown. R&B

Christy Bryant and Twist of Fate, Remington Park. COVER Jack Rowdy, The Landing Zone, Midwest City.

COUNTRY

MONDAY, 3.06 Elle Carpenter, Red Brick Bar, Norman.

Lil Wyte/Statik G, 89th Street Collective. HIP-HOP Luke Pell/James Taylor, Wormy Dog Saloon.

COUNTRY

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Riverwind Casino, Norman. R&B Nicole Lawson/Shortt Dogg, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. R&B Oakville, Oklahoma City Limits. VARIOUS Randy Cassimus, JJ’s Alley. ACOUSTIC Savoy, OKC Farmers Public Market. ELECTRONIC Thieves Of Sunrise, Red Brick Bar, Norman. ROCK Vox Squadron, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery.

BLUES

SATURDAY, 3.04

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Sniper 66/Violent Affair/Mad On Acid/ Costanzas, Your Mom’s Place. PUNK Stevie Nicks, BOK Center, Tulsa. ROCK

TUESDAY, 3.07 The Metal Moose, Garage Dayz Studios, Edmond.

ROCK

WEDNESDAY, 3.08 Amanda Cunningham, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Maurice Johnson, The R&J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ The Brave Amigos with Edgar Cruz, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. ACOUSTIC

Backwater Creek, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK Bobby Long, The Blue Door. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

HKS/Mother Toungues/LCG & the X, Opolis, Norman. VARIOUS Jake Adams Band, Lazy E Arena, Guthrie.

COUNTRY

JB and the Moonshine Band, Wormy Dog Saloon.

COUNTRY

Midas 13, Room 222. ROCK Miss Brown To You, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ

40

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

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

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

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

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

free will astrology Homework: What’s the best surprise you could give yourself right now?

Testify at Freewillastrology.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

I predict that you will have earned the title of Master Composter no later than March 26. Not necessarily because you will have packed your food scraps, wilted flowers, coffee grounds, and shredded newspapers in, say, a deluxe dual-chamber tumbling compost bin. But rather because you will have dealt efficiently with the rotting emotions, tattered habits, decrepit melodramas, and trivial nonsense that has accumulated; you will have worked hard to transform all that crap into metaphorical fertilizer for your future growth. Time to get started!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

It’s a good time for you to wield your emotional intelligence with leadership and flair. The people you care about need more of your sensitive influence. Any posse or tribe you’re part of will benefit from your thoughtful intervention. So get out there and build up the group morale, Taurus. Assert your healing ideals with panache. Tamp down the insidious power of peer pressure and fashionable nonsense. You have a mandate to wake up sleepy allies and activate the dormant potential of collective efforts.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

If you were ever in your life going to be awarded an honorary PhD from a top university, it would happen in the next few weeks. If there were even a remote possibility that you would someday be given one of those MacArthur Fellowship “genius” grants, now would be the time.

Likewise if you had any hopes of being selected as one of “The World’s Sexiest Chameleons” or “The Fastest, Sweetest Talkers on Earth” or “The Planet’s Most Virtuoso Vacillators,” the moment has arrived. And even if none of those things happen, I’m still pretty sure that your reputation and status will be on the rise.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) You’re wandering into places you’ve always thought you should be wary of or skeptical about. Good for you! As long as you protect your innocence, I encourage

you to keep exploring. To my delight, you have also been fantasizing about accomplishments that used to be off-limits. Again, I say: Good for you! As long as you don’t overreach, I invite you to dream boldly, even brazenly. And since you seem to be in the mood for big thinking, here are other revolutionary activities to consider: dissolving nonessential wishes; transcending shrunken expectations; escaping the boring past; busting irrelevant taboos.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

lazy self-indulgence, we wallow in memories of experiences that didn’t turn out the way we wished they would have. We paralyze ourselves with repetitions of depleting thoughts. Here’s an alternative to that approach: We could use our sadness and frustrations to transform ourselves. We could treat them as fuel to motivate our escape from what doesn’t work, to inspire our determination to rise above what demoralizes and demeans us. I mention this, Libra, because now is an excellent time to do exactly that

I did a good job of raising my daughter. She turned out to be a thoughtful, intelligent adult with high integrity and interesting skills. But I’m not sure my parenting would have been as effective if I’d had more kids. I discussed this issue with Nathan, a guy I know. His six offspring are all grown up, too. “How did you do it?” I asked him. “Having just one child was a challenging job for me.” “I’ll tell you my secret,” Nathan told me. “I’m a bad father. I didn’t work very hard on raising my kids. And now they never let me forget it.” In the coming weeks and months, Leo, I recommend that you pursue my approach in your chosen field, not Nathan’s. Aim for high-quality intensity rather than scattershot quantity.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

In her poem “Not Anyone Who Says,” Virgo writer Mary Oliver looks down on people who declare, “I’m going to be careful and smart in matters of love.” She disparages the passion of anyone who asserts, “I’m going to choose slowly.” Instead she champions those who are “chosen by something invisible and powerful and uncontrollable and beautiful and possibly even unsuitable.” Here’s my response: Her preferred formula sounds glamorous and dramatic and romantic -- especially the powerful and beautiful part. But in practice it rarely works out well -maybe just ten percent of the time -- mostly because of the uncontrollable and unsuitable part. And now is not one of those times for you, Virgo. Be careful and smart in matters of love, and choose slowly.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

The poet Rainer Maria Rilke bemoaned the fact that so many of us “squander our sorrows.” Out of self-pity or

It’s time for the Bliss Blitz -- a new holiday just for you Scorpios. To celebrate it properly, get as buoyant as you dare; be greedy for euphoria; launch a sacred quest for pleasure. Ah, but here’s the big question: Can you handle this much relief and release? Are you strong enough to open yourself to massive outbreaks of educational delight and natural highs? Some of you may not be prepared.

You may prefer to remain ensconced in your protective sheath of cool cynicism. But if you think you can bear the shock of unprecedented exaltation and jubilation, then go ahead and risk it. Experiment with the unruly happiness of the Bliss Blitz.

In his book *The Horologicon,* Mark Forsyth gathered “obscure but necessary” words that he dug out of old dictionaries. One of his discoveries is a perfect fit for you right now. It’s “snudge,” a verb that means to walk around with a pensive look on your face, appearing to be busy or in the midst of productive activity, when in fact you’re just goofing off. I recommend it for two reasons: 1. It’s important for your mental and physical health that you do a lot of nothing; that you bless yourself with a healing supply of refreshing emptiness. 2. It’s important for your mental and physical health that you do this on the sly as much as possible; that you avoid being judged or criticized for it by others.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

I wish your breakfast cereal came in boxes decorated with Matisse and Picasso paintings. I wish songbirds would greet you each morning with sweet tunes. I wish you’d

see that you have more power than you realize. I wish you knew how uniquely beautiful you are. I wish you’d get intoxicated with the small miracles that are happening all around you. I wish that when you made a bold move to improve your life, everyone greeted it with curiosity and excitement. And I wish you would let your imagination go half-wild with fascinating fantasies during this, the Capricorn wishing season.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

“You’re a different human being to everybody you meet,” says novelist Chuck Palahniuk. Now is an excellent time to contemplate the intricacies and implications of that amazing truth -- and start taking better advantage of how much freedom it gives you. Say the following statements out loud and see how they feel: 1. “My identity isn’t as narrowly circumscribed as I think it is.” 2. “I know at least 200 people, so there must be at least 200 facets to my character.” 3. “I am too complicated to be completely comprehended by any one person.” 4.

“Consistency is overrated.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Your immediate future is too good to be true. Or at least that’s what you, with your famous self-doubt, might be inclined to believe if I told you the truth about the favorable developments that are in the works. Therefore, I have come up with some fake anxieties to keep your worry reflex engaged so it won’t sabotage the real goodies. Beware of dirty limericks and invisible ladders and upside-down rainbows and psychic bunny rabbits. Be on guard against accountants wearing boxing gloves and clowns singing Broadway show tunes in runaway shopping carts and celebrities telling you classified secrets in your dreams.

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.

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

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puzzles New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle uh-oh!

By Bruce Haight | Edited by Will Shortz | 0226

ACROSS 1 Bloblike Star Wars character 6 Give over 10 Great shakes?

15 Low rolls 19 Auto feature 20 Julia of Hollywood 21 Ham-handed 22 Enthralled 23 Office for decoding messages?

26 The average size of its stores is

300,000 square feet 27 Had more than an inkling 28 “Rats!”

29 Bringing to mind 31 “Indubitably!”

32 Anxious condition, briefly 33 What one might sit in at a Cheech

& Chong movie?

37 “Puppy Love” singer, 1960 38 Election Day affirmation 39 Oomph 40 Hauled (away) 42 WikiLeaks associates 45 Inspiration 46 Herder’s mantra?

48 Virtual dog or cat, maybe 50 Glaciate 51 Fake news site, with “The” 52 Sign on a jar at a bar 53 Mass. neighbor 54 In a pretentious manner 56 Series opener 58 Fall behind 61 Quality-control problem at Oscar Mayer?

63 Title of a book about Southern Reconstruction?

65 Nav. rank 66 Word before or after nothing 67 Doohickeys 68 Sword handle 69 They may be decorated for the holidays 70 Sauce 71 Nickname for a Miami 12-time

NBA All-Star 72 Goddess usually pictured with a helmet 75 Two sights in a yacht’s galley?

79 Prey for a heron or garter snake 80 French pilgrimage site 81 Stranger 82 Off-road transport, informally

83 ____ Johnson, aka The Rock 85 Sound heard by an exam

proctor, say 86 Helpful things for killing time nowadays?

91 Fraternity letter 92 Number of French kings named Charles 95 Catch’s partner 96 Prefix with therapy 98 Draw 99 “Sign me up!”

100 Pigeon trainer, at times?

105 Crook, e.g.

106 Book of ____ (ancient Jewish text) 107 “Who ____?”

108 Kind of pad 109 Past partners 110 1988 Olympics site 111 Studied 112 Ancient manuscript

DOWN 1 Of poor quality, in modern slang 2 Set apart 3 College in Lewiston, Me. 4 Steep 5 Big movie-theater chain 6 Miniature lobster lookalikes 7 Every 8 They may be put up before a fight 9 President-____ 10 Starts of many emails 11 Burma’s first prime minister 12 Warm welcome at Waikiki 13 Exams for some H.S. students 14 Singer/guitarist ____ Ray Vaughan 15 Early wheels 16 Rousing 17 Unsolved crime 18 Theater backdrop 24 Clamor 25 Onetime MGM rival 30 Trite 32 Coming up 34 Canon rival 35 Hardly ____ 36 Fishing vessel 37 In the neighborhood 40 Changing room?

41 Go-betweens

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57 Lumberjacks 58 Narcotic 59 One carrying a torch?

60 Ending with poly-

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

84 Arroyos 87 Spanish kids 88 Cold War flier 89 Glow in the dark?

90 “Say cheese!”

92 Dressed to the nines, with “up” 93 Goddess of peace 94 Canon rival 97 ____ Major 98 Mother of Artemis 101 Farm call 102 Post-O.R. stop 103 Grp. of Senators 104 PC key

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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New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers Puzzle No. 0219, which appeared in theFebruary 22 issue.

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62 Valhalla VIP 63 Certain vacuum tube 64 “Actually, come to think of it …”

67 Egg on 69 Hiking group, with “the”?

70 Greek city mentioned in the Acts

of the Apostles 71 Backs, anatomically 72 With consequences 73 As much as possible 74 Motor oil brand 75 The Lord of the Rings actor Billy 76 Step up or down 77 Relied (on) 78 Theme for an annual city- magazine issue

80 The inside track 83 Narc’s org.

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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.

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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 Term

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Standard terms & Tag, Tax. 1st Payment, Aquisition fee, processing fee WAC *See dealership for details — offers subject to change without prior notice. *Febuary prices subject to change. European models shown.