March 2021

A TRIBUTE TO

ADVOCATING

JIM BL ANCHARD

FOR MISSING

AT THE NEW

NATIVE PEOPLE

JIMMY B’S

Find Your Dream Home 5 A RC H I T ECT U R A L ST Y L E S T H AT D E F I N E T H E S E M E T RO N E I G H B O R H O O D S

YOUR TEAM OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS Optimal Health Partner, Cassie Smith, M.D. Endocrinologist I chose endocrinology due to its complexity and my interest in human physiology. I am excited to provide patients with emerging treatments for diabetes, thyroid disease, hormone replacement therapy, and weight loss options. I strive to stay up to date with all medical knowledge and have a desire to help my patients live their best lives!

I look forward to continuing to grow my practice in 2021 with the help of my PA, Phong Dang. He has been a wonderful addition to my team and is fluent in Vietnamese.

- Cassie

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Noel R. Williams, MD

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Gynecologist

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F E AT U R E S

VO LU M E S E V E N I S S U E T H R E E

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Welcome Home

Heartache in Indian Country

For Sale

Architecture that defines a sense

Oklahoma’s role in the missing Indigenous

A listing of the 405’s top producing

of place in OKC.

persons movement.

real estate agencies and agents.

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D E PA R T M E N T S In the 405 14 WHAT’S ONLINE A look at social media in the 405.

VO LU M E S E V E N I S S U E T H R E E

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16 TRENDING Spring fashion blooms with flower power.

18 SOCIAL People and events happening in the 405.

20 PERSON OF INTEREST Hans and Torrey Butzer discuss their love of OKC and their landmark contributions to the landscape.

22 FASHION Inside OSU’s high-ranking Design, Housing and Merchandising Department.

Dining 60 GOOD TASTE Culinary and cocktail excellence at Palo Santo.

62 ON THE TABLE Toasting Hal Smith icon Jim Blanchard with new Jimmy B’s concept.

64 LOCAL FLAVOR A guide to the 405’s best eateries.

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Out & About 82 ARTS & CULTURE Edmond couple finds success with athleisure fashion line.

Home 70 ENTERTAINING 101 Creating closeness for spring.

84 ONE MORE THING OK Nice Cream makes medicine sweet.

86 LOOKING BACK 88 LAST LAUGH

72 IN CONVERSATION WITH Yo, Bro livens landscape with murals.

74 DESIGN Ivy and Mark Pierce’s retro millennial home.

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O N T H E C OV E R Elements of modern architecture including whitewashed stucco and expansive windows are warmed with natural wood in Shannon and Tim Young’s east Oklahoma City home. Photo by Rachel Waters

READY FOR

SPRING?

MARCH 2021

VOLUME 7 • NUMBER 3

OWNER | PUBLISHER

Jordan Regas jordan.regas@405magazine.com V I C E P R E S I D E N T

Kaley Regas kaley@hilltopmediagroup.com E D I T O R I N C H I E F

Melissa Mercer Howell melissa.mercerhowell@405magazine.com ART DIRECTOR

Christopher Lee christopher.lee@405magazine.com MANAGING EDITOR

Brandon King brandon.king@405magazine.com PRODUCTION MANAGER

Emiley Sexton emiley.sexton@405magazine.com STYLE EDITOR

Sara Gae Waters saragae.waters@405magazine.com T R AV E L E D I TO R

Matt Payne matt.payne@405magazine.com SENIOR WRITER

Greg Horton greg.horton@405magazine.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Christine Eddington, Evie Klopp Holzer, George Lang, Linda Miller, Lauren Roth CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lexi Hoebing, Rachel Maucieri, Charlie Neuenschwander, Rachel Waters, Shevaun Williams

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MARCH 2021

“The greatest beauty lies in the greatest clarity.” Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

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IF YOU LOVE SHOPPING LOCAL, YOU WILL LOVE THE NEW 405 SHOP

V I S I T S H O P. 4 0 5 M A G A Z I N E . C O M T O D AY 8

MARCH 2021

Doctor Profiles

PROMOTION

Dr. Jacob Haynes, MD HIP AND KNEE REPLACEMENT SPECIALIST

D

r. Jacob Haynes is a fellowship-trained adult hip and knee reconstruction surgeon with the Oklahoma Sports & Orthopedics Institute. The Iowa native came to Oklahoma as a national merit scholar, and completed his medical training at the Oklahoma College of Medicine, where he graduated at the top of his class. That was followed by a residency in orthopedic surgery at Washington University in St. Louis and an adult hip and knee reconstruction fellowship in Virginia at the Anderson Orthopaedic Clinic.

Haynes is one of the few surgeons in Oklahoma performing the direct anterior approach to hip replacement.

“The incision is on the front of the leg, using the natural plane between muscles, rather than cutting through muscle tissue,” Haynes explained. “It’s a slightly more complex procedure.

Recovery requires less pain medications and fewer restrictions on motion.”

Haynes also specializes in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery, robotic and computer-assisted joint replacement and is one of the first surgeons to bring same day discharge joint replacement to Oklahoma City. This is an excellent option for healthy, more active patients who do not want to spend a night in the hospital.

Upwards of 90 percent of Haynes’s patients come to him for pain and mechanical issues – swelling, catching, etc. – related to arthritis, especially degenerative arthritis, and “wear and tear” due to age. Many have already tried the non-surgical approaches like injectables and physical therapy, but have not achieved the relief they desire.

“When the non-surgical options have failed, a patient becomes a candidate for knee or hip replacement,” he said. “Usually it’s a case of advanced arthritis, and they’ve been experiencing pain for quite some time.”

drjacobhaynes.com Oklahoma City

Edmond

1110 N. Lee Ave. Suite 200 Oklahoma City, OK 73103

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(405) 218-2530

Midwest City 3400 S Douglas Blvd Suite 302 Oklahoma City, OK 73150 (405) 218-2530

Shawnee SSM Shawnee Clinic 3214 J D Kethley Rd Shawnee, OK 74804 (405) 218-2530

FROM THE EDITOR

Time to Clean Out the Closet t’s March and all of us in the 405 are thinking about green beer, basketball and, yes, spring cleaning.

OK, spring cleaning may be a stretch. But this year in particular, I’ve noticed many of us are giving old attachments the “heave-ho,” and finding ways to create a new context for our lives.

My partner, Davis, has attempted to cajole me into this process over the last several months. He has been quietly, surreptitiously, disposing of many of my little treasures. One day I’ll notice a ratty, old scarf by the garage door. A week later, it’s in the garage among storage boxes and garden tools. A few days after that, I notice it’s moved closer to the trash bins. If I don’t throw myself over it, wailing and gnashing my teeth in protest, it will disappear, never to be seen again.

And you know what? It’s beginning to feel pretty good. In fact, it feels so good that I’ve taken on his mantle. I’ve been going through old boxes of souvenirs and photo albums, tossing little mementos like the cloud pictures I took on my first airplane ride, ticket stubs from Graceland or a box of matches from a favorite jazz club that has been gone for decades.

But these exercises have been mere training for the coup de grace – my closet. It will be painful, even excruciating, but the time has come to face the proverbial monster. My daughter’s baptismal gown – in the “donate” pile; the scratchy, wool blanket I brought back from Scotland – in the “sell” pile; and the broken costume jewelry and old socks – you guessed it.

The “trash” pile.

It’s gotten me to thinking about closets. They are unconscious metaphors for the tenderest parts of ourselves – the deep, even hidden things we carry with us. But what does cleaning them out actually do for us, psychologically that is? Why are so many people doing it now, given the cultural climate we’re in?

These are questions only one person could answer – Charlotte Lankard, a dear friend and extraordinary therapist.

We pondered the questions.

“Do you think there’s a correlation between the times we are in and why people are feeling compelled to clean their closets?” I asked.

I

CORRECTIONS

“Maybe it’s simpler than that,” she answered. “Maybe it’s that people are working from home and they have time without being interrupted because there’s nowhere to go.”

I thought about that a minute.

“Or, it may be a stretch, but maybe it’s a time of re-prioritizing what is really important and what is not,” she continued.

I had to agree. To me, it seems like a time when all of us are longing to shed old attachments and create a clean slate for moving forward into a better future. And that’s something we all can hope for in these times.

Melissa Mercer Howell EDITOR IN CHIEF

February 2020 “Oklahoma Christian School (African Methodist Episcopal), grades PK-5, 568 students,” page 37: The denomination, age groups and number of students were incorrect. The Oklahoma Christian School is a non-denominational school with grades PK-12 and over 1,000 students.

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A N E V E N I N G W I T H C H E F A N D R E W B L A C K M

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Grey Sweater is built on a one-of-a-kind experience: a culinary adventure centered on beautiful, delicious food, complex, unique cocktails, and wines from all over the world, all in a stunning setting. For one night, though, Chef Black is going to allow a few people to “go behind the curtain” to see what part of Grey Sweater’s process of building beautiful dishes looks like. You’ll be treated to unique dishes – not on any of Chef Black’s menus – wine pairings, a cooking and plating demonstration, stories, tips, techniques, and pro tips from Chef Black himself, in a very up-close and COVID-safe environment at Grey Sweater’s bar.

V I S I T O U R 4 0 5 S H O P AT S H O P. 4 0 5 M A G A Z I N E . C O M T O P U R C H A S E T I C K E T S

Physicians Optical

In the 405 Sewing Success

PHOTO COURTESY OF OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

Oklahoma State University’s Design, Housing and Merchandising department ranks in the Top 20 nationally. Meet four of its rising stars. Page 22

A workroom in Oklahoma State University’s Design, Housing and Merchandising department.

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IN THE 405

W H AT ’ S

BEST SHOT

@ S AU R AV S H R E S T H A _ P H OTO S

A R E YO U F O L L OW I N G us on Instagram? We post daily content from the magazine, as well as news and events happening in the 405. You can also tag us in your Best Shots of the 405 by using hashtag #your405

405 Magazine has an e-newsletter, the 405 Now, designed to keep you in the loop and give you a weekly rundown of our best stories from the week.

Subscribe at 405magazine.com/newsletters

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O N L I N E

Ed Ruscha, Mocha Standard, 1969. Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer © Ed Ruscha.

Photo courtesy Ed Ruscha Studio.

ED RUSCHA: OKLA ON VIEW THROUGH JULY 5 FREE TICKETS: OKCONTEMP.ORG

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IN THE 405

T R E N D I N G

1

4 3 2

Bloom, Baby, Bloom!

BY EMILE Y SE X TON

5

“ F L O R A L S ? F O R S P R I N G ? G R O U N D B R E A K I N G .” With all due respect to Meryl Streep and her line from the movie The Devil Wears Prada, florals are timeless and when used well, can breathe new life into your world. For those who choose to embrace flower power, here are our picks from around the 405.

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1. Bella Notte “Fleur” pillows, Wood Garden 2. Assouline Flowers book, Cayman’s Clothiers 3. Farm Rio multi garden blouse, Balliets 4. Veronica Beard floral skirt, Gretta Sloane 5. Porcelain hydrangea on acrylic base, Wood Garden 6. Zimmerman Botanica short, Balliets 7. Ulla Johnson Annisa dress, Balliets 8. Scotch & Soda floral blouse, Cayman’s Clothiers 9. Spongelle cleansing sponges, Cayman’s Clothiers 16

MARCH 2021

SAME WEEK APPOINTMENTS ARE AVAILABLE NOW ALL DERMATOLOGIC CONDITIONS

any skin spot, rash, eczema and/or acne!

WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS!

Dr. Tracy Kuykendall

405.920.1788 | spmcmed.com 9 N. Bryant Avenue, Edmond, OK.

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OUT & ABOUT

S O C I A L

H O U R

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Registry Dance Club The Registry Dance Club celebrated the holiday season with a Christmas Ballroom Dance Dec. 20 at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. Cocktails and dinner were followed by an evening of dancing.

1. Angie Harrison, Robert Corley 2. Bobby Dorscher, George Miller 3. Denise Castelli, Linda Haneborg 4. Roylin Cole, Gordon Richards 5. Trish Liscom, Bing Wines

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Oklahoma Art League The Oklahoma Art League met for its Christmas meeting Dec. 3 at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. Guest speaker was Oklahoma City artist Beth Hammack.

1. Speaker Beth Hammack with Catherine Armitage 2. Catherine Armitage, Courtney Melton, Kathleen Stevenson, Alice Pippin 3. Cherry Kay Clifford, Sheila Porter 4. Connie Weber, Anita Ashley 18

MARCH 2021

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IN THE 405

Better Together Butzer Architects and Urbanism’s husbandand-wife team builds up Oklahoma City

BY E VIE KLOPP HOLZER P H O T O B Y C H A R L I E N E U E N S C H WA N D E R

Torrey and Hans Butzer have contributed their architectural know-how to numerous projects including Scissortail Park, the Oklahoma City National Memorial and the Skydance Bridge.

ans and Torrey Butzer, directors of Oklahoma City-based Butzer Architects and Urbanism, tackle everything together. From marriage to raising children to designing some of Oklahoma City’s most recognizable public spaces, this husband-and-wife team is a true partnership.

“We live in a culture where we want to credit one individual for something and try to invent a narrative of greatness, especially as it relates

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to men,” says architect Hans Butzer. He recalls an awards ceremony at which someone asked his equally talented wife, Torrey, “What’s it like to be married to him?” However, the Butzers have always worked side by side, believing two minds are greater than one.

“We’re each other’s best discussion partners, and we toggle ideas between each other,” Torrey Butzer says. “We feel that we produce things that are better together than if we had done them alone.”

The Butzers are often called to work with other gifted individuals, as well. Notable collaborations include Scissortail Park, Skydance Bridge and the Oklahoma City National Memorial. These iconic sites invite people of all ages and backgrounds to gather, explore, play and dream – just as designers intended.

“Torrey and I think of it as our job to create places of equity, where everyone has a chance to have some measure of belonging,” Hans Butzer says.

P E R S O N

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Architecture should be very placerelated – very site-specific – and be a response to where you are culturally and geographically.

Also, it should tell a story.”

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The couple arrived in Oklahoma City by way of a competition, after they were selected to design the Memorial in 1997.

“We felt such a huge sense of responsibility to see that project through, in-person and onsite on a daily basis,” Torrey Butzer says.

They planned to live here temporarily until the next project pulled them elsewhere. “Through the process of working on the Memorial and getting to know the community, we realized it was a really nice place to be with a lot of nice people. We ended up staying,” she says.

When the Oklahoma City National Memorial opened and their first daughter was born in 2000, Oklahoma became home.

“Part of our decision to stay here was also recognizing there was a deep appetite for wanting to do things better,” Hans Butzer explains, “that the urbanity of Oklahoma City wasn’t what it needed to be to keep the city vibrant. In retrospect, we really see the privilege of, first of all, having been selected to help design the Memorial, but then also having been welcomed by the community to continue to make our contribution in so many other ways.”

The couple teach courses together at the University of Oklahoma, where Hans Butzer serves as the dean of the College of Architecture. Most recently, they completed the National Native American Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., solidifying the artistic vision of Native American veteran Harvey Pratt and his wife, Gina.

“Architecture should be very place-related – very site-specific – and be a response to where you are culturally and geographically,” Torrey Butzer says. “Also, it should tell a story.”

Butzer Architects and Urbanism partnered with Hargreaves Associates on Scissortail Park’s design, drawing details from Oklahoma history. The hill in the middle of the park is shaped to reflect Precambrian rock formations. The park pavilions were inspired by dwellings of the Plains tribes and early Western settlers. The glowing red tower at Scissortail Park Café resembles a campfire on a flat landscape, recalling the 1889 Land Run. The tall tower provides a gateway to the park, drawing people in, connecting past to present. Phase two construction begins this spring, so more buildings will rise in Scissortail Park soon.

When brilliant minds unite, Oklahoma’s story continues.

My kids really enjoy coming to Dr. Garzon. The atmosphere is really conducive to children!

- Pete Ross, father of two patients

Call us at 405-348-5757 to schedule an appointment marthagarzondmd.com

870 South Kelly Avenue | Edmond, OK 73003

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IN THE 405

Fashion Forward OSU students explore the future of couture

BY LINDA MILLER

bout 60 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, OSU students aspire to become the next Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren or Tom Ford. They envision themselves one day as the merchandise buyer for an upscale boutique or department store, or maybe opening their own shop. They study, learn and polish their skills, not only in class but by landing desirable internships across the country.

Oklahoma State University’s Department of Design, Housing and Merchandising is the only fouryear fashion program in the state.

Nationally, the department ranks No. 14 in fashion design and No. 18 in fashion merchandising, with those numbers seventh and fifth in the Southwest region, according to Fashion-Schools-org. It is also one of only 13 schools to hold affiliation with the American Apparel and Footwear Association.

Dr. Lynn Boorady, head of the department, says fashion is one of the top five businesses worldwide, and OSU has positioned itself to help graduates secure those jobs.

She says fashion merchandising students go to work in logistics and sourcing, buying and management. In the design arena, careers range from production to technical design, pattern making and 3D

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Kristina Nhi Le, 27, senior from Oklahoma City Fashion has been Le’s dream since she was young. “My family used to own a tailor shop in Vietnam.

I found myself in love with design when I saw my uncle’s fashion sketchbook and the garments my mom made for me,” she says. “From there, I started to design and make clothes for my dolls.”

She describes herself as a detail-oriented person and a perfectionist. She said she pays close attention to small details and works hard to minimize the flaws.

Le says she finds inspiration and motivation all around her. “As a designer, I never know when inspiration will strike. It can happen when I’m walking down the street, while concentrating on something or maybe before I fall asleep. It can be a person, natural or social events.”

Her personal style is romantic and feminine. “I am sensitive, gentle and I love feminine details such as lace, gathers and frills. Sometimes I change my style to suit a specific situation, but there are still decorative details or accessories that show femininity.”

FA S H I O N

LEFT: Kristina Le shows her creative range with metallic brocade and soft prints.

RIGHT: Lauren Huntley mixes black and white for an interesting take.

Lauren Huntley, 24, junior from Ada Huntley’s goal is simple: She wants to be a fashion designer. “Ideally, I would love to work up to being the creative director of a womenswear brand. I love the idea of leading a design team.”

She’s already getting national attention. Twice she has won the prestigious Fashion Scholarship Fund Case Study Scholarship, a program that supports promising fashion students. For the most recent study, applicants were challenged to design a line dedicated to satisfying Generation Z’s unique buying habits. “My line revolved around a recyclable textile I designed,” she says. “The textile is made from leftover fabric waste that is created when factories cut out patterns for clothing production.”

Huntley describes herself as “very detail-oriented. I like analyzing situations from as many angles as possible.”

Her personal style is a hodgepodge of different fashion genres. “One day you’ll find me in a soft floral sundress, the next day I’m in a leather jacket and combat boots.”

405MAGAZINE.COM

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IN THE 405

LEFT: Adam Judkiewicz says guys need more interesting and functional backpacks.

RIGHT: Crystal Emerson’s focus on detail is apparent on this elaborately detailed suit.

Adam Judkiewicz, 23, senior from Edmond Judkiewicz’s interest in fashion was later in coming. “I would say I spent most of my life oblivious to fashion beyond what was maybe cool or uncool. I had always been interested in design, though, as well as music and art in general – and sometime in high school, my obsession with art and music evolved into clothing as well.”

He likes to create backpacks because guys don’t have as many acceptable on-person storage options. “I always feel comfortable with a backpack on.”

Describing his personal style as erratic, he finds inspiration in good music. “Right now, it’s the Rolling Stones, but it can all change at a whim.”

Looking ahead, he sees himself in fashion, but the exact arena isn’t clear yet. “Definitely owning my own company of some sort. Whether it’s my own brand or a factory or some sort of auxiliary business, or all the above, even.”

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FA S H I O N

Crystal Emerson, 47, graduate student from Oklahoma City Emerson never expected a search for classes to improve her novice sewing skills and to learn the art of draping would lead her so close to home.

“I immediately enrolled and have been living my dream ever since,” she says.

While speed can be important, Emerson says construction technique is her primary focus when designing and creating a garment. “I am not happy until all seams match, the zipper is inserted correctly, the hem is done by hand and the pressing is perfect. I highly value execution of designs. What good is a great idea if it cannot be carried through to completion? I will rip out a seam and resew as many times as necessary to have a final garment I’m proud to put my name on. I am not afraid of failure. In fact, I experience it so much it’s just a part of who I am. I cherish the growth that occurs in me because of it.”

Emerson is inspired by anything and everything. Nature may seem a cliché answer, but the shape of a twig on the ground can bring inspiration for a dress silhouette, she says.

and functional designs, which also includes protective gear for police and firefighters.

Going forward, 3D designs and virtually created patterns that come to life on the computer are becoming even more important. Instructor Diane Limbaugh said fabric isn’t going into landfills anymore; the university also offers a minor degree in sustainable design. Conversations and learning focus on eliminating waste and how to create garments that don’t hurt the environment, Limbaugh says.

“When a student comes to us, we don’t want to train them for the jobs in the industry that moment, we want to train them for the jobs that will be there in four years when they graduate,” Boorady says.

Not only is OSU’s state-of-the-art equipment and technology a draw for students, the relationship with faculty and a strong advisory board add to the appeal.

“We don’t just teach the pretty side of it. There’s consumer protection behind it. How to fit a garment. It’s all very math- and science-oriented; I think that surprises a lot of people.

Technology is catching up to the creativity,” Boorady says.

One of its yearly highlights is the annual fashion show that showcases the students’ creations. Here’s a look at what a few OSU students are creating.

For information, visit the Oklahoma State University website and click on the Design, Housing and Merchandising program.

Photography: Shevaun Williams Hair and makeup: Ashley Tabb 405MAGAZINE.COM

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PROMOTION

Building Better Lives for Everyone: More than a Mantra

by the Chickasaw Nation. Starting out, I thought to myself, ‘Why wouldn’t we avail ourselves of the name when it has done so much for our community?’” he says. “As an enrolled tribal member myself, I thought it was important to align ourselves with something of such goodwill. Frankly, I can’t think of a better neighbor than The Chickasaw Nation is to the Oklahoma City community.”

Shannon has a favorite saying: “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be broken.” This flexible ingenuity, paired with Anoatubby’s dream, is one of the many things that separates CCB from others in the banking industry. “We have a clean portfolio and still consider ourselves a conservative bank, but we use our advantage as a community bank to help those around us, especially after last year,” Shannon says.

“

“Not only were we able to quickly offer our customers the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program)– a lifeline for small businesses around the country– but we were one of the first banks to offer it for non-existing customers, as well, as part of our community commitment.”

“

On Jan. 1, 2020, the metro-area Bank2– owned by the Chickasaw Nation– rebranded with a name inspired by the tribe’s community-building tradition: Chickasaw Community Bank (CCB).

One year later, CCB continues its dedication to building better lives for everyone within the community: A mission made a reality through the actions of Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby.

In 2002, Anoatubby founded the bank in Oklahoma City with the vision of meeting the needs of Indian Country and the greater community alike through commercial banking, mortgage services, and traditional retail banking. The statechartered bank started with $7.5 million in assets; nearly two decades later, CCB’s assets grew by 227 percent, increasing to over $200 million.

“Governor Anoatubby, who is probably the greatest visionary leader in modern Oklahoma history, really saw the need for a community bank that focused on Native Americans, especially in housing,” says T.W. Shannon, CEO of CCB and former Oklahoma Speaker of the House.

Shannon joined CCB as CEO in 2017 after speaking with Anoatubby. “When Governor Anoatubby called to talk to me about being part of the bank, he said, ‘We need someone who understands relationships and leadership.’ It was his vision that started it all.” Before becoming the first Black Speaker of the House in 2013, Shannon worked as the chief administrative officer for the Chickasaw Nation immediately after law school. It was an opportunity to understand the growth and community emphasis of the tribe. When Shannon assumed the helm as CEO in 2017, one of his first goals was to rebrand, thereby recentering the core of CCB. “It became evident to me that our greatest strength and competitive advantage was the fact that we are owned

Their slogan – Building Better Lives for Everyone– is more than a mantra. It is a mission and destination from the top to the dedicated employees. Philanthropy is one example of how CCB promotes community growth, like donating time and effort to Habitat for Humanity. “Our philosophy is that, if we’re hiring the right people, they’re probably already engaged and passionate about something in their world. For this, our goal is to find ways to help support

their passion, thereby supporting the betterment of their lives,” Shannon says.

“People are motivated by things that are lasting and meaningful, including things like building water wells in Africa or supporting children of incarcerated parents, like what we’ve done with the Oklahoma Messages group. Our employees really are a bunch of do-gooders.”

CCB was named one of the Top Places to Work in Oklahoma by The Oklahoman for six out of the last seven years. As of January 2021, Bauer Financial rated CCB a five-star bank, consistently placing in the top 15 percent of all American banks by Seifried & Brew, LLC. “For CCB, our future is for a continued growth that is conservative, yet strong,” says Shannon. “The fact that the Chickasaw Nation is our sole shareholder means putting our community as the focal point in our decision making.

When we say we’re building better lives for everyone, it’s not just for the Chickasaw or the Native Americans—it’s for everybody.

We’ll continue to expand our services and opportunities to keep to our mission of building better lives in our community.”

PROMOTION

405.946.2265 | ccb.bank | 909 S. Meridian Ave., OKC, OK 73108

RACHEL WATERS

BE IT EVER

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SO STYLISH ...

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A N A R CH IT ECTUR A L TOUR N E I GH B O R HOODS I N T HE 405

BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON

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Few people know more about our capital city than Lisa Chronister and Katie Friddle. Both are huge fans of architecture, neighborhoods, OKC and urban planning. Both work for the City of Oklahoma City. Chronister is the assistant planning director and Friddle is principal planner and historic preservation officer.

Friddle explained that – while it may perhaps come as a surprise to modern readers – the driving force behind the sudden eruption of Oklahoma City wasn’t actually oil. “Oklahoma City’s location was decided because of its proximity to the railroad,” she says. More rail lines quickly developed and the city became a transport hub, with Model Ts and agricultural products rumbling in and out of town.

Our first neighborhoods popped up near the rail lines. “None of those are here anymore,” Friddle says.” They were in what’s now downtown. A handful of pre-statehood homes have survived.” Those can be found, if you’re feeling sleuthy, in the Cottage District (bordered by NW 13 Street, NW 6 Street, N Classen Boulevard and N Robinson Avenue) and inner-south Oklahoma City.

South and west of Scissortail Park, Chronister said, was a neighborhood filled with Czechoslovakian and other Eastern European immigrants. The Czech Hall, 515 NW 6 St., was built in 1924 and was an anchor for the surrounding residential neighborhoods.

Oklahoma City has grown in roughly concentric rings, but also in bursts as new transportation and other technologies made new neighborhoods desirable and possible. “Our first sort of wave of expansion was from about 1904 through the 1920s,” Friddle says. It was the installation of streetcar lines that brought us such neighborhoods as Classen Ten Penn, Miller, Gatewood, Linwood, Mesta Park, Heritage Hills, Crown Heights, Edgemere Park, the Paseo, Putnam Heights, Jefferson Park – really the historic neighborhoods of Uptown and the Urban Core.

“The real sprawl began in the mid 1950s and 1960s. The city annexed hundreds of acres, and neighborhoods exploded,” she says. The American lifestyle also became more automobile-centric so mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods, which are now back in vogue, fell out of favor and were replaced by post-war, midcentury modern suburban ranch-home neighborhoods with bigger yards and more space to spread out. This brought us Belle Isle, Cleveland, Venice and also neighborhoods in south Oklahoma City. Shepherd neighborhood, located from NW 23 Street to NW 30 Street, between N Pennsylvania and Villa avenues, is a transitional neighborhood with 1930s brick bungalows and minimal traditional homes, a precursor to the 1950s ranch-style homes. The 1960s and ’70s brought us neighborhoods such as Quail Creek and Val Verde.

Oklahoma City is a perfect example of the evolution of American neighborhoods and architecture. Within its borders and in adjacent communities lie homes of every description. We’ve assembled a greatest hits list, with focus on a handful of key architectural styles: Victorian, Craftsman Cottage, Traditional, Mid-Century Modern and Contemporary.

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RACHEL WATERS

he largest city in the 405, Oklahoma City, started with a bang and has expanded in fits and spurts ever since. In about 120 years, it’s grown from one square mile dotted with tents to more than 630 square miles filled with people and neighborhoods of every description. It’s so big it eclipses Los Angeles and Dallas in area by an average of 200 square miles.

Victorians of the 405 of Victorian architecture, some of the finest in the state, can be found in a handful of blocks dotting central Oklahoma. Victorian homes are easy to spot and can be summed up in one word: ornate. They feature colorful, ornate facades, patterned brick, embellished roof lines, fancy millwork, eclectic window shapes and sizes and wide porches. Really, several styles fall under the Victorian parasol, including Gothic Revival, Queen Anne and Folk Victorian. When most of us think ‘Victorian,’ we probably think about iconic homes, like the Painted Ladies (also known as the Seven Sisters) along Alamo Square in San Francisco, featured in the opening sequence of the late ‘80s sitcom “Full House.” Those are in the Queen Anne style.

Closer to home, some terrific Victorians can be found in Norman, Oklahoma City and Guthrie. Norman’s Old Silk Stocking District (so called because the ladies who lived there could presumably afford silk stockings) is bordered by Robinson Street to the north, Front Street-N Jones Avenue to the west, Porter Avenue on the east and E. B E AU T I F U L E X A M P L E S

Main Street on the south. It was a swanky place to call home at the turn of the 20th century.

You’ll find the Moore-Lindsay Historical House Museum in Old Silk Stocking, a fine example of the late Victorian Queen Anne style. A few miles up the highway in Oklahoma City’s Heritage Hills neighborhood, the Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion is also open to the public and is a stunning Queen Anne and Chateauesque architectural specimen.

Victorian architecture is everywhere in Guthrie, but especially downtown, which features excellent Victorian commercial structures as well.

The Grandison at Maney Park, located at 1200 N. Shartel, stands as one of Oklahoma City's finest Victorian gems. Built in 1904 and moved to its current location in 1909 by James Maney, the threestory mansion features a stained glass skylight, grand staircase, ornamental exterior trim and a generous wraparound porch. Currently a functioning bed and breakfast, the 7,000-square-foot structure consists of nine bedrooms with private baths, a parlor, music room and dining rooms.

RACHEL WATERS

ABOVE LEFT: Stained glass transom windows, such as this one in the Grandison at Maney Park, are characteristic of Victorian architecture.

ABOVE: The music parlor is a favorite refuge for guests at the Grandison bed and breakfast.

LEFT: Emblematic of the Victorian era, the Grandison at Shartel Avenue and 11th Street features a turret and rounded porch.

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Cody Thomson's Craftsman cottage in the 38th Promenade neighborhood.

Our Lady of the Craftsman Cottage 32

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of the third generation to hold court at her family’s 60-plus-year-old design firm Thomson + Thomson, lives in a Craftsman cottage in the 38th Promenade neighborhood, with her massive Labradoodle Corn Nut. She’s just down the street from the happening, newly revived Bradford House boutique hotel.

Her home also enjoys status as part of the Western Avenue District and is across the street from the historic Crown Heights neighborhood, platted in the 1930s. Fun fact: the sculpture in her front yard is a Pokémon GO landmark.

Thomson chose her home carefully, for reasons of convenience, aesthetics and personal joy. It’s been her sanctuary for a decade. Her ideal neighborhood is walkable. She says, “I love my proximity to restaurants, pubs, shops and bakeries. I get an old-fashioned feeling when I walk down Western to grab a beer or buy fresh flowers.” Because the nearby establishments are small in scale, residents and business owners are able to co-exist.

She learned a lot about this delicate balance when her family’s company decided to build its studio on the land directly north of her house. In the beginning, she said, her neighbors were concerned that a commercial establishment would disrupt the vibe of their neighborhood. “But when they learned of the studio’s low-impact and historically inspired design, they embraced us with open arms. It was also helpful for them to know that I was a resident too, and therefore had no intentions of disturbing the integrity of the quaint neighborhood,” Thomson says.

“I love when architecture evokes or encourages a lifestyle. The house was built in 1917 and when I think of this era, I think of people spending more time waving at neighbors than hunching over computers. The porch is a daily reminder for me to slow down and embrace a slower-paced way of life.”

Thomson finds that the cottage-bungalow design melds easily with her own personal style. “The shape of a bungalow reminds me of what a child might draw on a sheet of paper if asked to draw a

RACHEL WATERS

C O DY T H O M S O N , partner and part

Traditional about traditional architectural styles, we’re probably thinking of a handful of styles including Colonial, Federal, Georgian, Dutch Revival, Greek Revival, Tudor Revival and their ilk. These are typically two-story homes, and these traditional styles share details including mid- to steeply pitched roofs, use of columns and arches, symmetry, friezes and two-room deep center passage or four-over-four floorplans. Great examples of these styles can be found in Norman’s Southridge Historic District, as well as Oklahoma City’s Heritage Hills, Crown Heights and others.

WHEN WE THINK

ABOVE: Thomson with her Labradoodle Corn Nut.

THOMPSON HOME: RACHEL WATERS, TRADITIONAL: PROVIDED

BELOW: Thomson's personal style lends itself to an eclectic, asymmetrical design.

home. There’s beauty in its simplicity. I love the small scale, window proportions and gable roofline. My personal style is eclectic, which translates well to a bungalow. I’ve always been torn between my love for modern and traditional design styles, so I try not to let one style overrun the other in my home,” Thomson says.

While Thomson tends toward symmetry when creating designs for clients, it’s a different story when she’s designing her own space. “I come from a family of designers and artists. I wanted my house to allow for a blend of meaningful accent pieces – sculptures by my great aunt, figure drawings by my sister, renderings by my grandfather, photographs by my brother. The layout of my house and my random collection of accent pieces lend themselves toward an eclectic, asymmetrical design.”

A (mostly) lifelong Oklahoma Citian, she lived in Belle Isle and Nichols Hills as a child. “There’s a fascinating connection between the Crown Heights area, where my home is now, and Nichols Hills. In the early 1900s there was a golf course located on the land that is now Crown Heights. After a handshake land swap, the golf course was moved to Nichols Hills, where it still exists today. My house is said to have been the caddy shack for the old golf course!”

ABOVE: Constructed in 1938, this stucco Crown Heights home is a riff on the French Eclectic style with its steeply pitched, side-gabled roof, two arched dormers and dentils.

CENTER: This Georgian-style home in Nichols Hills features a terrace balustrade, architectural symmetry, columns, dentils and ornate stonework.

BELOW: Located in the Heritage Hills neighborhood, this home reflects elements emblematic of Mediterranean architecture including a red-tiled roof, arched windows and ornate ironwork.

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Mid-Mod homes were built after World War II and were equal parts architectural style and lifestyle driven. The advent of the automobile led to a midcentury modern hallmark: the attached garage. Characterized by a contemporary, slightly futuristic aesthetic and an emphasis on function, the movement influenced many types of design. OKC artist Matt Goad has created a midcentury modern oasis in his home in the Edgemere neighborhood. Since purchasing it in 1998, Goad has slowly collected pieces that augment the home’s architecture.

“I began collecting midcentury modern furnishings as a college student. I’d go to thrift shops and find Eames chairs and little vases, or a funky fiberglass cone lamp. I’m always more proud of a piece I’ve found in the wild,” he said in a 2018 interview. “This house had been for sale for at least a year … So, I called and went to look at it. I knew when I walked in and saw the fireplace – two steps in and I knew I wanted to live here.”

In the 20-plus years that Goad has owned the home, he has maintained a devotion to authenticity that continues to inspire.

OR IG INAL MID - CE NTURY MODE RN

Modern and Contemporary modern architecture is a movement in which multiple modern styles blend. It’s a bit of a misnomer, though, because modern can be used to describe new structures or buildings that are 80 years old. Because there are many styles, it is tricky to come up with a formal definition to describe the movement, but you know it when you see it.

Contemporary architecture uses a vast range of building materials including concrete, glass, wood and aluminum screens. This variety gives architects free creative rein and allows for the addition of both contrast and homogeneity. Large-scale plate glass windows are often a feature, washing the homes in natural light and creating large, open spaces and a sense of airiness. Contemporary building frames follow symmetry, and structures often have innovative, even quirky, shapes. New Contemporary homes have proliferated in Midtown Oklahoma City, in the Cottage District, bordered by N Classen Boulevard, NW 13 Street, N Robinson Avenue and NW 6 Street.

ABOVE: Artist Matt Goad spent years collecting midcentury modern furniture and decor to complement the home's architecture.

BELOW: The home belonging to Oklahoma City artist Matt Goad is a midcentury modern masterpiece in the heart of the city's historic Edgemere neighborhood.

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ARCHIVE PHOTOS

ANOTHER UMBRELLA TERM,

RACHEL WATERS

In this modern home belonging to Shannon and Tim Young, calming gray and white are accented with warm, natural wood and brushed brass accents.

A view of the SoSA neighborhood near Midtown, Oklahoma City.

Shannon and Tim Young built their modern retreat on eight acres on Wilshire Boulevard, east of Kelly Avenue.

They employed the basic ideals of modern design – large expanses of glass, an open floor plan and minimal ornamentation – warmed by natural materials.

“I didn’t want to go f lat-out modern. I wanted a comfortable feel,” Shannon Young said. “I love modern, but sometimes it can feel a bit cold. By using metal, and wood, we achieved that (comfortable feel)."

The Youngs purchased the property in an effort to have the best of both worlds: an expansive wooded location that is 10 minutes from city amenities. The home, built in 2019, is 6,200 square feet and is backed by a one-acre pond and three acres of walking trails.

Oklahoma City designer Jennifer Welch helped the couple create a space that easily co-exists with its setting, utilizing large windows to bring the outdoors in.

“Moving out there in a more country setting, it was important to have views,” Shannon Young said. “(Tim) wanted to be in the country and I didn’t want to be miles out of town. Now, that I’m here, I love it. It’s so peaceful.”

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A NEW FEDERAL INITIATIVE IN THE EFFORT TO FIND MISSING NATIVE PEOPLE

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INDI A N COUNTRY FACE S A N ONGOING CRISIS of violence, the rates of which far exceed the general U.S. population. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, indigenous women are 10 times more likely to be murdered than the average citizen.

In response, the Department of Justice under former U.S. Attorney General William Barr created an initiative in late 2019 to provide for greater coordination between tribal and non-tribal investigations, and reduce the number of unsolved murders and missing person cases.

The sheer volume of unsolved cases becomes clear from a visit to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). Located on a server at the University of North Texas Health Science Center’s Center for Human Identification in Denton, Texas, NamUs is a fluid, constantly updated list of missing loved ones and friends, a monument to the challenge facing law enforcement and families when trying to locate those who have disappeared.

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Like many databases, NamUs utilizes filters to get the user to the desired information. It only takes two filters, for “state” and “ethnicity,” to reach the list of 68 missing and murdered indigenous persons (MMIP) in Oklahoma. The youngest person on the list is Angel Torres Jr., who went missing eight years ago in Tahlequah when he was less than 1 year old.

The oldest is Wesley Still Smoking, a member of the Kickapoo Tribe, who was last seen on imagery from a Mayes County trail camera on Oct. 12, 2018. Still Smoking was 76 when a search crew found his abandoned car one mile from the site of the photo. His family told reporters they believe he was driving to Tulsa when he ran out of gas, became disoriented and wandered into the nearby forest.

Some of these cases are weeks old, while others extend back nearly five decades. One of the more recent Oklahoma MMIP cases listed in NamUs is that of 17-year-old Cheyenne Impson of Oklahoma City, whose disappearance barely made a ripple on local news when she was reported missing Nov. 15, 2020. On the other end of the spectrum is the case of Arile Wayne Shatswell, a member of the Cherokee Nation who was last seen in Oklahoma City around June 1, 1976. He was 36 at the time; if he is still alive, Shatswell is 81 now.

The stories surrounding such cases are unified by their uncertainty. Without knowing what truly happened to Impson, Still Smoking, Shatswell and Torres, families are unable to find closure and begin to heal. Much of the problem is jurisdictional – many such cases fall through the cracks when tribal law enforcement and local and state counterparts are unable to agree on how to proceed with

investigations.

“Over several generations, we have had jurisdictional issues,” says Summer Wesley, an attorney, activist and member of the Choctaw Nation. “We have racism that plays in. We also have socio-economic issues which, of course, overlap in many ways.

And so what I’m finding in working with families in our communities is when a person goes missing, it can be very hard to get an active search actually organized through law enforcement, mostly because they’re very under-resourced. So, in a lot of cases, when there is a missing person, those active searches that you see or hear about are generally organized by the community and by the family.”

These circumstances led Barr in November 2019 to announce his national strategy to address the rising number of missing and murdered indigenous persons.

“American Indian and Alaska Native people suffer from unacceptable and disproportionately high levels of violence, which can have lasting impacts on families and communities,” Barr said at the announcement. “Native American women face particularly high rates of violence, with at least half suffering sexual or intimate-partner violence in their lifetime.

Too many of these families have experienced the loss of loved ones who went missing or were murdered.

This important initiative will further strengthen the federal, state and tribal law enforcement response to these continuing problems.”

Barr’s MMIP initiative included a pilot program implemented in 11 states, including Oklahoma, that established jurisdictional guidelines between tribal authorities and their counterparts at the

U.S. Attorney Trent Shores, former U.S. Attorney General William Barr with MMIP liaison Patti Buhl.

The 2021 Oklahoma Legislature will be considering two pieces of legislation dealing with missing and murdered Indigenous persons.

HB 1790 House Bill 1790, or the “Aubrey Alert Act,” would create state alert system for “critically missing adults” from Oklahoma’s American Indian tribes. The criteria for issuing the alert would be a person 18 to 59 “whose whereabouts are unknown and who is believed to have been abducted or taken against his or her will.”

The “Aubrey Alert Act” would create new law. It calls for the creation and implementation of a statewide Aubrey Alert system to notify the public of a “critically missing adult.” It would consult with tribal governments along with state public safety agencies in developing the system.

The law is named for Grove resident Aubrey Dameron, a member of the Cherokee Nation, who has been missing since March 2019. Dameron was 27 when she was reported missing.

SB 172 Senate Bill 172, or “Ida’s Law,” is designed to create an Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons who will work with law enforcement agencies to investigate. This law is in keeping with the national strategy established by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2019.

The law is named for El Reno resident Ida Beard who has been missing since 2015. Beard was 29 when she was discovered missing and is a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.

The red hand over the mouth is a symbol frequently used by advocates for missing and murdered Indigenous women and persons. According to nativewomenswilderness.org, the color red, in various tribes, “is known to be the only color spirits see. It is hoped that by wearing red, we can call back the missing spirits of our women and children so we can lay them to rest.”

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PHOTO PROVIDED

The Red Hand

BELOW: Art by Nicole Moan at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum depicting ethereal armor of contemporary female warriors in homage to the MMIW movement. The piece is part of the "Visage of Modern Matriarchy" art installation featuring DG Smalling and Nicole Moan. The exhibition ended in January.

ART BY NICOLE MOAN: AMY WARNE, MMIW GRAPHIC: PROVIDED

RIGHT: An MMIW graphic featuring a red hand over the mouth, emblematic of the movement.

local, state and federal level. The effort was to be spearheaded by a coordinator appointed by U.S. Attorneys based in these states. U.S. Attorney Trent Shores, who oversees the Northern District of Oklahoma and is a member of the Choctaw Nation, saw the importance of the initiative both personally and professionally.

“What I saw as I became U.S. Attorney was a need to continue to not just investigate and prosecute the missing and murdered indigenous persons cases, but really a need to better coordinate on them,” Shores says. “And so I worked with my colleagues nationwide, and with the support of the Attorney General we launched this initiative, where each U.S. Attorney’s office that had Indian Country [within its district] designated someone to be their missing and murdered indigenous persons coordinator.”

Working with Brian J. Kuester, U.S. Attor-

ney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and Timothy J. Downing, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, Shores and his colleagues selected Patti Buhl as the MMIP coordinator for the state in June 2020.

Buhl, a 25-year law enforcement professional who most recently served as chief of police for Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, is also a member of the Cherokee Nation. She is currently working with two tribes participating in the pilot program – the Muscogee Creek and Cherokee Nations – to build guidelines in four key areas of missing persons investigations: community outreach, law enforcement, victim services and public and media communications.

“I receive feedback from both tribes that I take back to our federal working groups,” Buhl says. “We make any adjustments we need to

those and then they are released nationwide once those revisions have been made, so that other tribes can use the framework to build their own guidelines moving forward.”

Buhl said one of the most important reasons for the guidelines is reducing friction during the first two days of an investigation, which is widely regarded in law enforcement as crucial to the eventual solution of a missing persons case.

In addition, these cases often involve transport across jurisdictions.

“I think that in Oklahoma especially, and this is true in other places as well, our tribal members are not confined to a tribal community or reservation. I mean we travel – we all travel,” Shores says. “And so a lot of times, our tribal members that go missing may go missing from state land, they may go missing from another state entirely – that tribal member that 405MAGAZINE.COM

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ABOVE: Activists take part in the Indigenous Solidarity March in downtown Oklahoma City, June 13, 2020.

THE STORIES SURROUNDING SUCH CASES ARE UNIFIED BY T H E I R U N C E R TA I N T Y. W I T H O U T K NOW ING W H AT T RULY H AP P ENED ... FAMILIES ARE UNABLE TO FIND CLOSURE AND BEGIN TO HEAL.

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goes missing doesn’t necessarily go missing from right there at home all the time.”

Beyond the guidelines for coordination, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is providing rapid deployment teams to provide expert support at the beginnings of investigations. A tribal, state or local law enforcement agency can request that the FBI provide Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams, cellular analysis support and evidence response teams, as well as cyber analysis agents to investigate digital evidence and social media activity.

Buhl is a firm believer in harnessing the data available in NamUs, as well as fortifying the database’s potential for creating matches during investigations. She said there are sometimes blind spots in these investigations, as well as errors that can send authorities in the wrong direction. When she started her work as MMIP coordinator, Buhl looked at several missing persons cases she worked on at Northeastern State University, ones that she knew involved Native victims. Several were wrongly classified as white.

“If you met me, you would not probably recognize that I’m Native,” Buhl says. “And I am; I’m Cherokee and I’m Kiowa, but I have very fair skin and blue eyes. So, a lot of times people working the case might either accidentally mark them as white, or they might make an assumption that they’re white, or nobody tells them that they’re Native. It’s not always for any reason other than maybe nobody provided that information. If you know anything about data, you know that data is complicated.”

There are also issues of trust.

Wesley said that many of the people she has worked with lack faith in the intentions of non-Native law enforcement. Much as the Black Lives Matter movement has illumi-

nated the effect slavery and historical racism have on present-day people of color, these same issues exist within Native communities, which often deal with racism that is not veiled or hidden in any way.

“I have heard judges from the bench say, and this is a direct quote from one judge, ‘I don’t care what those Indians think,’” Wesley says.

Trust is just one of the challenges facing investigators, but Shores said he hopes that the MMIP program will help bridge those gaps in trust by facilitating more case closures.

While it is always a priority to find missing persons quickly and while they are alive, being able to tell families what happened to their loved ones is important to everyone involved. He said he even has hopes of closing cases like Shatswell, who was first reported missing 45 years ago.

“I absolutely hope that this initiative can lead to those cold cases getting solved,” he says. “Because, you know, it’s so important for families and friends to have that closure of knowing, you know, if not what happened to their loved one but knowing that their loved one has been found. So I absolutely maintain that hope.

“A lot of these missing persons cases, if they begin in Indian Country, sometimes they end up on state lands,” Shores says. “So they turned out to be state cases. I really hope that this initiative can bring closure and peace to the families of victims, through better communication and coordination. And it’s something that when you look at it from the perspective of the U.S. Attorney, or the district attorney, you want those law enforcement agents to find the individual or individuals responsible for causing this person to have gone missing.

You hope and pray that it doesn’t turn out to be a victim that goes from the missing category to the murdered category.”

INDIGENOUS SOLIDARITY MARCH : JESSE WARNE

BELOW: MMIW event at the Oklahoma State Capitol, February 2020, to raise awareness for bills HB 1970 and SB 172.

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brentswift.com | 405.364.3002 405MAGAZINE.COM

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PROMOTION

Top Real Estate Producers 2021

Need a real estate agent? Of course you do— or you will at some point. When that time comes, we suggest choosing from one of the following agents or teams who are among the most successful home sellers in the OKC metro area. We present the profiles of these top selling agents and teams who strive for success for any home-buying and homeselling clients throughout Oklahoma.

What qualifies someone to be a Top Real Estate Producer? To be included in this special advertising section, an agent or team of agents must have sold real estate within the OKC metro area and attained a certain amount of sales in 2020 to have the opportunity to participate this year.

Minimum sales volumes were $10 Million for teams and $3 Million for individual agents.

I’m an agent who qualifies for this section. How do I participate in the future? If you have questions about participation, send an email to jordan.regas@405magazine. com at any time.

405MAGAZINE.COM

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PROMOTION

Top Real Estate Producers 2021

EMOLY WEST WALTERS

Sage Sotheby’s International Realty Emoly Walters never imagined real estate sales as a career – especially as one of the top Realtors for Sage Sotheby’s International Realty. But it has been the perfect fit, as evidenced by her success in the business.

Walters started in realty more than four years ago, obtaining her license when her first daughter was only a year old. The title of Realtor became one of many things for which Walters is known, including being a fifth-generation Oklahoman, a former ballerina and member of the University of Central Oklahoma Kaleidoscope Dance Company and Miss Oklahoma 2010.

Despite her time in front of an audience, Walters decided to take on a behind-the-scenes career that would be a good fit for her young family.

“I got started in real estate because it made sense for my husband and me. He has been building for more than 10 years, and the houses he built needed someone who understood the ins and outs,” she says. Her husband, Nathan, founded his own business, the awardwinning MassaRossa Luxury Homes, in 2015. “It was for the purpose of supporting him, as well as having the advantage of knowing each property from the foundation up.”

She started with the Havenly Real Estate Group in Edmond with a focus on quality and distinction.

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MARCH 2021

“Perfection is impossible, but I believe in putting excellence in everything I put my mind to, no matter what the task at hand is,” she says. “Those who tend to be successful are those who follow good habits and help others. That’s one of the many things I learned before I was asked to join Sage Sotheby’s.”

Since then, Walters has handled listings ranging from $200,000 to $1 million, focusing on Edmond and Oklahoma City. Walters has specialized in luxury homes, particularly new construction that provides a broader picture of the home’s attributes and design.

“I’ve always liked understanding the details of a house. It’s helped me to better communicate with clients because I’m able to anticipate and answer the questions they may have about a house, including things often overlooked by sellers,” she says.

This attention to detail and personable approach has made Walters a well-known name in luxury homes. It’s a career that is both fulfilling and has provided time and resources for family and personal pursuits.

“It’s been a great balance for my family,” she says. “Being able to be a fully present mother to my kids while I continue my goals in real estate is something I couldn’t have imagined.”

PROMOTION

Top Real Estate Producers 2021

ROB ALLEN

Sage Sotheby’s International Realty Very few real estate agents close on 20 homes in their first year.

Indeed, the average real estate agent in the United States closes only 12 deals a year, according to Real Estate Express. But then, there’s nothing average about Rob Allen, broker, CEO and co-founder of Oklahoma City-based Sage Sotheby’s International Realty.

Rob’s background as a former Army Captain and licensed attorney formed the basis for the type of brokerage he wanted to build.

“We wanted to build a brokerage of full-time, professional sales associates – a brokerage that holds itself to the highest standards in the industry. We aren’t a brokerage of part-timers or side-hustlers.

Selling homes is our profession, so we give our clients the attention and service they deserve.”

In 2019, the firm’s culture of high standards drew the interest of Sotheby’s International Realty. The real-estate behemoth had been tracking Sage Realty and Oklahoma City as a whole, and determined the firm would be a good fit for a partnership. The subsequent success of Sage Sotheby’s and his own experience as a top-producing luxury Realtor have been tremendously fulfilling, Allen said, but he keeps his mind and heart focused on the things that matter most.

“My years in the Army have given me a great deal of perspective,” he says. “I wake up every day grateful for my life and motivated by my family.”

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PROMOTION

Top Real Estate Producers 2021

TERRY FOX

Sage Sotheby’s International Realty Terry Fox, real estate agent with Sage Sotheby’s International Realty, began his career in sports television, a field that positioned him perfectly for the high-stakes world of real estate. He officially made the jump five years ago and hasn’t looked back.

“I started to love looking at houses online and dreaming of the possibilities of home ownership and all that comes with it. That enthusiasm is something I enjoy sharing with my clients,” Fox says.

“I love educating my clients early in the process so they can be well prepared when it comes to buying or selling a home. Knowledge is power, and it’s so important to be prepared in the midst of the market we are in currently.”

His hard work and acumen pays off for his clients each and every day. Since getting licensed, 75 percent of the homes Fox has listed have sold in 8 days or less, a majority of them closing at or above the

405.326.4590 6430 N WESTERN AVE, NICHOLS HILLS, OK 73116 SAGESIR.COM 46

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seller’s asking price. Business is brisk, and Fox has brought on team member Kate Kidd, whose impeccable work ethic and strengths mesh well with his.

What separates Fox and Kidd is their attention to detail, communication, and marketing at the highest levels. Both are strong storytellers, a crucial skill in real estate. “When I have a new listing, I take pride in helping the homeowner tell the visual story of their home, and ensuring the professional images jump out to buyers. First impressions are everything,” Fox said.

The Terry Fox team will be featured on an upcoming local television show, “Chefs and Realtors,” airing first on YouTube, then on Amazon Prime later this year. To follow their journey, find them on Facebook and Instagram at @terryfoxteam.

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Top Real Estate Producers

JENNIFER KRAGH GROUP

Sage Sotheby’s International Realty

2021

The Jennifer Kragh Group at Sage Sotheby’s International Realty has perfected selling homes in every area of the Oklahoma City metro. Their proven formula for expedient, top-of-market sales is part art, part science and part instinct, and entirely driven by expertise.

Kragh and her trusted team member Megan Tabor have embraced the philosophy that selling a property in 2021 requires new thinking, impeccable presentation and strong marketing.

“Presentation is so crucial. We bring beautiful staging, engaging images and writing, along with a true marketing strategy to every client and every property. We know our tactics work,” she says.

Tabor loves the beauty and artistry involved in helping her clients prepare their homes for market. With a degree in interior design and a decade-long career in commercial design under her belt, Tabor has transformed her love of design and logistics into a robust career in real estate.

“Relationship building and a love of helping people are two of my favorite elements of the real estate business,” Tabor says.

“Helping guide clients through data-driven decisions allows us to really deliver high-level service and the best results.”

With Sage Sotheby’s International Realty, the Jennifer Kragh Group is aligned with arguably the best real estate brand in the world. Since 2017, they have helped more than 100 clients sell or buy homes and closed nearly $50 million in sales. The Jennifer Kragh Group is in the top one percent of production in the OKC metro, with more than $17.5 million in sales in 2020, and achieved a 99.32 percent list-price to sales-price ratio.

“While we are really proud of those stats, we are prouder of the relationships we’ve formed,” Kragh says. “We’ve gotten to be a part of helping people find their dream homes, and we’ve made some of the very best friends. We love what we do. It truly is a gift.”

Megan Tabor, Jennifer Kragh

405.274.6767 6430 N WESTERN AVE, NICHOLS HILLS, OK 73116 JENNIFERKRAGH.SAGESIR.COM 405MAGAZINE.COM

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Top Real Estate Producers 2021

SHARON CASTLES Castles & Homes

Sharon Castles, managing broker and producing REALTOR® for Castles & Homes, a real estate firm headquartered in Edmond, has never consider herself a “salesperson.” Nor do her colleagues.

“I’m an analytical geek who cares about people. I’m not here to sell. I just want to do the right thing,” Castles says. “I am grateful to have learned my work ethic, perseverance and love of helping others from my parents. I started working at 7 and had my worker’s permit by 10 1/2 years of age. And Lord willing, I plan to continue working to help others for many years to come.”

Castles started her real estate career 33 years ago, while she was still in college at Taylor University in Indiana – and said changing her major to psychology was pivotal to her future career. “For a majority of people, this is the largest purchase of their lives, so having a background in psychology helps with client’s expectations, understanding and even their emotions during the process.”

That is also why she believes the large online companies coming into the real estate industry are unable to support the needs of most buyers and sellers. “For me, people are and will always be relational. Many would prefer to have a professional with experience that’s sure to look out for them,” she says. “Especially since there’s an average of 184 tasks and processes that REALTORS® oversee and guide our clients through on each sale. I’m in it to help people. Whether I get their business or not, I want to look out for people and do what’s best for them.”

She began working full-time at a commercial real estate agency after college graduation in 1988, and obtained her real estate license one year later. In 2002, Sharon became the senior vice president of a title company. Two years after that, she was a licensed title agent and

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Some of the Castles & Homes REALTORS®: Shown from left to right Michele Hoshaw, Marjorie Cobb, Joyce Payne, Sharon Castles, Jed Castles, Stephanie Prewitt, Ed Thomas, Julie Adams, Susan Huffer & Andi Deane

president of her own title company. It would be acquired by one of the top three national title insurance underwriters, and she eventually became a national sales director.

She met her future husband, Jed Castles – weekday meteorologist for News9 – online, and in 2012, the two were married. Sharon would continue her real estate career and obtained her Oklahoma real estate license in 2013. And by early 2017, they started Castles & Homes in Edmond.

“Although Edmond and the OKC metro are my main focus, I will drive to where my clients need me – including Blanchard, Clinton, Tulsa, Grand Lake, Tenkiller, Norman, Moore, Shawnee and more,” she says. “More recently, I have engaged the help of the fabulous REALTORS® that live all around the state and work at Castles & Homes. Although we do not have ‘teams,’ everyone is quick to help each other.”

Her work and charitable attitude have carried her through numerous jobs and lots of volunteering roles: Foster parent of children since 2004, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), special event coordinator for fundraising events, advocate for foster kids via radio, events and speaking engagements, even fostering and adopting rescue dogs.

Sharon Castles’ business continues to grow since she started in Oklahoma, bringing in more than $69 million in sales. “While maintaining a professional reputation is important, building genuine relationships, doing what is right, and treating others as I want to be treated are my top priorities,” she says.

405.483.0003 405.806.0003 6933 E WATERLOO RD, SUITE 4, EDMOND, OK. 73034 CASTLESANDHOMES.COM 405MAGAZINE.COM

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Top Real Estate Producers 2021

DARIAN WOOLBRIGHT

Darian Woolbright Real Estate Darian Woolbright is a Realtor with Keller Williams Elite Realty, specializing in luxury homes in the Oklahoma City metro area, as well as a certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist and recipient of the Million Dollar Guild recognition from the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. She is in the top one percent of the more than 5,000 Realtors in the OKC area.

Woolbright made a name for herself by being the only agent in five years who could sell the iconic Hightower Mansion in Heritage Hills.

The mansion has been placed on the market several times over five years without selling. Then Woolbright was hired as the luxury marketing agent, and through her advanced marketing technology, was able to sell this iconic landmark at full price. Since then she has been in high demand for luxury properties.

“I’ve used the mindset of always keeping informed in order for me to stay focused,” she says. “I’m always trying to better educate myself with anything I can find. I’ve even hired coaches that give me a lifetime of knowledge and the clarity I need in business to focus on my clients.”

Those clients benefit from her personal attention as an individual agent who sells $15 million per year, as opposed to a large team of agents.

From the historic homes of Mesta Park and Heritage Hills to Guthrie, Edmond, Yukon, Jones, even Ada, Woolbright plans to go anywhere her clients require. Though she has made a name for herself as a luxury-home professional, she sells all price ranges of homes. To Woolbright, the word “professional” is more than a description; it’s how she runs her business.

“I give homeowners concrete information about the market, and provide real strategies for getting a home sold based on inventory and demand. Then I go all out on marketing, complete with staging, commercial level photography, print and online exposure. When appealing to buyers, you’re not just selling a home, you’re selling a feeling” she says.

Regarding her business goals for 2021, Woolbright says, “It’s not about the dollar amount; it’s about the amount of service I can provide for Oklahomans. I focus on the number of families I can help with their real estate dreams, that’s what brings me joy.”

405.887.3007 5629 N CLASSEN BLVD, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73118 DARIANWOOLBRIGHT.COM 50

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PROMOTION

Top Real Estate Producers 2021

WYATT POINDEXTER

Wyatt Poindexter Group, KW Carlton Landing Celebrating 25 years in Oklahoma real estate, Wyatt Poindexter’s name is synonymous with organizations including Keller Williams Realty, the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing and the Wyatt Poindexter Group, which provide clients with informed, professional services based on modern technology.

Poindexter followed his father – a top producer for Keller Williams Realty – into real estate. He later decided to focus on selling luxury homes, and when he found a prospective seller, he hounded the man into giving him five minutes before deciding to use another Realtor.

The seller loved his presentation, but wouldn’t go forward with Poindexter due to his lack of experience. It was then that Poindexter made a move that changed his career, offering to do all the work for free to prove that he could successfully sell the house.

The seller gave him three months; the house sold within the first week after Poindexter found a buyer. When Poindexter met with the title company at the closing table and received his check, the payment was made in full, despite the commission-free deal he had made with the seller.

“I told the title company about the agreement I had with the seller and they informed me that he insisted on paying,” he says. “That one home brought me 60 others. I could track every single home to this one moment.”

Over time, Poindexter said, he began to understand the necessity of a team to help manage the growing business as listings spilled outside of the metro and into other parts of the state.

By 2017, the Wyatt Poindexter Group was formed with the purpose of providing clients of any economic level with personalized services across Oklahoma. In 2020, they sold 268 homes in transactions representing more than $107 million.

“While I enjoy being known for selling luxury homes, I’d honestly prefer to sell the smaller homes because the turnover is quick,” he says. “We’re happy to take on everything from homes to estates, farms to raw lands. In the end, there’s no place too far for us to go.”

405.417.5466 5629 N CLASSEN BLVD, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73118 WYATTPOINDEXTER.COM 405MAGAZINE.COM

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Top Real Estate Producers 2021

JOY BARESEL Engel & Völkers

Joy Baresel, President and Owner of Engel & Völkers OKC & Edmond – an international real estate company founded in Hamburg, Germany – and her husband share daily quotes with one another.

One of her favorites is by American essayist Henry David Thoreau: “Goodness is the only investment that never fails.”

Since then, Baresel has sold homes of varying prices across the state. In fact, one of her current listings is a two-home estate with an airstrip, airplane hangar, equestrian stable and more spanning more than 137 acres. “Luxury is not a price point, it’s an experience for everyone,” she says.

This quote is more than an affirmation for Baresel; it’s a mission.

Last year, their team closed $35 million in volume sales over approximately 95 transactions. Baresel said she doesn’t see the momentum letting up anytime soon.

“At the core of everything, we believe in integrity and goodness for ourselves, our business and our clients,” Baresel says. “I’m a matchmaker. I love meeting people and really hearing what their needs are, then connecting them with their dream.”

Baresel began unofficially consulting in real estate in 2013 and obtained her license in 2015. “I’d been searching for somewhere that dealt in the latest technology and real estate strategies and I found Engel & Völkers,” she explains. “Because they’re not a publicly traded company, they feel like a boutique brokerage on an international scale. It felt like a perfect fit for me, both in business and artistically speaking.”

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“Everything I’m seeing and hearing, 2021 is going to be an historic year in real estate,” she says. “My goal is always to be better and do better by my clients. For me, the future is in how we can serve and do things more efficiently while remaining different.”

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Top Real Estate Producers 2021

“He had been after me for years and years to come to work for him,” Williams says. “I told him, ‘George, I don’t know a thing about commercial real estate.’ He responded with, ‘You’ll figure it out.’”

Ultimately, Williams declined but worked with Huffman on several other business ventures. In 2003, after owning a car dealership amid nationwide setbacks to the auto industry, Williams took Huffman up on his longtime offer.

“He gave me a desk and told me, ‘You’ll figure it out.’ By the end of my first 12 months, I had closed $5.88 million in sales,” Williams says. “George told me, ‘I think you figured it out,’ and I’ve never looked back.”

Since joining, Williams has represented more than 1,150 buyers and sellers, closing 4.3 million square feet of property with over $171 million in sales across the state. He has handled both sides on more than 85 percent of his listings. It’s even becoming a family business, as his daughter Harley Jeffries will be using her new real estate license to join her dad at InterWest.

ROBERT WILLIAMS InterWest Realty

As one of the premier real estate agents in Oklahoma, Robert Williams is known as someone who can “figure things out,” especially for InterWest Realty – a boutique firm headquartered in Oklahoma City, servicing clients in varying project sizes for both commercial and residential real estate.

Williams, a senior sales associate, is one of the top producers of the firm founded in 1981 by CEO and managing broker George Huffman.

Williams does not specialize in any one type of property, allowing for the scope of his business to stretch across everything from apartments to retail to industrial properties, plus 10,000-plus acres of land sales. InterWest Realty is located in Oklahoma City, but the reach of its Realtors stretches beyond the city limits to the four corners of the state.

“I go wherever the market is, and it keeps things interesting.

Whatever the market is, you name it, I’ve sold it, and will continue to sell it,” he says. “I’ve sold close to $60 million in Tulsa alone, something very few brokers based in Oklahoma City have done.”

This statewide expertise derives from the firm’s founding principle – to focus on the needs of each client by providing exceptional services from start to finish with around-the-clock availability.

Williams met Huffman in the early 1990s when Williams returned to Oklahoma City after selling yachts in Marina Del Ray, California for five years. He purchased Huffman’s personal residence in Nichols Hills, which quickly led to a friendship with his future employer.

405.822.2877 7501 N. BROADWAY EXT. OKC, OK. 73116 IWREALTY.COM 405MAGAZINE.COM

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Top Real Estate Producers 2021

CHRIS GEORGE

Chris George Homes with Chinowth and Cohen Chris George is the team lead Realtor on Chris George Homes at Chinowth and Cohen. This realty trio – composed of Chris George, Justin Brannon and Eden Moore – brings a combined 23 years of experience in the local market, servicing the Oklahoma City and Edmond area and specializing in historic properties, investment opportunities and new construction.

“We enjoy working with clients to help them find their dream home in the current state of their life,” the team members say. They cite their love of the community along with architecture and interior design as their primary inspirations for real estate.

Real estate brings a multitude of factors to the table, some even the more experienced home buyer or seller may not consider. That is why the Chris George Homes team has professionals that include a stager, photographer, social media marketer, graphic designer, administrative assistant and local lenders.

405.627.0801 2814 W COUNTRY CLUB DR., OKC, OK 73116 CHRISGEORGEHOMES.COM 54

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“It’s not always what you see on HGTV. While the real estate industry is always changing and moving in different directions, home improvements and trends move even quicker. There are three words in real estate to always remember: location, location, location,” George says. “This means different things to different buyers and sellers with different motivating factors. It is always best to work with a professional in your local market to help you with all your real estate needs, from home value to what upgrades will bring the most value to your home.”

The Chris George Homes team has the experience and knowledge to help with all your real estate needs. They have a team of professionals in all areas to ensure your home is marketed the best way possible from the start.

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BRIAN RUSH

Keller Williams Platinum Brian Rush, a residential and commercial Realtor for Keller Williams Platinum in the Oklahoma City metro, believes everyone deserves luxury treatment and service.

Top Real Estate Producers 2021

“One of the things that’s separated us from other competitors is our consistent professionalism and service for any client, no matter the size or price,” Rush says. “Through our training and expertise, we truly want to give people a first-class experience.”

Rush is also a certified luxury home specialist, one out of only 37 certified agents in the OKC area.

After starting his real estate career in 2015 in Dallas, Rush moved back home to Oklahoma and continued with Keller Williams, selling homes throughout the entire metro area and surrounding cities. Last year, Rush sold just over $20 million in residential and commercial volume.

As Rush says, “We’re highly relational and want what’s best for our clients like we would our families, because they are family.”

405.420.2499 4513 MEMORIAL CIRCLE, OKC, OK 73142 BRIANRUSHTEAM.COM

AMY NOLEN

Chamberlain Realty Amy Nolen is a Realtor with Chamberlain Realty LLC, located in Moore and servicing clients in the Oklahoma City metro area.

She entered real estate full-time two years ago, but had prior experience working alongside her husband: He would purchase a home, and she chose the aesthetics including lights, colors, etc. Then, he would renovate the home while she staged and listed it for sale.

“We were paying Realtors to sell the homes, so we thought to ourselves, ‘It’d be nice if one of us had our license, since both of us are in this all the time.’” Nolen says. “It made sense for me, and I loved it. It was one of those big leap-of-faith moments that worked out well.”

Since then, she has made more than 50 transactions with her home listings ranging up to $500,000, and is eager for the future.

“I’d like to continue to grow on what we did last year,” she says.

“I’m wanting to do more retail real estate and continue to help clients in any way that I can. There are so many doors in this business that I think I could open with more understanding, as well as helping other Realtors do the same.”

405.509.6515 526 SW 4TH ST STE 600, MOORE, OK 73160 AMYNOLEN.COM 405MAGAZINE.COM

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Top Real Estate Producers

KARA BOWES Kbb Real Estate

Kara Bowes is the owner of Kbb Real Estate, a boutique brokerage dedicated to helping clients with one of the biggest financial decisions of a person’s life – buying a home. The brokerage is named after Bowes and her two children: Brooke, 24, and Brad, 22.

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Inspired by financial pundit Dave Ramsey, she began her real estate journey in 2003, and made the leap to her own brokerage in 2015. Since then, Bowes has grown her business with the aid of team leader Miranda Calderon, and has also become one of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors Board of Directors.

“Everybody is into shopping local, so I wanted to make a brokerage that was designed for the public, and that would help the public,” she says. “I want to go where people are. I’ve had clients everywhere from El Reno and Harrah to Noble and Guthrie, so I try to go where I can help the most people.”

405.361.4079 714 S DEWEY AVE, OKC, OK 73109 KBBREALESTATE.COM

ADALIA SOSANYA Chamberlain Realty

Adalia Sosanya, Realtor for Moore-based Chamberlain Realty, believes her role is not just to collect a commission, but to be an active community grower.

“When I first started in realty, I knew nothing about homes except that I owned one,” says Sosanya. “Now, six years later, (I realize) I had no idea about the rollercoaster I was about to get on.”

Being a former social worker, Sosanya says she wanted to help people and have more economic flexibility for her family. That led her to a sales consultant position for Home Creations, one of the largest homebuilders in Oklahoma.

Sosanya obtained her license and went into real estate fulltime in December 2016. By 2019, she was ready to expand and streamline her systems and process to help more people by moving to Chamberlain Realty, selling to first-time buyers, outof-state clients and sellers looking for their next-level homes.

Last year, she closed $4.5 million in sales.

In January, Sosanya began developing a small team of local Realtors that would provide education and collaboration to others in the business and the community.

“We’re in a people business, so anytime I can learn about and share my experience with others, I think it makes the overall industry better; especially when we’re knowledgeable about how we can provide better services,” she says.

405.255.5923 526 SW 4TH ST STE 600, MOORE, OK 73160 ADALIAOKC.COM 56

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Sarah Loving, Brad Bowes, Malik Lolar, Zak Hensley, Miranda Calderon

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EDDIE & MISTY LANDRY

The Landry Home Team, Keller Williams Realty Platinum

Top Real Estate Producers

Eddie and Misty Landry are the married real-estate duo behind The Landry Home Team of Keller Williams Realty 2021 Platinum. Since 2007, the Landrys have provided local expertise and up-to-date information in buying and selling real estate across the state, all under the slogan: “Life is sweeter when you own a piece of it.”

Misty Landry joined the real estate business in July 2007 from the desire to manage her own time. Eddie Landry received his real estate license a year later, though he considered his role in real estate as a part-time addition to his full-time job – campus director of a CDL truck driving school. Eventually, he joined his wife full-time, and hasn’t looked back since. “My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner,” he says.

Misty Landry considers their brokerage an ideal choice for opportunity.

“The education and leadership opportunities, goal-setting and camaraderie that’s provided at Keller Williams was exactly what we were looking for.”

The Landry Home Team is a full-service real estate team that is focused on personal attention from day one with each client, and proudly continues those relationships long after closing.

405.620.7505 4513 MEMORIAL CIRCLE, OKC, OK. 73142 THELANDRYHOMETEAM.COM

Are You Signed Up for Our 405Now? Discover the Best in Oklahoma City Metro’s Dining, Events, Travel, & Homes S I G N U P T O D AY A T

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Dining

Bar Food Food so good it makes a great bar better, and a bar so good it makes a great restaurant better: Palo Santo’s remarkable “bar food” and Jimmy B’s outstanding bar program this month.

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Hooray for Holy Wood Good food + great bar = OKC’s Palo Santo

BY GREG HORTON PHOTOS BY LE XI HOEBING

hat happens when a bar adds food, and the food is so good you want to start calling the place a restaurant? Without question, Palo Santo at 1203 NW 2 in the Farmer’s Market District is the best new bar to open last year, and in spite of opening mere days before the COVID-19 shutdown, owners Brian and Bailey Butler have managed to generate buzz in the hospitality industry both for creative, delicious cocktails, and food so good you may go at 3 p.m. on a Sunday – when according to some you shouldn’t be drinking – just to get the burger.

“I wanted to make food that you could eat with your hands,” Brian Butler says. “Drink, take a bite, set it down, take another drink.”

That leads to a menu heavy on sandwiches and “finger foods,” but heavy is a bit misleading. The menu is small, consisting mainly of one entrée per category: burger, torta, taco, wings, etc.

All of it, though, shows that Butler is not just some dude frying up out-of-a-box salty, fatty snacks for drunk people. This is not that kind of bar. He’s running a scratch kitchen – except for the Kewpie Mayonnaise, a condiment he learned to love and utilize while working with Chef Roy Choi, the pioneer of fusion food trucks, in California.

“It’s really magic sauce,” Butler says. “We use it on the burger, along with habanero hot sauce.”

It doesn’t matter what words we string together to describe it, some folks are going to get stuck on the “mayonnaise on a burger” part. No, it’s not necessarily an Oklahoma go-to, but its role is to tone down the heat of the habanero hot sauce and impart creaminess without cheese. Add to that the joy of holding a burger in your hand to eat without making a huge mess, and you have a nearly perfect burger experience.

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The Asian food background sneaks into the gochujang wings, as well. After brining for 48 hours, he confits the wings for six more and then flashfries them for crispiness before adding the sauce, a simple mix of gochujang paste, apple cider vinegar, honey and sesame oil.

“When you work in a kitchen, you see what comes back, and you check it to see what people are loving and not loving,” Brian says. “The wings always come back stripped to the bone.”

Rightly so. They have flavor all the way to the bone, thanks to the brining, and the sauce is tangy, spicy perfection. Combined with the okonomiyaki tots – a sort of deconstructed Korean-style potato and onion pancake – they make for an excellent meal without ever ordering an entrée. The tots are so good regulars demanded they go on the everyday menu instead of just the weekend menu. Brian feigns irritation, but he’s clearly proud of his food, with good reason.

Katsu chicken sandwich and a Spiced Daisy

Palo Santo 1203 SW 2nd St, Oklahoma City, OK palosantobar.com

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LEFT: Burrata with grilled bread BELOW: Palo Santo team L to R Tony Andrew, Brian and Bailey Butler, Sheri Andrew

His specialty seems to be using simple ingredients to build layers of flavor in such a way that you can taste all the components. The burrata features a “sauce” that is just grated fresh tomatoes, salt, pepper and flash-fried green peppercorns. It’s clean, wholesome, flavorful food, and it’s one of the best things on the menu, which means it’s one of the best things in town.

Palo Santo is a bar, though, and as such, it’s exceptional. Bailey Butler, who earned her bartending skills at the beautiful Melrose Umbrella Co. in Los Angeles, starts with cocktail “families” or categories: Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Martini, Gimlet, etc. The menu is divided into stirred, shaken, long and hot drinks, and the options range from very traditional to very creative.

“I love to play with seasonal fruits and flavors, tea, bitters and liqueurs,” Bailey says. “We bounce ideas off each other and tweak things until the cocktail tastes good.”

His specialty seems to be using simple ingredients to build layers of flavor in such a way that you can taste all the components.

“Good” is her humble take on the cocktails. Better word choices would be ridiculously good, outstanding, that’s incredible, what did I just put in my mouth, my life is changed – that sort of thing. She said getting the creative range is made easier by beginning with the basic recipes in the cocktail families.

“I wouldn’t call it plug and play because of all the forethought and work that goes into it, but that’s kind of what happens once the basics are down.”

Lazy afternoons, when the big bay door is open and good music is on the playlist, are the best days at Palo Santo. It’s an open, airy space with a definite California cool, casual vibe, including a pool table and seating choices that range from bartop to couch. Drink, take a bite, set it down, take another drink.

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LEFT: Spicy “Osaka style” sushi with house-made ponzu BELOW: Yellowtail sashimi and kale salad

A Tribute in Taste Remembering Jim Blanchard at the new Jimmy B’s Culinary + Krafted

BY GREG HORTON | PHOTOS BY LE XI HOEBING

ention the name Jim Blanchard to anyone who worked for and with him, and the response is always a variation of “the best man in the Hal Smith family of restaurants.” Blanchard, an area partner for Charleston’s and the man who helped get Mahogany Prime Steakhouse started, died in a motorcycle accident in 2018. Jimmy B’s Culinary + Krafted, the new Automobile Alley restaurant from the Hal Smith Restaurant Group at 1225 N Broadway, is named for him.

Kyle Lippe, the director of operations at the Skirvin Hilton, spent many years behind the bar at Mahogany on W Memorial Road, and like so many other HSRG alumni, he remembers Blanchard’s tough exterior and the no-nonsense way of doing business.

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“Nicest guy in the world, though,” Lippe says.

“He was a ‘two fingers of Patron’ drinker when he was in a good mood. He always asked why the bartenders didn’t follow the steps of service per the policies. My answer was always, ‘That’s what happens in the dining room.’ He’d smile and say, ‘Well, you’re busy, so I guess I’ll let it slide.’”

Blanchard didn’t really let things slide; in fact, had Lippe and his bartender sidekick Jared Keith not been two of the best in the city, he likely would have been more adamant on the steps of service.

He liked his people, though, and it showed. Former server Amber Simon talked about his habit of remembering names and details about employees’ lives. “He was a genuinely kind person, and that’s rare in hospitality,” she says.

When you set out to create an homage to a beloved figure, the most important thing beyond getting the name right is making sure the effort is worthy of the person who inspires it. There is every reason to believe Jim Blanchard would have loved Jimmy B’s, and not just because he would have loved the bar – he was a spirits guy, after all – but because everything about the place is built on excellence: food, service, cocktails and atmosphere.

“Hal Smith has long been a wine-focused company,” Mike Kraft says. Kraft is the son of HSRG partner Hank Kraft, and the creative force behind Neighborhood Jam and Jimmy B’s. “We have a good wine list at Jimmy B’s, too, but I love craft cocktails, so when we first started talking about the bar, I wanted it to be spirits-driven.”

Kraft enlisted the assistance of former high school classmate, and Texas hospitality industry veteran, Sterling Black to build the cocktail list and the spirits library. “We started workshopping cocktails in August 2020, and eventually developed 42 drinks, of which 10 are on the current list.”

The cocktail menu will be seasonal, so changes will occur at least quarterly, but because of Jimmy B’s unique position in the company, other changes are certainly possible. The restaurant and bar are outstanding one-off concepts in their own right, but they are also functioning as a test kitchen and test bar for Hank Kraft’s side of the company:

Jimmy B’s Culinary + Krafted 1225 N Broadway Ave, Oklahoma City, OK jimmybsculinarykrafted.com

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Victoria Solorzano; Keeley Walker, CNP; & Lindsey McElvaney

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The bar proper is tucked away in the back of the space creating a separate experience from the lounge.

Mahogany, Red Rock, Charleston’s, Neighborhood Jam and Upper Crust. That means cocktails and dishes that appear on the menu at Jimmy B’s may make their way to other menus, depending on customer feedback in the form of sales.

“The Jimmy’s Old Fashioned and Jimmy’s Sazerac will be fixtures – Jim was from Louisiana, so the Sazerac is dedicated to him – but we’ll change some of the ingredients based on season, and the barrel select whiskeys we use will change, too,” Mike Kraft says.

The food menu is eclectic on purpose, and not just a little eclectic: steak, sushi, Korean-influenced tenderloin and noodles, chicken salad, ponzu, French dip – it’s all over the place. Kraft noted it’s also the smallest menu in the company, but the diversity is like no other concept. This is the puzzle and genius of Jimmy B’s. How do those dishes end up on the same menu? Does it work? There was skepticism in the hospitality world ahead of its opening, but the menu works, and it works for the same reason Jimmy B’s overall works: it’s forward thinking without losing the grammar of what Hal Smith is.

HSRG has always been built on service and consistency – and yes, good food – but all companies arrive at a point of transition. How do we go forward and appeal to people younger than our current demographic? The answer for Kraft was to create a modern American restaurant at the bar and a traditional Hal Smith concept in main dining. No, he didn’t put it that way.

“I guess I don’t disagree with that assessment,” is how he puts it.

A friend who dined there says it best: “I could sit with my parents in one of those booths, and they’d feel like they were in a Hal Smith restaurant, and I could sit at the bar with my girlfriends, and it would feel very much like a cool, modern American bar.”

The good news is that the menu is available in both places, and there is something for everyone, on purpose. The sushi is shockingly good; the company hired Chef Richard Lee to oversee the Asian dishes. Chef Brad Johnson took care of the rest of the menu, and everything from the best coleslaw in OKC to the French dip to the Thai noodle salad to the Delmonico steak frites is executed beautifully.

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DINING

Dining Guide These listings are not related to advertising in 405 Magazine. If you find that a restaurant differs significantly from the information in its listing or your favorite restaurant is missing from the list, please let us know. Email info@405magazine.com DESIGNATION $ MOST ENTREES UNDER $10 $$ MOST ENTREES $10 TO $25

sides and wondrous craft cocktails. 132 W

QUINCY BAKE SHOP Located inside

NEIGHBORHOOD JAM Serving tasty

Main, Norman, 801.2900 $$

the Bradford House, Trisha O’Donoghue’s

takes on classic American dishes and more

classic bakery features daily pastries, cookies,

specialized options, this breakfast-centric

VAST Keeping your attention on the elegant

specialty items, and buttery, flaky danishes.

spot aims to become a community favorite.

cuisine might be difficult; the view from atop

1235 NW 38th, OKC, 302.8977 $

15124 Lleytons Court, Edmond, 242.4161 $

the Devon Tower is truly unparalleled in Oklahoma, making this a fantastic date spot. 280

$$$ MOST ENTREES OVER $25

ASIAN AMERICAN

BARBECUE

W Sheridan, 49th floor, OKC, 702.7262 $$$$

SUNNYSIDE DINER Traditional breakfast spot in multiple locations, serving

CLARK CREW BBQ The home of more

excellent classic breakfasts, as well as spe-

championships than we can list, Travis Clark’s

cialty items like Eggs in Purgatory and verde

barbecue is some of the best in the country,

tamales. 824 SW 89th, OKC, 703.0011 $

GORO RAMEN + IZAKAYA The new

featuring ribs, burnt ends, brisket, crazy good

BURGERS & SANDWICHES

location in Paseo combines the best of Goro

beans, and a menu with something for every-

BLACK WALNUT The broad-ranged,

with the best of what used to be Gun Izkaya,

one. 3510 NW Expy, OKC 724.8888 $$

creative cuisine is hard to categorize, but Chef

so you can get the ramen you love with the

Andrew Black delivers seafood, chops, steaks,

yakitori you crave in one place. 3000 Paseo,

GEORGE’S HAPPY HOG A well-kept

BURGER PUNK Rock music meets

and healthy fare with equal attention to

OKC, 900.6615 $$

secret among State Capitol workers, the word

loaded fries and creative burgers, but don’t

is finally getting out. The turkey and greens

forget the whiskey selection. The Clash is the

detail and beautiful presentation. Always say yes to the fish, and the cocktails are excellent

TANA THAI There’s plenty to like about

are worth the trip. If you’re hungry, add

favorite – the Doritos don’t hurt – but it’s im-

as well. 100 NE 4th, OKC, 445-6273 $$$

the food in this little spot, from red snapper

potato salad and rib ends. 712 Culbertson Dr.,

possible to choose wrong at this bar-centric

filet to pad thai. Pay special attention to the

OKC, 525.8111 $$

burger joint just off the Paseo. 3012 N. Walker,

THE HAMILTON Tucked into Northpark

varied soups, and do not play chicken with

Mall, this Okie-centric supper club features

the spice level. 10700 N May, OKC, 749.5590 $$

OKC, 724.8017 $$ IRON STAR URBAN BARBEQUE Iron Star specializes in “a unique and tasty

CAFE 7 Classic sandwiches plus seasonal

like bison tartare, quail, and steaks, as well as

TOKYO It’s neither huge nor lavishly

spin on comfort food.” While its entrees are

menus make this family friendly, affordable

an excellent wine list and creative cocktails.

appointed, and the menu focuses on tradition

excellent, the sides are equal players too.

sandwich shop and pastaria a smart choice. The

12232 N. May, OKC, 849.5115 $$$

rather than creativity; but it’s palpably fresh

3700 N Shartel, OKC, 524.5925 $$

chicken salad is stellar, and so is their take on a

upscale casual dining with regional favorites

Cuban. 14101 N. May, Ste. 117, OKC, 748.3354 $

and routinely cited as among the metro’s best THE HUTCH ON AVONDALE Chef

sushi. 7516 N Western, OKC, 848.6733 $$

SWADLEY’S WORLD FAMOUS BAR-B-Q With multiple locations around

THE MULE Solid beer and beverage selec-

with a creative twist. The bar offers a full

SZECHUAN STORY One of our Best

the 405, this family-owned bbq joint creates

tion plus a delectable array of gourmet grilled

suite of tempting cocktails, wines and spirits.

New Restaurants 2020, features authentic

consistently delicious barbecue: ribs, brisket,

cheeses and melts; this relaxation destination

6437 Avondale, OKC, 842.1000 $$$

Szechuan dishes and noodle house specialties

sandwiches and sides, plus indulgent des-

in the Plaza District stays popular. 1630 N

with stellar, friendly service. 2800 N. Classen

serts. 8317 S. Western, OKC, 759.3500 $$

Blackwelder, OKC, 601.1400 $

David Henry serves modern American cuisine

JIMMY B’S CULINARY + KRAFTED

Blvd., Ste. 108, OKC, 604.4880 $$

New to Automobile Alley, this new Hal Smith Restaurant Group concept is distinctive,

BAKERY

BREAKFAST & BRUNCH

featuring steak, sushi, Southern comforts

NIC’S GRILL This is the one everyone talks about, including Guy Fieri. Ask a local where to get a burger, they’re going to say

like deviled eggs and chicken salad, an

GANACHE PATISSERIE Yes, they’re

CAFÉ ANTIGUA Authentic Guatemalan

Nic’s. It’s a classic onion burger, yet somehow

outstanding whiskey selection, and some of

also chocolatiers, but the pastries, baked

food in OKC, with traditional dishes like

much more. 1201 N Penn, OKC, 524.0999 $$

the city’s best cocktails. 1225 N. Broadway

treats, pies and cakes at Ganache are made

motuleños, machaca, and refried black beans.

Ave., OKC, 676.8250 $$$

by a husband-wife chef team who understand

Full coffee service is available, and you’ll want

food as art. As beautiful as they are delicious,

extra green sauce. 1903 N. Classen Blvd., OKC,

KITCHEN NO. 324 A seasonally inspired

the food at this Chisholm Creek patisserie is

602.8984 $$

café and craft bakery serving rustic American

one of OKC’s best indulgences. 13230 Pawnee

cuisine for lunch and dinner. It’s a thorough

Dr., Ste. 114, OKC, 286.4068 $$

COFFEEHOUSE & TEA ROOM CLARITY COFFEE The space is crisp,

LOS COMALES This Stockyards taqueria

cool and comfortable – including seating for

isn’t only a breakfast joint, but the breakfast

sipping or getting work done – and the brew-

LA BAGUETTE Comfortable ambience

tacos ought to be far more popular than they

ers have their beverages down to a science.

and exquisite baking make a tres chic

are. Big portions and explosive flavors make

431 W Main, OKC, 252.0155 $

SCRATCH Isn’t that the best place for food

destination for brunch and beyond. 1130

this place a favorite among taco-heads, and

to come from? Top-of-the-line ingredients are

Rambling Oaks, Norman, 329.1101; 2100 W

the pork verde is easily among the best in

ELEMENTAL COFFEE Spectacular

combined into carefully concocted entrees,

Main, Norman, 329.5822 $

OKC. 1504 S. Agnew, OKC, 272.4739 $

coffee roasted in-house, augmented with

treat for breakfast or brunch. 324 N Robinson, OKC, 763.5911 $$

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L O C A L

F L AV O R

Wings with mac ‘n’ cheese at Magnolia Bistro

locally sourced salads, breakfast options

LA BAGUETTE BISTRO Les Freres

with butter chicken, delicious curries, basmati

friends, amid stylish scenery. The weekend

and other vegetarian and vegan friendly

Buthion has deep roots in the city’s culinary

rice, and fresh naan. You won’t find a buffet

brunch offerings are especially superb. 1201 N

treats and entrees. 815 N Hudson, OKC,

landscape. This flagship combines fine dining

in the building, but you get complimentary

Walker, OKC, 235.2200 $$$

633.1703 $

with a great bakery, deli and butcher on site.

tea with every meal. 4621 N. May, OKC,

7408 N May, OKC, 840.3047 $$$

778.8469 $$

T, AN URBAN TEAHOUSE Proving an establishment’s focus can be at once

VICTORIA’S A relaxed atmosphere for enjoying superb pasta – the chicken

GERMAN

ITALIAN

lasagna and linguine with snow crab are especially excellent. 215 E. Main, Norman,

narrow and broad, these retreats offer over 100 varieties and expert counsel to explore

DAS BOOT CAMP Longtime Deutsch

GABRIELLA’S ITALIAN GRILL The

a world of possibili-teas. 519 NW 23rd, OKC,

fixture Royal Bavaria brews up exceptional

current “Best Italian” according to 405 read-

606.7005 $

cuisine and magnificent beer in a less

ers, Gabriella’s specializes in rustic Italian

expensive, faster-paced location in

like pizza, hearty pasta sauces, and lasagne.

downtown Norman. 229 E Main, Norman,

An eclectic wine list adds to the experience.

MEDITERRANEAN IMPORTS &

701.3748 $

1226 NE 23rd, OKC, 478.4955 $$

DELI The menu is stocked with authentic,

menu reflects the availability of elite-quality,

ROYAL BAVARIA Superb takes on

PATRONO Not only is Chef Jonathan

a mini-grocery stocked with select staples.

locally sourced ingredients - but every dish is

traditional dishes like Wienerschnitzel,

Krell’s food some of the best in OKC, the

5620 N May, OKC, 810.9494 $$

the result of genuine culinary artistry. 805 N

Jagerbraten and sausages, plus fantastisc

service at Patrono is professional, friendly

Hudson, OKC, 778.6800 $$$

house-brewed beers. The time spent is a

and seamless. Krell is as adept at seafood

NUNU’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFÉ

worthy investment. 3401 S Sooner, Moore,

as pasta and chops, so it’s impossible to

If there is another place in the metro to get

799.7666 $$$

go wrong with this stunning menu. 305 N

hashwa, we don’t know of it, and if you’ve

Walker, OKC, 702.7660 $$$

never had it, go to Nunu’s immediately. The

CONTINENTAL LUDIVINE The constant adjustments to its

THE METRO A perennial favorite that

INDIAN

FRENCH FAIT MAISON Classic French cuisine and

popular Lebanese dish is the main draw, but SPARROW Chefs Jeff Holloway and Joel

the traditional favorites—kabobs, tabouli and

MISAL OF INDIA A Norman institution

Wingate have put together superb Italian

hummus—are also excellent. 6165 N. May,

for over 30 years, specializing in tan-

dining in Edmond with this sleek, modern

OKC, 751.7000 $$

doori-cooked delicacies and boasting healthy,

space. The agnolotti is house made for an

natural, delicious cuisine served. 580 Ed Noble

elegant, delicious dish, and the pepperoni

QUEEN OF SHEBA Practically the

Pkwy, Norman, 579.5600 $$

pizza and 100-layer lasagna are a must. 507

definitive example of a hidden treasure, the

S Blvd, Edmond, 815.3463 $$$

spicy, vegan-friendly menu of Ethiopian

vichyssoise to crème brulée. 6418 N Western, OKC, 840.9463 $$$

MEDITERRANEAN & AFRICAN

quick and savory options, and there’s even

feels comfortably upscale, the far-reaching menu covers culinary high points from

329.0377; 3000 SW 104th, OKC, 759.3580 $$

an excellent wine list in a beautiful setting at this Edmond gem. Foie gras, frog legs,

SHEESH MAHAL While billed as a com-

venison, and escargot – it’s the real thing. 152

bination of Pakistani and Indian cuisine, the

STELLA A luscious spate of authentic Ital-

be prepared to linger. 2308 N MacArthur, OKC,

E. 5th St. #3832, Edmond, 509.2555 $$$$

menu will be familiar to fans of Indian food,

ian tastes for a romantic dinner or night with

606.8616 $$

delights awaits the bold. Bring friends and

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L O C A L

L ATIN AMERICAN

F L AV O R

Chimichurri pork chops are the easy part of

PIZZERIA GUSTO Neapolitan-style

still famous for their “mac and cheese.” The

the menu, but the bombastic flavors are in the

pizza (which uses an extremely hot fire

menu runs the spectrum from healthy vegan

CAFÉ KACAO A sunlit space filled

pastelitos (similar to empanadas) and pickled

to quickly cook superfine flour crusts)

to comfort food, and the bar serves excellent

with bright, vibrant flavors from the zesty

veggies. 3001 N. May Ave., OKC, 673.7678 $$

stars alongside Italy-inspired entrees,

cocktails, beer and wine. 1211 SW 2nd, OKC,

pastas and appetizers. 2415 N Walker, OKC,

820-9599 $$

traditions of Guatemala. Lunch possibilities beckon, but it’s the breakfast specialties that

PIZZA

truly dazzle. 3325 N Classen, OKC, 602.2883 $$ EMPIRE SLICE HOUSE This was

437.4992 $$

PLANT BASED AND VEGE TARIAN

SOUL FOOD/SOUTHERN

EL FOGON DE EDGAR Colombian food

the city’s first by-the-slice pizzeria, but you

made from family recipes is the heart of this

can also get full pies, giant meatballs, fresh

PLANT The Midtown restaurant features

draw, but Chef Dwayne Johnson’s gumbo,

hidden gem. A bowl of aji verde accompanies

salads, and a great selection of cocktails and

beautiful, creative vegan cuisine – including

etouffee, and catfish round out a Southern

every meal and should be ladled liberally

local beer. The full menu is also available late

ice cream – for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

menu with Louisiana spice. 2113 S. Air Depot,

on nearly everything, including flank steak,

night inside or on the excellent patio. 1804

Food is fresh, smoothies are made without

MWC, 931-2147 $$

morcilla, arroz con pollo and patacones. 7220

NW 16th, OKC, 557.1760 $

ice, and flavor is the focus. A small selection

S Western, OKC, 602.6497 $$ HIDEAWAY PIZZA If you’ve been serv-

BRIELLE’S BISTRO Blueberry beignets are the

of beer and wine is also available. 1120 N.

FLORENCE’S For more than 60 years,

Walker, OKC, 225.1314 $$

this eastside eatery has been serving

FONDA K-TRACHA Honduran cuisine

ing a devoted following for over half a century,

isn’t as well known as other Central American

you’re doing something right. In this case,

THE LOADED BOWL The food truck

tangy greens, and all the country cooking

dishes in OKC, but this breakfast, lunch

that’s incredible pizza in jovial surroundings. 8

turned brick and mortar helped pioneer

associated with soul food. Don’t leave

and dinner joint could help change that.

metro locations, hideawaypizza.com $$

vegan comfort food in the metro, and they’re

without trying the pear pie. 1437 NE 23rd,

crispy fried chicken, hearty meatloaf,

OKC, 427.3663 $$

Black Walnut’s cast iron strip, one of Chef Andrew Black’s three Deep Deuce concepts.

SOUTHWESTERN CHEEVER’S Southwestern-influenced recipes (the chicken-fried steak is a house specialty) and love of seafood drive the contemporary comfort food in one of the city’s finest dining destinations. 2409 N Hudson, OKC, 525.7007 $$ HACIENDA TACOS Quality, of both ingredients and execution, and variety make this restaurant in Northpark a pleasure to visit, and to explore the menu again and again.

12086 N May, OKC, 254.3140 $$

STEAKHOUSE BOULEVARD STEAKHOUSE Perfectly soigné ambiance down to the last detail and cuisine easily in the metro’s elite – a sumptuous, if pricy, masterpiece. 505 S Boulevard, Edmond, 715.2333 $$$ CATTLEMEN’S Almost as old as the state itself, this Oklahoma institution’s immense corn-fed steaks and matchless atmosphere are history served anew each day. 1309 S Agnew, OKC, 236.0416 $$ MAHOGANY PRIME STEAKHOUSE The ambiance and service are sublime, yet fine aged steak broiled to perfection is the star. 3241 W Memorial, OKC, 748.5959; 100 W Main, OKC, 208.8800 $$$

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Ever Evolving Selection 300 W. Wilshire Blvd., OKC 405.242.2227 | @artisantilestudio

Home Dreaming in Color Bring the garden inside this month with brightly colored flowers, calming green tableware and sumptuous, homemade breads for a warm gathering.

R A C HE L M A U CIE R I

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Gathering Season Celebrate spring with a small (for now) event B Y S A R A G A E WAT E R S PHOTO BY R ACHEL MAUCIERI LEFT: Green-flecked plates with emerald glassware, taper candles and scattered fruit give the table an organic feel.

BELOW:An apple tart sits atop a sage colored cake plate giving guests a sense of spring’s arrival.

athering means more to us now than ever. Seeing people around our table is important, and we’ve all missed it.

While we continue to navigate the “when and how” of reuniting, spring is a natural time to bring people together. Maybe we aren’t having big garden parties yet, but there is no reason you can’t create one inside around your table in a smaller, more intimate fashion.

It’s easily achievable.

Think bright colors for your flowers arranged in whimsical terracotta pots, tucking in moss around the base to give the appearance of your

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outside garden having been shuffled into your home from the patio. Bring out your beautiful china plates, or maybe go and treat yourself to a new set.

Bright green flecked plates grace the table here with beautiful emerald-green glassware, and taper candles in a calm sage hue help set the scene and mood. Fresh bread with dipping sauces, olives and scattered fruit also give an organic feel to the table. Vintage monogrammed linens are draped over the chairs, and apple tarts are set atop cake stands to remind diners to save room for dessert.

Crowding the table with all these beautiful things creates a feeling of closeness, no matter how many guests are around the table. Keep entertaining and gathering in the most responsible ways ... and linger a little longer with those around you.

Plates, serving pieces, glasses, terracotta pots and candlestick holders all courtesy of Fanny Bolen Interiors.

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405.529.6800 | newleafcenters.com 1081 N BRYANT AVE, EDMOND, OK 73034

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LEFT: Hayley Owen, left, and Lindsay Zodrow make the duo Yo, Bro. BELOW: Yo, Bro designs hand-painted murals with its “signature colors” – a collection of earthy and pastel aesthetics.

Inspiration and Collaboration In Conversation With … Yo, Bro! B Y S A R A G A E WAT E R S PHOTOS BY R ACHEL MAUCIERI

I’m thrilled to introduce the two women behind Yo, Bro: Lindsay Zodrow and Hayley Owen pack a powerful punch, not only in personality, but in their shared mural and sign painting business. Incredible murals, hand-painted signs, windows and other work – these two bring joy to our city through their art and talents in formats large and small. Let’s get to know them a little.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN STORY OF YO, BRO?

We actually met while working for our dear friend Allison Fleck of Juniper Designs, a florist. We hit it off as we discovered the many friendships that we shared but, comically, I left our first meeting thinking she was too weird for me (which is saying something because I am pretty odd); she left our meeting to go home and tell her husband that she had this weird feeling that we were going to collaborate in the future. I am so glad she was right.

ZODROW:

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Our friendship began with Hayley sharing her love and experience with embroidery with me, and then slowly developed into mural and sign painting. We have both admired this art form from afar, but never imagined that we would be doing it for a career. We decided to call it Yo, Bro as kind of a tongue- in-cheek nod to being two women in a heavily male-dominated industry.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A COMPANY? OWEN: Definitely color. We challenge each other here because Lindsay opts for cleaner tones and I always choose muddier colors, but we find ways to blend those to where we are both in love with the palette. Florals make it into a lot of our work, as do our “signature colors” (rusty orange, mustard yellow, peaches and blushes, seafoam blues and greens), but we also love the challenge of making each piece reflective of the business or home we are designing it for — that keeps us always stretching ourselves artistically.

I N

C O N V E R S AT I O N

W I T H

CONTRACTOR • TILING SERVICES

Echo Tile and Stone Full Kitchen & Bath Remodel 405.905.5982 120 SW 11th St. Moore, OK 73160 Randy, Dalon and Elizabeth Valadez

One of Yo, Bro’s designs is found at August & Omi beauty salon in Uptown OKC.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WORKING AND LIVING IN OKC?

It is the people of Oklahoma that have rooted me to this place. For the most part, the kindness of strangers is genuine, and there seems to be a deep desire for people to succeed.

At least, that has been my experience. As I have gotten older, I have watched a lot of my friends speak about a deep desire to live out in the country and have more land. My version of that is living downtown. Being able to live a full day without getting in my car, and instead walking to a meeting or to my local coffee shop, is a dream.

There is something special to me about being so close to where so much happens in our city. I have always been inspired by the buildings downtown, the history they hold and the potential that they have. Getting to share that with my kids has been so incredible.

ZODROW:

OW EN: I love how supportive and encouraging the art community has been for us here in OKC. Rather than it feeling like a competition, it feels like a community that is willing to share tips, provide referrals and ask one another for help on large projects — that’s really awesome, and I don’t know that it is typical. I think that’s pretty unique to OKC.

FAVORITE OKC SPOT? ZODROW: Whenever a friend is trying to meet people in a new city, I tell them to find a local coffee shop and start hanging out there. To me, a coffee shop is a community hub and an easy place to slowly be known. So, my favorite place or places in OKC are the coffee shops here.

Each one – Elemental, Stitch, Clarity, Sincerely Coffee and Coffee Slingers – are different versions of an adult clubhouse tree fort. I rarely leave one without seeing someone I know. If I am honest, that is the main reason I go. It is my version of therapy. No matter what the day holds, by getting coffee, someone will say my name and know me, if only for a second.

OWEN: We spend a lot of time at Porch Art Supply — it is kind of a hidden gem, and where we prefer to buy all of our supplies. I can spend a lot of time perusing aisles full of art supplies!

OKC also has so many great restaurants. Pre-pandemic, my family enjoyed breakfast every weekend at Syrup. I’m also a big fan of Cafe Antigua and Sheesh Mahal.

COMING MAY 2021

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The New Vintage Ivy and Mark Pierce share appreciations for antiques, heirlooms and design in their ‘grand millennial’ home

BY E VIE KLOPP HOLZER PHOTOS BY R ACHEL MAUCIERI

Ivy and Mark Pierce are similar in a “green” kind of way. He’s a landscape architect, while she loves using botanicals and all shades of green in her interior designs.

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D E S I G N

erhaps design professionals Ivy and Mark Pierce were designed for each other. The two maintain interests, careers and family histories that are strikingly similar. As a landscape architect, Mark Pierce creates outdoor spaces that are beautiful and functional.

Ivy Pierce also creates beautiful, functional spaces for clients, but she works inside the home as an interior designer.

Both attended the University of Oklahoma, where they often noticed each other walking the College of Architecture halls. When Ivy hopped into a Norman taxi one night after a party and found Mark already sitting inside, it was as if fate nudged them to date.

“In college, so many guys would tease me, ‘Your major is coloring and playing with pillows,’” Ivy Pierce says. “Mark understood my career path. He had respect for what I was doing.”

After five years of dating, the two married.

“She’s a good, whole-hearted woman, and we both cherish family and design,” Mark Pierce says. “That’s when I knew she was a keeper.”

The millennial couple’s design skills came in handy in 2014, when they started searching for a home to make their own.

“Like Ivy, I can visualize, when we walk into a space, how making small changes will change the whole look and feel of the place,” he says. As they were driving down NW 60 Street, after touring another house that wouldn’t work, they noticed

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a homeowner placing a “For Sale” sign in the lawn. Homes in Belle Isle were selling quickly, so they immediately pulled over to look.

“We could see ourselves in this home, so we made an offer the next day,” Ivy Pierce says. “At 8 a.m., it went on the market.

By noon, it was ours.”

The Pierces replaced the mismatched floors in the dining, living and kitchen areas with gray-stained red oak. They also took out a few walls to open the living space. The couple has collaborated on every project to fashion their ideal home, and it remains a continual process.

“With Ivy, I don’t know if you ever get it perfectly right,” Mark Pierce says. “It’s the same with landscaping. I’ll do a design and the job may not be installed for a few months.

My brain is always thinking about it, so the design is always evolving. The same goes with interiors. Whether you see stuff online or around town, you think, ‘Oh I could do that.’

That’s why Ivy is always buying furniture at estate sales and rearranging our home.”

Ivy Pierce described their style as traditional with an eclectic twist. The Pierce home features rugs they personally picked out while traveling India and paintings sourced from local artists Marjorie Wetwiska and the late Michi Susan. The colorful rural scene by Susan reminds Ivy Pierce of her grandmother’s farm outside of Fort Worth, and was one of the first things the Pierces purchased for their home. Meaningful art and

Ivy Pierce relates her style to the “Grand Millennial” – a younger demographic drawn to traditional décor, such as floral curtains, needlepoint pillows and Chinoiserie.

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HOME

RIGHT: Rose Medallion China is one of many collections scattered throughout the Pierce home.

FAR RIGHT: Modern marble tilework and gold hardware update the original 1960s built-ins.

BELOW: Ivy Pierce purchased these Belgian glass pendants at High Point Market long before they bought this house.

The Pierce home features rugs they personally picked out while traveling India and paintings sourced from local artists Marjorie Wetwiska and the late Michi Susan.

travel finds are paired with pieces from the ’60s and ’70s, as well as French antiques.

“I read this article about what is being called the ‘grand millennial,’ a younger generation loving that older traditional style,” she says. “There’s a resurgence of floral curtains, needlepoint pillows and Chinoiserie. I thought, ‘That’s me to a T.’” Beloved hand-me-downs bring stories of past generations into the home. The Pierces share a common inheritance – an appreciation for antiques, passed down from their grandmothers. Ivy Pierce’s “Memaw,” Ann Moore, took her to estate sales as a child.

She said she adored the experience. Now, as a young mother, she and one-year-old daughter Heidi hunt treasures every weekend, keeping the family tradition alive.

“It definitely runs in the genes,” she says, and attends sales regularly as a hobby, building her own personal collections of Rose Medallion China, English Staffordshire and Chinese Fu dogs, bamboo furnishings and vintage heavy cigarette lighters. She also finds plenty of whimsical accents to embellish her clients’ 76

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D E S I G N

ABOVE: The Pierces’ newly renovated patio provides the perfect setting for a party. In the background, Mark Pierce installed a jasmine vine and trellis to cover the wall in the coming years.

RIGHT: Ivy and Mark Pierce are pictured with their daughter Heidi. (Photo by Ivy Pierce)

bookshelves. “I’m a major hoarder of accessories. I just grab whatever grabs me.”

Likewise, Mark Pierce grew up watching his grandmother, Betty Lou Lee Upsher, collect and sell vintage wares. She passed away 20 years ago, and her belongings are now a special part of many homes in the family. Today, her silver antique fire extinguisher sits on the Pierces’ fireplace.

“I remember that piece being in her home,” Mark Pierce says. “My grandmother furnished her house with antique furniture and cool Persian rugs, and her house was warm and inviting as well. It wasn’t like everything was so fragile the kids couldn’t come in and have fun.”

Mark Pierce says he and Ivy keep entertaining and comfort in mind as they make design decisions.

Last spring, they completely renovated the backyard – they tore down the pergola, excavated 17 tons of dirt and installed turf. The project couldn’t have reached completion at a better time. When Oklahomans shifted to socializing outdoors during the COVID pandemic, the Pierces were grateful for a new backyard to enjoy with friends.

The Pierces are also similar in a “green” kind of way. Ivy Pierce is drawn to floral patterns and colors such as chartreuse and emerald, as seen in their furniture and window treatments. Even the nursery has green – a soft pastel ceiling layered behind a white garden trellis. Mark Pierce, meanwhile, works with greens every day as he selects specific trees, shrubs and flowers to complement a home.

“Because my yard is relatively small and I have a retaining wall, I play off those lines – and the lines of the home – to define the patio space and the yard,” he says. He planted boxwoods to visually separate the two elements. Jasmine vines, trained to grow along a geometric-shaped trellis, add interest to a white brick wall. “I want the space to flow, and I want it to age well.”

The Pierces build on their commonalities as they make the transition from one life chapter to another.

These days, the home is extra lively, playing host to their rambunctious little girl, Heidi, two German shepherds and a cat.

“We’ve literally grown up in this house,” Ivy Pierce says. “We’ve gone from the phase of going out to the bars and having parties late at night, to having wine on the back porch with our friends with babies. The home has evolved with us.”

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PROMOTION

Family Owned and Locally Grown Colton Thompson grew up in the car business in the rural Oklahoma town of Sulphur. After graduating from Oklahoma State University he pursued a career in the car business that brought him to Oklahoma City. Years later, while working for a local credit union as VP of Lending and Collections, he met Chelsea.

“My grandpa sold Fords in Sulphur, where I’m from, and her family was in the car business, too,” Thompson said. After working together in their family’s business, Colton and Chelsea branched out and purchased Oklahoma City Volkswagen in April of 2017.

The couple – now with two kids and shop-dog Zoe – work in the dealership every day. The family-owned, local touch is important to the Thompsons.

“I believe you support the community that supports you,” Colton said. “That comes through in our commitment to giving back through backpack programs, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and Christmas for Kids parties. I also think that when you

support local, you’re supporting a local family, providing income and means to make the community better.”

The Thompsons pride themselves in selling cars in a way that respects their customers; they are neighbors, after all.

“People just don’t like the process of buying a car,” Colton said. “But here, because we’ve been transparent with them, treated them like they’re our neighbors, when they leave, our customers say it’s like no other car buying experience they’ve had.”

That approach has gained them a Dealer of the Year nod in Oklahoma City, and very high scores in customer experience both in sales and service departments. Their excitement for the brand catches on with their customers, too.

“I love selling Volkswagen,” Colton said.

“It seems everyone has a story – a friend, family member, college buddy – who had a Beetle. It’s a great culture, and we’re thrilled to be part of the story.”

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Moving Vision Op and Kinetic Art from the 1960s and 1970s

Experience the mind-bending illusions in our new exhibition!

Tadasky (Tadasuke Kuwayama) (American, born Japan 1935) C-182 (detail), 1965, Acrylic on canvas, 56 x 56 in. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Museum purchase with funds from the Beaux Arts

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Society Fund for Acquisitions and the Pauline Morrison Ledbetter Collections Endowment, 2016.064 © Tadasuke Kuwayama

Out & About

In High Spirits OK Nice Cream creates cannabis treats across Oklahoma. Page 84

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OUT & ABOUT

Behind the Seams Nash makes a splash on the athleisure fashion scene

BY BR ANDON KING

n the span of one year, what began as a college project has evolved into Edmond’s latest clothing line, Nash Engineered Fashion.

The athleisure fashion collection – a multipurpose line of hybrid apparel made to be worn during athletic events and any social occasion – was launched on Dec. 24 by owners Tamra Gould and Juan Aguilar, a married couple gaining attention in local fashion.

The idea began while Gould, 23, was in her final year at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, and her senior art project was to develop a clothing collection with a concept.

Gould chose to create a line of athleisure inspired by her great-great-grandfather Lewis H. Nash, an early 20th century engineering pioneer.

Nash founded the Nash Engineering Company in 1905, beginning an engineering legacy for Gould’s family. Though she never developed an interest in the profession per se, she chose to utilize engineering aspects for more artistic ventures, creating what would become prototypes for the clothing brand’s future collection.

Before Gould was set to graduate last spring with a degree in fashion design, she was offered a job in New York City as a fashion designer with Nike. In May, she received news that, due to the pandemic, the offer was rescinded.

Gould moved back to her hometown of Edmond with husband Aguilar, a motiongraphic student at the same university, to live in her parents’ house after graduation.

“We decided to make our own brand off what I already started during my senior collection and continue it on,” Gould says. “That’s when Nash turned into a brand.”

The newly formed Nash team, composed only of Gould and Aguilar, converted an upstairs area of Gould’s parents’ home into a design, manufacturing and photography studio. Combining their life savings, they obtained industrial equipment

Nash Fashion, located in Edmond, is Oklahoma’s new athleisure clothing line.

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PHOTOS PROVIDED BY NASH FASHION, LLC

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and screen printers. Gould found machines similar to what were used in college, which had been operated under the supervision of professors and technicians.

The order arrived on an 18-wheeler from Los Angeles, disassembled and without any instructions.

“From May until mid-December, we were teaching ourselves everything we could about these massive machines. A lot of YouTube videos, for sure,” Gould chuckles. “Anything we could learn about these machines and the screen-printing process – threading the machine, oiling the engine, designing full concepts – we taught ourselves.”

In those seven months, the two adapted the brand’s athleisure style to expand on Gould’s original concept, designing various prototypes and working as long as 14 hours a day.

“I’m 23 years old and I have a back brace from all this,” Gould says.

Nash’s current clothing line features a blend of monochromatic or fluorescent-painted items and sets of clothing including unisex joggers, bucket hats and t-shirts, each designed with the distinctive Nash logo, either in bold print or a spray paint aesthetic.

While athleisure is the premise, smart garments – innovative clothing design using advanced textiles and interwoven circuitry – are the goal. The team is developing a “fashion with a purpose” style of clothing, including a shirt created for cyclists with lights on the back to signal turns or stops to other motorists, as well as a pandemic-inspired, temperature-gauging garment alerting the wearer of a fever.

They drew influence from a fashion trend seen particularly in the university gym – the place where they first met.

“When we worked at the gym together, we were surrounded by this activewear style, something we both enjoyed seeing and being in,” Aguilar says. “We wanted to create something that hasn’t been done much, which is a type of streetwear you can wear to be fashionable while being active.”

One of their top priorities is to use all fabric available, leaving nothing to waste.

“Throughout college, we were taught that the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries on the planet,” Gould says. “We’re looking to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”

Once they develop a prototype, Gould and Aguilar give samples to people whose advice and perspective they trust, including Hanna Northcutt, one of Gould’s longtime friends. Northcutt works as a marketing and advertising consultant at The Physicians Group in Oklahoma City, and has provided Gould and Aguilar with social media strategies and business advice.

“I’m hoping I’m their No. 1 client,” Northcutt laughs. “Seeing the prototypes go to where they are

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Athleisure fashion provides a look that adapts easily to the gym or to everyday activities.

Tamra Gould and Juan Aguilar of Nash Fashion.

@nashfash on Instagram

now, it’s unlike any clothing out there; not only because of their dedication to perfecting the product, but because of how inclusive they are to more than one body type. It’s the personal touches that you wouldn’t find in a factory-made piece that keep me coming back.”

Gould and Aguilar plan to add more people to the team as the business grows. Their dream is to be their own clothing manufacturer, designing all garments on location and expanding further into smart clothing. Until then, Gould and Aguilar continue to be transparent in their process.

“We want to reconnect our consumers to the products by being transparent, giving people a behind-the-seams look, literally,” Gould says.

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OUT & ABOUT

Cannabis Cravings The cool, tasty, medicinal cannabis of OK Nice Cream B Y B R A N D O N K I N G | P H O T O S B Y R A C H E L WAT E R S

klahoma now leads the nation in dispensaries per capita, with more than 9,000 licensed marijuana businesses, according to Politico. A survey published by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority in May 2020 reported nearly 300,000 licensed medicinal marijuana users partake in a variety of cannabis delivery methods – vaporizers, tinctures, pills and edibles.

And then there’s cannabis-infused ice cream.

One of the state’s top sellers of this sweet, creamy yumminess is OK Nice Cream, the brainchild of Todd Fischer, Derrell Morgan and Peggi McAlister.

Edibles in the current market operate with a quantity-over-quality mentality, said Fischer, a trend that he and his OK Nice Cream partners set out to undo.

Formed in July 2018, the company was established with the goal of creating the most palatable method for medicinal marijuana. To do that would require the best, most authentic ice cream in Oklahoma.

“We’re trying to make the greatest ice cream you’ve ever had in your life that just so happens to have medication in it,” Fischer says. “Since we’re targeted on the idea of helping people through medication, we know people are focused on the delivery system, so we wanted a delivery system to be a smooth, creamy-tasting one.”

“I’ve heard so many positive testimonials, including people dealing with opioids or going through chemo, like my dad; he has stage four esophageal cancer,” Morgan says. “He says it tastes like ice cream back when he was a kid, and it helps with the pain.”

The marijuana ice cream company first garnered attention through its original marijuana-infused ice cream flavors – coffee, chocolate and a cold-pressed coffee – which eliminated the typical bitter taste of the active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, using a combination of culinary arts and chemistry.

Products including ice cream, fruit bars and even THC butter are the creation of Todd Fischer, co-owner and production manager; or, as Morgan calls him, “The Heisenberg of OK Nice Cream,” a reference to the protagonist in AMC’s “Breaking Bad.” The business formed one month after Oklahoma became the 30th state to legalize the medical use of cannabis on June 26, 2018. Before State Question 788 was up for a vote, Fischer and Morgan worked

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together in the kitchen of The Silver Spoon, a gourmet American restaurant in Lawton.

Leading up to the medical marijuana legalization vote, employees of the Silver Spoon asked one another how they would cast their ballot. Fischer – a culinary-school-trained chef and marijuana dabbler – understood that Morgan – a former U.S. Marine and ex-911 operator for the City of Lawton – didn’t feel the same; however, inklings of the ice cream business were already forming in Fischer’s imagination. He knew that the dichotomy between Morgan’s straightlaced nature and his chemistry, along with a

OK Nice Cream offers a variety of marijuana-infused treats including ice cream bars, fruit bars, and different sizes of ice cream.

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OK Nice Cream PO Box 2743 Lawton, OK 73502 oknicecream.com

We’re trying to make the greatest ice cream you’ve ever had in your life that just so happens to have medication in it.”

culinary-based knowledge of cannabis, would create a sustainable business with built-in checks and balances. All Fischer had to do was convince Morgan to go along with it.

“About once an hour, I would send a waitress to him, tap him on the shoulder and ask how he was going to vote. Every time, he told them he’d vote no,” Fischer says. “After three hours, I could hear him hollering in the back, ‘Todd, you’re driving me insane! I hate you potheads!’ which prompted me to send someone every 30 minutes.”

Eventua lly, Fischer convinced Morgan by getting him to taste his homemade THC ice cream, similar to what is sold in varying sizes of OK Nice Cream. Morgan agreed to the business under one condition. “‘If we can follow every rule in Oklahoma while making a product this good, then I’m in,’” Morgan says. “And I’ve been in ever since.”

Fischer and Morgan brought on Morgan’s sister, Peggi McAlister, as a third member to handle marketing for the new cannabis ice cream business.

OK Nice Cream continues to experiment with new flavors and products, soon to include chocolates and gummies.

A 1938 photo of a home at 732 NE 20th St. in Lincoln Terrace neighborhood. The architecture reflects the area’s wealth of Mediterranean-style homes, a favorite of America’s wealthy in the 1920s and 1930s.

In Grand Style History sparkles in a civic jewel

BY BR ANDON KING

he list of those who have lived in the historic neighborhood of Lincoln Terrace reads like an encyclopedia of the state’s prominent, and sometimes infamous or aberrant, past. For longtime residents like Samonia Byford, they are neighbors as well as icons.

Byford, 45, is the distribution manager for Noksi Press, a small Cherokee publishing firm out of Oklahoma City. For 15 years, she was a board member of the Friends of the Oklahoma History Center, serving as treasurer and president in previous terms.

She grew up on 623 Culbertson Drive, the house her mother, Mary Ellen Meredith, still lives in today.

“As a kid, we loved our house, though it was a bit shabby in some ways, so we fixed it up,” Byford says. “We used to take swimming lessons at the Faculty House when they had a swimming pool and watched parades near the State Capitol, but there weren’t a lot of kids in the neighborhood back then; not like it is now with families and children everywhere. It’s a whole new game now.”

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The legacy of Lincoln Terrace spans the lifetime of statehood, encompassing everything from opulence to dereliction to preservation.

What became Lincoln Terrace originally was a southeast section of land donated by John J. Culbertson, located near the newly built State Capitol building in 1917. By 1920, Oklahoma became the oil capital of the country.

“This was the heyday of the Roaring ’20s and the oil boom in Oklahoma, and many of the residences reflect the taste of the period,” says historian Kenny A. Franks, Director of Education and Publication at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

The area became home to political leaders, rich oilmen and people of influence. Byford’s childhood home, a sandy, brick, four-square house with Spanish tile roofing, once belonged to Oklahoma Gov. Roy J. Turner – the 13th governor of Oklahoma who helped establish the state turnpike system and the college board of regents. Turner lived in the home prior to moving into the Governor’s Mansion in 1947.

Across the street sits a dark red brick home with a Tudor roof and cut stone entry. Owners of the home from 1932 to 1934 were relatives of Winnie Mae Fain, whose name is synonymous with famed

pilot Wiley Post and his Lockheed Vega airplane. The Winnie Mae was named for the daughter of F. C. Hall, the original owner of the plane and a close friend of Post.

This historical serendipity, along with the cultural culmination of architecture ranging from Mediterranean and Colonial to Georgian Revival and Prairie style, is not unusual for Lincoln Terrace. It’s a lasting remnant of the neighborhood’s origins.

“It was a short-lived period of financial wheeling and dealing during the oil boom in which millionaires were made overnight,” Franks wrote in his 1974 book, An Historical Evaluation of the Capitol-Lincoln Terrace Historical Preservation Area. “However, it came to a sudden halt for many during the depression of the 1930s.”

After four decades of disrepair and economic abandonment, Lincoln Terrace was designated a Historic Preservation District in 1974. Since then, people have returned to the neighborhood, renovating the interiors of the homes.

In 2004, Byford returned to Lincoln Terrace and bought a home on NE 14 Street, a mile east of her mother’s home.

“It’s a nice treasure in an unexpected spot,” Byford says. It’s a sentiment shared by author James Edwin Alexander, who in June 1993 wrote, “Lying, as it does, at the doorstep of the State Capitol and protecting the beauty of the Capitol’s southern approach from commercial encroachment, the Lincoln Terrace neighborhood is one of the ‘crown jewels’ of the city and state.”

P H O T O C O UR T E S Y O K L A H O M A HI S T O R Y C E N T E R A ND T HE O K L A H O M A N

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LAST LAUGH

Mask Maker, Mask Maker Make me a mask

BY L AUREN ROTH

In March 2020, I couldn’t have told you what an N95 mask is. By March 2021, I’ve got a crate of N95s in my garage. Now that we’ve been living under masks for a year (and I’ve got the sweat mustache to prove it), it’s a good time to see what we’ve learned. Who knew such a simple preventive measure would stir up so much controversy?

I’ll announce early in this article that I’m not the mask police … but I’ll judge all day.

Since the early days, back when COVID still had that new pandemic smell, we’ve seen a clear delineation between maskers and what I’ll call “strappers.” If you’re wearing a mask over the nose, you’re a masker – great job! If you’re wearing it under your nose, someone has sold you a chin strap.

You’re a strapper. Anyone who’s had (or seen) a nasal swab COVID test knows there’s a reason the swab is taken via the nose: It’s the point of entry for the virus!

By week two of compulsory masking, my Facebook and Insta feeds spun into high gear to keep pace with the evolution of the mask market, an overnight industry that no one had previously thought much about until it was time to sand their hardwood floors or watch their kid play soccer on any Oklahoma field in March. The steady stream of mask ads taught me that I was going to need something much cuter than an N95 to get to the other side of this pandemic. By May, I was thoughtfully matching my masks to my outfits.

Your own year of masking may have revealed – or unmasked – some harder lessons. Topping that list: “Maskne” is real, people! Under my cute,

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color-coordinated mask, I am sweating like it’s my job. My under-mask skin is now as acne-prone as my skin from age 13, albeit with more wrinkles. Fortunately, just as it allows me to walk around with food between my teeth, my mask covers the resulting maskne.

If you wear glasses, your daily struggle is keeping your lenses from fogging up because of the Houston-like environment your mask creates.

I’ve had multiple conversations with maskers in glasses whose eyes I never saw. It’s off-putting. Once again, industry has stepped in to help you recognize a need you never knew you had until now: an under-mask spacer that prevents your lenses from fogging up. The bad news is that it looks like a pig’s snout, so you’ll want to pull your mask all the way up, Babe.

In the neighborhood Facebook group, several folks asked walkers to wear masks, to prevent COVID droplets hanging mid-air above the neighborhood trails. This level of masking seems especially cautious when I think about how far my mask gets sucked up my nostrils during an ordinary conversation (I still haven’t purchased the snout).

By the halfway point of a year in a sweaty (yet fashion-forward) mask, my vocal (yet muffled) complaints have become more frequent. Masks are a drag, but a lifesaving drag. Everything about COVID sucks. It may be August before my vaccine group gets called.

I’ve also started calling out any lurking mouth breathers who can’t grasp the six-feet rule. You know who I’m talking about – those opportunists who slide right into the checkout line in front of you while you’re leaving the six-foot gap. I must call them out. If I didn’t, my glasses would fog up as I seethed under my mask, which would completely obscure the stinkeye I’d have bulging out.

Mask up and stay healthy, dear readers!

T H E O N E . T H E O N LY.

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