Shawnee Outlook

Redbud City Night on the Bricks | New York City or Bust

Crow Farms Celebrate 30 Years April 17

Vol. 14 Number 2

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contents

april 2017

25

Publisher

Managing Editor

Mindy Wood

Advertising Sales

Brad Carter

Creative Direction

Kelsey Walker & Fawn Wilson Olivarez

Okie Icon Media

Cover Photo

18 Features 7 Kart Krazy

6 Keep the Change

9 Crow Farms Celebrate 30 Years!

6 Nutrition 101

12 Blooms and Buds Garden and Craft Show 13 Let’s Move More in April 14 Poverty Closeup: The Health Gap

20 sonic contest

Writers

Andrea Beck

Jamie Bergsten

Melissa Kamm

Melissa Killgore

Angela Rowland

Cindy Stober

Tom Terry

Thresa Swadley

Mindy Ragan Wood

departments

Mindy Wood

Distribution

The Shawnee Outlook is delivered FREE

by direct mail to 25,000 homes and

businesses.

Contact Us

PO Box 1365 Shawnee, OK 74802 E-mail: info@shawneeoutlook.com

To Advertise call Brad at (405) 445-3033.

21 shawnee history 26 Mental Health 30 Art Guide

15 Eagle Project Brightens Children’s Lives 18 Redbud City Night on the Bricks 22 Arts Trek: A Community Festival 25 Cargo Classic and Breakfast Fundraiser 29 New York City or Bust

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Volume 14, Number 2 Shawnee Outlook is a publication of Okie Icon Media. © 2017 Okie Icon Media

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

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keep the change

Summer Planning We do tend to talk a lot about vacations, but that’s where we’re at right now. With spring break passed, many of us are itching for the end of the school year.

If you’re hoping to get a vacation in this summer, NOW is the time to start planning – and if your schedule is flexible, there are deals to be found!

Daily Deals sites, such as Groupon and Living Social have been around for quite some time, but did you know they also offer great vacation packages? If you’re looking to travel, almost any destination can be found on these sites, but the best deals come to those who are open to anything! Sign up for email updates and keep your eyes open for a package that speaks to you – many are all-inclusive and some even include airfare! But if you’re hoping to travel internationally, be sure you get your passport squared away immediately so you’ll have it in your hands in time!

Not sure the hotel you saw on Groupon is a good find? Check out TripAdvisor.com for reviews on many accommodations worldwide. This is also a great place to go if you have a destination in mind but need some ideas for how to fill your time.

If you’re heading somewhere specific and don’t see an online deal for your locale, check out hotels.com for decent prices on a place to stay. They also have a rewards program with the ability to earn free nights in any one of their hotels.

Finally, if you’re looking to fly, be sure to check with specific airlines, particularly the smaller ones (such as Southwest or JetBlue) to get their best prices.

Many travel booking sites don’t include these budget airlines, but you will find great savings if you search around!

If you’d like to read more about my frugal journey, scan the QR code to visit my blog on the topic!

Angela Rowland is an OBU graduate and a stay-at-home mother of four. She enjoys finding new ways to stretch the paycheck and even posts some of her favorite tips and deals on her blog (steadfaststeward.blogspot.com)

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Nutrition 101 Taxes and Granola They say that there are only two things in life that are guaranteed—death & taxes. If you’re lucky enough to get a tax refund this year, why not invest in your health and fight off that other inevitability for as long as possible. There are many opportunities available that could help make this a healthier year for you. Some options include:a gym membership, bikes for the family, new workout clothes and shoes, a smartwatch, or a nice set of headphones. For even better results, you could invest in a personalized meal plan or hire a certified personal trainer to help you along the way.

It may seem a bit selfish to spend your tax return on yourself, but you need to recognize how important your health is, not only to you personally, but to everyone that counts on you and needs your support. One of my favorite quotes comes from Augusten Burroughs; he states, “Without health, you have nothing.” Take a minute and really let that sink in.

What do you have if you don’t have your health? Stated another way, if you had optimal health, how would things be different? What would you be able to do that you can’t do already? How differently would you feel each day? Your health is the most important thing in your life. It directly affects your welfare, happiness, and life expectancy. Your health is not just a number on a scale or a label on an article of clothing. Your health is all-encompassing, it affects everything you do, everyone you love and everything you care about. Now that you’ve paid your taxes, invest in yourself, invest in your health and enjoy life.

Spring has sprung! Although we think of this time of year for when our taxes our due, it’s also the time of year of longer days and springtime recipes. This granola recipe was actually an accident. I was trying to make a festive Easter snack that didn’t quite mold into Easter eggs like I had planned.

I tasted it and I thought it was really good so I decided to use it as a granola. Found this to be the perfect topping to my yogurt. Give it a try!

Granola Ingredients: 2 ½ cup old fashion oats 3 Tbsp crunchy peanut butter

¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup mini dark chocolate chips 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions Place all ingredients into a bowl and stir until well combined. Place into the refrigerator for one hour. Remove and crumble up with your hands.

Store granola in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 117 Total Fat: 4g Saturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 18mg Carbohydrates: 18g Dietary Fiber: 2g Protein: 3g Greek yogurt is a great source of protein to get in daily; either for a snack or part of a breakfast.

Adding this granola to it, perfectly tops it off. You want to make sure you are buying Greek plain yogurt when purchasing your yogurt. If you buy the already sweetened and flavored, it is going to have way too much sugar and not even sugar that you are sure where it is coming from. Make smart protein choices and enjoy a little natural sweetness added to it!

Andrea Beck, a Registered Dietitian and Certified Personal Trainer, received her Master’s in Nutrition and Dietetics from UCO in Edmond. She offers her nutrition consulting services, personal training and strongHER workouts through Anytime Fitness Shawnee. Andrea offers personalized meal plans and workout plans. Andrea specializes in weight loss, running, childhood obesity, pregnancy health and diabetes. Andrea is an active member of Junior Service League and her church, Life Church. For nutrition or exercise questions, you can contact Andrea at andrea.beck@anytimefitness.com

Kart Krazy Shawnee’s Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center has always played host to a variety of activities: rodeos, the county fair, dog & horse shows, and all sorts of banquets, to name a few. However, a series of events growing in popularity now calls the Expo home, and its upcoming spring schedule beckons racers of all ages, new and old, to join the fun.

Clint Maynard and his family (wife Brenda and daughter Randi Massey) started Outlaw Motor Sports in 2014. The organization bills itself as “the premier Outlaw Sprint Kart series and Flat Track racing in Oklahoma.” Outlaw Karting is a term used for dirt oval go-kart racing in what can be described as a Sprint Kart with a full-body cage and wing designed for speed with safety. Most tracks nationwide are between one-half of a mile to one mile in length. The “go-cart” of days gone by has now evolved into a full-blown racing machine that can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

“There wasn’t any option for racing during the winter months here locally, so it originally started as an indoor winter series,” said Randi of the group’s inception. Her father is the owner/operator of Outlaw, but she and her mom play a big role in handling the day-to-day operations, as well as taking care of things at the track.

The venue they’ll be using from April to October this year is the Heart of Oklahoma Speedway, also known to locals as the outdoor arena at the Expo Center. The track is taking on that new name during race sessions, including a banner proclaiming it approved by Expo staff. “This is our first spring session with Outlaw Motor Sports, but we’ve been hosting their races here in the Fred Humphrey Pavilion during the fall and winter for the past two years,” said Stephanie Meiler-Gideon, marketing manager for Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center. “A lot of dirt has been hauled in, along

by Jamie Bergsten

Racers take to the track for Outlaw Motor Sports competitions

with concrete barriers, so the arena has been dismantled for now. In July we’ll be hosting the 25th IFYR as usual, so that dirt will actually help us a lot. It’ll be grated down and reset for the rodeo, then returned to track conditions after that.”

Outlaw Motor Sports hosts two races a month (and sometimes three), with participants starting as young as four years of age. Those tiniest of racers are classified as Young Guns, and there are several other junior classes specifically for children and teens. Adults also have a chance to get in on the action, with groupings based on driver’s age, engine package, and total vehicle/driver weight.

Rules specifying a minimum weight help to ensure that drivers are on relatively equal footing, and those that are too light must add weight to meet the qualifications.

“We are a family-oriented business, so we like to consider our track to be that way as well,” Massey said. “We have anywhere between 95 and 110 karts racing each night and usually anywhere between 300 and 450 people in the pit area. General admission is $10. It’s a very fun, friendly but also very competitive event.” For example, a fam-

Photo submitted

ily could race together on the weekend, learning sportsmanship and mechanical know-how along the way.

Kart racing has actually been a stepping stone of sorts for many drivers working their way up the professional ranks of NASCAR, Formula 1, and the Indy Racing League. Drivers like Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick got their starts in this less expensive form of motorsports. “The karts can go very fast and could potentially get dangerous,” Massey said, “but we require all our drivers to wear the proper safety equipment.” It’s a way for drivers to compete even if they lack the financial means to get into top-level racing.

Clint Maynard serves not only as the track promoter for Outlaw but also owns one of the companies that manufactures race karts. “If anyone is looking to get started, we are always here to help or even find a used kart for a new driver to get their feet wet,” Massey said.

For more information on Outlaw Motor Sports or to see their upcoming race schedule, visit their website at www.outlawmotorsports.net or their Facebook page, Outlaw Motorsports.

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Crow Farms Celebrate 30 Years!

by Mindy Ragan Wood

Ricky, Claudia and Brandon Crow Photos by Mackenzie Herman

Thirty years ago, the Crow family grew row crops like wheat, hay, and soybeans. Facing a tough market for traditional farmers, the Crows decided to try growing vegetables for a new Farmer’s Market that had just set up in Shawnee. They started with a Sears and Roebuck rototiller and two garden hoes.

Today, they manage 330 acres, 16 greenhouses, and a recently expanded grocery store, Crow’s Market on Main.

Everything from lettuces and cabbage to green vegetables, squashes, onions, and every pea and bean you can imagine, thrives on the farm. They also raise cattle and grow soybeans and hay.

The farm is owned by husband and wife, Ricky and Claudia Crow, and their son Brandon. The life of a farmer isn’t an easy one, but the Crows love the land and the bounty it yields.

“You ask what we do,” said Claudia Crow. “We work. They go out about 8 in the morning and they don’t come until it’s pitch black dark. Ten or eleven at night in the summer is very com-

mon. Sunday, if the sun’s out, is a work day,” she said.

Ricky Crow said it’s hard work, but it’s work they love. “It doesn’t kill you, but it tries. This is what I grew up wanting to do,” he said.

Brandon Crow, who has a bachelor’s degree in business management, decided farming was the life he wanted. He said, “It’s a way of life that I value and I enjoy. Working outside, working with my hands; growing things and seeing them from seed to harvest. Being raised here, it’s in your blood.”

Small farms face many foes. As a fight for rights at the state and federal level continue, their oldest fight is with the weather. “You got to worry about the weather all the time,” said Ricky.

Last year their irrigation well went out, and they’re having it repaired.

“Going into the summer without irrigation is really worrisome, but we should have it fixed in a couple of weeks,” he said.

The next generation of Crow Farms, Ricky and 15 month old son, Owen

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Spring: April, 21 - 22, 2017 Fall: September 29 - 30, 2017 9:00 am - 4:00 pm  Rain or Shine Premiere family friendly outdoor market with a variety of vendors and rare finds:

View of Crow Farms

What’s the worst disaster they’ve endured in their 30 years growing produce? Without hesitation, Ricky said, “Too much rain. Flooding years are the worst years we’ve had. All it does is wipe you out and all you can do is go out and plant again. With vegetables, you can get back out and plant again.”

Another problem the farm faces is severe storms. “I remember one morning a few years ago a thunderstorm come up and the hail pretty well wiped everything out we had.

It looked like someone went down the squash rows with a brush hog.

You just got to keep going. You never know what’s going to happen,” said Ricky.

They also keep a careful eye on their bees. “We take care of our bees,” said Claudia. “We need them for everything we grow here to be pollinated.” They use a lot of organic practices, using as few pesticides as possible and natural ones like Neem oil.

Growing healthy, nutritious food for the community is worth all the effort. In addition to running the grocery store, Claudia regularly speaks to local students. She brings fresh produce for the children to see and educates them on the importance of healthy eating, gardening, and knowing where your food comes from.

She said it does concern her to see so few students familiar with gardens and fresh produce. “Used to be I’d ask, ‘how many of your grandparents have a garden?’ all the hands go up. Now maybe two go up. I brought a new red 10

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Father and son Ricky and Brandon Crow

potato to a class and they didn’t know what it was,” she said.

Claudia said she tries to educate the public about the importance of fresh, local foods. “Everyone thinks a tomato is a tomato anywhere, but it’s not. A local grower will most likely pick the tomatoes you buy the day before.

It is still full of nutritional value.” Local produce that is fresh picked can also be more flavorful. “When you’re buying fresh items, you don’t have to add a lot of things to it because it’s already full of flavor,” she said.

The Crows have a long history as farmers. Ricky Crow is a fifth-generation farmer whose ancestors farmed in Tennessee, Arkansas, and eventually Shawnee, Oklahoma. For upcoming information on Crow Farm’s anniversary celebration events, visit them on Facebook, “Crows Market on Main.”

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Blooms and Buds Garden and Craft Show St. John’s Lutheran Church is hosting a fundraiser plant sale and garden show Saturday, April 22 at 3610 N. Union. Dozens of varieties of flowers and plants will be for sale, along with a quilt raffle, bake sale, concessions, and three garden demonstrations. The plants are from Don’s Plants on Highland.

Coordinator, Sharon Dahlen said there will be plants and flowers popular for patio and yard décor. “The gardening classes are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., about one every hour. They will be teaching how to graft plants together, raising tomatoes in Oklahoma, and general upkeep of a garden.”

The event will also feature several craft and retail vendors. “There will be quilts, handmade bags, baby blankets. We hope to have wood workers who make outdoor furniture for patios and things like that. We will have several direct sales vendors: Lularoe fashion, Usborne Books, Mary Kay, Rodan Fields, and Tupperware,” said Dahlen.

Quilt raffle tickets are $1 per ticket or $5 for six. The drawing will be at 4 p.m. for a colorful, queen size handmade quilt donated by a church member.

Concessions will likely be a cut above the norm when it comes to variety and taste, according to Dahlen. “If anyone has been here for our Kitchen Kew’s Friday Feasts, they’ll love the concessions,” she said. “They will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.”

Friday’s Feasts is an all-you-can-eat hot dinner served at the church the first Friday of every month during the school year. The feast is one of several fundraisers throughout the year that help the church continue humanitarian efforts.

Every Christmas the church supports at risk youth in state juvenile custody at Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Tecumseh. They provide a birthday cake and drinks for teens at COJC for a monthly birthday celebration.

“Church volunteers go to COJC and interact with them. They also recognize each teen with a birthday card,” said Dahlen.

King Foods is a food service for low income people. Anyone can sign up to order lower cost foods from King Foods through the church. “The meals come in boxes, and they’re cheaper than going to the grocery store. It’s similar to the Angel Food network,” said Dahlen.

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Sharon Dahlen at St. John Lutheran Church

Their efforts go beyond the local community.

The church is active in prison mentorship and ministry statewide. Their Sole Hope outreach gathers volunteers monthly to cut out shoe patterns for young children. “We send them to Alaska to be assembled which provides jobs for people there. Then they’re sent to needy children in Africa,” said Dahlen.

For more information, visit stjohnshawnee. org or call the church office at 405-273-1539.

by Mindy Ragan Wood

Let’s Move More in April

by Melissa Killgore

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With today’s long work place where many of us are days and hectic schedules, sedentary for hours, and people find it hard to fit the result is a lost opportuexercise into their daily rounity to burn calories. Stand tine. The unfortunate side up and move around while effect is that, as a nation, making phone calls. Take a we’re becoming more inacmeeting on the go and walk tive. This is a problem when and talk.

Melissa Killgore you consider the fact that • Get active physical inactivity doubles the risk of around the house. Housework, heart disease! washing the dog, and gardenEvery April, the American Heart Asing are all physical activities sociation celebrates physical activity that burn calories and help and encourages everyone to commit keep you fit. to being more active on a regular • Incorporate stretches or yoga basis. Regular exercise will help you into your day. feel better and live longer, but finding • If you’re watching TV, use some time to work out on a daily basis can hand weights to exercise durbe tough. ing commercials.

“You don’t have to go to a gym or • Do squats while brushing your have an exercise routine to be active,” teeth. says Melissa Killgore, Manager of • Involve the whole family in Therapy Services at St. Anthony Shawkeeping fit. Arrange for outings nee Physicians. “Simply adding more that are physically active, such activity in your day can help you move as taking a nature hike or gotowards a healthy lifestyle.” ing for a bike ride.

Being physically active is impor• Use a free smartphone app to tant in preventing heart disease and help track your activity, or wear stroke, the nation’s number one and a pedometer. number five causes of death. The “Keep in mind that if you haven’t American Heart Association suggests been very active, it’s fine to take baby that adults get 30 minutes a day, five steps,” says Killgore. “If you’re out of times a week. They also suggest to shape, simply walking from the house divide your time into two or three seg- to the mailbox and back is a good ments and be active 10 to 15 minutes starting goal.” each time. For children and adolesAnyone can be active at any age cents, the American Heart Association with the right activity. Talk to your recommends at least 60 minutes of doctor if you have concerns about moderate to vigorous physical activity whether you’re ready to be more acevery day. tive or to see if there are certain forms “Adding some additional activity to of exercise you should avoid. your day can really add up and help “Find an activity that you enjoy,” meet the 30 minutes a day goal,” says says Killgore. “The idea is to find Killgore. something you like, that way you don’t Killgore has some suggestions to feel like you ‘have to’ do the activity, increase your daily activity: you ‘get to’ do it.”

• Walk More. Park further away The Physical Therapy team at St. and add a few more steps to Anthony Shawnee Physicians would your day. be happy to get you started on a pro• Take the stairs instead of the gram that is designed for your specific elevator. needs. They can provide expert advice • Stand Up at Work. Work is a to fit your lifestyle. www.shawneeoutlook.com

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Poverty Closeup: The Health Gap It’s often said if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything. A health crisis can derail the most stable person’s life, setting into motion a series of devastating events. Two Shawnee residents know how quickly life can change when your health is on the line.

James Gray was a hard worker about to start a new job in the oil field. “The day before I was going to start work, I was running a fever. I never thought of anything of it.”

When he grew worse, he went to the ER. Gray had no idea at the time, but his kidneys were shutting down. The hospital put him in a medically induced coma. Two and a half months later, he woke up without any memory of what had happened. His apartment was rented out and his possessions gone. He had no place to go.

Gray had worked hard since he was teenager and now in his early fifties, he was homeless. “It kind of tears on a man’s self-worth,” Gray said, of losing the ability to work.

He ended up staying at the Salvation Army.

A social worker helped him obtain Social Security Disability, and find an apartment in Tecumseh. His decision to complete the Neighboring 101 program brought out a passion to help others. Gray is trying to organize an effort to save derelict homes set for demolition and turn them into affordable housing.

“Instead of destroying the houses, let’s take a family and make sure it’s livable at the time.

Fix the problems that are there, and put a homeless family there. Help them find a job, so they can pay for the house and make it feasible for them,” said Gray.

While he continues to fight for his health, he has reunited with wife and hopes to make a difference in other’s lives.

Tammy Morrison is rebuilding her health and life Shawnee Outlook

Tammy Morrison was a medical technician when loss and family turmoil compounded a medical condition. She had a thyroidectomy and experienced depression. When three deaths in her family came in a matter of three days, it was too much.

“I lost one in a tractor accident, one from an illness who died unexpectedly, and another in a car accident. When my father hit a tree on Hardesty the same weekend, even though he survived, I really thought I was going to lose it.

I thought I was absolutely going to lose it,” said Morrison.

Her husband also experienced health problems and with two young children, the loss of income found her family living out of a motel.

They had shelter, but they were homeless. They had work, but it wasn’t enough.

Reluctantly, they turned to Family Promise, a non-profit organization who helps families find independence. Within 4 months, they were in a home. Tammy graduated from Neighboring 101 last fall. She said both programs helped her make better decisions and realize how much she needed supportive friends to help her with perspective and find joy.

Morrison said she wished more people understood how easy it is to find themselves in her situation. “It can affect people from all walks of life in the blink of an eye. It happens to people with tornadoes, natural disasters, illness, divorce, change of circumstances,” she said.

Morrison and Gray are well acquainted with the stigma of homelessness, and so are those who work with them. The Director of Neighboring 101, Steve Palmer, said, “I wish that people understood that homeless people are a valuable part of our community. Literally, they are an untapped group of people we have simply ignored as an integral part of our community that has any real value.”

Director of Family Promise, David Henry, said it takes a community to solve the issue of homelessness. “The community can help by becoming a better listener in a dialog with homeless individuals. Listen to them; understand their hurts, hopes, and dreams.”

Palmer agreed. “Be willing to get to know people that are different than you. Being educated diffuses a lot of the ignorance that currently exists.”

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Duncan Thiemann and Caleb Blair at DHS meeting rooms

Fifteen-year-old Tecumseh Boy Scout, Caleb Blair completed his Eagle Scout Service Project at the Shawnee DHS office last month. The project transformed three meeting rooms where parents have scheduled visitations with their children in DHS custody.

The room was in need of new toys and paint, but Blair’s understanding of the deeper needs for these children influenced his project.

“My parents have a certified foster home,” said Blair. “My mom had taken my foster sister, who was a year old at the time, to see her dad who she’d never even met before. The walls were bland. The floors are tile and it’s hard to interact with a baby on a tile floor. They (the rooms) felt a doctor’s office, they were so sterile. These kids go through so much, when they visit (parents), it’s a lot of emotions. I felt when they visit their family, they needed a place more uplifting, entertaining, and energetic for the kids to socialize in a more child friendly environment. I researched what colors are soothing for kids with traumatic issues.”

Blair and two of his fellow Boy Scouts, 17-year-olds Andy Essary and

Shawnee Outlook

Duncan Thiemann are in Troop 424 in Bethel Acres. The three stripped the room, applied three coats of base paint, furnished the rooms with new toys and other equipment. Each room has one mural: a mountain scene, ocean life, and a teddy bear with balloons. They installed chalkboards with inspirational quotes.

The project cost approximately $350. The trio gained donations from Pinecliffe Printers, Walmart, Shawnee Auto Mall, Blair Upholstery, and some private donors.

“The room is brighter, more colorful. I think it makes it more a fun environment for our kids. They’re a lot more excited about the room. They love the new toys and chalk boards. I am very proud, he did a great job. The boys worked hard,” said Niki Wester, Child Welfare Specialist III. Blair thanked his fellow Boy Scouts, Essary and Thiemann. “These guys helped out just as much as I put forth into it. I’m really proud of them.”

Boy Scouts who want to advance as an Eagle Scout complete a service to demonstrate leadership skills. The project cannot be performed on behalf of an individual, business, or be commercial in nature. www.shawneeoutlook.com

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Wadasé Zhabwé, or as she was known then,

Penojés, was one of the first eight eagles to call the CPN Eagle Aviary home. Before being mature enough to fledge on her own, she’d fallen out of her nest in Florida in 2012 and was rescued by a good samaritan and taken to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland for treatment. The fall from the nest fractured her left wrist or wingtip, and there was evidence something may have attacked her on the ground as well, causing further tissue damage to the already injured wing. According to the paperwork the CPN Eagle Aviary received when she arrived, she would never fly well enough to be considered for release.

“Originally we intended for her to be one of our education birds, to train on the glove,” recalled CPN Eagle Aviary Director Jennifer Randell.

Yet as the birds went through their vaccination regimen, Randell and Assistant Director Bree Dunham noted some changes.

“We noticed her feathers started coming back in. That was a good sign.” said Randell.

As time passed Penojés began to fly inside the aviary enclosure, performing figure eight maneuvers above the other eagles. Following an x-ray, it became clear that the wing injuries had healed much better than expected and that Penojés had a chance at becoming fully flighted.

Randell and Dunham reached out to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and asked permission to release her, but there was a hitch in the plan. Due to her non-releasable status USFWS was not initially supportive of the release. However, after much discussion and seeing documentation of her current status, they agreed to the proposal.

“We believe these eagles are our messengers and carry our prayers to the Creator,” said Randell. “If for any reason we could get them back out into the wild, that’s ultimately what we want to do.”

Following consultations with USFWS, Randell and Dunham worked to prepare Penojés for release. She was long-lined and conditioned to reach her ideal flight weight and strength. She

learned to catch live prey and further demonstrated her ability to survive in the wild on her own.

During this time, the aviary staff also proposed that Penojés be soft released at the aviary and fitted with a tracking telemetry to allow them to monitor her progress and study her movements once in the wild. Having been born in Florida, most raptor experts believed that even if she was released in Oklahoma, a state where she had grown up, she might travel back to the Sunshine State.

After consultations with other eagle experts across the country, Randell and Dunham decided to hold off on her release until after the nesting Oklahoma birds had made their annual migrations. It was determined to release Penojés in spring 2013.

“We wanted to wait until all the Oklahoma birds had fledged and left their nest,” said Dunham. “We wanted her to stay and not make her feel like she needed to leave until she was more experienced.”

“Stepping” into the world Penojés means ‘child’ in Potawatomi, but for a bird taking her first steps into the world on her own, that name just wasn’t going to cut it.

“We had to rename her to send her back out into that big world,” said Randell with pride. “It’s rough out there; we wanted her to have a stronger name, a name that told the story of her journey.”

With assistance from CPN Tribal Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett, the CPN Cultural Heritage Center and Language Department, Penojés was reborn as Wadasé Zhabwé.

“It means ‘brave breakthrough.’ It’s hard to put into words, but it means you’ve been through struggles and really hard times, but you’ve come out strong on the other side. It was a perfect name for her,” said Randell.

The day of release, as Randell and Dunham recalled, was one of pent up emotion. Chairman Barrett held a naming ceremony that morning, the first for any eagle at the CPN Aviary.

Following the fitting of the telemetry tracking backpack with assistance of fellow eagle experts from Sia: The Comanche Nation Ornithological Initiative and Raptor View Research Institute, a hooded Wadasé was placed on a platform standing in the meadow behind the aviary. In anticlimactic fashion, once the hood was removed, Wadasé remained on the platform.

“Nothing happened for a few minutes, which seemed like an eternity,” recalled Randell.

After several minutes of surveying her surroundings, Wadasé took flight across the meadow, eventually landing on a branch along its tree line where she roosted for the evening.

She wouldn’t be seen again on the aviary grounds for nearly a month.

Unbeknownst to Randell before the release, the GPS data from

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Wadasé’s backpack could only be downloaded from the ARGOS satellite once every three days. Thanks to some spotting by fellow tribal employees, reports came back that Wadasé was still near the tribal complex with sightings at the golf course and other areas near the aviary. More than 20 days passed before she made her way back to the aviary, where she was spotted under the big pecan tree out front, healthy but hungry; she eagerly made her way to the platform once aviary staff provided a meal.

“Initially when we released her she would come back every other day for food, but soon it was once a week, then once a month, then we didn’t see her for six months.”

Randell pointed out that the employees at the nation went above and beyond in their willingness to work around the eagle. She noted that those working on construction or maintenance projects did their best to remain quiet in areas where Wadasé was located so as not to frighten her off, making the aviary grounds a safe place for her initial days and weeks outside the safety of the eagle enclosures.

Data that lasts With Wadasé there have been many firsts, including her status as the first bald eagle to be banded and released from a Native American Aviary with GPS tracking telemetry. Robert Domenech of Raptor View Research Institute, who fitted Wadasé with the GPS backpack, admitted that day that while he had experience in placing the packs on many birds, a bald eagle was not one of them. Wadasé was the first. Given their tendency to be in and around water, he told Randell he didn’t expect the backpack to remain on her for more than one year before the cotton stitching would break down and the unit would naturally fall off.

Four years later, the pack – roughly the size of a Match Box car, weighing just 48 grams – has so far remained on the young adult Wadasé.

The data gained from the telemetry has been a wealth of knowledge about the patterns and habits of young Bald Eagles. Many eagles travel hundreds if not thousands of miles during migration.

“We’re fortunate that Wadasé has generally stayed in a 70-mile radius of the aviary,” said Randell with a laugh.

Now in her fourth year of life in the wild, Wadasé Zhabwé is thriving. She no longer depends on the aviary for support but she still visits from time to time. There are many, both in and outside the Nation, who have become avid followers of her progress. Every third day, Randell and Dunham log on to review the telemetry data in search of her with as much anticipation as they felt on April 16, 2013.

“It never gets old,” said Randell. “Four years later it’s still exciting to see where she’s at.”

The aviary staff is quick to point out without people coming together this release would simply not have been possible. From the good samaritan to the dedicated staff at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, Bill Voelker and Troy of Sia who assisted with her conditioning and releasem to Rob Domenech from the Raptor View Research Center who came all the way from Montana to band and fit her with telemetry, to the CPN for the support of this program to USFWS for their efforts, those close by who have kept an eye out for her and to everyone who follows her journey.

“We just want to thank everyone who made this release not just a possibility but a success,” said Dunham.

If you would like to follow news of Wadasé or learn more about the CPN Eagle Aviary, visit www.potawatomiheritage.org/#aviary.

As always we encourage you to keep your eyes out for Wadasé if you are near the areas she frequents. Send your encounters with Wadasé or any other eagles to us at aviary@potawatomi.org.

citizenpotawatomination | potawatomi.org | 405-275-3121 | 1601 S. Gordon Cooper Dr | Shawnee, OK

www.shawneeoutlook.com

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An aerial view of Redbud City Night on the Bricks. The event returns this month.

Photo by Ed Bolt

Redbud City Night on the Bricks

by Jamie Bergsten

Imagine if you will….

You and your family are escorted to a table in a peaceful outdoor setting. Live music plays in the background, and you’re in the company of both familiar faces and smiling new ones. A free dinner is served to all of you, and as you dine near sunset surrounded by friends and neighbors in your hometown, you feel like you’ve been transported back in time. You think, “This sort of thing doesn’t happen anymore. Everyone’s too busy to sit down and visit over dinner, and good food isn’t free, is it?” You might be surprised.

Last year marked the inaugural Redbud City Night on the Bricks in Shawnee, and according to organizers, it went as well as they could have hoped for a first-time event. The Safe Events for Families organization (SEFF) is planning to do it all again – but even bigger and better – on Friday & Saturday, April 21-22 downtown.

“In some conversations between Visit Shawnee Inc. and city officials, it was rediscovered that we were proclaimed ‘the Redbud City’ by the state legislature back in 1941,” said Ed Bolt, SEFF vice president. “We decided that an annual event to celebrate that designation sounded like a good idea, but we only had six weeks to plan it.

We served between 800 and 900 people and had about 100 volunteers.”

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Diners enjoyed beautiful weather and tasty Mexican food at tables set up along Main Street, while a variety of live music played in the background. It was also the best bargain in town that night, because all of it was free, thanks to donations from local businesses and organizations and the funds raised by SEFF. Shirley Adams, a Shawnee native who attended last year’s event with her daughter and four grandchildren, said, “It was very well organized thanks to the hard work of the planners.

The servers brought the food in a timely manner, the weather was great, and it was a very pleasant night.”

This year, SEFF and Life Church will handle the food preparation. “We’re trying to provide the meals as economically as we can. We always strive to be good stewards of our donors’ money. We’re planning to serve 1,200 to 1,500 on Main Street in front of the library,” Bolt said. The free community meal will be Friday, April 21 from 6-9 p.m., but vendors and attractions will be open until 10 p.m. On Saturday, April 22, downtown visitors will find entertainment, kids’ craft booths, vendors, and live music. Should inclement weather occur that weekend, events will be held at the Municipal Auditorium on Bell Street instead.

“It’s tough to please everyone with a set

menu, but you don’t have to eat food from the event that night. You can bring something from any restaurant or even from home. The main goal is to have everyone sit down, enjoy a meal together, and make some new friends,” Bolt said. “You don’t have to RSVP either. We’ll serve food until it’s gone.”

Bolt also explained that in addition to the nocost aspects of Friday evening, there will be vendors with a variety of products to sell. Churches will be holding bake sales to provide desserts. The OKC Astronomy Club will have their large computerized telescope in Celebration of Life Park until 10 p.m., and there will be bounce houses on Philadelphia Street south of Main.

In true SEFF fashion, the goal is to attract families to spend time together in a safe, fun environment. Volunteers are needed, of course, and Bolt hopes they can be rewarded with t-shirts again this year. For information on helping during Redbud City Night on the Bricks, contact Bolt at his studio, 420 East Main, or by email at ed@edboltphoto.com. To learn more about other SEFF events, including Trail Days coming up on June 16-17 and the monthly downtown Block Party the third Friday of each month, go to seffshawnee.org or find them on Facebook, SEFF Shawnee.

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shawnee history

How Shawnee Became the

Redbud City of Oklahoma

The Eastern Redbud was named the State Tree of Oklahoma in 1937. Shawnee became the Redbud City of Oklahoma four years later because of the efforts of Shawnee Garden Club members led by Mrs. W. T. Curry. She had visited Wichita, Kansas which had become the Redbud City of Kansas and recommended that an effort be started in Shawnee.

In February 1940, the Garden Council met to organize a campaign to emphasize the planting of redbud trees throughout the city. The plan was approved by the council and submitted to the Mayor and City Council for their blessings. Then the work began.

Mrs. Curry chaired the committee as they began taking orders for redbud trees. Bare root trees were sold to school children for five cents.

Members began canvassing city blocks to sell and encourage residents to plant redbuds.

Another committee began working with the city council, the local state legislators, and others to draft and pass legislation naming Shawnee Redbud City of Oklahoma. The legislation was passed and signed by Governor Phillips on February 19, 1941.

Soon after, the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce received information about a Flower Festival in Summerville, South Carolina. Mrs. Curry and several others attended and returned with ideas for creating a similar event in Shawnee. The first festival was organized for April 1941 featuring a motorcade travelling throughout the city to view the many redbud trees in bloom.

By September 30, 1941 there were 300 members in 11 garden club units. During that year 5,591 redbud trees were planted in public spaces, churches, schools, along the highway, and at private homes.

On Saturday, April 9, 1942 Shawnee held its first Redbud Parade. The inaugural event included the Redbud Queen and all the queen nominees, plus school bands, decorated cars, public officials, and garden club officers. The queen candidates were sponsored by businesses that provided containers to accept a penny per vote.

The funds raised were used to help pay the expenses of the event. Shawnee held the parades most years until the early 1950s.

Through the years, the Redbud festivals included teas for the queen candidates, banquets,

by Tom Terry, Courtesy Pottawatomie County Historical Society

1st shipment of Redbuds (in 1940)

Beard Street entrance to Redbud Park

concerts at the high school, and at the city auditorium. In addition to naming a “Redbud Queen” the city also crowned a “City Beautification Queen.”

In 1946, the festival date coincided with a state band contest in Shawnee so the parade included many bands marching down Main Street.

In 1948, the celebration concluded with a street dance in front of the city auditorium.

This redbud effort wasn’t the first major venture of the Garden Clubs. In 1939, the clubs worked with the city and the WPA to clean and improve public spaces throughout Shawnee. The

results provided the city with six public parks, five of which are still in use: Redbud, LarchMiller, Rose Garden, Rosedale, Wildwood, and Sunnyside. All except Sunnyside remain public parks.

Redbud Park, in the 800 block of North Beard, a project of the Redbud unit, with its iconic entrance, the walled creek, picnic tables, and multiple redbud trees was selected in 1942 by the National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc. to receive the Kellogg Medal for Civic Improvement. The award is presented annually to only one club throughout the nation.

The eastern redbud is a relatively short lived tree. Many of those planted 70+ years ago have died. The discovery of the ‘Oklahoma’ Redbud tree a few years ago resulted in renewed interest in planting redbuds.

This variety has glossy leaves, a darker pink blossom, and does well in the sun and in most soils. A number of examples can be seen in plantings in the city parks and the downtown area.

The enthusiastic response to the Redbud Festival in 2016 and its emphasis on improving the beauty of Shawnee is encouraging. Just as the beginning of this project took an organization of dedicated people to reach the goal, it will require a continued effort of citizens and businesses to plant redbud trees and to make this a popular and meaningful annual festival. www.shawneeoutlook.com

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Arts Trek: A Community Festival Each April, the Mabee Gerrer Museum of Art collaborates with community organizations to bring a free arts festival, Arts Trek, to the city of Shawnee. In its eighth year, Arts Trek has quickly become a Shawnee tradition and provides an educational and entertaining activity for the 3,000 – 4,000 people that attend each year.

“The reason we started Arts Trek was because we knew there was so much artistic talent in the community and wanted to provide local artists and performers an opportunity to show their talent. The first year was a success and it quickly became a community tradition,” stated Donna Merkt, the MGMOA Curator of Education. “Kids have grown up going to Arts Trek and they look forward to it every year.”

Those attending Arts Trek for the first time find it different from other festivals because of the community vibe with the museum, and local organizations giving of their time to make it happen. Merkt commented, “The artists are volunteers that share and explain their craft. This creates a sense of community where people feel comfortable hanging out with lawn chairs and picnic blankets.”

Veteran artist Judi Lampi described the event thus: “Arts Trek is a time to celebrate the growing arts scene in Shawnee while connecting with other local artists and catching up on their current work and projects.” She went on to say, “It is lovely to have the opportunity to team up with the MGMOA in order to meet, encourage, and educate a new generation of young local artists and students.”

Supporting not only established artists, Arts Trek also gives student and amateur artists a friendly environment to begin sharing their craft. Last year, local artist, Lisa Vernon, participated in Arts Trek with a display of her watercolors for the first time. Though Vernon comes from a family of artists, she had never done a large display of her own works. Vernon reflected, “Showing my work at Arts Trek gave me the confidence to expand and display my art at a gallery on Main Street and other venues.”

In addition to the visual arts, Arts Trek provides opportunities for those in theater, dance, and music to share their craft as well. There will be a variety of performances on outdoor stages and inside Sarkeys Auditorium for those attending to enjoy. Included in the lineup for this year is Joel Carmichael’s action painting, All About Irish School of Dance, Shoulda Been Blonde (a high school rock band), Drama Club Connection, and many other professional, amateur, and student performers.

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by Thresa Swadley

A painter demonstrates technique at Arts Trek Photos submitted/MGMOA

Dancers perform at Arts Trek

Those attending performances will also have the opportunity to meet and talk with performers about their craft. Diana Rogers from the All About Irish School of Dance stated, “We hope by sharing ‘a bit of the Irish,’ the Shawnee Community can better understand Irish Dancing as part of the Irish culture.” Arts Trek provides a unique opportunity for performers not only to share their craft but also to communicate their passion to those who want to visit after performances.

Although many art festivals feature a free hands-on experience for children, Arts Trek is

unique in that it offers almost twenty opportunities for children to engage in free activities. Activities which children can enjoy this year will include pottery throwing, weaving, animal petting, face painting, and a bouncy house.

As with any community event, a very important aspect is food. This year’s lineup incorporates returning favorites such as St. John’s Lutheran Church selling pulled pork sandwiches, the Healthy Hippo food truck, as well new vendors including Sooner Kettle Corn, Manchester Street Coffee, and Legends Vineyard and Winery.

An added bonus of Arts Trek is that anyone attending the event can enter the museum’s permanent exhibits for free that day. This is an excellent opportunity for those who have never visited the museum to get an introduction to the outstanding exhibits the MGMOA provides to the Shawnee community.

Community sponsors for the event include Visit Shawnee, Chris Rick State Farm, Belfair Memory Care, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, the Shawnee Lions Club, Yvonne Kaaloa and David Reed, and St. Gregory’s University.

This year’s event will take place on April 8th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on St. Gregory’s University campus. To stay up to date on schedules and other information go to www.ArtsTrek.org, or connect on the Arts Trek Facebook page.

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Cargo Classic & Breakfast Fundraiser The Cargo Classic is back again this year, their second annual 5K race and 1 mile fun run/walk. The course is a USATF sanctioned trek on Bryan Street. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m. April 22, but registration packets will be available Friday, April 21 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Heritage Church.

The race begins at 8 a.m. Saturday morning.

For the $35 registration 5k fee and $30 1k fee, participants will receive a free race tee-shirt. The 5k begins at Heritage Baptist Church and returns from Shawnee Country Club. The 1k will set off from Heritage and go north to keep from passing the 5k participants.

The top three winners overall in male and female categories will win cash prizes at $100, $50, and $25.

The top three performers in each age group will receive medals.

After the race, a breakfast fundraiser will be open serving homemade breakfast casseroles and biscuits and gravy. “Even if someone doesn’t want to race, they can eat for a donation as a way to donate,” said Cargo Ranch Executive Director, Carrie Carter.

Cargo Ranch, a non-profit, faithbased mentorship organization, began serving at risk children and youth in 2008 through horsemanship. The ranch offers kids a chance to interact with horses, nature, and enjoy outdoor activities like fishing, gardening, and chores. Mentors have an individual approach to teach life skills, and anything that parents or caregivers see as a need for their child.

The funds will go to finishing the interior of a meeting barn where kids can meet during the winter months or when weather doesn’t permit. Cargo Ranch recently met their goal to construct the exterior for the meeting barn. “We have the framing up for the kitchen, handicapped access bathroom, and storage, but we need to finish the kitchen out and the rest of the inside of the building,” said Carter.

Online registration for the race is available at www.runsignup.com/cargoclassic

Cargo Ranch volunteers help with annual run

by Mindy Ragan Wood

Photos by Shawnee Outlook

ABOVE, RIGHT and BELOW: Winners from Cargo Classic 2016

www.shawneeoutlook.com

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Mental Health

Coping with Daily Stress and Anxiety In today’s busy world, filled with hectic daily schedules, we are pulled in many directions at once. There are responsibilities at home and work and sometimes it just becomes overwhelming. We begin to feel the effects of stress from our body’s instinct to defend itself.

This instinct is good in emergencies, such as getting out of a sudden dangerous situation. Stress can cause unhealthy symptoms if it isn’t managed properly.

The medical definition of stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. It can be external (environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure).

Major life events can also cause stress: • Losing a job or starting a new one • Child leaving or returning home • Death of a loved one • Divorce or marriage • Illness or injury for you or a close family member • Money problems • Moving • A new baby Technically, anxiety is apprehension over an upcoming event. We anticipate the future with sometimes scary predictions that don’t necessarily have any basis in truth. In everyday life, anxiety’s physical and emotional symptoms can mean an increased heart rate, poor concentration, sleeping problems, and just being very difficult to be around. Most apprehension is based on fear and this can feel very realistic to many of us.

Anxiety and stress are physical and emotional responses to perceived dangers (that aren’t always real). It is often the little things that put us over the edge. They grow and become bigger as we think about them and they accumulate throughout the day. For instance, morning traffic, losing the car keys, being behind at work, kids getting sick, and not taking a lunch break can be stressful and cause anxiety It can be a general state of worry or fear before certain events that may present a challenge such as a doc-

by Cindy Stober

tor’s appointment, interview, or taking a test. These feelings are justified and considered normal.

Many of us are able to manage our stress and anxiety with some regular lifestyle changes and a few improved habits.

1. Getting enough sleep is important. Often stress and anxiety can lead to disruptions in sleep creating a vicious cycle. Lack of sleep contributes to overall anxiety and stress.

2. Exercise is a healthy way to relieve your pent-up energy and tension increasing feel good brain chemicals called endorphins as well as helps improve your physical well being.

3. Eating a healthy diet. Clean eating, more real foods and reduced processed foods. Cooking instead of eating out.

4. Meditation and Mindfulness. There are apps and YouTube videos that are free and can help guide you.

5. Deep relaxed breathing by itself may help relieve stress. This helps you get plenty of oxygen and activates your body’s relaxation response. You can find directions and examples online.

6. Let go of things you can’t control.

7. Visualize anything positive.

8. Make a vision board.

9. Hang out with positive people and use positive self-talk.

10. Avoid using alcohol and drugs to attempt to reduce stress and anxiety. You will only be masking the symptoms and they will continue to be there which can lead to another vicious cycle.

Adding some of these healthy practices into your life can help you manage your stress and anxiety as well as prevent yourself having future problems related to these.

Note: If you feel like you might be dealing with a serious anxiety disorder, please talk to a medical or mental health professional about treatment.

Cindy Stober, LPC, LADC, NCGCII, has been working in the behavioral health and addiction treatment field for over 15 years. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor and is the Clinical Director for Gateway to Prevention and Recovery in Shawnee, Stillwater, Chandler and Seminole. She is a Nationally Certified Compulsive Gambling Counselor II and has been providing services for problem gamblers and their families for over 10 years. Cindy is active in her professional development and is a graduate of the National Council for Behavioral Health Leadership Program.

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Los Compadres Mexican Restaurant 322 W. MacArthur St. • Shawnee, Oklahoma 74804

405-273-0948

EST.

1965

HOURS:

Tues-Thur 11am-9pm Fri 8:30am-10:30pm Sun 8:30am-9pm Mon-CLOSED

FLAUTA PLATE!

Only $5.99

Five flautas, served with salad

Massage - Facials - Microdermabrasion - Nail Salon - Body Waxing Body Treatments - Discounted Packages

• Kid-proof, Pet-proof, Weather-proof, Life Proof!

• Durable and cleanable • Strong against fading • Eco-friendly Corner of Main & Bell • Shawnee www.nealsfurnishings.com • 405.275.7500

Now introducing Nuvella High-Performance Fabrics!

1533 N. Harrison (405) 275-2110 www.simplyoudayspa.com

Microdermabrasion $35 All PCA Products 20% off

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Bring all your eyeglasses that you are no longer using, to:

Saturday, Saturday, April8th, 8th,2017 2017 Saturday, April April 8th, 2017

Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art 1900 W. MacArthur, Shawnee

Looking to BUY, RENT or SELL? Serving the Shawnee area for more than 13 years, Dagiva Homes is your one-stop shop! We can streamline the process for you, making the move into your new home fast, efficient and affordable! Contact us now to get started!

For festival information, please visit: www.artstrek.org

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Lions Club changes lives one pair at a time through the Lions’ Recycle for Sight program.

405-831-1952 | david@dagivahomes.com | www.DagivaHomes.com /DagivaHomes

/DagivaHomes

MENTION THIS AD AND WE’LL PAY YOUR CLOSING COSTS! www.shawneeoutlook.com

27

It’s time for FREE checking from a local community bank.

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Up to $10 Buy Back!

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Bring in your debit cards and unused check from your current account at another financial institution when opening any new checking account. We’ll buy them from you for up to $10!

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4409 N Kickapoo Shawnee, OK 74804 405-395-0200 www.PlayItAgainSportsShawnee.com

4409 N. Kickapoo • 395-0200 28

HEADQUARTERS

Give Dad the Perfect Gift Play It Again Sports Gift Cards www.shawneeoutlook.com

Shawnee (405) 395-9455

Prague Meeker (405) 567-2222

(405) 279-4600

Minimum opening deposit is only $50.

Other fees such as non-sufficient funds, overdraft, sustained overdraft fees, etc. may apply. See fee schedule for details.

A premature account closing fee of $15 will be charged if the account is closed within 90 days of opening.

Transaction items include all debits and credits. If the Totally Free Business or Business Interest account exceeds 1,000 free monthly transactions, the account may be converted to another checking product.

If the Totally Free Business or Business Interest account exceeds $10,000 in monthly coin and currency deposits, the account may be converted to another checking product.

Free gift may be reported on a 1099-INT or 1099-MISC. Free gift provided at the time of account opening. We reserve the right to substitute a gift of similiar value.

Up to $10 for checks and debit cards from another financial institution given at the time the checks/debit cards are presented.

Ask us for details. Bank rules and regulations apply.

New York City or Bust Carnegie Hall. It is one of the most sought after stages on which musicians dream to perform.

Many iconic performers have crossed that stage from the Beatles to Tchaikovsky. This May, several members of the Shawnee community choir, Sine Nomine, will be heading to New York City to sing on that famous stage.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these singers. Courtney Hollis, president of Sine Nomine and one of the members travelling to New York, says, “the heritage and prestige surrounding Carnegie Hall was a tremendous draw for me.”

The members of Sine Nomine will be joined by several school and community groups to perform Requiem for the Living by Dan Forrest. Although a contemporary piece, it is very accessible to all audiences. With beautiful tunes and rich orchestration, Requiem is reminiscent of a great movie score.

Sine Nomine Choral Society of Central Oklahoma is the premier community choir in Shawnee. It is comprised of 29 singers and the director, Herb Moring. Originally founded in the fall of 1998 by Dr. Nancy Cobb Lippens, Sine Nomine provides singers an opportunity to learn and perform an assortment of good choral music in the Shawnee area. They perform music from a variety of musical genres including classical, sacred and secular pieces, as well as Broadway show tunes.

As part of their preparations, Sine Nomine will be premiering the music from Requiem for the Living, the piece they will be singing at New York City. The concert will be at the First Baptist Church, 227 N. Union, at the corner of 10th and Union in Shawnee. There are two opportunities to hear this magnificent piece; Sunday, May 7 at 3:00 p.m., and Monday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door. The public is invited.

by Melissa Kamm

Choir rehearsing for upcoming New York performance

A requiem, Latin for rest, is usually a mass for the those who have died. “May they rest for eternity” it states in the requiem. However, this requiem by Dan Forrest was written as a prayer for rest “Requiem” for the living, as much as for the deceased. It’s a “grant US rest;” even more than a “grant THEM rest.”

Director Moring describes the Requiem for the Living as a “powerful expression of praise and prayer to the Almighty.” The mass follows the traditional movements Kyrie, Agnus Dei, Sanctus, and Lux Aeterna with a nontraditional Vanitas Vanitatum. It is mostly sung in Latin.

“This is a very difficult piece for any choir, and the Sine Nomine singers are doing a wonderful

Photo submitted

job of learning it,” Moring continues.

There are several ways you can help send these singers to Carnegie Hall. You can mail your tax-deductible donation to Sine Nomine, Po Box 3951, Shawnee OK 74802. Or you can donate online at www.GoFundMe.com and search Sine Nomine. You will also be able to donate at either concert. The choir members depart for New York on May 26th. The Carnegie Hall concert in New York city is on May 29th at 8 pm.

For more information about how you can become involved with Sine Nomine, contact Herb Moring at 273-1445 or email hmoring65@ gmail.com.

Save A Life CPR bringing CP R tra i ni ng to yo u (Shawnee and surrounding areas)

BLS, Pediatric and Adult First Aid CPR AED Classes Monday-Friday Classes

701 N. Beard Street Shawnee, OK 74801

Carla Harris

“I come to you”

(405) 788-2161

Online courses: savealife-cpr.com

carla@savealife-cpr.com

AHA Certified CPR Instructor

www.shawneeoutlook.com

29

Art guide

April Arts Events The 4th Annual Bison Jazz Festival Concert will take place on April 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Yarborough Auditorium on the OBU campus. The concert will include the Bison Jazz Orchestra with guest artists Kirk Whalum and John Stoddart.

St. Gregory’s University will present True West, a dark comedy by Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Sam Shepard on April 6-9. Tickets will be available at the door. For more information: stgregorys.edu.

Enjoy art, music, food and dance at the Annual Arts Trek on Saturday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mabee Gerrer Museum of Art. For information: artstrek. org.

The “Empress of Soul” Gladys Knight will be at the Grand Casino on Saturday, April 8 at 7p.m. You will not want to miss the opportunity to see the seven-time Grammy Award winner. Tickets: grandresortok.com/entertainment.

Commemorate National Jazz Month by attending Shawnee High School’s 3rd Annual Jazz Festival on Thursday, April 13 at 6 p.m. Enjoy hearing high school jazz bands and the the OU Jazz Ensemble featuring Jay Wilkinson. The performances will take place at the PAAC at the high school. The festival is free and open to the public.

Be part of the community celebration Redbud City Night on the Bricks on April 21 from 6-10 p.m.

Stop in at downtown art galleries to enjoy student art and student performances. It will be a fun community evening!

Don’t miss the Shawnee High School production of the Tony Award winning musical, Bye Bye Birdie. The show will take place at the High School PAC April 21-April 23. Tickets will be available at the door.

Graduating dance majors at St. Gregory’s University will present their capstone work in an evening showcase on April 21-23 at Sarkey’s Theater. Tickets will be available at the door. More information: stgregorys.edu.

Shawnee Little Theater will present the Irving Berlin musical, Annie Get Your Gun, April 21-29. Tickets: shawneelittletheatre.com.

Oklahoma Baptist University Theater department will present Eleemosynary. The shows will run from April 27-30. Tickets: okbu.edu/finearts/theatre/index.html.

True Voice and the University Ringers will present a concert on April 25 at 7:30 p.m. in Potter Auditorium at Oklahoma Baptist University. The concert is free and open to the public.

Bid on local art at Mabee Gerrer Museum’s Off the Wall on April 28 at 6:30 p.m. The event is a fundraiser for the museum’s special exhibits.

Purchase tickets: mgmoa.wufoo. com/forms/off-the-wall.

St. Gregory’s University’s Schola Cantorum presents a program of sacred musical selections in the Abbey Church on April 30 at 7 p.m. The program will consist of polyphonic sacred music and Gregorian chant.

The program is free and open to the public.

Thresa Swadley is a freelance cellist/teacher who has been active in the Shawnee Arts Community for almost 20 years. She is a member of the OBU/Shawnee Community Orchestra and plays in Trio Antiqua, a baroque music trio. Please contact her if you know of an upcoming arts event. Visit http://www.celloladyok.com.

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www.shawneeoutlook.com

Enriching the lives of our patients and their families every day.

Heartland Home Health Care • Best of Shawnee Award for 2016, 2017 • Home Care Elite since 2004 • All RN on call staff

Phone 405-214-6441

Heartland Hospice Services • Original Hospice in Shawnee (Hospice of Shawnee) • Volunteer Program Supports Families and Veterans • Bereavement Programs open to the public year round • All RN on call staff

Phone 405-214-6442

heartlandhomehealth.com/Shawnee heartlandhospice.com/Shawnee www.shawneeoutlook.com

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SaturdayS in April the first 100 customers that earn 40 points from 2pm-6pm win a tool box set and a $15 free play Tool sets will be available while supplies last

Patrons are eligible for only ONE gift and or free play per week. Patrons must report to players club for verification. Once it

has been established that the points were earned properly, the $15 free play will be put on their account, and they will be given

their gift. If a parton earns the correct number of points, but all gifts have been dispersed, the patron is still eligible for the $15 free

play. Must be a hot rewards club member. Must be present and wagered on the day of the drawing to qualify. 18 to enter. Valid ID required. Firelake Casino reserves the right to cancel or change any promotion without further notice.