Oklahoma Gazette 2-25-15 by Oklahoma Gazette

FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY METRO OKC’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY VOL. XXXVII NO. 8 FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Special delivery When musician JD McPherson knocks, the world answers.

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CONTENTS 8

ON THE COVER

NEWS

With the release of Let the Good Times Roll, Oklahoma musician JD McPherson proves that he likes things that last. There’s a special space in the overlap between past and present that things like denim and pocketknives occupy, things that work now as they worked then. They’re still relevant and can move us with their commitment of purpose. They do what they did. They work. And so does McPherson’s music. Cover story by Christian Wilson, P. 36.

LIFE

Election: City Council preview

OKG picks

Active: The Strides of March

Education: school choice

Sudoku / Crossword

State: Amtrak contract

Food & Drink: Grub, Perk Place Café, food news, kolache, OKG eat: Edmond

Cover: JD McPherson

News briefs

Shopping: The Folded Paper Co.

Chicken-Fried News

History: dinosaur discovery

Music: Aidan Carroll, event listings, Skating Polly

Commentary

Film: McFarland, USA

Book of Love

Letters

Astrology

Performing Arts: La Cage aux Folles, Marvel Universe Live!, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Camelot

Classifieds

MISSION STATEMENT Oklahoma Gazette’s mission is to stimulate, examine and inform the public on local quality of life issues and social needs, to recognize community accomplishments, and to provide a forum for inspiration, participation and interaction across all media.

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NEWS ELECTION

Tuesday’s vote GA RETT FI S BEC K

Future projects — big and small — are in the balance with next week’s Oklahoma City Council elections. BY BEN FELDER

A billiondollar bond for infrastructure, possible tax incentives for a convention center hotel and early planning on a potential MAPS 4 vote await candidates who are elected to the Oklahoma City Council Tuesday. Seats in wards 2, 6 and 8 are up for grabs on March 3, and a third of the council could change as several important issues face city hall in coming years. “Anytime you prepare for a bond issue, you are preparing the city for the next decade,” said Mayor Mick Cornett, who won reelection last year. “Whoever gets elected is going to have a significant impact on where those millions of dollars are going to be spent.” In the coming year, the city will begin preparing for another general obligation bond in 2017. Each counselor will help shape how the funds will be spent in their ward, overseeing millions of dollars for road and infrastructure improvements, along with other capital projects. While city leaders are still working to implement the projects from MAPS 3 — including a new convention center and downtown streetcar system — it’s likely the groundwork on another MAPS campaign will be set during the next council term. There are also plans to move forward on announcing a regional transit system and supporting tax that will present the city with a MAPS-like project that could further transform the city. But those elected to the council

will not just deal with large-scale infrastructure projects and economic development. The work of city councilors also includes one-on-one meetings with constituents, neighborhood associations and business leaders. “In addition to those big issues, we spend the majority of our time on the council dealing with issues related back to our various wards that may not sound too exciting, but to citizens, they are just as important,” said David Greenwell, the councilman in Ward 5 that won another term this year after filing as the lone candidate. While Greenwell’s seat is safe, he said the elections in three wards could sway the council on important issues. “I am rarely 100 percent behind an issue, and I may be only 60 percent in support of something, but I only get a yes or a no vote,” Greenwell said. “So just a couple new people [on the council] could have an impact when you take into account that maybe other members are not completely for or against a particular direction. Depending on how the issues are presented, that may sway two or three other council members.” It’s possible that one-third of the council could change, but both incumbents appear to be frontrunners, and the one ward where a new councilor will be elected features a pool of candidates that seem to be of a similar mind to the outgoing councilor. Ward 6, the city’s central ward, features a race between incumbent Meg Salyer and two challengers: Dario

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Alvarado and Bob Waldrop. “I think this [next] term is incredibly crucial for [Ward 6] because there is so much happening downtown,” said Salyer, who joined the council in 2008. “There is stuff happening all over the city, but Ward 6 happens to be the epicenter of public and private development that is going on right now.” Many of the city’s largest capital projects slated for future construction will take place downtown, including a new convention center and possible hotel that has already become a somewhat controversial project as tax incentives are discussed. Both Waldrop and Alvarado expressed opposition to additional tax incentives downtown, including those for a proposed convention center hotel. “I think those [downtown] developers have already got enough of the tax breaks,” Waldrop said. “I’d like to use that money to help those who really need it to start a business or something like that.” While Ward 6 features two challengers that, if elected, could soften the council’s support for such incentives, Ward 2 features an election in which an incumbent loss could strengthen support for tax breaks and city-sponsored economic development. Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid has consistently questioned tax incentives, especially concerning the idea that some might be used for a new convention center hotel. “I’m worried about the direction we are headed when we don’t stop and

Area residents and city council candidates met recently to discuss problems in the community. ask ourselves if we are handing out too [many incentives],” Shadid said previously. While challenger James Cooper has also indicated he would be cautious in voting for additional public funds for private projects, his victory — or a victory by Major Jemison or John Riley, the two other candidates on the ballot — would likely add a more pro-business and incentive voice to the council. In Ward 8, where Councilman Pat Ryan is not seeking reelection, there doesn’t appear to be much philosophical change, if any, between Ryan and the three candidates running for the open seat. Steve Curry and Mark Stonecipher, the two Ward 8 candidates with the most resources, have both spoken highly of Councilman Ryan. At times during the campaign, both have also claimed to have Ryan’s endorsement, even though the councilman has said he is not officially backing either candidate. John Ederer is also running in Ward 8. Whether the council sees sweeping change or more of the same, chances are it will only be a handful of citizens calling the shots on Election Day. Of 300,000 residents in the four wards up for election in 2011, which includes minors and other non-voters, just 18,000 votes were cast. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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NEWS ELECTION The Ward 2 election in 2011 featured six candidates and 4,225 votes cast. A runoff with the two top vote getters a month later saw just over 5,000 voters. “It’s not easy to win a council

Bob Waldrop

held on April 7 between the two top candidates if none receive more than 50 percent of the vote. “Every council member brings their own life experiences to the seat, so you never know how the council might

Dario Alvarado

change during an election,” Cornett said. “It’s always interesting to watch and does impact the future.”

Mark Stonecipher

Steve Curry

GAZETTE TAFF AND S P ROVI DED P HOTOS

Meg Salyer

election, but when you look at the turnout history, you can see a path if you can get turnout from your own supporters,” Waldrop said. Residents in wards 2, 6 and 8 can vote on March 3. A runoff will be

Ed Shadid

James Cooper

Major Jemison

John Riley

John Ederer

City council candidates Learn more about ward candidates online at okgazette.com. WARD 6 Meg Salyer, 59: Incumbent with strong ties to the business community and downtown neighborhood. Bob Waldrop, 63: Church musician with an eye on poverty; believes businesses already have their fair share of tax breaks. Dario Alvarado, 26: Would be the

council’s lone Latino member in a city that has seen its Hispanic population grow rapidly in recent years. WARD 2 Ed Shadid, 46: Has leveraged his council seat in recent years to raise questions on tax incentives for economic development. James Cooper, 32: A member of the growing millennial community; would be in the council’s progressive

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minority but believes he can promote a cooperative spirit. Major Jemison, 60: Pastor of 31 years who is supportive of the city’s direction and claims a strong probusiness platform. John Riley, 32: History teacher who would give the council an education voice and is also a member of the Oklahoma National Guard.

WARD 8 Steve Curry, 68: Works in finance and has been involved with many political campaigns, just not one of his own. John Ederer, 77: Remembers the city of old with streetcars and downtown shopping and is excited about the progress of late. Mark Stonecipher, 57: Oil and gas attorney who has been involved with neighborhood associations in north OKC.

NEWS EDUCATION

ZIPed up

Housing values often serve as a barrier to families wanting to access higher-performing schools.

Oklahoma City parents who want to put their child in a high-ranking public school will have to buy a home nearly double the price of one in the area of a lower-performing school. Based on the state’s A-F grading system for schools, the average housing value in the ZIP code of an F elementary school in OKC is $71,244, compared to $137,200 in the ZIP code of a B elementary school. The district does not have any non-charter elementary schools rated with an A. “[The F grade] says less about our students and our teachers and more about our ZIP code,” said Greg Frederick, Jefferson Middle School principal, which has a 99 percent poverty rate. Housing costs versus school performance could be a bit of a chickenor-the-egg situation. In the public school system, a well-performing school is likely to impact housing values for the better, but the correlation between poverty rates and academic performance also appears to result in segregation by academic performance. School choice is a hotly debated topic in education policy, but the basic decision of deciding where to live could prevent poorer families from accessing a great school, unlike those families with higher income levels. While OKC has several B and C elementary schools, it lacks anything other than F middle schools, not counting charter schools. A family living in the Jefferson Middle School district — where housing values are at $47,200 — will have to look outside the area to find an A or B middle school. That move, however, is costly. Middle schools in Mustang and Yukon have B rankings and housing values of $139,000. Piedmont and Edmond also have high-performing middle schools, but housing values are north of $180,000. It’s that economic barrier to academically strong schools that has some state lawmakers looking to school choice as a potential solution. Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, filed legislation that would give parents the chance to take some of their state education dollars given to the local school and use it for enrollment in another public or private school. Senate Bill 609, called the Oklahoma

GA RETT FI S BEC K

BY BEN FELDER

GRAND OPENING MATTRESS ZONE

Megan Stanek at right helps a parent navigate the website during the GreatSchools Website launch at the Oklahoma Public Schools Resource Center. Education Empowerment Scholarship Act, has drawn criticism from many public school educators who fear the bill would take money away from schools that need it most. “ZIP codes shouldn’t determine the quality of education that a student gets,” said Amber England, executive director of Stand for Children’s Oklahoma chapter. England said the impact of income levels on school quality has created strong opinions on both sides of the school choice spectrum, but she doesn’t believe either side offers the lone solution. “I think there is a fallacy to say that giving parents a particular amount of money to take their kid to a different school is the solution because it’s not actually helping all students,” she said. Again, the goal should be to lift up all students, she said. While housing costs can serve as a buffer for low-income families, a new website aims to help parents get more information and let them know which schools they could choose. GreatSchoolsOklahomaCity.org was officially launched at a press conference last week at the office of the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center (OPSRC). The website is a joint venture between GreatSchools, a national database of schools, and OPSRC. “We think that this site is a resource for parents to learn about all the different options that exist to them,” said Brent Bushey, its executive director. During a demonstration of the new

website, Leo Olebe, vice president of marketing at GreatSchools, showed how parents can enter their location and the school characteristics that are important to them, ranging from study subjects to sports and other extracurricular activities. Then, a list of schools is generated, each with a quality rating and additional information about each school, including demographic data and submitted reviews from parents, students and teachers. “Overall, we are trying to build this really comprehensive resource ... allowing parents to ask, ‘What is the best school for my child?’” Olebe said. During the web launch, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett praised the site as a way to help parents moving to the city gain a better understanding of which school might be right for their family. “For a lot of people, they base their opinion [of schools] on a Realtor or maybe one other source,” Cornett said. “We are basing a lot of those decisions [about schools] on perceptions. I think it’s great that we have a source now that provides some sort of data-driven [options] in case a perception is not true.” Rating public schools has been a controversial issue in recent years, as the state’s A-F grading system has been criticized by many educators who feel it is a faulty way of rating schools. “A through F is one piece of data that is [on the website],” Bushey said. “I know A through F is not popular in public schools. This is a chance to say, ‘These are all of the other aspects of our schools that should be considered.’”

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Cutting costs

GA RETT FI S BEC K

to see what we are

Amtrak faces a funding shortfall that could result in reduced service. BY BEN FELDER

Reduced Amtrak service in Oklahoma is a real possibility as the state continues to negotiate a new contract with the passenger rail organization. “I am concerned that we will see a reduction in service,” said Mike Patterson, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). Amtrak, which operates a daily train from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, faces increased expenses, which are shared between Texas and Oklahoma. Oklahoma currently pays $2.85 million annually, but after the cost to operate Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer increased to $6.4 million and Texas capped its contributions at $2.5 million, Oklahoma was left to cover the remaining $3.9 million. “We can’t pay that much,” Patterson said. “And I don’t see an appetite from the state [Legislature] to increase funding for rail transit.” Amtrak and Oklahoma operate under a month-to-month contract, and ODOT officials hope Amtrak will reduce costs, but that might only be possible with fewer train trips. “[Amtrak] can no longer operate at a deficit,” said John Bowman, director of capital programs at ODOT. “By Texas setting [its limit], it meant Amtrak is obligated to recover the remainder of that money from Oklahoma.” Bowman said ODOT has worked with Amtrak to find cost reductions, such as removing one of two locomotives or decreasing the number of passenger cars during non-peak times, without decreasing service. He said technical changes can only go so far. “We’ve been going back and forth with [Amtrak] since July on working with those numbers, and we have had some success,” Bowman said. “But more needs to be done.”

Transportation officials in Texas explored the possibility of using buses to replace some rail service, an option ODOT said it hopes not to do. “We have not had much discussion about that,” Patterson said about the use of buses. “I was approached in November from the leadership in TxDOT [Texas Department of Transportation] that they were looking at that type of arrangement. We are making every effort to come up with a solution, but it’s got to be Amtrak’s solution.” Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said it is not uncommon to use monthto-month contracts with states, but he would not speculate how long that will remain an option. When asked if he is optimistic a solution could be found given the large funding gap, Magliari said he did not know. A potential Heartland Flyer service reduction comes at a time when the state is preparing for new Eastern Flyer rail service between metro Tulsa and OKC. A private company will operate that new service, which is expected to launch in the spring. When asked if a private company could take over management of the Heartland Flyer, Patterson said that would be difficult. “There’s been some discussion about bringing in another carrier,” Patterson said. “But my understanding is that the Burlington Northern or any of the Class 1 operators [along the Heartland Flyer route] want to only let Amtrak run on their line because of the liability issues.” Amtrak and ODOT continue to look for ways to cut costs, but it’s unknown if there are ways to make up for the funding shortfall other than reducing service. “I would say as long as Amtrak is willing and able to go back and sharpen

An Amtrak train prepares for departure from Oklahoma City. their pencil, we will stay hooked up,” Patterson said. “But I would imagine at some point, they will say, ‘This is all we can think [of] as a way to save money.’”

House Bill 1077

While ODOT said finding a private operator to replace Amtrak could be difficult, a bill this legislative session seeks just that. House Bill 1077, known as the Passenger Rail Unbundling and Status Report bill, received unanimous support in the House Transportation Committee this month and awaits a hearing on the House floor. “If passed, the legislation would require ODOT to work to identify lower cost and higher service quality providers for services Amtrak provides under a sole source contract today,” said Evan Stair, president of Passenger Rail Oklahoma, a pro-rail organization supporting the bill. “Amtrak’s increasing costs are placing the Oklahoma-City-toFort-Worth passenger train in jeopardy.” HB 1077 would also require ODOT to report on how funding has been spent for Heartland Flyer service and provide an account for the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact Commission, that was scheduled to begin in 1999, Stair added. Bill author Rep. Richard Morrissette, D-OKC, said his bill would also require ODOT to account for money from a passenger rail revolving fund established in 1996. “We want to get an accounting and accuracy on what has been happening since then,” Morrissette told the committee earlier this month.

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

NEWS BRIEFS BY BEN FELDER

By the numbers

GA RETTE FI S BEC K / FI L E

50. That’s how many Oklahoma City Public School district employees have enrolled for Spanish classes this year. The group includes principals, teachers, nurses and counselors, according to the district. The district’s student population is 50 percent Hispanic.

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A bill that would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s workplace discrimination law will not receive a hearing in committee this year. Freshman representative Jason Dunnington, who introduced House Bill 1345, announced last week the bill would not be heard in committee, which effectively stops the bill from moving forward for at least another year. “Many of my colleagues in the House would contend that America is built on the fundamental promise that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can get ahead,” Dunnington, D-OKC, said. “But today, thousands of Oklahomans go to work fearing that they could lose their jobs simply because of who they are or who they love.” Oklahoma employers may legally choose to not hire or to fire individuals because of their sexual orientation, which is what HB 1345 attempted to prevent. “The LGBT community has found a strong ally in Jason Dunnington,” Troy Stevenson, executive director of Freedom Oklahoma, said in a statement. “Freedom Oklahoma would like to thank the Representative for proposing the most comprehensive protections against discrimination in the history of Oklahoma. While it is extremely unfortunate that HB 1345 will not be heard in this session, we look forward to working with Rep. Dunnington — and other fair-minded lawmakers — to ensure that one day soon, freedom will truly mean freedom for everyone in our great state.”

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Quotable “If we can just blur those lines between community and civic engagement, that will make a difference,” said Shane Hampton, a volunteer with Better Block OKC and its Love Your City event, earlier this month. Held on Valentine’s Day, Love Your City set up a listing of over 80 OKC boards and commissions, along with other information on getting involved in city government. Some councilors and city officials dropped by to show support for the event that was especially geared toward a younger generation of OKC residents who have become engaged in community development and events but not as much with civic and local government matters.

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The city’s new director of animal shelter and animal welfare operations brings over 30 years of experience with her. “I am excited about becoming part of a progressive movement that includes caring government officials, staff, volunteers and community partners, all working together to make a difference,” Julie Bank said last month after her hire. “The City’s Animal Welfare program is well on its way to achieving its goals, and I look forward to leading the team to make those goals a reality.” Bank has animal and nonprofit experience at the national and local level in New York, California and Arizona. “We did an extensive search and are excited to bring someone to our city who can continue to move us towards a safer, healthier and more humane community for pets and people,” said Bob Tener, the city’s development services director. One of the Animal Welfare Division’s primary roles is pet adoptions. Oklahoma City Animal Shelter is located at SE 29th Street and S. Bryant Avenue and is open for adoptions or reclaiming lost pets from noon to 5:45 p.m. every day except holidays. Adoptable pets are vaccinated, sterilized and treated for worms. For more information, visit okc.gov/ animalwelfare or call 297-3100.

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CHiCKEN CKEN Meth money

Grab your six-shooters, don your most rugged pair of dungarees and saddle up your horse. One of the Wild West’s most infamous crimes — cattle rustling — has made a comeback. At up to $3,000 a head, livestock theft cost state ranchers about $4.5 million dollars last year alone, reported the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture. Driving the trend are meth addicts, who sell the animals for drug money. It’s hard to walk off with a cow. We imagine that throwing a bovine over one’s shoulder and sauntering off a farm all nondescript-like and not being noticed would be quite a feat. Maybe invisible cloaks are involved. A report from Reuters said Oklahoma law enforcement busted a five-person cattle-rustling ring and recently arrested two suspects. The five ranged in age from 12 to 22 and are believed to have made out with tens of thousands of dollars

FRiED NEWS worth of bovine booty in just several months. “Cattle rustling has been around since Moby Dick was a minnow, but the price of cattle has doubled and tripled in the past few years, and theft is on the rise,” Jerry Flowers, chief agent of investigations for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, told Reuters. “We found the presence of meth to be more and more common with people who steal livestock. It’s easy, quick money.” Prison sentences for such crimes can be up to 10 years per animal stolen, officials told Reuters.

Consulting God

They don’t make a Chicken Soup for the Senator’s Soul edition, which is too bad because such a book might have saved Sen. James Lankford a lot of money. The former congressman and newly elected senator spent over $40,000 on “faith-based consulting” during

his latest campaign, Chris Casteel, The Oklahoman’s Washington-based correspondent, reported last week. “In an email response to questions, Lankford’s campaign manager did not respond to the question of what faithbased consulting actually entails,” Casteel reported. In total, Lankford spent over $4 million on his campaign in 2014, so his payment for faith-based consulting services was a relatively low amount of his overall war chest.

We’re No. 3!

Our city has climbed five spots from 2013’s No. 9 slot in The Most Challenging Places to Live with Spring Allergies roundup from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The nonprofit foundation, which advocates to help find a cure and ways to control allergies and asthma, recently surveyed 500 Americans about the impact seasonal allergies have on their day-to-

day activities. Basically, allergies can make you fat. They can also make you single. Actually, that’s not at all what the report said. But more than 81 percent of respondents said their discomfort impacted their fitness regimens. Fitting the large box of medicated, lotion-infused tissues into a fanny pack does make our stair-climbing exercises awkward. Also, sniffles, sneezes, headaches, coughs and sleepless nights ruined dates or relationships in almost 41 percent of men and 28 percent of women respondents. Pass us a tissue. Now, we’re going to cry. But some of us can’t go out for a drink to drown our sadness, either. Almost 45 percent of allergy suffers turn down social invitations. Sigh Sigh.

Snowy traffic

Yet another routine traffic stop in Oklahoma City led to the discovery of lots of drugs. Paul Cooper made an illegal lane change that

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555 Elm Avenue Norman, OK 73019 www.ou.edu/fjjma

For questions and accommodations on the basis of a disability, please call (405) 325- 4938. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo 1 0 | F E B R UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

turned into a nightmare when a K-9 helped police discover a suitcase full of three pounds of cocaine. The sheriff’s office posted on Facebook that the cocaine could be worth up to $120,000. Either way, that’s enough cocaine and dollar bills to make it snow. When will drug traffickers learn that they need to obey traffic laws if they’re moving thousands of dollars worth of illegal stimulants through OKC?

Boren’s official account (see @FakeDavidBoren for the faux original) is run by staff in the president’s office, though Boren will post occasionally, marking his contributions with “DLB” or “DBo.” DBo’s latest contribution as of Feb. 19: “Congrats to OU students for standing up for the teaching of US History!” Welcome aboard, DBo.

Twitter-iffic

Alley oops

Feb. 11 will be marked a historic day. It will be marked as the day @President_Boren — the Twitter persona of University of Oklahoma president David Boren anyway — arrived. The pre-Valentine’s twitterbirth of Boren gave rise to a quick and cool 3,000 followers eager to gaze upon Boren’s cuddly visage posing around campus sculptures or hear about men’s tennis winning the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Indoor National Championship. The Oklahoma Daily reports that

Here’s the thing about alleys: Sometimes they have sex offenders in them. It’s common knowledge that when one sees an alley, the three-question rule should be employed: Is there a person in the alley? Is that person alive and moving? Are they moving because they’re having a wank? If the answer to these questions is yes, it’s advisable that you avoid that alley. If only Laurie Cooper knew this before she approached 47-year-old Henry Sibley, a registered sex offender, in an alley behind the business where she works, she could have prevented some truly

unfortunate nightmares. On Feb. 9, Cooper and her boss were disposing of garbage near SW 59th Street and Western Avenue when they saw Sibley. Though they originally thought he was dead, their concern took quite a different tone when they noticed he was moving. Sibley then exposed himself to the women. Rather than running away, the women did the only logical thing they could and recorded the incident, in detail, on a cell phone camera. They then called OKC police. With the nerve of a thousand nude Art 101 models, Sibley was still in the alley and was arrested shortly thereafter.

Lord Weed

Sir John Michael isn’t your average lord — he doesn’t live in an old English manor house, nor does he wear expensive tailored suits from Savile Row. Actually, he lives in a yellow school bus and is more like a drug lord or maybe just a small-time gardener. During a Feb. 10 interview with News9, he

sported a fur vest, women’s leggings under his boxers and a less-than-perfect ponytail braid. Also, he carries a spear topped with some sort of (magic?) crystal; why wouldn’t he? Michael told News9 that he spotted police helicopters circling the property several times before they arrived to investigate a report of a gunshot. There never was a gunshot; Michael just got a little aggravated while working on his car and broke one of the windows, as you do. When police confronted him, they told him to “put down the gun”; but Michael said he was just “twirling [his] ponytail.” News9.com reported that police found 50 marijuana plants and a few bags of pot instead of the gun they were looking for. Since Michael technically lives in the school bus and not in the home where police found the marijuana, his landlord, David Mason, was taken to jail and Michael was left to bail him out.

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COMMENTARY

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Governing communities BY JOHNSON BRIDGWATER

Oklahoma Sierra Club believes in democracy and the right of local communities to regulate themselves. With this in mind, it is critical to let Oklahomans know that multiple bills were introduced this legislative session (House Bill 1395, HB 1722, HB 1954, HB 2124, HB 2178, Senate Bill 0341, SB 0468, SB 0809, not to mention multiple House “shell” bills) which seek to pre-empt, limit and define what cities and towns may do regarding the regulation of oil and gas activity, including fracking. Combine this attempt to choke democracy at the local level with seven major federal oil and gas exemptions and continuing budget cuts to state regulatory agencies (including the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which itself states it is vastly

underfunded) and it appears that no one is looking out for the best interests of our state’s cities and towns. Sierra Club believes it is wrong to deny communities the right to ban a given activity should they find it detrimental to their well-being. Oklahoma’s Constitution, under Article XVIII, Section 3(a), gives municipal authorities the right to govern themselves regarding health, safety and welfare. We do not believe this right should be limited for the sake of corporations. Intensive industrial activity can radically change the look, feel and lifestyle of rural communities, and they should be able to control any industry that they find fundamentally changes them. It is un-American to attempt to limit democracy for the sake of industry, especially when issues surrounding the

industry are far from settled. Much of the legislation aims to place this issue entirely in the hands of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC). However, there is little evidence that OCC is enacting standards to protect communities from noise, road damage, dirt, pollution, traffic density or other issues associated with increased oil and gas activity. Rather than pursuing legislation aimed at limiting local government, why are we not seeing legislation aimed at protecting Oklahoma’s citizens? And given our own Sen. James Inhofe constantly complains about “government power grabs,” it’s ironic our own state Legislature wants to do just that. No law can single-handedly address all the potential issues a town or city might face. Permits, fees, zoning,

Opinions expressed on the commentary page, in letters to the editor and elsewhere in this newspaper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

licensing, regulations, restrictions or even bans are just some of the legal issues that might come up. Water use, odors, noise, vibrations, emissions, waste, road damage and visual character are just a few of the problem areas that might arise in a town facing rapid industrial development. Given existing case law and Oklahoma Title 52-137, which states “Nothing in this act is intended to limit or restrict the rights of cities to prevent oil or gas drilling therein…,” the proposed legislation is, at best, problematic. Oklahoma Sierra Club hopes our Legislature allows Oklahomans to continue governing and managing their affairs at the local level and instead turn toward legislation to guarantee Oklahoma’s health and safety. Johnson Bridgwater is executive director of Oklahoma Sierra Club, and he urges all Oklahomans to go hiking this weekend.

LETTERS 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.

Fair pay

There’s one way to get rid of the undesirable, or should I say Congress employees that are only in it for the money: Introduce a bill that reduces their income to $50,000 a year. This amount is still above the level of poverty and, I might add, a sum many in America would be thrilled to receive. This would help deter our politicians from not voting because of an upcoming election or the fear they will insult their base. I mean, $50,000 in a politician’s world is chump change. But for the righteous politician whose concern is about making life better for the middle class, I think they would gladly take the job. If we can get enough people in Congress who want to raise the minimum wage, vote for a jobs bill,

reduce interest rates on student loans and pass immigration reform ... we could create one of the greatest nations on this planet. — Joe Wright Oklahoma City Engine fix

My daughter got an F once. I didn’t tell her there was really no such thing as an F. At the time, I didn’t blame the F on my low income. I didn’t claim it was an ill-conceived state law that improperly defined an F. I didn’t opt her out of testing so she couldn’t receive an F. Instead, I called her teacher and asked why she received an F. I then sat down with my daughter and formed a plan. (I also took her phone and her car keys.) Soon, the grade improved; she was given back her keys and her phone — all was forgiven. I worried about how that F would look on her high school transcript when she applied for college. I worried about her not learning what she was supposed to learn in that class. What if she needed that knowledge in college or on a future job or just for life? My daughter has integrity and

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respect. Her teacher had a passion for teaching. She still had an F. There were any number of reasons for the F: work not turned in, substandard work, the material was too challenging. The point is, I found out the reason for the F and worked with my daughter to get it fixed. The same thing should happen with schools that receive an F on the state’s A-F report card system. Students in poverty, minority students or those who have a primary language other than English deserve to be prepared for life beyond high school. If a school filled with poor, nonEnglish-speaking students scores an F, then we have to find a different way to teach those students. There are schools

with the same demographics that also earned A’s. Duplicate the strategies from those schools. If a school received an F on its report card, it isn’t just a few students having a bad test day; this is endemic of system failure. It could be due to bad curriculum, bad administration, ill-prepared teachers, low parental involvement, anything. The F is a check-engine light. You check the engine to see what the problem is, and you fix it. — Tricia Pemberton, former assistant communications director for the Oklahoma State Department of Education Bethany

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COLD WAR KIDS

THURS, MAR 5 BRETT ELDREDGE FRI, MAR. 6

OKG picks are events

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TUES, MAR. 3

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

BOOKS

ELVIS COSTELLO (SOLO)

An Afternoon with Oklahoma Authors, a book signing event highlighting some of Oklahoma’s talented authors includng Robert Aldridge and Mona Long among others and editor, Barbara Shepard, 2 p.m., Feb. 28. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 340-9202, bestofbooksedmond.com. SAT

SAT, MAR. 7 THE TEXAS PLAYBOYS WED, MAR. 10 GREENSKY BLUEGRASS FRI, MAR. 13 BOB SCHNEIDER WED, APR. 1 BAD RELIGION FRI, APR. 3 AARON WATSON W/ Kyle Park & Bo Phillips SUN, APR. 5 THE WAR ON DRUGS

Made By Me Publishing Event, join Publisher Lucinda Thierry and authors JoAnn Hunt and Gay Lewis as they sign and discuss their latest books, 3 p.m., Feb. 28. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT Ray Nicole Johnson Book Signing, author will sign her book, Shoes, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Feb. 28. Coffee Commission, 309 S. Bryant Ave., Edmond, 285-8566, coffeecommissionedmond.com. SAT Book Release Event: Paul Medina’s Enchanted Circles, local visual artist presents a talk about and a reading from his book, Enchanted Circles; a tale of a young boy, a mysterious family, and a journey to the most unimaginable place one could ever imagine, 7:30 p.m., Mar. 2. Pegasus Theater- UCO Campus, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. MON Lou Berney Book Signing, author will discuss and sign his latest book, The Long and Faraway Gone, 6-7:30 p.m., Mar. 3. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 340-9202, bestofbooksedmond.com. TUE

FILM

TULSA, OK ★ 423 NORTH MAIN ST. TICKETS: cainsballroom.com or 877.4.FLY.TIX

Awake: The Life of Yogananda, (US, 2014, dir. Paola di Florio, Lisa Leeman) biopic of the author of The Autobiography of a Yogi, Yogananda, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 2425 The Paramount OKC, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 517-0787, theparamountokc.com. TUE-WED Timbuktu, (FR, 2014, dir. Abderrahmane Sissako) film depicts West Africa’ss brief occupation by Islamic organization, Ansar Dine; a family leads a peaceful life until the father is involved in a violent accident and their life changes, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 26; 8 p.m., Feb. 28. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 2363100, okcmoa.com. THU/SAT Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, (US, 2014, dir. James Keach) follow country-music star Glen Campbell as he lives with Alzheimer’s disease and embarks on his farewell tour, 7 p.m., Feb. 27; 5:30 p.m., Feb. 28; 2 p.m., Mar. 1. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI-SUN

Oscar Tune-Up Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s Oscar Tune-Up continues Saturday with two screenings of nominated films. Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me (nominated for Best Original Song) documents the country singer’s Goodbye Tour and features appearances by numerous celebrities. Timbuktu (nominated for Best Foreign Language Film) depicts a West African nation’s struggle with militant Islamic occupation. The films show at 5:30 and 8 p.m. respectively on Saturday at the museum’s Samuel Noble Theater, 415 Couch Drive. Tickets are $5-$9. Visit okcmoa.com.

Saturday

Goldfinger, (US, 1964, dir. Guy Hamilton) James Bond comes to Tuesday Night Classics at Harkins, 7 p.m., Mar. 3. Harkins Theatre, 150 E. Reno Ave., 231-4747, harkinstheatres.com. TUE

Spelling Bee(r) The OKC Midtown Rotary Spelling Bee(r) fundraiser is Friday. It features beers from Anthem Brewing Company, a silent auction, food from The Paramount OKC and an optional spelling bee, including a $500 grand prize. Comedian Spencer Hicks also will perform. The bee(r) starts at 6 p.m. at The Paramount OKC, 701 W. Sheridan Ave. Tickets are $20-$25 for designated drivers and $40$45 general admission. Visit okcmidtownrotary.com.

Best Original Song

Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me Sat | 5:30 p.m. Sun | 2 p.m. Best Foreign Language Film

For movie descriptions and ticket sales visit OKCMOA.COM

PROVID ED

Timbuktu Thurs | 7:30 p.m. Sat | 8 p.m.

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Friday

HAPPENINGS Beginning Soap Making, hands-on class exploring the art of soap-making using both historic and modern methods, noon-3 p.m., Feb. 28. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 521-2491, okhistory.org/ historycenter. SAT Meditation: Connecting to the Divine, lecture series based on the Western Astrological system that follows the sun’s movement through each zodiac sign; discover the archetype of Pisces as well as basic mediation techniques and tips, 2-3 p.m., Mar. 1. School of Metaphysics, 908 NW 12th St., 228-0506, som.org. SUN Relationship Between Chemistry and Art, Eric Bosch, Ph. D., professor of chemistry at Missouri State University will present a lecture about the relationship between chemistry and art covering topics from the chemistry of 30,000-year-old cave paintings to modern forgeries of classic paintings and how chemistry can “out” a counterfeiter; dinner included, 7:30 p.m., Mar. 3. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. TUE

FOOD Eat Local, Be Local: How to Shop and Eat Local, hear about Farmer’s Markets and learn about Community Supported Agriculture and eating for the seasons featuring Budd Scott of Oklahoma Farm and Food Alliance and Jonathon Stranger, chef and owner of Ludivine, noon-1 p.m., Feb. 26. Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 297-3995, myriadgardens.com. THU Saturday Cooking Class, learn to make delicious etouffee, 10-11 a.m., Feb. 28. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Road, Edmond, 509-2700, uptowngroceryco. com. SAT

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Buy one entrée and receive second entrée half off with this ad (Does not include Tues./Wed. Specials)

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617 SOUTH BROADWAY • EDMOND • 405-340-1925

JA N UA RY 3 1 – A P R I L 26 Chicago This weekend, Classen School of Advanced Studies presents Broadway’s longest-running American musical, Chicago. The corageous and spirited production is directed by Samantha Waldrop and features two casts of students that include freshmen to seniors. The Murder Cast performs Thursday and Saturday and the Jazz Cast performs Friday at the school’s theater, 1901 N. Ellison St. Tickets are $5-$10. Find times and tickets at classen-theater.tixato. com.

Thursday-Saturday

YOUTH Personalized Door Hanger, create a cute beaded door hanger that’s perfect for your bedroom, 10 a.m.-noon, Feb. 28. Michaels, 5012 N. May Ave., 942-8920, michaels.com. SAT Oklahoma Children’s Theatre presents A Birthday Party for Cat in the Hat, celebrate with Thing 1, Thing 2, that grumpy old fish, and all the other characters with a special performance of Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, followed by a birthday surprise for Cat with cookies, punch, photos, and fun games for the whole family, 10:30 a.m., Feb. 28. Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 606-7003, oklahomachildrenstheatre.org. SAT Special Storytime Event, celebrate Black History Month with I am Rosa Parks and I am Jackie Robinson by Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos, 11 a.m., Feb. 28. Barnes & Noble, Quail Springs, 13800 N. May Ave., 755-1155, barnesandnoble.com. SAT Drop-In Art: Tile Art, guest artists as they interact with families to create extraordinary works of art inspired by the Museum’s collection, exhibitions and special occasions, 1-4 p.m., Feb. 28. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT

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2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, OK 73072-7029 (405) 325-4712 | www.samnoblemuseum.org © Charles M. Russell, To the Victor Belong the Spoils, 1901. JKM Collection®, National Museum of Wildlife Art. Sponsored by The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please call (405) 325-4712. O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 | 1 5

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continued

Third Thursdays with John Cooper & Friends John Cooper of the Red Dirt Rangers hosts the Third Thursdays with John Cooper & Friends concert series 7 p.m. Thursday at Tidewater Winery, 54560 W. Highway 16, in Drumright. The Damn Quails kicks off the inaugural show. The event also offers a buffet dinner catered by Joseph’s Fine Foods. Tickets are $10 for the concert only; $20 for concert, buffet and a drink ticket; and $150 for food, drink and music for a table for eight. Visit tidewaterwinery.com.

Thursday

PERFORMING ARTS

ACTIVE

Les Liaisons Dangereuses, production adapted from the 1782 novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos; two rivals use sex as a weapon of humiliation and degradation, all while enjoying their cruel games, 8 p.m., Feb. 25-28. Reduxion Theatre Company, 914 N Broadway Ave., Ste. 120, 651-3191, reduxiontheatre. com. WED-SAT

OU Sooners vs. Baylor Bears, women’ss college basketball, 7 p.m., Feb. 25. Lloyd Noble Center, 2900 S. Jenkins Ave., Norman, 325-4666, lloydnoblecenter. com. WED

Camelot, the Tony Award winning musical of King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and the Knights of the Round Table comes to Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 26; 8 p.m., Feb. 27; 2 & 8 p.m., Feb. 28 & Mar. 1. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. THU-SUN Marvel Universe Live!, an original story that brings more than 25 Marvel characters together on one epic quest, the battle over the Cosmic Cube; including The Avengers, Spider-Man and Wolverine along with their enemies the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus and many more, 7 p.m., Feb. 27; 11 a.m., 3 & 7 p.m., Feb. 28; 1:30 & 5:30 p.m., Mar. 1. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. FRI-SUN Who Am I This Time?, three stories from Vonnegut’s first short story collection, Welcome to the Monkey House, sewn together to create a comedic play, 8 p.m., Feb. 27-28. Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main St., 232-6500, carpentersquare.com. FRI-SAT Pirates of Penzance, Oklahoma City University presents a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operetta, 8 p.m., Feb. 27-28; 3 p.m., Mar. 1. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 208-5000, okcu.edu. FRI-SUN Bryan Gutmann, stand up comedian featured on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, 9-11 p.m., Feb. 28. Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave., Norman, opolis.org. SAT

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Barons vs. San Antonio, The Oklahoma City Barons host the San Antonio Rampage, the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers, 7 p.m., Feb. 27-28. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. FRI-SAT Hog Jog, 5K, 10K, or a one-mile fun run/walk benefiting Angels Foster Care for Edmond Memorial High School’s Swine Week Fundraiser, 9 a.m., Feb. 28. Wheeler Park, 1120 S. Western Ave. SAT OSU Cowgirls vs. Oklahoma Sooners, women’s college basketball, 7 p.m., Mar. 2. Gallagher-Iba Arena, W Hall of Fame Ave., Stillwater, (877) 227-6773, okstate.com. MON OKC Thunder vs. Philadelphia 76ers, NBA basketball game, 7 p.m., Mar. 4. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. WED

VISUAL ARTS A World Unconquered: The Art of Oscar Brousse Jacobson, exhibit celebrating Oscar Brousse Jacobson featuring over 50 of his pieces and insight into the vital role he played in the visual arts in the region. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. Abstract Abstract, a group exhibition of small abstract paintings from eleven local, national and international artists. Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 360-1162, mainsite-art.com. Ansel Adams: Masterworks, a collection of 47 works by photographer Ansel Adams; nature, architecture, portraits and landscapes. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Black and White Retrospective of Oklahoma, photography works by Eric Bloemers of Oklahoma and the OKC metro area. BlackMint Collective, 800 W. Sheridan Ave., 219-5074, facebook.com/ blackmintcollective.

Red Star Studios Resident Exhibition, exhibition of ceramics by artists from Red Star Studios in Kansas City, Missouri and features functional pottery, figurative sculptures and installations. The Lightwell Gallery, 520 Parrington Oval, Rm. 202, Norman.

Evanescent Iridescence, exhibit by local artist John Bruce featuring an array of nineteen paintings and eight altarpieces. Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 360-1162, mainsite-art.com.

#ShitISeeAtWork, exhibit of real estate photographer Brad Fielder and the weird and crazy things he sees daily while on the job, 5-9 p.m., Mar. 1. Brass Bell Studios, 2500 NW 33rd St., 361-3481, facebook.com/ brassbellstudios. SUN

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Samara: A Mid-Century Dream Home, exhibit explores the creation of a Wright house though the eyes of a client who spent more than fifty years fulfilling the architect’s Usonian vision. Oklahoma State University Museum of Art, 720 S. Husband St., Stillwater, 744-6016, museum.okstate. edu. Gouge and Ink, a brief look into relief printing with printmaker, Kjelshus Collins as he discusses the ancient and influential relief printing process; in conjunction with the 2014 Monothon Exhibit, 6-8 p.m., Feb. 26. Artspace at Untitled, 1 N.E. 3rd St., 815-9995, artspaceatuntitled.org. THU Monkey Do: New Works by Matt Goad, exhibit showcasing work from the graphic designer and illustrator who also specializes in woodcut printing. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 4457080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com/events.

Strange Lands, exhibit featuring three international artists and 3 local Oklahoma artists; the collection seeks to reconcile humankind’s reach towards the heavens as well as its deep roots in Earth. SIG, 131 Dean A McGee Ave., Suite 135, sigokc.org. The Ladies: New Works by Thomas Batista, exhibit by well-known local expressionist artist that pays homage to the beauty of femininity and focuses on character. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 604-6602, kasumcontemporary.com. Western Bronze, figures sculpted by nationally renown sculptor HR Kaiser. The Summer Wine Art Gallery, 2928-B Paseo St., 831-3279, summerwinegallery.com.

Native American Easel Art, 1879-1979: An Oklahoma Story, lecture in conjunction with The First Fifty Years of Oklahoma Art exhibit discussing the origins and history of Native American easel art, 6-7 p.m., Feb. 26. Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com. THU

PROVIDED

Red Hot Art, February exhibit of artists who have been inspired by the color red which is known to raise your blood pressure and quicken your heartbeat. Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com

Small Town: Portraits of a Disappearing America Brazilian photographer Alex Leme focuses his lens on the abandoned spaces of Cotton Plant, Arkansas, with his exhibition Small Town: Portraits of a Disappearing America. An internationally exhibited and nationally commended artist, Leme seeks to create a record of rural America before it deteriorates from our collective memory. The exhibit runs through April 2 at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd. Admission is free. Visit oklahomacontemporary.com. For OKG

Wednesday-Wednesday, ongoing

music picks see page 39

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LIFE FOOD REVIEW

Uncomplicated Sometimes, the best dishes are the simple ones made with the least amount of fuss. At Grub, less is more. BY GREG ELWELL

Grub 5501 S. Main St., Suite 102, Del City | 606-2542 WHAT WORKS: The roasted chicken and the potato salad are tops. WHAT NEEDS WORK: The pork sandwich needs less grease and more flavor. TIP: If you’re getting it to-go, help yourself to the plasticware. Grub Farmers Market Salad

Grub’s roasted half-chicken with a side of fresh-made mac and cheese.

P HOTOS BY M A RK HA N COC K

Del City is right there. I’m not sure why it always feels a world away. Maybe because that’s where my dentist’s office was as a kid. Maybe because people don’t seem to talk about it much. But it’s there. It’s 10 minutes away. Sometimes I can’t find parking downtown in 10 minutes. Bear in mind, I am not good at parallel parking. Or really any parking. I might need to talk to my ophthalmologist about depth perception. Thankfully, my taste perception still seems pretty good. Even as the lights slowly dim and I find myself walking blindly through this world, I can tell you that the food at Grub, 5501 S. Main St., Suite 102, in Del City is good. Grub bills itself as a scratch kitchen, which means it’s making what it serves. In a better world, that wouldn’t be a novelty. But in a better world, Oklahoma City wouldn’t have restaurants that sell chicken-fried steaks that come pre-breaded and frozen. Not at Grub, though, which accounts for its simple, focused menu. And, believe me, that’s not a pejorative. More restaurants should have the confidence in their product to go small.

Filament light bulbs are part of the minimalistic, casual atmosphere at Grub in Del City.

The base for many dishes is the roasted chicken ($9 for a half bird), which is tasty and simple. An enjoyable rub of seasonings, a little time spent in the oven and then it’s served to you. Well-seasoned and crisp chicken skin is a delicacy to itself, and more so when it comes attached to a tender, juicy bird. (If you’re looking for something a little sweeter, Grub also does a version that’s basted with a honey barbecue glaze.) Some chickens are destined to be carved up for salads, like my personal favorite

More restaurants should have the confidence in their product to go small.

The Farmers Market ($9). The chilled, thinly sliced breast is tossed with apple slices, Mandarin oranges, strawberries, almonds and fresh greens. I loved the fruit, though for that price, I wish there was a bit more of that and a bit less lettuce. I also wish I’d gone for an oil-and-vinegar dressing instead of the Mandarin vinaigrette, which was a touch too sweet for my tastes. Even so, it was fresh, light and better than many salads. The chicken also goes into the chicken salad sandwich ($9), which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Mixed with mayo, mustard and honey, it is definitely on the creamier side, but the crunch of the celery, onion and pecans gives it body and the flaky croissant adds a

satisfying chew. The sides were a real treat, though. The fresh green beans were as-advertised, and the home-style mac and cheese was a perfect blend of velvety and crunchy. Will I ever be mad at burned cheese? Of course not. Especially in this dish. But the winner for me was the red potato salad loaded up with a flavorful dressing; chewy bacon; and big, tender chunks of potato. Grub has a rotating cast of daily specials, but it’s always a good idea to get the meatball sub when it’s available. I was less impressed with the Big Pig ($10), its pulled pork sandwich. The ciabatta bread was ill-suited to the task of holding in all that hearty meat. And the pork, while moist, mostly tasted like barbecue sauce. Indeed, there’s nothing overtly fancy about Grub. The place looks clean, and its sense of style makes it clear it has its eyes on future restaurant expansion. But right now, Grub is focused on making its menu mouthwatering and making diners comfortable. And for people who don’t think about going to Del City much, Grub isn’t too far away if you’re looking for a simple menu done well.

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LIFE FOOD & DRINK

Profit Perk

M A RK HA N COC K

Coffee and delicious light fare help local charities at this community-based cafe.

BY ANGELA BOTZER

Free coffee sounds too good to be true. Blink your bleary eyes and smile because from 7 to 8 a.m. each day, Perk Place Café in Edmond gives it away. Widen that grin. “We have a generosity jar where people can contribute as much or as little as they like to local charities,” said Perk Place Café co-owner Natalie Meyer. She and husband Jeff believe “generosity changes lives.” Compassion is the driving force behind the cozy cafe at 1649 W. 33rd St. in Edmond. Once there, try the Grounds 4 Compassion roast made with premium, ethically grown beans from the nonprofit of the same name. Sold both by the cup and by the bag, the coffee is roasted and processed locally in Bethany.

Perk Place Café owners Natalie and Jeff Meyer in their Edmond shop.

“Grounds 4 Compassion works directly with coffee farmers in countries worldwide ... promoting self-sufficiency,” Jeff said. Much of the money G4C earns goes back into communities. “We get coffee from many different regions around the world, with a strong focus on Haiti,” added Grounds 4 Compassion (G4C) founder and owner Bradley Carter. Perk Place Café’s mission doesn’t stop with charities; it’s also strongly hyper-local. The couple supports Made in Oklahoma Coalition, which promotes locally made and produced foods and other dining-related products. The cafe is a comfy place to hang out (yes, there’s WiFi) with an array of lattes, cappuccino, iced coffees, scrumptious

smoothies and loose-leaf teas. Dining options include local foods and daily specials, panini and wrap sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, a BLT salad, daily soups, chili and a parfait bar. The Meyers do more than slide a generosity jar onto the counter as part of their pay-it-forward philosophy. They also donate 25 cents from each coffee sale to Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s Food for Kids program and the locally based nonprofit Water4. Jim Stewart, head of Water4 partner development, said he was impressed by the Meyers’ willingness to volunteer proceeds from the cafe’s busiest time of day to give away free coffee as a way to promote civic-mindedness.

“They are going to give out free coffee so less fortunate people can have clean drinking water,” Stewart said. Water4 helps provide clean drinking water in Africa and around the world. “We have young children, and the idea of not having clean water is heartbreaking to us,” Natalie said. Similarly, Perk Place donations help the Regional Food Bank’s Food for Kids Backpack Program provide area children with backpacks filled with healthy, kidfriendly foods. The Meyers happily look toward a future that will include new charities and a new catering business. “It’s been a neat ride. It will be fun to see where it goes,” Jeff said.

FOOD BRIEFS BY GAZETTE STAFF

MARK HANCOCK / FILE

Coffee venture

Oh SNAP Oklahoma State University at Oklahoma City Farmers Market, Horticulture Pavilion, 400 N. Portland Ave., now accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments. SNAP is a federal assistance program that helps low-income families access more nutritious eating options, including fruits and vegetables. In 2014, there were 122,492 SNAP recipients in Oklahoma County, according to an Oklahoma State University (OSU) media release. “This will directly impact our community by not only providing fresh, healthy and delicious products to SNAP users but it will also help support local farmers and ranchers,” said Hallie Frobose, OSU-OKC Farmers Market manager in a media statement.

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Steve Willingham, head roaster at Elemental Coffee, is opening a new shop downtown. Willingham hopes to open Clarity Coffee, 431 W. Main St., in late spring in the new parking garage recently built by the city on Main Street. “We are wanting it to have a fastpaced downtown feel in one area of it and still have a relaxing atmosphere,” Willingham said. Clarity Coffee will not roast its own beans but will offer a variety, including Elemental Coffee Roasters. Willingham worked for Elemental for over three years and was at Gray Owl Coffee in Norman before that. “There’s been this uptick [in recent years] with people becoming obsessed with coffee quality,” Willingham said.

The Langston University School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences is holding a workshop about aquaculture 9 a.m. Saturday at E.L. Holloway Research, Education and Extension Center, 701 Sammy Davis Jr. Drive, in Langston (pictured). For both hobbyists and commercial producers, the Aquaculture Workshop Program focuses on aquaponic marketing, production and processing, according to a Langston University media release. It’s free and open to the public. Advance registrants may buy a catfish lunch for $10. On-site registration opens at 8 a.m. Saturday. For more information or to register, contact George Luker at gluker@langston.edu or call 466-3077.

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Farm fish

Craving kolache These Czech-inspired pastries are full of flavor and history. BY ANGELA BOTZER

Known by multiple names — kolacky, kolatchen, koláč, kolach, klobasnek or kolache — it translates into a delicious, sweet, fruit- or meat-filled pastry. Shapes give a clue to the fillings inside. Elongated rolls are usually filled with sausage, meat or cheese. Rounded or diamond-shaped pastries often contain fruit fillings such as apricot or apple in a sugar paste. The story of how the treats arrived here is one of immigration. Czechs and other immigrants settled in Oklahoma Territory and brought with them their culture and cuisine, including kolache. Find nine types at North May Donuts & Kolaches, 10712 N. May Ave. Its star is a double-barreled number, two side-by-side sausages with cheese wrapped in pastry ($1.49). Varieties include bacon, egg and cheese; cheese; jalapeño; egg; ham; and fruit.

Sok San has been the baker at North May Donuts & Kolaches for over 5 years. Here, he prepares kolache for morning customers. For something quick, The Donut Palace, 1701 W. Britton Road, is a small, drive-through-only, one-stop shop. Baked on-site, its sausage kolache come in two sizes: small (89 cents) and large ($1.99). Arrive early, as the shop often closes when the pastries sell out. Ingrid’s Kitchen, 6501 N. May Ave., features big, round kolache filled with raspberry or apricot ($3). It also sells sausage and cheese kolache ($3) to-go from its in-store section. South of the city, find an extracheesy sausage kolach for $1.99 at Donut Palace & Kolache, 900 SW Fourth St., in Moore. They’re made fresh daily, and its sausage is a juicy combination of chicken, beef and pork.

Love baking?

Here’s a kolache recipe to try at home, adapted from the Smithsonian Folklife Cookbook.

Czech Apricot Kolaches Pastry 3 tablespoons dry yeast 1/2 cup lukewarm water 1 teaspoon sugar 2 cups milk, scalded and slightly cooled 3/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup oil 1/2 teaspoon mace 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3 eggs well beaten 7 cups unbleached flour

AdvAnced Screening & converSAtion A FREE EVENT

Filling 2 1/2 cups finely sliced, dried apricots 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 3 teaspoons lemon juice 1/2 cup sugar to taste Glaze egg wash 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup flour 2 tablespoons butter, softened Directions 1. Dissolve yeast in water with 1 teaspoon sugar. 2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except two cups flour. Beat well. Add remaining flour, stirring with a wooden spoon. Place in a large, greased container, cover and refrigerate overnight. 3. For filling, boil dried apricots in water for 20 minutes. Drain and combine all ingredients, add sugar to taste. 4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 5. To shape kolache, place a portion of cooled dough on a floured surface. Pat dough into a rectangular shape about 1/4-inch thick and cut with a sharp knife into 2-inch squares. Working with a few squares at a time, stretch slightly and drop one teaspoon of filling in the center. Draw together the corners at the center, two diagonal corners at a time. 6. Brush the tops with the egg wash. Mix sugar, flour and butter and sprinkle it on top. Place kolache on a greased cookie sheet. Let them rise for about 30 minutes and bake until light brown.

Thursday, March 5 at 6:30PM

OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY Kerr McGee Theatre inside the meinders’ school of business

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& O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 | 2 1

Edmond eats Edmond has grown into a bustling city that offers many attractive dining choices, from diner fare at family-owned Around the Corner to the flavors of Africa at Haiget’s Restaurant. Here are some of our favorites. — by Devon Green, photos by Mark Hancock and Garett Fisbeck

Around the Corner Restaurant 11 S. Broadway, Edmond facebook.com/AroundTheCornerEdmond 341-5414

This cozy, family-owned breakfast and lunch spot is a favorite of Edmond diners. After devouring its madefrom-scratch blueberry waffle, you’ll understand why there’s usually a wait for a table, especially on weekends. You’ll most likely leave planning your next trip, perhaps for lunch, to have one of the burgers and an order of hand-cut curly fries.

Bighead’s 617 S. Broadway Extension, Edmond 340-1925

Bighead’s offers Cajun-inspired favorites like red beans and rice, chicken and sausage gumbo and po’boy sandwiches made with shrimp, catfish, blackened chicken, chicken strips, oysters, crawfish or alligator. There also are daily specials and side orders like sweet potato fries, fried pickles and (fried) calamari.

Othello’s Italian Restaurant 1 S. Broadway, Edmond othellosofedmond.com | 330-9045

This family-owned Oklahoma institution started in Norman in 1977 and opened its Edmond location in 2000. This casual eatery offers original family recipes, including tantalizing pasta dishes and perfectly made lasagna. Start with toasted ravioli. For an entree, try a house specialty like linguine with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes.

Athens Greek & American

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Haiget’s Restaurant & Catering 308 W. Edmond Road, Edmond haigets.com | 509-6441

Haiget’s Restaurant introduces guests to the tastes of Kenya and Ethiopia. Offerings from each country are featured in separate menu sections, and the helpful staff will guide you through any questions you might have. To ease into the experience, we recommend the beef stew, a savory yet not-too-spicy dish. Enjoy it with chapati, a chewy Kenyan flat bread.

Rocky Mountain Grill 231 S. Coltrane Road, Edmond 562-4777

This menu highlights a delicious blend of Tex-Mex and Americana inspired by New Mexico and Colorado cuisines. Breakfast options include a green chili burrito that can be smothered in green chili stew. There are also everyday favorites like French toast; chicken-fried steak; and Brian’s Special, a burger with all the trimmings topped with a fried egg.

Lottinvilles Restaurant and Bar 801 Signal Ridge Drive, Edmond lottinvillesrestaurant.com | 341-2244

Lottinvilles offers an elegant dining experience featuring mouthwatering choices, including gluten-free and vegetarian options. Rotating specials include blue corn chicken enchiladas with red chili sauce, fresh avocado and a fried egg. It’s served with a side order of green chili mac made with a creamy sauce that carries just a hint of heat.

Simply Falafel 343 S. Blackwelder Ave., Edmond facebook.com/simplyfalafeledmond 341-4646

Simply Falafel offers an array of flavorful Middle Eastern and American dishes. There are vegan and vegetarian choices, including tabbouleh, colorful fattoush salad and house tomato basil soup. For non-vegetarians, the lamb burger is well-seasoned and tender, and the chicken shawarma is wonderful as a sandwich or in a platter with basmati rice and vegetables.

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LIFE SHOPPING

Seasoned greetings The Folded Paper Co. has cards for the cynical jerk in each of us. BY LOUIS FOWLER

“Money.” That’s the lone reason local writer Greg Elwell gives when asked why he decided to start his own greeting card company, The Folded Paper Co. At least he’s honest, which is fitting, because his cards are even more so. “I had recently seen ... some clever handmade cards, but a lot of that stuff is very flowery and overly sentimental,” Elwell said. “So I started thinking about what sort of cards I would like to receive, something a little more realistic. I started sketching some ideas and showing them to my friends, and they laughed and kind of got into it. And then, somewhere along the way, it became a joke that went too far.” Best known in the metro for his biting food critiques, Elwell has been able to transfer that sharp eye for culinary quips to sarcastic quotes for the company’s first line of cards. They range from Valentine’s Day and romance to birthday cards that prominently feature Death saying, “You’re getting old.” The cards are mostly featured and for purchase at thefoldedpaper.co, but Elwell is hoping to get them into some local shops soon. In addition to the pre-made cards, what Elwell believes makes his company different is that he will work with customers to tailor a specific and personalized card, no matter the subject matter. “I have a lot of friends who have dirty minds or are kind of cynical — not that they aren’t emotional people. But at some point, you look at all these ... cards and you’re like, ‘Okay,’ with a little bit of an eye-roll,” Elwell said. He believes it’s sweet but most people have a sense of humor and want to laugh and reserve the romance for real life and not a card made for mass consumption. “Ideally, though, [my] cards will appeal to everybody who has money and likes to buy things,” Elwell said. Each pre-made card retails for $5,

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I started sketching some ideas and showing them to my friends, and they laughed and kind of got into it. And then, somewhere along the way, it became a joke that went too far. — Greg Elwell

while personalized cards will run about twice that. The art on the cards is black-andwhite and utilizes a “childish and rudimentary” style that seems to make them edgier and funnier. “They come in a nice, black envelope just like my shriveled heart,” Elwell added. “I just hope that somebody thinks this is funny and people enjoy them and like me personally. That’s what this is really about. I mean, the money’s nice, but I’m really just seeking people’s approval and desperately hoping somebody loves me.” — Editor’s note: Greg Elwell freelances for Oklahoma Gazette.

Eagle eyes A small dinosaur fossil with big implications is now on display at the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History.

Tom Luczycki, exhibit director at the Sam Noble Museum in Norman, examines a reproduction of the Aquilops americanus skull. BY DEVON GREEN

While the writers behind Jurassic World — the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise — were busy dreaming up new and creative ways to thrill audiences, paleontologists with the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (SNOMNH), 2401 Chautauqua Ave., in Norman have been building a display so the public can experience a real and completely new dinosaur. Although the fossil is a skull the size of a lemon, this diminutive creature has big implications for what we know about the horned-face dinosaurs called ceratopsia. The better-known members of this family include Triceratops and Pentaceratops. SNOMNH has one of the largest examples of Pentaceratops on permanent display. The new specimen was formally named Aquilops americanus by Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology Richard Cifelli for SNOMNH, who, along with his team of researchers, discovered the fossil in the Cloverleaf formation outside of Billings, Montana. The name translates to American eagle face — Aqui is Latin for eagle, and ops is Greek for face. The discovery has given us a better understanding of what we know of the beasts that once roamed the American West.

Uncovering connections

Cifelli led the team of paleontologists and researchers from Oklahoma and California. At the time of the discovery, the team had no idea they had unearthed anything remarkable, much less a fossil that changes our understanding of the ceratopsia lineage. The team that excavated the tiny, mostly intact skull was convinced it was the fossil of a small, plant-eating dinosaur that the Cloverleaf

You have this teeny, tiny primitive one, which has got a beak but no frills to speak of, and then this kick-ass, gigantic descendant. — Richard Cifelli

is rich with. “It was a fist-sized piece of rock, and all we could see was a couple of teeth. We sent it back with Scott [Madsen, a paleontologist and fossil preparator] because it was a nice specimen,” Cifelli said. “It wasn’t until he’d had it a year or a year and a half [that] it hit him with a force of a blinding ‘I know what that is!’” Cifelli, who has worked with Madsen since the ’70s, explained that Madsen’s task as a preparator is meticulous and slow-going. Working with needles about the size of leather sewing needles, he removed about one to three grains of rock at a time to reveal the skull’s beak and a bone unique to ceratopsia called a rostral bone. These two characteristics distinguished it as a member of the same family that produced the giant Triceratops and Pentaceratops millions of years later. American paleontologists have struggled with the lineage of horned dinosaurs, especially in North America, because of a lack of evidence in the fossil record. To be certain about the skull’s potential meaning in terms of the North

American ceratopsia lineage, Cifelli called on Andrew Farke. “[Farke] is not only a specialist on horned dinosaurs but has studied all the specimens in China,” Cifelli said. China’s examples of fossil ceratopsia are far more complete. In some cases, they predate North American’s varieties by a few million years. “[Paleontologists] all pretty much agree the group originated in Asia because the oldest and most primitive forms are there,” Cifelli said. Aquilops’ age is the most compelling evidence that members of the hornedface family migrated to North America several times over the course of millions of years rather than in one single migration, most likely over the land bridge that once connected Alaska and Russia. “There had been bits and pieces of the same era [as Aquilops] before, but nothing identifiable,” Cifelli said. “This [specimen] shows us that they are really basic, they don’t belong to the great groups we see later in North America.”

On display

The fact that the skull is relatively intact is remarkable. Skulls are usually the first to crumble in the preservation process because of their hollow nature. For the first discovery of the dinosaur’s kind to be a skull is a rarity. This can also be problematic, as some characteristics in the skull appear to be juvenile, and juvenile remains sometimes exhibit characteristics that are not found in adults. When there’s only one, this can skew the evidence and the implications for a new species. Luckily, with Farke’s analytical help, the group was comfortable with the skull being an

older juvenile. The team’s findings were first published in PLOS ONE, an openaccess, peer-reviewed publication of research, resources and materials that is free to academics and the public. Farke and Cifelli, along with two others, published A Ceratopsian Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Western North America, and the Biogeography of Neoceratopsia in 2014. The article immediately gained attention in academic circles and popular science publications including National Geographic and Discover. The fossil has captured academic and public imaginations alike, especially those interested in evolution. How could something develop from such a small creature to one of the largest dinosaurs to roam the continent? The contrast is especially striking when viewed at the museum. The Hall of Ancient Life, where the specimen is on display, is arranged chronologically. The museum staff highlighted Aquilops’ time period as well as its contrast in size to its formidable relative, Pentaceratops. “It actually goes with the community where the raptors are in space and time, but it actually is a relative of the Pentaceratops. We’re going to stick this thing right in between, at opposite extremes,” Cifelli said. “So you have this teeny, tiny primitive one, which has got a beak but no frills to speak of, and then this kick-ass, gigantic descendant.” The visitors will see three versions of the skull on display: the actual skull, a cast of the skull with restoration and repair and a 3-D, interactive model. The skull is part of the museum’s permanent collection and is now on display in the vertebrate paleontology collection.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 | 2 5

M A R K HA N COC K

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Cagey conundrum

OU’s production of award-winning La Cage aux Folles isn’t a show about queens, though you’ll see everything from sequins and can-can numbers to a drag bar. BY CHRISTIAN WILSON

La Cage aux Folles 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, 8 p.m. March 6-7, 3 p.m. March 8 Reynolds Performing Arts Center University of Oklahoma 560 Parrington Oval, Norman theatre.ou.edu 325-4101 $20-$30

Packaged as a campy musical comedy dressed in drag and sprinkled with “meet the parents” tension, La Cage aux Folles has delighted audiences through its many iterations the past 30 years. The Tony and Olivier Awardwinning musical hits University of Oklahoma’s Reynolds Performing Arts Center Friday. “It’s a story of a family, a universal story, where their son has fallen in love and they’re worried about meeting the fiancée, the in-laws,” said Shawn Churchman, who acted in an earlier production of the work and serves as faculty member and director of the production. “This isn’t a show about drag queens.” Though influenced by the AIDS crisis in the 1970s and ’80s and focalized through a same-sex couple and gay community, the show succeeds due its simple message, Churchman said. “In the 1980s, we thought we were going to be pummeled or that people would walk out in droves,” Churchman said. “It was shocking

how popular the show was, and it’s because it’s not a political show.” Originally produced in 1983, the musical garnered nine Tony nominations, winning Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. Later revivals in 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2011 won additional accolades. The OU theatre production carries a 25-member cast, featuring guest artist and alum Aaron Umsted and student actors Tanner Rose and Aaron Boudreaux in lead roles. “[Umsted] has been a very successful OU alum, and it’s thrilling to have a successful alum work with our current students,” Churchman said. “It’s thrilling for them and extremely gratifying for [the faculty] as well.” The plot revolves around Georges (Umsted), the manager of a drag club and romantic partner of the club’s leading queen Albin. When his son, Jean-Michel, attempts to introduce Georges to his fiancée’s ultra-conservative parents — who just so happen to want the drag club closed — Georges and Albin act the part of heterosexual couple in order to smooth the interaction. From having nearly 70 outfits for the show’s drag queens to building a passerelle, or catwalk, that extends around the orchestra pit into the audience, there is no shortage of production value.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 | 2 9

P ROVI DED

Get ready for summer now!

MidFirst Bank, one of Oklahoma’s largest employers, is seeking candidates for a variety of call center opportunities in our home loan servicing operation:

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Customer Service Representatives Loss Mitigation Follow Up Associates Loss Mitigation Plan Administrators

We are looking for individuals who possess strong communication skills, a positive attitude and a desire to help others. These positions require extensive phone contact (inbound/outbound calls) with mortgagors and require someone who has excellent multi-tasking skills to assist with file documentation. Candidates must be dependable and have strong PC skills. Some of the many reasons to join our team include: • Standard working hours for most positions are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. • Bilingual candidates fluent in Spanish and English earn an additional $1 per hour • Competitive salaries and excellent benefits • Classroom-style and on-the-job training programs • Business casual atmosphere Equal Opportunity Employer - M/F/Disability/Vets For additional information about these exciting career opportunities and to complete an online application, please visit our website.

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Marvelous action

Superheroes fight for what’s good and right with help from acrobats, stunt drivers and pyrotechnics. BY DAVID DEAN

Marvel Universe Live! 7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday; 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday Chesapeake Energy Arena 100 W. Reno Ave. chesapeakearena.com 602-8700 $20-$80

Marvel Universe Live! is an original, live-action arena extravaganza and one of the biggest tours in the country. Aerialists, motorcycle artists, martial artists, stunt drivers, gymnasts and dancers perform a nonstop thrill ride filled with the most Marvel characters assembled in a single show. It takes over Chesapeake Energy Arena this weekend, 100 W. Reno Ave. “All of your favorite heroes and villains will be on the arena floor, completing some of the most phenomenal and breathtaking stunts you’ve ever seen,” said Madison Embrey, who plays Special Agent Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D., who is second in command to Nick Fury. Embrey was part of a dance performance here a few years ago and is looking forward to performing again. “Everyone was so hospitable, and there was a great love for the performing arts, so I’m excited to be back,” she said. The storyline is framed around the Cosmic Cube, a sought-after source of ultimate power in the Marvel Universe. The cube was shattered into pieces by hammerwielding god Thor in order to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

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Marvel Universe Live! hits Oklahoma City with multiple performances this weekend. His villainous brother, Loki, devises a scheme to clone its powers, inciting a threat that could eliminate Earth and obliterate the universe. Marvel superheroes — including The Avengers, Spider-Man and Wolverine — will all be there, along with some of their biggest adversaries, such as Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus and Electro. “I couldn’t imagine a more exciting experience for my first postgraduation job,” Embrey said. “The cast and crew are my family.” The production company, Feld Entertainment, has also done shows for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Monster Jam, Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Disney On Ice. “Something that I’ve recognized in every city is when I’m walking outside after the shows, I see how happy everyone is,” Embrey said. “The kids are acting like their favorite superheroes, and the parents are so happy to see their kids smiling. That makes me feel like I’m doing my job well.” For this show, cast and crew blend pyrotechnics, lighting and sound design, authentic costumes and 3-D projection mapping. The mapping projects a virtual set onto the arena floor, which helps the audience travel into the different realms with all its heroes and villains.

The game Les Liaisons Dangereuses

BY CHRISTIAN WILSON

Les Liaisons Dangereuses 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday Broadway Theater 914 N. Broadway Ave. reduxiontheatre.com 604-4730 $18-$25

There are a few key facts that you should know concerning Reduxion Theatre Company’s production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which ends its run this weekend at Broadway Theater: There is nudity, and there is French aristocratic debauchery. Originally an epistolary novel (a narrative carried through nested documents like letters) by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1985, Les Liaisons is an account of two bored and

P ROVI DE D

Obscured by a flurry of seduction and cruel intent, this French satire bears all but its message.

sadistic aristocrats and ex-lovers engaged in a game of manipulation and seduction. The lead characters, La Marquise de Merteuil (played by Kris Schinske) and Le Vicomte de Valmont (Matthew Ellis), exchange sexual conquests and social maneuvers in an attempt to one-up the other’s displays of cunning and control. Their rivalry ensnares an assortment of other characters, positioning them as pawns in their cruel game. The power balance between the blasé aristocrats and tertiary characters rather recalls the gods/men dynamic of Greek mythologies, wherein the highly positioned engage in irrelevant bouts with the lives of lesser mortals, resulting in pervasive hazard. But, of course, in narratives recounting such reckless games of human malevolence, even the aristocratic aren’t invulnerable.

If you aren’t aware of its historical context as a precursor to the French Revolution, you might come away with the impression that the play is a misogynistic excursion of outdated and unabated gender stereotypes. The game sets a simple dynamic that none should divert from. Men must be brutish, hard set (get it?) sexual opportunists. Women are necessarily conniving and must ruthlessly weaponize their sexualities. “Our sex has few enough advantages that we must make the most of what we have,” Merteuil states to “blossoming” young belle Cécile de Volanges after an uncomfortable and animalistic encounter. It’s understandable if that’s a turnoff, but this is a racy comedy. To get over the nasty parts, the audience is called on to intellectualize the artistic intent, an objective complicated by the duplicitous

nature of the narrative itself. If the audience can detach, it will see the truths of a work that subtly attacks institutions of sexual and social power in addition to failed processes of knowledge and emotional development. Know this: The play’s satire is something that is only seen by those looking for it. Just as the characters themselves flit between appearing noble, debased, vulnerable, controlling or helpless, one moment will have you laughing and the next will tie your stomach in knots — and it’s all too easy to succumb to this perpetual ride without asking, ‘Why?’ Merteuil’s parting words cement the audience in this place of no catharsis, helplessly offering, “Our best course is to continue with the game.”

Camelot

Valor betrayed

SCOTT SU CH MAN

This touring production of Camelot is reimagined and retold with the help of two young, local actors.

BY ERIC WEBB

Camelot 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 7 p.m. Sunday Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. celebrityattractions.com 297-2264 $15-$60 Note: Recommended for ages 11 and older.

The national tour of Lerner and Loewe’s Tony Award-winning Camelot comes to the Civic Center this week with a very special role for two young, local actors. Based on the T.H. White novel The Once and Future King, Camelot reinvents the legendary tale of King Arthur and his knights of the round table through song. The story follows the reign of Arthur, who brought peace to his land but was blind to the betrayal by those he loved most. When Queen Guinevere

and Arthur’s most trusted knight, Sir Lancelot, fall in love, it throws the kingdom into chaos. Actor Tim Rogan, who plays Lancelot, grew up listening to the score of Camelot, as it was a favorite of his mother. He said that the revisions in this new production improved the piece by making the iconic love triangle the story’s focus. “Now, we really get to see how Lancelot and Guinevere struggle with what is happening between them rather than giving in so easily to their own chemistry,” Rogan said. Rogan said that the cast focuses on that humanity to bring these characters to life and ground them to the world in which they live. “Ultimately, it is the relationships between characters that people care most about,” Rogan said. “It is very fun knowing that Lancelot is an

ultimate warrior who was raised by the enchantress, Nimue, by a lake. However, what captivates people is seeing him struggle between his dedication to duty and his heart.” Rogan said that Lancelot is also fun to perform because of his near-comical earnestness. “He has some very humorous lines that come across as almost Vulcanlike,” Rogan said. Taking a cue from another Arthurian adaptation, The Sword and the Stone, to “let the boy try,” Camelot’s promotion company, Oklahoma-based Celebrity Attractions, is holding a contest in each city on this tour to double-cast actors in the role of Tom of Warwick, a boy whose dream of knighthood gives Arthur hope. Local finalists are Producer’s Choice Harrison Roth, a sixth-grader at Irving Middle School, and People’s Choice Jack

Baldwin, a fifth-grader at Eisenhower Elementary School. Roth has performed in several productions at The Sooner Theatre, which he credits for helping him land the part. “I have dreams of acting and being on stage, and now I feel like some of my dreams are coming true … Working with a Broadway tour is so cool,” Roth said. Baldwin, with a music background that includes playing guitar and singing, echoed Roth’s enthusiasm. “I am so excited because I feel like I am part of something big. It’s a chance of a lifetime,” Baldwin said. Rogan said that it has been a great experience sharing the stage with young actors from all over the country. “I joke how I was nowhere near brave enough, when I was their age, to do what they are doing,” Rogan said.

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LIFE ACTIVE

Quick March

P ROVI DED

Runners participate in last year’s Strides of March marathon.

The Strides of March half marathon and Dogwood Dash 5K benefits OKC Metro Alliance in its battle against substance abuse and addiction. BY BRENDAN HOOVER

The Strides of March 8 a.m. March 8 Lake Stanley Draper 8301 SE 104th St. stridesofmarch.com 799-0870 $30-$50

People run for many reasons, including improving their health, relieving stress or remembering a loved one. Some people run to drugs and alcohol as a means of escape, but when addiction takes hold, the chase can lead to imprisonment, insanity or death. “These people are your brother, your sister, your neighbor. They’re just regular people, but their addictions have taken down their lives,” said Ann Simank, executive director of OKC Metro Alliance, whose mission is to help Oklahomans recover from substance abuse. One of the local nonprofit’s major fundraisers, The Strides of March half marathon and Dogwood Dash 5K, takes place at 8 a.m. March 8 at Lake Stanley Draper, 8301 SE 104th St. Organizers hope to increase participation this year to 500 runners, raising about $25,000 for the men’s and women’s FIRSTEP recovery programs, which help people battling addiction by offering long-term residential work and recovery services. Funds raised from the race will be used for capital improvements at the FIRSTEP facilities, located near the racecourse.

Half marathon runners will traverse a USA Track & Field (USATF)-certified, relatively flat, down-and-back course that circles the lake, offering beautiful views and the chance for quick finishing times, said Talaytha Guest, race chair. All participants receive a T-shirt, and official half marathon finishers will receive a unique custom medal.

These people are your brother, your sister, your neighbor. They’re just regular people, but their addictions have taken down their lives. — Ann Simank

Overall male and female winners will receive prizes, and top-three finishers in each age group will receive trophies, Guest said. The Dogwood Dash 5K is a race/ walk along a USATF-certified course. Overall male and female winners will receive a prize and medal. Guest said top-three finishers in each age group will receive medallions, and top finishers will also receive dogwood saplings. The Strides of March has gained

notoriety because FIRSTEP clients serve as volunteers during the race, handing out water, snacks and medals to participants. “They really provide a great sense of encouragement for our runners,” Guest said. Sponsorships are up this year, organizers are reaching out to regional running clubs to increase participation and the race makes a perfect a tuneup for those training for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in April. The men’s FIRSTEP program was founded in 1987. The women’s program began in 1989. Simank said the programs are unique in that clients are not charged for services. Instead, they live at the facility and work at jobs with partnering companies. The income generated pays for their treatment, and they receive valuable life skills and work training. Clients work six days a week and spend evenings attending 12 Step meetings, counseling sessions or GED classes. When clients graduate from the program — which lasts six to nine months — they can take advantage of housing programs and typically receive job offers from the companies they have worked for. “We want our clients to get back on their feet, continue working on their recovery and be productive individuals,” said OKC Metro Alliance Chief Compliance Officer Suzanne Graham. Visit stridesofmarch.com for registration information.

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RUMBLE

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AT THE FIRELAKE ARENA

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L A D L E

O B E W A T S H O N A E I P R A P E N

E E R N E R P U K O N E T E N P O N O M O N S T G A L F E A A N N S E E R G T F O O G O O U W N N

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

X I I S I L E N T L S P A Z

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R E M V A F U R I P I E E S P T O B A L L E E H A W A X M E

S T I O L N K E

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C H E E S E T R A Y

N G B Y A N

Y U M M I E R

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ACROSS 1 ‘‘Everyone who’s anyone is attending!’’ 8 Shoot for the moon 13 Much-anthologized Frank R. Stockton short story 20 Herald, as a new year 21 Mitchell heroine 22 One calling it quits 23 Is a rat 24 Chimes, e.g. 25 Short thing for a diva 26 Big ___ 27 Rarely 29 Long John Silver, for one 31 Not standard: Abbr. 32 Word with coffee or water 34 Bird that’s also the name of an Irish river 35 Sped 36 Canon competitor 38 Cookies with a ‘‘Golden’’ variety 39 Slowing, in music: Abbr. 40 Audible pauses 41 Knot again 42 Miranda warning receiver, informally 43 Remote button with ‘‘+’’ and ‘‘–’’ 45 Govt. construction overseer 46 Founded, on city signs 47 Word before ‘‘I didn’t know that!’’ 49 Heavy metal band? 51 Some fraternity men 54 Proverbial matter of perspective 59 John who played Harold in the Harold & Kumar films 60 Question asked in classic 1970s ads 66 Jeopardized 67 Ask 69 Greek goddess of vengeance 70 Like Lake Mead or Lake Powell 71 Strunk and White topic 72 They’re of no concern to cougars 73 M*A*S*H role 75 Cry from a damsel in distress 77 Part of I.M.F.: Abbr. 79 Stickup line 83 Just 86 Laughed harshly 88 Overstress

89 Foe of Mr. Fantastic in the comics 91 Reception vessel 92 Some samples 94 Figure skater Midori 95 ‘‘Now it makes sense!’’ 97 Mop & ___ 98 Frontier sheriff’s badge 100 In the style of 102 Whistleblower’s target? 104 ‘‘Bye for now,’’ in textspeak 105 Rummage (through) 107 No longer hungry 109 D.C. club 110 Indian music 111 Langston Hughes poem 112 William ___, British general in the Revolutionary War 113 Assist, as an outlaw 114 Colored like ink in Love’s Labour’s Lost 115 Song by the Clash on Rolling Stone’s ‘‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time’’ list 119 Material for many a ski lodge 120 Part of an Adirondack chair 121 ___ Conference 122 Command to Fido 123 Before 124 Tech grad: Abbr. 125 Gets fixed 126 Parisian possessive 127 Maid in Manhattan star, informally 128 Rx signers 129 General ___ chicken DOWN 1 Dot on a transit map 2 — 3 Cartoonist who wrote the caption ‘‘Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?’’ 4 Titter sound 5 Backspaces, say 6 Incense 7 Eve who wrote The Vagina Monologues 8 Mounted

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LIFE MUSIC

P ROVI DED

High Roller On the heels of his sophomore solo album release, Oklahoma native JD McPherson talks about inspiration, punk rock, hashtags and his slot in the Queen of the Prairie Festival. BY CHRISTIAN WILSON

JD McPherson likes things that last. He wears them all the time —things like denim, but not necessarily denim. You see, he’s more of a durable garment guy — garments that are well-made, useful and dependable. Something made with care, made in an ethical manner. Think Martin Sheen’s signature denim jacket in the 1973 movie Badlands. JD McPherson likes other things too, like his great-grandfather’s pocketknife. In its fourth generation of use, it still works well. In fact, you could say it was made to just … work. There’s a special space in the overlap between past and present that things like denim and pocketknives occupy, things that work now as they worked then. They’re of another time, yet they’re relevant and contemporary and can move us with their commitment of purpose. They do what they did. They work. As for McPherson’s music, that sounds about right. After releasing his first solo album, Signs & Signifiers, the Broken Arrow resident has became Oklahoma’s premier rock ’n’ roller of days gone by. With one boot in the past and another in the future, McPherson found a sweet spot with his sound, relying on well-established ’50s and ’60s structures while incorporating a myriad of rock, R&B, blues and even hip-hop influences. No joke. Listen closely and you’ll find nods to Ruth Brown, The Smiths, Wu-Tang Clan and Stiff Little Fingers. While it’s easy to pigeonhole

Playing a gig in a country that does not speak your language natively and hearing them sing every word at the top of their collective lungs will give you pause. — JD McPherson

him as a vintage performer, he is clearly much more. McPherson’s formative influences were, frankly, all over the place. Introduced at a young age to jazz and Delta blues, he picked up Hendrix, Zeppelin and punk rock. He threw in some Buddy Holly; stirred in some Larry Williams, Little Richard and Art Neville; and topped it with soul and Jamaican rocksteady. Talk about aromatic. Though he’s always played music, he had aims to do installations, performance art and sculpture. Hell, he even studied experimental film at the University of Oklahoma, earned an MFA from the University of Tulsa in open media (with some credits for card magic) and worked as a middle school art teacher.

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But as he says, things can change quickly. Nearly three years after his first solo release, McPherson released his sophomore album, Let the Good Times Roll. Oklahoma Gazette caught up with him for a Q&A on life during his formative years, artist George Catlin and his international fan base.

How does Let the Good Times Roll reflect your own life?

Oh boy, did life ever influence this record. The past three years of my life reveal themselves in some way through this record either lyrically or just maybe even through the tone of the album as a whole. Some of the record gets a little dark. There were definitely some downs to the last few years, but also some ups. Your priorities shift or become clearer during those times.

What’s the inspiration for the album title?

The title shares the name with the album’s first song. For the song, it was a coded, pleasant way of saying, “Hurry up.” Originally, the song had another title that was a little too on-the-nose for the theme. “Let the Good Times Roll” is a ubiquitous song title used by many bands for many different songs. In this case, it’s one character conveying impatience to another.

What inspires you on the whole? Gloomy, overcast weather.

What’s the biggest misconception about the music you perform?

I’m not defensive about it, but our “genre” gets misinterpreted quite often. Eight out of 10 hashtags on Twitter label us #rockabilly, but that’s sonically and historically inaccurate. That’s not a slight upon rockabilly music; I personally love rockabilly and have played in several bands who chose rockabilly as their starting point, but this band is not that. As long as people are talking about this band — whatever they want to tell their friends it is — I’m grateful. But we’re a rock ’n’ roll band.

How many bands were you in before you released your first solo album and got signed to Rounder?

I’ve always had at least one band going since I was 16. I remember at one point, I had three separate bands going at once, all with the same members on different instruments. That was a very prolific time. One was called Slippy, one was The Fjords, one was called Gladys — punk rock stuff. We sent a Gladys tape to Alternative Tentacles [indie record label], but they rejected it. I’d love to capture a little bit of that now, that urge to create without fear or selfediting, but where is the time? El tiempo no es elastico. Some bands can do that, constantly produce loads of music with usually

How did your early punk interests inform your music?

Punk, as an ethos, grants you a few things, the most important of which should be economic freedom, the ability to do as much as you can with as little currency as possible. You make your own currency. It took me a while to figure this out, but punk encompasses many ideas, many sounds and many philosophies. You can find Talking Heads, Minutemen, Bad Brains and Stiff Little Fingers in the same section at your local record store, but those bands couldn’t look or sound more different. That was the best part, learning that it just meant freedom to do your thing, usually in an aggressive, beautiful way.

What was your biggest motivator in your early years?

My biggest motivator in high school was isolation. There wasn’t anything for me to do but focus on drawing and immersing myself in music; it was a great gift. I loved growing up in the countryside for that reason.

Some say people never change. With all your early influences and how they’ve affected you since, would you agree?

I don’t believe that you are who you will be by high school. It’s possible that your talents and passions will become evident at that time — for instance, being ridiculously good at math — but I think a person’s motivations and value system can change within a short

amount of time. I’m not the same fellow I was two years ago, and I’m a completely different person than I was in high school. Thank heavens.

What has changed the most for you since your first album came out?

Almost overnight, I went from working for someone else and being home with my family each day to being my own boss and being away from home a great deal, sleeping in weird places.

How many live shows do you do a year?

The first year was over 200 in 11 months. That was too much. Last year, we played too few dates! This year, we’re going to get it right. My family is my priority, and you need to find a balance between life and work. We all understand the rhythm of touring now, but it’s still difficult to stay on track sometimes. It helps when things are going well.

How do your international audiences receive you and your style of music?

They are huge supporters. They just appreciate that someone cares about that music. It’s not even from their country, but they truly appreciate it and are patrons of it. They’re not really consumers over there; they hang on to things and keep them in shape instead of throwing things away. I really agree with that sentiment. We tend to tear things down and rebuild here, and not necessarily always for the better. For example, I’ve got my great-

grandfather’s pocketknife. It was used extensively by him and my grandfather, and it still works well. I’m not going to buy a cheap, plastic-handled pocketknife at a truck stop. It won’t last.

How has touring been? Any awesome experiences?

Playing a gig in a country that does not speak your language natively and hearing them sing every word at the top of their collective lungs will give you pause. I find that to be incredibly moving. I would have been that guy at a Pedro Infante show back in the day, the only gringo screaming along with “Tu Solo Tu” at the top of my lungs. Recently, Nick Lowe sat in with us at a gig in London. He’s my favorite songwriter — ever. And he was right there, plugged into Doug’s amp. Falling out of the moment and seeing things the way they are can be very disconcerting. I definitely got a little foggy, realizing suddenly that my hero was on stage with me. Amazing. What an amazing, kind, clever guy he is.

The next OKC area show is in Guthrie. Any other shows or festivals planned in OKC or the metro?

I’m very excited about the Queen of the Prairie show in Guthrie. There are so many great bands on that festival, lots of friends. Plus, the promoters are really working hard at making an impact on their community through music. I’ve never heard of a small group of people working that diligently on turning their little town in to a music hub. That deserves some applause.

[The festival runs May 1-2. Learn more at queenoftheprairie.com.] Other than QOTP, we don’t have any other OKC metro gigs planned at this time, but I hope that changes. I love OKC, and I’ve paid a lot of dues there over the years!

What do your bandmates like most about Oklahoma when they’ve played here?

Whenever you land in a bandmate’s hometown, it’s usually a nice time. The gigs are usually happy ones. There’s family around. You can take them to your favorite haunts. I know the guys always love to go visit Mary Beth [Babcock, owner] at Dwelling Spaces in downtown Tulsa. She’s such a supporter and full of so much fun and positive energy. They always enjoy popping in to visit her and getting a cup of coffee.

The album’s cover image is a bear. Tell me more about it.

The paintings in the album sleeve are by George Catlin. He made paintings across the American West, but I’m mostly interested in his wildlife studies, like these bears. They have so much character! They look like W.C. Fields with claws and fur. Read Oklahoma Gazette’s review of McPherson’s new album, Let the Good Times Roll, at okgazette.com.

JOH N BRIGLIO

very high-quality results; Guided by Voices comes to mind.

Buffalo Valley native JD McPherson (second from right) with his band.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 | 3 7

LIFE MUSIC

Aidan Carroll circles the country — and influences from Jimi Hendrix to King Crimson— on his way home to Oklahoma and his debut jazz album. BY CHRISTIAN WILSON

Aidan Carroll’s music career began when he posed a simple question to his parents following a Jazz in June festival show: “Could I get a bass?” Make no mistake: While by no means a common request for an eighth-grader, Carroll knew what he wanted. Now 31 years old and comfortably situated in the Brooklyn music scene, he has more than justified his early impulse. Currently touring with Grammy winner Lisa Fischer, he’s also set to release his first full album, Original Vision.

Improvising

At age eight, Carroll got a drum, a single snare. For most kids with an early familiarity with music — his mother teaches music at Oklahoma City University — a more natural instrument might have been piano or guitar, both readily available in his childhood home. After some time, he upgraded to a full drum kit. He picked up classical percussion too, including the marimba and xylophone. But then there was that bass. Carroll asked and he received. He taught himself the gist and worked his way to treble. “It felt like a natural addition,” Carroll said during a recent phone call. “You’re a part of the rhythm, but you’re also part of the song.” Throughout high school and into college, a domino chain of musical exploration led him from one interest to another. He continued playing drums, picked up keyboard and began composing. Jimi Hendrix filled his head — Led Zeppelin too. Carroll now labels his transition “closer to jazz,” as progressive rockers spilled into the picture. Then, there were Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) and King Crimson. These segued him into ’70s fusion and Chick Corea. Something clicked. After living all but one year of his life in OKC, Carroll graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma. He took his developed style, selfdescribed as “heavy on groove, with ’70s and on soul,” and moved to New

3 8 | F E B R UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

York, studying under bass legend John Patitucci at City College of New York. Despite traveling and playing nationally and abroad, at no point did he forget his roots. It’s his roundabout musical arc within the state and the individuals he met here that shape him still. “Oklahoma influenced me in a major way ... It’s a smaller scene, but all those at UCO — Lee Rucker, Kent Kidwell, Jeremy Thomas, Mitch Bell and so many others — these guys were huge in my development,” Carroll said. “You don’t have the same resources you have somewhere like Brooklyn, where you just walk out the door and go see famous musicians, but that made us hungry for it.” Now, all that hunger and experience has come to a head with the upcoming release of Original Vision. Carroll’s process started with what turned out to be simultaneously the most difficult and most rewarding part: finding people to support him. For a handful of years in New York, Carroll composed and played shows. He met a range of musicians he admired and slowly began tailoring his compositions to their talents and styles. It’s these artists — John Ellis, Sullivan Fortner, David Bryant, Joe Dyson and Justin Brown — he invited to collaborate. The product of their respective efforts can be called a fine modern jazz record, but the compositions aren’t necessarily straight ahead. There are vocals and overdubbed keyboards. There are also personal touches, such as “Sunday,” written for Carroll’s fiancée. The album itself utilizes two rhythm sections, one including Fortner and Dyson, the other Bryant and Brown, alternating their participation throughout the record. Carroll fills out the rest, at any given time singing vocals or playing the bass, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, synthesizers or percussion. Carroll’s album, Original Vision, drops Tuesday. A release show is May 12 at UCO Jazz Lab in Edmond.

P ROVI DE D

True love

Aaron Newman Band, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse. ROCK

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25

Christian Pearson/Gary Johnson, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Edgar Cruz/Jeff Nokes and Freinds, Avanti Bar & Grill. ACOUSTIC

Dirty River Boys, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Avenue, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. COVER

DATSIK, Cox Convention Center. HIP-HOP

DJ Fresh, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. VARIOUS Gentry, Kendell’s Bar. VARIOUS

Justin Witte, Will Rogers Lobby Cafe & Bar. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Household/Revivalist/Valleys, The Conservatory. ROCK

Maurice Johnson, R&J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ

Jacob Stiefel, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. ACOUSTIC

Micky and the Motorcars, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. COUNTRY

Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO

Mike Hosty Duo, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ROCK Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

THURSDAY, FEB. 26

Kylie Morgan, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. SINGER/SONGWRITER Pageant/Honeylark/O Fidelis, Blue Note Lounge. FOLK Patrice Pike/Brian Whelan, The Blue Door. ROCK Replay, Remington Park. COVER Shortt Dogg, Riverwind Casino, Norman. R&B Stereo Deck, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Brent Saulsbury/Will Galbraith/Wayne Duncan, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK

Susan Herndon, First National Center. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

David Morris, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

Dustin Lynch, Diamond Ballroom. COUNTRY

The Steepwater Band/The Flat Land Band, ACM@UCO Performance Lab. ROCK

Gordon Lightfoot, Brady Theater, Tulsa. SINGER/SONGWRITER

OKG

Lee Rucker Quartet, O Bar. JAZZ

Aaron Newman Band, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse. ROCK

Ol’ Lefty, Wormy Dog Saloon. VARIOUS

August Burns Red/Miss May I/Northlane, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK

Samantha Crain/Moai Broadcast/Bungalouski, The Deli, Norman. ROCK Stars, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER Styx, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Catoosa. ROCK The Central Jazz Jam, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS The Nghiems, 51st Street Speakeasy. POP

FRIDAY, FEB. 27 2AM, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK

Friday

As part of his Ninja Nation Tour, producer and bassthumper Datsik comes to the Cox Convention Center Friday. His new EP, Down 4 My Ninjas, includes collaborations with KRS-One and DJ Paul. Show starts 9 p.m. Friday at Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens. Tickets are $25. Visit eventbrite.com.

pick

SATURDAY, FEB. 28

Reese Wilson/Michael Summers, Kendell’s Bar. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Datsik

music

Kyle Reid and The Low Swingin’ Chariots/Beau Jennings, The Blue Door. VARIOUS

Jane Mays, Leadership Square. SINGER/SONGWRITER

P ROVI DE D

LIVE MUSIC

Avenue, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. COVER

Caleb McGee, New York Pizza & Pasta. ACOUSTIC

Melissa Jo Croy, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Cafe. COUNTRY

TUESDAY, MAR. 3

Don and Melodee Johnson, Twelve Oaks, Edmond. JAZZ

Miranda Lambert, BOK Center, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Cold War Kids/Elliot Moss, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. ROCK

Grant Stevens, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

MotherDuck, Bourbon Street Bar. VARIOUS

David Forbat, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. PIANO

Hotsteppers, Baker St. Pub & Grill. REGGAE

My So Called Band, The Deli, Norman. COVER

Jonathan Richman & Tommy Larkins, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Boogie Fever, Remington Park. COVER

Mark Gibson Trio/Chase Kerby and the Company Men, Blue Note Lounge. VARIOUS

Jim the Elephant, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. COVER

Red Dirt Rangers, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

Joesf Glaude/Guitars Gone Wild, The Paramount OKC. JAZZ

Rusty and the Rough Riders, 40 & 8 Dance Club. COUNTRY

Kylie Morgan, Moonshiners Music House. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Shortt Dogg, Riverwind Casino, Norman. R&B

Sarah McLachlan, Brady Theater, Tulsa. SINGER/SONGWRITER

WEDNESDAY, MAR. 4

The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

Life of the Party, Oklahoma City Limits. COVER

Trey Rosenthal, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. SINGER/SONGWRITER

LUCKY, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. COVER

A Place To Bury Strangers/Depth & Current/Power Pyramid, The Conservatory. ROCK

William Clark Green, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

Casey & Minna, Saints. VARIOUS Edgar Cruz/Jeff Nokes and Freinds, Avanti Bar & Grill. ACOUSTIC

SUNDAY, MAR. 1

Red Dirt Rangers The Blue Door Saturday

Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Maurice Johnson, R&J Lounge and Supper Club.

Edgar Cruz, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. ACOUSTIC Skillet/Jeremy Camp/Francesca Battistelli, BOK Center, Tulsa. VARIOUS Tom Skinner, The Depot, Norman. COUNTRY

MONDAY, MAR. 2 POWER TRIP/Sabertooth/Upright, The Conservatory. ROCK

PROVID ED

Sleeping With Sirens/Pierce The Veil, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK Urban Addiction, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER

Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK

Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 | 3 9

“I THINK IT’S WRONG THAT ONLY ONE COMPANY MAKES THE GAME MONOPOLY.”

LIFE MUSIC REVIEW

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“Van Gogh” stereo BY JENNIFER CHANCELLOR

Skating Polly hits hard with its latest video debut, made on the heels of the announcements that the duo is working on new music and will soon embark on its first overseas tour.

MARCH 30 & 31, 2015 The ANIMAL Conference is an open forum designed to convene, discuss, network, and learn about the important issues facing animals in Oklahoma and beyond. Skirvin-Hilton Hotel in Oklahoma City

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4 0 | F E B R UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Oklahoma City noise-punk duo Skating Polly has released a new video for its tune “Van Gogh” this week. The latest single from the Oklahoma City pair’s Fuzz Steilacoom record, released last year, shows the girls in their element, performing live. Peyton Bighorse and Kelli Mayo run roughshod over any hints of convention with their lo-fi, ugly-pop sound. With this video, the young musicians showcase the minimalistic ethos of their idols and influences, from Babes in Toyland to The Pixies, X, The Ramones, Nirvana, SleaterKinney, Bikini Kill and Screaming Females. Sludgy, dense guitars ride hard to the anarchic rhythms of the kick drum and cymbals. The comparisons are valid, but this is no copycat band. As both performers skirt their teens, abrasive and blindingly chaotic “Van Gogh” shows the girls traversing the line between angst and self-awareness. “I don’t know a thing about love before Van Gogh/stereo,” Bighorse wails. She doesn’t need to. Here, it’s about passion. Smoke-filled frames cut to live scenes that are desolate and dark. Peyton blurts and moans while she stomps a guitar pedal with a bare foot. Mayo whips her blond hair forward in time to her cymbal crashes. Rapid video cuts take viewers into the girls’ rehearsal space, a parking lot, a kitchen, a desert and a pile of leaves.

The editing style is lighting-fast, a flywheel of momentum set to destroy itself with its own power. It’s the perfect timing for this new video. As the pair develops new material (no release date has been set), Skating Polly will open for Perfect Pussy on several East-Coast tour dates in March before heading to England for its first overseas tour in May as it opens for Babes in Toyland. The song’s vocals show maturity and a growth past the “scream until it hurts” method more prominent in some of their songs.

As both performers skirt their teens, abrasive and blindingly chaotic “Van Gogh” shows the girls traversing the line between angst and self-awareness.

Mayo has taken full control of her drum duties — she hits harder and with determination, as if her kick pedal is an accelerator. Bighorse’s voice is steadier, deeper, more sultry and baleful. It’s a gritty follow-up to “Alabama Movies,” another gut-punch tune from Fuzz Steilacoom, which was named one of Oklahoma Gazette’s best songs of 2014. Visit to watch Skating Polly’s “Van Gogh” video debut.

McFarland, USA

Medal-worthy

P ROVI DE D

LIFE FILM

Go to

okgazette.com/GWW to enter to win a pair of tickets:

YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND @ Cain’s Ballroom Thursday, April 9, 2015

GAZETTE’S WEEKLY WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED EACH WEEK IN THE TABLE OF CONTENTS Printed winners have 7 days to claim tickets

Dominoes of genericism slowly fall, revealing a Rube Goldberg of a work with genuine heart. BY DANIEL BOKEMPER

Despite appearing to be a generic, feel-good underdog kennel, Niko Caro’s McFarland, USA pleasantly surprises as it traverses mounds of cultural plight, urban decay and social ostracization without coming off as terribly overbearing. Settling its narrative within the eponymous Californian community, the film adapts the true story of McFarland High School’s crosscountry team and their journey to the 1987 state championship. McFarland doesn’t emerge through the ringer unscathed; contrived dialogue and a periodically sporadic pace stifle the piece from reaching its full potential. However, the discrepancies prove minor in the shadow of a powerful theme and a rewarding moment of triumph propelled by a cast that, similar to The Good Lie of last year, emanates a feeling of authenticity. Ejected from an athletics program for unchecked aggression, Jim White (Kevin Costner) is forced to relocate from Idaho with his wife Cheryl (Maria Bello) and two daughters, Jamie (Elsie Fisher) and Julie (Morgan Saylor). Ultimately, Jim assumes a position at McFarland High School, an institution nestled deeply within one of California’s most rural and prominently Latino towns. In time, Jim cultivates a successful crosscountry group out of a conclave of disgruntled and marginalized teens. The tale introduced later, however, is more compelling. Thomas (Carlos Pratts), a youth caught between a deteriorating home life and an onslaught of intense manual labor, is encouraged by Jim to rejuvenate a failing athletics program with the introduction of a new sport: crosscountry track. Initially reluctant, Thomas agrees but endures a struggle with an abusive father and negative presumption of his own worth.

Each facet of Mexican-American culture examined is done so with an appreciative lens. Though certain scenes condense serious ideals to a point of borderline censorship, knowledge, understanding and emotional warmth are garnered from this piece. Exceptional performances shine through, injecting further life into a film that, at first glance, seemed posed to be lost in a sea of films like Gridiron Gang and The Longshots. The fear is quickly relinquished as Pratts, Johnny Ortiz and Ramiro Rodriguez present their budding chops. Each of the young actors provides a unique and robust flair, keeping Costner equally sharp with his Midwestern quips and disenfranchised demeanor. Evolving cinematography, courtesy of Terry Stacey, adequately compliments McFarland. Serving, of course, as a bit of a temporal shortcut between hourlong races, intimate shots eventually move toward larger scenic expanses. It’s not uncommon to see the majority of the Californian horizon captured in a single shot, as if to reiterate the importance and impact of the team’s triumph. On the contrary, one particular race (as well as the team’s multiple practices) emphasizes the outer fencing of a local penitentiary, perhaps as a reminder of an all-too-common plight the young adults of the titular town often suffer. McFarland is far from perfect. However, much like Caro’s Whale Rider of 2002, the film finds itself in an engaging cultural examination, a reminder of the nation’s vast composition. After the obligatory Disney sap dries, a notable piece of cinema remains. Despite a few blemishes, McFarland, USA is undeniably beautiful.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 5 | 4 1

ing min or n. ich s in

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: True or false: You can’t get what you want from another person until you’re able to give it to yourself. Explain why or why not. FreeWillAstrology.com.

help you summon the extra power and confidence you’ll need to successfully wrestle with all the interesting challenges ahead of you.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Lately your life reminds me of the action film Speed, starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. In that story, a criminal has rigged a passenger bus to explode if its speed drops below 50 miles per hour. In your story, you seem to be acting as if you, too, will self-destruct if you stop moving at a frantic pace. I’m here to tell you that nothing bad will happen if you slow down. Just the opposite, in fact. As you clear your schedule of its excessive things-to-do, as you leisurely explore the wonders of doing nothing in particular, I bet you will experience a soothing flood of healing pleasure.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) The prolific and popular French novelist Aurore Dupin was better known by her pseudonym George Sand. Few 19th-century women matched her rowdy behavior. She wore men’s clothes, smoked cigars, was a staunch feminist, and frequented social venues where only men were normally allowed. Yet she was also a doting mother to her two children, and loved to garden, make jam, and do needlework. Among her numerous lovers were the writers Alfred de Musset, Jules Sandeau, and Prosper Mérimée, as well as composer Frederic Chopin and actress Marie Dorval. Her preferred work schedule was midnight to 6 a.m., and she often slept until 3 p.m. “What a brave man she was,” said Russian author Ivan Turgenev, “and what a good woman.” Her astrological sign? The same as you and me. She’s feisty proof that not all of us Crabs are conventional fuddy-duddies. In the coming weeks, she’s our inspirational role model.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) One of the most dazzling moves a ballet dancer can do is the fouetté en tournant. The term is French for “whipped turning.” As she executes a 360-degree turn, the dancer spins around on the tip of one foot. Meanwhile, her other foot thrusts outward and then bends in, bringing her toes to touch the knee of her supporting leg. Can you imagine a dancer doing this 32 consecutive times? That’s what the best do. It takes extensive practice and requires a high degree of concentration and discipline. Paradoxically, it expresses breathtaking freedom and exuberance. You may not be a prima ballerina, Taurus, but in your own field there must be an equivalent to the fouetté en tournant. Now is an excellent time for you to take a vow and make plans to master that skill. What will you need to do? GEMINI (May 21-June 20) If you’re a martial artist and you want to inject extra energy into an aggressive move, you might utter a percussive shout that sounds like “eee-yah!” or “hyaah!” or “aiyah!” The Japanese term for this sound is *kiai.* The sonic boost is most effective if it originates deep in your diaphragm rather than from your throat. Even if you’re not a martial artist, Gemini, I suggest that in the coming weeks you have fun trying out this boisterous style of yelling. It may

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) It seems you’ve slipped into a time warp. Is that bad? I don’t think so. Your adventures there may twist and tweak a warped part of your psyche in such a way that it gets healed. At the very least, I bet your visit to the time warp will reverse the effects of an old folly and correct a problem caused by your past sins. (By the way, when I use the word “sin,” I mean “being lax about following your dreams.”) There’s only one potential problem that could come out of all this: Some people in your life could misinterpret what’s happening. To prevent that, communicate crisply every step of the way. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) In English and French versions of the word game Scrabble, the letter z is worth ten points. In Italian, it’s eight points. But in the Polish variant of Scrabble, you score just one point by using z. That letter is rarely used in the other three languages, but is common in Polish. Keep this general principle in mind as you assess the value of the things you have

to offer. You will be able to make more headway and have greater impact in situations where your particular beauty and power and skills are in short supply. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) “Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have to make them all your yourself.” So said Alfred Sheinwold in his book about the card game known as bridge. I think this is excellent advice for the game of life, as well. And it should be extra pertinent for you in the coming weeks, because people in your vicinity will be making gaffes and wrong turns that are useful for you to study. In the future, you’ll be wise to avoid perpetrating similar messes yourself. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) “Love her but leave her wild,” advised a graffiti artist who published his thoughts on a wall next to the mirror in a public restroom I visited. Another guerrilla philosopher had added a comment below: “That’s a nice sentiment, but how can anyone retain wildness in a society that puts so many demands on us in exchange for money to live?” Since I happened to have a felt-tip pen with me, I scrawled a response to the question posed in the second comment: “Be in nature every day. Move your body a lot. Remember and work with your dreams. Be playful. Have good sex. Infuse any little thing you do with a creative twist. Hang out with animals. Eat with your fingers. Sing regularly.” And that’s also my message for you, Scorpio, during this phase when it’s so crucial for you to nurture your wildness. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) “Don’t worry, even if things get heavy, we’ll all float on.” So sings Modest Mouse’s vocalist Isaac Brock on the band’s song “Float On.” I recommend you try that approach yourself, Sagittarius. Things will no doubt get heavy in the coming days. But if you float on, the heaviness will be a good, rich, soulful heaviness. It’ll be a purifying heaviness that purges any glib or shallow influences that are in your vicinity. It’ll be a healing heaviness that gives you just the kind of graceful gravitas you will need.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) “What I look for in a friend is someone who’s different from me,” says science fiction novelist Samuel Delany. “The more different the person is, the more I’ll learn from him. The more he’ll come up with surprising takes on ideas and things and situations.” What about you, Capricorn? What are the qualities in a friend that help you thrive? Now is a perfect time to take an inventory. I sense that although there are potential new allies wandering in your vicinity, they will actually become part of your life only if you adjust and update your attitudes about the influences you value most. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) At the turn of the 19th century, Russian laborers constructed thousands of miles of railroad tracks from the western part of the country eastward to Siberia. The hardest part of the job was blasting tunnels through the mountains that were in the way. I reckon you’re at a comparable point in your work, Aquarius. It’s time to smash gaping holes through obstacles. Don’t scrimp or apologize. Clear the way for the future. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) The British rock band the Animals released their gritty, growly song “The House of the Rising Sun” in 1964. It reached the top of the pop music charts in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia, and was a hit with critics. Rolling Stone magazine ultimately ranked it as the 122nd greatest song of all time. And yet it took the Animals just 15 minutes to record. They did it in one take. That’s the kind of beginner’s luck and spontaneous flow I foresee you having in the coming weeks, Pisces. What’s the best way for you to channel all that soulful mojo? Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

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546 E. Memorial, Okla. City (at Broadway Ext.) Lic. OCC-04587

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405-525-2222

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