ADA HUB JANUARY 2019 by Shawnee Outlook

JANUARY 2019 Vol. 9 Issue 4

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CONTENTS

JANUARY 2019

FEATURES

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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ECU professor incorporates immense love of reading into his own works, classroom

Billy K Band forms family bond around respective talents

Preschool teacher takes big step to improve health for her son, students and self

Community members offer a variety of addition recovery programs

Young Professionals of Ada to host leadership development conference

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ECU professor incorporates immense love of reading into his own works, classroom By Sunnie Dawn Smith

ost people might not think that a scholar of Shakespeare, Chaucer and Austen would also be a novelist of fantasy and science fiction literature. Most people would be wrong. Joshua Grasso, an English professor at East Central University, does exactly this. Grasso teaches courses at ECU on classic literature. He loves teaching this type of literature as well as reading it. “These books are just endless,” Grasso said. “You can never get to the bottom of them.” However, he also gets very excited about other literature as well, including comic books, modern fantasy, science fiction and travel writing essays. It is the combination of all of these literary loves that come together in his own writing. “Pieces of all these stories find their way into my works, either through a setting, a character or even a stray word or phrase,” Grasso said. This combination of reading and teaching is one of the things that makes his own process and approach to writing so unique. “I couldn’t imagine writing without teaching. Reading and discussing works with a classroom of students is the most inspiring thing on earth,” Grasso said. “I always see something new that makes me understand the author and book better and in turn makes me want to try the same thing myself.” Grasso has been writing since high school, though more seriously since he graduated college. He has written everything from novels to short stories, literary criticism to magazine articles, advertisements to onhold messages. He started by emulating the writers he loved

East Central University English professor Joshua Grasso combines his love of classic literature, science fiction, travel essays and more to create his own stories and novels. PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

the most. As he got older and grew as a writer, his approach matured. “The older I get, the more I relish the ability to take a raw idea, sometimes just an impression, and make it into an actual story that even I can enjoy reading,” Grasso said. Though he still writes about literature, he now primarily writes fantasy and science fiction with a goal to write one story a month and one novel every two years. His novels, “The Count of Living Death,” “The Astrologer’s Portrait” and “The Winged Turban,” can be downloaded on Amazon, and his stories can be found in magazines like Aphelion, Exterus and Broadswords and Blasters. This January, one of his stories is featured on Manawaker Studio’s Flash Fiction Podcast. Reading is immensely important to Grasso’s process and is also relevant to the advice he

was given as a young writer. He also passes that advice on to those aspiring to be writers. “Read everything you can find,” he said. “Read outside of the genre you write in. If you write fantasy, for example, don’t just read Tolkien. Read non-fiction, read poetry, read history, read Shakespeare. A book or story is built from the bones of a thousand stray ideas.” His creative process begins with a lot of reading. He will let ideas sit with him awhile and then take them and see if he can turn them into something else. If one of them does become something more, then he simply starts writing. Reading doesn’t just begin his process, though. It is integral to his very identity as a writer. “Writing is an exploration, so I never quite know what I have until I’m halfway through the story,” Grasso said. “Then I spend weeks or months revising

until I’m more or less happy with the result.” Whether or not someone wants to become a published author or spend their days and nights writing stories, Grasso sees writing as a truly worthwhile skill. “Writing is the most applicable skill you can learn,” Grasso said. “Learning to write changes the way you read anything, since you can see why the author wrote what he or she did. It also changes the way you see yourself, since you start seeing your life as a character in a story. Also, the more you have a living relationship with words, the better you can communicate with others, and understand the limitations of words – and why we need to be more understanding and compassionate with one another. No one can truly understand another person’s life, but writing is the one tool we have been given to bridge the gap.” www.adahub.com • 5

Billy K Band forms family bond around respective talents By Sunnie Dawn Smith

da has a vibrant live music community. There are so many bands of all different genres who express their musical creativity in multitudes of ways. However, even among the local bands, there is one that many speak highly of and admire regardless of their genre: the Billy K Band. While Billy Kelley recorded his first album in Nashville in 2012, the current group of musicians has been together since 2016 and continues to make music together in the spirit of creative collaboration. The Billy K Band has five members: Billy Kelley on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Jay Tuley on drums, Matt Calvert on bass guitar, Susanne Woolley on fiddle and backup vocals and Chad Curtsinger on lead guitar. They all came together playing in a few practice sessions, but their dynamic was so great that the band grew from there. Kelley said it is the great skills of the individual musicians – who can also work together as a team – that really makes the band what it is. “Tuley is a veteran drummer, and he adds that solid, confident foundation for the band,’ Kelley said. “Calvert is the youngest player in the band. He is fun to play with and breathes life into the songs we play. (Calvert and Tuley) are the backbone of the band and keep everything rolling. (Woolley) is one of the best fiddle players in the business. I like calling her the sweetener. She can add such a dynamic to any song with her noodling and her fiddle rides. She finds a way to fit into any song. And (Curtsinger), our lead guitarist, is always learning and adapting. He keeps getting better and better with every performance and adds so many signature and original licks to our shows.” 6 • www.adahub.com

Matt Calvert, Susanne Woolley, Billy Kelley, Jay Tuley and Chad Curtsinger bring a mix of country, Southern rock and red dirt music to the Billy K Band. PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

Billy K Band plays a mix of country, Southern rock and red dirt, but they also have some influences from funk and blues. They play a mix of covers and original compositions. When they get together to rehearse, Kelley will throw an idea into the mix, and they will just jam and see what happens. “When you have that much experience and talent in the room, it makes it easy for a song idea to take shape,” Kelley said. It isn’t all easy, though. The five band members each have their own families and jobs outside of the Billy K Band, and finding time is the hardest challenge they face. “Finding time to do what you love sometimes has to wait when you are taking care of your families,” Kelley said. “Family comes first.” Even still, they do consider themselves a musical family – not bound together by blood but by the music that pulses through their veins. Woolley really enjoys having the opportunity to play the fiddle with this group of musicians.

“For a musician, you definitely turn a corner when you start playing gigs each weekend,” she said. “You become familiar with your instrument in a way that you never knew, and you begin noticing that you can do things and play things you could never play before. “I really enjoy playing in this band because I have the ability to be creative and improvise with, and against, the other members. For example, if I am taking a lead ride on the fiddle, I’ll hear the drummer start building a particular beat and rhythm. As he changes the cadence and rhythms, I can go with him, and we end up playing something totally unique and new that can really affect the overall feeling and style of the song we are playing. It is wild. It’s great to play with a drummer that is listening to the fills and rides and interacting with them and augmenting them.” It isn’t just the drummer that Woolley interacts with in this way. She can say the exact same thing regarding the other members of the band as well. One of the most impressive

things about the Billy K Band is the mutual respect that all band members have for each other. While they are a musical family, they also deeply appreciate the experience, talent and musicality of their bandmates. There are several ways to hear their music either from the comfort of home or out in the world. They have three albums – “Outrun the Rain,” “Go Big or Go Home” and “Our Christmas Album.” Their music can be found on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and cdBaby as well as on their website, www.billykband. com. They are also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as BillyKBand. Upcoming shows include Jan. 18 at the Brickhouse Saloon at 113 1/2 North Bell St. in Shawnee, Jan. 19 at The Village at 1131 Cradduck Road in Ada, Feb. 6 at The Grandview at 201 E. Main St. in Ada and Feb. 9 at The Okie at 1818 S. Main St. in McAlester. Other upcoming shows will be announced via their website and social media.

Preschool teacher takes big step to improve health for her son, students and self By Sunnie Dawn Smith

ot waiting for a New Year’s resolution, preschool teacher Katie Patton decided that she needed to do something about her weight. She had been yo-yo dieting for years, and every time she would lose weight, she would end up gaining even more back. In July 2018, she had reached 241 pounds. While Patton was actually quite happy with herself at the time and in a good place as far as her body image, she wanted to be healthier and have more energy. As a preschool teacher and the mother of a four-yearold boy, she knew that she would feel better if she could shed some pounds and actually keep it off. She decided on a drastic procedure, something permanent, but it is one that worked for her. She had half of her stomach removed in a gastric sleeve procedure. Different from a gastric bypass that reroutes the digestive system, a gastric sleeve procedure can remove up to 85 percent of the stomach. Now her stomach is the size of a highlighter. One of the most enlightening things, though, is that she realized that it wasn’t necessarily the food that was the problem. It was her mindset. “The procedure fixed my stomach but not my mind,” Patton said. “Food was my coping mechanism, and I didn’t realize this until my stomach was smaller. I had to get more hobbies than eating.” Before the procedure, she could go to Braum’s and, as she put it, “eat like a man.” She would have a bacon double cheeseburger, large fries and a large coke. Now, it is difficult for her to finish a cheese stick or a carton of yogurt. Because

After having a gastric sleeve procedure, preschool teacher Katie Patton focused on improving her mindset to go along with improving her health.

PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GEISLER

of this, she has to hold herself accountable for everything that she eats, making sure she gets the most out of every bite. While she can eat whatever she wants, Patton usually opts for high protein, healthier options instead of empty calories and carbohydrates. She has been warned that some people have gained their weight back because even though the stomach is reduced in size, it can still stretch over time with overindulgence. With this in mind – and because she doesn’t want the surgery to be for nothing – Patton is very careful about what she eats and has changed her habits completely. Another thing that helps is exercise. Through her weight loss clinic in Edmond, she sees a nutritionist, a doctor and a

trainer who advise patients on exercise. Her trainer suggested that she just do exercise that keeps her heart rate steady – nothing too intense. They said that if it was too intense, then it would burn her food instead of her fat. Because of this, Patton usually opts for walking and riding a stationary bike, though sometimes she goes to the gym and jumps rope or uses the rowing machine. While Patton was already in a good place mentally before the surgery, she is in a much better place physically afterwards. “I loved myself before,” she said. “I knew I was cute. I knew I was good people. And that’s how I knew I was in a good place to do the surgery.” The biggest change she can see is in her energy level. As a preschool teacher with the

Chickasaw Nation, they are always stretching, dancing and singing. This was hard for her to do before, but now she can keep up with a room full of kids ages three through five. Her four-year-old son Kasyn also loves to run, jump and play. He loves to race and now his mom can actually race with him. They go to the gym together, and they eat grilled chicken and vegetables together. Her new healthy life impacts his as well. While Patton is not done with her journey, she has already made remarkable strides, losing 72 pounds since July, bringing her down to 169 pounds. Patton decided she needed to make a change in her life, so she did it and decided that she is not going back to the life she lived before. www.adahub.com • 7

Community members offer a variety of addition recovery programs By Sunnie Dawn Smith

here are many social stigmas surrounding addiction. Some see it as a moral failing in others or even themselves. However, there are many factors that lead to addiction, many of which are outside the control of the individual. While people can neither choose their pasts nor erase trauma and circumstances that might have led to their addiction, they can choose to change their future. In Ada, there are many programs filled with caring and compassionate people who want to help addicts choose a 8 • www.adahub.com

better future. David Barrowman, ministry leader for Celebrate Recovery at Ada First Baptist Church, said addiction can come from “past hurts, mental health issues, past abuse or present abuse.” Barrowman is a former addict who was helped by Celebrate Recovery and now leads the group. Celebrate Recovery is a 12-step program for addicts but also family members of addicts. They also have a program called Celebration Place, where participants’ children learn the same lessons as the

adults but on their level. This is to help the family as a whole and help prevent future generations from falling into the deep well of addiction. They are also in the process of starting a program called the Welcome Home Initiative, which is for veterans and led by veterans. Celebrate Recovery meets every Monday night at the Ada First Baptist Church at 521 S Broadway Ave. They have a meal and big group meeting at 6:30 p.m. and then break into seven small groups at 7:45 p.m. It isn’t just a support group; it is a

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community that rallies around its members. Walter “Snake” Grant leads the Ada Narcotics Anonymous group at Reaper Baptist Church located at 3301 N. Broadway. They meet at 8 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 7 p.m. Saturdays. Their meetings are open to addicts and their support teams. They deal with both drug and alcohol addiction. Grant founded this group eight and a half years ago after struggling with his own sobriety. He first got clean in 1986 and stayed clean for five years, but then he went back out again. “I never drank again but started using drugs again, thinking that maybe I could exercise some control over them since I thought that alcohol was my biggest problem,” Grant said. “I couldn’t have been more wrong. Things spiraled out of control in no time. I knew I could be a better person, but the guilt and shame of going back to the meeting wasn’t easy to do. After all, these people knew me, and I was pretty sure that they would never believe another word I said.” Eventually Grant was facing a prison sentence but managed to get into a Pontotoc County drug court program, and he realized he was serious about recovery. He has been clean for 10 years now and tries to give back to the community as

much as possible. He gives credit to all the groups, drug court staff and counselors that changed his life, and now he wants to change others’ lives as well and help them take control of their future. Travis Muse, pastor at Asbury Methodist Church at 508 W 6th St., runs another meeting called The WAY that meets at 6 p.m. every Tuesday. Since the program was founded 14 years ago, it has grown from a handful of people to around 70 regular attendees. This program focuses on both short-term and long-term approaches to recovery. “Each week I see men and women who have had the joy of life demolished because of their drug abuse,” Muse said. “The disease of alcoholism and substance abuse has caused such broad destruction that they feel defeated. “Beyond the damaging physical cravings of the flesh, their mental attitudes have left a path of destruction in relationships, employment, finances and self-worth. The drugs have destroyed their lives and broken their spirits or desires to improve. This is why The WAY program does not merely focus on addiction recovery; we focus on life recovery and how a person gets back on track mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We do not see them as addicts and abusers when they come to church. We see them as men and women who struggle

with life just as anyone else in the pews.” Ada’s services also include Solid Oak Recovery at Oak Avenue Baptist Church 523 N Oak Ave. run by Kelley Haragan. Haragan has had many family members who dealt with addictions but said she believes that through a strong faith in Christ, addicts can overcome all the obstacles they experience during recovery. They meet at 6 p.m. every Wednesday starting with dinner before classes begin at 6:30 p.m. Women’s H.O.P.E. NA meets at 301 East Kings Road at 7:30 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays and is run by Connie Taylor. Taylor said she sees many causes of addiction, including “addicts’ inability to face problems with their life, low self-esteem and many were molested in their childhood and can’t face dealing with the pain.” Her program is also a 12-step program with a simple spiritual, though not religious, way to help addicts recover. “It creates a support system to get our lives back on track,” Taylor said. “It’s only through understanding and application that it works.” Though addiction recovery is a long and difficult road, there are people who are willing to help free of the judgment and stigmas that can surround this problem. www.adahub.com • 9

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Young Professionals of Ada to host leadership development conference By Sunnie Dawn Smith

n Feb. 22, the Young Professionals of Ada will host the Engage Conference from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Pontotoc Technology Center at 601 W. 33rd St. This conference gives young professionals in Ada a chance to get together for networking, career development and community involvement. Their goal is to connect young professionals and develop, enable and educate Ada’s next generation of leadership. Jessica Beck, the current chair of the YPA, said that this is a unique opportunity in Ada for people to connect with other young professionals. A couple of years ago, they had great success co-hosting a conference with NextGen 30 Under 30. There was such a positive reaction in the community that they decided they would like to have an annual conference to bring young professionals and community leaders together. While this conference targets young professionals, they consider anyone a “young professional” between ages 18-40, but it could also be anyone who is young in their business, starting new careers, young at heart or would enjoy a new networking opportunity. The goal of this conference is to provide leadership development while also giving the next generation of leaders a chance to be heard by established community leaders. Registration fees are $25, and tickets can be purchased through the link on the conference Facebook event page or at the Chamber of Commerce. Participants can also register at the door as well. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., and

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the conference begins at 9 a.m. with the first session running until 11 a.m. The opening session is an interactive round table discussion with community professionals, industry experts and entrepreneurs. They will share stories from their road to success and give advice about how to achieve career advancement and a successful future. From 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. there will be a luncheon with keynote speaker Brian Stanley, the operator of the new Chickfil-A. He will talk about why Chick-fil-A decided to come to Ada at this point in time as well as his company’s vision regarding the importance of investing in the community. He will also share his own journey of being a young professional and the significance of being a young leader. The closing session lasts 1-3 p.m. and will focus on brainstorming and sharing ideas with community experts as well as the decision makers in the community. This session will give attendees a chance to let

their voices be heard as they come up with ideas about how to improve the Ada community for young professionals as well as everyone else. It will begin with the question, “If you could improve the City of Ada, so that it better catered to young professionals, what would you do?” They will be focusing on letting their voices be heard in regards to working, living and playing in the community as a young professional. This is one of the few opportunities that will be provided for young people to have their voices and ideas truly heard by those who make decisions in the community and possibly affect real change. YPA members are hoping to have at least 50 people in attendance, though the biggest challenge is convincing businesses to let their employees take time off to come to the conference without using any leave. “We encourage all businesses to allow their employees to attend,” Beck said. “They will gain insight and knowledge

that will help their careers and also possible exposure for your company.” Information about the conference can be found on the Facebook event page listed under “Engage Conference.” More information about YPA can be found on their Facebook page as well. Those interested in joining the YPA, should reach out to them on social media or email Beck at beck.jessica@ outlook.com. While Beck is looking forward to the upcoming conference for many reasons, the thing that excites her the most is bringing everyone together. “I love that we have had so many leaders in the community interested in hearing from our group,” Beck said. “Our leaders are really ready to listen to what we have to say, and this is the best opportunity for us to share our visions, ideas, wants and needs for the future of Ada with those in the position to do something with this knowledge.” www.adahub.com • 11

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