Shawnee Outlook

BancFirst’s Brightest

Watson

into the person you’ve become/prepared you for your job?

J: Growing up in Shawnee provided me with a great sense of community from an early age. It allowed me to meet and connect with people who would turn out to have a significant influence on my life. I felt challenged and encouraged to pursue my interests and overall lead me to a successful career and a rewarding life.

Any special memories of your time on the BancFirst Student Board?

J: One of my favorite memories was going on a field trip to a BancFirst processing center in OKC. It was fascinating getting to see all the hard work that is done behind the scenes and contributes to the overall success of the company. It gave me a better appreciation too!

How has the BancFirst Student Board contributed to your success?

J: I very much enjoyed my time on the BancFirst Student Board of Directors during my Senior year of High School. It taught me a lot about banking and finance, which ultimately inspired my decision to work as a Bank Teller in college. The skills and connections I gained were extremely valuable and influenced who I am today.

Shawnee Tecumseh McLoud

keep the change

FLYING WITH EASE

W

ith the holiday season around the corner, you may find yourself opt ing to fly to visit family. If it’s been awhile since you’ve taken to the sky, here are some tips to save both money and time, which can be more valuable.

• Check multiple airlines. Expedia, Priceline and Travelocity all offer quick ways to price check across multiple airlines, so those are good places to start. Some budget airlines like Southwest don’t use these aggregate sites, so you’ll need to check their websites separately. Investi gate what other airlines fly out of your desired airport. Frontier is anoth er good, affordable option flying out of OKC, but also consider expanding your horizons. Driving to a further airport could offer more affordable tickets. Just be sure to factor in the costs of gas, lodging or long-term parking.

• Speaking of parking, plan ahead. If you have someone that can transport you to and from the airport, that’s clearly the most affordable option, but if you’re not wanting to incon venience anyone, research your parking op tions before you get to the airport. The vari ous lots and pricing structures may be easy to navigate at smaller airports like OKC, but larger airports can get confusing. Know your options and map out where to find them.

• Pack light. Check-in and baggage claim can take a lot of time and a lot of money depend ing on the airline and its baggage fees. Ease the stress by consolidating to only carry-on luggage. Plan to rewear items. Research cap sule wardrobes for tips to mix and match outfits, or wash things at your destination. Pack travel-sized toiletries you can toss at the end of your trip, or don’t pack any at all and purchase some when you get to your destina tion.

Happy travels.

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.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

L

ast month, I talked about the topic of stress and what stress physically does to our body. For a refresher, read last month’s article to understand the back ground of stress at shawneeoutlook.com. This month, I want to talk about managing that stress.

November feels like a good month to talk about this as well since so often we talk about being thankful during this month. One thing I recommend often when someone is working on their mindset is to focus on gratitude. When this was something I was personally working on, I would write out three things every morning that I was grate ful/thankful for.

Changing your mindset to focus on the positive literally starts changing your out look on your life. Continuing on with the education from Daniel Amen from last month, below are strategies he recommends to boost your mood:

• Pray on a regular basis. Decades of research have shown that prayer calms stress and enhances brain function. The benefits of prayer go far beyond stress relief. Studies have shown that it also improves attention and planning, reduces depression and anxiety, decreases sleepiness and protects the brain from cognitive decline associ ated with normal aging.

• Learn to delegate. Amen states, “Two of the greatest life skills you can learn are the art of delegating and the ability to say no.”

• Listen to soothing music. I actually find this one helpful when at work when sitting at my desk for long periods of time or out on a walk.

• Consider calming scents. Studies show that lavender reduces cortisol levels and pro motes relaxation and stress reduction. It only takes a few drops in your bath or in a diffuser.

• Try calming teas like lavender and chamomile. I find this particular tip helpful in the evening before bed. Try your cup of hot tea with some lemon or some honey for extra benefits.

Good Ol' Oatmeal

It is that time for a warm breakfast in the morning. I typically love smoothies and fruit in the morning, but on these fall mornings, I crave a warmer breakfast. There is nothing fancy about this breakfast. I just wanted to show how to make this old school breakfast a balanced one and not full of sugar.

Ingredients:

½ cup old fashion water Water

Directions: Scoop out ½ cup oats and put in enough water to cover the oats. Cook in the microwave or on the stovetop for 1 ½ minutes. Let sit for 1 minute. Add in wal nuts, butter of choice and as much stevia as desired for sweetness.

Nutritional Information per serving:

Makes: 1 serving

Calories: 390 Total Fat: 27g Saturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 35g Dietary Fiber: 6g Protein: 10g Carbohydrates: 32g Nutrition 101: When we start off our day, we always need protein at that meal. So often Americans start their day off with pure sugar carbohydrates like cereals, pastries, donuts, Pop Tarts, etc. By having protein at our breakfast, it helps our insulin levels. So often we only think of insulin levels for someone who has diabetes. The thing is, we should all be thinking about our insulin levels so we could prevent diabetes. Protein doesn’t have to come from animal protein either. By adding nuts to your oatmeal, you are adding a protein source.

S

cup chopped walnuts

½ Tbsp grass fed butter or ghee or oat milk butter Stevia

Andrea Beck, a registered dietitian and personal trainer, received her master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Central Oklahoma. She offers personal training through an online class and nutrition services through SSM Health St. Anthony in Shawnee. Contact her at Andrea.beck1@ssmhealth.

Angela Rowland

art of the matter

TRINITY EAGLE

Museum Receives Mask Sculpture In Spirit Of Three Others In State

SUBMITTED BY BY LIAM LARSON

The “Trinity Eagle” metal mask sculpture by G. Patrick Riley installed at the end of September follows three similar works created for the state Supreme Court, the private collection of one of its justices and a museum in her hometown of Colony.

When artist G. Patrick Riley approached the Ma bee-Gerrer Museum of Art about a steel mask for the museum courtyard in 2016, no one knew the twists and turns the ensuing journey would take over the next six years.

G. Patrick Riley is an Oklahoma artist known nationally for his art and art education. He received the Arts in Education award at the Governor’s Arts Awards ceremony in 1997. Ri ley has regularly taught summer art classes at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum. One of his artistic areas of expertise is in mask-making. In 2010, he created a mask specifically for pop artist Lady Gaga. His typical medium for masks is leather, though he has branched out into other mediums.

dom Eagle” for the Oklahoma Supreme Court Building. The 400-pound sculpture lives in the atrium of the building and spans three stories. Justice Yvonne Kauger was a champion of the program and is a supporter of the arts in Oklahoma.

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

One new medium Patrick has been explor ing is steel. As a part of the Oklahoma Public Art Program, Riley created a 28-foot-tall stainless-steel mask sculpture with the help of Paseo artist Colin Rosenbrook titled “Free

Kauger enjoyed Riley’s masks so much that she secured two more masks: one for her private residence and one for her hometown of Colony, Oklahoma in Washita County. The justice’s per sonal sculpture is titled “Warrior Eagle” and is 12-feet-tall. “Freedom Eagle Two” is located in Colony, stands at 14-feet-tall and weighs more than a ton. The Colony Museum opened in 2020 in part through a grant from the Oklaho ma Historical Society. The steel mask sculpture there was created using black steel with steel work by Ron Lowry and welding from Glen Henry. Riley and Henry would team up again for the creation of the next steel mask at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee.

Six years ago, Riley approached the Mabee-Gerrer Museum

of Art director Dane Pollei about cre ating a mask sculpture for the muse um. The MGMoA has held a special place in Riley’s heart as the artist de scribes his love of art being fostered at the museum in his early childhood years through interactions with Fr. Gregory Gerrer.

“He was very nice to me, and his collection of art made a first impres sion on me which I still have today,” Riley said. “It is a great feeling of honor to be able to contribute to the legacy of Father Gerrer and the mu seum and give back to the museum by donating a work of sculpture to the museum.”

After years of work – and with help from Glenn Nerwin on sanding the massive wings and Glen Henry on welding the wings and mask to the central auger – the sculpture “Trinity Eagle” was finished in the summer of 2022. The sculpture was installed in early fall with help from the Shawnee community and was unveiled on Sept. 30 as part of the Celestial Connections exhibition, which fea tured art by Oklahoma artists G. Patrick Riley, Glen Henry and Sharon Montgomery.

Looking at “Trinity Eagle,” one notices three prominent feathers just above the eye holes. These feathers represent the holy trinity. The steel auger in the center that supports the mask represents the working man of Oklahoma. “Trinity Eagle” is a spiritual and physical successor to the “Freedom Eagle” due to similarities in the shape of the mask and through some of the predecessor’s leftover metal being used in the making of “Trin ity Eagle.” In total, the museum’s sculpture is more than 10-feettall and weighs over 400 pounds.

Riley hopes that the sculpture will be a positive influence on a new generation of children visiting the museum.

“The museum has influenced art and culture to so many young Oklahoma children of which I am one,” Riley said. “It makes the museum very special to me and my family and friends.”

Do you want to make a mask of your own?

What you will need:

• Paper plate

• Pencil

• Crayons or colored pencils

• Pipe cleaners or string

Adult only tools:

• Hole punch

• Scissors

Step 1: Cut your paper plate in half. You can use each half to make a mask.

Step 2: Draw two circles for eye holes. You don’t want to cut into your pretty art once it's done, so it's better to mark it off at the start.

Step 3: Take your crayons or colored pencils and draw whatever you like. You could make it look like an animal like a bear or you could just draw fun designs like rainbows or swirls.

Step 4: Ask your parent or a trusted adult to cut out your eye holes and add two holes on the sides.

Step 5: Loop string through the two side holes to tie the mask to your head. Or if you prefer a more colorful option, try tying a few pipe cleaners together instead.

Step 6: Go and have some fun wearing your new mask. S

the bright spot

Amid the bad news and bickering out there, sometimes it’s nice to read a little encourage ment. The Bright Spot is a space to share some inspiration or reassurance with the commu nity through poetry or prose. If you have an idea or something to brighten someone’s day, submit it to editor@shawneeoutlook.com.

The Poet-Tree

BY ROGER DYLAN TURNER

I am called the Poet-Tree. Wonder why? Just look and see!

You might think my life is dull, Because I cannot even crawl. But I dance whenever blown, And also sing a muted tone. If the air is stiff and stale, Still my purpose does not fail. Trees will never lack of joy, Because all our friends are coy.

The birds come and sing their songs, Some sing soft and some sing strong, Some sing short and some sing long, And the most precious, in truth, Is the music made in youth.

Little fledglings, O so cute, How I love to hear them toot; But child laughter is more sweet Than any bird's most tuneful tweet. Better too sounds his rhyme As he tries to climb in time!

See my trunk, where some leave cuts? People carve the strangest ruts. Some leave letters; names; a word; And verses, sweet or absurd.

But know this art comes with pain, Wind can be an awful test, As my branches bend and strain. Birds take twigs to make their nests, Childrens' weight may make me quake, And if they do a mistake: Grab a branch that is not stake, Causing my wood’s grain to break, They lay like a fallen cake. And when my armor they thresh, To make etchings in my flesh, Then mold and mildew begins. But all these I think are not sins.

For though I, along with peers, Might otherwise survive for years; Every injury and disease Is worth my purpose to please.

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OK 405.585.0475

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Monday 9 AM - 6 PM

Tuesday 1 PM - 7 PM

Wednesday 8 AM - 5 PM

Thursday 8 AM - 5 PM

Friday 7 AM - 2 PM

community SHOP SMALL

Shawnee Forward, Businesses Help Holiday Gift Buyers Keep It Local This Season

BY DAVID DINSMORE

Shawnee Forward worked with local businesses to help them get the most out of their online marketing efforts this holiday season in addition to deploying ambassadors to highlight businesses holiday shoppers can visit to find gifts for everyone on their list.

— Photos submitted

There may not be a better gift residents can give the whole community than doing as much of their holiday shopping locally, and campaigns from the national to the local levels can help them find the right present for the right people in their own town.

On a national scale, American Ex press promotes Small Business Satur day on Nov. 26 following Black Friday as part of its Shop Small mission to sup port local merchants and businesses.

“It’s encouraging everybody to shop in their local communities,” said Fhion na Shaughnessy, account executive for Shawnee Forward. “Since there is a ton of promotion on that, we decided to piggyback off of what they do and en

courage our local businesses.”

There are some distinct advantages of shopping locally owned small busi nesses, Shaugnessy said. About 50 percent of the sales tax collected on products and services purchased from locally owned businesses benefits the business and community compared to about 14 percent of sales tax bought at corporate stores and 2 percent of online purchases that go back into the com munity.

“That helps our fire department, it helps our police department, it helps our quality of life – like parks being rebuilt,” Shaughnessy said. “We hear about why (shopping local) is so impor tant, but sometimes it’s hard to know why. So we’re really trying to help peo

ple understand that this year.”

That said, shopping local in most forms still has an impact on supporting and improving the community as op posed to taking that money to buy gifts and goods elsewhere, such as Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Shaugnessy said. So pur chases made at the local “big box” stores in Shawnee will still be meaningful for the community even if at a smaller rate.

Shawnee Forward’s Shop Small ef forts aim to help local shoppers find the right business to check off their list by supporting and improving local mer chant’s ability to draw those shoppers.

For instance, Shawnee Forward worked with local businesses this year to help provide training to help boost their so cial media presence and creative digital

efforts through a program called Canva, Shaugnessy said. The goal is to continue to see an increase in the rewards they saw gained by local businesses’ social media efforts.

“We got huge traction on social media last year, so we’re amp ing up the game and make a Canva marketing piece this year,” Shaugnessy said. “That way, the entire month of November those businesses can post those pictures and use those pieces to edu cate the community to shop small on (Nov. 26).”

On the shopper side, seeking and following social media accounts for local businesses will let them know about special products, services and offers available throughout the season and all year, Shaughnessy said. Residents can also like Shawnee Forward’s Facebook page, which features local businesses and can give them a good starting point, and the organization pro vides the roster of 325 members on its website, shawneeforward. com.

Shawnee Forward’s website also highlights which member businesses are under woman ownership, which shoppers may find helpful in finding places they’d like to buy gifts, Shaughnessy said. In fact, the organization proudly promotes that Shawnee received honors as the top city in the state for woman-owned businesses with a 49.4 percent share of ownership of local busi nesses.

Yet, encouraging local shoppers to keep it close to home goes

In an era of headlines about shortages and supply chain dis ruptions in the aftermath of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, shoppers looking to keep it local could benefit from working with businesses as early as possible in identifying what gift ideas may need ordering to arrive in time for Christmas rather than relying on last-minute online ordering, Shaughnessy said. Local owners can be easier to contact when trying to check the status of ordered items during a time of year when corporate call centers may be flooded with eager gift buyers looking for updates. Business owners can also be good resources for under standing what in-demand gifts they see people asking about the most locally.

“It makes the shopping experience so much more enjoyable,” Shaugnessy said.

Local businesses may also offer some unique gifts that may not have made it onto some gift buying lists, such as spa ser vices and locally made detergents, Shaughnessy said. Some local businesses offer gift cards for those hard-to-buy-for people on shoppers’ lists. Even if the buyer is not sure what to get, they can encourage the recipient to find something they’ll love locally.

“Local (business owners) pour their hearts into their busi nesses during this time of year,” Shaugnessy said. “Some go all out decorating … and they really try to get the community en gaged with little events that they host around Christmas. That’s another great reason to make sure you’re following their social

MICHAEL

community GOOD CHEER

Shawnee’s Annual Christmas Parade Rolls On Dec. 1

BY DAVID DINSMORE

The annual Christmas parade will march down Main Street between Beard and Minnesota starting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1. —

Photos by Ed Bolt

Taking charge of planning the annual Christmas parade seemed like the perfect gift for Commu nity Renewal.

The event celebrates what the organization spends ev ery day trying to achieve: bringing together neighbors to make the Shawnee area a great place to live. With as many as 25,000 people attending past festivities, the Christmas parade and the joy it brings allows people from all over Shawnee and beyond to enjoy the best the community has to offer.

“There really is no other event like this here,” said Brandon Dyer, executive director of Community Re newal of Pottawatomie County. “We want to promote gathering the community together … so it doesn’t get more Community Renewal than this.”

The parade will get rolling at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1 downtown along Main Street between Beard and Minnesota.

This year will be the first Community Renewal has led the planning efforts for the Christmas parade after tak ing over the city contracts to host the parade along with other signature events, such as the Halloween celebra tion formerly known as Boo on Bell and renamed Mon sters on Main. For the last couple decades, Safe Events

for Families has been at the helm of the city’s premier holiday events along with other initiatives, including the op erating of the Historic Ritz Theatre at 10 W. Main St.

Discussions with SEFF leadership during the last year led to the oppor tunity for Community Renewal to take charge of the city’s contracts for the holiday events along with the ability to host monthly block parties downtown as well.

“They’d been doing this for a really long time,” Dyer said. “I talked to Rep. Dell Kerbs, and we had a good conver sation and agreed that maybe it was time for a changing of the guard.

“In this community, it made sense for Community Renewal … to pursue that contract.”

The change took place on July 1 –

the start of the city’s fiscal year – just a few weeks after Sophia Wells joined the Community Renewal team as the mar keting and communications coordina tor, who brought along her experience in planning high-profile soirees that included after-parties following movie premieres at top-flight events like the Sundance and Cannes film festivals.

Though the parade – which features the theme “Christmas Morning” this year – has some new names making the arrangements, attendees will enjoy familiar sights, sounds and traditions when the festivities get underway on Main Street, Wells said. Floats will de light the crowds as they vie for bragging rights in the float contest. The patience of the little ones will be rewarded when they catch sight of Santa Claus in the finale of the parade celebration. Cap

ping the night’s festivities will be the fireworks display incorporated a few years ago – assuming current burn ban restrictions don’t put a damper on those plans.

Getting to plan the parade Dyer spent many fond memories attending growing up and then raising his family in Shawnee is a special treat.

“This is my hometown,” Dyer said. “Having the chance to put on some thing that literally thousands of kids will get to enjoy as a highlight of their Christmas season, what’s not to like about that?”

The Christmas parade will finish a calendar year that saw Community Renewal host a couple of block parties downtown in August and September in addition to coordinating Monsters on Main in late October prior to tackling

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the task of Christmas parade planning, Wells said, who em phasized the importance of the resources that SEFF had in place from its years of experience organizing these events.

“It’s been a pretty smooth transition,” Wells said. “We owe a lot of that to SEFF and the infrastructure that they built over so many years. It made it easy for us to come in and carry the torch and keep the traditions going.”

Additionally, Community Renewal is looking to start up the monthly block parties downtown in April after the cold months subside, Wells said, and they will continue fo cusing on activities that are free of admission to the public to make it accessible for as many people as they can.

“We’d like to see more people come from all over the community and spend time together and bring more atten tion to downtown Shawnee,” Wells said. “We really want to put an emphasis on our community and how awesome it is.”

In the meantime, Community Renewal is still working with community members and organizations to build up its roster of floats and volunteers for the Christmas parade. Volunteers can help in a wide variety of ways during the day of the parade starting that afternoon.

Hours:

Shawnee,

(405)

Mon - Fri 08:00 AM-06:30

Sat

Hours:

AM-02:30

For more information about the Christmas parade, float entry, band entry, volunteering and other upcoming events, visit CommunityRenewal.org, follow facebook. com/CommunityRenewalPC or call (405) 273-1035.

theupsstorelocal.com/6963

OK74804 (405) 585-2907 store6963@theupsstore.com theupsstorelocal.com/6963

Mon - Fri 08:00 AM-06:30 PM

Sat 09:00 AM-02:30 PM

Sun Closed

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2700 N Kickapoo Shawnee, OK74804 (405) 585-2907 store6963@theupsstore.com theupsstorelocal.com/6963

(405) 585-2907 store6963@theupsstore.com theupsstorelocal.com/6963

2700 N Kickapoo Shawnee, OK 74804 (405) 585-2907 store6963@theupsstore.com theupsstorelocal.com/6963

store6963@theupsstore.com theupsstorelocal.com/6963

Hours:

Hours:

Mon - Fri 08:00 AM-06:30 PM

Mon - Fri

AM-06:30

Sat

AM-02:30

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2700

Kickapoo

2700 N Kickapoo Shawnee, OK74804 (405) 585-2907 store6963@theupsstore.com theupsstorelocal.com/6963

Kickapoo Shawnee, OK74804 (405) 585-2907 store6963@theupsstore.com theupsstorelocal.com/6963

Hours: Mon - Fri 08:00 AM-06:30 PM Sat 09:00 AM-02:30 PM

OK74804

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KILLER DOSE

Understanding The Risks Of Fentanyl

BY ALICJA CARTER

What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can quickly cause an overdose. It is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, making it a major contributor to the 150+ synthetic overdose deaths occurring every day in the United States. Although its powerful opioid proper ties were originally developed in a patch form to help cancer patients manage pain or offer relief following surgery, it is now being diverted for abuse. Why is it so dangerous?

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, “Illicit fentanyl, primarily manufactured in foreign clandestine (secret) labs and smuggled into the United States through Mexico is be ing distributed across the country and sold on the illegal drug market. Fentanyl is being mixed with other illicit drugs to in crease the potency of the drug, sold as powders and nasal sprays, and pressed into pills made to look like legitimate prescription opioids. Because there is no oversight or quality control, these counterfeit pills of ten contain lethal doses of fentanyl with none of the promised drug.”

In May 2022, Citizen Potawatomi Nation Health Services hosted a community overdose awareness event. Mark Woodward from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics spoke on the panel and shared, “Now, almost every street pill or any other type of drug the department encounters – including cocaine, heroine, and methamphetamine – includes fentanyl. They look like any other pharmaceutical or illegal substance, or even over-the-counter drugs like Tyle nol. The stamps are going to look just like U.S. oxy codone. They’re going to look just like U.S. Xanax, and you’re not going to be able to tell the difference.”

What is fentanyl’s impact?

Tragically, even 2 mg (or 10-15 grains of table salt) of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose. Melissa Baptiste, a loving mother and member of the Shawnee community, recently lost her son to an accidental drug overdose involving fentanyl.

“My son struggled with anxiety and depression, but he put on a happy face and didn’t show his hurt or pain,” Baptiste said. “One day, he reached out to

an acquaintance and turned to a substance for relief (like so many people do) not realizing that the pill he took had been laced with fentanyl. He didn’t intend to die. He made a mistake, and I am now left without a son.”

Between Jan. 31, 2020 and Jan. 31, 2021, overdose deaths overall rose 38.1 percent. However, overdoses deaths involving synthetic opioids (primarily illicitly manufactured fentanyl) rose 55.6 percent and appear to be the primary driver of the increase in total drug overdose deaths, according to Drug Enforcement Administration data. Also in 2020, an article by JAMA Psychiatry highlighted that American Indian or Alaska Native individuals experienced the highest rate of overdose mortality – 41.4 per 100 000 – which was 30.8 percent higher than for White individuals. What can we do to protect our community?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Fentanyl test strips (FTS) are a low cost method of helping prevent drug overdoses and re ducing harm. FTS are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl in all different kinds of drugs (cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin,etc.) and drug forms (pills, powder, and injectables.) FTS provide people who use drugs and communities with important information about fentanyl in the il licit drug supply so they can take steps to reduce risk of overdose.”

Scan to view the Fentanyl Awareness Forum hosted by Citizen Potawatomi Nation Behavioral Health hosted in May 2022.

Gateway to Prevention and Recovery is a hub for obtaining FTS at no cost. Please contact Abby Flood at aflood@gatewaytoprevention.org or (405) 6289553.

In addition, Naloxone (Narcan) saves lives by reversing opioid overdose. It is a nasal spray that is convenient to store or carry and is quick and easy to administer.

According to Dr. Julio Rojas with Citizen Potawa tomi Behavioral Health, “Every individual, home, business, place of worship, school and counselor’s of fice should have Narcan kits.”

Scan to view fentanyl documentary “Dead on Arrival.” Content may be triggering to some viewers.

Gateway to Prevention and Recovery can help any community member or organization obtain Narcan kits at no cost. Individuals and families can obtain kits from any of Gateway’s Treatment Centers located in Chandler, Seminole, and Shawnee. Feel

Carter

A 2 mg dose of fentanyl can be a lethal dose.

free to come by or call (405) 273-1170 ext. 0 for more informa tion. For greater quantities, please contact Abby Flood at aflood@ gatewaytoprevention.org or (405) 628-9553.

“Gateway’s vision is for every Oklahoman to Expect Hope,” Gateway executive director Jon Greenwood said. “Resources such as fentanyl test strips and Narcan kits are tools that every community member can use to keep our youth and adults alive long enough to seek recovery, healing and wellness. Fentanyl is a daunting public health crisis currently affecting our commu nity that requires a united, strategic and unwavering response. I strongly believe we are up to the task … we have to be.”

Please contact Gateway to Prevention and Recovery at (405) 273-1170 ext. 0 for additional resources and support.

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Benson Park Rd, Shawnee • 405-273-1235

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history

FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE

WWII-Era Refugee Received Citizenship In Shawnee, Became Successful NYC Writer, Ad Man

BY ANN MCDONALD, COURTESY POTT CO HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEMBER

There are many stories of why people move from one place to another, some giving up their former homes by choice and others by force. Since the beginning of this world, there has been migration. Oklahoma’s stories are some of the most recent but also some of the most interesting.

We know about the explorers who came through the region, moves of the tribes into this area, the cowboys with their herds crossing the land, and then the openings when the government bought the excess property from those tribes. Those who came had in mind to have their own farm or busi ness or even parcel out their claim to make money. Almost all previous settlers were looking for a better way of life, and over time, many were able to create one. Stud ies have shown that’s the main reason for migrating, whether by force or by personal plans: hoping for a better life.

For every new citizen to the Shawnee area whether two hundred years ago or just last month, there is a personal story. Im migrants came here from all over the world and in every historical era. Stories of those who fled their homes with the coming of what would be World War II even impacted Oklahoma. How would one think any of those found their way to Shawnee?

In April 1940, Renee Bacher – a widow in Budapest, Hungary – gathered her three sons and boarded the ship, Vulcania, headed for New York. Her husband Oscar – an out spoken man of Jewish descent – had disappeared, and they knew it was dangerous to remain in the path of the Nazis.

So the boys walked, caught rides, hopped freights and began their adventure. At some point, 19-year-old Stefan and his older brother parted ways, and in December, Stefan was in Shawnee. He explained later that he found work washing dishes in a cafe but didn’t explain which of the town’s eateries it was. After all those months traveling and living among Americans, he had learned enough English that he decided it was time to become a citizen. He appeared before the court clerk in the Pottawatomie County Courthouse and was sworn in as a United States citizen. Less than a year earlier, he had been a refugee hiding in his birth country, fearful for his life, and now he was an American in Shawnee, Okla homa.

Though Stephen Baker found himself at home across the nation after fleeing the Nazis in his birth country of Hungary, he received his American citizenship during his time in Shawnee before returning to New York where he became a successful advertising executive and author. — Photo submitted

According to his story later, he lived here as he did in many places across the coun try, boarding with a family and learning the ways of those around him. At some point, he felt that to be a success in America he needed college education, so he accepted a football scholarship to William Jewell Col lege in Missouri, not fully understanding that his idea of football was different from what was played here. Still – just like other areas of his life – he adjusted, and he became the team’s kicker while settling into learning. He also changed his name to Stephen Baker – a more American form of his birth name.

Even what appeared to be their escape was frightening. Half way across the Atlantic, German officials ordered the captain to return as all the ships were to be commandeered. For a few days, the captain contemplated the issue before deciding to escape to New York and ask for asylum.

The Bacher boys were young men ages 17, 19 and 20. Stefan was the middle one and found himself in a foreign country not knowing the language or customs, but he was safe. He and his brothers found whatever work they could, usually janitorial-type work. After a few months, Stefan and Thomas decided to “see the country.” Stefan explained later that he decided that was the best way to learn about his adopted home and to learn English.

After a while, he returned to New York and got a job in an ad agency. Eventually, he became a top creative director at one of the largest advertising agencies in the country. They were responsible for campaign ads for brands like AT&T, Western Electric, Texaco and Folgers Coffee. Baker was personally responsible for the still famous “Let your fingers do the walking” slogan for the Yellow Pages. He also wrote magazine columns and authored 22 books on a range of topics from textbooks to “fun” books like “How to Live With a Neurotic Dog,” which was made into a movie short.

In an interview he gave at Ellis Island years later, he told of his adventures in visiting all 48 (at the time) states, the country he saw and people he met. And although he doesn’t mention the name in biographical references, he did refer to “that town in Oklahoma where I was born.”

He was 83 when he died in Manhattan in Sept. 2004 as a fullfledged American.

UNDER THE SURFACE

Private Clinic Offers Aesthetics Services That Have Effects Beyond Skin Deep

BY DAVID DINSMORE

For nurse practitioner Lacey Mc Crary and Dr. Gregory Grant, the establishment of Belladerma Aesthetics and Wellness signified the ful fillment of a vision: “to offer all the best aesthetic options right here in Shawnee.”

Grant – a primary care physician with SSM Health – saw the roots of this goal take shape when SSM opened a line of aesthetic services in town in 2018, but that was not the first step on the path to Bel laderma, which offers its services at 1533 N. Harrison.

Soon after he began practicing un der what was the Shawnee Medical Cen ter Clinic, the leadership at the time ap proached Grant to gauge his interest in training and getting certified to utilize equipment the clinic had on hand to offer aesthetic services, which led to his pursuit and attainment of mastery certificates in basic and advanced aesthetic medicine.

He later purchased his own equip ment and applied those skills under SSM’s umbrella via a separate aesthetic service, working in tandem with a team to provide these offerings closer to home for Shawnee residents.

During that time, McCrary was prac ticing for almost a decade in the primary care field in various capacities, but she was keeping an eye on opportunities to get into aesthetics near home. In early 2020, that chance arrived, and after some delays related to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, she became the primary day-to-

Grant and McCrary know that it was look ing to close that line of services, and they saw an opportunity to not only continue the work they had been doing but to ex pand into areas of treatment that their pa tients had requested and that they had seen as beneficial to offer.

“There wasn’t a place in Shawnee where you could get all of these services at one place,” Grant said. “So many people were going to Oklahoma City or Tulsa to get some of these, so they were spending their money outside of town instead of here. Trying to keep more things local is good for the community.”

McCrary partnered with Jennifer Grant to open Belladerma this August, and Dr. Grant stayed aboard as the medical direc tor. With the transition to a privately led clinic, Belladerma started identifying and adding a range of services to “create the full-service oasis for self-care in Shawnee” they had envisioned.

“There’s so much more to this than just

come to see her and get to know them and

their needs on a personal level.

“My relationships with my patients is my favorite part of this job,” McCrary said. “They develop a lot of trust in me and that doesn’t just come by meeting them. It’s something that develops over time.”

Once they develop a plan, Belladerma’s staff employs a wide variety of techniques from their catalog of services.

Intense pulsed light and laser specialist Alexis Dahlman – who trained with Grant and Cynosure in 2018 to operate the lat ter’s ICON platform equipment – employs many of the techniques needed in skin and facial treatment plans. Belladerma also brought on board certified medical micropigmentologist Sarah Morrison to provide permanent makeup services along with Laney Bowen, who performs lash ex tension services. Rounding out the team are aesthetician Courtney Pierce and pa tient coordinator Paige Magby.

Treatment and specialty equipment options include custom facials, Diamond

Earlier this year, the organization let

Belladerma Aesthetics and Wellness offers a range of skin care, hair removal, hormone balance, IV and other services that offer not only physical improvements but can boost mental and overall wellness. — Photos submitted

Glow, Epionce chemical peel, dermaplane, Pellevé, ThreeForMe, Palomar Fractional Lux 1540, IPL and lash treatments. They also offer hair removal via their 1540 equipment in addition to personalized skin care plans and eyebrow shaping.

Belladerma also dives below the surface with services like its IV therapy, which can help deliver needed nutrients to the body to help stave off the effects of a busy life.

McCrary implements the neurotoxin injections and dermal filler services that can help restore and reverse the effects of stress and aging with the right applica tion. Whether reducing the appearance of wrinkles and scars to enhancing natural features of a patient, these treatments can help complement the appearance of the re cipients without unnecessary and invasive procedures.

One of the top priorities for the Bel laderma team was to find the right ser vices to offer patients seeking help with their hormone balances, said Grant, who has spent much of his medical career pur suing and obtaining information on the best proven treatment approaches in his primary care and aesthetic practices. This includes delving into the research and de velopments in the two decades since the publication of the Women's Health Initia tive in 2002 regarding hormone replace ment therapy. Proceeding research showed where the problems in approaches em ployed prior to 2002 failed and how they could improve with individualized clinical

treatment plans to address conditions re sulting from hormone imbalance.

For women, hormone imbalance can lead to fatigue, trouble sleeping, irritabil ity, anxiousness, mood swings, low mood, night sweats, hot flashes or flushes, weight gain, decreased sex drive and discomfort during intercourse. For men, hormone imbalance can lead to mood changes, low mood, irritability, brain fog, stress, anx iousness, fatigue, elevated blood sugar, high cholesterol, loss of muscle mass, decreased bone mass, increased body fat – especially in the waist area – and low sex drive.

After Belladerma found what they were looking for in Biote, they began offering bioidentical hormone replacement pellet therapy that allows the body to absorb the right level of hormones at the right time by using a delivery method the body can pro cess efficiently.

“I’ve been surprised how (hormone replacement pellet therapy) really does af fect people and how much better they feel when they’re willing to try it,” said Mc Crary, who also had some experience with these therapies prior to Belladerma during some time at a clinic in Edmond. “I had a patient text me yesterday to say, ‘You’ve completely changed my life.’”

During the last couple of years, health and wellness have weighed heavily in pub lic and private discourse. Many people have shifted their focus on the importance of overall wellness beyond what they can put in their medicine cabinets, particularly when it comes to self-care. McCrary said aesthetic treatments are not about turning

patients into something they are not but rather focus and enhance the traits that make them who they are.

“Some people who aren’t familiar with aesthetics, when they think of aesthetics, they think of being fake,” McCrary said. “It’s the complete opposite of that honestly. When it comes to mental health, it only takes something small – even a skin care treatment – to help someone get some of the self-confidence back. The physical side can play into the mental side.

“Three years ago, people didn’t really talk about what they had done. Now (post2020), it’s not a secret anymore. People like to talk about how this has helped them.”

Receiving aesthetic treatment goes be yond the surface for many seeking services from providers like Belladerma. Wellness often comes from a balance of physical, mental and spiritual health, and the results of physical aesthetic treatments can make a marked improvement on the mental health of those receiving them.

“When people are not feeling well, tak ing care of yourself and self-care seems to be one thing that can be beneficial in start ing to feel better about whatever situation you are facing,” Grant said. “Self-care could be going to a counselor, talking to a pastor, working out at the gym or getting one of these services we offer. All of these are go ing to make you feel better.”

For more information, call (405) 7774341 or visit belladermaok.com, which of fers appointment booking while finalizing the launch of its full website as of late Oc tober.

the fence

CRAZY ENOUGH?

Those Who Truly Change Things Are The Ones Bold Enough To Try

BY BRANDON DYER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RENEWAL OF POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY

he best way to predict the future is to invent it.”

Alan Kay coined this phrase as a researcher at Xerox PARC in the 1970s where a young, driven Steve Jobs met him. Alan be came a friend and mentor to Steve and helped shape Steve’s views on technology. He also helped Steve en vision a future with easy-to-use personal computers in each home, a future which Steve went on to invent for the world through Apple Computers alongside his brilliant engineering partner, Steve Wozniak. Prior to Apple changing the world of technology, computers were boring and clunky and were not really marketed to the masses as a personal tool to express one’s individuality. In fact, to younger generations at the time, they were seen as symbols of “the man” and conjured images of a fearful future in which “Big Brother” controlled the people like George Or well described in “1984.” But Steve was a free-spirited, tech counterculture product of the 60s and 70s and was driven to create an age of “computer power to the people.” The tech world would be his playground for the next 30 years.

I was born in 1977 and grew up right here in Shawnee. My earliest memory of personal, digital tech was playing a worn out Atari gaming system we picked up at a garage sale for a few bucks when I was a 2nd grader at Wilson Elementary School. A mother was tired of her child never wanting to go outside in the summer and only wanting to play “Asteroids” and “Pong” on the Atari, so she sold it to us. We took it home and hooked it up. It took my brother and I 30 minutes or so to get the hang of it. It was pretty fun, I guess. However, the doorbell rang. Our neighborhood friends had shown up and wanted to go ride bikes. What do you suppose we did? We chose to go ride bikes. The Atari was great and all, but bikes with friends were better.

Steve Jobs worked the night shift at Atari early in his ca reer. It was his first “real” job in tech and he hated it. He knew there was something better out there too. He wanted to create something “insanely great” for the masses that would change the world. In just a few short years, he and Steve Wozniak grew Apple from a tiny hobby in his parent’s garage to a For tune 500 company. Cancer took Steve’s life in 2011, but had he been alive today, he would have seen Apple become a $3 trillion company earlier this year, making it one of the largest companies in the world largely due to the iPhone.

What is Shawnee going to look like in 50 years? Sure, many of us reading this are not likely to be around then. But what would you want it to look like? What is your biggest dream for this community? My friend and co-worker, Zoe Loeser, said something “crazy” to me when she first came to work at Community Renewal. She said her big dream was that by 2065, Shawnee would be known as the greatest place to raise a family … in the country. Not in the state. In the country! Hon estly, my first reaction was probably much like yours: “That’s cute, but it will never happen here.” But I was wrong. I was dreaming up something really good. She was dreaming up something “insanely great.”

In 1985, Steve Jobs was forced out of the company he cocreated. Much of that was his own fault, but it left Apple with no clear vision for the future. Sales tanked. Twelve years later, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy and decided to bring the dreamer back as CEO. Overnight, he righted the ship by changing the culture of the company. Apple’s departments had drifted into completely independent silos of operation pitted against each other by competition. Jobs destroyed that structure and brought all departments together under one umbrella. He looked for leaders who were: 1. Experts 2. Im mersed in the details and 3. Willing to collaboratively debate. Collaborative debate was the key. Leaders were encouraged to speak up for their well-grounded ideas, encouraged to push back even. They were also expected to set pride aside and change their positions when confronted by colleagues with a better solution, because they all wanted to make the greatest product possible. It worked, and Apple’s sales exploded. Their 1997 “Think Different” ad campaign closed with the words, “the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

What would it look like to have a common vision for our community? A bold, tremendously great vision we all work toward, laying pride aside for the common good? Is it really possible for Shawnee to be known as the greatest place to raise a family in the country by 2065? You better believe it is. We are going to do it. It will take all of us working collaboratively together, of course. But I promise you Shawnee will be a mod el for the entire country of what it looks like for a community to come together around a common purpose. Get ready, it’s coming. Is that “crazy enough?”

Brandon Dyer

Nov. 4-13: Oklahoma Baptist University Theatre will stage Shakespeare’s “A Comedy of Errors,” a story of lost twins, mistaken identity, romance and reunion in the Craig-Dorland Theater on the OBU campus. Information: facebook.com/ okbuTheatre

Nov. 11: The Oklahoma Veterans Memorial Committee will dedicate the state’s first Gold Star Families Monument dedication next to the Oklahoma Veterans Memorial Wall as part of a Veterans Day ceremony 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Woodland Veterans Park downtown. A reception at the Senior Center at 401 N. Bell will follow the ceremony. Information: (405) 273-7000 or goldstarfamilies@outlook.com.

Nov. 11-19: Shawnee Little Theatre will begin ringing in the holiday season with the classic Irving Berlin’s White Christmas based on the hit 1954 film featuring several popular songs from the Irving Berlin catalog of classics and a new stage book by David Ives and Paul Blake. Information: shawneelittletheatre.com

Nov. 12: FIRST in Oklahoma will host a FIRST Lego League Explore Festival and FIRST Lego League Challenge event 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Gordon Cooper Technology Center at 1 John C. Bruton. Information: first-oklahoma.com or facebook.com/FIRSTinOKlahoma

Nov. 13: Abby’s Bridal and Formal Wear will host a Bridal Show 1-5 p.m. at Shawnee Mall featuring vendors from Pottawatomie County to help brides they can shop local and still have the perfect wedding. Information: facebook.com/ AbbysAtShawnee

Nov. 13: Test your prowess on the court with a Dodgeball Play Day from 2-4 p.m. at the Shawnee Recreation Center at 401 N Bell Ave for ages 9 and older. There will also be snacks and drawings for prizes. Information: (405) 878-1528

Nov. 17: The Third Thursday Poetry Reading will feature J. C. “Catfish” Mahan at 7 p.m. at the Lunch Box at 217 E. Main St. Mahan who has written a number of poetry books, including “Conversing Art + Love,” “Broken Prose” and “Tilling Native Soil.” When he’s not writing or reciting poetry, he runs the Funky Ranch Hair

Salon in Edmond. Open mic will follow their presentations. The Lunch Box will open at 6 p.m. for those who want to order a meal before the readings.

Nov. 18: The Arts @317 is hosting its own Block pARTy from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at 317 E. Main St. Come by to see what’s happening. Information: (405) 659-8193

Nov. 19-20: Bring in the holiday season with family and friends at The Big Christmas Expo at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center at 1700 W. Independence. Come out and enjoy a weekend of shopping, food, pictures with Santa, storytime with Mrs. Claus, carolers, and a Christmas village. This holiday extravaganza showcases entrepreneurs, product vendors, fashion, gift ideas, gourmet goodies, rare finds, home decor, arts, crafts and more. Information: facebook.com/TheBigChristmasExpo/events

Nov. 25-Dec. 11: Sunshine Shelly’s Spirit of Christmas celebration returns as the pumpkin patch transforms into a winter wonderland. Get a fresh-cut Christmas tree, enjoy wintery refreshments, a Christmas light hayride through the Tunnel of Light and shop handmade artisan goods while the kids play in the "real" snow playground, then settle in to watch a Christmas movie on the big screen. Information: (405) 4011994 or sunshineshellys14@yahoo.com

Nov. 26: Shop Small Business Saturday will highlight small businesses as part of a larger campaign to help residents find their holiday gift ideas from local sources. Information: (405) 273-6092

Dec. 1: This year's Christmas parade will get rolling at 6:30 p.m. on Main Street between Beard and Minnesota with the theme Christmas Morning. Enjoy one of Oklahoma's largest nighttime Christmas parades. Watch as downtown comes alive with lights, marching bands, floats and a special appearance by Santa Claus. Stay until the end for a breathtaking fireworks display (pending current burn ban restrictions) Information: (405) 273-1035

Dec. 2: Music Unlimited will feature a series of Singer-Songwriter Nights starting at 7 p.m. at

1109 W Kickapoo Spur with November’s event featuring Janice Francis Smith. There will be an open mic at 6:30 p.m. Information: mu1978.com

Dec. 2: The Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art 2022 Gala invites you to spend an evening in Enchanted Gardens starting at 5 p.m. at the Grand Casino Events Center at 777 Grand Casino Blvd. Enjoy an incredible night among great friends, fantastic food and entertainment that will make you dance all night long along with the opportunity to impact thousands of children from Oklahoma and beyond. Information: mgmoa.org

Dec. 3: Oklahoma Baptist University presents the annual Hanging of the Green taking place at 8 p.m. in iconic Raley Chapel's Potter Auditorium at 2501 N Raley Drive. Information: okbu.edu

Dec. 3, 10: Bring the kids to take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus from 1-4 p.m. at the Pottawatomie County Museum at 207 N. Minnesota. Admission to the museum is free on these two Saturdays. Information: (405) 2758412

Dec. 4, 11, 17: Ride the rails through a winter wonderland with Locomotive Operators of Central Oklahoma’s Christmas Light Night Run at 5:30-7:30 p.m. with strands of lights and decorations adorning the club’s scale tracks at 29626 Lake Drive in McLoud. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also be in attendance for photo opportunities. Information: facebook.com/ locotrains and (405) 277-0032

Dec. 9-10: Experience a Living Nativity from 6-8 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church at 39307 W. MacArthur featuring live animals, hot chocolate, cookies, crafts for children, Christmas carols with a live choir and a telling of the Christmas story. Information: (405) 273-6286

Dec. 10: Sleigh Bells Market returns from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center at 1700 W. Independence with holiday shopping featuring gifts for anyone and everyone. Information: revolve-productions.com

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