The Art of Grilling
J.R. BBQ Supply
Moore Fire Department’s
Santa Express
Veteran of the Month
Jeff Bennett
November 2020 • Issue 11 • Volume 3
CHAMPIONS
Features
NOVEMBER CONTENTS 2020
ISSUE 11– VOLUME 3 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mark Doescher
Moore Fire Department’s
10 Santa Express
MANAGING EDITOR Lindsay Cuomo
by Rae Lynn Payton City celebration planned with safety in mind.
Veteran of the Month:
14 Jeff Bennett
PHOTOGRAPHY
by Bill Moakley A lifetime of well-rounded service.
Mark Doescher
CONTRIBUTORS
10
Roxanne Avery | Sharla Bardin Lindsay Cuomo | Chelsey Kraft Steve Marshall | Bill Moakley Rae Lynn Payton | Chris Plank
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES
Tracie Gray - tracie@sportstalk1400.com Trevor Laffoon - trevor@sportstalk1400.com Perry Spencer - perry@sportstalk1400.com
In Memory of
RANDY LAFFOON
1960 - 2020
Caring for the Heart
18 by Lindsay Cuomo
New program reduces recovery time for patients needing aortic valve replacement.
Training for Industry
22 by Sharla Bardin
New, expanding businesses can benefit from center’s employee training program.
Creating His Own Legacy
28 by Chris Plank
28
Boyd Street Magazine 2020 E. Alameda Norman, Oklahoma 73071 Phone: (405) 321-1400 E-mail: editor@boydstreet.com Copyright © Boyd Street Magazine Any articles, artwork or graphics created by Boyd Street Magazine or its contributors are sole property of Boyd Street Magazine and cannot be reproduced for any reason without permission. Any opinions expressed in Boyd Street are not necessarily that of Boyd Street management.
Drake Stoops writes his own Sooner history with the game-winning overtime score against Texas.
Champions
36 by Steve Marshall
Sabercats win third fast-pitch softball state championship.
The Hill Family
40 by Chelsey Kraft
36
For about 66 years, the Hill family’s roots have been planted in Moore.
The Art of Grilling
44 by Roxanne Avery
Local entrepreneur serves up gourmet grilling products.
Budget Conscious
48 Holiday Shopping
by Sharla Bardin Spending tips for merrier holiday shopping .
sportstalk1400.com
/boydstreetmagazine
@boydstreet
44
Cover photo provided by: The Oklahoman
B U S I N E SS
BY: RAE LYNN PAYTON
Santa Express
Firefighters spread hope during the holidays
L
ooking for a way to help children in need locally during the holiday season? Reach out to your local Moore fire station. The Moore Fire Department’s Santa Express helps hundreds of children by working with the counselors in Moore Public Schools to ensure families that are struggling can have gifts under their tree at Christmas. Counselors refer children and families in need to the fire department, and then firefighters volunteer to shop, package, organize and bag gifts up in preparation for pick-up. Families will begin to pick up their items toward the end of the second week of December. The firefighters keep their hard work discreet so families can maintain that element of surprise come Christmas Day and also not draw attention to themselves. “Our goal is to help, not to point it out,” Assistant Fire Marshall Darren Sigmen explained. Gifts may range from clothes and food
10 November 2020
to toys and makeup, depending on the child. In light of the pandemic, many items will likely be essentials, given this year’s hardships for many families. “This is a year where a lot of people are in need,” Sigmen said and pointed out that the program includes children of all ages. One heartfelt story Sigmen shared described a woman whose family had benefited from Moore’s Santa Express for four years while fighting cancer and losing her job. After healing and getting a new job, she now contributes to the cause each year. “We help people get through and get back,” he said. Firefighters are deeply involved and many donate throughout the year to the program out of their own paychecks. Several local businesses and community members donate as well. “We have a heart for people and for those in need,” shared Sigmen.
It’s a group effort. Hundreds of volunteer hours are devoted to making their Santa Express possible and Sigmen is grateful for the help given to them by the community and the Moore school system. “It’s amazing to see people give, and when they give we’re able to help other people. It’s a great cycle,” he said.“It started about 35 years ago with just a few gifts.” Firefighter Charles Mosely saw a need back then and found a way to meet it. The program has only continued to grow. With Sigmen now in charge of coordinating the effort, they served about 450 children last year alone. The Moore Fire Department’s Santa Express is a non-profit, and all efforts are volunteer. The program relies completely on donations, which can be dropped off or mailed to their main station at 2400 S. Fritts Blvd. in Moore. New items and monetary donations are welcome. -19SM
COMM U N I T Y
BY: BILL MOAKLEY
Veteran of the Month: Jeff Bennett PRESENTED BY
CENTURIONCG.NET
F
A lifetime of well-rounded service
or Jeff Bennett, a native of Duncan, his world growing up could not have looked more different from the world he was looking at on his 20th birthday.
“I turned 20 years old in South Korea,” Bennett recalled while discussing his 25 years of service in the United States Army and the Oklahoma National Guard. Bennett joined the Army in 1985 and headed to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. His first stop after basic training would be at Fort Eustis in Virginia where he’d spend a year before heading to South Korea. Bennett spent a year with the 1st Signal Brigade and supported the 8th Army and the 2nd Infantry Division with communications and telephone and computer support. His battalion was based out of Yongsan Garrison in Seoul. 14 November 2020
“It was a lot of living really quick,” Bennett said of being a teenaged soldier when he arrived in Korea. He would return stateside to Fort Rucker in Alabama and it appeared, at the time, as if his service time would end. “I had intended on leaving the Army and ended up re-enlisting for another four years,” Bennett explained. “I changed my job to air defense artillery and worked with the Patriot Missile System for four years.” Bennett would spend two years at the White Sands Missile Range and two years in Germany before returning to Oklahoma and leaving active service for the Oklahoma National Guard. He first joined an air defense platoon out of Edmond and then pivoted his specialty to infantry with the 180th
Infantry Battalion.
“A lot of soldiers will start off in the infantry at the beginning of their career and get that out of their system,” Bennett admitted. “They go to something different later on, something less physically demanding. I did it just the opposite.” After suffering from heat exhaustion during summer training at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas and finding out he had high blood pressure, Bennett might have thought his military career was about to get more relaxed. It wasn’t. He joined an anti-tank missile company headed to the Sinai Desert in 2003 as part of a multinational peacekeeping force related to the Camp David Peace Accords brokered between Egypt and Israel in 1978.
Bennett then went to Afghanistan in 2006 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, landing in Kabul’s Camp Phoenix as part of a 45th Infantry Battalion combined with a 41st Infantry Brigade Combat team from Oregon. Bennett recalled Camp Phoenix as a busy, non-stop hub of activity. Although heavier combat took place mostly outside the city, Kabul was plagued with its share of dangers, including improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers. “There was a whole lot that went on around Camp Phoenix at that time,” Bennett said. Bennett did not see action outside the city during security trips, something the soldier in him wishes might have been different. “I had a lot of fellow soldiers and friends who did see action,” he pointed out. “I spent a good portion of my time on the base, but I did go out from time-to-time, mostly localized missions. “Looking back on it, I feel there was a lot more I could have done, but there is that possibly we wouldn’t be sitting here talking either.” Now fully retired and a civil service employee at Tinker Air Force Base, Bennett likes to spend time fishing, camping and going to the gun range, where he can still manage a steady shot. “I like to shoot and I’m still pretty good,” he admitted. -19SM sportstalk1400.com
19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 15
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HE A LT H
BY: LINDSAY CUOMO
Caring for the Heart
TAVR Providers: Archana Gautam, MD, Muhammad Salim, MD, Katy Walsh, APRN-CNS, and Kyle Toal, MD
New program reduces recovery time for patients needing aortic valve replacement
T
he FDA recently changed its approval of the use a minimally invasive procedure called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, or TAVR. Once reserved for high-risk and immediate-risk surgery patients, the procedure is now approved for low-risk surgery patients as well. Previously, patients needing an aortic valve replacement had to undergo open-heart surgery, followed by a lengthy hospital stay and months of recovery, said Sarah “Katy” Walsh, a certified nurse practitioner and the coordinator of the new program at Norman Regional.
18 November 2020
TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure with a recovery time of only 24 to 48 hours in the hospital then typically one week of recovery at home with some additional activity restrictions for two weeks.
procedures this summer, one of whom was on Randall Madden of Norman. Madden had a heart murmur and was referred to Dr. Archana Gautam, an interventional cardiologist with Norman Heart and Vascular Associates.
However, Walsh said that patients often feel better the following day after the procedure.
After testing, Madden was told he was a candidate for the TAVR procedure and would be one of the first at Norman Regional.
“I often see instant improvement for patients,” Walsh shared. “They typically feel 50 to 75 percent better than the day they walked in.” The health system performed its first
“I wasn’t nervous at all,” he shared. “I probably should have been since it’s my heart, but I really wasn’t because the team made me feel so comfortable. As crazy as it sounds, it was a great ex-
perience and I’d do again if I had to.” Madden added that the recovery was much quicker than he expected and was up walking the next day. Madden said he is doing great and doesn’t have any more chest pain or aches. He’s been able to go shopping and do yard work, and feels like he can breathe again – a luxury he didn’t have before the TAVR procedure. Walsh said that patients needing a valve replacement can have severe symptoms because the aortic valve keeps oxygenated blood flowing in the right direction into the body. “The valves in the heart are like doors that keep blood flowing one way,” Walsh explained. “If you have a narrowing or build up, that means blood is not getting through, resulting in a poor perfusion of blood throughout the body.” Patients can experience fatigue, short-
ness of breath, dizziness and even fainting. If left untreated, the condition can lead to serious heart problems. “It can progress quickly and once patients are experiencing symptoms. It can be fatal which is why screening is important,” Walsh said. “Some patients are fine and then the next day they are passing out.” “If you have been told you have a heart murmur, take that seriously and don’t miss your echocardiograms,” she advised. Walsh also encourages patients to be honest and aware of their symptoms and to be an advocate for their own health because age and other health conditions are risk factors do play a role in the buildup of calcium in the aortic valve. “A lot of patients think they are feeling this way just because they are getting older,” she explained. “For some, they can curtail the progression with
lifestyle changes but for others, that is just not the case.” Walsh has previously served the same role as she does now at a different health system but said she was excited to start this new program at Norman Regional. “A multidisciplinary approach is very important in building a successful TAVR program,” she said. Before a patient can be approved for the TAVR procedure, they must have multiple tests and be seen by Walsh, their primary cardiologist, an interventional cardiologist and Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Kyle Toal. “Our team approach protects our patients and helps ensure they get the best care,” Walsh said. To learn more about TAVR program at the Norman Regional HealthPlex Heart Hospital, visit normanheart. com. – BSM
TM
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19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 19
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COMM U N I T Y
BY: SHARLA BARDIN
Tra i ni ng for I nd ustr y Businesses new to Oklahoma or expanding within the state can take advantage of the Training for Industry Program. PHOTO PROVIDED
New, expanding businesses can benefit from center’s employee training program
B
usinesses that are new to Oklahoma or expanding within the state can utilize a customized employee-training program offered through the state’s technology centers. The Training for Industry Program helps prepare new hires and can lead to more collaboration between companies and technology centers.
“It allows (businesses) to see our capabilities and also opens up training opportunities with their existing employees, as well,” said Chris Lange, business development coordinator at Moore Norman Technology Center. Lange works with the program offered in conjunction with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.
Businesses who qualify for the program include manufacturing, aerospace, energy, transportation and distribution, agriculture, biosciences, health and information and financial services. Funding also is available through the program to provide reimbursement to companies for training expenses.
Technology center representatives work with program participants to determine training needs and whether the training will take place at the company’s site or at Moore Norman Technology Center’s campuses. Some of the services offered include job analysis, training needs assessment, pre-employment training and pre- and post-production training and 22 November 2020
instructional materials and development.
Lange said the training covers technical skills but also can highlight other subjects, such as customer service, interpersonal and team skills, safety training and other workforce training needs for the company. Lange said the Training for Industry Program also provides an opportunity for companies to learn about the resources and support that the technology center can offer now and in the years ahead.
“It’s an opportunity to help these companies grow within Oklahoma, which helps our economy and helps people obtain and retain jobs,” Lange said. “I think it helps keep companies rooted here in Oklahoma, instead of looking elsewhere.” Avara Pharmaceutical Technologies Inc. of Norman has been involved in the program. Avara manufactures and packages pharmaceutical capsules and tablets for a global market, Pam Maguire said, the director of human resources with Avara. Norman is the headquarters for the company, and the facility employs 200 people. Maguire said the company has used the Training for Industry Program for new employees and said the benefits include a return on investment financially but also in the performance of new hires.
“The performance return on investment is visible in the reduction of time it takes a newly hired employee to begin contributing to the work product,” she said. “Invest in training your employees and they will feel better equipped to do the job and more committed to the organization that cared enough to contribute to their development.”
Maguire said Avara also has worked with Moore Norman Technology Center on other types of training and learning opportunities and is impressed with the services offered, the areas of expertise of the trainers and the ability to customize curriculum to meet the company’s needs. She encourages businesses in the state to check out workforce training and additional programs available through Moore Norman Technology Center and other technology centers in Oklahoma.
“If you plan to expand your workforce, reach out and talk to someone about the Training for Industry Program. If you are not expanding, I would still encourage you to reach out to your career tech and allow them to acquaint you with a plethora of value-added services for your organization,” she said. For more information about the Training for Industry Program, visit www. mntc.edu. -19SM
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S P O RT S
SOONER REVIEW
BY: CHRIS PLANK
PRESENTED BY
McIntyre Law is a proud supporter of OU athletics. Contact McIntyre Law for all your personal injury needs
Creating His Own
LEGACY
28 November 2020
son opener. With the implementation of new NCAA redshirt rules, the Norman North product was still able to redshirt despite playing in two games. In 2019, Stoops played in all 14 games and averaged just under 12 yards per catch.
As the Voice of the Sooners Toby Rowland called the eventual game-winning score, the playmaker on the other end was Drake Stoops.
But 2020 has been a breakout season for the two-time Big 12 All-Academic performer.
“2nd and 10… Sooners go tempo. Snap to Rattler, straight drop… steps up throws late toward the endzone CAUGHT...IT’S STOOPS… DRAKE STOOPS TOUCHDOWN!! THE KID.” Drake’s score was the most recent in a series of big plays that has solidified the Sooner redshirt sophomore as a significant piece of the Oklahoma offense in 2020 and beyond. But for this game winner, it seemed fitting that the final dagger in the Red River Showdown was delivered by someone with the last name Stoops. “We had one of our normal tempo calls,” Drake said of the game-winning catch. “I just ran an under route and took it high over the linebacker, Spencer (Rattler) came through the pocket and hit me and that’s all she wrote.” “Drake, what can you say?” OU head coach Lincoln Riley said. “I’ll bet his daddy’s pretty happy right now.” “I love football so unexplainably much,” Drake said as he recalled the childhood dreams of playing in this game. “To be able to make a play like that for this team and a team from my hometown and all that, I mean it’s absolutely unbelievable. I prayed for times like this.” But Drake’s rise on the Sooners depth chart goes much deeper than one big play against Texas or even his last name. The non-stop hard work was apparent from day one. In 2018, he became the first true freshman walk-on to catch a pass in a seasportstalk1400.com
Drake has already surpassed his combined yardage and reception numbers from his first two years combined, even though he missed the season-opener against Missouri State. He made a big impact against Kansas State with three catches for 93 yards and his first career touchdown. “My confidence is a lot better because I’ve been in the system longer,” he said. “I know my job and role and when you know what to do on every play it allows you to play faster and you can react to what’s going on.” Riley said he is not surprised, though. “It’s what he’s done on the practice field,” Riley said. “He’s a tough player, really good route-runner, great hands, competitor. Definitely fun to see him have some success and I’m sure it’s just the beginning.” The path from walk-on to playmaker has not been an easy one for Drake. He has worked hard for the opportunity not only on the field but off the field in both the classroom and the weight room. He was listed as 175 pounds when he stepped on campus and has added close to 20 pounds of muscle since becoming a Sooner. “It has definitely been a long process, not an easy one,” Drake said of his commitment to improving. “In the weight room is where I feel like I’ve made my biggest gains. That’s just translated to a lot of parts of my game.” Drake made a name for himself on the field well before making the game-winning touchdown catch against Texas. He had wowed the Oklahoma high
school football landscape as a standout with the Norman North Timberwolves. Paired with his twin brother Isaac, Drake amassed over 1,000 yards receiving during both his junior and senior seasons. What he was able to accomplish in high school went far beyond just stats and numbers. He embraced the grind and passionately loved football. “You look at him and you would think, ‘Really?’ There is nothing when you just look at the kid that says, ‘This is going to be an unbelievable wide receiver or athlete,’” his former coach at Norman North High School Brent Barnes said. “But, when you’ve seen him, the way he works and the way he competes and how tough he is both mentally and physically… I just don’t think he’s ever stood on the sideline for anything but it wasn’t because he was 6-5 and naturally gifted. He has something inside that he’s going to go take something from somebody, he’s not going to sit back and wait his turn. It’s just not in his personality.” He was listed as a three-star prospect by Rivals and had scholarship offers from Iowa, Memphis, Ohio, Western Kentucky, Air Force and others. His final senior season numbers were impressive, catching 67 passes for 1,093 yards and 15 touchdowns. But he chose another path, one that was paved by heritage and childhood dreams. “This just felt like the best fit for me, and it felt like home because it is home,” Drake of his decision to walkon at Oklahoma and spurn scholarship offers. “I felt like I had the best chance to flourish as the best player I can be here, under Coach (Riley) and the coaching staff.” “We knew we wanted him here,” Cale Gundy, who is currently Oklahoma’s inside receivers coach, said. “Growing up here as I did in the state of Oklahoma, being around a program like this that has so much success, why wouldn’t you go here? Obviously, in his situation, he could probably pick a school where he wanted to go.”
Photo provided by: The Oklahoman
T
he 2020 OU/Texas game is one that will never be forgotten. Amid one of the wildest, most unpredictable and utterly unique matchups between the two rivals, a familiar name stepped up to make one of the biggest plays of the day.
19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 29
Drake Stoops’ performance has continued to add to the “Stoops’” legacy at Oklahoma. But as the redshirt sophomore continues to blaze his own trail, there is a certain sense of what could have been if his father Bob was still the coach. Or maybe more specifically, what might not have been. “I don’t really know [if the decision would have been the same],” Drake said of his decision to play at Oklahoma. “It’s kind of worked out the way it did. I had a chance to be a player and make a name for myself and choose my own path. [Riley] said he thinks I have the talent to be a player for them, so I took that into account, I always bet on myself and had confidence I could play anywhere in the country.”
Photo by: Mark Doescher
Still, the accomplishments of his father at the University of Oklahoma is a hard shadow to shake. Bob Stoops is the all-time winningest coach in Oklahoma football history and a statue of Coach Stoops is located just outside the south entrance to Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. “I’m reminded every second of every day, trust me, that’s part of living here,” Drake said with a smile. “It is definitely cool, especially given family history and having lived here so long.
30 November 2020
But I don’t put too much emphasis on it or think about it too much in the end. To me I’m going out and playing ball with my teammates and trying to get the job done.” “I’ve got pictures of him as a baby waddling around the field when Carole brought him out to our first media day so it’s neat when he’s out there fulfilling his dream making plays,” Bob Stoops said. “I’m just wanting him to let go and be like any other guy out there.” While the history of his last name is special and its legacy undeniable, what Drake has been able to do on the field has continued to create a special role for him on this team. “He’s been huge. It was definitely a spark to get him back,” Riley said of Drake’s return after missing the opener. “That’s been one of the positions that we’ve been hit hardest. We’re playing without a lot of people there. And he’s done a great job. Stepped in, made some big plays for us, played a lot of snaps. Despite only being a redshirt sophomore, he has already shown a leadership gene that is part of his DNA. “I think he’s a young leader. I do,” Ri-
ley said. “Not crazy vocal, but one of those guys that more leads by example in the way he does things.” As the Sooners’ season progresses, so will the role of Drake. As an inside receiver, he has already become a trusted target of redshirt freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler. The chemistry between the two was developed through a unique and challenging offseason. “That chemistry happens over the offseason,” Drake said. “Being around each other, working out, grinding hard with the guy next to you… it’s not just Spencer but it’s everyone. You see a guy working his butt off, you’re working just as hard, you develop a bond.” Drake has already become a household name among Oklahoma Sooner fans. Every play that Drake makes is met with a roar of, “STOOOOOOOPS” from the fans in the stands. While his last name is legendary, Drake doesn’t allow himself to spend too much time thinking about those who have paved the trail before him. He is firmly focused on one thing: winning. And being the best teammate, inside receiver and Oklahoma Sooner he can possibly be. –19SM
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19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 31
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W
hat a team! What a season! What a finish! The Southmoore Sabercats won their third Fast-Pitch Softball State Championship in the last eight years but it wasn’t an easy task as each of their three final games went right down to the last inning. Head Coach Jason Lingo said it was unlike anything he has ever been a part of as a coach. “It was an amazing weekend,” Lingo said. “I’ve been coaching for a long time in a lot of different sports. I’ve never been involved in three last second games or last inning cliff-hangers like that, much less in the state tournament for a state championship. It was insane.”
36 November 2020
BY: STEVE MARSHALL
The tournament began on Thursday when the Sabercats had to rally from a 5-0 deficit against Jenks. Southmoore chipped away at the lead and trailed by one run headed into the seventh inning. Then the Cardiac Cats took over. ‘Things did not start our way and I’ll give our kids credit,” Lingo said. “They’re not going to stop fighting. We’re down 5-0 to Jenks. Three of the five were unearned runs. Usually we have done a great job of pitching it and catching it. Our offense at times has been up and down like a roller coaster. But we could always count on pitching and defense to be there for us all the time. We made a few errors, gave up a few runs but we settled
down. The kids didn’t give up and we clawed our way back into it.” Then, in the seventh inning. still trailing by a run with one out, the Cats got a home run from freshman Rylee Fanning to tie the game at 6-6. “At that point we’re thinking great, awesome, unbelievable, now maybe we have a chance to go into extra innings and win it,” Lingo said. Riley Sharp made sure that didn’t happen as she put one over the fence in left field to give Southmoore a 7-6 lead and the eventual win to advance. Then in the semifinals on Friday, the Cardiac Cats had to score late again after getting just one hit in the first six innings to defeat Deer Creek 2-1.
CHAMPIONS
Southmoore then had to face Owasso for the state championship. With the score tied 2-2 in the eighth inning, Riley Sharp came to the plate with Abi Jones on second base as the possible winning run. Sharp said she was just looking for a pitch to hit to the right side and move Jones over to third base. She did better than that. Sharp lined it down the right field line and Jones came around to score and secure the state championship for the Sabercats. “It’s amazing we worked really hard to get where we wanted to be,” Riley said. “And to see that finally pay off, we couldn’t be happier.” Brinly Maples was the starting pitcher who pitched every inning of every sportstalk1400.com
game in the state tournament for the Sabercats. “I trusted the girls behind me and my catcher very much and was confident in what we could do,” Maples said. “Once our cathcer Lexi Hernandez came back from injury everything just kind of clicked and we started to roll.” Tallen Edwards is the Sabercats sophomore shortstop who has grown up with Southmoore softball as the younger sister of four time state champ Trenity Edwards who played her college ball at Missouri and Texas Tech. Edwards said this is an experience that she’ll always remember. “No matter what, if I was up or I was down we always had each other’s
backs,” she said. “I went 0-9 in the first two games at state and all I can remember is all the girls patting me on the back and picking me up and going out there and doing their job to help me and that is something I’ll never forget about this team.” “Bob Stoops said it over twenty years ago and it always stuck with me,“ Lingo said. “The fun part of it is not afterwards, it’s not being a champion. It’s the journey and all the cool stuff that happens along the way. With this group of girls it’s the lasting impression of them to never stop fighting.” With all the starters returning, look for the Sabercats to be back in the hunt once again next year.–19SM 19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 37
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COMM U N I T Y
BY: CHELSEY KRAF T
The Hill Family For about 66 years, the Hill family’s roots have been planted in Moore
D
on and Dolores Hill moved their family in 1954 to the end of a red dirt road in rural Cleveland County. Their home was one of five in the Pioneer Acres addition, the last house at the end of a dead-end street. Then just part of the county, the land is now in Moore, on what is currently called Pioneer Lane, just off 27th Street. Although Don passed away in 2010, Dolores still lives in a home on that same land and the family’s roots in Moore have only deepened as the couple’s four children – Patti, Mark, Terrell and Becky – all still reside in the area too. In 1967, Don started a business, which became known as Hill & Company Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing. Thirty-five years ago, the family added Hill & Company Service, which focuses on repair and remodel. The Hills also added a location in Tulsa called Mark Hill Heating and Air. When the business started, it was just two trucks but grew to 25 within five
40 November 2020
years, Mark said. Mark and his brother worked on the trucks during the early days and then became part of the management team in the office after college. For the past 45 years, Mark has been with the business full time after graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a business degree. “I’ve always said a family business, you never retire from it. They carry you out feet first,” Mark said with a laugh. “How do you get away from a family business? You’ve got interest, and you’ve got ownership. You just kind of keep going.” “We’ve just always worked as a family,” continued Patti, who oversees some duplexes her parents built. “The boys went out and started plumbing because Dad wanted them to know the plumbing aspect … I was the one with the driver’s license, so I became the gofer for the plumbing parts and supplies and things. Then after I graduated from high school, I went to work for him as a bookkeeper for I
can’t even tell you how many years.” In addition to the plumbing business, Don developed a cattle ranch near Calvin, Oklahoma, which the family still runs today. The Hills also started raising quarter horses in Norman, a venture in which Dolores is still active. The Hill family is close-knit, with Patti calling her mom their rock. Since Don’s passing, Mark said the family has worked together, even more, when it comes to running the business. Dolores is still actively involved in decision making even at the age of 88. “He was a kind of larger than life guy. He dug the company out of the ground literally and had such a commanding presence over it,” Mark shared about his dad. Currently, the Hills are in the process of changing the name of the mother company to Heritage Services Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning. Mark explained that the change was initiated because they are getting more into the retail business, and they want-
ed a name that reflected what the family has done over the years. The change will happen between now and the first of the year, with a new tagline of “Over 50 Years of Service is Our Heritage.” During their time in Moore, the Hills have witnessed tremendous amounts of growth. Mark recalled driving to Norman to Taco Bell because Moore didn’t have any fast-food restaurants, although the Big W Drive-In was a popular stop. Patti shared that when growing up, Moore was small and a place where everybody knew everybody. It was rarely just the four siblings playing together since their friends often wanted to come out to the Hill house in the country. “We learned how to be close, and we stayed close,” Patti shared. “And that’s the way we want it.” Between the four Hill siblings, they have nine children and 17 grandchildren. Patti and her husband, Mitchell Davidson, have been married for 49 years this month. They are parents to three children and seven grandchildren – six granddaughters and one grandson – ranging in age from a se-
nior in high school to five months old. Patti shared she also has another granddaughter who is waiting for her in Heaven. The family is involved in their church, Calvary Christian Center. When the family is all together, there are over 30 people. Mark, who is married to Linda and has two children and five grandkids, shared memories of Christmases when his dad would bring out his Santa sack at the end of gifts being exchanged and toss unwrapped presents to everyone. Easter was also a popular holiday for his dad, who started a family Easter egg hunt in the pasture. Some eggs were put where the little kids could find them, but others hidden for the adults were difficult to
track down, so much so that Don had to start making a grid so he could remember where he hid the eggs. Even though a few aspects have changed throughout the years, this family connection and their original roots have remained unchanged. “Over the years, Mom and Dad built a new house. Then Mom built another new house, all on the same piece of dirt, and is still there to this day,” Mark explained. “It’s still a dead end, but she’s not the last house anymore. There are a couple of houses on past her, so things have changed some. It’s not a dirt road anymore. It’s an asphalt road, but it’s the same road, with the same memories at the end of the road.”–19SM
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B U S I N E SS
BY: ROXANNE AVERY
The Art of Grilling
Local entrepreneur serves up gourmet grilling products
W
hether you like needlepoint, folding origami, baking bread or have no idea what to do with all the extra time you have now, there couldn’t be a better time to start a new hobby. Or revisit an old one like upping your grilling game, perhaps? J.R.’s BBQ Supply Company offers everything a backyard chef needs to grill at home. J.R. Hatfield opened J.R. BBQ Supply Company after retirement when he moved from Kansas to Oklahoma to take care of his mom.
“She was 89 years old and told me I needed to get a job because I was too young to retire,” Hatfield said. “I may have been too young to retire but I was too old to find a job, so mom suggested I start a business. I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to do but I had been grilling for a long time and did a lot of cooking. Fortunately, 44 November 2020
there are not a lot of places like ours, so it just worked out and we opened in April 2019.” J.R. BBQ Supply features Green Mountain pellet grills and although the company is 14 years old, the grills are just now taking hold. Founded in 2006 when the Traeger Grills patent expired, Green Mountain grills are known for their revolutionary three-position controller that put wood pellet grills and “techie grilling” on the map.
“They are a great grill as far as taste, ease of cooking and convenience,” Hatfield said. “Charcoal and wood take a long time to get started and get the grill up to temperature and it takes a long time to cook. The Green Mountain can be started in a matter of minutes and finished in an hour. On a pellet grill, all you do is push a button and you’re ready to start. “It’s all wood heated and wood
smoke, so the flavor is great.”
Offering rubs, seasonings and sauces from six Oklahoma companies, J.R.’s offers over 100 different flavors. Best-sellers include products from the Butcher Barbeque line in Wellston as well as Elk Creek, an all-purpose rub from Elk City. And Hatfield started his own line a few months ago, Magic Dust BBQ rub. Selecting a rub depends on the meat, he advised. “Then it goes back to convenience,” he said. “Start your smoker, set the temperature and put your food on. Ribs take about five or six hours. Pork butts and brisket take 10-12 hours, but you can cook pork tenderloin in about an hour and a half. I can cook a pizza in 20 minutes. “The reward isn’t just the food, but also the scent of the meat as it cooks.” Chicken wings are a favorite for foot-
ball watch parties as well as burgers and steaks, pulled pork and ribs. “Sides can be cooked on the grill too and you can put everything on at the same time,” Hatfield shared. With the holidays just around the corner, Thanksgiving is perfect for smoking the family turkey and prime rib is great for Christmas dinner. “You can do everything on a grill. Smoke, grill, dehydrate and barbeque. The possibilities are endless,” he said. First-time customers are a favorite of Hatfield’s as he enjoys helping them get started in their new endeavor. “There has been a big increase in customers during COVID,” he said. “People are tired of eating the same old thing and want a variety. They are also tired of fast food.” Hatfield tells “first timers” the only absolute in barbeque is internal temperature. “Food has to be safe,” he advised. “Chicken has to be cooked to 165 degrees and pork to 150. Everything else is personal preference. Play with seasonings and ingredients; it’s a lot of fun.” Hatfield is planning to host basic smoking and cooking classes soon at J.R. BBQ Supply. “A lot of people tell me they’d like to learn to grill but don’t know how to get started,” he said. J.R.’s BBQ Supply Company is located at 123 SE 4th in Moore, at the corner of 4th Street and Broadway. To learn more about grilling products and upcoming classes, call 2373099. J.R.’s also offers shipping. –19SM
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19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 45
B U S I N E SS
BY: SHARLA BARDIN
Budget Conscious Holiday Shopping
Spending tips for merrier holiday shopping
T
his holiday season is a unique one but some tried-and-true spending tips can help you spread holiday cheer without overextending your budget.
Michael LeForce, marketing director for USE Federal Credit Union, suggests that shoppers make a list and decisions beforehand on who they plan to buy for and what to purchase. “You want to have a clear mind and a clear objective so you don’t overspend,” LeForce said. Here are other tips from LeForce on savvy spending this season:
1. SET A BUDGET Look at your finances
and create a realistic budget for your Christmas shopping, he said. LeForce 48 November 2020
encourages shoppers to take advantage of coupons, sales, promotional codes and discounts when buying gifts as a way to save more money. One example is Honey, a free browser extension that notifies online shoppers about deals and promo codes and applies the best coupon code at checkout. Visit joinhoney.com for me details.
2. SHOP LOCAL LeForce said shopping local is a way to support businesses in the community, as well as boost the local economy. “It’s such a huge ripple effect,” he shared. Shoppers also can find unique gifts at local businesses that can make for meaningful and memorable presents for family and friends from out of town.
3. CONSIDER CREDIT CARDS LeForce
suggests that shoppers use a credit card for their online purchases. Credit cards can provide more consumer protection against fraudulent activity. But, when choosing and using a credit card, be mindful of the interest rates and annual fees, he said. USE Federal Credit Union offers a personal credit card that includes some beneficial features for users. The card includes a fixed rate as low as 9.00 percent, no annual fees, no balance transfer fees and a 10-day grace period for payments with no late fee. For more information about the card and USE Federal Credit Union’s other services, visit usecreditunion.org.
ABOUT USE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION USE Federal Credit Union has served the metro area since it was chartered in 1938 by Oklahoma City postal workers. Credit unions are not-for-profit, member-owned financial institutions. “We don’t have a paid board of directors or shareholders that we have to align ourselves with,” said LeForce. “We’re owned by our members.”
4. START SHOPPING NOW Shoppers nationwide are encour-
aged to shop safe and early this season and to take advantage of deals now to reduce stress and long lines later, according to a new consumer education campaign from the National Retail Federation, the retail industry’s leading trade group. “In a year that has been full of uncertainty, we encourage consumers to avoid the last-minute stresses of the holiday season like long lines and shipping delays. Retailers are ready with inventory and sales, and there’s no reason to wait until Thanksgiving weekend to kick off your gift shopping,” Matthew Shay said, president of the National Retail Federation, in a news release.
Owning a home shouldn't seem like a dream. usecreditunion.org Federally insured by NCUA. USEFCU is an equal housing lender.
USE Federal Credit Union started with 15 members and has now grown to 18,000. New members are welcomed, even if they aren’t a federal employee or family member of a federal worker. LeForce said the credit union works with different organizations and “we can get most people qualified for membership.” The credit union also offers fewer or lower fees than most banks, competitive rates on loans and personalized and community-focused service, LeForce said. USE Federal Credit Union has five locations in the region, including Oklahoma City, Midwest City and Moore. For more information about services, visit usecreditunion.org. –19SM
