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CONTENTS

adahub COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2019

FEATURES

Publisher Okie Icon Media Managing Editor David Dinsmore Featured Writer Sunnie Dawn Smith Ad Sales Brad Carter Art Direction Fawn Wilson-Olivarez Photography Nicholas Geisler

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5 Ada Boys and Girls Club hosts tumbling

10 ECU British Style Brass Band brings

classes at three different levels

Articles and advertisements in the Ada Hub do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or Okie Icon Media. Okie Icon Media does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising by Ada Hub does not constitute endorsement of the products, services or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service that is fraudulent or misleading in nature. Ada Hub assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

unique across-the-pond traditions to Ada

6 Pat Taylor Memorial Parade of Lights

11 Mama T’s B&B homeless shelter fully

continues holiday tradition

operational 24/7

9 Love for theater has not worn thin after

decades for actor, set designer

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Ada Boys and Girls Club hosts tumbling classes at three different levels By Sunnie Dawn Smith

he Ada Boys and Girls Club is always striving to create more opportunities available to kids in the community. “Our mission it to be there for the kids who need us most,” director Kyle Wilson said. “Whether it is the economically disadvantaged, foster children … or even just children in rough neighborhoods, the Boys and Girls Club strives to be a safe place for children to not just stay but to grow, learn and prosper.” In addition to their after school program and summer program, the Boys and Girls Club also offers a plethora of other opportunities, including athletics and even esports. Wilson, though, is always looking for new things to offer the community in order to serve them better. When Lorianne Towers approached him this past summer wanting to teach tumbling with an eye on an eventual competitive gymnastics team, Wilson jumped at the chance. “Sports and other physical activities have always been core programs at the Club, so when we had the opportunity – through our fantastic instructor Lorianne – we jumped at the opportunity to offer more athletic opportunities for children, and especially girls, in the local community,” Wilson said. Towers is especially suited to teach tumbling at the Boys and Girls Club, though it does have its challenges. As a non-profit organization, Towers sometimes faces challenges regarding equipment, but for her it is a labor of love. Tumbling and gymnastics changed her life when she was a young child, and she wants to give these same experiences to other young people. She began her journey when she was 6 years old. After her mother got married, the family moved to San Antonio. Towers had a chance to study at Ted Pritchett’s Gymnastics Center. After a year in the beginner class, she moved up to the pre-team level, which was preparing her for competitive gymnastics. She then competed for five and a half years with the USAG, which is the official governing body for gymnastics competition in the United States. She competed at the highest levels and was on her way to joining the elite teams from which a committee selects the Olympic teams. However, her mother got divorced when she was 13. They moved to Ada, so that dream was never realized. The memories and the training stayed with her though. During that time, gymnastics was her life. She and her best friend, Darlene, would spend over 25 hours a week in the gym, training together and having fun. There are so many things that Towers loves about gymnastics. “The physicality of the sport helps as an emotional release and as something to focus on, but it also offers so many other positive things,” Towers said. “It offers an outlet to be creative and to use your own creativity, to explore your own creativity with your own body … (and) the ability to receive constructive criticism. It gets kids used to listening to the feedback and learning from it and growing from it. It teaches self discipline, but also you are cheering each other on – supporting and encouraging each other. It is an individual sport, but you are still a team.”

Involved in gymnastics since age 6, Lorriane Towers leads three different levels of tumbling classes in partnership with the Ada Boys and Girls Club. PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER.

Since beginning the program in August, Towers has accumulated 92 students spread among three different levels. She offers Kinder Tumble for ages 3-5, Beginner Tumbling for 6 and up and then Intermediate Tumbling, which has no specific age requirement though placement is at the discretion of Towers. She also offers private lessons available on request. Because Boys and Girls Club is a non-profit organization, they keep the fees as low as possible, and scholarships are available for those who are in need. At the moment, it is solely a tumbling program because they lack the equipment to make it a full gymnastics program. However, Towers is still hopeful that in the future the program will move in that direction. For now, though, she is grateful that she has the opportunity to do what she loves most. “I am so thankful to (Wilson) being open to try something,” Towers said. “I know in my heart that this is what the community needs, and he heard me and said, ‘do whatever you need to do.’” The mission statement for Ada Tumbling states very well what it is that Towers is trying to accomplish. “Our mission at Ada Tumbling is to teach kids in the community the basics of tumbling, providing a strong foundation of skills while also helping them learn that they can move out of their comfort zone physically, mentally and emotionally, making things that seem impossible, possible,” Towers said. www.adahub.com • 5

Pat Taylor Memorial Parade of Lights continues holiday tradition By Sunnie Dawn Smith

intertime brings so many warm and comforting things despite the bitter chill in the air – snuggling up with loved ones on the couch, sipping hot cocoa with marshmallows, looking at all the beautiful lights. One of the longest-standing winter traditions in Ada, though, is the Pat Taylor Memorial Parade of Lights. It doesn’t matter how cold the weather may be, the spirit of Christmas warms the hearts of those who attend. The Christmas parade has been going on for decades, but it was nearly 20 years ago that it was renamed the Pat Taylor 6 • www.adahub.com

Memorial Parade of Lights. Taylor was the owner of the Curiosity Shop on Main Street. Her shop was known for collectibles and window displays – especially at Christmastime – though year-round she would still have her Dickensian Christmas villages on display. Kenny Sleigh, owner of Needful Things, worked at the Curiosity Shop when he was younger and knew Taylor well. He finds it fitting that the parade was renamed in her honor. “She was the epitome of Christmas,” Sleigh said. “She was genuinely a very

caring person. And when it came to Christmas, she just fit the mold. She even reminded you of the perfect Mrs. Claus. And with her personality, it just made it even more believable.” Amy Kaiser, Ada Main Street director, finds parade time to be the happiest and most challenging time of year. While it is a monumental task, organizing all the entries and making sure the parade goes smoothly, it is also an experience that fills her with joy. This is her seventh year coordinating the parade, and she realized quickly during her first year how impor-

Pat Taylor Memorial Parade of Lights planners say the Christmas tradition helps bring together people who might spend time together during the rest of the year and helps build a sense of community. PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

tant it is to the community. When an ice storm hit the night of the parade, the question was not if the parade would go on but when. She was astounded by the amount of community support. No matter rain or sleet or snow, no matter the bitter wind, the streets will be lined with people from all generations as they look on in wonder. This year’s theme, “A Tropical Christmas,” was actually suggested by an Ada resident who had moved away, yet comes back every year to see the parade. She suggested the theme to Kaiser, who pitched it to the board along with some other ideas, and this one was chosen. The grand marshals this year are Joe and Brenda Landrum. Joe has been the longtime owner of Black’s Menswear, and Brenda is a real estate agent with Gray Real Estate, which recently relocated to Main Street. Ada has been their home, and they have raised their children here. Though tradition is important, Kaiser also feels it is important to adapt to new ideas as well. For instance, this year for the first time ever, they will offer a quiet zone along Main Street on the block between Constant and Mississippi. In this

quiet zone, no sirens will be used. This is to help people with auditory sensitivity issues of any kind to enjoy the parade without the stress of the sirens. Whatever the case, this move allows for more overall accessibility and enjoyability of the parade. One of the reasons Kaiser said she loves the parade so much is because it is a small town tradition, and so many small town traditions have been lost. When people line the streets, coming together for the parade, they will see others that they haven’t seen all year. The businesses on Main Street also get into spirit, some staying open late while others offer free cookies and cocoa to parade-goers. Sometimes non-profit organizations will set up booths in front of supportive

businesses. It gives everyone a chance to come together and mingle as a community. “Tradition,” Kaiser said, “is important because it gives us something consistent to hold on to. So much of our world is wrapped up in technology, but this isn’t. It is people coming together. We can't fight change – and we don’t want to – but when we hold onto the things that we remember from our childhood and we pass them down, it is a connection that you can’t replicate anywhere else. It is something that connects us. Everybody’s ‘in the good old days’ looks different – especially among the different generations, but when we have traditions like this, then it links them together. It has a commonality that brings all of us together.” www.adahub.com • 7

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Love for theater has not worn thin after decades for actor, set designer By Sunnie Dawn Smith

here are few people who have had the impact on theater in Ada as Jamie Davis has. Davis made his debut at age 7 as Jerome in a production of “South Pacific,” directed by the legendary Dorothy Summers. Since then he has performed countless roles. “One of these days, I should probably try to count them all up,” Davis said. “But whatever it is, it is never enough.” It all started for Davis when his mom went back to school at East Central University as a non-traditional student in the theater department. She wanted to become a teacher to help support her family. While his mom was in school, she met and fell in love with the technical director at ECU, David Schallhorn. They got married and Davis’ mom became Judy Schallhorn. She taught theater for Byng for five years before becoming the junior high counselor. His stepdad continued to build the sets for all the ECU productions. Davis was in the scene shop almost every weekend helping David Schallhorn build and design sets. So from a young age, Davis was immersed in the theater world – acting, singing and also technical theater. His music teacher at Washington, Betty Stout, would give him singing lessons during lunch and eventually had him study with Betty Woods. Ever since that first production, though, he was involved with theater in Ada in some way. While Davis has played many wonderful roles on stage, lately he has been taking more of a role backstage, designing and building sets for anyone who asks. This year, he said, has been a slow year because of some health issues, which have since been resolved. He did some pieces for ACT II’s production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and Ada High School’s production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Some of his pieces were in Pawnee High School’s production of “Into the Woods.” He designed and built the set for ECU’s productions of “The Nerd,” “Amahl and the Night Visitors” and “The Man of La Mancha.” He also built the set for Latta’s one-act production that went to the state competition, “Silent Sky,” which also won outstanding tech. Some other schools in the state want to borrow sets that he has either created or helping with. For instance, both Putnam City North High School and Piedmont are doing productions of “Charlie Brown,” so Davis will load up the set, take it to them, set it up and even strike it for them and bring it back to Ada – all at no cost to the schools. After working closely with Latta, he has even started going there on his lunch break occasionally to teach theater tech to kids who are interested in theater but might not want to perform. Even though Davis has a full-time job at Cantrell Jackson Software as vice president of sales and marketing for oilfield and virtual reality software, he almost has another full-time volunteer job helping community and educational theater have the sets that can make their productions that much more spectacular. “A good actor can do a great show in a blank space, but I love giving them the tools to make it even better,” Davis said.

No matter his other pursuits in life, theater has been a constant for Jamie Davis, who is as apt to work backstage as he is on stage in local productions of all sizes. PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

For Davis, it is all about the love of creating. “My greatest joys in life are all around creating – creating roles, creating sets, anything,” Davis said. “Scenic design is such a satisfying thing because I can work with the director, see their vision, read the show and they give me a lot of leeway to just create.” While Davis loves scenic design, he may love performing even more, though it is just another side of the same thing – creation. Of all of his roles, a few do stick out to him. Max Bialistock in ACT II’s production of “The Producers” stands out to him because it was fun, but it was also challenging because it is a character that is very much unlike him. He loved playing the Baker in “Into the Woods” and getting to do a duet with Lane Taylor because he had known him for so long, and it was great to work with him. The role that stands out to him the most, though, is probably Tevya from “Fiddler on the Roof.” He had a chance to play this character twice as an alumnus – once right after he graduated from ECU and the other time 20 years later, after raising two daughters of his own. He has worked with every theater company in town and is on the board of directors for ACT II, where he is currently spearheading the search for a new theatrical space that could be used by ACT II, other theater companies and local schools that need more space. Davis knows the impact that the arts can have because he is living proof of it. “Arts are important for the entire community, but especially younger generations who need a way to express themselves,” Davis said. “It is something you can do your whole life. I had a lot of friends who played sports in high school, and they don’t anymore. The same isn’t true for theater.” www.adahub.com • 9

ECU British Style Brass Band brings unique across-the-pond traditions to Ada By Sunnie Dawn Smith

hen Dr. Jace Vickers started playing with the Frontier Brass Band in Oklahoma City in 2013, he didn’t dream that he would one day have a chance to form the only collegiate level British Style Brass Band in Oklahoma. Vickers came to East Central University in 2016 as an adjunct professor, and this is his second year as a full-time faculty member after finishing his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in low brass at the University of Oklahoma. In January 2019, Vickers and his students were excited that they were finally able to get the instruments in Ada that they would need in order to form a British Style Brass Band. It was a wonderful educational opportunity for his students, but even more than that, it allowed Vickers and his students to experience different types of music while also encompassing the overall ideals associated with the British Style Brass Band. There are several things that make this kind of ensemble different from others. One of the main differences is that they use some instruments that are not commonly used in orchestras or other ensembles, such as the flugelhorn, cornet and alto horn. Another thing that makes it different is that all the music is written in treble clef. Many of these instruments are used to reading music in bass clef or alto clef. While to a non-musician this might not sound difficult, it is the equivalent of being fluent in Spanish and then having to learn Italian really quickly. There are similarities, yet they are distinctly different. However, this also pushes the students to step out of their comfort zones and try something new musically, which only pushes them to be better, more well-rounded musicians. The payoff is worth it because of the music they get to perform. “The students were all really excited about it,” Vickers said. “A lot of brass band music is really exciting and fun for brass players because all the cool parts that might otherwise go to clarinets or flutes get distributed among the brass players. The music can be a lot more exciting than some of the other music that they might be used to playing.” 10 • www.adahub.com

Dr. Jace Vickers began the East Central University British Style Brass Band in January, bringing a tradition that began in blue collar communities Industrial Revolution-era Great Britain that continues for amateur musicians to this day. PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER.

The history of the British Style Brass Band, though, might be the most interesting thing about it. This style of ensemble began in Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution. This was before labor laws became the norm, and many of the workers in the mines, mills and factories worked long and hard days with few breaks. The work was grueling and even dangerous, and because of all of these factors, morale was low in the towns that grew around these industries. In order to boost morale, the owners of these businesses decided to begin brass bands. They provided the instruments and encouraged their workers to play in the band. Not only did it boost morale within the towns, but it taught the workers a new skill and a new way to express themselves. After a long day of mining coal, they could get together with their friends and make music. It spread joy to the players but also to the towns in general. The practice became so widespread that they would have regular band competitions pitting different towns against each other. The tradition continues to this day, but in keeping with tradition, only amateur musicians are allowed in the bands. If you are competing, nobody can be paid to play. “It is really beautiful because you hear some of these incredible ensembles that are

playing on the same level as the Chicago Symphony, but they are there because they love the music and the camaraderie and don’t care about showing up for a paycheck,” Vickers said. Another part of the British Style Brass Band tradition is using the musical talent to help out the community, and this is one of the things that Vickers tries to embody. Every chance they get, the band will perform for the community and also help out with charity events. For instance, at the end of last semester, they did a concert at Wintersmith Park to benefit local homeless shelter Mama T’s B&B. Their performances are not limited to Ada, though. This past November, they were in St. Louis performing at the Gateway British Brass Band Festival. They heard bands from all over the country – though they were the only one from Oklahoma – and they also got to work with a British musician who played with the Yorkshire Building Society Band. This April, they will have a chance to compete at the North American Brass Band Championships. For more information about the ECU British Style Brass Band and their upcoming performances, check out East Central University Brass on Facebook or ECUBrass on Instagram.

Mama T’s B&B homeless shelter fully operational 24/7 By Sunnie Dawn Smith

hen Dania Deschamps-Braly first realized that Ada desperately needed a homeless shelter, it was little more than a dream. However, thanks to the unwavering support of the Ada community, this dream became a reality. It took time to purchase the building, renovate it into a suitable space for a homeless shelter, pass all the inspections and acquire enough funding and staff to make it happen. Now, four years after this dream began, Mama T’s B&B (Bread and Blessings) is a fully operational 24/7 homeless shelter, with their director Crystal Lamb working diligently to provide a safe home for those who need it while also supporting her guests with their endeavors to get back on their feet in stable housing. When Mama T’s first opened its doors on August 13, 2018, it was more of an emergency shelter than anything. They were open from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. seven nights a week. “We opened the doors with a dream and a vision of where we wanted to take it,” Lamb said. That dream started to become a reality during the holiday season of 2018. This was the first time they were able to keep the shelter open during the day as well. Gradually, through community support and donations, they were able to accrue a winter weather fund that allowed them to keep their doors open when the weather was bad and on the weekends when it would be hard for their guests to find shelter elsewhere. By March 2019, they were able to be almost fully operational. Due to staffing, they would have to shut down if Lamb had to leave, but within a couple months, they were able to be fully staffed. By May, Mama T’s was officially a 24/7 homeless shelter. Being open 24/7 has had its challenges, of course. The guest rules and information went from a three page packet to 12 pages, because they are learning as they go along and constantly adapting to new situations. However, they are also able to re-house an average of two to three people per month. The average stay of a guest has also been

cut in half. Now, most guests are there three to four months instead of the previous six to eight. Part of this success is due to the Emergency Solutions Grant with Ada Homeless Services, and Lamb is now a part of Homeless Management Information Systems. This has helped grow their success with rapid re-housing. Perhaps even more helpful, though, are the resources that Lamb and her co-workers can provide to the guests, helping them solve some of the root causes that lead to homelessness. Before, when she only saw them at night, she could have a small conversation to discover what steps needed to be taken and send them on their way in the morning with a to-do list. Now, though, Lamb can help them navigate through their own individual issues, providing them with the support they need. In some cases, the guests need help applying for disability. This can be a difficult and time-consuming process filled with red tape. Lamb, however, can point them in the right direction and help them however she can, making sure they get to their appointments, helping them with paperwork and eventually getting them in a home of their own. In many cases, people don’t just get their disability check but can also get back-pay as well, helping them in almost miraculous ways. Other people may need help with health issues – whether it be physical or mental. One of their current guests is currently going through chemotherapy and others are diabetic. Some need counseling, whether it be individual or group. They have automatic referrals to both Addiction and Behavioral Health Services, which is right next door to the shelter, and Lighthouse, which is for mental health care. Once they refer a guest, the other organization does the evaluation and assessment and sets the client up with counseling. While Lamb doesn’t get her guests jobs, she does give them resources so they can find gainful employment. Being employed is one of the requirements to stay at Mama T’s. They are focused on helping their guests become independent

Director Crystal Lamb oversees services for the local homeless population helped by Mama T’s B&B, which has reached 24/7 operational status after opening as an emergency shelter in August 2018. PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

and productive. As it says in the contract that all guests sign upon intake, “Within ten days of admittance into the shelter, a Plan for Independence will be established … The Plan may include in or outpatient treatment for those having addiction issues, attendance at classes applicable to your situation, steady employment, savings verification, participating in money management classes, meeting child support obligations and taking care of outstanding warrants and court costs … The purpose of the Plan for Independence is to prepare you to become self-sufficient, productive members of society at large.” At Mama T’s B&B, they aren’t just putting a bandage on the homeless situation. They are actively trying to help eradicate it, changing lives and bringing families back together. For more information, or to donate, visit their website mamatsada.com. www.adahub.com • 11

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