Shawnee Outlook

Shooter Takes Top Marks | High Ranks for SHS Esports Team

LIVE A LITTLE.

keep the change

AFFORDABLE BACKYARD FUN

As I’m writing, the weather is perfect for simple outdoor pleasures, so if you want to get out and enjoy your patch of earth, here are some suggestions (but maybe grab the bug spray):

• Create a backyard board game. Use paper plates for spaces and think of creative spaces and obstacles to incorporate, including shortcuts. It might help to draw out a plan before starting. Use a large square cardboard box as a die.

• Have a water gun fight. You don’t have to have kids to make a run to the Dollar Tree for cheap guns and enjoy a good old-fashioned shoot-out. You can splurge on fancier equipment, but the cheap ones will ensure you don’t get too soaked. It’s not quite that hot yet.

• Bubbles and sidewalk chalk. While you’re at the Dollar Tree, pick up a tub of sidewalk chalk or a carton of bubbles – or see what else they have that strikes your fancy. Again, these activities are clearly great to do with the kids in your life, but you don’t have to have little ones to bring out your own inner child.

• Read. Grab that book you’ve been “meaning to” read – or a stack of children’s books if you’ve got the littles – and a beach towel or blanket and spread out either in the sun or the shade. Pick your fancy.

• Have a dance party. Pick someone to create a playlist or have everyone submit songs, prop up your phone and dance to your heart’s content. This is also a great indoor activity if the day turns rainy – in which case, also grab those books and build an indoor fort for rainy day reading. Whatever form it takes, just take the time to enjoy some sunshine.

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GET MOVING THIS SUMMER

Summertime is such a great time to get out and get moving. This is the time of year where you can find a lot of activities to get you moving that cost little to no money. Tennis is one of those activities. You can typically find used tennis rackets and get a container of balls that will last you for years to come. The tennis courts are free to use throughout town.

Hiking is another great one. Make sure to pack water with you when you go for a long hike or walk. Oklahoma has some really great trails throughout the state. Finding a new trail and exploring it is always fun.

Getting out on a bike gives you a lot of movement. You may already own a bike, and it is time to dust it off. You can find a used one. Shawnee has gotten more and more sidewalks to make biking easy or using the great three-mile path around our airport. Swimming in the lake can work your whole body and feel really good on those hot, hot days.

Most of our local parks have basketball goals, and all you would need is a basketball. Soccer balls are also fairly affordable. Don’t own a soccer net? No worries. Just set up two chairs and make your own goal. My kids and I have made goals out of many objects before depending on where we are. Rather than getting out and moving by yourself, meet up with a friend or take your family. Enjoy the outdoors this summer and get moving.

Avocado Chocolate Mousee

I have had the pleasure of serving this dip on multiple occasions, and so far everyone has really enjoyed it. They are always surprised when I tell them the main ingredient is avocado. Even if you are not a fan of avocados, I would highly recommend giving this one a try if you love chocolate.

Ingredients:

Flesh of 2 avocados

¼ cup regular cocoa powder

¼ cup melted dark chocolate chips

3-4 Tbsp nondairy milk of choice (unsweetened)

½ tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

¼ cup pure maple syrup

Directions: Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Slowly add in milk 1 Tbsp at a time to get the desired consistency. Stop blending and stir as needed. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Makes: 6 servings

Nutritional Information per Serving:

Calories: 171 Total Fat: 11.5g

Saturated Fat: 2g

Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 70mg Carbohydrates: 17g

Fiber: 5g Protein: 2g

Nutrition 101: Did you know that there are actually great benefits to cocoa powder? You want to look for powder that has at least 72% cocoa. Cocoa powder is made from cocoa beans, which come from the plant Theobroma cacao L. Research provides information on how cocoa powder can help with improved cognitive health, a stronger immune system, can lessen side effects of radiation therapy, better muscle and nerve function, wound healing, decrease heart disease and reduce inflammation. Cocoa powder is packed with great nutrients and minerals, such as iron, zinc, selenium and magnesium. When talking about the benefits of chocolate, don’t get this confused with the milk chocolate from your basic candy bar. We are talking about the real deal here.

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 online platform, StrongHER. For inquiries, visit strongherwithandrea.com, or the Facebook page, Nutrition and Exercise 101 with Andrea.

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.

Angela Rowland

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‘JUNE MORNING’ Pointillism Creates Big Impressions Using Small Dots

SUBMITTED BY DELAYNNA TRIM, CURATOR OF COLLECTIONS AT MABEE-GERRER MUSEUM OF ART

It is June, and flowers are blooming everywhere.

This is the theme for one of the paintings in the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art – “June Morning or Buckwheat in Bloom.” This piece is in the style of pointillism. Pointillism is a technique where the artist uses many small dots of color and allows the viewer’s brain to combine them into the necessary objects and colors.

Pointillism was developed by George Seurat and Paul Signac in 1886. George Seurat is most known for his painting, “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” Did you know that he first called the technique “chromoluminarism?” Imagine saying that 10 times fast. “Chromo” means color. Lumin means light. Chromoluminarism is about how the separate colors of light reflected by the paint mixes visually. Most TV and computer screens operate in a similar way.

The other title, “Buckwheat in Bloom,” refers to the flowers in the painting. Buckwheat is a flowering plant in the knotweed family. It is typically used as a cover crop to keep soil from eroding.

William H. Singer – the painter of “June Morning” – was born in Pennsylvania in 1868 but moved to Paris with his wife Anna to study at the Académie Julien. Later, they moved to Holland and then to Norway during WWI. He died during the Nazi occupation of Norway in 1943. He is known for his pointillism pieces.

If you stand far away from a pointillism painting, all the colors blend thanks to your brain automatically forming shapes and patterns. If you stand close to a pointillism painting, however, then all the dots just look like dots.

Next time you are at the MGMoA, try this with “June Morning.” In fact, this summer is a great time to do this as the museum is free all summer long. Thanks to the Avedis Foundation, BancFirst and St. Gregory’s Abbey, we have free admission from June through August.

Pointillism Art Project Supplies:

• White cardstock or heavy paper

• Acrylic paint

• Q-tips

• Pencil Lightly sketch your design on the paper. Then choose a color of paint to begin with. Dip your Q-tip in that color of acrylic, but

instead of painting like with a brush, you will start dabbing dots of color. Once you are done with that color, choose another color and start dabbing dots of the new color.Keep going until your paper is full of colorful dots. Then, step back and let the magic happen.

For more information and inspiration, check out https://mgmoa.org/artprojects

Scan this code to visit the MabeeGerrer Museum of Art’s at-home project page.

GAME ON SHS

Esports Team

Achieves High Ranks In First-Year Competitions

BY DAVID DINSMORE

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hawnee High School athletes celebrated many achievements as teams and individuals during the 2022-2023 school year, including the first-ever esports team at the school.

Head coach Ryan Boren said his team qualified for the Oklahoma Scholastic Esports playoffs in all three of the games they chose during the fall and spring seasons after forming the team near the end of the last school year.

Principal Matt Johnson and other members of the Shawnee Public Schools central office approached Boren in November 2021 while he was working with the athletic department and asked about his interest in leading an esports team at the high school level, which included building the program and coaching the team.

Boren began looking at what they needed to get the program up and running from the organizational, equipment and participation levels. They joined the Oklahoma Scholastic Esports league, which partners with more than 60 schools in the state to promote and improve “student success through positive competition, events, and leagues while providing support and structure for competing schools.”

“We learned that they have the toughest competition in the state, and that’s what we looked for,” said Boren, who also teaches history, coordinates internships and serves as student council sponsor at

Shawnee High School.

Boren sent word to the students via an online survey in the spring of 2022, and several dozen students showed interest in participating. He held tryouts for two nights in April 2022 using his own and some of the students’ equipment with about 18 students making the team, which is about the size of a first-year squad. Meanwhile, school and district officials helped gather the funding to establish the lab where students could practice after making the team. Those involved in the planning were glad to see the level of interest from the students looking to get involved in the team.

“We’d heard stories at other schools where they struggled to get three kids interested in (an esports team),” Boren said. “It was great to see that interest in Shawnee.”

The Shawnee High School esports team started preparing for competitions in the fall semester as they met to develop team strategies, communication and individual skills, Boren said. As with the other sports programs at the school, the students met at the end of the school day

finish in the state for the group-based game Overwatch 2 during the spring season. — Photo

to practice with Boren and his two assistant coaches.

“All three of us are in charge of certain things,” Boren said. “We have responsibilities, and the kids know that. The kids have responsibilities to us. They know we expect when they walk into the seventh hour athletics that this isn’t just a time to chill out and hang out and play video games. This is for competition. They are representing Shawnee High School. We have to make sure they understand that.”

For the fall season, the teams practiced and competed with the Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. games with the former team finishing the state playoffs in the top 15 in the league and an individual player qualifying for state playoffs in the latter title, Boren said. They were only one of two first-year programs and also one of two 5A schools to make it to

The Shawnee High School esports team qualified for state playoff competitions in all three of its chosen games during the school year, including a fifth-place

submitted

that level of competition last fall.

“It was very impressive, and I was super proud of everybody,” Boren said. “It was really cool to see the kids get to go and do that.”

In the spring season, the team competed in Overwatch 2, which pits teams of five players against each other to achieve group-based objectives. Shawnee finished the season No. 5 in that game after entering the state playoff as a No. 11 seed and defeating Nos. 3 and 6 teams from Lawton before losing to the No. 2 seed.

As with other high school athletic teams, having good equipment and resources available for practice and competition can make a big difference in a team’s success, Boren said. The students had five custom-designed Dell computers with Alienware components and five Nintendo Switch consoles available to get ready for competitions. Fortunately, they did not suffer any major equipment loss during the April 19 storms that dealt tremendous damage to parts of the Shawnee High School campus.

Though most of the action in esports takes place virtually, Boren said, the top finishers achieve success using real-world skills and tactics that apply in any team-based sport.

Similar to other sports, there is a difference between someone who plays the occasional pick-up game with friends and the athlete committing hours to practicing with their team to prepare individually and as a group to go up against other dedicated competitors. Boren said that his team emphasizes accountability and leadership qualities among the players, particularly in games in which team achievement is paramount.

“They are responsible for everything they do inside my classroom and out,” Boren said. “If you’re going to compete for the school, you better get good grades and not get into trouble.”

In addition to fostering the principles of collaboration, commitment and communication that goes along with participating in any team sport, esports has also begun providing scholarship opportunities at universities across the country as they build their own esports programs. The Oklahoma Scholastic Esports organization announced $13,000 in scholarships awarded by colleges to its players after the 2021-2022 season, and a 2021 article published by the National Education Association cited $16 million in scholarships from universities around the country seeking the best players from the more than 8,600 high schools with esports programs.

One of Boren’s students received a scholarship offer from the University of Oklahoma to play on their Overwatch team last year, he said. The student opted to attend Oklahoma State University, but the offer provided some insight for other younger members of the teams that there are possibilities with esports as there are with other traditional sports.

“Once kids see there are scholarship opportunities and parents see that, it kind of changes the whole mindset,” Boren said. “It’s really easy to say that all they do is play video games … (but) it all depends on the student and the coach on how serious they

want to take it.”

With so many students who play video games whether for an esports team or recreationally, focusing on those character traits that colleges look for beyond gaming skills – such as academic achievement and conduct – helps set some players apart for consideration for scholarships and other awards, said Boren, who tries to identify and foster those characteristics for his high school team as well.

Beyond the high school and collegiate levels of competitions, global professional esports competitions have garnered viewerships and sponsorships that are approaching world-class level events, Boren said. Just as with traditional sports, however, a small percentage of people rise to the upper levels of success in any sport, but there are still many advantages to participating at any level for those willing to put in the work.

Looking forward to next year, Boren is looking to build on the momentum they have coming out of their first year as some of this year’s roster will add new players. The team will try different ways to improve communication skills as this component often plays a key role in victories and defeats in competitions. At the end of this year, however, the team looked back and celebrated what it was able to accomplish in its first year of existence before getting ready to take on new challengers in the fall.

“The level of competition these kids play at is incredible,” Boren said. “I’m proud of them every single day.”

We

We are glad to be in partnership with the Administration for Community Living for the past two years. As a result of this partnership, we are developing services to meeting the needs of Native Americans and the community who are experiencing the challenges of dementia in their daily lives.

Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias are growing at an alarming rate. The Absentee Shawnee Tribal Health System wants to do its part in addressing the needs of the patient, family and caregiver(s) of those affected. After receiving the Alzheimer’s Disease Program Initiative grant from the Administration for Community Living in August of 2020, the wheels were set in motion to do just that.

It is estimated that 1 in 3 Native American Elders will develop Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association projects that between 2020 and 2060, the number of American Indian/ Alaska Native individuals aged 65 and older living with dementia will increase four-fold. These statistics are frightening but with education and awareness, we can work toward removing the stigma around dementia and provide dementia-capable, person-centered care.

Seeking Hope, the name adopted by the AST Health System as its grant title, is available to Native elders and their caregivers living in the community within the five counties of the IHS Shawnee Service Unit of Central Oklahoma. The counties include Cleveland, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie.

Seeking Hope is comprised of two interventions, The Savvy Caregiver in Indian Country and Music and Memory. The Savvy Caregiver in Indian Country is a series of six weekly training sessions for caregivers to learn how to keep the person with dementia involved with the people around them while feeling safe, secure, and loved. The Savvy Caregiver in Indian Country was adapted to better meet the needs of Native

American and Alaskan Natives by Dr. J. Neil Henderson, a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

There is extensive research behind music and its ability to revive areas of the brain associated with memory, reasoning, speech, emotion, and reward so including the Music and Memory program was an easy decision. Music and Memory is a program dedicated to bringing personalized music to persons with dementia. We help participants create and refresh music playlists and provide them with a Music and Memory kit, which consists of all items needed for their loved one to enjoy music associated with their youth.

The incidences of Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias will continue to grow as our population ages. Family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias are at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and poorer quality of life than caregivers of people with other conditions. Our programs reinforce the importance of caregivers caring for themselves as well as their loved one with dementia.

We wanted to provide you with a brief summary of our program and what we can do for the caregivers and families of Native elders in our community. For more information about Seeking Hope, The Savvy Caregiver in Indian Country, and Music and Memory, please visit the AST Health System’s website (www.asthealth.org), look under the tab “Programs & Prevention” and click on Seeking Hope. You can also call Gayla Temple at 405-561-7870, Atheda Fletcher at 405-561-7893, or email adpi@astribe.com.

“KAH CHI TAH LA MA KII KILLENA KII NOKA PA SI TO THA KII WA NEE KAH TAH NA WHA WE NO LOK KAW KEE”

watch over (revere) our Elders (Women & Men) as the “forgetting” illness (Alzheimer and Dementia) takes over.

TAKING AIM

Local Shooter Takes Top Marks At Collegiate Championships

BY DAVID DINSMORE

Though Dawson Arnett wasn’t aiming to shoot competitively at the collegiate level, he spent his formative years gaining the skills he’d need to eventually win two national titles.

Arnett and his shooting sports teammates at Connors State College had a strong showing at the 2023 National Collegiate Shooting Sports Athletic Association National Championship held in March in Las Vegas, Nevada, including two individual first-place and one second-place individual finishes for Arnett and three third-place team achievements.

The following week, the team placed first at the Association of College Unions International Collegiate National Championships held in San Antonio, Texas.

“I’d grown up around firearms because my dad was a firearms instructor for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol,” Arnett said. “He taught me to shoot from a really young age.”

He recalled fond childhood memories of sneaking away from family holiday gatherings to the range with his dad and uncle to try the new firearms they’d purchased during the previous year or joining his family in hunting activities.

Pellet and .22 caliber guns were among the first firearms he learned before moving to higher caliber rifles and pistols, but he did not gain a lot of experience with shotguns when he was younger.

Dawson Arnett won high overall and sporting clays national champion titles at the 2023 National Collegiate Shooting Sports Athletic Association National Championship with Connors State College as a sophomore and will transfer to Fort Hays State University this fall to continue pursuing shooting sports and agricultural studies. — Photo submitted

Arnett competed in his first pistol match in sixth grade and followed up with only a handful of other pistol and longrange rifle competitions throughout middle and high school. During that time, he participated in football and showing livestock, which required a considerable time commitment.

At his job during his senior year at Tecumseh High School, Arnett had spoken about his competitive shooting experience and his background with firearms when his boss mentioned that his daughter worked for Connors State College, which has a shooting team. His boss encouraged Arnett to talk to the coach about any possible opportunities, but that idea sat on the backburner for a few months.

While showing cattle at the Oklahoma Youth Expo, he met with the Connors State shooting coach who happened to be attending the event and agreed to try out for the team. Though he had no skeet or trap shooting experience, his overall familiarity with firearms from a young age lent itself to him performing well enough to earn a scholarship to join the team.

“I was basically handed a bunch of shells, a shotgun and got access to a range … and I fell in love with it,” said Arnett, who graduated from Tecumseh in 2021.

Some of the fundamentals Arnett learned while shooting pistols and rifles growing up –such as safety, stance and trigger control – translated to clay shooting in which he found himself competing at the collegiate level, he said. The differences, however, outnumbered the similarities. While he often shot long-range with rifles and stationary targets with pistols to improve aim from a distance, the shotgun disciplines emphasized hitting moving targets at shorter distances.

“It’s completely different, so I had to retrain myself to shoot while my gun was moving,” Arnett said.

The typical collegiate match measures the performances of shooters in trap, skeet and sporting clay events, Arnett said. Some of the larger matches also include double skeet and traps along with a different version of sporting clays. The shooters will face 300-600 targets with the top finishers hit-

ting the most targets in the field.

Preparation prior to a match makes all the difference once it comes time to shoot competitively, Arnett said. In addition to hours logged at the range, this also includes sleep, hydration and eating habits leading into the match as well as the mental preparation it takes to ensure a strong sense of focus during a competition. The mental game in particular can have a big impact on a shooter’s performance, and maintaining a positive mindset no matter the conditions can make the difference between a great showing and an average performance.

He credits his mental approach for the success he has had at the collegiate level.

“It’s a personal battle against myself,” Arnett said. “It’s the drive to consistently and constantly do better.

“Even the last national championship I won, I shot 283 out of 300. That means I still missed 17 targets. My approach is that there’s always something you can do to improve.”

Arnett took those lessons into the championships in Vegas where he won overall champion sporting clays champion along with second place in skeet while contributing to third-place team results in the overall, skeet and sporting clays categories.

On top of his shooting performances at that competition and the championships in San Antonio, Arnett received an All American award for his combined shooting scores and his outstanding academic achievements at both competitions.

His time at Connors State also earned him the opportunity to shoot for Fort Hays State University, where he will also continue pursuing his bachelor’s degree in animal science that he’d like to use in ranch production and management.

In the meantime, Arnett plans to spend the summer keeping his skills up at the range and possibly finding some matches on the weekends.

“I'd like to go win another national championship as a team (with Fort Hays),” Arnett said. “As an individual, that would be great too.” S

OVER TIME

POGO Looks To Continue, Expand Upon Work Of Blue Zones Project

BY DAVID DINSMORE

Pottawatomie Go, also known as POGO, hosted a theme night at the Potawatomi Fire game on May 7 complete with customized jerseys for the players, free tickets for kids, a community Zumba class during halftime and a vegetable parade as part of its community outreach during the transition from Blue Zones Project to POGO. — David Dinsmore

It may have a new name, but anyone who talks with members of Pottawatomie Go – also known as POGO –will recognize its mission.

POGO has ramped up its profile in the community recently to help people connect and reconnect with the work arising from the organization formerly known as Blue Zones of Pottawatomie County and to see what all is in store with localized direction and leadership, executive director John Bobb-Semple said. Whether hosting a theme night at the Potawatomi Fire game on May 7 or coordinating and leading multiple events during Health Week at the end of the month, the freshly minted collaborative has continued and expanded on the mission of helping people here “live a little. Longer.”

In the fall of 2016, Blue Zones Project got started in Pottawatomie County with a

goal of assessing whether the community would be a viable candidate for certification by reaching milestones that demonstrated a commitment to giving residents options to improve their health and wellbeing. Bobb-Semple said it was always meant to be a limited time initiative for the community and that sustaining and building on its momentum required localized vision, goals and leadership.

“It allowed the community to reach a tipping point and show that we’ve passed the types of policies, made improvements

to the physical environment and demonstrated a level of engagement that say we’re committed to longevity, we’re committed to living longer better,” Bobb-Semple said.

Shawnee reached that moment in June 2020 becoming the first and only Blue Zones Certified Community in the State of Oklahoma, and in the time since then, its staff and community partners have begun to focus on what sustaining and expanding its impact looks like in the city and beyond.

“How can we build something that we can really take forward?” he said.

Part of the reason for modifying and localizing these efforts came from cost savings that could then be put toward programming, but more importantly, it gives leadership the ability to tailor its goals, resources and measure outcomes in ways that truly fit the local community.

“It’s something that’s truly more homegrown and something we own as a community,” Bobb-Semple said. “Pottawatomie Go is really born from that.”

For more than six months, the POGO staff worked with stakeholders and other members of the community to define what that type of organization would look like. They contracted with a branding firm called ICG to help craft the next phase of the initiative.

The evidence-based approach of Blue Zones helped identify needs and possible opportunities in the community, but it only focused on two ZIP codes in Shawnee by contract, Bobb-Semple said. The city, however, is part of a larger community that encompasses other parts of the county and even across its borders.

“By localizing it, it lets us take the lessons learned during that period, double down in Shawnee and incrementally grow to serve the rest of the county overtime,” Bobb-Semple said.

This aligned with the vision of other community businesses and nonprofits that aim to put in the incremental work over a long course of time necessary to see generational changes in problems facing the community today – and in the future if left unaddressed.

“We are out on the ground, deploying those types of principles that we learned from Blue Zones Project and taking on some real challenges that our community faces as POGO along with all these amazing partners we have in our community,” Bobb-Semple said.”

As such, one of the main focuses of POGO is to identify community partners who believe in working to meet those challenges, are willing to bring their expertise and collaborate to see the vision become a reality. Education institutions, businesses, municipalities, tribal governments and other local nonprofits are critical for the implementation, dissemination and promotion of information and programs that can help people put in place small changes that can have a big impact over the course of their life.

Different organizations in the community focus on particular goals for various

subsets of the population, but they generally all approach it from the perspective of wanting to see the community be the best it can, Bobb-Semple said. That’s why collaboration and sharing resources can go much further for everyone than if they were to work alone.

The purpose behind making healthy choices easier is to ensure that those options are widely available, Bobb-Semple said. Making resources available and encouraging our neighbors to utilize those to help make changes in their life is a much more effective and productive strategy. One of the lessons learned from Blue Zones Project came from taking evidencebased practice and deploying it in a way that demonstrated that if people work at addressing an issue consistently through relationships building trust, that intentionality will start to pay off.

“When people have choices and options, you give them an invitation to try those things in bite-sized chunks, things they can deploy in their own lives,“ BobbSemple said. “And that gives them a chance to build new healthy habits. That can help change and shape generations in an entire community.”

For instance, one of the most clearly evident results of this approach is seen in the “built environment,” specifically the addition of sidewalks along major thoroughfares, linking different parts of town

and providing new routes for people wanting to get more active without having to remain confined in smaller additions and neighborhoods. Yet, for all the new sidewalks put in place – and those currently underway – studies show that Shawnee still has a ways to go from a walkability standpoint that will require a long term investment. This doesn’t just mean helping one area town access another by foot, but also reestablishing and promoting districts in which people can get things they need within walking distance from their home.

“Those intentional steps may take us a long time, but let’s start the clock now,” Bobb-Semple said. “These quality-of-life improvements have an economic development value as there is high demand for walkable neighborhoods and communities when homebuyers are in the market.”

He also pointed to the 2018 half-cent sales tax put in place that is starting to bear fruit this month with the grand reopening of KidSpace Park at 9 a.m. on June 23 at 1330 N. Center Ave. and will be followed closely by the opening of remodeled Woodland Veterans Park downtown soon. The desire to see improvements in Shawnee‘s recreation infrastructure aligned with Blue Zones goals, but it also was a vision shared by several organizations and leaders in the community that helped lead to this moment five years later.

“That commitment we won’t fully

POGO hosted a "grilling and chilling" event during Health Week in late May, emphasizing healthy choices for summer cooking as part of its larger mission to provide residents with information and resources to improve their health and wellbeing over the long-term. — Keaton Nye

appreciate for many years still to come,“ Bobb-Semple said. “Let’s celebrate it now, but kids 10, 20, 25 years from now will just know that KidSpace Park looking beautiful like that is just the norm. We have to position ourselves to make those cultural changes.”

Perhaps one of the most well-known and notable initiatives POGO will continue is the emphasis on healthy food options. Whether changes in a grocery store offering healthy snacks near the register, special healthier items or sub menus at local restaurants, programs within local public schools or classes offered throughout the community, the healthy eating focus may be one of most recognizable goals arising from the Blue Zones certification period of time for residents.

Other aspects of improved quality of life and well-being in the community may not be as visible, Bobb-Semple said. Mental health initiatives are also vital goals for POGO, which is helping further spread the word about the nationwide 988 suicide and crisis lifeline and hosting an upcoming Worksite Wellbeing summit to provide employers with insights to help their employees thrive. Additionally, POGO is committing to access to care goals along with ways citizens can have opportunities for social connectedness through churches and other organizations.

“The only way things like that are going to happen is if we see a common problem and have a shared language,“ Bobb-Semple said. “That’s part of our job here is to help facilitate that kind of work, and invite everyone to a common table to work together.”

Since coming under the new POGO umbrella, some of the goals that the staff and its partners have been focusing on are walkability and placemaking to help create those districts in Shawnee that Bobb-Semple referenced.

Another goal POGO is working to address is the food desert in certain portions of town where studies have shown people living in that area do not always have enough access to healthy foods due to transportation. Whether receiving through charitable organizations or purchased, there are large residential areas where acquiring food can present a challenge. This is especially true since the April 19 storms that closed or limited some options in southern and western parts of town.

POGO is not only looking to address dire situations in town, however. They’re also looking to help people have fun while still making it possible to make healthy choices. For instance, they partnered with Potawatomi Fire to offer healthy options at the concession stands during games and would like to see that expand to other sport and entertainment events in the area.

“At every single level, we are working to build upon the success of Blue Zones Project, sustaining the things that worked best, while adapting our practice to what Shawnee and Pottawatomie County need today,” Bobb-Semple said. “What that looks like is sometimes us rallying behind others and other times inviting people to our table.

“There are a lot of people who care about these things. This really gives us a platform to elevate well-being for everybody.”

Welcome Dr. Colin Robertson

Dr. Robertson believes that 3D guided implant dentistry coupled with the forever evolving tech sector can impact the greater Shawnee

NEW ASSOCIATE DENTIST, HARRAH NEW ASSOCIATE DENTIST, SHAWNEE

Dr. Emily D. Morgan graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. She graduated with her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2023.

Dr. Morgan is thrilled to serve the community of Harrah, OK where

HARRAH

area in a big way. Dentistry, like many professions is shifting from analog to digitally driven and Dr. Robertson embraces this shift by staying up to date with the newest treatment options available. He is extremely eager to bring advanced procedures back to his hometown, serving the community he grew up in.

When Dr. Robertson isn’t practicing dentistry, he can be found in one of two places: the golf course, or hanging out with his wife and two kids.

“I strive for excellence in all aspects of life. If you’re looking for a dentist who will treat you like family, come see me at Impressions.”

-Dr. Robertson

she was born and raised. She believes patient comfort is of utmost importance and will work to ensure that patient needs are met in a friendly environment.

When Dr. Morgan isn’t practicing dentistry, she enjoys spending time with her husband Michael and son Michael Jr. (MJ). Family is very important to her and where she dedicates all of her free time.

405-445-6999

WHO WE ARE ‘Ancient Awareness’ Awakened Amid Adversity

BY BRANDON DYER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMUNITY RENEWAL OF POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY

AT-post and some rope. That’s what I brought with me to help a friend with an initially overlooked problem a few weeks after the April 19, 2023 tornado had destroyed dozens of homes in her neighborhood. Like so many of you, I had loaded up my chainsaws and tools to go help whomever I could on Thursday morning, April 20. My house had been spared and my power restored within a few hours of the storm, so I set off to help.

That morning was humid, and the winds were still but it was not quiet – not by a long shot. All across the western side of town amidst the utter chaos of rubble and rooted up trees rose the sound of hundreds of two-cycle chainsaw engines running full bore, nonstop, clearing debris. What I witnessed, just as you did, was magical. Scores of neighbors helping neighbors up and down streets laden with broken limbs and lifeless green leaves. Every able-bodied person was present, driven by hearts bigger than the oaks they were carrying in order to help fellow humans, strangers in many cases, as if our ancient hardwiring was awakened and we suddenly remembered who we really are.

Everywhere I stopped to help, friendly strangers were either showing up to assist or handing out water bottles and sandwiches. One gentleman showed up with a freezer full of bagged ice to refill ice chests. Another brought 100 gallons of diesel fuel to fill the tanks of generators and skid steers. People were opening up their homes, selflessly giving whatever they could. Over the coming days, trucks from all over the country began to show up with much needed supplies like food, tarps, cleaning supplies, trashbags, gloves and water.

And let’s not forget about the brave women and men who serve as first responders in our community who worked tirelessly to see to it that every call was answered or the City of Shawnee personnel who served round the clock with every available city asset to clear roads. A Herculean effort was undertaken by utility companies to restore power. OG&E alone had more than 2,800 restoration personnel and 1,000 trucks in the area to repair and replace 600 bro-

ken power poles and 95 damaged transmission structures. This was just in the first handful of days. In all, about 1,800 structures were damaged and about 350 structures were severely damaged or completely destroyed.

As I write this, one month after the tornado, I look out my window and see a giant debris removal truck with its flashing lights drive past my office – the 10th I've seen today –which serves as a reminder that we are nowhere near finished with the recovery. You’ve seen them, too. They are huge, pulling equally large trailers and contracted by the city to do for the public what we cannot do for ourselves. With each pile of debris removed, a little bit of hope emerges in its place.

As these very visible problems are slowly extracted, the less obvious ones emerge. Like a friend with a broken mailbox, snapped off at the ground and covered with debris. As it turns out, mail can’t be delivered when one’s mailbox isn’t operable. A tiny detail when roofs are missing. It will need to be permanently replaced, but for now it’s held up and getting by each day with help from friends in the form of a T-post and some rope, doing for it what it can’t do for itself right now, thankful to not be alone.

Isn’t that what is awakened in us during tragedy? The ancient awareness that no one ought to be alone in their moment of need and that a community has more than enough abundance to care for its own when we share what we have. We hold each other up until the day comes when we can stand on our own – but never alone.

S

Brandon Dyer

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CURTAIN CALL

Becker Theater Once Center Of Entertainment In Shawnee

BY ANN MCDONALD, COURTESY POTT CO HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEMBER

hawnee wasn’t planned as a “town” when the area was opened for settlement in 1891 except by a few claim owners who came with that idea. So the start was a bit slow the first two years. Others began to see the need for a town on the north side of the river, so portions of their property were surveyed and marked. They then proceeded to sell to those who wanted to get in on the development of a community.

A name was chosen, the town was incorporated and streets were marked off. The first “main street” is now Seventh and later Eighth became Main Street. Banks, businesses, hotels, restaurants, theaters and lots of saloons sprang up. One of those was the Shawnee Opera House, which was to be the seed for one of the important businesses in the young town’s early history.

The Becker family had come from Kansas to Shawnee in 1894. William Becker – a native of Germany – started farming in the new county. As the town grew and was becoming a real community his son, Will, was working at the post office.

It was 1903, and townspeople were discussing the recent “disappearance” of the manager of the opera house along with the receipts. The man had left a group of actors stranded in Shawnee. Becker and others discussed taking over the show. Word got to banker H.T. Douglas, and a deal was made. The show continued. The stock company was paid, and Will Becker became a theater manager.

He promised to give Shawnee quality shows, such as those in large Eastern cities. In 1906, he built a grand new theater on West Main Street at Market. It was three stories with a seating capacity of 1,200, including seven of those rows in the balcony. It had steam heat, and there was even a resident orchestra.

Becker’s plan was to give Shawnee a high-class theater with high-class entertainment. The town had the great advantage of being the crossroads of two main railroads, which could bring in those stage stars. Shakespearean plays, musicals, vaudeville shows, operas and even lectures filled the stage. Likely the most famous show was that of Sarah

Bernhardt in April 1906. The actress played to a packed house with those attending paying $5 for a ticket. Back then $5 was about what a family would spend on food for a week. The usual price for tickets at the Becker Theater was 75 cents for reserved seats.

A theater organization developed in Oklahoma through which the shows would travel on a regular circuit that kept the productions moving regularly throughout the state for one night stands, but its size became a problem for the Becker Theater. There was a larger overhead cost, and the need for higher priced tickets soon became difficult for audiences to support. The theater was then also used for amateur theatrical productions, class plays and even the Shawnee High School graduation exercises. Will Becker held out until 1909 when he turned the theater over to new managers. Becker then became manager of an oil company.

In 1913, the Becker Theater was remodeled to become a more compact Shawnee Theater. Productions continued there but were mostly local affairs. By 1915, it appears the shows at the former “queen” of the town’s entertainment were closed. Then came World War I and the Spanish Flu, both which changed most aspects of normal life. Motion pictures followed, which proved to be the “death knell” of live theater locally.

While stage performances have never completely died out, the fine Becker Theater suffered a less natural demise. The top floors were first damaged by a weather event, and the building was later turned into an automobile warehouse and filling station. In 1927, the once elegant structure burned and was razed the next year. The only remaining portion of the Becker Theater that was then part of the storage house became a brick garage just north of Main Street on Market.

Becker himself fared better. He first owned and managed a feed store. And then he became the long-time manager of Shawnee’s Municipal Auditorium and swimming pool after they were constructed in 1936. Becker died in 1958 and is buried in Fairview Cemetery.

For a few years in the early days of Shawnee, the Becker Theater offered top-flight entertainment on its stage thanks to the city’s position as a crossroads of two major railroads. — Photo submitted

STILL DEVELOPING

PTSD Awareness Month Good Time To Assess Post-Tornado

BY KATIE MCQUAY

Our community has survived much, and for many of us, the April 19 tornado was only the beginning. Shawnee estimates that the storm damaged around 1,800 homes, destroying at least 300 of these. Many have lost vehicles, businesses, jobs, food and other resources, and the effects of these damages on our lives and community are still developing.

Amidst this time of rebuilding, we want to consider how far we’ve come, highlight continued resources for those who’ve been impacted and explore the psychological effects of such an experience.

Immediately after the tornado, local nonprofit Community Renewal of Pottawatomie County, the American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other organizations joined together to provide relief efforts, serving around 1,800 households. Currently, the resources below are still available to those who may have a need:

• Home damages: Contact the Red Cross at 1-800-7332767 and FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 or disasterassistance.gov for aid.

• Report damages: Visit damage.ok.gov.

• Debris cleanup: Call Samaritan’s Purse at (405) 8272548.

• Food: Visit the Community Market Food Pantry at 120 S. Center St. in Shawnee.

• Veterans: Check your eligibility for an Emergency Assistance Grant at (405) 523-4000.

• Tribal members: Contact your tribe and ask about available resources.

• Help navigating resources: Call 211.

• Lists of resources: unitedwaypottco.org/disaster-relief.

• Not sure what to do? Call Community Renewal (405) 273-1035. They will connect you to an organization that can help.

Anyone wishing to support our community’s recovery, here are a couple of options:

• Connect with Community Renewal of Pottawatomie County (405) 273-1035 to volunteer on Saturdays.

• Donate to communityrenewal.org/reliefdonations or unitedwaypottco.org/shawnee-recovery.

In addition to addressing the needs above, it is also im-

portant to acknowledge the psychological toll that the tornado may have taken.

June is National PTSD Awareness Month. The American Psychological Association defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster.” What qualifies as traumatic differs from person to person. Sometimes we think we shouldn’t be affected because others have it “worse,” but in reality all trauma is valid. Yours is no less significant because of how it compares to someone else’s.

When a natural disaster causes trauma, distress is a common result. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, this distress can cause excessive anxiety or worrying, difficulty sleeping, depressive symptoms, unexplainable guilt, hopelessness, feeling helpless, dreading storms, interpersonal conflict, nightmares or constant thoughts and memories of the storm. These are normal reactions to an abnormal event or situation. If you’ve experienced disaster distress symptoms for more than two weeks, call the disaster distress helpline at 1-800-985-5990 for assistance.

Beyond immediate distress, sometimes trauma becomes debilitating, developing into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Even beyond the context of this tornado, everyone should have a basic understanding of PTSD, as it can result from many common kinds of trauma, including abuse, violence, medical problems and loss.

According to the Mayo Clinic, PTSD symptoms include the following when they continue for over a month and affect your functioning:

• Intrusive memories: Nightmares, flashbacks, recurring memories, severe distress when reminded of the event

• Avoidance: Avoiding thinking or talking about the event, avoiding reminders of it

• Mental and mood changes: Negative thoughts, hopelessness, memory problems, detachment, numbness, difficulty experiencing positive emotions

• Physical and emotional reactions: Being constantly on guard, being easily scared or startled, dangerous or unhealthy behavior, difficulty sleeping or focusing, irritable or aggressive behavior

McQuay

These symptoms look different from person to person, and people can respond differently to the same traumatic events. Some develop PTSD while others don’t, but survivors with PTSD are not “weaker” than the others. Developing PTSD is not something you can control or choose.

If you’re experiencing PTSD symptoms, whether from the tornado or other trauma, consult a mental health professional. For help finding mental health resources, call 211. If you are in a mental health crisis, call 988.

In addition, here are some additional tips for coping with disaster:

• Talk with others who understand and accept how you feel. Explore what meaning this event may have for you.

• Body movement helps to rid the body of extra stress hormones. Try taking a walk, finding a stretching video online or even just shaking out your arms and legs throughout the day.

• Listening to music can help your body relax. Create a playlist and breathe with the beat.

• Take care of your physical needs by rest-

ing as you are able, eating enough food and drinking plenty of water. Be aware that consuming caffeine, tobacco and alcohol – especially in large amounts – can worsen feelings of anxiety or depression.

If there’s one thing the tornado has shown us: our community is strong. From the moment the tornado hit, we’ve helped one another, demonstrating resilience and kindness in crisis. Though it may take a while, we will recover from this. In the meantime, we can take advantage of available resources, help others when possible, look out for our mental health and – as Gateway’s mission statement declares – “Expect Hope.”

If you are someone you know is in need of Gateway’s services, do not hesitate to call 405273-1170 ext. 0.

Katie McQuay is a writing intern for Gateway to Prevention and Recovery. She is a senior at Oklahoma Baptist University studying English with a minor in professional writing and editing.

Thanks to Brandon Dyer, executive director of Community Renewal, who provided much of the information regarding the impact of the tornado and the resources available.

June 10: Corn Stock returns with its annual cornhole tournament and festival with registration at 10 a.m. and the tournament starting at noon in historic downtown Shawnee. The event helps raise money for the Shawnee Police Department’s Cops N Kids event in August, which helps build positive relationships between law enforcement and first responders and the communities they serve. Corn Stock features a cornhole tournament for all ages and abilities, food trucks, vendors, a family fun zone and more. Information: copsnkids-shawneeok.com/cornstock

June 10: Yo Selfie Factory in the Shawnee Mall is hosting its second annual Selfies with Princesses event 2-4 p.m. featuring Disney favorites Cinderella and Jasmine in the studio. In addition to 15-minute sessions with the princesses, the event will also feature activities and snacks available. Information: facebook.com/yoselfiefactory

June 10: Southern Oklahoma-based Noah Bowman Band will take the stage for a show at 8 p.m. at the Historic Ritz Theatre at 10 W. Main St. in Shawnee. Information: ritzshawnee.com

June 10-18: Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art presents a special exhibition featuring the work of Derald Swineford: Sculptor of the Plains at 1900 W. MacArthur St. Information: mgmoa. org

June 12-18: The Bonus Race World Finals are back in Shawnee for the second time. Ropers and racers from across the U.S. meet to ride it out for big prizes at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center at 1700 W. Independence St. Information: bonusracefinals.com to register.

June 14-Aug. 9: Jones Theatres will host its 2023 Kids Camp at 9:30 a.m. every Wednesday at Cinema Centre 8 at 3031 N. Harrison. Each week will feature a family friendly kid's movie. Information: jonestheatres.com

June 15: The Third Thursday Poetry Reading welcomes

Zachariah Hobia at 7 p.m. in the Lunch Box at 217 E. Main St. Hobia is from Wetumka and sees his poetry as both a journey of self-discovery and an attempt at communication, using his life experiences. After the 7 p.m. presentation, an open mic will be available for those attending to read their own or others' poetry. The Lunch Box will be open from 6 p.m. with drinks and desserts available.

June 15-29: Join the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art for June Concerts in the Courtyard at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at 1900 W. MacArthur St. Bring your lawn chair to these free events. Information: mgmoa.org

June 16: The Arts @317 will host its own Block pARTy from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and celebrate its 8th anniversary. Come check out the work of around 50 different Oklahoma artists, music under our awning (weather permitting), cake and popcorn. Information: (405) 659-8193

June 16: See a Dive In Movie from the pool at Shawnee Splash featuring Disney's “Teen Beach Movie” at 8:30 p.m. at 100 E. Highland. Rafts will be available to rent. Information: facebook.com/shawneesplash

June 23: The long-awaited new Kid Space Park will celebrate its grand opening starting at 9 a.m. at 1330 N Center Ave. This will be the third-largest premier park in the state of Oklahoma, just under Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City and The Gathering Place in Tulsa. The new park features state-ofthe-art playgrounds for kids of all ages, skate park, walking trail, pavilions, pickleball courts and much more. Grand opening activities will include food trucks, sports tournaments on the new fields and equipment and so much more. facebook.com/ShawneePR

June 24: The Knights Auto Club Annual Car Show will start roaring at 7 a.m. at Boy Scout Park at 1400 E. Main St. with a family-friendly event free to spectators as show cars vie for door prizes and awards for the winning rides. Information: knightsautoclub.com >

June 24: Come see 70 booths of art, crafts, home decor, wood working, jewelry, goods and much more at the Shawnee Craft Festival 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center. Information: heirdevents.com

June 24: Black Rodeo USA presents a Juneteenth Rodeo 6-9 p.m. at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center at 1700 W Independence St. as part of its mission to celebrate African-American history, culture, and create memories. Information: blackrodeousa.com

July 2: 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

July 2: Kickapoo Casino's annual fireworks extravaganza will celebrate Independence Day around 9:30 p.m.

Park at the casino at 38900 W MacArthur St. for a beautiful show. Information: facebook.com/KickapooCasinoShawnee

July 3: Fireworks Extravaganza at Firelake Casino will start at 6 p.m. with food available from Calihoma Hot Dogs and Kona Ice and live music from tribute bands Charging Rhino and Next Halen before the fireworks at 10 p.m. at 41207 Hardesty Road. Information: facebook.com/ events/1133548480552313.

July 4: Watch the sky above the Grand Casino resort light up with their annual fireworks extravaganza. Park at 777 Grand Casino Blvd. for the festivities or even find a nice spot at Shawnee Twin Lakes to see the show. Show starts at dark. Information: facebook. com/grandcasinoresort

July 9-14: Established 30 years ago, the International Finals Youth Rodeo

brings in some of the world’s best young rodeo talent coming from as far away as Australia. The event runs for more than a week at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center at 1700 W. Independence St. as young riders and ropers compete for the best times and achievements to earn $250,000 in prize money, plus scholarships, nightly jackpots and championship saddles and buckles. Information: ifyr.com

July 15: Downtown Auto Body & DTAB Customs present Downtown At Sundown car show with free entry for cars and trucks to win cash prizes and custom trophies while attendees can enjoy giveaways, games, prizes, live music, food trucks and more. Event kicks off at 4 p.m. in the area around 118 W. Main St. Information: downtownatsundown.com

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If you know of any events you would like to see featured, email editor@ shawneeoutlook.com.

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