Come see Shawnee’s new purpose-built Veterinary Hospital.
I’m Angela Taylor, owner of Taylors Hair Supply. I find joy and love that I can help a person feel better, even if it’s just by fixing up their hair.
Shelf product lines: BTL, Cantu, Mielle, Shine n’ Jam, AS I AM, Motions, Mixed Chicks, along with lots more. I also have products for the kiddos. Ladies,
TUES-SAT 10AM-6PM • Lunch from 1PM-2PM Closed on Sunday & Monday. email: sales@taylorshairsupply.com WIGS •
Styles include: Bobbi Boss, Sensationnel, Janet, Freetress, Innocence, and Ez-Braid!
530 E. Highland St. Shawnee, OK 405-505-0707
keep the change
FASHION RESET
KEEP BEAT WITH HEART RATE
Have you ever wanted to pay attention to your heart rate during a workout? Or maybe you have in the past and can’t quite figure out what all is affecting your heart rate. If you have a goal of fat loss and you are working out, it can be beneficial to know your heart rate. Nowadays, it is very easy to measure your heart rate by wearing devices like a watch that senses it.
Your target heart rate is generally expressed as a percentage of your maximum safe heart rate during a workout. Maintaining this heart rate can help you get the most benefit from your workouts. The results vary based on your age.
chool is starting, and you’re just realizing how much those kids have grown and need new clothes. Maybe it’s also time for a fall refresh for your own closet. It’s tempting to head to Amazon for a quick and cheap retail fix, but is that the best use of your money? Frequently, clothing items from Amazon are not what they’re represented as – the quality is low and the fit can be iffy. These and other “fast fashion” items seem like a good buy because of the low initial cost, but if your clothing is disposable because they only get a few wears before they fall apart, you’re really not making your dollar go as far as it can. Here are some other options instead.
• Invest in quality pieces. Look for “slow fashion” options that are well made and last longer. Higher quality fabrics – linen, wool, and 100 percent cotton – often have a higher price tag but will also last much longer (and be more comfortable) than the synthetics at big box stores.
• Shop used. Thrift stores such as Goodwill and Uptown Cheapskate offer the opportunity to try things on – Goodwill’s return policy has even been recently updated to allow for in-home test runs – and see the item in person, so there’s no question as to its quality, fabric make-up or fit. Consignment sales (such as the Monkey Business sale in Shawnee) also offer great used options.
• Get more “wears.” Don’t be afraid to re-wear items more often. Your closet can handle fewer items if you learn how to mix and match outfits. Be creative in finding combinations for the items you already have. When purchasing, consider how many different outfits that one piece will be able to create. Change up accessories and outerwear to add even more options.
Angela Rowland is an OBU graduate and a stay-at-home mother of four. She enjoys finding new ways to stretch the paycheck and share some of her favorite tips and deals.
Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute when you are at rest. Normally, the number is between 60 and 100. As the heart itself gets stronger, the resting heart rate value decreases. This can be an indicator of both fitness and good general health. The resting heart rate can vary based on the fitness level, medications and medical history. Highly trained athletes can have a resting heart rate as low as 40. An “excellent” resting heart rate for women 36-45 years of age would be 60-64. An “excellent” resting heart rate for men 36-45 years of age would be 57-62.
Our heart rate helps you know if you are working out too much or not enough. Even if you are not an elite athlete, knowing your heart rate can help you track your health and fitness level. Your maximum heart rate is about 220 minus your age. Target heart rate during moderate intensity activities is about 50-70 percent of maximum heart rate, while during vigorous physical activity it’s about 70-85 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Cookie Cake
It was my oldest son’s 10th birthday, and I wanted to make a dessert for him and the family. Even though we don’t eat much sugar, everyone needs a birthday dessert. I made this gluten and dairy free as well.
Ingredients:
Cookie Cake Layer
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
½ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
½ cup coconut sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups blanched almond flour
¼ cup tapioca flour or gluten free flour blend
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips
Fudge layer
¾ cup dairy free chocolate chips
2 Tbsp coconut oil
¼ cup almond butter
1 tsp maple syrup
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Make the cookie cake first. Combine eggs, coconut sugar, coconut oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Slowly beat into the wet ingredients to form a sticky dough. Stir in chocolate chips and transfer dough to a greased 8x8 cake pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the edges start to brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled, make the fudge layer. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir and melt chocolate chips and coconut oil until silky smooth. Remove from heat and stir in almond butter and maple syrup. Spread fudge over top. Refrigerate 1-2 hours until set. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Nutrition Information per Serving Makes: 8 servings
Calories 556 Total fat: 50g Saturated Fat: 24g Cholesterol: 46g
Nutrition 101: Many of my patients who are needing gluten and dairy free, feel like desserts are forever off the table. I love to show how easy it can be to substitute wheat flour. You still get a great product and don’t feel like you are missing out on the party.
Andrea Beck, a registered dietitian and personal trainer, received her master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. She offers personal training and nutrition education through an
Angela Rowland
Michael P Garbutt, AAMS™ Financial Advisor 3813 N Harrison St Shawnee, OK 74804 405-214-4971
Jacob Russell Financial Advisor 4010 N Kickapoo Ave, Ste 1 Shawnee, OK 74804 405-214-1978
David W Spires, CFP® Financial Advisor MacArthur St, Ste 110 Shawnee, OK 74804 405-878-0990
Chris Jones Financial Advisor 2218 N Kickapoo Ave, Ste 1 Shawnee, OK 74804 405-395-0068
Brent S Morris Financial Advisor 923 East MacArthur St Shawnee, OK 74804 405-788-0040
Trey Thee III Financial Advisor 2218 N Kickapoo Ave, Ste 1 Shawnee, OK 74804 405-395-0068
art of the matter
CAT DAY
Feline Fandom Has Fueled Fine Art For Millenia
SUBMITTED BY DELAYNNA TRIM, CURATOR OF COLLECTIONS MABEE-GERRER MUSEUM OF ART
Did you know that August 8 is International Cat Day?
It was created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare. It has really taken off with social media. Everyone loves a good cat video. In fact, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and Philbrook Museum of Art are hosting cat video festivals in September.
The Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art has an ancient Egyptian mummified cat and one made to look like a mummified cat. Cats were popular pets in ancient Egypt as they kept mice from grain, but more culturally significant, the goddess Bastet would sometimes take the appearance of a cat. Bastet was the goddess of home, health and childbirth. She would protect the home from evil spirits and disease.
Because Bastet was a popular goddess, many temples to her were located around Egypt. People would offer her mummified cats in order to get her protection. Eventually, instead of actual cats, they would make bundles of linen look like mummified cats and offer those instead. You can see one of each in the museum’s Ancient Gallery.
In ancient Rome, the cat was a symbol of liberty. The Roman army kept cats with them to protect their food from rats.
Cats arrived in Japan from China in the
mid-sixth century. There are many stories about the origin of the “maneki neko,” the beckoning or lucky cat statues. One story says that a samurai had taken refuge from a rainstorm under a tree when a cat beckoned him into a nearby temple. As soon as he left, the tree was hit by lightning.
Cats were often associated with witchcraft in medieval Europe. However, we know that many monasteries still had cats because they would often appear in illustrated manuscripts that the monks were creating. In fact, a well-known poem about a white cat, “Pangar Bán,” was written by an Irish monk in Reichenau Abbey in the ninth century. It has been reinterpreted many times throughout the centuries, most famously by W. H. Auden and Seamus Heaney.
Cats gained popularity again as a pet in the nineteenth century, with the first cat show in the U.S. in New York City in 1895. Cats are now one of the most popular pets in the U.S. with more than 80 million cats residing in 37 million U.S. households.
The MGMoA has free admission until the end of August, so come check out all the art featuring cats and dogs.
For a video on how to create a mummified cat and more cat crafts, check out www.mgmoa.org/art-projects
Scan this code to visit the MabeeGerrer Museum of Art’s at-home project page.
Do you want to make your own (pretend) mummified cat? Here’s how. Supplies:
• Toilet paper roll or paper towel roll
• Gold wrapping paper or gold paint
• Tape
• Black marker Cut the wrapping paper to cover the tube. Secure with the tape. If you prefer, you can paint the tube with gold paint instead. After the paper is secured or paint is dry, fold over the top edges to create the ears. Next, use the black marker to draw the cat face, wrappings, etc.
30 Minute & 1 Hour Escape Rooms
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divorce and separation support group
Begins August 21st • 6:45pm-8:30pm Every Wednesday, through November 20th
Northridge Church of Christ 1001 E. MacArthur St. Shawnee, OK 405-275-4180 or 405-481-3818
Please call or visit Divorcecare.org to register.
mental health
CHANGING MINDS The Cunning Nature Of Addiction
BY DR. JULIO ROJAS
No other illness can conjure up feelings of anger, resentment, frustration and despair like addiction. For those who suffer – and for those who love them – the journey is agonizing.
Addiction can be defined as a primary, progressive, chronic and potentially fatal disease with genetic, psychological and socio-environmental underpinnings. Because the brain is responsible for our day-to-day experiences of life like how we think, feel, behave and interact with ourselves and others, it is helpful for individuals who struggle to understand addiction to learn about how this change unfolds as addiction progresses.
It is important to recognize that for the individual you know and love, these changes in thinking, emotional functioning, behavior and capacity for relationships are subtle. In the field of addiction, we often talk about the “cunning nature” of addiction to remind ourselves that it can be difficult for the person who is afflicted to see something that may be evident to their 10-yearold child. Recognizing the cognitive, emotional, behavioral and relational symptoms of addiction is important as these are the outward symptoms that correlate with changes to the brain’s structure and function.
Cognitive changes
In the early stages of drug use, a great deal of learning occurs. An individual may learn about the mood-altering properties of a chemical and its capacity to increase alertness, bring on a positive mood or relieve stress and pain. Memory plays an important role as the experience of the first high and subsequent euphoria can become a permanent marker in the brain of a powerful chemically-induced sensation.
The individual gradually attributes powers to the substance. For example, “It helps me feel less depressed.” What the drug is doing for them becomes more important than what the drug may be doing to them.
These changes are subtle, and this is often a honeymoon period. With repeated use, the mind-altered state becomes the norm, and the person becomes mentally preoccupied with obtaining their drug of choice. This mental obsession grows over time, and the individual will begin to develop rationalizations for their use and justifications for areas of their life that are becoming problematic. These cognitive changes and shifts occur even when the person is not using the substance.
Gateway to Prevention and Recovery
would like to invite you to save the dates for our upcoming free R.A.W. Luncheons. You can expect community resources, a delicious lunch and an inspiring recovery speaker. Community Service is available for attending. Email wellness director Alicja Carter at acarter@gatewaytoprevention.org to get the registration link directly to your email, or check out Gateway to Prevention and Recovery on Facebook as it gets closer to the luncheons.
Emotional changes
Scan to watch what the R.A.W. Luncheon is all about.
An enticing aspect of drugs of abuse is their ability to alter mood. Substances do what they promise in terms of alleviating pain, calming anxiety and altering negative mood states.
Euphoric recall is one of the emotional responses that triggers urges to use, and part of treatment is helping the patient learn to play the tape forward past the immediate relief to the consequences that will usually follow.
In the end stages of the addictive progress, the patient may be irritable, angry, resentful and hostile toward others. The individual who suffers from addiction may be disgusted with themself; they may be shame-ridden, guilt-ridden and at a loss to explain how this journey came to this point. The person may experience tremendous demoralization like loss of parental custody, and this may open a window of opportunity for help.
Neuroscience has helped us understand that for individuals who develop addiction, there are deficits – caused by factors such as genetics, environment, and trauma – in their ability to experience the normal pleasures in life, and this places them at increased risk for addiction.
Behavioral changes
You may be confused that the person you know and love seems stuck in a vicious cycle of destructive behavior.
“Why don’t they just stop or realize what they are doing?” you may ask.
This behavior is the result of the limbic system – the emotional part of the brain – overriding the prefrontal cortex. The individual
Rojas
is driven to seek out and use substances despite the consequences. When an individual survives an overdose and returns to using, this may baffle us. However, it illustrates the powerlessness the individual has to change on their own. Fortunately, treatment and recovery can restore a balance between the limbic system and prefrontal cortex and give the individual tools to break the behavioral patterns that keep the person stuck in the cycle of addiction.
Relationships
During the course of the addictive process, individuals will become disconnected from their creator, higher power or god of their understanding. The shame and guilt they experience will drive them to disconnect from their own minds and hearts. Then comes the rejection from family who can no longer endure the lies, broken promises, traumatic events and loss of hope.
Threats from family, shame, guilt and the individual's promises to change become too familiar for families dealing with addiction. This is why we refer to addiction as a family illness. There are support programs for the family in the 12-step community and agencies like Gateway to Prevention and Recovery.
What can be done when such a cunning illness has a hold of your loved one? Have you ever spoken to someone in recovery? Have you ever listened to someone in recovery talk about their journey? It can be helpful to hear stories of how others escaped the grip of addiction. If we hear more of these success stories, we may begin to feel more hopeful that recovery works and is possible. In summary, addiction results in characteristic and predictable changes to an individual’s cognitive, emotional, behavioral and interpersonal functions. However, the good news is that recovery improves an individual’s capacity for those same skills, perhaps better than before they developed addiction.
Gateway is thankful to Dr. Julio Rojas for his partnership in writing this article to provide additional insight and education around addiction and recovery for the benefit of our community. Find out more about the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Behavioral Health Department at cpn.news/BH.
Dr. Julio Rojas is a licensed health service psychologist and a licensed alcohol and drug counselor who has spent 16 years at OU College of Medicine providing clinical care and teaching future psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental
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artha Lillard has become well-versed in sharing her story in recent years.
After almost 70 years of spending the majority of her days alone in an iron lung, news and feature outlets locally and nationally began seeking her out a few years ago as she became one of the few polio survivors left in the United States who relied on that type of equipment to survive.
According to Martha, it began with a birthday party in 1953. She was turning five and wanted to celebrate at an amusement park in the Shawnee area.
At the time across the country, communities were addressing how to combat the transmission of polio, a viral epidemic particularly in children that had a wide range of effects from mild symptoms to paralysis. There were a number of theories on how people contracted the disease, and parents did their best to keep their children safe.
The symptoms began with a sore throat and neck for Martha, but it was not long before she was in isolation at the hospital struggling to breathe. It was there that medical staff first put her inside an iron lung, and the relief was immediate.
From that point forward, her family did all they could to make sure she had what she needed to deal with the permanent effects of polio. Her younger sister, Cindy, and their mother cared for Martha and also her brother, who was living with quadriplegia of his own. Their father worked to ensure the family had what they needed, such as being among the first in town to have central air conditioning to offset the heat produced by Martha’s equipment.
Meanwhile, medical research developed a vaccination for polio in the mid-1950s, and it became a standard element of pediatrics in the United States and other Western countries. The introduction of an oral vaccine in 1960 opened the possibility of providing children in developing
countries access to this treatment.
In 1979, Rotary International developed a multi-year project to vaccinate 6 million children in the Philippines, and with the support of local Rotary clubs and partners like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it has since provided vaccines to more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries in an ongoing mission. Cases of polio worldwide have diminished by 99.9 percent with only some isolated cases outside two countries where the disease is still endemic, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Back in Shawnee, Martha lived independently for most of her adult life with only the occasional need for help around the house from her friends and family. Her doctors, nurses, priest and family taught her to persevere, whether
ABOVE: Members of the Shawnee Rotary Club organized a clean up day at the home of Martha Lillard, the last known polio survivor using an iron lung daily for whom the club helped replace a generator and other equipment. — Photos submitted
LEFT: Martha Lillard, left, has spent about 17 hours a day in an iron lung after a bout with polio in 1953. Her sister and brother-in-law, Cindy and Daryl McVey, have helped her around her home throughout that time.
it was living with the effects of polio or battling cancer.
“She has such a will to live, it's absolutely fascinating,” said Cindy, who along with her husband Daryl McVey still assists Martha now. “I would have given up a long time ago, but she's a go-getter
Martha had to limit her exposure to the outdoors with her level of respiratory compromise, but she did have cameras set up with which she could watch the birds who visited her yard. She learned to paint and make digital art. She rescued and cared for beagles. During her average 17 hours per day spent in the iron lung, she has followed current affairs and entertainment. She even has had an ongoing 20-year longdistance relationship with a man overseas.
"I'm a very stubborn person,” Martha said. “When I run into an obstacle, 'oh, I'm going to get around this somehow.'
“I love being alive.”
However, Martha became concerned
in recent years about finding replacement parts for her iron lung, which at the time was only known to be used by two polio survivors in all of the United States. As of April 2024, she is now the only recorded polio survivor still using an iron lung in the country.
Things took a turn in 2021 after she contracted COVID-19, which three years later still has an effect on her day-to-day activities. Cindy and Daryl now made daily visits to Martha to help her enter and exit the iron lung and to help with other home maintenance issues. Now in their retirement years, the couple began to wonder how to help their loved one still reeling from the damage caused by polio seven decades ago without overextending.
Though every Rotary Club plays a role in the organization’s polio eradication efforts, few in the United States get to directly impact individuals grappling with the effects of the disease in their local communities, but the Shawnee club had an opportunity after learning about Martha’s story and her need to replace and upgrade some of the equipment on which she relies.
“That’s what Rotary tries to do; find a need and fill it… with all the different strengths and skills we have in our club that people can bring to bear to help solve the problem,” said Tony McMurry, Shawnee Rotary Club member and treasurer.
Brent Morris, serving as Shawnee Rotary Club president from 2022 to 2023, met Martha and learned of her need for new collars for her iron lung. Morris – a financial advisor for Edward Jones in Shawnee – brought her need before the local club, and some of its members began to seek out solutions. While working to address the collar issue, Rotary members met with Martha and her family and realized there were a number of concerns that they and their
networks could help fix.
“Being involved in polio eradication for as long as Rotary has, we’ve seen in the worst extreme what it can do to somebody,” McMurry said. “For some people, the paralysis affected their diaphragm and ability to breathe like Martha.
“This was a way that our club could give back and help somebody who didn’t get to benefit from the vaccine.”
One element with which they could help was replacing the generator she used to ensure she could continue operating the iron lung in the event of a power outage. Her previous generator could not support other systems in her house, such as the aforementioned air conditioning that keeps the equipment from heating up her home drastically in the summer, Martha said. It also required someone to stay during storms because it would not automatically start during a power loss. Another generator she had in the past required a friend or family member to retrieve diesel fuel to keep it running, even if elements like icy winter weather was not conducive to making a run to the gas station. Without power, she could get trapped inside the iron lung and the heat would continue building in the house, which adversely affects someone whose damaged capillaries restrict her body’s thermoregulation.
Enter the April 2023 tornado, which tore a path of destruction right through Martha’s neighborhood and added to her concerns about being able to effectively use her iron lung. It became more crucial for Shawnee Rotary Club to get Martha what she needed.
McMurry contacted Rotary’s 2023-2024 district governor, Patty Swink, about getting the word out to other clubs about Martha’s
needs, and members from Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois responded with donations to help secure the necessary equipment.
McMurry also learned that the camera system that Martha used to watch the birds in her yard had not worked for quite awhile, so he contacted AA Alarm Company owner Andy Coates to assist in installing a new system and reconnecting Martha with that part of her life.
Coates also had an acquaintance in Oklahoma selling some brand new generators he had on hand. After learning about Martha’s story from McMurry, he made a deal to provide one at below cost. Shawnee Rotary member Randy Jones – owner of American Air Conditioning, Heating and Electric – worked with his personnel to help get the new generator installed and improve some of the wiring in the home.
Other Rotary members also found a way to assist Martha and her family. The club organized a workday at her home on a Saturday morning in April to clear storm damage and vegetation overgrowth, clean the roof and gutters, realign television equipment and dispose of other materials that required a few hands.
“I was more than proud to help with cleanup at her house,” said Sherry Brock, currently serving as board secretary and formerly as the first female president of the local club. “I have been a supporter of the worldwide Rotary Polio Plus program as long as I have been in the Shawnee Rotary Club. I had no idea we had a polio survivor that still uses an iron lung in Shawnee.”
Rotary International describes itself as composed of “people of action” doing good in the world, whether it is in vaccinations and clean water projects overseas or helping local students with
resources they need to succeed. McMurry said he was glad the local membership had a chance to help their neighbor Martha, whose story reinforces the work the organization does to fight disease.
Other causes supported by Shawnee Rotary Club and its fellow members internationally include growing local economies, supporting education, providing clean water and sanitation, saving mothers and children, protecting the environment and promoting peace.
“Helping others is what Rotary is all about,” said Mark Riley, Shawnee Rotary Club president from 2023 to 2024 and owner of Walker Funeral Home. “The teamwork and camaraderie of our members in providing a day of yard work assistance, in addition to our providing a generator to Martha Lillard, is something I'm pleased to have been able to share in.”
To help continue this kind of work, the local Rotary Club will be hosting its first-ever Dancing with Shawnee fundraiser featuring five couples competing for the chance to take home a mirror ball trophy, including John Bobb-Semple and Andrea WeckmuellerBehringer; Kevin and Tina Hanna; Shane and Ana Jett; Zac and Philisha Lowe; and Jamelle Payne and Fhionna Shaughnessy.
Participants themselves will get to enjoy dinner, drinks and dancing while voting for their favorite pairing to win the title and bidding on experiences in a silent auction.
The event takes place at 6 p.m. on Sept. 5 at the Grand Casino event center at 777 Grand Casino Blvd.
All proceeds will support the club’s local efforts benefiting people and organizations in the community doing good work. For more information, visit shawneerotaryclub.com. S
BEFORE SHE HITS THE PRACTICE FIELD…
Find out if she has questions about alcohol or other drugs. Show young people you care and help discourage risky behaviors by talking with them about the dangers of using alcohol and other drugs, such as marijuana and prescription pain medication. For tips on how—and when—to begin the conversation, visit www.underagedrinking.samhsa.gov
OLD AND NEW Volunteer Restoring Iconic Mural Honoring Past, Anticipating Future
BY DAVID DINSMORE
A
spirit of volunteerism and a love for her community. Those two qualities led Dani Shaughnessy to undertake the restoration of the mural on the side of the former Richards Drug Store building. She didn’t ask for payment, but she did ask for the opportunity to bring back to life the scene depicted near the corner of Main and Oklahoma in downtown Shawnee.
“It was deteriorating, and there are some faces and symbols of this town that meant a lot to me and members of the community,” Shaughnessy said. “I really wanted to preserve those.”
The mural “pulls back” the physical wall of the building and the representative curtain of time to reveal everyday Shawnee residents conducting their daily business at the venerable drug store at a point in the city’s history. A mother and her children are ordering their favorite ice cream while a man sits at a table poring over the daily newspaper. The pharmacist discusses a prescription with a patron while another man inspects the facilities.
Shaughnessy had a fondness for the work as soon as her friend, Beth Patterson, began painting it at the request of the Richards family, who owned the drug store depicted on the side of their building at the time.
Some of the characters resemble residents of the city as they were at the time of the painting and transports them to a “simpler time” when neighbors would connect at places like the drug store during the course of their day. Shaughnessy said there is a link to a distant past and a nearer past in the mural itself, but there’s also a representation of the hope for a future that many residents share as they endeavor to build and maintain a tight-knit community.
The subject itself like the scene displayed, however, was subject to the wears of time.
“I had watched it fade over the years, so I contacted (Patterson) and asked if she wanted to come into town so we could touch it up,” Shaughnessy said.
Unfortunately, the scheduling couldn’t work for both of them, so Shaughnessy offered to undertake the project. Patterson gave her enthusiastic agreement as long as Shaughnessy made it “brighter,” a characteristic the original painter wanted for the mural soon after its completion.
Before she could put brush to brick, however, she made sure she got the necessary permissions to begin work on the building. The city required she contact the current building owners in addition to the original artist to get the green light to begin painting.
Once Patterson and the owners gave their blessing, Shaughnessy started arriving in the early mornings during the last few months – before the sun got too high and hot – to bring the scene
Dani Shaughnessy volunteered to restore the mural at the former Richards Drug Store at the corner of Main and Oklahoma after watching it fade over the years and appreciating its beloved status in the community. — Photos submitted
back to vibrant life. She said she does not count herself an artist, but she grew up in an artistic family and had experience painting features for restaurants in the Oklahoma City area.
She would encounter residents who saw her conducting the restoration who expressed their shared admiration for the mural and appreciation for her work.
“So many people have come by to talk about it,” Shaughnessy said. “I love that there are so many people who are excited about it, and it does give us a chance to hope.
“Casting any hope that we can is great.”
On a secondary note, Shaughnessy liked the idea of restoring the existing mural in anticipation of the new murals planned for the downtown area that she is gladly anticipating.
community
TRUST AND LEGACY
Law Firm Celebrates 120th Anniversary In Shawnee
BY DAVID DINSMORE
On June 8, Shawnee-based Stuart and Clover marked a milestone that few Oklahoma law firms can claim as it celebrated its 120th anniversary in practice.
“There’s a great deal of gratitude when I think about 120 years,” said Joe Vorndran, managing partner of the firm. “There’s a great deal of responsibility and weight that comes with that.”
Its legacy of commitment to stewardship and service to its community has permeated the culture within the firm, and each generation of leadership has worked to ensure its successors understand these values as measures of success beyond the bottom line.
“As I’ve watched younger lawyers come into the firm, I remember how good (the previous generation was) to me, and I want to be able to do the same for these young lawyers,” said Jim Stuart, former name partner of the firm. “It’s a carryforward. One of my goals at this point in my life is to help mentor them.”
Stuart – who now serves “of counsel” with the firm – started practicing there in 1979 after graduating the University of Tulsa’s law school and returning to the city where he was born and raised.
“Being with this firm helped me establish my law practice by representing people who helped me through the years,” Stuart said. “That’s the beauty of practicing law in your hometown.
“It doesn’t get better than that.”
the firm underwent another name change to Miller and Peters. Jeff Diamond added his name to the door in 1974 of Miller, Peters, and Diamond.
In 1985, Mike Adcock became a partner in Diamond, Adcock, and Stuart before leaving to become president of Hadson Oil Company. The firm opened an office in Oklahoma City primarily managed by Jeanette Timmons in 1985 to represent Hadson as a publicly traded company. This was an opportunity not afforded to many small-town law practices, Stuart said.
With Mike Clover as a name partner, the firm took on its current moniker of Stuart and Clover in 1995, and it has continued in that iteration since with several partners coming and going during that period. The firm also expanded into Holdenville in the last year after a couple of members of the firm with ties there saw ways they could serve that community as well.
Stuart & Clover opened its doors on June 8, 1904 in Tecumseh as established by Roscoe Arrington, and its partners have carried a legacy of community involvement and trusted service in the area during that last 120 years. — Photos submitted
Once he arrived, Stuart – who has always had an interest in the history of his hometown and its institutions – began learning about the roots of the firm dating back to before statehood.
Roscoe Arrington established the practice on June 8, 1904 in Tecumseh, which served as the county seat until 1930 when it controversially moved to Shawnee.
In 1921, the firm became Arrington and Evans with the addition of name partner Ray Evans. He practiced there until 1935 when on a return trip from Ada he became one of five victims murdered by a hitchhiking serial killer in the same week in the area.
Later that year, Arrington brought aboard Jim Miller as a name partner, and he practiced with the firm until 1985. After Arrington passed away in 1953, Miller hired Lindsay Peters, and
No matter the names on the building, the culture of service to its community has provided the practice the opportunity to enjoy such longevity as its leadership and staff have shown themselves to be not only reliable legal professionals but caring neighbors and friends.
“Our law firm has been dedicated to serving Shawnee,” Stuart said. “We have not only practiced law, but we’ve been active in the community and not-for-profit organizations.
“What we look for is someone who understands their commitment to the Shawnee community in addition to their commitment to our law firm.”
The firm has grown alongside the community to ensure it is positioned to not only serve its needs currently but in a future that seems to indicate even more opportunities, said Vorndran, who joined the firm in 2009.
“We anticipate a lot of dynamic growth in Shawnee,” Vorndran said. “We’re trying to set ourselves up with hires of young professionals who can match that growth.”
Trent Guleserian, who recently made partner with the firm in April, said the generational focus and reputation made joining Stuart and Clover an exciting opportunity.
Guleserian came to Shawnee to attend Oklahoma Baptist
University in 2011, and he worked there after graduating and before deciding he wanted to help nonprofits, universities and similar organizations as a lawyer. He earned a law degree from the University of Oklahoma while continuing to live and invest his time in Shawnee, including as an intern with Stuart and Clover in 2018.
“When I moved here for college, I quickly fell in love with the town that Shawnee is,” said Guleserian, who came from the Dallas, Texas area. “I love the close-knit atmosphere we have here. You’re always within one or two phone calls from finding someone who will help you with whatever you need.”
In addition to the people of the city, the attorneys and staff at the firm affirmed for Guleserian that he made the right decision where to start his practice, he said. There’s a shared sense of responsibility and care among all of his coworkers, and each person’s experience has shaped him into the lawyer he has become.
This atmosphere of dedication among members of the firm goes beyond just those lawyers whose names have been public facing during its history.
For instance, Arrington’s legal secretary, Onie Copeland, worked for the law firm from 1922 to 1977, Stuart said. This included a period when she had to cross the river by ferry from her home in Tecumseh to the firm’s Shawnee offices. Some of her fellow travel ers during that time included the prisoners still housed
at the jail in Tecumseh, who had court appearances scheduled in the new county seat in Shawnee.
Whether working in civil litigation, probate, estate planning, corporate law, real property, oil and gas, banking law, municipal law or alternative dispute resolution, the history and culture of Stuart and Clover allow its attorneys and staff to apply its adopted slogan that it is “big enough to solve problems, small enough to care.”
From a legal perspective, Stuart looked back on the scale and impact the firm has had not only on the individual lives of the neighbors it has represented during its 120-year history but also the state and national impact of representing publicly traded companies like Hadson and BancFirst.
“That just reflects the level of service we provide,” said Stuart, noting that legal matters of all sizes were as important to those in the practice as those whose lives they directly affected.
While the firm tries to provide flexible time and resources for each member to support causes close to their heart, Vorndran said several people there direct their attention toward initiatives that help support children and education in the community. In addition to providing a place for students to gain experience in the legal profession, they look for ways to help the next generation of Shawnee residents have the chance to
Trent Guleserian
Jim Stuart
Joe Vorndran
While working in several business-related disciplines, Guleserian also specializes in education law, which he said means a lot to a former OBU employee and son of two educators. Working with Stuart and Clover also affords him the opportunity to lend his time and knowledge to helping nonprofits just as he aimed to do when starting law school.
“It’s my passion to help people,” Guleserian said. “The name and the firm are trusted in this community.
“The entirety of our firm is involved in the community. That has helped continue that legacy.”
In addition to making an impact locally, Stuart took his firm’s service mindset into his term as president of the Oklahoma Bar Association in 2013 to help the 17,000 lawyers across the state at that time make sure they spent time doing community outreach.
“My program of work was giving back to our communities,” Stuart said. “That was my mission as president.”
Stuart and Clover still views its focus and heart for the community as paramount when evaluating whether to add a professional to its staff, Vorndran said. The current team of partners, associates and staff at Stuart and Clover all seem to understand the legacy of the firm and how the formula has allowed it to achieve its level of success for as long as it has, including the importance of civic involvement.
“Everyone is very cognizant of the history of the firm and respects it,” said Vorndran, who grew up in Shawnee and attended undergraduate and law school at the University of Oklahoma. “We have a good mix of Shawnee people and transplants, and they have all bought in to the community and im-
portance of involvement.”
The attorneys and staff also understand the blessing that comes with having the community support them as well with their trust in the firm, Vorndran said. That type of trust comes from earning it over time by doing good work professionally and personally.
“We don’t take that for granted,” he said. “Every person who works here that with the responsibility with which we’re entrusted, we have a duty to give back.
“We wouldn’t be where we are without the community, and we would like to think that the community is improved a little bit by what we’ve been able to bring to it.”
A more recent element of the firm’s community involvement is the role of city attorney for the City of Shawnee.
“We’re very proud to serve the city in that capacity,” said Vorndran, who said it has also helped the firm gain deeper perspectives and understanding of the community. “We’ve always felt we’re ambassadors of this community, but that responsibility goes to another level when you serve as city attorney.”
Even now with120 years of experience behind them, the current generation of attorneys – including five partners, a senior associate, an associate and two of counsel – understand the firm’s history has not been completely written yet, and Vorndran said they are continuing with a growth phase to meet future needs.
“We continue to look to and invest in the next generation,” said Vorndran, who said they currently have three law school interns, a college intern and two high school interns this summer. “Hopefully, we find those people who not only fit in with this organization but thrive and ultimately lead it going into the future.” S
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GOING FOR GOLD
Shawnee Has Produced, Hosted Numerous Olympians
BY ANN MCDONALD, COURTESY POTT CO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
MEMBER
As we have enjoyed the Olympics held in Paris the last couple of weeks, Oklahomans are also basking in the excitement that was recently announced that a portion of that well-known worldwide sporting event will be held right here in our backyard in four years.
The 2028 Olympics is scheduled to be in Los Angeles, but the committee chose two of Oklahoma City’s athletic venues to host events because of its world-class venues. The softball games are planned for Devon Park and some of the water sports will be on the Oklahoma River. That means we local folks can drive 40 miles and witness some of the world’s best athletes competing in the actual Olympics.
Shawnee itself has longtime ties to the biggest sporting event in the world, which began in ancient Greece around 797 B.C. and were revived in Athens in 1896 after a 1,500 year hiatus. So, how has Shawnee been involved in the modern Olympics during the last 128 years?
The most obvious link, of course, is Jim Thorpe. The young man was born on his father’s land out on what locals call the “panhandle” of Pottawatomie County. After time at other schools, he and other local young people ended up at Carlisle University in Pennsylvania, where it became obvious he was a special athlete. After proving himself on the football field and in track and field, Thorpe was chosen for the U.S. Olympic team. He won gold in both the decathlon and pentathlon in the 1912 event in Stockholm.
the starting leg on the 1,600-meter relay team at the Games held in Berlin. The squad won the silver medal behind Great Britain’s top finish. After completing school at OBU and setting more records, he became a coach and eventually moved to California. Another Shawnee High graduate who also attended OBU just missed being part of the 1932 Olympics. Riley Williamson held several records at both schools and was invited to try-outs for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He made it to the finals but was just edged out of making the team.
Shawnee and OBU also produced two other Olympic athletes, although they competed with their county’s teams. Patrick McMahon – a marathoner from Ireland – finished second in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, and Willie Rios came from Lawton to OBU but was a native of Puerto Rico, for whom he also competed in the 1968 Olympics in the 1,500 meter event.
Glenn Cunningham – a world famous track star from Kansas – competed in two Olympic Games, with a fourth place finish in 1932 and second place in 1936 in the 1,500 meter. He was to also be in the 1940 event in Tokyo, but that Olympiad was canceled. Cunningham never competed in Shawnee, but he was in town in 1954 to speak to junior high students about the “importance of living a clean life and avoiding alcohol and tobacco.”
Harold Cagle — a 1933 Shawnee High School graduate — competed in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, where he helped the U.S. 1,600-meter relay team win silver. He was just one of several athletes to come through Shawnee on the way to the Olympics, including most famously Jim Thorpe. —
Photo submitted
Thorpe lost his medals when it was discovered he had played a couple of baseball games for money in a time when the Olympics were strictly for amateur athletes. Through the efforts of his family and the Olympic committee, they were eventually returned.
Of course, many of today’s Olympic athletes are “professionals,” and some say the change is due to Thorpe’s “trials.” Thorpe always referred to Shawnee as his home and was here many times. In fact, his funeral was held at St. Benedict Catholic Church and several of his children lived here as well.
Another Shawnee boy who performed well in the Olympics was Harold Cagle, a 1933 Shawnee High School graduate. After winning the 440 yard dash at the state high school track meet, he attended Oklahoma Baptist University and continued his athletic prowess. He qualified for the 1936 U.S. Olympic team and ran
The beauty of the Olympics is how it encompasses and its athletes represent so many communities all over the world, including at times the city of Shawnee, Oklahoma.
August: The Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art will offer free admission thanks to the generous sponsorship of BancFirst, Avedis Foundation, St. Gregory's Abbey, and Monks Marketplace. Information: mgmoa.org
Aug. 9-10: The FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival offers two days of balloon glows, balloon launches and balloon rides with a carnival, inflatables, food trucks, vendor market and live music in a family-friendly environment in and around Raymond Peltier Park at 1702 S. Gordon Cooper. Information: firelakeballoonfest.com
Aug. 9-10: The Outdoor Nation Expo returns to the FireLake Arena at 18145 Old Rangeline Road with a free event to help families find all the ways to enjoy the great outdoors featuring camping, hunting, and fishing events along with booths and attractions. Information: outdoornationexpo.com
Aug. 15: Bikes on Bell Bike Nights will start at 6 p.m. in downtown Shawnee in association with The Toolbox, Law Tigers and Bell Street Tattoo and will feature a monthly familyfriendly gathering/celebration of motorcycle enthusiasts, riders and their friends and family with events, vendors, giveaways and charity fundraising, A portion of the proceeds will benefit Shawnee High School band boosters. Information: facebook. com/ToolboxLLC
Aug. 15: The Third Thursday Poetry Reading will begin at 7 p.m. at the Lunch Box at 217 E. Main St. featuring Alan Berecka from Sinton, Texas. A retired librarian and former poet laureate of Corpus Christi, Berecka has published in dozens of anthologies and collections and been a featured reader at international festivals. As usual, the featured reading will be followed by an open mic session for attendees to read up to two poems of their own or from a favorite poet. The Lunch Box will open at 6 p.m. with desserts and drinks available.
Aug. 16: The Arts @317 will host its own Block pARTy from 5:30-8:30 p.m. featuring John May doing some demonstrations throughout the evening. John makes rings, bells and necklaces
from coins. He also makes other items like bracelets out of other materials. Also on display is the work of about 50 other different Oklahoma artists. Information: (405) 659-8193
Aug. 16: For fans of bluegrass, love can’t get better than Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder bringing their renowned bluegrass act to a show starting at 7 p.m. at the FireLake Arena at 18145 Rangeline Road. Information: firelakearena.com
Aug. 17: Comedian William Lee Martin brings his 2024 Bucking Funny Tour to the Historic Ritz Theatre at 10 W. Main with a show starting at 7 p.m. and featuring his storytelling-style comedy without an agenda. Information: ritzshawnee.com
Aug. 23: Country music fans will feel like they are dreaming with their eyes open when Clay Walker takes the stage at 8 p.m. at the Grand Casino events center at 777 Grand Casino Blvd. Information: grandboxoffice.com
Aug. 24: The Rocket Man Run is an annual 5K race and onmile fun run hosted by the Gordon Cooper Technology Center Foundation to raise funds to meet its goal of helping students succeed. The event is set to start at 7:30 a.m. at the Gordon Cooper campus at 1 John C. Bruton. Information: runsignup. com/Race/OK/Shawnee/RocketManRun5KFunWalk
Aug. 24: Cops N Kids returns with a full afternoon of family fun featuring law enforcement and first responders from all levels showcasing the skills and tools that help keep communities safe. The event will also feature games, food, inflatables, giveaways, vendor booths and more from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center at 1700 W. Independence. Information: facebook.com/Shawneecopsnkids.
Aug. 31: Oklahoma Baptist University will host its Bison Fall Sports Fan Day from 6-8 p.m. at KidSpace Park at 1330 Center. Come hang out with some of OBU’s fall sport student-athletes with meet and greets, poster signings, food trucks, games and giveaways for fans to enjoy.
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SATURDAY
SEPTEMBER 28
AT OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Sept. 1: Locomotive Operators of Central Oklahoma will host its monthly public run 1-4 p.m. at 29626 Lake Drive in McLoud. Ride the rails on powered ⅛-scale locomotives right outside of Shawnee Twin Lakes. Information: locotrains.org
Sept. 5-7: Make your way to Pottawatomie County Free Fair in Shawnee for an array of activities perfect for children and the whole family. Check out the open class competitions, arts and crafts, commercial vendors, educational booths and delicious fair food. Daily livestock shows and exhibitions include poultry, cattle, rabbits, and more. Don't miss the farmhand olympics, as well as antique tractor display, garden tractor pull and demonstrations. Information: freefair.org
Sept. 5: Get ready to revel in the rhythms of the first-ever Dancing with Shawnee competition fundraiser as five local pairings boogie down to win the inaugural mirror ball trophy. Enjoy a night of food and fun starting at 6 p.m. at the Grand Casino event center at 777 Grand Casino Blvd with proceeds supporting the Shawnee Rotary Club and its work in the community. Information: shawneerotaryclub.com
Sept. 7: Come and rock-n-roll all night as you climb the stairway to heaven with Dressed To Kill paying tribute to KISS and Uncle Zep paying tribute to Led Zeppelin starting at 8
p.m. at the Historic Ritz Theatre at 10 W. Main. Information: ritzshawnee.com
Sept. 13: The truly American made original Oak Ridge Boys will bring their extensive catalog of country and pop hits to the Grand Casino event center starting at 8 p.m. at 777 Grand Casino Blvd. Information: grandboxoffice.com
If you know of any events you would like to see featured, email editor@shawneeoutlook.com.
