December 2022

T H E TRANS F O R M A T I O N I S S U E

On behalf of all of the Optimal Health Associates family I would like to extend everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This last year has been amazing at OHA for the further development of novel treatment modalities including Ozone Therapy, Procaine Infusions, Human Cellular Tissue Products (derivatives of mesenchymal stem cells), NAD+ administration plus so much more. The continued focus on hormone therapy applications combined with a focus on cellular and mitochondrial medicine are bringing many previously difficult to improve conditions under control. Using the body’s own healing systems to restore and reconstruct functionality is the future of medicine. The OHA Team will continue to bring the latest innovations in care to our patients with compassion. Love life again; that is the goal of all of us for our patients.

As science continues to advance, Optimal Health will continue to be early adopters of new medical technology in the Women’s Health, Sexual Health, and Hormone Replacement Therapy realms. I would personally like to thank all of my patients for entrusting me with their continued care. With 2023 right around the corner, Optimal Health will also continue our mission of training future practitioners through my work with the St. Anthony’s OBGYN residency program and work with my foreign medical student exchange GYN program. From everyone on our team, we wish you a happy holiday and a happy new year! We look forward to seeing you in 2023!

OKC’s Ongoing Transformation

In the past four decades, Oklahoma City has radically reshaped and extraordinarily exploded in growth. We explore the city’s humble past, astonishing present and optimistic future.

The Path to Walkability in OKC

More residents are ditching driving for walking, biking and public transit. How does the city plan to keep making itself more walkable?

OWNER | PUBLISHER

Jordan Regas jordan.regas@405magazine.com

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

Julie Partin julie.partin@405magazine.com

INTERIM ART DIRECTOR

Katie Pollock Estes

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Katie Henrichs

MANAGING EDITOR Evan Musil evan.musil@405magazine.com

SENIOR WRITER

Greg Horton greg.horton@405magazine.com

SENIOR WRITER

Evie Klopp Holzer evie.holzer@405magazine.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lavinia Creswa, Jake Durham, Kristen Grace, Bennett Hill, Matt Kirouac, Lisa Lloyd, Linda Miller, Annabella Potts

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Dale Carty II, Jake Durham, Lexi Hoebing, Jerry Hymer, Steve Johnson, Kimberly Martin, Charlie Neuenschwander, Shevaun Williams

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Meagan Matthews meagan@hilltopmediagroup.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lillian Meador ads@405magazine.com

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Shop this Holiday Season

OKC’s Great Unfinished Symphony

“LEGACY. WHAT IS A LEGACY? IT’S PLANTING SEEDS IN A GARDEN YOU NEVER GET TO SEE.”

These lyrics are of course from the smash hit musical Hamilton . One of my personal favorites that is about to have its second run (no doubt sold out) at OKC Broadway next spring — which is the kind of feat the bold people behind Oklahoma City‘s renais sance dreamed of making a reality. The best shows, concerts and a professional team all reside and thrive here simultaneously.

In this issue’s cover feature, we highlight the past, present and future of our city. On a very high level, the inspiration came from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Each December is a time in which we evaluate the previous year and have an opportunity to reinvent the upcoming one. Dr. Jake Durham, Evan Musil and I were thrilled to dive deep into Oklahoma’s City’s legacy and look toward all that is to come (pg. 28).

In the second feature, Evan Musil gives us an update on OKC’s walkability. How did we get here and how can we make this aspect of our town better? It was one of his first thoughts upon moving here this year, and he has been crafting this story for months (pg. 38).

Also in this issue you will find local exercise ideas for the new year (pg. 22), meet the woman who has brought and will bring your favorite retail brands to town (pg. 24), celebrate the Capi tol’s art curation (pg. 68), hear about exciting seasonal activities (pg. 78), and indulge in a wine lover’s paradise (pg. 62) and bubble bath bombs (pg. 74).

I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season!

Julie Partin EDITOR IN CHIEF

WE ARE THE FUTURE

Birthed from within the transformation of Oklahoma City is a generation of young residents who will never know any different. We caught up with Mrs. Suzette Mangrum’s local 3rd grade class and asked them to write a paragraph together about OKC. Here is their work:

“These are the things we love about Oklahoma City: Parks and outdoor spaces and activities, restaurants, street art, animals, the schools and places to learn. But most of all we love the people and our community. We help each other, especially when there is crazy weather. We are one big family. We look forward to growing up here!”

By Baric Ballard, Torin Brundidge, Oliver Ferreira, Avery Foster, Grey Duncan, Harding Hulsey, Eleanor Holman, Erina Khandaker, Elliott Largent, Sawyer Loehrs, Eisley Marriott, Chandler Mickel, Mason Naegeli, C.C. Partin, Avinlee Prugh, Nixon Sims, Olive Smith, Livy Townley, Trace Vanaki, Ellee Wolohon, Stela Wright, Aleena Zulibukaer and additional authors.

Illustration by C.C. Partin

TRENDING

STYLE 16 SOCIAL HOUR 18 HEALTH 22 PERSON OF INTEREST 24

Exercise in the 405

Local ways to work out, from walking in metro parks to free fitness classes. p. 22

Haute for the Holidays

Let your style sparkle like the winter snow

BY BENNETT HILL

DECEMBER IS HERE, WHICH MEANS HOSTING, attending and everything in between. Whether it is a night out with the girlfriends, a family dinner or cocktails with colleagues, let your wardrobe reflect the glow you have going into this holiday season. Tweed is a chic way to elevate any dress, and investing in a subtly striking boot is a way to stay comfortable and stylish. A textured blazer or fun puffer is the perfect way to keep you cozy without sacrificing the look. Finish it off with a little sparkle, and you are ready to shine!

Collection 7 Reality Launch Party

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA HUFF

Niki McClain celebrated the opening of her new brokerage, Collection 7 Realty, in Edmond. The event highlighted real estate agents, and their families and clients all came together to celebrate. Held at Venue 102, the grand opening was sponsored by 34 vendors including Valor Bank, Ambassador Construction and Balanced Kitchen Co.

First five people from left: Vallarie Dillinger-Walburn, Karissa Bowers, Teresa Smith, Holly Jackson, Amy Manor; Back row starting behind Amy Manor: Becky Linenberger, Kelly Makahununiu, Mike Hale, Chris Gutkowski, Lindsey Edison, Shanna Hayes, Hall Smith, Sommer Hidden-Dodd, Jamie Cope; Middle Row Starting with Ashley in black and white striped shirt: Ashley Mullins, Amelia Stallings, Katie Smith, Rachel Nichols, Shannon Cotter and Jennifer Lindsey; Three sitting on couch from left: Whitney Heskett, Niki McClain, Christina Feeney; Sitting on floor from left: Allison Wanjon and Christina Huff

Niki McClain and Josh McClain

Cake made by Robin Wright

Chris Gutkowski and Mike Hale

405 Business Innovator Awards

BY JERRY HYMER

CEOs, entrepreneurs and other business leaders driving innovation in Oklahoma were honored at the first annual 405 Business Innovator Awards. The evening was hosted at Grey Sweater and the intimate occasion featured Chef Andrew Black’s signature hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.

PHOTOS

Haylee Keenum, Gary Brooks, Leslie Johnson

Masamia Palmer, Bob Palmer, Melanie Redemann, Jens Redemann

Mike Beckham, Jon Kuhlnan, Bryan Porter

Brooklyn Picard and John Habeck

Lyle Walters, Joyce Coleman, Jason Baffrey, Vanda Holland

Amy Walton and Kayte Spillman

Move Into 2023

Local exercise ideas for heading into a new year

BY LAVINIA CRESWA | PHOTO BY MATT PAYNE

THE NEW YEAR IS APPROACHING, and nearly 40% of American adults make New Year’s resolutions, according to a 2022 Statista Global Consumer Survey. Of those adults, nearly half resolved to exercise more. But for people who have never been especially enthusiastic about exercise, just getting the ball rolling and the body moving can feel overwhelming. Oklahoma City has lots of ways to incorporate exercise into your regular routine — here are some of the most creative and convenient options in the metro. Walking is one of the most effective ways to burn calories and improve your health. Whether

it’s alone listening to a podcast or conversing with a friend while carrying coffees, there are many local places and approaches to the regular relax ing walk. The Shoppes at Northpark and Quail Springs Mall have daily mall walkers and are perfect places to head to if it’s yucky outside, but strolling in the fresh air at one of the city’s many parks — weather permitting — will make you feel lost in nature. Martin Nature Park and Bluff Creek Park north of Lake Hefner or the Soldier Creek Industrial Park Trails have plenty of paths with beautiful scenes and chances to spot wild life. The OKC Hot Girl Walk Club on Instagram

(@okc_hotgirlwalk) organizes monthly group walks meant to empower women with “kind ness, exercise, mental health and friends.” The club frequently walks on Wednesdays and holds giveaways and social hours, and you might even meet a new walking buddy.

Family activities can also be an entertaining opportunity to get moving. Encouraging your kids to be active can help them lead a healthy lifestyle — plus, exercise doesn’t feel like exercise when you’re having fun. OKC has fallen under the pick leball spell, and there are courts all over the city. You can play the popular paddle game anywhere from Edmond to Norman, and the Greater Okla homa City Pickleball Club has a complete list of easy-to-access courts on its website at gopb.club. Scissortail Park recently added several sports options, including courts for pickleball, futsal and basketball, as well as a soccer pitch.

You can also take advantage of the cold with some freezing fun. Lace up for ice skating at The Devon Ice Rink at the Myriad Botanical Gardens until Jan. 29, or go snow tubing during Winter Fest at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark until Jan. 1. You’ll have a blast and break a sweat, even with the wind chill.

If you’re not sure what kinds of exercise you’re interested in, try a little bit of everything. Free or low-cost community classes are a great way to give something new a chance in a welcoming learning environment. Dragon Yoga (4516 N. Western Ave.) is a pay-what-you-can studio that offers a variety of classes from beginner yoga to tai chi; used bookstore Bookish (1 NE 14th St.) gives Sunday yoga classes for $10; and the Myriad Gardens holds free yoga sessions on Tuesdays and Saturdays outside on the lawn.

For those searching for something more intense, group exercise classes at fitness chains Orangetheory and CycleBar offer their first class free. MetroFit (metrotech.edu/metrofit) is a community outreach program run by Metro Technology Centers and provides a wide range of free in-person and virtual classes. Its lineup of nine activities includes intensive kickboxing and comparably lighter swing dancing. Keep Moving OKC (keepmovingokc.org), a wellness initiative of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, has a comprehensive list of exercise classes, events and groups throughout Oklahoma City, from stair-climbing clubs to cardio dancing lessons.

However you decide to get moving, the most important thing is taking that first step.

For 100 years, the Oklahoma Medical Board has promoted the Health, Safety and Well-being of the citizens (patients) of Oklahoma by requiring high levels of qualifications, standards and continuing education for regulated medical licenses.

We take pride in our agency’s ability to ensure that qualified healthcare professionals are available to the citizens of this state.

Learn more about our purpose and vision at www.okmedicalboard.org

Fateful Growth

Senior retail recruiter Tammy Fate has helped shape much of OKC’s development

BY KRISTEN GRACE PHOTO BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

OVER A DRINK AT THE LAVISH

First National Center, just across the street from where she works at the Greater Okla homa City Chamber as senior manager of retail development and recruitment, Tammy Fate is happy to discuss her passion for her job. “I find a lot of joy in telling the story of Oklahoma City to possible new

retailers from out of state,” she said.

Fate has lived in Oklahoma her whole life and in Oklahoma City for more than eight years. She grew up in the Tulsa area and went to school at Northeastern State University, where she received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business and marketing.

“Oklahoma City is special,” she said. “We are 620 miles of special businesses and neighborhoods. The city has done such a good job of developing these special districts and neighborhoods — the Paseo, the Plaza, the Stockyards, Midtown, Classen Curve — there are so many to highlight.”

Part of Fate’s work consists of recruiting retail businesses from across the United States to operate in the city. “Our team is constantly on the road telling the story of Oklahoma City,” she said. “Our goal is getting businesses to come to OKC as a whole, rather than to a particular site. We want to get them to fall in love with Oklahoma City and to showcase the market.”

She also introduces interested businesses to the leaders who can put together plans for them to work in OKC. “I’m a facilitator in the middle of a spiderweb,” she said. “I love helping to connect businesses to the developers, brokers and partners.”

Fate has consistently found that people from out of state have a certain perception of Oklahoma, but when she gets them here for a visit and shows them all that OKC has to offer, they are often blown away. “My job is to bring new business people in and host them at Thunder games, take them on bike rides, take them whitewater rafting, on brewery tours, to Chicken N Pickle,” she said. “I’m never going to keep them in a conference room all day.”

When asked about Oklahoma City’s greatest strength, Fate cited its local businesses. She recently had lunch at Ma Der Lao Kitchen, which was recently listed by both Bon Appetit and the New York Times as a top 50 restaurant in the country. “Local retail is what makes up the fabric of our community,” she said. “It’s unique and cultivates the community. If you want something special, give our local retailers a chance to woo you with the flavor of the city.”

Her greatest focus is enticing what she describes as “destination, new-to-market businesses,” such as the theater and brewery Flix Brewhouse, pickleball venue-slash-restaurant Chicken N Pickle and the forthcoming bar and dog park Bar K. “Everyone wants to try new and exciting things,” Fate said. “It’s always exciting for me to hear what projects people would like to see here. That gives me an idea of what things to chase.”

Fate believes that Oklahoma City is special because it has never been the result of one person working alone. “It’s everyone moving the needle en masse. Oklahomans decide to create a quality of life and a place where people want to live. It has that small-town feel but we’re a really big city.”

As Fate continues to attract exciting new businesses, she also has a great belief that Oklahoma City’s story will continue grow ing into something beautiful: a city with a great sense of pride, lovely curated spaces, places of walkability and venues that bring people together time and again.

“If you want something special, give our local retailers a chance to woo you with the flavor of the city.”

Installation view of La casa que nos inventamos Photo: Alex Marks.

The Face of ORTHOPEDIC UPPER EXTRE MI TIES SURGERY

Dr. Robert Unsell

Dr. Robert Unsell specializes in orthopedic surgery of the hand and wrist, including the surgical repair of traumatic and degenerative injuries. A native of southern California, Dr. Unsell joined OSSO in 1997 and currently serves as the medical director for the Community Hospital Hand Therapy Center.

After graduating from Loma Linda School of Medicine, Unsell spent more than a decade serving at Loma Linda in several positions, including the Assistant Professor of Orthopedics as well as the Assistant Director of the Hand Fellowship Program. He has been involved with the training of 35 hand fellows, 15 of whom now hold academic teaching positions. Unsell was also the Director of Replant Services while at Loma Linda University and has replanted everything from the thumb of an 18-month-old to the complete arm of a 70-year-old.

Unsell said he feels blessed to be in Oklahoma and in a position to minister to the health and wellbeing of others. Loma Linda Universities’ motto is “to make man whole.” This principle has guided Unsell in his many years of practice. As a surgeon, he feels his job is not merely treating symptoms but treating the whole person. Patients’ personal goals — vocational, recreational and others — play an important role in his decision-making, helping guide what will be best for each and every patient.

THE RENAISSANCE that Oklahoma City has experienced in the past four decades is something many people alive today will never have the privilege of living through. Longtime residents will tell you — they hardly recognize our town here in 2022. What once resembled (from certain angles, at least) a large Dust Bowl-era truck stop is now a bustling metropolis gaining national attention for its innovation and growth. Join us as we journey through The Big Friendly’s remarkable transformation; the past we revere, the present we relish and the future we eagerly anticipate.

O K C ' S ON G O I N G

WORDS

Julie Partin

Jake Durham

Evan Musil

THE PAST

OKLAHOMA IS A VAST MIX of backgrounds incorporating the heritage and traditions of 39 Native American tribal Nations, as well as Western heritage and modern culture. From museums to cui sine to entertainment, cultural identity is deeply embedded in every facet of life and directly tied to population growth.

In Oklahoma County, the population has steadily increased from 600,398 in the early 1990s to just shy of 800,000 in 2021, according to the United States Census. While the U.S. population grew 19% during the same period, Oklahoma County grew 24.8% by comparison.

The area has also become more di verse, with approximately 77% of Okla homa County’s population being white in 1990, compared to 54.5% in 2021. The county’s Black population has held steady at around 15%, its Asian popula tion around 4% and its Native American population between 3% and 5%. Howev er, the Hispanic population grew signifi cantly from being almost nominal to just above 4% to 18.5%.

Oklahoma City’s labor force is be coming as diversified as its population. Employment rose from 468,856 in 1990 to 685,472 by the end of 2021, while the unemployment rate averaged 4.1%, ac cording to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Most workers were employed by the federal, state or local government. Production, trade and service indus try workers fell close behind, followed by education, transportation, mining and construction.

Architectural styles have also changed in and around the city over the decades, with many of the more notable chang es taking place from the late 1800s through 1945. Googie architecture, pop ular in the 1950s and 1960s, boasts fu turistic shapes, neon and bold colors and space-aged designs. Often Googie styles found their way into coffee shops, gas stations and other frequented spac es. Many of these designs are still visible around Oklahoma City and the metro, such as Classen Inn.

Oklahoma City neighborhoods have been known for encompassing an ar

ray of styles, including traditional de signs that exhibit steeply pitched roofs, symmetry and columns. Victorian ar chitecture, popular from the 1830s to the early 1900s, can also be found throughout many neighborhoods. In areas such as the Paseo Art District, Spanish Colonial Revival architecture is more prominent. Boasting terra cot ta roofs, arched doorways and curved staircases, these designs can be found all around the U.S. However, this stuc co-clad genera is more commonly seen along the California coast and in areas of Florida.

Sleek, streamlined Art Deco architec tural styles were popular in Oklahoma City until the early 1940s, and several notable icons remain around the city today, including the First National Cen ter and the Civic Center Music Hall. Generally, though, Oklahoma is becom ing more Contemporary, as befits the modern era.

Change comes in two forms — slow and systematic or deep and sweeping. People acclimate better when intro duced to change slowly. At the same time, there is a level of impatience at which we want the Band-Aid ripped off. Cities experience growing pains, and in the early 1990s, Oklahoma City was no different. It was struggling, and voters recognized this. Oklahoma City was on a path to revitalization and improving its national image. It was time for a change, but where to begin?

In December 1993, Oklahoma City im plemented a visionary capital improve ment program: Metropolitan Area Proj ects or MAPS. MAPS was an ingenious strategy to help restructure Oklahoma City and devise debt-free solutions to pay for upgrading infrastructure, sports venues, recreation, cultural and con vention facilities and entertainment.

It was funded with a 1-cent sales tax, which collected more than $309 mil

Ace Aerial/Oklahoma Historical Society

lion over six years. Early projects focused on construction or improvements including the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, Brick town Canal, Cox Convention Center, Pay com Center, Civic Center Music Hall, State Fairgrounds improvements, Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, Oklahoma River and the Oklahoma Spirit Trolleys.

The overwhelming success of MAPS cre ated a sense of recognition that opened the floodgates for other areas struggling around the city, one category of which was many of the city’s public schools. Oklahoma City pro posed a second MAPS initiative to the vot ers: MAPS for Kids, which focused on several public school issues. A proposed sales tax increase for an additional seven years would

BY THE NUMBERS

fund $700 million in transportation, technol ogy and construction programs to benefit OKC Public Schools. In 2001, voters approved the plan. Since then, over 400 projects across 23 districts have been completed.

In 2007, city officials began to discuss the implementation of MAPS 3. In 2009, voters agreed to an additional sales tax increase, which ended in 2017. Construction of MAPS 3 projects are expected to continue through 2022, including additions or improvements to the Oklahoma City Convention Center, Scissortail Park, Oklahoma City Streetcar, Riversport Rapids, the Bennett Event Center, senior health and wellness centers, trails, sidewalks and infrastructure, as well as contingency measures.

In the midst of Oklahoma City’s rapid growth and transformation, some places were radically rebuilt, such as the former warehouse district that became Bricktown, and other landmarks remained, such as the stately Civic Center Music Hall.

Top: Meyers Photo Shop/Oklahoma Historical Society; Middle: Paul B. Southerland/ Oklahoma Historical Society; Bottom: Jim Argo/Oklahoma Historical Society

THE PRESENT

HE CURRENT METRO AREA population of Oklahoma City in 2022 is 1,008,000, a 1% increase from 2021, according to Macro Trends. The city itself has gone from the 31st largest in population in the U.S. to the 20th largest as of 2022. For the first time in decades, recent college graduates are sticking around and bringing the median age to 34.4.

After several oil booms and busts, it was obvious industry diversification was needed. Growing industries of tech, human services and retail ac complished just that. Several large employers call OKC home to their cor porate headquarters: Paycom, Express Employment Professionals, Hobby Lobby, Simple Modern, American Fidelity Assurance and many more. Newly opened businesses employ 5% of the workforce in the Oklahoma City met ros. OKC has the fourth most jobs created by new businesses in the nation, according to HireAHelper.

Urban expansion continues to populate upscale suburbs such as Ed mond, Yukon and Norman, while districts and neighborhoods closer to downtown continue to develop distinct vibes. Oklahoma offers residents ease of living, and many see the dollar's value go further here in allowing the purchase of larger homes. And practically every place in the metro has easy access to an array of bars and restaurants from dives to fine dining, entertainment of every variety, professional sports teams and an array of other activities.

And speaking of activities, the (truly) great outdoors is the place to be for recreation in Oklahoma. OKC and its surrounding communities have made substantial additions or improvements to a plethora of public parks and recreational areas in recent years, meaning that from Lake Overholser to Scissortail Park to the Boathouse District, residents and guests have a broad selection of recreational options. Learn to kayak or hone your skills at white water rafting, go for a walk or run or cycle one of the dozens of dedicated cycling paths.

Since the late 1990s, Oklahoma City has seen the revival and creation of many neighborhoods and districts, such as the entertainment district Bricktown (left) and the artful Plaza District (above).

Bricktown Canal

When the first MAPS initiative passed in 1993, the Bricktown Canal was the centerpiece of a multimillion dollar investment to reshape OKC’s neglected warehouse district into a shining entertainment hub of civic pride. Drawing inspiration from the San An tonio River Walk, city officials hoped the waterway would breathe life and excitement into the developing area. According to the Oklaho man, even before the canal

officially opened in July 1999, curious visitors would climb over construction fences to walk along the water. With the aquatic attraction came more restaurants and en tertainment spots along the path, and the canal quickly became a symbol of Oklaho ma City’s renaissance. Today, the Bricktown Canal is one of OKC’s premier destinations and an ever-flowing source of inspiration for future city-changing projects.

Ace Aerial/Oklahoma Historical Society

THE FUTURE

THE FUTURE OF OUR TOWN

is blindingly bright.

Oklahoma City's sheer size plays a part in its ability to grow — the city encompass es 621 square miles and is spread over four counties. By 2023, the population for the OKC metropolitan area is expect ed to grow to 1.52 million people. At the current growth rate, the metro would reach 2 million people by 2040, accord ing to calculations by the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce.

Continuing the MAPS progress, in 2021, Oklahoma City proposed and passed a new 1-cent sales tax increase that would span eight years and fund 16 new debtfree projects. MAPS 4 is focused primar ily on neighborhood and human needs. Projects include animal shelters, beauti fication, the Clara Luper Civil Rights Cen ter, Diversion Hub, Fairgrounds Coliseum, Family Justice Center operated by Palo mar, homelessness initiatives, Innovation District, mental health and addiction help, a multipurpose stadium, new parks, senior wellness centers, sidewalks, bike lanes, trails and streetlights, plus transit youth centers.

“Cities across this country would con sider any one of the MAPS 4 projects to be a major achievement, and we have 16 such achievements arriving in the de cade to come,” said Mayor David Holt in his 2022 State of the City address.

Additional large-scale up-and-com ing projects outside the MAPS umbrella include the $400 million OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark near the First Amer icans Museum along the south shore of the Oklahoma River (see sidebar). The resort will feature an 11-story, 404-room hotel and proximity to downtown Okla homa City and the Boathouse District.

A recent announcement by the Okla homa City Zoo and Botanical Garden outlined plans for $71 million in new construction until 2028. A new orangutan climbing structure at the Great EscApe and a special Galapagos tortoise habi tat in the Children's Zoo, as well as an intriguing Amphibian Plaza with a walk-

through water garden with diverse amphibians and carnivorous plants, are among the projects that will be completed soon.

Economists and local experts believe west downtown development could skyrocket with the relocation of the Oklahoma County Detention Center. Work is well underway at 700 West Apartments, and another new apartment complex is being planned across the street.

The expanding Oklahoma City Innovation District plans to serve as a hub for coop eration, creativity, opportunity and economic development. East of downtown OKC, between NE 13th and 16th streets to the north, NE 4th Street to the south and Rob inson and Lottie avenues to the west and east, the district spans an area of about 1.3 square miles. Encompassing the Oklahoma Health Center, University Research Park, the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education (OAIRE) and many other organizations, the district is home to the city’s bioscience industry, where nu

merous institutions are already engaged in ground breaking research and supporting entrepreneurship and innovation.

OKC’s future can be seen in the stars — quite literal ly. Facilities like Prairie Surf Studios and the incentives of the Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021 have boosted TV and film production in the state, including Sylves ter Stallone’s “Tulsa King,” which recently premiered on Paramount+. Oklahoma City is slowly becoming a goto location for Hollywood, with exciting future projects in the works. Filming of TV and movies throughout the city is likely to become a familiar sight for residents in the future.

Some massive future developments are seeking to expand entertainment, dining and shopping options for both locals and visitors, such as Oak (top) at NW Expressway and Pennsylvania Avenue, and OKANA (bottom) near the Oklahoma River.

When Oklahoma City civil rights activist Clara Luper purchased the building that would become home to the city’s NAACP Youth Council in 1967, she envisioned an educational community space to “provide oppor tunities for deprived children to grow up properly, to learn the value of self-help and to see the adult world supported by a sense of belonging.” Now, a privately funded renovation of the original Freedom Center seeks to further this mission along with MAPS 4 plans to construct the Clara Luper Civil Rights Center, which will include physical archives of the civil rights move ment and an events space for dinners, lectures and classes. In addition to historical preservation and ed ucational programming that will “honor the past,” the complex’s planned cafe and outdoor area is hoped to foster a “community gathering place” to empower “the next generation of leadership,” according to the nonprofit Freedom Center of Oklahoma City. The $25 million public investment in the northeast side is an encouraging sign that the city views every community as a crucial part of its future.

OKANA

Close to a year after the First Americans Museum opened south of the river, the Chickasaw Nation and the City of Oklahoma City broke ground on the OKANA Resort and Indoor Wa terpark, a future $400 million entertainment complex next to the museum complete with a 404-room hotel, conference center, outdoor beach and lagoon, entertainment center, golf simulator, restaurants and Native American retail, plus the namesake two-level waterpark. Officials believe the project will open in a few years and bring in millions of dollars to the city’s economy. Not only is the massive development expected to be a “world-class” destination that will boost tourism in OKC, it will solidify the city’s status as “the nation’s capital for Native & Indigenous peo ple,” according to a tweet by Mayor David Holt.

Clara Luper Civil Rights Center

Life Cycle of a Project

WORDS

Milena Whitson

The Medallion Group

THE CHISHOLM CREEK devel opment grew out of an idea — a seedling fostered by the Ward family. That idea was to take the 190-acre overgrown Quail patch and turn it into a state-of-the-art mixeduse development. With no preexisting city roads or utilities, Chisholm Creek quite lit erally started from the ground up. Today, Chisholm Creek is gaining momentum as a contemporary entertainment district with a number of national chains such as Top Golf and Cabela’s mixed in with local restaurant groups and businesses. And while the cur rent growth has changed the landscape in North OKC by quite a bit, the development is still in its infancy stages. The future for Chisholm Creek includes additional res idential areas, a main street, a boutique hotel and upscale entertainment features. Ultimately, the goal is to create a walkable district where you can live, work and play without ever setting foot in your vehicle.

BEFORE AFTER

Civic Center Music Hall

This Art Deco treasure was the largest venue in OKC when it was completed in 1937, and while its interior has been transformed and reimagined over the years, its original lime stone facade still stands as an elegant land mark of the city’s past. Funded by the New Deal, the building initially served as OKC’s Municipal Auditorium for touring performers, sporting events and classical concerts. It was also home to the Oklahoma Art Center, the predecessor of today’s OKCMOA. A 1966 reno vation reconfigured the theater and instituted the hall’s current name. It presented shows from Elton John, Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan before the first MAPS initiative dramatically remodeled the interior to accommodate the performing arts and reopened in 2001. The Civic Center Music Hall now houses the city’s premier arts organizations, such as the OKC Philharmonic, OKC Ballet, OKC Broadway, the Lyric Theatre, Painted Sky Opera, Canterbury Voices and Oklahoma City Repertory Theater.

Scissortail Park

With the September opening of the south section of Scissortail Park, the heart of Oklahoma City has a communal hub that spans both sides of the river. What was once a semi-empty stretch of development sprouted into a 70-acre urban playground outfitted with an outdoor stage and lawn, paddleboat lake, children’s play areas with a splash pad, a location-specific restaurant in Spark and multiple sports courts, all united by the Skydance Bridge. City leaders hope that the growth and vibrancy doesn’t stop at the park; they believe Scissortail will attract more businesses to the area, and spots such as Social Capital and the Omni Hotel have already popped up alongside it. And the park itself still has exciting plans, including a pos sible renovation of the historic Union Station as an events space. From its night markets to its recreational sport leagues and seasonal celebrations to year-round activities and amenities, Scissortail Park is helping bring all of Oklahoma City together.

T H E P A T H TO WAL K A B I L ITY IN O K C I n f r a s t r u c t u re u pgrades

by Kerwin Moore

Photo

t o l i v e w i t h o u t t h e i r c a r s

moreresidents

By Evan Musil

IN JULY, CALEB AND ABBY SAVAGE sold their only car. The decision wasn’t uncalculated or uncharacteristic for the couple; Caleb had already been routinely biking and busing from their home near Capitol Hill to his job as a manager at Clarity Coffee downtown.

“I’ve never enjoyed cars,” he said. “I can’t understand them, I don’t like them and I don’t want to have one.” Still, he and Abby had purchased a used car in 2019 before having their daughter.

Abby more regularly drove the family car, to her job as a school teacher and to grocery stores in Moore. But when she saw a family using a cargo bike, which is an electric bicycle with containers that can hold a load of groceries or young passengers, it convinced her, and Caleb, to finally go car-free.

“We have some kids in our neighborhood that were like, when we sold our car, ‘Why are you doing that?’” Caleb said. “Are you kidding? We saved $300 a month.” However, their reasoning for replacing their car with a cargo bike was more than just cutting gas, insurance and maintenance costs. The switch meant they could no longer effortlessly breeze through miles of neighbor hoods across the city to try the newest restaurant, or go on impromptu runs to large retail chains like Target. Instead, they slowed down. They purposefully confined their world to their immediate neighborhood as a way to feel more grounded in their community.

“It’s the same desire of being tied to your place and (setting) healthy limits within yourself, because we’re not limitless beings — and we shouldn’t try to be,” Abby said.

Over the past few decades, the concept of “walkability” has taken hold of city governments and residents alike. Walkability is defined as the degree to which a city is safe, comfortable, convenient and enjoyable to walk in as a primary mode of transportation. Many factors contribute to creating a walkable city: reliable and accessible public transit, neighborhood density, street design that reduces driving speed, bike lanes, sidewalks, etc.

aisy Muñoz, the vice chair of the MAPS 4 Connectivity subcommittee, believes walkability can greatly shape how a community interacts. “If you’re in cars all the time, then you never really get to say hi to one another,” she said. “But if you’re able to walk down the street to your grocery store or a park, you’re able to say hi and know your neighbors, which then also creates more vibrant, safer neighborhoods.”

Carless cities might conjure images of dense coastal metropolises such as New York and San Francisco. But since the late 2000s, Oklahoma City has slowly made steps toward improving its walkability. It started with repaving downtown streets, and has expanded into upgrades to sidewalks, bus stops and bike lanes in neighborhoods across the city.

According to Walk Score, which calculates a city’s walkability by how many daily errands can be done on foot, Oklahoma City’s downtown is now “very walk able,” with a score of 72. However, downtown is only a fraction of the city’s 621 square miles. Oklahoma City as a whole still has a walk score of 34, which marks it as a firmly “car-dependent city.”

With OKC’s expansive sprawl and ambitious, decades-spanning goals, it’s a long road, but our city is becoming more walkable, step by step.

STARTING STRIDES

It’s 2008 in Oklahoma City. The Thun der starts its first season in the city. Devon Energy Corporation proposes construction of a new 50-story tower for its headquarters. And a study in Prevention magazine deems OKC America’s “worst walking city.”

“It just wasn’t a priority for the city for a long time to make even downtown feel like a place you wanted to be as a person,” said JoBeth Hamon, council member for Ward 6, which includes downtown and Capitol Hill. The original MAPS initiative spurred downtown revitalization in the 1990s but mainly focused on buildings rather than transportation, with the exception of the eventually decommissioned Oklahoma Spirit Trolleys. And outside downtown, Hamon said neighborhoods built after the car boom didn’t include sidewalks, or they constructed them haphazardly.

Jeff Speck, city planner and author of Walk able City, recalls then-Mayor Mick Cornett asking him what the city needed to do. Speck suggested that his firm, Speck & Associates,

conduct a walkability study. “The question you ask in a walkability study is, honestly, how can a city spending the least amount of money in the least amount of time witness palpably the greatest possible increase in the number of people walking and biking through the community?” he said.

The study found that OKC’s downtown streets were paved and painted to carry much more traffic than what actually went through them. Many roads were multilane one-ways with fading crosswalks and no landscaping. The lanes were wide, which research suggests encourages speeding. Little to nothing sepa rated potentially careening cars from pedes trians on narrow sidewalks.

Speck and the city identified 180 acres downtown — which grew closer to 220 acres — that would benefit most from street upgrades, and outlined one of the most ambi tious reimaginings of a major U.S. city’s core. The plan, aptly named Project 180, called for conversions from one-way streets to two-ways, as well as reductions in lane size and left-turn lane length that allowed for bike lanes, on-street parking and trees lining medians and sidewalks.

“The city’s on-call traffic engineers said, ‘It’s not going to work — you’re going to have instant gridlock,’” Speck said. However, after a professional analysis and the advocacy of civil engineer Laura Story, Oklahoma City approved the plan.

Nearly a decade of construction later, changes to the downtown streets have been a key component to the city’s ongoing renaissance. Harvey Avenue converted from a three-lane one-way street to a two-lane two-way with parallel parking and spacedout trees protecting pedestrians on a wider sidewalk. Ron Norick Boulevard had its center lane replaced with a landscaped median of trees and tall grasses.

Rows of idle cars didn’t clog the streets; instead, traffic flowed as usual. A dearth of walkers and bikers gave way to greater numbers of everyday pedestrians. New stores and restaurants opened downtown, includ ing Clarity Coffee.

PHOTO BY EVAN MUSIL

Caleb and Abby Savage chose to live walkable lives to feel more grounded within their neighborhood.

Project 180 was considered a resounding success. “It remains the most transformative downtown plan I’ve worked on,” Speck said.

MOVING FORWARD

Subsequent projects have tried to translate Project 180’s revitalizing energy across the city. MAPS 3, approved in 2009, included sidewalk construction along major streets in the north and south sides, such as May and Pennsylvania avenues.

It also included a $135 million streetcar service that loops through the core to Bricktown, Midtown and Automobile Alley. The streetcar hasn’t quite become a factor in many daily commutes — according to a 2021 EMBARK rider survey, 68% of streetcar riders were visitors to downtown, and 62% of riders rode less than once a month. However, advocates are hopeful that it becomes an effective piece of a more compre hensive public transportation system. “My best hope for the streetcar is that it’s maybe introducing some people to using transit that might not otherwise have considered it,” Hamon said.

In 2017, residents approved the Better Streets, Safer City projects, a bond program and sales tax exten sion which allocated about $800 million for street repavement and improvements as well as sidewalk construction. The projects include the current resur facing, landscape additions and ADA upgrades to NW 16th Street through the Plaza District, as well as new sidewalks being built along N. Classen Boulevard and SW 29th Street.

Oklahoma City’s plans became more ambitious when the city council approved BikewalkOKC in 2018. The master plan included a seismic expansion of the city’s bike lane network that would extend far beyond the downtown core to Lake Hefner and Will Rogers World Airport. It also identified Pedestrian Priority Areas, which are neighborhoods and districts consid

ered most in need of pedestrian upgrades and most likely to feel dramatic impact from them. The areas include the Windsor District, the Stockyards, Clara Luper Corri dor and Capitol Hill.

The current MAPS 4 initiative, approved in 2019, uses the BikewalkOKC priority areas and bike networks as a framework for designing and scheduling safer and more reliable pedestrian infrastructure over the next decade. “It’s a funding mechanism for the overall plan that they have,” Muñoz said.

The subcommittee for which she serves as vice chair oversees the overall $204 million budget for MAPS 4’s beautification, transit, sidewalk and streetlight plans, and fields feedback from residents. “As a Ward 6 (resi

dent), I make sure that my community is being represented — that these are the spots, or these are the sidewalks, or these are the trails or the pathways that people create on their own even though there’s no side walks,” Muñoz said. “There’s these patterns already. You might as well create some infra structure to support what the community is already using.”

THE ‘WHYS’ OF WALKING

Given all the recent investments in side walks and public transit, those options seem a crucial part of the city’s future. “With the population growth we have seen and antici pate, planning for alternatives is critical if we

“ If you’re in cars all the time, then you never really get to say hi to one another... But if you’re able to walk down the street to your grocery store or a park, you’re able to say hi and know your neighbors, which then also creates more vibrant, safer neighborhoods.”

Repaving of Park Avenue removed unnecessary lanes and added more on-street parking.

LEFT: PHOTO FROM JEFF SPECK, RIGHT: PHOTO BY KERWIN MOORE

Ron Norick Boulevard before Project 180 had an alternating left-turn lane instead of a median.

With the BikewalkOKC bicycle network plan funded through MAPS 4, Oklahoma City hopes to expand bike lanes beyond the downtown core.

don’t want to find ourselves with traffic that under mines our quality of life,” said Mayor David Holt in his 2022 State of the City address.

But beyond easing traffic woes, walkable infra structure makes the city transversable for those who’ve already decided to go car-free, or those who don’t have a choice. “It’s going to be younger people, and it’s probably going to be more older people (who don’t drive),” Hamon said. “It’s being able to connect those folks really safely to the things they need, whether it’s a park, a rec center or a school.”

Many people with disabilities also rely on sidewalks and public transit to get around the city, and many sidewalks and bus stops in certain areas remain inac cessible and poorly maintained. Hamon cites a partic

ular sidewalk along Gatewood Avenue that has a massive, buckling crack. “For anyone who isn’t able-bodied, who might have a walker, or pushing a stroller, or a wheelchair, that is completely unnavigable,” she said.

Muñoz said some bus stops lack covered shelters and concrete platforms that would make them ADA-compliant. But she said MAPS 4 will add these elements to inad equate stops with high ridership. The upgraded stops will also feature branding specific to the districts and communities they are in, which Muñoz hopes will make them feel more welcoming and visually pleasing.

Beautification, through the installation

of outdoor art such as the planned Ralph Ellison statue as well as the planting of trees and other greenery, is another aspect of walk ability’s appeal. “For people who live here, that brings a sense of community to the area they live in,” Muñoz said. Establishing public spaces that are both useful and enjoyable to the residents that live in a specific commu nity makes the community feel visible and unique, she said.

Visually enhancing sidewalks and calming streets can also make them perceivably safer. “It’s one thing to install a sidewalk on South Penn, but how comfortable does that walk end up being just because you put a sidewalk

PHOTO BY KERWIN MOORE

there?” Hamon said. Paths directly abutting streets with cars speeding 50 miles per hour will feel danger ous, but having trees between the two will create a buffer for pedestrians and make the driver feel there’s less “room for error,” she said.

GROWING COMMUNITY

Safety while biking and walking is an important consideration for Caleb and Abby Savage, especially with having a 3-year-old daughter. Abby found short cuts through neighborhoods that allow her to bike safely to work and avoid the bike-laneless 44th Street through the busy Western and Penn avenues.

To feel safer and be more visible to drivers, Caleb rides using the vehicular method, in which the cyclist acts like a car by taking up the same amount of space and adjusting to other vehicles. It can make for a stressful riding experience. Additional bike lanes would make the method less necessary, but drivers inexperienced in sharing the road with bikes are still a concern.

Other hiccups with OKC’s busing infrastructure bring some frustration. Trips anywhere outside down town require Abby and their daughter to take two bus routes. “That is draining if anything is running late because that’s over an hour of trying to contain her on a bus,” she said. According to a February 2022 EMBARK report, over one-fifth of trips from most bus routes arrive late. Caleb said the inaccurate online bus tracking system makes it more difficult, but Muñoz said updated tracking is a focus for MAPS 4.

Still, the Savages love the EMBARK system and are thankful for the dedication from bus drivers and administrators to serving its users and responding to feedback. Their gratitude extends to both city offi

cials and everyday residents for being open to solving problems and working with the growing car-free community.

This year, as Caleb was biking past Scis sortail Park with their daughter in the cargo bike, vendors for the park’s night market were illegally parked on the bike lane. He spotted a park employee and explained his frustration. The next weekend, new branded signs by the park instructed visitors, “Please do not block bike lanes.” Other park employees had voiced their concerns and cited Caleb’s feedback.

“Most people care,” Caleb said. “Okla homa City is a friendly place. They want to do those things.”

He occasionally reaches out to city offi cials with questions through email or quick conversations if they stop at Clarity Coffee, and he said he always gets a detailed response. He’s also seen more and more people ditch their cars. “Everyday there’s somebody on a new bike that I haven’t met before,” he said.

Not every acre of Oklahoma City can real

istically be made walkable; high population density is a deciding factor of successful walkability, and OKC’s suburban sprawl is infamous. The city ranks 20th in U.S. popu lation but is among the lowest in number of residents per square mile.

Caleb is hopeful that by creating multi ple hubs of walkability, the city can connect them all together in the future. He’s also optimistic that the ongoing and planned construction will make walking and biking safer for those already doing it. “I’m going to be really excited when they put a side walk on 29th Street so (people) don’t have to walk through the grass and mud,” he said. Regardless, Caleb and Abby said they’ll try to continue living car-free in Capitol Hill, whether the infrastructure improves or not.

“Your street, your neighborhood and the people around you are pretty cool people,” Caleb said. “It just takes you slowing down — not driving everywhere all the time — to see that, to know people.”

“ Your street, your neighborhood and the people around you are pretty cool people...It just takes you slowing down — not driving everywhere all the time — to see that, to know people.”

The center lane at Ron Norick Boulevard became a median with trees and tall grasses.

For the Distinguished Connoisseur

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Why do I need an Estate Plan?

If you want to determine who will inherit your pos sessions and valuables you need an Estate Plan. Also, Estate Planning allows parents of young children to select who will be guardian of minor children if that need arises. Reduction of taxes is another reason for an Estate Plan. And finally, Estate Planning reduces the chance of family strife and ugly legal battles.

What is the biggest risk if I don’t do Estate Planning? In my experience, the biggest risk is not to the deceased person but to their family. An estate plan provides guidance and structure. However, without an estate plan, a family will potentially be forced into the probate process. This process takes control away from the individuals and puts it in the court system. While it ultimately works to transfer a deceased person’s assets, it creates unnecessary attorney costs, delays, and potentially undesirable outcomes.

Undesirable outcomes? What do you mean by that?

Without an estate plan, property will be distributed as directed by state law. The individuals designated by law are often not who you want your assets to go to. Additionally, assets could be forced to be divided among multiple indi viduals. This creates an untenable future due to the different desires and opinions of the new owners of the property. Fi nally, assets may be distributed in such a way as to give very young adults complete control over large sums of money.

What are common mistakes you have seen in Estate Plans?

The most common mistake is not doing an estate plan at all. The second most common mistake is trying to do it on your own. If an estate plan is done without the assistance of attorney who is knowledgeable in the field, or is miss ing key elements necessary for proper execution, then this could cost your family tax dollars, flexibility, and privacy.

Why are there so many different documents? Do I really need all of those? And isn’t it just a form you fill out?

We have been doing estate planning for over 24 years. If there was a shortcut to this, we would have found it. Each of the individual documents in your estate plan is a puzzle piece and together they make a robust and flexible plan. Each client’s situation is unique and requires customization and attention to detail to achieve the best results. A well-drafted estate plan is not just a stack of forms. It is an opportunity to communicate your values and legacy to your family.

If someone has been injured in an accident, what is the most important step they should take?

Seek medical treatment. Your health and well-being are of the utmost importance. Injury symptoms may not manifest themselves until a few hours or days after the wreck. Don’t let a gap in treatment arise because you think you’ll get better. The best advice is seek medical treatment, to follow the doctor’s orders, go to all of your follow-up appointments, and identify every injury, even if it’s not bothering you as severely as your other injuries.

How long can someone wait to file a personal injury case?

The general rule is the sooner an attorney can start working for you the better. However, as long as the statute of limitations for your claim has not lapsed, you may bring a claim. In most civil cases in Oklahoma, the statute of limitations is set at two years from the date of the accident or injury giving rise to the claim. There are certain exceptions to this rule.

What types of injury compensation can be claimed?

There are multiple forms of compensation that can be claimed but nothing is guaranteed. Monetary damages, also known as economic damages, are to compensate the injured party for expenses incurred as a result of the injury. You may also be entitled to non-economic damages, such as physical or mental pain and suffering.

What is the process of working with your firm? After initial consultation, our office opens a file, gives notice to the proper parties, and gathers evidence. Your focus is getting better. If you have questions, you can call our firm at any time, or schedule an appoint ment to come see us. We will make every effort to settle your claim without litigation. We will discuss all potential outcomes of accepting settlement versus litigation. Whichever route you choose, an attorney with our firm will be with you every step of the way.

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Adventures in Wine

Cozy and welcoming wine pub The Study has a wide, generous selection curated by operating partner and sommelier Ian Bennett. p. 62

Freshly Bold

Outstanding flavor at Sedalia’s Oyster & Seafood

BY GREG HORTON PHOTOS BY LEXI HOEBING

THE STORY OF SEDALIA’S OYSTER & Seafood (2727 NW 10th St., OKC) begins in Edmond and Cochabamba, Bolivia. The Bolivian place name essentially translates to “swamp” — a fitting name given the area around Silvana Arandia Walters’ hometown. She is one half of the husbandwife team who challenged each other to do some thing bold in Oklahoma City … but that’s getting ahead of the story.

“My dad was a banker in Bolivia, and my mom worked in the open-air markets in Cochabamba,” Silvana said. “She practiced whole-animal butch ery and cooked traditional food. They strug gled financially, so my dad moved to Virginia and became a plumber.”

After Silvana graduated high school in Virginia, she had gone to New York City looking for a univer sity, but fell in love with the hospitality industry first. Seasonal depression affected her greatly, so she made plans to move to Los Angeles.

“There was a large community of Bolivian immi grants in Virginia, which is why my father chose it originally, and I loved the diversity of New York City,” she said. “I loved New York City, but after 10 years, I couldn’t take the seasonal depression.”

Meanwhile, Chef Zack Walters started his culinary career as a busser at Bellini’s and then worked in the kitchen at Gaijin Sushi in Norman before heading to San Francisco, where he attended culinary school. He spent 18 months in San Francisco before moving on

Bass conserva with romesco on freshly baked pumpernickel

to Los Angeles, where he’d spend 15 years cooking, including a few at his own place called Salt’s Cure.

“Silvana and I met in Los Angeles,” Walters said. “I was near the end of my L.A. thing — traffic, pace, all of it. I wanted to go someplace smaller and get creative again. So we talked about where to go. She’s the one who mentioned Oklahoma City.”

There was no real Bolivian presence where they lived in L.A., so Arandia Walters made friends among the first-generation immigrants from Oaxaca and other regions of Mexico. “I fell in love with Chicano culture,” she said. “Zack was doing this modern American restaurant with whole-animal butchery like my mother did, but we didn’t necessarily know what was next for us. We just knew we were headed someplace smaller with a growing scene.”

The couple spent weeks researching markets and looking for an up-and-coming food scene. Zack was peripherally aware that breweries in Oklahoma City were winning awards, and he’d seen some press, but after 18 years away, he wasn’t necessarily thinking about a return.

“I’d always come home about once a year to see family, but I never took seriously the idea of a return to Oklahoma City,” he said. “Silvana finally asked why after she’d done a bunch of research on what was happening here. My family wasn’t involved in the food scene, so they didn’t have much to offer. On our last trip back, we made a run to Hochatown, looked around the food scene in Oklahoma City, and realized we could use my family’s spot on NW 10th near May.”

The building — a playground equipment company office — wasn’t ideal for a restaurant, but it could be modified. They worked through several ideas, includ ing a pollo al carbon drive-up spot, before having a serious conversation about making bolder choices. Ultimately, and fortunately for OKC diners, they opted for a combination of Zack’s California-fresh approach combined with Silvana’s Bolivian back ground, including anticuchos (skewers, usually of beef heart or other red meats) and other tradi tional dishes. After a few pop-ups around OKC, Sedalia’s opened.

The name comes from Walters’ paternal greatgreat-grandmother, not the city in Arizona, and it’s pronounced differently too: suh-DAHL-yuhs. The menu is hand-written every week based on what’s available fresh, but it’s always a mixture of fresh seafood, including raw and smoked oysters, fish — fried, smoked, roasted, crudo, etc. — and anticuchos. Speaking of which, the octopus anticuchos feature the best octopus preparation you’ll find in the 405. Zack makes a house hot sauce that you’ll want to keep for every course, and the sauces are a combination of classical seafood sauces and Bolivian specialties, like the peanut sauce on the beef heart anticucho.

“We weren’t nailing that sauce at first, and then (sous chef) Amaru — he’s Bolivian also — and Silvana told me how their families made it,” Walters said. “It’s closer to a paste than a sauce, so we reworked it, and now they both love it.”

The sauce/paste is made with aji amarillo, so there’s a slight kick to it. Spiciness isn’t the goal at Sedalia’s, fresh is, but there are pops of heat hiding here and there, and it always hits as a pleasant surprise. So does the bar program, with its stellar gin and tonic and quirky wine list. It’s simple, flavorful and playful, just like the food menu.

The seating is mostly patio, which is being wrapped for winter as of this writ ing, so they’ll still be able to accommodate “outside” dining. Don’t leave without trying the olive oil cake, and absolutely don’t leave without getting a slice of the best pumper nickel bread you’ll find anywhere outside of a Jewish deli in the northeastern United States. Flavor favors the bold.

Crudo with sweet potatoes with leche de tigre

Octopus anticuchos with XO sauce

A Champion of Chicken

Jones Assembly

is the casa for pollo a la brasa

BY GREG HORTON PHOTO BY LEXI HOEBING

THE ASSOCIATION OF POLLO a la brasa with Peru is so strong that people often believe the roasted chicken dish has roots deep in the country’s culture and history. In fact, it was intro duced in Lima, Peru, in the 1950s by Swiss immigrants — but that didn’t stop the locals from fully embracing this richly satisfying comfort food, includ ing designating a day in its honor.

The dish was originally just a roasted chicken with a rub of local spices, but co-creator Franz Ulrich, who had a knack for mechanical equipment, constructed a version of what we now know as a rotis serie to roast the birds. In very short order, competitors started developing their own versions, so there is no longer a single version of pollo a la brasa; it varies from region to region and restaurant to restaurant.

Chef David Gilbert of The Social Order Dining Collective has added his own version of Peruvian chicken to the menu at The Jones Assembly at 901 W. Sheridan Ave., serving what may well be an improvement of an already stel lar, traditional dish. After spending a couple weeks in Peru earlier in 2022, he got inspired to apply his skills and back ground — which includes a James Beard nomination — to a dish he already loved.

“We brine the chicken for 24 hours, and then marinate it another 24,” Gilbert

said. “It’s then rubbed with an herb paste and roasted over pecan and oak wood.”

The pecan and oak are a departure from the use of charcoal in Peru, but help to localize the dish. If it were only the half chicken on the plate, it would still be worth a trip to The Jones, but Gilbert again departs from tradi tion by adding not French fries but yuca cakes. Think of them as the world’s greatest tater tots combined with the world’s greatest potato cakes.

“We grate two parts yuca to two parts potatoes — it’s a Peruvian dish, after all — and add a mixture of

herbs and red chilis and pan-fry the cakes,” Gilbert said.

To finish it off, he also adds a house-made aji verde as the base. The chimichurri-like sauce is a mixture of aji amarillo chilis, herbs and garlic. There is enough on the plate to use it for a sauce for anything else on the table, and that’s a very unsubtle pro tip. (It was delicious on the halibut, too.)

The dish is only on the dinner menu for now, as Gilbert and his team are still working on the brunch menu. It’s plenty of food for two people, and frankly, it’s one of the best dinner options in the 405.

Peruvian chicken at The Jones Assembly

Radiofrequency Ablation

This procedure is a quick outpatient procedure done in the office without any incisions. Using an x-ray for precise guidance, the painful locations of the spine are first identified with lidocaine test blocks. When the most painful joints are identified, those joints can undergo ablation to improve their spine pain with little to no recovery time. It is done to address arthritis of the back, neck, knees or shoulders.

Spinal Cord Stimulation and

Peripheral Nerve

Stimulation

Pain can be due to nerves that are constantly sending painful signals. Many patients with neuropathy such as diabetic neuropathy respond very well to stimulation. Other conditions commonly treated include back and leg pain after prior back surgery and complex regional pain syndrome.

Vertebral Augmentation

If a patient has osteoporosis, painful compression fractures may occur in the spine. Fortunately these can be repaired with a minimally invasive procedure which dramatically improves pain and function. Studies show patients with severe pain due to a vertebral body fracture do better and live longer when they are treated with vertebral augmentation or kyphoplasty.

Study

Raise a Glass to The Study

A wine-lover’s paradise on Film Row

BY GREG HORTON | PHOTO BY LEXI HOEBING

THE STUDY WAS ALMOST called The Nook, but a phone call with a trusted mentor convinced operating partner Ian Bennett that he needed to go a different route, even as he realized the interior of the Film Row “wine pub” at 701 W. Sheridan Ave. would be — as he put it — nook-y. While The Study’s opening was immediately followed by the onset of the pandemic, the ownership team — which includes Bennett’s scientist wife, who cured a form of hearing loss this year, and their

friends John and Megan Allen — managed to endure the financial hardships wrought by COVID’s march.

As 2022 comes to a close, the wine bar is what Bennett hoped it would be when they started the adventure: a place where he can meet people wherever they are on their wine journey.

“I never want to yuck someone else’s yum,” Bennett said. He’s an affable and gregarious man in the bar — even a bit frenetic — but it’s a practiced extroversion;

he and Elaine are both introverts by temperament and prefer ence. “Wherever you are, I’ll meet you there, even if you tell me our Moscato d’Asti isn’t sweet enough for your taste.”

For Bennett, wine should be accessible. He’s a certified somme lier with the professional experience and palate to accompany the professional credentials. He was the opening sommelier at Ludivine, where his first list described the Rosé section thus: “These are Pink and not Sweet.” The irreverence or at least iconoclasm is refreshing in a world that often has stodgy gate keepers, of the variety he was too familiar with in Los Angeles .

“I had a good friend in L.A. who had done very well, and he took a ton of his profits and converted them into wine,” Bennett said. “He’d say, ‘Ian, have you ever had an ’89 Haut-Brion?’ and I was like, ‘Of course I haven’t!’ So he’d invite me over and open a bottle. I learned generosity from my friend, so how can I do otherwise at my own bar?”

That generosity and openness are made possible in busi ness terms by the purchase of the Cruvinet system, a beautiful 64-bottle system that prevents waste, meaning that Bennett can offer wines by the glass at any price point. Any price point, as in $150 a glass to $8. Or he can pour super high end wine by the ounce and not lose money. That alone makes The Study one of the best choices in the 405.

“I lost $300 a week in wine at previous restaurants,” he said. “With the Cruvinet, I might lose the inch and a half of wine that’s in the tube if it sits for three days. Otherwise, there is no waste, and the system pays for itself at some point.”

Just as with the wine, The Study’s interior is accessible. Nerdy — Bennett won’t be offended — easter eggs are plentiful among the roughly 5,000 books and 8,000 tchotchkes, gewgaws, objets d’art, prints and toys scattered throughout the bar. Nooks and rooms provide semi-privacy, and the area around the bar is louder and more open by design. You can have a date night in the nook, or an argument about Napa vs. Sonoma at the high top. Bennett just wants you to have the experience you want, and to enjoy some wines.

Bennett designed The Study with himself in mind — which is to say, he assumed the target demographic was a 45-year-old Gen Xer, but he’s now carded more people than he ever expected, and he loves (LOVES) the Gen Zers.

“They’re adventurous and daring,” he said. “They’ll try things just because they’ve never tried them before. A quarter of our clientele is Millennials. We never expected that.”

The generosity manifests itself in two more important ways, as well, regarding nearby businesses: “We don’t do cocktails, and when people look at me side-eyed, I just point them to [Bar] Arbolada, because they make great cocktails, and if you want food, I tell them to go to Joey’s Pizzeria and bring the food back here so I can pair it with something delicious.”

Ian Bennett, certified sommelier and operating partner of The

Delicious Growth, Old Favorites

10 Northeast OKC restaurants you need to try now

BY GREG HORTON

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS — INCLUDING A JAMES Beard Award — have brought Oklahoma City’s northeast side into larger conversations about food, culture, access and justice. The truth is, NEOKC has been churning out great food for decades, but most people who didn’t live there didn’t take the time to pop over for Southern cooking, soul food, barbecue, Bobo’s or any of the other diverse options available for those who knew what to look for. The area is developing rapidly though, and there are plenty of new things to try and old favorites to cherish. Here are

10 NEOKC Restaurants to Try Now.

Bob’s Fish & Seafood , 3340 N Kelley Ave. It’s in one of the city’s most nondescript buildings, but locals have been going here for many years to get catfish, frog legs, shrimp and even pork chops. Bob’s sells fresh fish, too — Monday through Wednesday, you can pick a fresh fish from the case and they’ll fry it for you.

Burritos el Tin-Tan, 3838 N. Lincoln Blvd. The company purchased Taco Rico late last year and converted this site into its third location. The food hasn’t changed much, which is great news for longtime diners. The menu is built around Tex-Mex dishes, but there are more traditional options, too, like tamales and street tacos.

Carican Flavors, 2701 N. MLK Ave.

This rare Caribbean restaurant in OKC serves excellent food hot-line style. It’s also the rare place in OKC to carry curried goat, which is a

must-try. Also sample the jerk chicken, including wings, smoked turkey legs, snapper, lamb stew and Jamaican beef patties. The latter are largely unfamiliar to most diners, but they are among the best things on the northeast side.

Eastside Eatery, 1708 NE 23rd St.

Located inside the Market at EastPoint, it’s set up lunch-counter style, with tables for seating inside the store. The draw is the burger and the fish dog — a fish sandwich on a hot dog bun that’s an absolute treat — but it does a solid job across the board, even carrying some vegetarian and vegan items as healthier options alongside fried chicken, catfish and wings.

Eastside Pizza House, 1724 NE 23rd St.

This welcome addition to the pizza scene is located in the EastPoint development along NE 23rd Street.

Eastside Pizza

Owner-rapper Jabee opted for a black crust as the restaurant’s telltale signature, but it’s not a gimmick; the pizza is excellent. The Deep Deuce pizza has shoulder bacon and sausage, and Jabee’s eponymous pizza is made with roasted corn and jalapeños. Eastside has build-your-own and solo-sized options as well.

Ice Event Center & Grill , 1148 NE 36th St.

While the focus is often on live entertainment at this venue and restaurant, the food is justifiably famous in NEOKC, too, including the weekend brunch options where you’ll find chicken and waffles, pancakes, build-your-own omelets and burgers. If you throw an egg on the burger, it’s a brunch burger. The catfish basket is a best-seller for good reason.

Florence’s Restaurant , 1437 NE 23rd St.

Officially a household name in the metro thanks to its James Beard Award this year, its accolades are long overdue. Diners who are just now discovering the NEOKC icon have a lot of menu to work through, from the daily specials to the fried chicken, neck bones and pear pie.

Geronimo’s , 1817 N. MLK Ave.

Not just a donut shop, it’s an institution that’s been making donuts and burgers in NEOKC for more than 50 years — and can always be counted on to help support youth athletic teams, too. Ask for your burger “Geronimo style,” and get country ham added to what is already a delicious burger.

Leo’s BBQ , 625 NE 36th St. The legend is not gone; the original building on Kelley is no longer occupied because it made the move to the beautiful new Homeland on NE 36th and Lincoln. Owners have been making barbecue since 1974, so the food is excellent across the board, including the staples, sides and the famous strawberrybanana cake.

Polk’s House, 2319 N. Lottie Ave. It’s essentially two different experiences: Sunday and then the rest of the week. The tiny spot is a takeout joint, where you definitely want to grab soul food for Sunday supper. The pork neck bones are the best in OKC, and you can also order mac ’n cheese, fried pork chops, tangy greens and scratch desserts.

Leo’s Barbecue

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Craft of the Bath

The handmade soaps, body creams and bath bombs of Edmond’s Bath Sorbet. p. 74

CULTURE

The People’s Art

The Oklahoma Capitol renovation yields a new curated collection of public art

BY LAVINIA CRESWA

THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The … Oklahoma State Capitol? Our Capitol building may not spring to mind as a premier museum, but it actually houses one of the largest collections of public art in the state.

In 2016, during the facility’s renovation, the Okla homa Arts Council undertook removal of the majority of the hundreds of art pieces in the Capitol collections from the building and restored pieces as needed. Arts Council executive director Amber Sharples said, “We did a complete data dive: What events, people, resources and ecosystems were represented in the collection and what was missing. We were able to fill in gaps to make sure that people from all over the state felt represented.”

The reinstallation of art throughout the public spaces in the Capitol has been a thoughtful process.

Works in the collection, which focus on the events, landscapes and people of Oklahoma, were installed in both chronological and thematic groupings, with the goal of building an educational curriculum for all to enjoy. The Oklahoma Arts Council commissioned 21 new pieces by artists tied to Oklahoma to enhance the collection, most of which are already on display. “We’ve thought about our visitors and created a plan so they’re moving through the building and experi encing curated spaces,” said Jarica Walsh, the council’s director of visual and public art. “It’s a very intentional museum experience.”

The collection begins at the visitor’s entrance on the lower level, where the theme is pre-statehood and where several of these new commissions are located. “People of

the Great Sky, Constellations of the Land” by Dr. Jessica Moore Harjo (Otie-Missouria/Osage Nation/Pawnee/Sac & Fox) is a breathtaking brass ceiling installation that incorporates Indigenous designs. “The Resonating Memory of Red Earth” by Anita Fields (Osage Nation) is a mixed-media piece that includes clay found from around the state to bring pieces of the earth into the artwork.

Inside the rotunda, a new four-panel mural suite by Lucas Simmons entitled with our state motto, “Labor Omnia Vincit (Labor Conquers All),” surrounds the new 14-foot bronze state seal embedded in the floor. Each mural panel features 20 figures from over 200 years and represents a different area of the state. The attention to detail is astounding — the panel representing forestry and mining from southeast Oklahoma is placed at the southeast corner of the rotunda. The lower level also features art representing early statehood and our Western heritage.

Moving up through the remaining four public floors of the Capitol building, visitors can learn about all aspects of Oklahoma through the art. In exploring Oklahoma’s African American history on the first floor, Cultural Treasures and the Hall of Heroes on the second floor, Celebrating Okla homa’s Legacy on the fourth floor and Roots of Oklahoma, Commerce and Economic Develop ment on the fifth floor, viewers will find illumi nating and engaging pieces.

There are also three rotating galleries display ing 18 exhibitions a year. These include the North Gallery and East Gallery on the first floor and the Governor’s Gallery on the second floor, each displaying new art every 60 days.

Docent-led and self-guided tours are avail able, and the Capitol is open year-round for visi tors to enjoy the art. “This is the people’s art in the people’s house, and we want every Oklaho man to feel welcome,” Sharples said. “This is the collection we all own and we want every one who visits to have pride in celebrating our Oklahoman artists.”

For more information on the arts collection at the Oklahoma State Capitol, visit arts.ok.gov or facebook. com/OklahomaArtsCouncil.

Sequoyah by artist Charles Banks Wilson is installed in the fourth-floor rotunda.

Oklahoma Warriors, in orange and black jerseys, support its young players on and off the ice.

Ice-Cold Steel

OKC’s latest sports organization, junior hockey team Oklahoma Warriors

BY JAKE DURHAM | PHOTO BY JEFF LAWLER

IN 2022, THE WICHITA

FALLS WARRIORS

hockey team moved to Oklahoma and rebranded as the Okla homa Warriors. It’s part of the North American Hockey League, a Tier II junior league meant to develop both hockey skills and academic success in young athletes. In addition to athletic competition, teams participate in community-based initia tives and other outreach programs. “As an organization, we are heavily involved in community work and promoting the sport through school visits and volunteer opportunities,” said general manager and head coach Garrett Roth.

The NAHL provides players the opportunity to train, learn, develop and grow — but they are not paid to play. “Players do not receive any compensation, as they are competing to earn a (NCAA) Division I commitment,” Roth said. “Players also have

to keep their amateur status to be eligible. Our coaching and scouting staff works 365 days out of the year traveling all over the country to identify talented players to invite to our camps. Players range from ages 17 to 21, and our players are here to further their development. Our off-ice and on-ice schedules are fairly strict.”

Owner Mary Anne Choi’s decision to move the team to Oklahoma lets metro residents watch up-and-coming hockey talent at its finest. “OKC is a much bigger city than Wichita Falls,” Choi said. “Hockey used to be huge eight to 10 years ago, and I want to bring that back to OKC. Commu nity service opportunities are also more abundant here, and it is important to me to have our players give back to the commu nity. Being in a city as large as OKC gives them way more opportunity to fulfill my expectations for them.”

Many players have sacrificed signifi cantly for the chance to play, and Choi believes that in providing for her players,

they will be the best they can be. Players receive academic support and resources such as ACT or SAT prep courses, helping them work toward achieving their dreams of being admitted to a good school and one day being drafted into the NHL.

The Warriors’ move to OKC also brings new life to the Blazers Ice Centre. “I’ve personally invested in quite a few changes to Blazers Ice Centre,” Choi said. “I have increased seating capacity along the entire south end, I added a standing platform along the east side which can hold an addi tional 250 fans, we added VIP seating along the northwest corner and I made upgrades to the suite. I also added a 9-by-16-foot LED video board and LED-colored lights around the rink. I believe we created an unbeliev able atmosphere that can serve as a venue and not just a rink.”

Choi is in a unique position as the only owner who’s a woman of color out of the league’s 29 teams. “Hockey is a predom inantly male-dominated sport, and like other male-dominated industries, being female and a minority has its challenges,” she said. “Some people dismiss me as just another ‘hockey mom’ — my calls do not get returned, or I don’t get taken seriously. But those are the attitudes and behaviors that drive me. I am more determined than ever to make this organization the best in the country.”

Coinciding with the Oklahoma City Youth Hockey Association’s Hockey Day in Oklahoma, the Warriors held their first home opener at the newly renovated Blaz ers Ice Centre on Oct. 28 and 29.

To learn more about the Oklahoma Warriors, view upcoming games and purchase tickets, visit oklahomawarriors.com.

The

Spirit of Snowmass

This Colorado ski town is where white Christmas wishes come true

BY MATT KIROUAC

WITH ITS SNOWCAPPED PEAKS, QUINTESSENTIAL après-ski ambience and comforting mountain fare, Colorado gives the North Pole a run for its money in the winter wonderland department. There’s no shortage of charming mountain towns to visit across the state, from the Bavarian beauty of Vail and the world-famous luxury of Aspen to homey hot spots such as Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs — but one bucolic charmer that might fly a little more under the radar is Snowmass, an Alpine-style hamlet a snowball’s throw from Aspen.

About three hours west of Denver in central Colorado (or a quick flight to the Aspen airport), Snowmass is a year-round mecca for recreation and adventure, with endless hiking and mountain biking trails, plus wine festi vals and hot air balloons — but the village feels particularly cozy come winter. That’s largely thanks to Olympic skier Bill Janss, who helped conceptual ize and design the town in the 1960s, modeling it after mountainside ski

BY JEREMY SWANSON AND SAM FERGUSON

The picturesque Snowmass Base Village places you close to winter fun with skiing and ice skating.

The Snowmass Bass Village holds a December curling series on its ice rink.

BY JEREMY SWANSON

room for storing winter requisites. Hot tip: Guests can order drinks in to-go cups from the lobby bar to take to the hot tub, and the espresso martinis pair particularly well with a steamy soak.

Where to Play

Staying in Snowmass Base Village puts visitors in the midst of the town’s wintry offerings, with ski lifts running annually from late November through late April. In addition to the new ice rink right outside the Limelight Hotel’s front door, snowy splendors include more than 3,300 acres of mountain terrain, with 20 chairlifts and 98 trails that total 150 miles’ worth of ski and snowboard routes — running the gamut from beginner slopes to an extreme adrenaline rush. Unlike more crowded ski areas in Colorado, Snowmass has more than enough room on the slopes, with an average of two people per acre and trails as long as 5.3 miles. Elk Camp Meadows, located halfway up the mountain, is the go-to place for beginners, while Sheer Bliss is a run that provides more of a challenge. Hanging Valley, marked by steep terrain and thick forests, is the mountaintop section reserved for experts.

turns Elk Camp into a veritable North Pole, complete with sledding, guided snowshoe treks, tubing, live music and hot cocoa by the campfire. The ticketed event occurs on select dates December through March.

No matter your outdoor activity of choice, the ideal way to wind down is with some s’mores by the fire. For the duration of ski season, Snowmass offers free s’mores kits from branded carts in both Snowmass Base Village and on the Snowmass Mall.

Where to Eat and Drink

S’mores and hot chocolate are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cozy Colorado cuisine this time of year — and no place does mountainous comfort food like Snowmass. Open since 1972 on the quaint Snowmass Mall, The Stew Pot is the oldest restaurant in town, and its endurance is a testament to its warm hospitality and even warmer stews. Families flock here for the perfect postmountain meal: bubbling crocks of beef stew, chili and habanero pork stew, along with beer, wine and cocktails.

Right around the corner is Il Poggio Ristorante, another long-standing staple that commands quite the crowd for hearty Italian cuisine. With the intimate, rustic feel of a wine cellar, the restaurant serves winter warmers including steamed mussels, rosemary-flecked pizzas and decadent pastas like sweet potato-filled goat cheese with sage brown butter and plump gnocchi tossed with succulent veal tenderloin and truffle butter.

The views of Lake Michigan and environs from Indiana Dunes National Park are stunning.

villages in the Alps while emphasizing the abundant nature around the town center. What started with five chairlifts on the 14,000-foot Snowmass Mountain has evolved into a mecca of high-alpine adrenaline and winter wonders, both inside and out, from historic restaurants serving up soulful stews to majestic slopes just waiting to be traipsed.

Where to Stay

At once sleek, chic and warmly welcoming for any type of traveler — dogs included — the Limelight Hotel Snowmass is a great place to hole up for a snug winter escape. The 99-room hotel is an anchor in the recently completed Snowmass Base Village, a massive $600 million development. Along with the addition of a public events plaza, residences, an ice skating rink and a gondola located mere steps from the hotel, the contemporary community allowed Snowmass to expand its accommodations significantly. Adorned with fireplaces and outdoor fire pits, and a front lawn that morphs into an ice rink in the winter, the haven also boasts a huge outdoor hot tub, a kids room stocked with toys and books, a lounge with live music and après-ski-worthy cocktails and an on-site ski

For something a bit slower, Snowmass Village has snowshoe and cross-country ski trails on the Snowmass Golf Course. Snowmass is also one of the few mountains to offer 24-hour access for uphill skiers looking for a more strenuous workout. Thanks to the mountain’s expansive glades, three terrain parks and two halfpipes, Snowmass is equally beloved by snowboarders. You don’t need to strap onto skis or snowboards to feel the rush, though — the Alpine Coaster is a mile-long track that lets riders control their own speed in individual cars through the Lost Forest (located in the Elk Camp area accessed via chairlift) midway up the mountain.

Back in the Base Village, the ice rink hosts a curling series beginning Dec. 22, wherein teams of two can vie for points on select dates through winter. At night, Snowmass Luminescence is a spectacular light show running Dec. 18 through Feb. 26, which includes an interactive LED experience called The Tunnel, complete with vibrant arches and pathways. One particularly magical winter activity is Ullr Nights, a recurring event series that

Inspired by Snowmass’ Alpine origins, The Edge is a hidden gem of a restaurant — on the second floor of the Timberline Condominiums — that offers Bavarianstyle bites like cabbage rolls in red pepper sauce, creamy potato pancakes heaped with lingonberries and sour cream and Wiener schnitzel available with veal, pork or chicken. For more of that European vibe, start your morning at The Crepe Shack, a cute cafe slinging sweet and savory crêpes with fillings like smoked salmon, rotisserie chicken and banana cream pie.

For a classic après-ski vibe, stop off for a pint or two at the New Belgium Ranger Station, a comfy taproom on the ski hill at the edge of the Snowmass Mall. Here, guests will find a curated draft list from one of Colorado’s preeminent breweries, including some seasonal brews available nowhere else.

You can end your Snowmass nights with free s’mores kits, perfect for the fire pit and New Year’s fireworks.

Sledding abounds in Snowmass, including Ullr Nights at Elk Camp.

Bubbly Personalities

Lacey and Ryan Ogden discuss the making of Bath Sorbet

BY EVIE KLOPP HOLZER | PHOTOS BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

BATH SORBET CAN TRACE ITS origins to YouTube. After 3-year-old Paisley Ogden saw a bath bomb video with little toys popping up in the tub, she had to have them at her fourth birthday party. Her parents, Ryan and Lacey Ogden, couldn’t find any locally, so Lacey used an online recipe to make them herself. The toy-laden favors were such a hit that partygoers came back to Lacey — could she make more? Fast forward several fulfilled orders, and in 2016, Bath Sorbet was born.

Today, the cheerful bath goods company has established shops in Yukon and Edmond and satisfies online customers worldwide. We recently met up with founders Lacey and Ryan Ogden to discuss what makes Bath Sorbet bubble over with success.

Tell me about the earliest days of Bath Sorbet, six years ago, when you were operating out of your home.

Lacey: I just put it out on social media: “If anybody would like bath bombs, we’re going to be making some,” and we sold over 200 before we even got our ingredients in. That’s kind of how it started for us.

Ryan: She came to me like, “I think we may have a little side business here or something,” and I was like, “Nah, there’s no way — selling bath bombs?”

What has kept you and this business going?

Lacey: Really early on, we had a large following, a niche, nationally. We’ve had customers in Canada, Australia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia; we’ve shipped all over. It’s just been really, really amazing that social media has allowed us that platform to be able to really grow from little Oklahoma.

Ryan: Our mission statement, if you will, is we want our company to be like a blessing to people. It’s a premium product, and we want to be able to offer it at a good price that people can enjoy.

If online sales were booming, why did you open a retail shop?

Lacey: We needed our house to be our home again. Very quickly people started hearing about us locally, and they wanted to come by and smell things and see things for

themselves. We didn’t really know that we wanted it to be a storefront. You know, that wasn’t really ever part of our plan. We were just going with it.

We had somebody stop at our new Yukon location who said she’s been a customer in Wisconsin. She was coming back home from Texas, and she had to stop at our store.

Ryan: It means a lot when somebody’s driving out of their way, like an hour, to come to your store on their way home. You know, that’s pretty cool.

What are your bestsellers?

Lacey: The bath bombs, kid bombs — and then we have something called truffles, which are very similar to a bomb, but they have a lot of butters, so they are really moisturizing … Those are our three breadand-butter products.

What accounts for Bath Sorbet’s ongoing success?

Lacey: Being able to adapt to trends and social media has been really important for us. And we’ve had really great staff members to help get us to where we are. Most of the people who are with us have been with us for years and years. They share our vision. They share our excitement about new products and ideas, so it’s a collaborative effort.

Ryan: For us, being a small business — starting out with $200 — in a retail industry and still being in business six years down the road, that’s because we have great people.

Deck the Downtown

How OKC’s once-fading holiday lights were reignited

BY LINDA MILLER

DURING DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA City’s heyday in the 1950s and ’60s, streets, trees, lampposts, storefronts and practically anything that didn’t move — and many things that did — were decorated with lights, wreaths, stars, garland, tinsel and silver bells in December.

It was a yearly sight that thousands looked forward to and enjoyed. Downtown Oklahoma City was the heart and soul of the city, and at no time was that more prominently on display than during the holiday season. People young and old crowded the streets to watch the annual parade. Shopping at downtown stores such as John A. Brown’s was an event any time of the year, but even more so during the holidays, as changing window scenes caused passersby to stop and smile.

Lee Allan Smith, a longtime Oklahoma City civic leader, shared his downtown holiday memories with 405 Magazine in 2018. “When

I was a little boy at Christmas, my mother would take me downtown to John A. Brown’s,” Smith said. “That was the only place you could see Santa Claus — and Brown’s was great. Their toy section was on the same floor as Santa. My favorite gift he ever gave me was a toy train; I kept that in my mind forever.”

He also remembered the Oklahoma City Police Department patrolling on horses for easier movement through traffic. At Christ mas, the department’s barbershop quartet often entertained, Smith said. “They would perform Christmas carols, and downtown shop pers always enjoyed that. It was bustling down there all the time.”

Enthusiasm for downtown’s holiday expe rience started to wane as urban renewal changed the look and feel of the landscape in the 1970s. Buildings were demolished. Lights dimmed. Many businesses and retailers closed

operations for good or bolted for malls or shopping centers in more well-traveled areas of the city. But downtown was missing more. It had lost its vibrancy and heartbeat. Even the Christmas parade had off years, though today it has a new home as a boat parade on the Oklahoma River.

As downtown literally tumbled, several suburban and nearby neighborhoods stepped up to become favorite holiday must-sees with lights and displays that stretched from lawns to rooftops block after block. Then in the 1990s, nearby cities and towns enticed visitors from across the state with massive and elaborate drive-thru light displays.

But downtown Oklahoma City was just moments away from revitalization, which brought new skyscrapers, restaurants, apart ments, condos and both big and small busi nesses. It also renewed interest in celebrating the holiday season where so many had decades earlier. Anticipating what could be, Down town in December kicked off in 2002 with a few events and attractions. That number has grown to more than 30, with some starting as early as mid-November.

Downtown Oklahoma City is once again a destination during the December holiday season, though now celebrations stretch for weeks instead of just one day for one parade. People from near and far head there to ice skate, admire lights along the Bricktown Canal and Automobile Alley, shop pop-ups, enjoy seasonal music, ballet and theater performances, bundle up for river and canal cruises, join the Santa Run, try their luck at curling or ice climbing and get in the holiday mood at the Oklahoma City Tree Lighting Festival with family-friendly activities and photos with Santa.

One of the most popular events happens on the banks of the Oklahoma River: The Okla homa City Holiday River Parade successfully launched in 2004 and some years draws up to 30,000 people to see the decorated boats, skiing elves and a fireworks and laser light show.

At this most wonderful time of year, downtown’s spirit and lights are shining bright again.

A large crowd gathered for the annual downtown Oklahoma City Christmas parade in 1965.

Lights and Lions

The OKC Zoo presents two stunning sights this winter season

BY JAKE DURHAM

HOLIDAY LIGHTING IS A CHERISHED tradition for many that signifies the beginning of winter festivities, rounds out the end of the year and welcomes us into the next. Even for those who prefer the simplicity of a Charlie Brown Christmas to a Griswold-esque display extravaganza, there is no denying that we are drawn to the twinkling of lighted displays during the holidays.

According to the Library of Congress, modern light displays can be traced back to 1882, when Thomas Edison’s partner Edward Johnson draped a tree with 80 colored electric lights and displayed it in his front parlor to mark the beginning of winter festivities. Passersby were dazzled and enthralled, but the concept wasn’t widely accepted. Holiday decorations were traditionally lit with candles, and electric lights were much more expensive: a small strand of 16 flame-shaped lights cost about $12 — equivalent to $350 today.

However, in 1894, President Grover Cleve land decorated the first White House tree with electric lights. By 1914, the cost of a 16-foot strand of lights was $1.75, and by 1930, multi colored lights were found everywhere.

Oklahoma continues the tradition with a selection of stunning holiday displays in every corner of the state — and one in particular makes a return to OKC this year. The Okla homa City Zoo and Botanical Gardens is cele brating the season by hosting its Safari Lights spectacular for the second time in the past 30 years. This is one event unlike any other: Each display is a uniquely larger-than-life illuminated sculpture highlighting wildlife from around the world, prehistoric animals and seasonal favorites. Guests will experi ence a decked-out, glowing showcase, with an opportunity to view the zoo lights by drive-thru or walk-through.

Several new and returning activities will also take place at the zoo this season. On Saturdays and Sundays Dec. 2 to 17, guests can purchase the option to dine with Santa. Private spaces are also available for families or group get-togethers. On Nov. 28, the zoo hosted a sensory-friendly night featuring smaller groups, limited flashing lights and quieter music for guests with sensory sensitivities.

The lights are not the only exciting thing happening this season at the OKC Zoo. On Sept. 26, the facility welcomed the birth of four African lion cubs. These births are the first in over 15 years at the zoo, and they are crucial to the survival of the African lion population. Illegal hunting, loss of habi tat, dwindling food sources and conflict with humans are the main contributing factors that put these animals at risk. An estimated 40,000 African lions remain in the wild, and while that number may seem significant, it’s small enough to classify these majestic cats as vulnerable.

This holiday season, guests can view the lion cubs with the purchase of general admission, which starts at $9, while chil dren under 2 are free. Discounted rates and special packages are also available. Safari Lights runs from 5:30 to 11 p.m. each day through Jan. 1. General walk-through admission is $15, or guests can purchase drive-thru admission for $65, which includes four walk-through passes.

For more information on dates, pricing and package options, visit the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens website at okczoo.org.

BEST SHOT

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OVERHEARD

First Americans Museum might be my favorite building in Oklahoma City. Incredible venue.”

@JOEBUETTNER

@ScissortailPark great investment for the community!”

@JORDAN_RUCKER13 on the park’s new southside basketball courts

...And @usrowing and @usacanoekayak what a facility you have in OKC! Absolutely beautiful and cool to see the work that you and @cityofokc have done to bring a world class facility to this gem of the Midwest.”

@CHRISPLYS on the USRowing National High Performance Center

JOSE MARTINEZ, @DYNAMICIMAGESOKC