TulsaPeople July 2023

FLAVORS of HOME

Many come to Tulsa as tourists. Others for a chance at a better life. Some share their culture through food.

Crepe cake from Asian bakery DBK Desserts

When you sign up your little athlete for this fitness event, you also help other kids, as all proceeds benefit The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis. Registration fee includes a T-shirt and post-race celebration.

Ages 10 – 13

Swim 100 yards (4 laps)

Bike 1 mile

Run 1/2 mile (6 laps)

8:30 a.m. Registration

9:00 a.m. Start Time

Ages 6 – 9

Swim 50 yards (2 laps)

Bike 1/2 mile

Run 1/4 mile (3 laps)

10:30 a.m. Registration

11:00 a.m. Start Time

Must be 49” tall to participate

Registration is $25 in advance; $30 day of event. Gold, silver and bronze prizes will be awarded for girls and boys in both age categories; all participants receive a medal.

For more information, contact Jennifer Daley at 918-494-8263, email jldaley@saintfrancis.com or visit saintfrancis.com/healthzone.

That mindset has served him well through life and a banking career that has spanned 19 years. In 2018, Ray joined First Oklahoma Bank where today he serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer.

“I have worked at several banks, and First Oklahoma Bank has a great ability to be nimble and responsive to its customers in a way I haven’t seen at other banks. When we make a loan, we are making an investment in someone’s business, and it’s great to see the impact as businesses grow and benefit the community,” Ray says.

“I have worked at several banks, and First Oklahoma Bank has a great ability to be nimble and responsive to its customers in a way I haven’t seen at other banks. When we make a loan, we are making an investment in someone’s business, and it’s great to see the impact as businesses grow and benefit the community,” Ray says.

Ray grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, and became the first person in his family to graduate from high school and college. At age 17, he joined the U.S. Army to help pay his way through college. “I wouldn’t be nearly as successful in life if it weren’t for the discipline, the values, integrity, and character that I learned in the Army,” he says.

Ray grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, and became the first person in his family to graduate from high school and college. At age 17, he joined the U.S. Army to help pay his way through college. “I wouldn’t be nearly as successful in life if it weren’t for the discipline, the values, integrity, and character that I learned in the Army,” he says.

Ray always knew that to become selfsufficient and independent, education would be key to achieving that goal. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Oklahoma.

Ray always knew that to become selfsufficient and independent, education would be key to achieving that goal. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Oklahoma.

His Christian faith forms the bedrock of his life. “Both of my grandmothers were very diligent when I was growing up in showing me the importance of church and faith. They modeled a love for the Bible and a love for God,” Ray says. “I’ve been blessed, and I think it’s important to not just take care of my family but to give back to anybody I can…I want to do things to glorify God and leave a legacy of that to my kids and people around me.”

His Christian faith forms the bedrock of his life. “Both of my grandmothers were very diligent when I was growing up in showing me the importance of church and faith. They modeled a love for the Bible and a love for God,” Ray says. “I’ve been blessed, and I think it’s important to not just take care of my family but to give back to anybody I can…I want to do things to glorify God and leave a legacy of that to my kids and people around me.”

managing endowment and gifts as well as providing loans to churches.

managing endowment and gifts as well as providing loans to churches.

The father of five children, ages 10 to 20, Ray spends most of his free time with his family. He is passionate about serving on the Jenks Public Schools Foundation Board, noting that all his children have attended Jenks Public Schools.

The father of five children, ages 10 to 20, Ray spends most of his free time with his family. He is passionate about serving on the Jenks Public Schools Foundation Board, noting that all his children have attended Jenks Public Schools.

From 2009 to 2010, Ray and his wife served as missionaries and lived with their family in Romania through the Southern Baptist Church International Mission Board. He also has worked in the past few years with Syrian refugees in Jordan, helping some of them come to the United States.

From 2009 to 2010, Ray and his wife served as missionaries and lived with their family in Romania through the Southern Baptist Church International Mission Board. He also has worked in the past few years with Syrian refugees in Jordan, helping some of them come to the United States.

Ray also serves on the board of WatersEdge (formerly the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma), which supports Baptist churches and entities in Oklahoma through

Ray also serves on the board of WatersEdge (formerly the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma), which supports Baptist churches and entities in Oklahoma through

“Ray is a great friend and we’re proud him. His life reflects a commitment to living his faith in service to others. This has been true in his military service to the country, his service to the community and as a key member of the First Oklahoma Bank family,” says Tom Bennett III, President and CEO.

“Ray is a great friend and we’re proud him. His life reflects a commitment to living his faith in service to others. This has been true in his military service to the country, his service to the community and as a key member of the First Oklahoma Bank family,” says Tom Bennett III, President and CEO.

That mindset has served him well through life and a banking career that has spanned 19 years. In 2018, Ray joined First Oklahoma Bank where today he serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer.

29

DESTINATION: TULSA

Aiding Afghans new to Tulsa. Program matches Ukrainian refugees with STEM-related professions.

Route 66: known the world over.

4 international dishes to try.

ORU’s global impact.

7 CITY DESK

Literary translators make Tulsa home. What is WOMPA?

Marking 95 years of Circle Cinema. For the love of rocks.

79 LIFESTYLE

Sliding into summer. Fridge facts. Living the lake resort life. Reflections from Connie Cronley.

40

LEGENDS: RODGER RANDLE

Professor, civic leader, former legislator and mayor

BY GAIL BANZET-ELLIS

SPONSORED

EDITORIAL

SECTION

43 Faces of the 918

91 TABLE TALK

Hooked on catfish. Brazilian street food. Recipes that won’t warm the kitchen. Oklahoma’s only coolship.

Olaniyi Owolabi, Nigerian international student; Grey Hoff Jr., Oral Roberts University associate vice president of international student relations; and Julissa Flores, ORU International Student Center manager

Tulsa has been my forever home.

My family’s only been here since the 1950s, and for some pro led in this issue, that’s a long time. For others, it’s just a drop in the proverbial bucket of time.

Take former Mayor Rodger Randle. His family can trace its roots to pre-statehood. Randle is still a man about town at 79. He’s organizing lectures at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa campus, teaching classes and shooting photos across the city. Gail Banzet-Ellis conducted a Legends Q&A with the lifelong Tulsan on p. 40.

Tulsa became an unexpected refuge for Ukrainian journalist Dasha Vershylenko, after war broke out in her home country (p. 12). e same can be said for Andrii Skorniakov, whose family ed Kyiv and discovered Tulsa and its inTulsa Visa Network while sheltering in France (p. 36).

ough they haven’t been here long, Tulsa has welcomed them with work, peace and support to rebuild.

ree organizations — B’nai Emunah Synagogue, Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma and YWCA Tulsa — have helped Afghans seeking refuge in Tulsa. Learn more about the e orts being made to ease this displaced community’s transition here on p. 38.

No matter how long you’ve called Tulsa or the U.S. home, if your roots come from beyond the borders, you may often yearn for the foods of your homeland. Luckily for people like me — and the major foodie force we have in this town — many of these newcomers have started sharing their cultures through the foods they grew up eating.

6 TulsaPeople JULY 2023

ere are places to try Burmese soups and entrees. Street tacos are plentiful with trucks and shops doing their own takes on the handheld wonders. West African fare comes via Smooth Flavors’ bright green food truck with dishes that pack a punch in avor, heat and uniqueness. For Kou See Vang , she saw a need in Tulsa for a bakery that served up one-of-a-kind fusion Asian baked goods. ere’s Korean bbangs, egg custard buns, crepe cakes and so much more in the colorful Broken Arrow storefront she opened in 2021. Read about these culinary ventures on p. 32 in another great food feature by Natalie Mikles

We all know food is a language anyone can speak and understand. No translation is needed for a big smile and deep sigh as you swallow a sip of warm broth. After taking in a spoonful of hearty, spicy meat stew dotted with plantains and peppers, a wipe of a napkin and a grin says a lot without saying a word.

I encourage you to introduce yourself to a plate of unfamiliar fare sometime soon and learn something new about a culture far away, yet close to home with the dish in front of you. TP

Volume XXXVII, Number 9 ©2023. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, including created advertising in a proofed or printed stage.

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Purple power

Amethyst is one of many specimens at the DW Correll Museum in Catoosa. Did you know the crystalline quartz used to be considered a precious gemstone?

“Before Columbus came to the Americas and before the Portuguese found all the amethyst in Brazil, amethyst was considered a precious gemstone,” Museum Director Eric Hamshar says. “After that it became a semi-precious gemstone because it just flooded the market.” TP

NOTEBOOK

BY ANNE BROCKMAN

Fly away

According to Tulsa International Airport officials, more than 223,888 passengers flew internationally to and from TUL in 2022.

Last year there were 32,208 passengers flying from Tulsa to Cancun, Mexico. Two other Mexico destinations — Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta — follow with 10,665 and 8,086 passengers, respectively.

In 2025, TUL anticipates to open a new federal inspection service facility that will be a new one-gate add on to the terminal at TUL to allow Customs and Border Patrol to clear commercial international flights arriving at the airport, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Pierini says.

MENTORSHIP MATTERS

World cultures celebrated at Gathering Place

This summer Gathering Place debuted Global Gatherings, a 13-week program that highlights numerous cultures from across the globe. From 10 a.m.-noon each Friday, parkgoers experience hands-on activities, storytelling, dance and musical performances, and art.

“Tulsa is a vibrant and diverse city, and we wanted to highlight all of the world regions and cultures that are present within our community,” says Bailey Adkison, education manager at Gathering Place. “Through Global Gatherings, we wanted to create a space where individuals from the community are able to share their culture with others.”

This month, the series concludes with West Asia on July 7, Central America on July 14, Oceania on July 21 and a global celebration on July 28.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma is in urgent need of volunteer mentors for the 107 waiting “Littles” currently enrolled in the program. By becoming a “Big” and hanging out with your Little just a few times each month, you can greatly impact the trajectory of their life by helping to build self-esteem and encourage healthy decision-making. A recent study by Dr. David DuBois of the University of Illinois and Independent Research Consultant Dr. Carla Herrera showed that children who have a BBBS mentor are 54% less likely to be arrested and 41% less likely to engage in substance use. Visit bigoklahoma.org/bigs or scan the QR code to learn more.

Students from Owasso’s Bailey Elementary perform Japanese taiko drumming at a recent Global Gathering event.

It’s the soft sound of a Native flute. The focus of a potter shaping clay. Traditions shared by living masters.

A NATION OF CULTURE

It’s an electric arc of talent that keeps us on our toes. Our legends on silver screens, in galleries, at stickball fields and podiums. It’s here.

ONE NATION. ENDLESS ADVENTURE.

JUNE 30

JULY

THROUGH JULY 7

MEANDER Colorful fiber works by Taylor Painter-Wolfe emulate textures found in natural landscapes and will be on display at Liggett Studio. LIGGETTSTUDIO.COM

THROUGH JULY 22

ART ON DISPLAY Tulsa artist Koda Miles holds her first solo exhibition “Caught Up” at Positive Space Tulsa. Pictured is sculpture “Divorce.”

LINKTR.EE/POSITIVESPACETULSA

JULY 6

SUMMER’S FIFTH NIGHT Head to Utica Square every Thursday for homegrown family fun and tunes. First up in July: Bossa.

UTICASQUARE.COM

JULY 14-15

RUSH FEST Kendall-Whittier is the place to be for two nights of live music, food trucks and drinks with a focus on mind, body and spirit.

RUSHFESTMUSICFESTIVAL.COM

JULY 14-16

AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART Oklahoma’s largest boutique, arts and crafts shopping event comes to the SageNet Center at Expo Square.

AAOTH.COM

JULY 20

BIXBY FREEDOM CELEBRATION

BENTLEY SPORTS COMPLEX

8505 E. 148TH ST., BIXBY BIXBYFREEDOMCELEBRATION.COM

JULY 1

NEW ORLEANS SQUARE BLOCK PARTY WEST NEW ORLEANS STREET AND SOUTH ELM PLACE, BROKEN ARROW FACEBOOK.COM/NEWORLEANSSQUAREBROKEN ARROW

JULY 4

FOLDS OF HONOR FREEDOMFEST

DREAM KEEPERS PARK

1875 S. BOULDER PARK DRIVE FREEDOMFESTTULSA.COM

FREEDOMFEST TAILGATE BASH

RIVER WEST FESTIVAL PARK 2100 S. JACKSON AVE. FREEDOMFESTTULSA.COM

FIRECRACKER 5K

FLEET FEET TULSA — BLUE DOME 418 E. SECOND ST. FLEETFEET.COM

CARTOON DRAWING

The latest installation of the Recess! series brings Muriel Fahrion, the creator of Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears, to Tulsa Community College’s McKeon Center for Creativity to teach attendees how to draw their own cartoon characters. CENTERFORCREATIVITYTULSA.COM

JULY 22-23

TULSA POWWOW It’s the 71st year for this annual celebration put on by the Tulsa Indian Club with drumming, dancing and community at the Cox Business Convention Center.

FACEBOOK.COM/TULSA.POWWOW

VISIT TULSAPEOPLE.COM/ABOUTTOWN FOR MORE LOCAL EVENTS AND A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF WEEKLY MUSIC LISTINGS.

INDEPENDENCE DAY EVENTS

FOURTH OF JULY BIKE PARADE NEW HAVEN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 5603 S. NEW HAVEN AVE. NEWHAVENUMC.ORG

BOOMFEST 2023

JENKS RIVERWALK 300 RIVERWALK TERRACE, JENKS FACEBOOK.COM/RIVERWALKJENKS

RED, WHITE AND BOOM

OWASSO GOLF AND ATHLETIC CLUB

13604 E. 84TH ST. N., OWASSO CITYOFOWASSO.COM

COMPILED BY BLAYKLEE FREED

DASHA VERSHYLENKO

UKRAINIAN JOURNALIST AND FAMILY LIVE IN TULSA TO ESCAPE CONFLICT AT HOME.

STORY AND PHOTO BY TIM LANDES

Dasha Vershylenko is nearing an important deadline as she sits across from me inside Le Louvre French Cafe, 8313 S. Memorial Drive. In two weeks she is slated to give birth to her and husband Pasha’s third child.

Vershylenko is a Ukrainian journalist who has called Tulsa home since March 2022. Originally, the plan was for her and their children Arina and Vanya (now 12 and 5, respectively) to come visit Pasha after he had moved to Tulsa a month earlier on a threeyear visa for a career opportunity in business development.

THEN THE RUSSIANS INVADED UKRAINE ON FEB. 24, 2022, WHICH WAS FOUR DAYS BEFORE DASHA AND THE KIDS’ DEPARTING FLIGHT OUT OF KYIV ... Our airport was bombed and destroyed. I moved to the village of my parents as Russian soldiers occupied this village.

ELECTRICITY AND WATER WERE CUT OFF. THEY SLEPT IN A BOMB SHELTER. SHE HAD NO WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH HER HUSBAND IN TULSA TO TELL HIM THEY WERE STUCK. THEN HER FATHER FOUND A ROUTE FOR THEM TO GET BACK TO KYIV WHERE THEY COULD TRAVEL TO POLAND. FROM THERE, THEY’D TAKE A TRAIN TO GERMANY, A FLIGHT TO PORTUGAL, THEN A FLIGHT TO MIAMI AND ON TO TULSA — ALL IN FIVE DAYS ... When we go through that route (back to Kyiv from the village) we saw Russian soldiers and their big tanks. It was a very professional army with guns, and I just pray, “Please, God save my kids,” and the soldiers didn’t kill us. We go another way. It was terrible pictures, but we got to the travel station in Kyiv.

HAVING NOT HEARD FROM HIS WIFE, PASHA HAD PURCHASED A TICKET TO FLY TO POLAND TO CROSS BACK INTO UKRAINE TO HELP HIS FAMILY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A ONE-WAY TRIP, AS HE WOULD HAVE BEEN FORCED TO JOIN THE WAR EFFORT ...

When I was in Kyiv I call to him and he said, “Oh my goodness after six hours I would y to Kyiv.” He had just enough time to return the tickets and wait for me and the kids. SHE HAD DONE HER RESEARCH ON TULSA AND OKLAHOMA AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT TORNADOES ... I read about it because we were preparing our documents for my husband for one year. We read a lot about tornadoes on Wikipedia. We read that it’s terrible. More than 500 tornadoes a year, and it was very scary. I haven’t seen a tornado like on Wikipedia. When the war started, I’d hear sounds of planes. When I rst moved to Tulsa I hear an alarm for tornado, it was terrible. Only after a year I started to realize, “Don’t worry. It’s not about bombs. It’s just an alarm.”

DASHA SPENT OVER A DECADE IN JOURNALISM, FIRST AS A WRITER FOR UKRINFORM NATIONAL NEWS AGENCY WHERE SHE BECAME A FINANCIAL REPORTER BEFORE SWITCHING TO TELEVISION AS A REPORTER AND PRESENTER. SHE HAS FILED SOME STORIES REMOTELY, BUT HER DAY-TO-DAY LIFE AS A JOURNALIST IS PAUSED FOR NOW ... I miss my job. It’s impossible to use my English and do a good job in interviews. Right now, I’m focusing on my English. I have learned a lot about the history of U.S.A. and about what’s going on here with culture. Our plan, like with this new experience (points to her belly), is to help our country in the future. Right now, it’s an amazing season for learning with a new baby. Baby and I will learn and learn. It’s a great time. All my life I was hard working and every time it’s job, job, job, job, but right now it’s a season for learning. TP

THIS GROUP ROCKS

TULSA ROCK AND MINERAL SOCIETY SHINES A LIGHT ON COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION.

BY BLAYKLEE FREED

The rst thing Eric Hamshar typically shows to visitors of the DW Correll Museum in Catoosa is a small pitch-black room.

When he hits a button, a blacklight illuminates specimens encapsulated in a display. Fluorescent rows of rocks, minerals and organic material glow excitedly, and they evoke a similar enthusiasm from visitors of all ages, says Hamshar, director of the museum.

“ e electrons jump to a higher orbit and then sort of dance around and emit that light,” Hamshar explains. “When the (blacklight) goes o , that light is those electrons working their way back to their normal orbit.”

On July 15-16 at Expo Square, you can nd a similar uorescent dark-room display — just one of many exhibits at Tulsa Rock and Mineral Society’s annual Rock, Gem, Mineral and Jewelry show. Hamshar also is chair of the event, which includes two days of gems, beads, fossils, crystals and exhibits from scores of vendors, including members of Tulsa Rock and Mineral Society and other Oklahoma clubs.

e Society was founded in 1958 to promote interest in rocks, minerals, fossils and the like. With a focus on community and education, it has hundreds of active members.

While Hamshar loves rocks and minerals for their beauty, he also appreciates the rich history. When the Tulsa Rock and Mineral Society gets together for this show, millions of years of history is packed into the Exchange Center at Expo Square.

“Something that I typically (bring) is at least one case of these tri-state minerals,” he says. e tri-state mining district included the area between Picher, Oklahoma, to Joplin, Missouri, to Galena, Kansas, Hamshar says. “In that area of those three states ... it was the leading zinc and lead mines for about a century. It was a big deal.”

In addition to educational displays, crystals, beads, gems and rocks will be available for purchase. is year’s show also will host a free kids’ zone as well as demonstrations.

Tulsa Rock and Mineral Society members meet the second Monday of each month. e group also collects specimens on

eld trips at least once a month.

Some of the perks to joining are apparent at the DW Correll Museum, where members have access to lapidary equipment to cut, polish and grind gems into geometric shapes. In fact, many of the specimens seen in the DW Correll gift shop and at the Expo Square show were processed at the museum’s workshop.

“ at’s one of the things that really makes this place work,” Hamshar says. TP

For more information, visit tulsarockandmineralsociety.com.

JULY 15-16 — ROCK, GEM, MINERAL AND JEWELRY SHOW EXCHANGE CENTER AT EXPO SQUARE, 4145 E. 21ST ST.

$7 adult admission, $10 two-day pass, free for kids 12 and under

Eric Hamshar, director of DW Correll Museum in Catoosa, displays specimens ahead of Tulsa Rock and Mineral Society’s Rock, Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show, of which he serves as chair.

Fluorite from Illinois

Orthoceras and ammonite fossils from Morocco

A PLACE FOR SUPERSTARS

ALLFIRST OFFERS MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT TO INDIVIDUALS VIA THE BRIDGES FOUNDATION.

BY ETHAN VEENKER

Along Cheyenne Avenue, just south of downtown Tulsa, an otherwise modest building with a bright, streetside mural reads, “Why t in when you were born to stand out?” with a small message in the bottom corner that states, “In memory of Misty Shipp.”

e mural at AllFirst Scan Center at 1402 S. Cheyenne Ave. honors Shipp, who worked at AllFirst through the Bridges Foundation, a nonpro t that provides employment and training for individuals with unique capabilities to create a path to independence and meaningful employment. More than two years ago, the former warehouse became the company’s local site for full-time le scanning, most of which is carried out by clients from the Bridges Foundation.

Shipp was one such client. She died two years ago, and a collection of her drawings and coloring book pages hang inside the Scan Center. e topic is di cult to bring up at AllFirst without tear shed — she was loved by all.

“ ese kids were born to stand out,” says Paige Strawn. “ ey’re amazing. ey’re full of perseverance and diligence, and they never give up.”

Strawn refers not only to the Bridges team members at large, but to all individuals born with special needs. Her own daughter Shelby has Down syndrome, and when she was in the fth grade, Shelby expressed interest in working with her father, Luke Strawn, the CEO of AllFirst, at his o ce. is idea planted the seed for what’s become

an enduring partnership with the Bridges Foundation. Shelby still needs to nish high school before joining AllFirst.

Rachael Henson has worked at the scanning center since summer 2022. She’s one of three Bridges team members currently employed there.

“I love it here,” she says. Henson works four days a week, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and she takes not just joy but clear pride in her work.

AllFirst is the holding company for FirsTitle, a residential and commercial title company, and Smith Brothers, an abstract company. AllFirst’s work spreads over four di erent states. ough most title-related paperwork is digital these days, various corporate acquisitions in previous years have led to a large backlog of hard data — data that needs to be digitized, organized and preserved. ese are documents that will be needed in perpetuity, so keeping them accessible and available is as important a role as any a title and abstract company can perform.

“You’re a team player,” Strawn says, and Henson’s instant rejoinder is, “I know I am,” with a big grin.

“I worked everywhere at Bridges,” she goes on, “I worked everywhere,” but she attests AllFirst is her favorite so far. It’s not hard to see why: she loves being there, and they love having her.

“I want them to know that every day, you have a place where you’re going to stand out,” Strawn says. “ ey’re our superstars out here.” TP

On the sunny side

It’s a sunny Monday morning in late May, and Branjae is ready to go for a walk and take in some sun at Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area.

“It makes me feel connected,” Branjae says. “Sometimes I feel with life and the day-to-day working and going back and forth in your life, you can feel disconnected. This reminds me of the beauty of life. We’re a part of this. We’re born into this. There’s a lot of connection with the Earth.”

Branjae is a staple of the Tulsa music scene and can often be seen across town performing as a solo headliner, a member of Count Tutu or as a collaborator.

But during the last couple of years she stepped back from the microphone and didn’t release any new music and took less gigs.

“I was struggling a lot, like a lot of people, with mental health,” she says. “We’re going through that whole pandemic and a lot of people dying. My mom died then my dog died. All this death surrounding COVID and people losing people. Then our government and then civil unrest. I think we’re all traumatized, and we’re acting it out in different ways. I know how I act out mine, and I’m recognizing that so I can manage it.”

Hence this routine walk at Turkey Mountain — it helps to recenter her — she says.

“I started making upbeat songs that are high vibrations and changing and evolving and accepting the new self, and looking inside and really trying to fix this stress and pressure and mental health struggles we have.” — TIM LANDES

Tristy Fryer, Lane Stansifer, Paige Strawn, Rachael Henson, Luke Strawn and Kyle Graham inside the AllFirst Scan Center. Stansifer, Henson and Graham work there through the Bridges Foundation.

LOVE LANGUAGE

BY

For Boris Dralyuk and Jennifer Croft, two married writers, critics and literary translators living in Tulsa, words are all about bridging divides and creating connections — even paving the path that led them to one another in 2017, when Dralyuk was working as a journal editor in Los Angeles and Croft submitted an essay for consideration.

“I published it within two, three days. It was one of the most beautiful things I had read,” Dralyuk says, noting the two had co ee together soon after.

“I’d Googled him rst, saw that he was very cute, and pretended like I wanted to talk more about work,” Croft says, laughing.

Married in 2019, the pair made the move to Tulsa when Croft was accepted as a Tulsa Artist Fellow in January 2022. Both presidential professors teaching primarily in the Department of English and Creative Writing at e University of Tulsa and parents to 1-year-old twins, the two also

continue their individual literary pursuits — novel writing for Croft, poetry for Dralyuk, and some non ction writing for both — as well as reviewing and translating to much acclaim.

Growing up in Tulsa, Croft, who translates Ukrainian, Polish and ArgentineSpanish texts to English, says her interest in language learning began at a young age. She enrolled at TU at 15 and received her undergraduate degree in Russian studies and English with a minor in creative writing. Eventually earning her Ph.D. in comparative literary studies from Northwestern University, her language focus shifted to Polish in 2001 when she started her MFA in translation at the University of Iowa. “I immediately discovered a lot of interesting contemporary women writers, which was my main interest at the time because I felt like they were so underrepresented,” she says.

Around 2002, Croft discovered Polish author Olga Tokarczuk. “Olga had just

published a collection of short stories and it was just obviously destined for success,” she says. Tokarczuk would go on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2019.

For Dralyuk, his work connecting Russophone texts to English readers rst began by reconnecting with his mother tongue. Born in Odesa, Ukraine, Dralyuk was 8 years old when he immigrated to LA with his family in 1991, just before the fall of the Soviet Union.

“I threw myself into learning English,” he says. “In my teen years I wanted to recover what I lost, the Russian that I’d neglected.”

With a Ph.D. in Slavic languages and literature from e University of CaliforniaLos Angeles, Dralyuk has a great appreciation for early 20th century works, mainly translating texts and poetry by dead authors (“much easier to deal with,” he says) but also working with living authors including Maxim Osipov and Andrey Kurkov

Croft and Dralyuk’s careers are decorated with awards, and just last year both were nominated for the 2022 National Book Critics Circle Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize — an award which Dralyuk won for his translation of Kurkov’s “Grey Bees.”

Both say they are humbled and honored to receive such prominent accolades and are using their platforms to advocate for the translation of more texts neglected by the English-speaking world and bring more recognition to the work of critics and translators themselves.

“Often enough, translators receive no royalties,” says Croft, who began the hashtag #translatorsonthecover, which calls for publishers to print the translating author alongside the original writer on book covers. She also advocates for more opportunities for translators of color and for the work of translation overall. “ e reality of the international circulation of texts is that in their new contexts, it is up to their translators to choose every word they will contain.”

Croft’s new novel “ e Extinction of Irena Rey” — which was awarded a Guggenheim last year — comes out in March, and Dralyuk continues to write poetry while also working on translating the second book of what will be a series of historical detective novels by Kurkov published in the U.S. by Harper Via.

When the two aren’t working or bouncing ideas o one another, they are out loving the Tulsa life with the twins. Gathering Place, Philbrook, India Palace, Antoinette Baking Co. and Circle Cinema are just a few of the young family’s frequented favorites.

“What has kept us in Tulsa is Tulsa itself,” Dralyuk says. “It’s a wonderfully comfortable place to live.” TP

MARRIED TU PROFESSORS AND TRANSLATORS ARE LIVING THEIR BEST LITERARY LIFE WHILE PARENTING YOUNG TWINS.

TIFFANY HOWARD

Boris Dralyuk and Jennifer Croft with their twins Charlie and Nina

Over the course of our 130-year history, Covenant Living has grown to serve 5,500 residents in 19 communities across 10 states. We are one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit senior living organizations and, with a strong fiscal foundation, an excellent retirement choice. We’re proud to be in Tulsa and we’re committed to offering seniors a future filled with promise by providing happier, healthier,

NEW POSSIBILITIES

TULSA TRANSPLANT AND MUSICIAN MAX HOLM FINDS OPPORTUNITIES IN HIS NEW HOME.

STORIES BY JULIE WENGER WATSON

At the age of 13, musician Max Holm had a brush with death. Internal bleeding from dozens of previously undetected stomach ulcers left him unconscious and convulsing. Doctors told his mother to prepare for the worst.

irteen years later, the Swedish American pianist looks back on that event and the seven blood transfusions that followed as a “blessing in disguise.”

“Needless to say, that whole experience, it really changed me,” says the now 26-year-old Holm, who recently moved to town with his mother Maggie Curran, a Tulsa Remote participant.

e son of a Swedish professional classical violinist, Holm spent the rst decade of his life in Sweden where he picked up the violin at the age of 6. He discovered the piano and a passion for jazz a year after the blood transfusions.

“I discovered jazz, and I became obsessed with learning about the music and playing it. I would play for eight hours every single day — playing it, learning it, digesting it and just listening,” Holm says. “Getting each of those blood transfusions from a di erent stranger, we always joke now about it. What if one of those seven was a jazz master and that just changed me in some way?”

After his junior year of high school, Holm was accepted into the Jazz Band of

America, a national honors ensemble. He later joined the Crescent Superband, moving to Utah for a year to tour with this select group of high school musicians where he performed in front of stadium-sized crowds and participated in an award-winning jazz album featuring tracks from musicians like Branford Marsalis and Trombone Shorty

“It was the best experience ever,” Holm says.

Holm eventually nished his studies at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, enjoying a nal semester abroad in Valencia, Spain, where he and his mother remained until the pandemic hit, forcing a return to the States. Holm describes the Tulsa Remote opportunity and the move to Oklahoma as a “godsend,” opening up new possibilities for both of them.

“I believe in energy,” Holm says. “If one door closes over here, then another opens over there. I think Tulsa Remote was one of those doors that just opened for both of us. I’ve been introduced to so many great musicians here. I’ve been able to play with them and really get into the scene.”

Holm’s music has been placed in Fox network’s sitcom “Call Me Kat,” “College Hill: Celebrity Edition” and an upcoming lm starring Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. For more on Holm visit maxholm.com. TP

This fall, indie rock outfit COMBSY will release a full-length album. The project, which was three years in the making, is the result of a creative collaboration of four Tulsa musicians: Chris Combs (guitar, keys), Josh Raymer (drums, electronics), Aaron Boehler (bass, keys) and Costa Upson (lead vocals, keys, electronics). Although these musicians have played together and independently for years, in many ways, this record formalizes their efforts.

“Things just fell into place, and it all came together fairly organically,” Combs says. Just as the group got to work, the pandemic hit, which gave them the time and space to go deeper and make a unique piece of work.

According to Combs, the writing process and the music are different with COMBSY than with previous, more jazzoriented, projects for which Combs did most of the writing.

“This is way more collaborative and song focused,” he says. “The new stuff is really the summation of the four of us working together and is much greater in many ways than a lot of the things we can do on our own. We didn’t know what this album was going to sound like and really just followed the music. It led us to some interesting places, and I think we were able to get out of the way and truly let the music speak.”

For bassist Boehler, who’s spent years as a professional touring musician, playing in COMBSY is a refreshing change.

“It feels like being in your first band again, when you’re excited to go to rehearsal in your friend’s garage and practice for eight hours. It’s just my band — me and my homies doing it full effort,” he says. “Everybody is equally in this project, and it feels like a band, like four dudes splitting it equally, and going at everything equally, creatively, in every aspect.” For more information, find the band on Instagram @combsymusic. TP

Musician Max Holm, photographed in May at LowDown, often plays and jams at the downtown venue since moving to Tulsa. He’s currently working on an EP of five original neo-classical orchestral compositions and recently finished a book titled “Ace Your Sight-Reading Audition!”where he shares his music hacks that helped him earn more than $500,000 in scholarships.

‘Me and my homies’ COMBSY

WORK AND PLAY

QUINTET PERFORMS REGIONAL MEXICAN MUSIC ACROSS THE CITY.

BY JULIE WENGER WATSON

You don’t have to travel the world to encounter other cultures. In fact, if you live in Tulsa, you don’t even need to leave the city limits. is is a diverse city, and one of the best ways to experience that is through music.

Tulsa-based Luis Torres Y Su Clave MX play Sierreño, a subgenre of regional Mexican music popular among younger fans and musicians.

“ e sierreño is a regional Mexican genre that, unlike a norteño, is identi ed by being made up mainly of guitars,” says Victor Garcia, the band’s manager. “In the beginning, it was called ‘campirano,’ and it originated in northwestern Mexico — Sinaloa, Sonora, Chihuahua. It was created as an alternative to the norteños.”

All ve band members were born in Mexico and range in age from 18-25. Main vocalist Luis Torres is from Guerrero. Enrique Vega (vocals, 12-string guitar) was born in Durango. Fernando Martinez (sixstring guitar) is from Guanajuato, and both Elias Ponce (sousaphone) and Rodrigo Lara (saxhorn) are from Michoacan.

According to Garcia, Torres and Martinez met as kids and started playing and singing together as a hobby. After a chance meeting with Vega at Guitar Center in November 2019, the band was born. Ponce joined the group a few months later. Lara, Ponce’s cousin, is the latest addition.

All of the musicians hold day jobs — four in construction and one in a plastics factory — but they still manage to practice

two evenings a week. Performing both original and cover songs, the lyrics are sung in Spanish, and the band performs regularly in Mexican restaurants, Hispanic bars and nightclubs, as well as birthday parties, weddings and quinceañeras.

“We invite everyone to follow us on our Facebook page,” Garcia says. “Give us a like and share so that our family continues to grow and, more than anything, so you are aware of our next projects like live videos of cover songs, an unpublished album in Spanish and album in English.”

e band will perform live at noon on Sept. 2 at the 918 Food Festival in the SoBo District.

Learn more at 918foodfestival.com. TP

From left, Rodrigo Lara, Enrique Vega, Luis Torres, Fernando Martinez and Elias Ponce make up the band Luis Torres Y Su Clave MX, a popular Mexican band that plays Sierreño music, which is popular among younger crowds.

‘HORROR VACUI’

THE UNCANNY AND GORGEOUS WORK OF JP MORRISON LANS.

BY ZACK REEVES

In a pink studio just west of Gilcrease Hills, JP Morrison Lans is doing something new. On a wooden board, she uses colored pencils to detail a hand oating — and this is the new part — in empty space. It’s an attempt at confronting a fear.

“Horror vacui,” Morrison Lans says as she draws, is the fear of empty spaces, speci cally in art. is might explain why there’s typically so much to her compositions: so much color, so many shapes, such close detail.

As a child in Detroit, Morrison Lans grew frustrated with the simplistic facial features of dolls (“It’s hard to make Barbie cry”), and drew her own faces on dolls. e family moved her to Tulsa at age 8, and a visit to painter Carol LaRoche’s gallery in Sante Fe at 11 solidi ed the urge: she would be an artist.

An education at the Kansas City Art Institute led Morrison Lans down di erent lanes of art making — realism, which focused on the accuracy of the object represented, and conceptual art, which focused on the idea being expressed.

You can see it in the way she depicts the human body (usually herself, her husband or her child) with a mirror-like clarity. But the

abstract, idea-based stu stuck around, too.

Morrison Lans’ works are deeply concerned with the problems of day-to-day living — love, loss, self-preservation, panic, desire and knowing — and that’s what the abstractions are for. Her bubbles and clouds and blots set the emotional tenor of a piece, and often they’re how she ghts her fear of empty spaces.

“I’m always considering the balance,” Morrison Lans says.

And yet, her work nds its strength in that push and pull. Much of art’s power comes from the tectonic forces inside the

artist while creating the work, balancing technical mastery with emotional weight; Morrison Lans possesses both in droves.

Whether she’s voicing frustration, or fear, or even contentment, Morrison Lans’ realist and abstract elements cohere into a style that seems both unfamiliar and perfectly natural, pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

She’s pushing her own boundaries, too. Lately, she says, she’s able to keep the empty spaces empty.

Morrison Lans’ work can be found at jpmorrisonlans.com or on Instagram @jplans. TP

Colored pencil and encaustic artist JP Morrison Lans, inset, is known for her realist and conceptual art. Locals can find her work at M. A. Doran Gallery. Morrison Lans’ next solo show will be in September at Heron Arts in San Francisco.

WONDERS OF WOMPA

TULSANS TRANSFORM ABANDONED INDUSTRIAL FACTORY INTO CREATIVE, COLLABORATIVE SPACE.

BY BLAYKLEE FREED

West of downtown Tulsa and north of the Arkansas River, an abandoned industrial factory has been transformed into a complex for creatives to build, make, sell and dwell.

WOMPA, short for West o’ Main Producers Association, is a community-driven coworking space, 3306 Charles Page Blvd., with studios, retail shops and vast spaces for creatives to work on their next project, in addition to an RV park currently in development.

Dean Williams — founder of Vagabonds Inc. and developer of the project — enlisted help from architect Ken Alexander and interior designer Angie Johnson, who gave TulsaPeople an in-depth tour this spring.

One of the biggest challenges with a restorative project like this, Alexander notes, is maintaining the originality while updating the space to meet modern safety and accessibility standards.

“We were going to use the building as we found it, and then play that up and make it work for us,” Alexander says.

OKIE ROOTS

Visitors are quick to notice a couple of intentional choices Alexander and Johnson made when forging this space. ere are few signs giving directions or maps with spatial

information — the point is to linger and explore — and there are multiple entrances welcoming visitors into di erent spaces.

“With most o ce design, they’re just not going to spend money on anything except one real entry, and the rest of them are re exits that just go in and out,” Alexander says. Instead, he and Johnson wanted to make each entry special to give WOMPers a reason to spread out and explore.

e entrance toward the center of the campus is just one testament to the teamwork and vision of Johnson, Alexander and their crew of craftsmen. e sharp-angled wooden and metal door, and nearby triangular-paned windows, were custom-built and are sandwiched between thick wooden walls from upcycled refrigeration freight cars.

e seating area just inside is one of many communal spaces open to visitors, coworking creatives and other WOMPers. Traveling further into the building, Johnson’s touch ties the space together. e colors from wall decor, rugs and furniture merge the rustic and industrial appearance of the building with the down-home feeling they’re seeking for the space. She’s worked on the project since October 2018, so basically the beginning.

“ e majority of it, believe it or not, was

found here in Oklahoma,” Johnson says. “ ere’s some from Texas, North Carolina and Tennessee, but I would say the majority of (the interior design) was from here.”

Michael Mason, one of WOMPA’s several co-creators, shaped the physical and philosophical development of WOMPA with the team. Mason says Alexander and Johnson created a cohesive design that doesn’t overwhelm the creative tenants but rather provides subtle inspiration. ings are repurposed and reused e ciently and beautifully.

“ is strange intersection of labor and spirituality shows up in this repurposing ethos,” Mason says. “To me, the iconic Okie aesthetic that happens around here are those propane planter tanks, and there’s all this natural beauty bursting out of it.” Johnson found the tanks that sit outside the entrances to WOMPA.

OLD SPACE, NEW LIFE

When Williams bought the property in 2018, it had been partially abandoned for decades. People had been living around the complex, the upstairs was lled with discarded debris, furniture and whatever the elements brought in over the years. Built in 1921, the big warehouse was home to the Inner Tube Tire Compression Co. Later it

In addition to the offices and workspace upstairs, WOMPA offers four reception areas, an outdoor terrace, conference rooms and two art galleries. Inset, from left, Ken Alexander, Angie Johnson and Michael Mason are just a few of the creatives who brought WOMPA to life.

became the Fred E. Cooper Oil Rig Manufacturing Co., manufacturing petroleum rigs and loading them onto the nearby trains to ship.

Rather than trashing wood and metal scraps, the restoration crew started a pile that Alexander calls “the boneyard.” Combined with Johnson’s nds, pieces from the boneyard have found their way back into the building’s decor.

WOMPA’s six venues, private o ces, studios and coworking spaces are places where collaboration fosters ideas. at sentiment is re ected in aspects of the original building’s construction, Alexander points out.

“ ere’s so much human energy in each column. You see all those bumps? ose are rivets,” Alexander says, pointing to the exposed beams present throughout the property.

Each rivet represents immense human collaboration. “It takes at least three guys to put in one rivet. You got a guy heating it up. When it gets hot, he throws it to the guys where they’re assembling this (beam). Another guy catches it in a metal cone and takes it out with some tongs, sticks in the hole. And then there’s one guy with a pneumatic hammer on one side, one guy with a hammer on the other side. And it attens out or makes a cone shape on the rivet.”

IF YOU BUILD IT ...

Mason is just one of the creatives who’s contributed to building up new dreams from his WOMPA workspace. e tour spills into his roughly 1,000-square-foot loft on the second oor to get a better idea of the spaces available for rent. e unmistakable smell of books lls the room — a mixture of worn paper and dust — with a hint of incense.

Mason sits in the center of his book collection, shelves that snake around the perimeter of his designated seating area and workspace.

“ is is my little genesis of the bookstore that I hope to launch,” he says. “All of these books right here kind of represent a core aesthetic that I want to inculcate into the bookstore, which is that all the books have a really fascinating backstory to them.”

“My dream, at this bookstore, is that all the people there are real book lovers, and so we’d have book docents (to share the stories behind the books),” he says. Editor’s note: Mason moved out of WOMPA June 7, but is still planning for a bookstore nearby.

Artists, craftsmen and creative-oriented organizations are the bulk of WOMPA tenants, like Black Moon Collective — an all-Black artists’ collective that has studio space and a gallery on the east end of the building — and Low Road Merch Co.

Low Road co-owners Bobby Dean Orcutt and Morgan Bible work with local artist Lucas Wisner to create merch

(T-shirts, bags and the like) printed on-site. Bible also runs a curated vintage shop out of the space with classy suits, trendy throwback windbreakers and more.

When the pandemic hit, Orcutt was screen printing shirts, hats and other merch for Mercury Lounge and local musicians from his Tulsa garage.

“It was a way to generate income,” Orcutt says. “We did some fundraisers, and we raised some money for some causes we care about, and it was cool. And then we hit a point where we outgrew my garage.”

Merch designs — some funny and crass, others a nod to a niche interest or inside joke — have proven popular.

“We’re trying to be as intentional as possible with everything, whether it’s reducing waste with the live printing method or helping bands do pre-sale campaigns. If you sell 25 of these shirts, our shop minimum is 25, then it doesn’t cost anybody anything,” Orcutt says. “We just re up a link and a mockup, and you’re good to go.”

Low Road also has become a space to foster community with other creatives,

hosting all-ages music shows, as well as educational events where Orcutt and Bible invite the public to learn about the shop or about booking shows and other topics that bridge artistry and entrepreneurship. e pair are partners in life, as well, and live at WOMPA with their dog, Pete, and cats, Lili and Stevie .

For both Bible and Orcutt, Low Road has combined some of their favorite endeavors all into one job. Orcutt spent years managing bands, booking them at Mercury Lounge and now he’s making shirts for them. Bible bartended at the Merc and other downtown Tulsa bars with live music. Now she gets to work with bands from another vantage point.

“I get to see some of my favorite musicians play, and they want me to make merch for them,” she says. “It’s insane.”

Spring brought the beginnings of WOMPA Market, held on Saturdays. Market days o er art and merch from WOMPA vendors, food and live music. Check WOMPA’s social media channels for dates, and schedule a tour at wompatulsa.com. TP

Above left, communal space is common throughout the complex. Designer Angie Johnson sourced furniture and decor from around Oklahoma and as far as the East Coast. Above right, WOMPA creative Bobby Dean Orcutt, who co-owns Low Road Merch Co., pulls a shirt off the press. Below, WOMPA amenities include a full kitchen, conference rooms, showers and 24/7 access.

PRIME PACKAGES

UNPACKING AND FULFILLING ORDERS ALL IN A DAY’S WORK AT TULSA’S AMAZON FULFILLMENT CENTER.

BY ANNE BROCKMAN

FOOTPRINT

Opened in August 2020, the 2.65-million-square-foot, four-story Amazon Ful llment Center sits at 4040 N. 125th E. Ave. It is one of 400 Amazon ful llment centers scattered across the globe. e Tulsa site employs more than 3,000 individuals who ful ll customer orders.

BUT FIRST ...

Boxes travel from the inbound dock where any one of 50-60 Amazon associates sort through them and their contents, scan them into the computer system and put their contents into a yellow tub for processing. Cindy Molder, who has worked at Amazon for almost three years, processes approximately 80 tubs an hour. Recently she received a letter from a supplier. She opened a box and, “it was sitting on top and I thought it was pretty great that somebody took the time to put that in for us here at Amazon,” she says. e letter read: “You are helping our small business and many like us. You are appreciated. Hope you have an amazing day.”

SEEING YELLOW

Yellow tubs are lled by sorters and sent upstairs and processed onto pods — towers of stored, pocketed items that might weigh up to 350 pounds. Moved by robots, the pods are delivered to the associate boxing customer orders. Computers and lights direct the associate to pull the item from the correct pocket for the order. ere are roughly 28 million products available at the Tulsa ful llment center.

ALL DAY, ALL NIGHT

Four shifts work 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the Amazon “stow, pick, pack” system that sends nearly 450,000 items outbound to customers and other Amazon sites daily.

FINAL STEPS

Once an order is packed, it is sent on its nal conveyor trip — there’s 14 miles of conveyance within the facility — to workers packing boxes on a trailer for shipment to a delivery station or to head to its nal destination. Julia Bitton, an operations manager who has worked at the Tulsa site for more than two years, says it typically takes 45 minutes for an order to go from pod to shipping. TP

Cindy Molder

CELEBRATIONS OF CINEMA

MARKING 95 YEARS OF CIRCLE CINEMA’S ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

BY J. D. MYER

Let’s rewind the reels to 1928 when just south of the original Route 66 alignment, Tulsa’s rst suburban neighborhood movie theater opened its doors to families, travelers and lm fanatics, establishing itself as a cornerstone in our community for years to come.

Circle eater, now Circle Cinema, would see the advent of “talkies” and transition into an age of sound and color amidst Tulsa’s continual growth.

is year marks Circle Cinema’s 95th anniversary where the space has become so much more than its humble beginnings. e Circle now features a gallery of local artists in addition to spaces for expert panel discussions, audience participation, musical performances and more. With the support from theater members, contributors and charitable foundations in the community, the city’s oldest continuously operating movie theater and its nonpro t is alive and well in Tulsa.

Oklahoma has become a hotbed of lm production, with Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and several smaller independent lms according to Brent Ortolani, Circle Cinema’s executive director.

Many of these productions have gained support from the state and Tulsa lm o ces, as well as several of the state’s tribes, including Cherokee Nation. “Film can inspire and educate audiences like no other medium, and as an art form, it is as inspirational and in uential as literature or a great painting.

“In this age of misinformation and attacks on basic human rights, the Circle’s mission of ‘elevating community consciousness through lm’ has never been more important,” he says.

Tulsa’s local indie lmmaker representation has surged thanks in part to the Circle’s support of Oklahoma artists’ visions and stories while providing the opportunity to propel their work onto the big screen under Circle Cinema’s REEL Indie program.

“ e Circle champions local Oklahoma lms and lmmakers through our innovative program. e Circle presents lms by local lmmakers who do not have a distribution contract while helping them build an audience and gain visibility at no cost to the lmmaker, many of whom are high school or college students that go on to achieve national attention and notoriety,”

Ortolani says.

In addition to the REEL Indie program, the theater hosts its annual Circle Cinema Film Festival, which began in 2018 for the theater’s 90th birthday. is year’s focus will be on made-in-Oklahoma lms, with categories like Okie Shorts, student shorts and two new additions — Made-in-Oklahoma feature-length narratives and documentaries. “A majority of the festival submissions come from our Okie Shorts category followed by student shorts,” says Kerry Wiens, volunteer coordinator of the Circle Cinema Film Festival. “ is year, with the two new categories, it will be really great to see how much they grow year to year as Oklahoma continues to encourage local lmmaking and talent.” e festival is July 13-16 and features a solid lineup of lms, a new gallery exhibit from Tulsa artist John Hammer on display throughout the month, commemorative theater-themed merchandise, live music, special guests and more. TP

For more showtimes and festival details visit circlecinema.org or call 918-585-3456.

From left, Kerry Wiens, Circle Cinema Film Festival volunteer coordinator, Chuck Foxen, Circle’s deputy director, and Brent Ortolani, Circle’s executive director, outside the theater that is marking 95 years this month. Inset, Circle Cinema in 1952.

ELEVATE Memory Gala

On May 6, over 350 guests gathered on The Vista at 21’s rooftop for the ELEVATE Memory Gala in support of the Alzheimer’s Association. The evening was hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association Oklahoma Chapter, and attendees enjoyed various menu items by Palace Cafe, Glacier chocolates, dancing and a Drillers fireworks show. The evening raised more than $1.3 million, with over $900,000 already committed to the 2024 gala. The nonprofit aims to eliminate the disease through the advancement of research, providing and enhancing care and support for all affected, and reducing the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

1. Chuck and Wendy Garrett, 2023 Gala Co-chair Bill Thomas and Susan Thomas, Gentner and Wendy Drummond, 2023 Gala Co-chair Bob Thomas, Shadoworee Betts, Bill Major and Robert Babcock

2. Guests dance the night away to UltraViolet Band under the stars.

3. Leslie Lawson with Charlie and Debbie Myers

4. Jeff Heeley with Sandi Pellow, Alzheimer’s Association executive director, and Billie Heeley

Mad Scientist Ball

Donning lab coats and Einstein wigs, 300 adults were encouraged to also wear their play shoes on April 29 at Discovery Lab’s Mad Scientist Ball. Guests explored the museum and participated in a five-station “Curiosity Crawl” in which STEAM elements were paired with small bite food experiences by Justin Thompson Restaurants. The event also included a silent auction and exploding science demonstrations throughout the evening by Ray Vandiver, CEO and executive director, and Chip Lindsey, director of education. Just over $200,000 was raised to directly fund operations, exhibits and museum programming.

1. Second from right, Alex Waetjen, chair and Discovery Lab deputy director, with museum staff May Diamond, Micah Firestone, Lauren Rathe, Bradley McNutt, Lexis Mader and Ray Vandiver

2. Guests enjoy dancing in the disco lab station where they could also get a DJ 101 crash course in mixing and transitioning songs together.

3. Far back right, Ray Vandiver, Discovery Lab Executive Director and CEO, gets in on the photo fun with guests.

4. Lauren Rathe, STEAM Center and camp lead educator, and educator Lexis Mader facilitate the production of helium bubbles to float above arriving guests.

5. Actor Terry Wayne Sanders plays a mad scientist tinkering with his experiments as guests entered the museum.

14

Route 66 Native Arts Alliance Gala

Benefits Route 66 Native Arts Alliance.

RT66NATIVEARTSALLIANCE.ORG

15

Breaking Barriers 5K and Fun Run

Benefits

DESTINATION: TULSA

MANY COME HERE AS TOURISTS. OTHERS FOR A CHANCE AT A BETTER LIFE. SOME SHARE THEIR CULTURE THROUGH FOOD.

GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING

INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS

FREQUENT ROUTE 66 AND MAKE STOPS IN ITS CAPITAL CITY: TULSA.

If you drive down 11th Street on any given afternoon, chances are you’ll see a few out-of-state license plates. New York, Florida, Illinois. And, chances are, those cars are tied to a rental agency and are making their way from Chicago to Los Angeles, ferrying its passengers down Route 66. e vast majority of those vacationing road trippers hail from other countries. For those who grew up in Tulsa, where the Main Street of America was just another road, that might be surprising. But stop in and visit with a tourist at Tally’s Cafe or Decopolis or the Route 66 Historical Village and you’ll hear the same thing: this road is truly something special.

“International travelers see that Route 66 is true Americana,” says Mary Beth Babcock, owner of Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on 66. Her 21-foot-tall space cowboy statue has become one of Tulsa’s most recognizable landmarks. “Traveling from Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier is a great way to travel across the United States and see a little of all its beauty.” Indeed, the more

than 2,400 miles-long ribbon of highway weaves through the Midwest landscape, to the southern plains and through the stunning western vistas of the southwest before arriving at the Paci c Ocean.

A quick glance at the Buck Atom’s visitor log reveals a wide variety of nations in just the past week: Spain, England, Mexico, France, Australia. Some of these countries even have their own Route 66 Associations that put together itineraries and lead tours. e one from the Czech Republic, organized by Zdeněk Jurásek of Zlín (a town about 300 kilometers from Prague), has made the trip over 30 times since 1998. “I am Route 66 addicted,” he admits. “It is a special place for me.”

Dries Bessels of the Netherlands also has made the trip many times and cited the people who live and work along Route 66 as the part that makes it special. In fact, he encourages Americans to travel the road themselves to learn more about the country and its history. “I am often surprised by the fact that many Americans do not travel very much,” he says. “ e amount of times

I spoke to people who mentioned that they had never been out of their state is amazing; Route 66 would give them a great opportunity to do so.”

Tulsa itself has a rich history. What comes to mind when they think of our city and the state of Oklahoma?

“Arlo Guthrie and the Dust Bowl days,” Bessels says. Jurásek says the Route 66 Historical Village on Southwest Boulevard is always on his itinerary, especially when the Massey brothers are on-hand to talk about the restoration of the Frisco Meteor locomotive. Wolfgang Werz of Route 66 Germany, who leads motorcycle tours down Route 66, called out Route 66 HarleyDavidson, 3637 S. Memorial Drive, as a must-stop.

So, next time you’re at Hank’s Hamburgers on Admiral Boulevard or looking around the Shops at Mother Road Market, strike up a conversation. You never know who might be seeing Tulsa for the rst time.

Editor’s note: Rhys Martin is the president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and a member of Tulsa’s Route 66 Alliance.

STORY AND PHOTO BY RHYS MARTIN

Wolfgang Werz, right, of Route 66 Germany, and a few of the bikers he was leading down the Mother Road pose for a picture at Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on 66.

LISU, LOLO HINDI & RELATED SPANISH

TULSA COUNTY IMMIGRATION BY THE NUMBERS

GLOBAL REACH

ORU’S INTERNATIONAL STUDENT POPULATION REPRESENTS 146 NATIONS.

BY ELIZABETH MCCULLOUGH

Grey Ho Jr., Ed.D., associate vice president of international student relations at Oral Roberts University, leads ORU’s global recruitment and international student support initiatives. Ho shares more about the growing international student population at ORU.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING YOUR JOB? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART? My rst day at ORU was March 1, 2023. But I’ve served for almost 18 years in higher education at faithbased schools that really desired to bring international students to the university. e most enjoyable part is building a team of people who have a heart for students from di erent groups from all over the world and that want to walk alongside these students and see them do well.

HOW MANY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED ON CAMPUS AT ORU? We have over 500 undergraduate and graduate international students who are studying on an F-1 education visa. If you consider people who were born out of the country but have become U.S. citizens or permanent residents before attending ORU, the number grows closer to 800. We truly are a campus based in Tulsa with a global reach; 146 nations are represented here. I believe there is a global draw for international people in studying at ORU. Also I think there is global hospitality here in Tulsa, and I think it’s special to see these very diverse groups of people coming to our city and university.

DOES ORU OFFER ONLINE COURSES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, AND IF SO, HOW MANY GO THAT ROUTE? ere are over 150 students studying from about 50 countries online with us. Online is important for those international students who can’t come to the ORU campus, perhaps due to their careers or callings.

WHERE DO MOST INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS COME FROM? e top 10 are Nigeria, Colombia, China, Honduras, India, Brazil, El Salvador, South Korea, Mexico and

Kenya. If you add students who are born out of the country but now live here, then Myanmar, as well. And around 30 or 40 students study online from Indonesia.

ARE THERE COUNTRIES ORU IS TRYING TO RECRUIT MORE? Yes, the whole world. ORU is committed to developing whole leaders for the whole world. When we say, ‘whole world,’ we mean it. We desire to reach all 193 nations through residential and online programs with spirit-empowered education by 2030. We need an additional 47 nations to reach this goal.

WHAT ARE THE MAJORITY OF THESE FOLKS MAJORING IN? e top majors for international students are nursing, master of business administration, master of divinity, master of professional counseling, psychology, business and computer science.

ARE THESE NUMBERS GOING UP, DOWN OR STAYING THE SAME? Our international student

population continues to increase year after year. Comparing the 2022-2023 school year to the 2021-2022 school year we saw about an 18% increase. e increase partly was because there were a lot of students trying to get here, but COVID prevented it. So last year was really the rst year where they felt like, “OK, I can actually study again.” And so, we saw this big increase. We’re not slowing down. It is vital that we prepare our next generation of leaders to serve and work globally, interculturally and to develop the skills to navigate an ever expanding and complex world.

HOW ARE YOU MANAGING THIS INCREASE? We want to help the whole world get here. But when they get here, we need to take care of them. ey’re leaving everything they know. And so as much as we recruit, I also watch to make sure that, when we get them here, they’re going to do well. And they are. Over 95% of our international students who come stay, graduate and do great things.

Olaniyi Owolabi, Nigerian international student; Grey Hoff Jr., associate vice president of international student relations; and Julissa Flores, International Student Center manager MICHELLE

MEALS ON THE MAP

Visitors to Tulsa are continually surprised by the city’s culture, including its food.

They’re expecting good barbecue, a first-rate coney and great fried chicken — all of which we can provide. But when they hear about the food scene that’s taking chances, being nominated for James Beard awards and making national news, it’s a bit of a shock.

Pop-up boutique style restaurants like Japanese Breakfast from et al., authentic Mexican mole from Holé Molé and a stylized menu from Lowood are part of this scene. Also integral are the international restaurants, many of which are owned by U.S. immigrants or families of immigrants who have brought their traditional recipes and cooking styles to Tulsa.

Some came to Tulsa to be with family, some for work and others for college. All brought with them food many in Tulsa have been thrilled to find. A Burmese restaurant, for example, is rare even in some major cities. So to have one here is a gift. And each of these restaurants has owners ready to introduce their food and culture to Tulsans. They’re ready to make menu suggestions and explain some of what might sound strange. Being open to the food is an extension of being open to the culture, and it shows these restaurants they have a home in Tulsa.

STORY BY NATALIE MIKLES

In May, City of Tulsa hosted a naturalization ceremony that marked 1,000 OATH TAKERS since the City began hosting naturalization ceremonies in 2019.

STAMP YOUR DINING PASSPORT AT THESE 4 INTERNATIONAL DINING LOCATIONS.

KAI BURMESE

“It’s like pho, but better.” at’s the description of kyay oh from a woman dining at Kai Burmese, 6912 S. Lewis Ave. She bowed her head down close to the bowl, breathing in the steaming broth.

Kyay oh — called kyi oo on the menu at Kai Burmese in Tulsa — is a traditional Burmese noodle soup. Nearly every culture has its version of a noodle soup, and while some, like pho and ramen, have become American staples, others are low on our radars.

e ubiquity of many Southeast Asian dishes has passed by the food of Myanmar. And it’s a wonder why. Burmese food is a beautiful combination of Chinese, ai and Indian in uence with rice noodles combined with curries, cilantro-steeped broths, pork ribs with mushrooms and fresh papaya salad. Many aspects of the dishes are recognizable from your favorite Chinese, Indian, ai or Vietnamese restaurants. But the way Kai Burmese marries them is a delight. And those who appreciate good food but haven’t experienced Burmese food will be in for a treat.

Back to kyay oh. e pork-based broth, served in a clay pot, is rich in avor, but not heavily spiced. It’s a good, neutral base for all the avors to mingle, including minced pork, meatballs, tofu, mustard greens and shcakes. A sauce of soy and hot chiles is served on the side, and is so good you may want a second serving to drizzle on your soup.

Kai Burmese is a special place. Families lingered over dinner and children played in a corner so the grownups could talk. A group of students from Oral Roberts University were studying for nals the day we visited. And over the restaurant’s speakers, the English ABC’s were being sung in a sweet tune. One customer sang along and said it was part of how she was learning English. All the while, dishes came out to happy faces as people ate plates of fried rice with poached egg, tofu salad with peanuts and cilantro, and pork belly curry stew.

Kyi Oo

DBK DESSERTS

If you are the type to gaze longingly at a French bakery case or can’t choose between doughnut flavors, have we got the place for you.

A TulsaPeople reader told us she thought she had tasted every dessert imaginable — from mille feuille to maamoul. But she had never had a Korean bbang until making her way to DBK Desserts, 949 N. Elm Place in Broken Arrow.

DBK stands for Desserts By Kou See. Owner Kou See Vang’s melding of French patisserie with Asian flavors and specialties is what makes DBK so unique.

Omelet bbang is a Korean street food — a sort-of crepe folded into the shape of a taco and filled with whipped cream and other toppings. The hand-held style is part of the fun and makes sense for eating on the go as street food. Just wait until you try the crepe-pancake. It’s light like a crepe should be, with a tender sponginess. The whipped cream is just sweet enough, not overly so. And the fillings are part of the fun — there’s strawberry, mango, Oreo cookie, Biscoff cookie and more.

The Korean bbang is a top draw of DBK Desserts. But the bakery case is filled with other Asian and French confections, like corn mochi, custard buns, macarons, pandan cake, ube dessert tacos, crepe cake and boba smoothies.

SMOOTH FLAVORS

e walls of this green food truck perched at 1520

S. Memorial Drive are covered with signatures and Instagram handles of those who have been here before to experience entrees rooted in west Africa.

On this afternoon, Smooth Flavors has just opened for the day and a woman stands at the window excited to order a dish with fufu, which is made by boiling starchy root vegetables, like plantains or yams, and then mashing them into a dough-like consistency shaped into a ball.

“You got to take the fufu and dip it in with your hands and then you’re supposed to swallow it, but it’s OK if you chew it,” the customer announces to all within earshot. “Sometimes it’s served with a cup of water to dip your ngers in to rinse them.”

is is what brothers Ivan and Prince Doe were hoping for when they opened their food truck in December 2022. ey had moved to Tulsa from Liberia seven years before to be with family. As time passed they noticed there was no one outside their home serving the food they grew up cooking and eating, and the brothers saw an opportunity.

“Back in Africa, this is what we started doing to make money,” says Ivan as he closes the lid to a to-go container packed full of jollof rice and chicken. “We looked around and saw there was none here, so we started cooking.”

e menu includes hearty servings of palm butter soup with rice or fufu, red oil okra and meat stew with rice or fufu, bell peppers meat stew with rice and fried plantain and meat stew. ey also serve fried chicken and sh among other items.

Smooth Flavors is open 3-9 p.m., Monday-Friday. — TIM LANDES

Red oil okra and meat stew, and fried plantain and meat stew

Korean bbangs

TACOS LOS ARELLANO

e diversity of food in Mexico is rich in depth and avor. So how do you pick a favorite? Tulsa is lucky to have such great Mexican food — from menudo in family-owned restaurants to birria tacos from taco trucks and homemade tortillas in tortilla shops where you can grab a tamale while you wait.

But one of our current favorites is the tacos de trompo at Tacos los Arellano. Trompo is a close cousin to pastor. e citrus and pineapple marinated pork is cooked on a vertical rotisserie, creating an amazing roasted pork with some crispy bits. Tacos los Arellano takes it to the next level with the

trompo machete — a nearly foot-long taco with a griddled corn tortilla. e taco is stu ed with the pork, cheese and onion. Tacos los Arellano is also known for its cabeza tortas, asada and lengua tacos, and burritos. We’re also fans of the elote con trompo.

ere are two Tacos los Arellano locations: 2828 S. 129th E. Ave. and 2160 S. Garnett Road, inside Plaza Santa Cecilia. e Plaza Santa Cecilia location is especially good for browsing the market and nding desserts and drinks, like an or refreshing watermelon or cantaloupe juice.

55,533

IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS IN TULSA COUNTY (2018)

8.7 Percent Immigrant Share of Population

Tacos de trompo

PUTTING DOWN ROOTS

INTULSA VISA NETWORK HELPS INTERNATIONAL STEM PROFESSIONALS MAKE A HOME IN TULSA.

BY GRACE WOOD

Before Andrii Skorniakov and his family immigrated to Oklahoma from Ukraine, he had never visited the United States or even heard of Tulsa before.

Since December of last year, however, Skorniakov, his wife Iryna and their two daughters Yelyzaveta, 16, and Vasylisa, 10, have called Green Country home. anks to organizations like the inTulsa Visa Network, the Skorniakovs — and many other displaced Ukrainians — have obtained legal

authorization to relocate to Tulsa and found work, housing and community.

“It’s nice here, it’s a quiet and peaceful place,” says Skorniakov, who works as a data engineer with Oseberg, an innovative company that services the oil and gas industry. “Tulsans are very easygoing and friendly — they’re ready to help.”

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Skorniakov and his family lived in a Kyiv apartment. To ensure the safety of his wife and daughters as war broke out, he sent them to stay with a relative in France, while his son, Victor, 21, made the brave choice to join the Ukrainian military.

Skorniakov reunited with his wife and daughters in France in May. He attempted to work remotely at his engineering job in Ukraine, but as the war worsened, Skorniakov knew he had to pivot. As he scoured the internet for work, he found a Facebook group discussing how refugees can nd sponsors to help them come to the U.S. Shortly after, a woman named Christie Dizzia from the group sent Skorniakov a direct message telling him about the inTulsa Visa Network.

“I didn’t believe it at rst, but then I talked to Stan (Khrapak, lead of inTulsa Visa Network),” Skorniakov says. “He told me he came from Ukraine to the United States many years ago (in 1994), which made me believe that it’s possible, it’s real and it could be done.”

After talking with Khrapak, Skorniakov applied to the program. In November, Khrapak emailed him with the good news: Skorniakov and his family could pack their bags and prepare for a fresh start in Tulsa. In December, the family touched down at Tulsa International Airport, eager to start their new chapter.

Khrapak and his team comprised of Sally Hubbert, director; Rebecca Blood, project

Andrii Skorniakov with his wife, Iryna, and their two children, Yelyzaveta and Vasylisa, at their Tulsa home. Below, Skorniakov with Stan Khrapak, lead of inTulsa Visa Network.

17,742 IMMIGRANTS LIVING IN THE COUNTY HAD LIMITED ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY.

manager; and Ben Wagman, program analyst, started inTulsa in 2022 as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“In May of 2022, leaders at inTulsa and the George Kaiser Family Foundation began asking how we could leverage community resources to support those a ected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,” Khrapak says. “We wanted to nd innovative ways to help. A month later, the inTulsa Visa Network established a comprehensive framework for supporting the relocation of Ukrainian STEM talent to Tulsa, with the goal of removing the administrative and nancial barriers to immigration sponsorship, relocation and integration into a new community.

“We saw that, very quickly, tens of thousands of Ukrainian engineers were displaced,” Khrapak adds. “We were thinking, ‘What can we do to be creative and help these people?’”

With the help of the D.C. o ce of law rm Quarles and Brady LLP, the inTulsa team helps identify immigration pathways for professionals — like Skorniakov — with experience in engineering or other STEM elds, as well as international students attending college here. e inTulsa Visa Network connects these individuals with job opportunities in Tulsa in a process that’s mutually bene cial, Khrapak says.

“ is program aims to ll some of the critical gaps that we see in Tulsa in terms of talent,” Khrapak says. “We’re seeing a huge tech boom happening here, but there’s not quite enough mid or senior-level talent to ll those roles … (We have) the ability to help people who are in a bad situation and need legal support and want to call Tulsa home, as well as people who are looking to jumpstart their career.”

So far, the inTulsa initiative has accepted and provided legal services to 22 people and their families, who hail from Ukraine, India, Canada, Honduras and Uganda. With the help of other partner organizations like Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma, the YWCA of Tulsa and B’nai Emunah Synagogue, the inTulsa program can o er support to these new Tulsans and help ensure the city is a place they can thrive. rough the inTulsa program and its partners the Skorniakov family found a house, schools for their daughters to attend and other Ukrainian people to connect with. is summer the family moved into a bigger home and has hopes of buying a car so they can take road trips to some of Oklahoma’s many lakes.

“When we came here, we were very tired of moving from place to place,” Skorniakov says. “We want to settle somewhere, and Tulsa is a great place to do it.”

For more information about the inTulsa Visa Network, visit talent.intulsa.com/ intulsa-visa-network.

CONNECTING THE WORLD TO TULSA

For over 40 years, Tulsa Global Alliance has helped connect Tulsa with cities across the globe.

“It is important to have these relationships at the local and personal level, building lasting friendships that can help transcend differences at the national level,” says Bob Lieser, vice president of programs for TGA. “These people-to-people relationships transcend the ties between governments. By visiting someone in their home and experiencing their hospitality, you learn about their culture in a way that’s not possible just from reading the news.”

Tulsa’s program began in 1980 and has been a catalyst for international visitors, educational exchanges and activities between Tulsa and its eight international Sister Cities, promoting global education and international business.

Last year, Tulsa Global Alliance relaunched in-person Sister Cities exchanges and activities in cooperation with Tulsa area elementary, middle and high schools. For a couple weeks in March, 80 students from Amiens, France, were distributed at Edison Preparatory School and Carver Middle School and Tulsa students attended school in Amiens. Riverfield Country Day School will be doing an exchange with Celle, Germany, this fall.

TGA hosts international visitors coming to Tulsa through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. These visitors are usually from topic-specific groups/ professions related to a certain subject. TGA facilitates their visits by connecting them to local businesses and organizations doing work related to the groups’ topics of interest. In May, a group from Azerbaijan came to work with businesses including Williams, Bama and the Oklahoma Business Ethics Corp. on developing and sustaining corporate social responsibility. A group from the Palestinian territories came to explore youth mental health with Family and Children’s Services, Cherokee Nation and others, and also volunteered at Iron Gate.

According to Lieser, TGA’s first Sister City, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, celebrated the two cities’ four-decade connection by presenting Tulsa with a Caja de Agua, a water box, which is a ceremonial cistern celebrating friendship. Lieser says it will be installed at Tulsa Botanic Garden in a prominent location, but an exact date has not been set.

TGA has installed Sister City directional signs at River Parks, Tulsa Port of Catoosa and McCullough Park. More will be installed across the city, including outside of the entrance to City Hall in honor of the late Cathy Izzo, who served TGA for 17 years as Sister Cities program coordinator.

For more information on Tulsa Global Alliance, including how to host an international visitor, visit tulsaglobalalliance.org. —

J. D. MYER

TULSA’S SISTER CITIES: San Luis Potosi, Mexico • Kaohsiung, Taiwan • Beihai, China • Tiberias, Israel • Utsunomiya, Japan • Zelenograd, Russia • Celle, Germany • Amiens, France

HONOR. WELCOME. INVEST.

YWCA TULSA OFFERS SUPPORT IN NUMEROUS WAYS TO AFGHANS WHO HAVE ARRIVED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.

BY KRISTI EATON

In August 2021, United States military forces ended their 20-year war in Afghanistan and the Taliban took over, leaving many individuals and families racing to ee the country.

Bibi* arrived in Tulsa in December 2021 as one of hundreds of refugees traveling across the world to nd safety.

She worked with the YWCA in Tulsa to get set up in her new city with a home and a job. Bibi, who was a teacher in Afghanistan, works as a refugee liaison at a local school and as contract interpretation support with YWCA.

“I love interpreting because I want to help the Afghan people,” she says.

When City of Tulsa o cials learned in September 2021 that Tulsa would start welcoming up to 850 Afghans two months later, YWCA got to work, says Molly Bryant, senior director of immigrant and refugee services at YWCA Tulsa. At the time of arrival, no one on sta spoke Dari or Pashto, the primary languages spoken in Afghanistan.

“So we basically got together and tried to gure out how to best serve such a large number with the capacity that we were currently at,” says Bryant, noting that before 2021, YWCA typically worked with about 50 refugees a year. Plus, Tulsa only had a few residents who hailed from Afghanistan.

Upon arrival into Tulsa, Afghan refugees were greeted at the airport, usually by volunteers and workers from the two resettlement agencies in Tulsa: Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma and Congregation B’nai Emunah Synagogue.

“ ey greet them at the airport, they set up housing for them,” Bryant says. “ ey

get kids enrolled in schools, they do a lot of that initial setup. And they have three months to get it all done.”

After 90 days, cases are transitioned to the YWCA, she says.

“Our vision is to build a Tulsa that honors, welcomes, and invests equitably in all of its people, and a big part of that is helping to create a welcoming community for refugees and immigrants, who make up almost 10% of Tulsa’s population,” says Julie Davis, CEO of YWCA Tulsa.

WHERE’S TULSA?

Laila* didn’t know she was headed to Tulsa until she had the plane ticket in her hand. In fact, the university student had never heard of the place. She arrived in the U.S. in September 2021 and in Tulsa the following February.

“(In Afghanistan), we just heard about New York,” she says, noting movies mention other states: “New York or Virginia, California, these are the famous states.”

After settling in, Laila, who speaks several languages, became a case worker at the YWCA to help other clients.

“We help them with their social services … help them with housing, and, obviously, help with employment,” she says.

While they are receiving some immediate help, the future is uncertain and challenging for Laila and her husband.

“Right now I don’t have any status,” she says. “And they are trying hard to help us in this case … Because I don’t know what will happen in the future, whether we will be here or not … is is the hard part.”

e legal term used to de ne the immigration status of Afghan evacuees

gives insight into why that is. Alex Gavern, director of legal services at the YWCA, says Afghans seeking refuge in Tulsa are referred to as “parolees” for legal reasons.

According to Gavern, all Afghans who were evacuated were allowed to enter the United States through the humanitarian parole process, which is a temporary status that allows for an individual to live and work in the U.S. for a limited amount of time. Despite the conditions in Afghanistan, every parolee is not guaranteed the right to stay after their parole status ends. ey must apply for asylum or a Special Immigrant Visa (available to those who served with the U.S. military). If their case is accepted, they will have a pathway to a green card. It is a one- to two-year process, and there are close to 200 individuals in Tulsa who don’t have any representation yet because of capacity — Tulsa has very few immigration attorneys.

“If someone arrives to the United States, like we were doing in the past, as a refugee, they’re automatically on a pathway to a green card and permanent status in the United States. e Afghan parolees are not,” Gavern says.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

In addition to the uncertainty surrounding immigration status, other challenges Afghan parolees face include navigating infrastructure built for cars.

“Our city hasn’t invested in public transportation, so whenever such a large number of people arrived, there was a transportation crisis,” Bryant says. “How do you get people to work? We can get them employed, but we can’t get them there.”

30.2% 9.8% 5.7%

55,533 IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS IN TULSA COUNTY

In other communities that are already established — the Burmese community, for example — there are people who drive and others can carpool, Bryant says. In the case of the Afghans, they also were arriving at similar times and in similar circumstances with no established community already in Tulsa.

“When you bring in a large group of people that doesn’t have those ties to the community yet, you’re really working on creating an entirely new community and tackling systemic issues at the same time,” she adds. “Having such a large amount of people come in such a short amount of time to a city that is already struggling, structurally, I think has caused a lot of — obviously — frustration with people who arrive who just want safety, security and some calm.”

Initially, parolees were given bus passes to use, but the buses don’t always stop near employers, Bryant notes, leaving them little assistance for transport. So together with the City of Tulsa, the YWCA received a grant from the Open Society Foundation to create and implement a transportation program that focused on getting people through driver’s education and obtaining their license.

“So through this program, we’re able to create cohorts of Afghans and provide interpretation and transportation for the driver’s education classes, and for their driving lessons,” Bryant says. e cohorts were sometimes separated by gender because they felt more comfortable working together that way, she adds.

Bryant says YWCA needs Tulsans to volunteer for the driving club, which takes place most Saturday mornings.

SHARING INSIGHTS

Laila has quickly learned the di erences in cultures between Afghanistan and the U.S., and taught others the di erences, Bryant says. Take for example, the banking system in the U.S. and credit scores, a concept many don’t know about outside of the U.S. Laila has learned the ins and outs of banking as well as taxes in the U.S., even calling the Internal Revenue Service when she had a question.

e challenges and barriers for parolees like Laila are numerous. Still, they are overcoming them and thriving, living life in a new city that has allowed them to live freely.

“Right now I have my job. I have my freedom,” Laila says. “I can go anywhere I want.” TP

*Fictitious names have been used to protect those clients who have volunteered to be interviewed.

Molly Bryant, senior director of immigrant and refugee services, works with an Afghan parolee at YWCA South Tulsa, which was opened for the infl ux and convenience of Afghans needing support.

LEGENDS

Rodger Randle

PROFESSOR, CIVIC LEADER AND FORMER LEGISLATOR AND MAYOR.

BY GAIL BANZET-ELLIS

Rodger Randle’s family ties to Tulsa can be traced back to before Oklahoma statehood. A former Tulsa mayor from 1988-1992 and state legislator from 1970-1988, he has traveled and lectured abroad extensively, serving in the Peace Corps before ful lling his dream of becoming a college professor. Randle’s positions in leadership at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, the Oklahoma Municipal League and as British Honorary Consul for Oklahoma, national president of Sister Cities International and chair of the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals situated him to witness waves of change sweep over the city during boom and bust, and he has a unique perspective on his hometown.

WHY WAS JOINING THE PEACE CORPS ONE OF THE MOST DEFINING MOMENTS OF YOUR LIFE? I was only in the Peace Corps for about a year (from 1965-1966) because my father died, and I couldn’t remain abroad in those circumstances. I’d always had a fascination to see the world. at was the rst time I ever went to a foreign country. It was a wonderful experience in the sense you learned what was important and what wasn’t important. On a small level, running water is a great convenience but it

Rodger Randle inside his office at University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, where he has been teaching since 1998. He is also the director of the Center for Studies in Democracy and Culture and showcases his “cultural photography” on the department website.

really isn’t important. We lived in a poor neighborhood but there wasn’t anything wrong with it. You learned a lot about what really was valuable and what wasn’t valuable. I learned a lot of skills that were very helpful to me when I was in public service.

WHAT WAS YOUR JOB IN BRAZIL FOR THAT YEAR?

I was in a project they called community development and it was to work with people in your area to teach them how to do things on their own. At that time, Brazil was in its rst really major wave of people moving from the country to the cities. I was in the northeast —  that is still the poorest part of the country. e government couldn’t provide services to people, so people had to learn how to do things by themselves.

at sounds odd to us in America because it’s very much a part of our culture to get together and do things for ourselves, but it wasn’t part of their culture. In the country, they had lived on big ranches and farms where there was a boss that told them what to do. ey were not to think for themselves. ey didn’t have this part of their heritage to get together and do things. We were to teach them how to do that because the government wasn’t capable of coping with the number of people they had.

HOW DID YOU BEGIN YOUR LEGISLATIVE CAREER? I ran for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which is another de ning point in my life. I really didn’t ever particularly see myself as a candidate for public o ce. By inclination, I’m really not an o ceholder. I would’ve been happy to be someone else’s aid. e only way to get in was to be the candidate, so I did and actually, it was a lot of fun.

HOW MANY TERMS DID YOU SERVE AS MAYOR OF TULSA? A term and a half. I served one twoyear term. Terms in those days were two years, and during that term, we changed the form of government. We gave the mayor a four-year term, so I served half of that and then I had an opportunity to go into higher education at the University Center at Tulsa (now Oklahoma State University-Tulsa). I’d always wanted to work in higher education as a professor. I didn’t really foresee myself in public life anyways, so when I had that opportunity, I took it.

WHAT AGE DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW AND WHY?

I’m 79. I don’t feel old enough to be a “legend.” I still do a lot of things.

HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS DESCRIBE YOU? I have no idea. To be completely honest, I’m past the point in life where it really matters. When I was in public life, it obviously did matter, so you try to do things accordingly. I can remember when we were in the older

City Hall down at the Civic Center. My o ce as mayor had a really nice view on the 11th oor and you overlooked downtown Tulsa. Sometimes I’d look out over the city and I’d think to myself how there are people out there I’ve never met who just hate me, and you just had to be serene about it. Tulsans, certainly in those days, were very courteous and nice.

WHAT CONCERNS YOU TODAY? American democracy. I grew up in a time when we had an unquestionable optimism about the future of American democracy and boy, we don’t today.

WHAT WAS A “WORST TIME” AND HOW DID YOU PULL THROUGH IT? I ran for mayor in ’78 and lost. I didn’t lose by a lot, but I did lose. I was in the State Senate at the time, so that was pretty devastating. But I stayed in the Senate and eventually I rose to be leader of the Senate. at was probably a good thing because when I did become mayor 10 years later, I had all of that time in the legislature. Nobody could have been as more prepared to be mayor as I was when I became mayor.

WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGES YOU’VE EXPERIENCED IN TULSA?

e biggest thing is the destruction and disappearance of walkable neighborhoods. When I was growing up, we lived in the old part of town but there were a lot of areas where you walked to the grocery store and drug store. ere was what I describe

as the neighborhood and village model. A number of neighborhoods surrounded a village center where you usually had a movie theater and big grocery store, but you also had little neighborhood drug stores and grocery stores. I had a good friend who in the summer if we were over at his house and it was lunch time, his mother would give us the money and we’d go to the little grocery store up the block and buy as many slices of bologna as we needed for lunch. When you had those walkable neighborhoods, you were connected to the world you lived in in a way that you are not connected when you see the world through a car or glass window.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE STATE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION? Public education is a deep worry. When you look at the history of America, the strength of democracy and public schools were the two pillars that held everything up. Both are really shaking today. ere’s nothing wrong with private schools.

When I was a kid and entered the seventh grade, a lot of kids participated in a thing called Skilly’s Dancing School. It taught social graces, and you learned social dancing. I was in a carpool with three other people. I was economically from a modest background, and I had a friend who was maybe from an even more modest background. His mother was a secretary downtown, a single mother, and her mother lived with them. She supported her mother and son on her salary. e second person in the carpool was the minister at All Souls Unitarian Church. e third person in the carpool was the son of John Williams of Williams Cos. You had that extreme spectrum of nancial backgrounds. Today, that wouldn’t happen. We are so segregated out. e children of the wealthy and powerful of Tulsa in my day went to public schools. A few went to a Catholic school for religious reasons. e community was the public schools, and today that’s not true. e more people abandon the public schools, the less support there is for public schools. When we had the great mixture of incomes in junior high school, you learned a lot about people who came from di erent backgrounds than you. Having everybody together meant you all learned to live together and understand each other. is city was founded and built by people who were as comfortable working with a roustabout in the oil eld as they were negotiating with a New York banker. Nowadays, as we separate out with people who are just like us economically and in education and politics, politics can’t work like that. TP

“ This city was founded and built by people who were as comfortable working with a roustabout in the oil field as they were negotiating with a New York banker. Nowadays, as we separate out with people who are just like us economically and in education and politics, politics can’t work like that.”

“Our services are centered around people – empowering, uplifting, and enabling them. We use software to accomplish that, but the Chamber does it through genuine human connection and by creating opportunities for business leaders in the Tulsa area to have a platform for building relationships and partnerships with one another.”

Basil Malik, Software Selection Advisors, LLC

Every business has a story to tell.

The Face of Architectural and Design/Build Solutions Align Design Group

Align Design Group is a full-service design/build firm that specializes in residential and commercial design and construction services. The company has been servicing Tulsa and the surrounding area for nearly seven years.

Led by owner and principal architect Jason Gibson, Align focuses on architectural planning, master planning, permitting services with regulatory agencies and project management. Align offers full construction services on residential and commercial projects of varying scales.

“When we say ‘full services’ we mean full services,” Gibson says. “We work in a number of capacities from full-scope jobs (one-stop shop) to

construction management of other local architects’ work. We are not exclusive when it comes to our architectural services or our construction services.”

Align’s design-minded construction branch is dedicated to maintaining high expectations and original design intent, while its construction-minded design branch creates practical, usable and buildable design work.

551 S. QUAKER AVE. | 918-499-0454

ALIGNDESIGNGROUP.COM

Pictured, left to right, Kyle Gibson, Ryan Voegeli, Jason Gibson, Jacque Salmons

Photo by: Andrew Saliga

The Face of Audio-Visual Technology

ImageNet Consulting

ImageNet Consulting has been at the forefront of every technological step in the modern workplace since our start in 1956 servicing typewriters out of a home garage. The Audio-Visual Division continues this tradition by providing innovative and creative solutions in a post-pandemic business environment.

ImageNet’s Audio-Visual Division has the expertise to implement effective technology into an office, classroom, or conference room. From our in-house cloud-based digital signage platform—Wallboard—to a large indoor and outdoor LED video wall solutions and simplified conferencing solutions, ImageNet’s consultative approach allows businesses of all sizes and verticals to successfully execute their technology goals to increase the business’s bottomline in the new era of business strategies and increasingly hybrid work environments.

“Our Audio-Visual team loves consulting with each individual client to help assist in planning, budgeting, dreaming, designing, installing, and maintaining professionally-designed and engaging technology solutions.

With our agnostic approach and long list of manufacturer relationships, each project is fully driven by the client’s unique use cases, budgets, and needs,” says Kyle Kempf, the director of ImageNet’s Audio-Visual offering.

“We provide our clients with cutting-edge technology and expert service that empowers their business to reach new heights,” says Andrew Newell, Tulsa sales manager. “A holistic solution that solves every business challenge is nearly impossible to imagine, but we’ve come close.”

“Whether you need to wow your audience or engage your employees, our Audio-Visual solutions are custom fit to your style, needs and budget,” says Alan Webb, Oklahoma Market president. “Our engineers, technicians and consultants want to become your trusted business partner and help transform your organization.”

Back Row: Scott Morey, Alex Midgett, Andrew Newell, Jesse Blagg, Justin Robinson, Alan Webb; Front Row: Stephen Wade, Kyle Kempf, Cara Hummel

The Face of Business Banking Security Bank

Setting the Standard for Customer Care

Security Bank believes in the preservation of local community banking. For customers, that means having a valuable long-term banking relationship with someone they can trust and depend on. For employees, it means working in an environment where they feel valued, appreciated and supported. For Security Bank leadership, it means investing in the financial growth and success of people and our local community.

“Security Bank stands on a simple principle: help meet the needs of people with genuine care and respect,” says Security Bank CEO Dawne Stafford. “We do this well because we value the traditional community banking model: know your customers.”

When a customer partners with Security Bank, they gain a personal banker and a team of experienced and committed people, working together to meet needs, solve problems and exceed expectations.

“We have loyal, dedicated employees, which allows customers to build long-lasting relationships with bankers who are here year after year and able to fully understand their individual needs and challenges.” says Security Bank President and Chief Lending Officer Tom Gay. “We’ve built loyal customers because we provide personal attention and consistent, reliable service.”

Security Bank’s strong performance, even during tumultuous years, places it among the most competitive financial institutions in the Tulsa area. Locally owned and operated, Security Bank has the advantage of flexibility, local decision making and oftentimes quicker loan processing which could spell the difference between a successful project and a lost opportunity for business owners.

“We are not just lenders lending money,” Gay said. “We are sounding boards, here to offer guidance and support to help our customers and local business owners solve problems, identify opportunities and plan next steps in their business goals.”

Security Bank is the bank of choice for small and large independent business owners and individuals looking for a local community banking relationship that values people first. Visit Security Bank and experience the difference.

Visit us online at sbtulsa.bank or stop by our branch at 51st Street and Highway 169.

Security Bank Senior Leadership Team

Back row, left to right: Ethan Gregg, Tara Kirkes, Ryan Webb, Scott Wilson; Front row, left to right: David Martin, Joshua Cole, Dawne Stafford, Stephanie Riggs, Mary Bieser; Not pictured: Tom Gay, Gil Eacret and Eric Bohne

The Face of Chicken Fried Steak

The Bros. Houligan

A Tulsa classic, the Bros. Houligan specializes in comfort. Evident from the minute you walk through the door by the relaxed, casual atmosphere and welcoming wait staff. Followed up by mouth-watering dishes that span the gambit of casual American food that will make you feel right at home, no matter where you are from.

The menu is full of delicious comfort food, including crispy Chicken Tenders and an array of delicious Burger options, as well as Steaks, Pork Chops, Shrimp, Salmon and White Fish. Freshly breaded fresh to order, fried entrees are never pre-made or frozen.

The Bros. Houligan became famous beyond Tulsa’s borders when the Chicken Fried Steak, repeatedly voted the best in Tulsa in various

publications, had its recipe featured in a Southern Living Magazine cookbook. First-timers and veteran “Houligans” alike rave about their special recipe green beans, and the Cottage Fries, waffle-cut fries served with a side of gravy, are the stuff of legend. The motto at the Bros. Houligan is “Eat More Gravy” and once you get your first taste you’ll know why.

The Bros. Houligan has been a Tulsa staple for over 36 years. Serving both lunch and dinner and featuring a full bar.

4848 S. YALE AVE. | 918-254-1086

BROSHOULIGAN.COM

Pictured, left to right, Corin Richardson, Brian Trufitt, Corwin Moore, Brandon Reavis-Funk, Conor McMurchy

The Face of Commercial Cleaning

Final Touch Commercial Cleaning

After 38 years of operation in Tulsa, Final Touch Commercial Cleaning has continued their growth, both locally and nationally – now serving clients in six states.

“We treat our team members like family,” says FTCC President Sandra Mullins. “We are truly grateful for opportunities that allow them to grow professionally beyond the local level through this expansion.”

Since its inception, Final Touch has been at the forefront of cleaning services, catering to various establishments such as corporate offices, medical facilities, municipal buildings, and universities throughout Oklahoma. The company utilizes state-of-the-art technology not only to clean but also to disinfect and sanitize over ten million square feet of space every night.

Final Touch takes pride in using superior products, including natural and non-toxic cleaners, sanitizers, and disinfectants for everyday use.

Additionally, they offer specialized services such as fogging and electrostatic spray technology. These advanced techniques provide clients with the assurance that their workspaces are thoroughly sanitized, eliminating all viruses and bacteria within a two-minute kill time.

Throughout the pandemic and beyond, Mullins remains steadfast in her belief that ‘to whom much is given, much is required.’ As a result, Final Touch actively fosters a culture of giving by donating thousands of dollars annually to local nonprofits. “It’s the charitable work that really inspires us,” she said. “We’re so happy to be part of the Tulsa community.”

Chelsea Hanoch, Lindsay Henderson, Jackie Vu, Brooke Taylor and Madi Ambrose; INSET: Sandra Mullins

The Face of Commercial Real Estate

McGraw Commercial Properties

McGraw Commercial Properties was established in 2008, our expertise lies in specialized commercial areas such as office, retail, restaurant, industrial, land, and multi-family properties. Our best-in-class Commercial & Property Management divisions work seamlessly to provide our clients with comprehensive real estate solutions - from handling large vendor databases to offering numerous benefits to buyers, sellers, tenants, and landlords.

We attribute our exponential growth to our Multi-Family Sales Division, which has been on a roll since our merger with Winfield Property Management in 2019. This merger added a reliable means of rent collection, accounting, and asset protection to our already long list of services post-acquisition.

At McGraw Commercial Properties, we’ve been successfully connecting

commercial customers across Oklahoma for years. And now, as a growing company, we’re excited to bring the same level of expertise and customer service to Arkansas, Colorado, and Texas.

If you’re seeking a reliable partner for all your commercial real estate needs, look no further than McGraw Commercial Properties. Our experienced agents bring a range of expertise and guidance to clients, all in one comprehensive service package. Let us help you realize your property goals with ease and confidence. 4105 S. ROCKFORD AVE. | 918-388-9588

Kalvin Burghoff, Warren Stewart, Dick Alaback, Drew Dossey, Julie Buxton, Neil Dailey, Gary Krisman, and John Gray

The Face of Community Banking First Oklahoma Bank

In today’s fast-paced business environment, having a financial partner that can make decisions quickly and nimbly is crucial for staying competitive and profitable.

As a locally owned and operated bank, First Oklahoma Bank provides exactly that. This agility in decision-making allows business owners to seize opportunities and navigate challenges with confidence.

An entrepreneurial spirt drives us to provide the best products and services. It’s how we became the fastest-growing new bank in Oklahoma history, raising over a billion dollars in assets in just 13 years. Today, we serve more than 10,000 customers.

With big bank expertise and community bank values, First Oklahoma

Bank is the ideal financial partner for businesses seeking to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Talk to bankers who know the heartbeat of the community and understand its economy.

We invite you to “Move Up to Better Banking” and experience relationshipfocused service.

First Oklahoma Bank Executive Chairman of the Board Tom Bennett, Jr. with President and CEO Tom Bennett III

The Face of Entertainment Andy B’s

Let the games begin. Play. Bowl. Drive. Dine. And more. Let loose and create the good times we all need in life at Andy B’s.

“We’re a place where friendly competition and great food and drink converge for a memorable time out,” says founder and owner Andy Bartholomy. The family entertainment center is celebrating 25 years in 2023 — a feat Bartholomy couldn’t have done without the support of the Tulsa community! Andy B’s also was named the Jenks Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year. “There are a lot of exciting plans ahead for Andy B’s,” says Ryland Bristow, general manager.

There’s bowling, an arcade, escape rooms, go-karts and laser tag, as well as a chef-created menu with plenty of delicious options. A full bar provides a selection of cocktails, local and regional beers, plus many nonalcoholic options.

Specials like half-price Monday and summer day passes make Andy B’s a cool spot to have fun while escaping the summer heat.

The center hosts birthday parties and corporate events. The VIB Experience delivers the ultimate bowling attraction with state-of-the-art audio and lighting, sports and entertainment viewing, and extended lounge seating.

“When life calls for a little kick-back, let us be your go-to entertainment destination,” Bartholomy says. “It’s time to live it up at Andy B’s!”

8711 S. LEWIS AVE. | 918-299-9494

ANDYBTULSA.COM

Andy Bartholomy, founder and owner, Ryland Bristow, General Manager

The Face of Family Law

Kathleen Egan, Bundy Law

Dealing with legal issues surrounding divorce and child custody can be challenging, but the team at Bundy Law, including seasoned attorney Kathleen Egan, can help clients resolve matters related to domestic violence, asset division, child and spousal support, child abuse, parental rights and more.

“There is a reason many lawyers avoid practicing family law. Not only can the legal issues be quite nuanced, but we are also dealing with people at some of the absolute worst times of their lives,” says Egan, a practicing attorney for the past 16 years. “It has been said that going through divorce is the equivalent of someone close to you dying, and I can attest to that. Because of that, our clients oftentimes need more than just an attorney to

tell them their legal rights. They need to be guided through the process with patience and compassion.”

Egan can serve as a neutral in mediation and has been appointed as guardian ad litem for minor children. She also has a busy appellate practice.

Along with fellow attorneys Aaron Bundy and Danya Bundy, Egan is always learning more about the law with hands-on training. In 2022, Egan attended a 40-hour mediation training through the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys.

2509 E. 21ST ST. | 918-992-2142

BUNDYLAWOFFICE.COM

Kathleen Egan

The Face of Festivals

The Castle of Muskogee

One does not have to go on a long journey to find a castle — simply make the short trip to Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Each year more than 250,000 people visit the Castle of Muskogee for a number of events. Father and son owners Jeff and Matt Hiller have curated special events to keep you and your family entertained year-round.

In the spring, you can step back in time to 1569 and enjoy the wonderment of a day in the European Renaissance. In summer, celebrate Independence Day with the massive Castle Firework sale — all in air-conditioned comfort. The fall will bring you chills and thrills at the Halloween Festival, an indoor and outdoor experience open Fridays and Saturdays in October. Attractions

run the scare gamut — from a family-friendly train to the ominous Casa Morte haunted house. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, create lifelong traditions to share at the Christmas Festival. Memories will be made with camel and pony rides, holiday hayrides, shopping from various merchants, seasonal food and beverage and so much more. And, of course, visits from Santa Claus round out the calendar of events.

Matt Hiller and Jeff Hiller

The Face of Floors Renaissance Hardwood Floors

Renaissance Hardwood Floors is a family-owned company that has been headquartered in the Tulsa region for more than four decades. They pride themselves on being a family-owned company with longstanding community relationships in the greater Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas. Custom, handcrafted designs, attention to detail and unparalleled customer service have distinguished Renaissance Hardwood Floors as the leader in the hardwood flooring industry for over 40 years. From intricate designs to the more minimalistic, the signature marks of elegance and

quality can be felt when you walk across a Renaissance floor. The difference is more than just the installation; it is the commitment to excellence, innovation and customer satisfaction that separate a Renaissance floor from the rest. It’s your masterpiece — allow the experts at Renaissance Hardwood Floors to make it a reality.

550 W. 125TH PI S. SUITE 300 | 918-298-4477

RENHARDWOOD.COM

The Face of IT Services JM ARK

JMARK has proudly served organizations throughout the Midwest, including the vibrant Tulsa area, as a leading provider of IT and cybersecurity solutions for over 30 years. With their extensive expertise and strategic services, JMARK enhances security, productivity and profitability. They have dedicated teams for specific industries, enabling cross-collaboration and innovative solutions. Additionally, operational teams focus on key IT functions, refining offerings and staying abreast of the latest developments.

At the core of JMARK’s philosophy is a “People First, Technology Second” approach, empowering individuals and teams to be dynamic, innovative, connected and efficient. While they have a passion for technology, JMARK recognizes that its true value lies in helping people achieve their potential and driving business growth, opportunities and success. JMARK takes a proactive approach, serving as a complete business support partner. They

understand clients’ workflows, processes and goals to leverage technology for improvements, innovation and growth.

JMARK’s comprehensive IT services are designed to enhance operations and increase business success. They are committed to ensuring that organizations in the Tulsa area and throughout Oklahoma have the right technology to support their vision and goals. By prioritizing people and understanding clients’ unique needs, JMARK strives to create better value and accelerate success through technology solutions.

5800 E. SKELLY DRIVE, SUITE 500 | 918-496-4223

JMARK.COM

Left to right: Ryan Porter, Karen Shipe, Pat Turney, Robert Walters, Andy Whaley, Scott Howell, & Keng Vang

The Face of Marketing Leadline

Performance. Marketing.

Many agencies keep those two words … separate. They are ‘marketing experts,’ of course, and they’ll ‘perform’ each day to sell you more of it.

Leadline is different.

“To us, performance marketing means closing the gap between marketing and sales. Your sales, not ours. We listen to your needs, first. We understand your goals from the start. Then we create a strategy for growth — prioritizing successful, measurable outcomes. Because if you don’t perform well, we didn’t either. That’s unacceptable,” says Chris Cadieux, senior principal.

Leadline is not an ad agency. It’s a unique marketing enterprise where

business people talk to business people. “We’re data-driven, deeply collaborative and deliver full-service, optimized results,” says Dan Winders, president and principal.

Leadline is where excellent analysis meets elegant solutions. The professionals at Leadline are business people talking to business people. They are also marketing navigation specialists and are excited to help companies with full-service performance marketing.

1307 S. BOULDER AVE., SUITE 100

918-221-3550 | LEADLINEMARKETING.COM

Left to right: Matt Whitman, managing principal; Chris Cadieux, senior principal; Dan Winders, president and principal

The Face of Pools

Vista Pools and Outdoor Living

Founded in 2018, family owned Vista Pools has built a reputation for outstanding customer service with expertise in the construction of fiberglass and gunite pools, as well as outdoor living spaces. The company, a 2023 TulsaPeople A-LIST winner, also renovates existing pools and spas.

“At Vista Pools, we believe that a pool is not just a place to swim, but also a place to relax and unwind with family and friends. That’s why we work closely with our clients to create a pool that not only meets their functional needs, but also reflects their personal style and enhances the beauty of their outdoor living space,” says Scott Bakkala, owner of Vista Pools with wife, Jennifer “J.J.”

The Bakkalas take pride in their attention to detail and accuracy on complex projects with creative solutions to challenging spaces. The Vista Pools team is committed to providing high-quality workmanship and exceptional customer service. Vista uses only the best materials and equipment in the industry, ensuring that every pool built is durable, energyefficient and low-maintenance. They have long-standing relationships with manufacturers, suppliers and contractors to ensure project delivery and execution in a timely manner and within budget.

918-973-4455 | VISTAPOOLSOK.COM

Bakkala family

The Face of Property Management McGraw Property Management & Leasing

At McGraw REALTORS ®, we take pride in our Property Management and Leasing services, managing a vast portfolio of 1,500 doors. Our journey began in 2011 with a simple yet ambitious mission to guide property owners in finding the right tenants and managing their properties to maximize their profits while creating long-lasting relationships. Our commitment to providing seamless and customer-centric services has since helped countless individuals find their perfect homes to rent and ensures that their properties are managed the right way.

Today, McGraw REALTORS ® Commercial Property Management oversees 1,684,015 square feet of commercial space, located in 17 cities

throughout Oklahoma and Arkansas.

At McGraw REALTORS ®, we believe in empowering our clients to make informed decisions, making their property ownership journeys meaningful and stress-free. With us, you can rest assured that your properties are managed by professionals who genuinely understand your needs and are always available to offer guidance and support every step of the way.

MCGRAWPROPERTYMANAGEMENT.COM

Brian Scarbrough, Kim Henderson, Matthew Vandevander, Angela Vandevander, Danielle Spann, Brittany Guaderrama, John Gray, Lindsay Farrar, Ebony Morris

The Face of Residential Real Estate McGraw Realtors

McGraw REALTORS® has been working to make real estate simple for more than 85 years. What started as an independent residential real estate company in Tulsa, Oklahoma has become one of the nation’s top ten fastestgrowing real estate companies with over 850 experienced associates and twenty-two offices across Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Colorado.

We want to make real estate simple for our clients so they can have confidence during one of the largest transactions they will ever make. Our years of experience, innovative technology, and our collaborative network of industry professionals that love what they do allows us to take the complexity out of the entire process.

Who we are as a company can be summed up in one word: CULTURE. At McGraw REALTORS ®, our culture is the engine that drives everything we do; from how we recruit, train, and invest in our agents, to the way we serve our clients throughout the real estate process. Our aim is to stay true to the core values that have underscored our approach to business, relationships, and the real estate industry for more than 85 years. We are committed. We are loyal. We are tenacious. We are McGraw Realtors.

4105 S. ROCKFORD AVE. | 918-592-6000 MCGRAWREALTORS.COM

Scott Crow, Heidi Williams, Lindsey Schlomann, Jennifer Richard, Rachel Hicks, Veronica Oswald, Bill McCollough

The Face of Tourism

Tulsa Regional Tourism

Tulsa Regional Tourism is a nonprofit organization designed to help elevate and market the region’s businesses and entities, which help make Tulsa a leisure and business travel destination. It is an initiative of Tulsa Regional Chamber and works in an official capacity with the City of Tulsa, serves on the Route 66 Commission — and is heavily involved within the attraction, dining, film, hotelier, music, venue and volunteer communities.

It is comprised of four pillars: Visit Tulsa, which promotes leisure travel to/ within Tulsa and the region and facilitates Tulsa’s Visitor Center, which is the official visitor center in Tulsa. Tulsa Convention and Visitors Bureau proactively wins, secures and services meetings, conventions and other professional events for Tulsa and the region. Tulsa Sports Commission aggressively pursues, scores and services amateur and professional sporting events for Tulsa and the region. Promoting Tulsa as a music, film and creative destination through programs

like Film Tulsa and Play Tulsa Music, it also serves as the official film commission through Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts and Culture.

Tulsa Regional Tourism is Tulsa’s only official and Northeast Oklahoma’s premier accredited destination marketing organization. Its involvement is beyond local, as its national and international involvement includes SportsETA Board of Directors, Destination International Committee Membership, American Bus Association Membership, Association of Film Commissioners International and more.

1 W. THIRD ST., SUITE 100 | 918-585-1201

VISITTULSA.COM

Pictured, left to right, Joel Koester, Tim Chambers, Renee McKenney, Alex Brown, Kathleen Borgne, Meg Gould, Patti Krausert, Leah Davis, Kalee Tacker, Rachel Nogalski, Marlene Livaudais, Natalie Bowling, Lauren Rogers and Matt Stockman.

The Face of Tree Service

We B Trees

For 28 years, Tulsans have trusted the experts of We B Trees for their professional tree care.

“We are a full-service tree company for Tulsa’s urban forest of established trees,” says Tim Nall, an ISA-certified arborist who owns and operates the business with wife, Barbara. “We always do what is best for the tree and fits the homeowners’ desires for the tree.”

We B Trees offers fertilization, insect control, pruning, removal, stump grinding and more to the greater Tulsa area. The Nalls are thrilled We B Trees made TulsaPeople’s A-LIST for Professional Tree Care in 2023.

We B Trees began with Tim, one crew member and one truck. Today it’s a thriving family-operated business. “We have seen many changes and many

people helped us become the company we are,” Barbara says. “Trust and honesty are at the roots of our existence and always will be.”

The company is fully insured and qualified to do any type of tree work. “We have a passion for trees and a passion for Tulsa,” Tim says. “It has been our family’s greatest honor to provide quality tree care to the region for more than a quarter of a century. We plan to continue caring for Tulsa’s urban landscape for many years to come.”

P.O. BOX 9563, TULSA, OK 74157 | 918-446-3473

WEBTREES.COM

Pictured, Left to right, Tim Nall, Barbara Nall, Office Dog Nala, Nick Perkins, Omar Caracheo, Kierstyn Ramsay-Kunce, and Skyler Cardenas.

The Face of Windows and Doors

Pella Windows & Doors of Oklahoma/The Womble Company

A new state-of-the-art, expansive showroom now greets customers to Pella of Oklahoma. “We are so excited to have a new location for our Tulsa showroom,” owner Andy Crum says. “Finally, after 101 years of business, we have a much better location for our customers to experience all Pella has to offer. With a large investment in displays and bigger square footage, we have created a warm and friendly place that showcases who we are, and all that Pella has to offer to Oklahomans.”

Andy co-owns the company with his wife, Ainslee. Serving the community has been the foundation of the company since 1922, when Ainslee’s greatgrandfather, Murray R. Womble, started the Womble Co. in Tulsa. “What

drove my grandfather, what drove my uncle and my dad — and what drives us — is basically the idea of service above self,” Ainslee says. The company routinely donates to local nonprofits and encourages their employees to volunteer during company hours.

Pella of Oklahoma has a dedicated service and installation department, sales consultants, as well as residential, commercial and architectural support teams. Pella of Oklahoma can do it all.

7030 S. LEWIS AVE.

918-828-3667 | PELLAOFTULSA.COM

Ainslee and Andy Crum

The Face of Wine & Spirits Ranch Acres Wine & Spirits

Ranch Acres Wine & Spirits has the distinction of being a liquor store in Tulsa since Oklahoma repealed prohibition in late 1959 ... and even located at the original business location in the Ranch Acres Shopping Center at 31st and South Harvard Avenue.

Owned today by the mother-daughter team of Mary and Emily Stewart, the store is well known for its wide variety of wines, beers and spirits, and its excellent customer service offered by a friendly and knowledgeable staff.

“We specialize in pairing wines and assisting our customers putting

together dinners, parties and celebrations,” says Mary Stewart. “We also take pride in our expansive beer and spirits selections.”

Ranch Acres encourages patrons to check out the store’s specials each week on social media. Customers are also invited to sign-up for “The Ranch’s newsletter” to learn about special happenings and to receive discount coupons.

Mary Stewart, Emily Stewart and Truman

The Face of Wineries

Pecan Creek Winery

In 2014, friends and business partners Dr. D.I. Wilkinson and Bob Wickizer started Pecan Creek Winery with 3 acres of Chambourcin, Vignoles and Riesling vines. In the past nine years, the vineyard has grown to encompass more than 8 acres with the additions of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The classic dry wines and sweet wines please nearly every palate, according to Wickizer, who is also the winemaker and general manager.

“Our wines are vegan friendly and responsibly made with minimal interventions and only natural proteins are used in processing the wines,” Wickizer says. “With low to moderate alcohol and sugar levels, you can enjoy full, complex flavors with a meal or all on its own.”

Guests to the winery can visit Pecan Creek’s tasting room, which is open

from noon-6 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday. It hosts numerous events throughout the year promoting Oklahoma-made wines and related products. A popular product is the peach wine, as well as its other small-batch varieties like the Private Reserve Vignoles, a bright unoaked white wine; Purple Martin Cabernet, a dry and bold Cabernet Sauvignon; and the Peerless Pear, a sweet dessert wine.

The tasting room and vineyard are also available for events such as weddings, birthday parties and other special events. 8510 FERN MOUNTAIN ROAD, MUSKOGEE | 918-683-1087

Bob and Joan Wickizer

The Face of Wound Care Tulsa Wound Center

Tulsa Wound Center is Oklahoma’s first comprehensive, independent, hyperbaric and research center designed for the treatment of chronic, nonhealing and complex wounds.

“Our wound center is a state-of-the-art, patient-friendly outpatient center that uses the most advanced wound technology,” says Medical Director Dr. Lam Le, who has been a wound care and hyperbaric physician for more than 15 years. “We are dedicated to providing the highest quality care and treatments — evidence-based wound care — to our patients.”

Le is an alumna of The University of Tulsa and graduated medical school from The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. After completing residence at OU internal medicine, Le trained in wound care and hyperbaric medicine under world-renowned wound and hyperbaric expert Dr. Thomas Serena.

Tulsa Wound Center is committed to accelerating healing with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, MolecuLight, PACE® and MIST®. The staff stresses the importance of diabetic foot care and early intervention to help prevent amputation due to diabetes complications. The team is constantly participating in clinical trials and research to offer patients the best in care.

Le loves to use her skills to help others. She participates in local charity wound programs and founded and trained the team at Cho Ray Charity Wound Clinic in Vietnam.

Left to right: Angie Crone, Barbara Simmons, Courtney Miller, Lily Salon, Robert Miller, Dr. Lam Le, Jaymi Shoun, Mai Xiong, Karlee Thompson, Tracy Jamison, Corbin Rogers, Linda Le, Brenda Reeve

The Face of Accounting Luxa Enterprises

Founded in 2007, Luxa Enterprises provides small to mid-size businesses with the tools needed for scalable business growth such as accounting, bookkeeping, human resources and payroll services. “Helping others is at the core of Luxa — serving our clients and our community is my passion,” Petersen says.

Petersen is an honored businesswoman and pillar in the Tulsa community. Some of her recognitions include being named a “Woman of Distinction” by Tulsa Business and Legal News, induction into the University of Tulsa Hall of Fame, and a recipient of the United Way’s Worldwide Tocqueville Recognition.

She takes pride in LUXA maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees. Petersen has received the Clydella Hentschel Award for Women in Leadership and volunteers over 20% of her time to helping nonprofits develop sound financial strategies.

15 E. FIFTH ST., SUITE 1701 918-928-7288 | LUXA.US

The Face of Catering Ludger’s Catering

Ludger’s Catering is here to help Tulsans with their all their catering needs — no matter the scope of the event, number of guests or location.

The Ludger’s Catering team works with each client to ensure their event is unique to them and their vision. “We have an amazing staff and the expertise to handle all of the details,” says Megan Sherrill, who has owned the company with her husband and Executive Chef Scott Sherill since 2009.

Tulsans have trusted Ludger’s for its catering services, as well as bar services and event rentals, and the company has won numerous industry and readers’ choice awards over the years. The Ludger’s team serves delicious food matched with friendly, professional service.

1628 S. MAIN ST. | 918-744-9988

LUDGERSCATERING.COM

Frauke Petersen, company owner and CEO

Megan and Scott Sherrill

The Face of Coffee Shops

The Coffee House on Cherry Street

Since opening Coffee House on Cherry Street in 2006, owner Cheri Asher has wanted CHOCS to be a community hub — a place for family, friendship and creativity.

Along with brewing locally roasted coffee, CHOCS is known for its gluten-free menu — a winner of TulsaPeople’s A-LIST — and has a bakery case full of cakes, pies and cookies.

CHOCS has a full breakfast and lunch menu, with special orders, catering and online ordering available. Locally grown and sourced ingredients is paramount and has always been a focus.

CHOCS hosts open mic nights the first Wednesday of each month and jazz on its patio from 3-5 p.m. every Thursday.

1502 E. 15TH ST. | 918-779-6137 CHOCSTULSA.COM

6:30 A.M.-9 P.M., MONDAY-WEDNESDAY; 6:30 A.M. -10 P.M., THURSDAY-SATURDAY; 7 A.M.-9 P.M., SUNDAY

The Face of Consulting

Dare to Develop Industries

Tulsans Marie Stephens and Jennifer Jarnagan-Riem announce the opening of a unique consulting business named Dare To Develop Industries, and the publishing of their first book: “The Festival Of The Pines, The Adventures of Twilla & Rye”—which is the initial book in a 10-part series.

Stephens is a former teacher whose most recent entrepreneurial venture was as the owner/operator of Nothing Bundt Cakes stores in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Jarnagan-Riem is a former educator and cross-country coach whose newest chapter in life is as a children’s book author and leadership consultant. The duo are using their knowledge as educators to create a 4-part Strategic Wellness Workshop Series for teachers, school administrators, and small businesses. The workshop series facilitates awareness and learning of leadership styles. “The Strategic Wellness Workshop Series includes a partnership with schools and businesses and is results-driven,” said Stephens.

The first “The Adventures of Twilla & Rye” book takes the two adventure buddies—who are tree sprites—to Sequoia National Park where they play amongst the giant trees with their famiies and friends. The first book will be released this summer and available on Amazon and select local bookstores. Marie and Jennifer are available for readings and events.

Learn more about Dare To Develop Industries and the “Twilla & Rye” book series at the website jenandmarie.com.

Amanda Busky, Bradley Watkins, Cindy Kennon, Jonny Rice, Cheri Asher, Chaphe Asher

Marie Stephens and Jennifer Jarnagan-Riem

The Face of Coworking The Root Coworking

The Root Coworking was launched in 2019 by Ben Von Drehle shortly after he and his wife, Hayden, moved home to Tulsa from Denver. Ben was inspired to launch The Root after spending eight years as a commercial real estate broker, helping companies of all shapes and sizes with their workspace needs.

“Coworking was the perfect blend of my passions for design, workspace, community and hospitality,” he says.

Now with a second location — The Root Market Station — it offers more than 35,000 square feet, housing over 350 members across 100-plus companies. “The pandemic definitely created a significant demand for what we do, and who we serve on a daily basis,” he adds.

The Root offers everything from individual private offices to office suites to desks available a few days a week.

110 S. HARTFORD AVE., SUITE 100 | 918-236-3111

1207 S. LEWIS AVE., SUITE C | 918-863-2391

THEROOTCOWORKING.COM

The Face of Dental Specialty

Eastern Oklahoma Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

Eastern Oklahoma Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (EOOMS) is committed to providing comprehensive oral surgery care. They practice the full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Common procedures include wisdom teeth and dental extractions with intravenous anesthesia for patient comfort. They specialize in all aspects of dental implant surgery, bone grafting and jaw reconstruction. As a group they offer 24-hour practice coverage and take trauma calls for local hospitals.

EOOMS is comprised of five experienced oral surgeons: Todd Johnson, D.D.S.; Gregory Segraves, D.D.S.; M.S. Heath Evans, D.D.S.; Dr. Cody Mumma, DDS, and Chris Ray, D.D.S. All EOOMS surgeons hold memberships in numerous dental societies including the Tulsa County Dental Society, Oklahoma Dental Association, American Dental Association, Southwest Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and American Association of Oral

and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

For patients’ convenience, most of the group’s services are provided in the EOOMS offices. The offices are board certified for office IV anesthesia to ensure patient comfort. Quality of care and patient safety are always the group’s primary concern.

The EOOMS staff is a committed group of employees who strives to achieve the highest standard of care. Their surgical team has specialized training in oral surgery and anesthesia assisting, which provides for a more comfortable and safe oral surgery experience.

Ben Von Drehle

Dr. Todd Johnson, Dr. Cody Mumma, Dr. Chris Ray, Dr. Greg Segraves, Dr. Heath Evans

The Face of Drywall Drywall Specialists Inc.

In 2003, Chad Potter founded Drywall Specialists Inc., a residential and commercial drywall installation company that has since completed over 10,000 projects in the Tulsa area. Potter is committed to the construction industry, a field he has worked in since high school.

“I personally train our professional staff and guarantee advanced wall and ceiling services, including drywall repair, plaster repair and finishes,” Potter says. “My team is committed to prompt service with strong attention to detail.”

Drywall Specialists Inc. has worked on thousands of Tulsa home remodels and new builds, as well as commercial properties such as medical facilities, office buildings and car dealerships.

3904 CHARLES PAGE BLVD. | 918-437-9255 DRSPROS.COM

The Face of Education

Miss Helen’s Private School

Miss Helen’s Private School has been providing excellence in early childhood education since 1954. It was then that “Miss Helen” Wingo realized many of the children entering Kindergarten had difficulty adjusting socially, emotionally and academically. She believed there was a better way for the young students of Tulsa to be prepared for their academic futures.

Today, executive director Lynda Wingo—who is beginning her 50th year at Miss Helen’s—believes in the philosophy of her mother-in-law: to provide a great learning institution where children can develop their reading, math and social talents as well as improve communication skills and learning habits.

Leadership at the school is a Wingo family affair. In addition to Lynda, her daughter Jayme Wingo-Baker has served the school for 30 years. Lynda’s husband, Gary Wingo, the son of the founder, is a favorite with families and staff.

Miss Helen’s heritage lives on in the school’s facility at 48th Street and Mingo Road. The school offers programs in three areas: Preschool, Kindergarten, and Elementary Grades first through fifth. The school employs degreed professionals and encourages ongoing teacher training throughout the school year. Each pod is supported by a lead teacher with experience and expertise in their grade level.

4849 S. MINGO RD. | 918-622-2327 | MISSHELENS.COM

Chad Potter

Executive Director Lynda Wingo with Director Jayme Wingo-Baker, her daughter

The Face of Emergency Care Tulsa ER and Hospital

Tulsa ER and Hospital is a locally owned and operated physicianowned hospital specializing in emergency room services. Its boardcertified and residency-trained physicians are prepared to diagnose and stabilize all emergencies, including strokes, heart attacks, severe pain, traumatic injuries, pediatric illnesses and acute surgical issues. The hospital is equipped with 24/7 CT, ultrasound, MRI, X-ray, a laboratory and a pharmacy.

“We adapt to the needs of the community, while our lean management and direct ownership style allows us to make quick and effective improvements,” says Medical Director Dr. Mark Blubaugh. “We can customize our services for community providers and patients without the bureaucratic delays and hurdles typical in larger corporate health systems.”

Observation care, inpatient care, outpatient imaging, laboratory services and therapies also are available.

717 W. 71ST ST. 918-517-6300 | TULSAER.COM

The Face of Family Fun Tulsa Zoo

Since opening its doors in 1928, Tulsa Zoo has grown to be Green Country’s largest paid daily attraction with nearly 700,000 visitors each year across its 84 acres.

“A visit to the zoo supports our mission of connecting, caring and advocating for wildlife, people and wild places,” Director of Marketing, PR and Design Services Carissa Hon says. “We are building one of the largest elephant preserves in North America and will soon break ground on a new home for our African species, such as lions, painted dogs and meerkats.”

Tulsa Zoo is owned by the City of Tulsa and managed by nonprofit Tulsa Zoo Management Inc. Each year more than 100,000 students connect with nature at the zoo’s camps, classes and outreach programs.

6421 E. 36TH ST. N. | 918-669-6600

TULSAZOO.ORG

Medical Director Dr. Mark Blubaugh

The Face of Female-owned Restaurant Group Three Sirens Restaurant Group

In its seventh year of business, Three Sirens Restaurant Group continues growing with three Bramble Breakfast and Bars, Bird and Bottle, Holé Molé, Shaky Jake’s and newly opened Market 31. Coming soon will be their newest addition: Sirenas Tex Mex.

“Our vision is to create enjoyable restaurant concepts with fresh ingredients, and a positive work atmosphere for our more than 150 employees,” says Johnna Hayes, co-owner and James Beard semifinalist. “We are passionate about providing an inclusive, welcoming and fun place for you, your family and friends to gather. We pride ourselves on our friendly service and delicious food, but above all else, caring and giving back to the community is what we enjoy the most.”

BRAMBLE BREAKFAST AND BAR & SHAKY JAKES: 121 N. ASH AVE., BROKEN ARROW | BRAMBLE BREAKFAST AND BAR & HOLÉ MOLÉ: 1302 E. SIXTH ST. | BRAMBLE BREAKFAST AND BAR: 400 RIVERWALK TERRACE, SUITE 100, JENKS | BIRD AND BOTTLE: 3324-A E. 31ST ST. | ON INSTAGRAM: @BIRDANDBOTTLETULSA @BRAMBLEBREAKFASTANDBAR @SHAKYJAKEKESOK @HOLÉMOLÉTULSA

The Face of Fencing Empire Fence Company

When founder Bob Richison began Empire Fence Company in 1955, it was just a small backyard enterprise. With a lot of hard work and a love for helping others, the Tulsan built Empire into a successful small business.

In 1998, Richison’s grandson—Nathan Nelson—joined the successful family business and now serves as President/CEO of Empire Fence.

“It’s exciting to see the growth that has occurred over the years,” noted Nelson. “We now offer a variety of residential and commercial fencing, as well as gate fabrication, installation, and access control. We love our customers and our team remains committed to our foundation of integrity by offering quality fencing and excellent service at a fair price.”

Nathan Nelson takes great pride in carrying-on Empire Fence as the quality business his grandfather created 67 years ago. “It has been an honor to grow the business and expand the vision with an incredible team of hardworking and dedicated employees”.

22 N. GARNETT ROAD | 918-437-1671 EMPIREFENCE.NET

Nathan Nelson, Sandy Caldwell, Kevin Pilger, Gabbi Pilger, Krystal Ford, Alex Cubias, Josie Villarreal, Ray Hynes, Linda Dover, Nick Robinson

Meghan Zich-Gimlin, Dayden Yarnell, Johnna Hayes; Not pictured: Debra Zinke

The Face of Financial Planning Chisholm Trail Wealth Planning

Access to good and bad ideas are always at your fingertips, which often leads to a cloudy vision of your financial picture.

Chisholm Trail Wealth Planning™ was formed to better align the financial stewardship of our current and future clients with their values. The three founding partners were united around a shared vision for better serving our marketplace with comprehensive planning and fiduciary relationships. Fulfilling this commitment takes a team, which led Bob Skaggs, Joe Kreger, & Matt Longan to merge their individual practices to fulfill this vision. Teamwork is the fuel to turn this vision into reality.

Chisholm Trail is a multi-generational wealth planning firm dedicated to helping families and businesses align their goals and resources with their values. We take a comprehensive approach to organize your wealth planning goals and forecast the journey ahead. Through our collaborative engagement we give clients the clarity and confidence to tackle whatever the trail forward may present. We approach every client relationship with a long-term bond. We strive to honor each client’s values, while remaining diligent and loyal to them and their goals.

The Face of Heating, Air Conditioning, Electric and Plumbing Airco Service

These faces represent the third-generation, family-owned-andoperated service company in Tulsa. Airco Service provides customers around the community with the highest quality of service and equipment installation for all their air conditioning, heating, plumbing and generator needs.

A family-owned business for over 62 years, Airco has a reputation for reliability and the trust of their customers who count on Airco for fast, emergency service.

“Our family takes a lot of pride in helping homeowners with a growing variety of issues they may have with their home,” owner Tom Boyce says. “From plumbing to heating and cooling problems, we know when things aren’t working, you need it fixed fast.”

Airco’s yearly maintenance plans provide routine upkeep of your home’s heating and cooling system and can help prevent common issues that may arise, along with better efficiency, while also extending the life of your home equipment.

No matter what your home’s needs are, you know you can rely on Airco to get the job done right.

TULSA: 918-252-5667 | EDMOND: 405-715-2665

MOORE: 405-378-4500 | GRAND LAKE: 918-782-2263

AIRCOSERVICE.COM

Chisholm Trail’s capabilities include Fee-based Planning, Customized Advisory & Wealth Management services, Executive Benefits, Qualified Plans, Business Succession Strategies, Estate and Legacy Planning, Retirement Distribution, Charitable Giving, Risk Management and Education Planning.

The world can be hard to understand, your financial plan doesn’t have to be.

Top Row: Sam Stoia; Middle Row (Left to Right): Tom Craft, Matt Longan, Tripp Owen, Ryan Gendron; Bottom Row (Left to Right): Kristin Nylander, Bob Skaggs, Janelle English

Austin and Chase Boyce

The Face of Marble & Stone Countertops

Eurocraft Granite & Marble

Eurocraft, a leading local provider of marble and stone products has been in the Skaftason family for over 45 years since Johann Skaftason started the business in 1976.

After decades of providing the finest product craftsmanship for the building and remodeling Tulsa homes and businesses, Johann is passing the torch down to his daughter, Hjorny Skaftason and her husband, Ryan Phillips.

As a generational family-owned business, the passion for bringing in exotic stones from all over the world and creating unique projects from them right here in Tulsa, is unmatched with any other fabricator. With the precision and care that only a family-run business can bring, Eurocraft continues to take pride in rejuvenating Tulsa.

16052 S. BROADWAY, GLENPOOL | 918-322-5500

2626 E. 15TH STREET, TULSA | 918-938-6914

EUROCRAFTGRANITE.COM

The Face of Payroll Processing and Tax Compliance

Red River Payroll

Red River Payroll was founded on the belief that small business owners deserve a solution that combines the highest level of personal service with the latest technology.

Steve Hobbs and Kevin Burr, the owners of the company, talked about how grateful they were to have the opportunity to build so many genuine relationships with the owners of other small businesses. “While we have maintained steady growth, we want our focus to be on taking care of our current clients,” says Hobbs, “because they are the reason we exist.”

From offering a true paperless solution to ensuring compliance with the ever changing landscape of federal and state tax law, Red River allows their clients to focus on what is important: sharpening and growing their own business.

1660 E. 71ST ST., SUITE 2I | 918-488-6196

REDRIVERPAYROLL.COM

Johann Skaftason, Hjorny Skaftason and Ryan Phillips

Steve Hobbs

The Face of Pet Boutiques Dog Dish

What makes a local pet store different?

“The human—and often canine—touch of a local business is priceless when it comes to serving our guests. Pets are a huge part of a family and the vast world of pet products is confusing and sometimes intimidating. People like to have a place they trust that can give them advice and offer only a specialized curation of products. At Dog Dish we have over 20 years of experience in pet specialty in an industry that is always evolving,” says Emily Bollinger, store owner.

“Our new store has a fenced backyard that is a dream come true for us... we’ve been utilizing it in various fun ways such as sharing it with pet rescue organizations, pet professionals, and pet parents. You can usually find pet adoptions taking place every Saturday, dog water play on the weekends, workshops with other businesses here and there, and we’ve also started renting out the yard for pet birthday parties—or any kind of pet get-together”.

Plus, does that big box store or website have a Dennis? Our shop dogs are models, product testers, and testimonials to what we carry in store. Come in to ask us questions, give a pup a pet or belly rub, and let us help you.

2803 SOUTH HARVARD | 918-624-2600

DOGDISHTULSA.COM

OPEN MONDAY-SATURDAY 10-6, SUNDAY 12-5

The Face of Pizza PIZZA 313

It’s a family affair at one of Tulsa’s newer pizza joints. Doug and Stacey Morrison, along with their son, Jack, are serving up a little different twist on the traditional pie. They combined their love of pizza with a bit of nostalgia to bring Tulsa “a taste of Detroit”. It is called PIZZA 313.

The restaurant is nestled in the center of The Shops of Seville at 101st & Yale, in south Tulsa. The ever-popular, traditional Detroit style pizza is square in shape and features a thick, airy crust with a heavenly caramelized cheesy edge and stripes of sauce across the top.

Jack manages the restaurant. “I enjoy getting to know our repeat customers, who have become good friends. Some of them have even brought us Detroit souvenirs from their travels.”

PIZZA 313 offers all the standard toppings plus a selection of specialty pizzas that include: The Cadillac (supreme), The Motor City (loaded meats), The Henry Ford (grilled chicken, bacon, ranch, cheddar cheese), The Aretha Franklin (veggie), The Smokey Robinson (grilled chicken, red onion, cheddar, BBQ sauce), The Motown (grilled chicken, bacon, red onion, sliced tomato, Alfredo sauce). Favorites in Tulsa are the spicy cheese curds appetizer, the

Smokey Robinson pizza with its smooth smoky base and BBQ heat at the finish and the authentic Italian gelato.

The restaurant serves a selection of wine and beers for dine-in customers, and features daily Happy Hour 4:00 to 7:00 with half-priced bar. Dine-in hours are Tuesday to Thursday 4-9, Friday and Saturday 11-10, Sunday 11-8. Closed on Mondays. In addition to indoor seating, there is a roomy, petfriendly shaded patio. Of course pizza, salads, appetizers can be ordered for take-out by calling 918-995-7242 or through DoorDash and GrubHub.

10021 S. YALE | 918-995-7242

PIZZA313TULSA.COM

The team at PIZZA 313: Vince Harris, Rachel Gibson, Manager Jack Morrison, Alexis Gibson and Malakai Johnson

Emily Bollinger with Dennis

The Face of Staffing and Workforce Management Barracuda Staffing & Consulting

Kevin Burr founded Barracuda Staffing and Consulting in 2009 amidst one of the biggest economic crises of our time. The resulting success was achieved because of his belief he could build a higher quality staffing and consulting agency to serve the Tulsa business community.

“We are a full-service company that specializes in long-term staffing placements, OnDemand HR services, business strategies, and workforce solutions,” he said. “We provide Human Capital Management strategies that protect organizations, strengthen infrastructures, and nurture cultures for greater growth.”

Burr notes that many times business leaders feel stuck and unsure of how to implement the positioning of their people, systems, and processes for long-term success. This unintentionally creates a disengaged workforce lacking in trust and innovation, resulting in low morale and a suffocating company culture.

“Our business consultants, HR professionals, and staffing specialists work with clients to implement, measure, and provide active support for your business.,” he said. Together, we will connect individual goals to performance management processes that pave the way for long-term success.

Barracuda has been listed twice on the “Inc. 5000” list of America’s Fastest-Growing Privately-Held Companies,” and recognized on Inc. Magazine’s “Best Places To Work” list. The company has supported the work of many local organizations over the past 13 years, including Soldiers Wish and The Tulsa Christmas Parade.

MAIN STREET, SUITE 105, JENKS | 918-488-0887

The Face of Sushi Sushi Hana

Kenny and Shirli Chan moved here from New York with lots of fresh ideas. If you haven’t been to Sushi Hana in Brookside — now is the time. They are part of the local scene, raising three girls and making it easy to support this local restaurant with great food and atmosphere. The patio is open and a full bar is available. Kenny and Shirli love helping diners find their new favorite roll. Everything is made fresh with a New York twist that Tulsa has come to love. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. You’ll be glad you did!

3739 S. PEORIA AVE. | 918-712-9338

SUSHIHANATULSA.COM

Kevin Burr

Kenny and Shirli Chan

The Face of Wedding and Event Venues Station

13

After a year-long restoration project, Jackie Potter opened event venue Station 13 in January 2020. The former fire station was built in 1933 and designed by prominent Tulsa architect Albert Joseph Love featuring art deco zigzag design. Potter and her husband, Chad, bought the building with many of its original firehouse features still intact. “There’s no other fire station event venue in town,” she says, “and we’re located just a few minutes from downtown Tulsa.” The property is on the National Register of Historic Places.

“With 2,200 square feet of intricately designed indoor event space and over 18,000 square feet of beautifully landscaped outdoor space, Station 13 is able to meet the needs of a sizeable wedding reception, as well as an intimate dinner party,” Potter says.

3924 CHARLES PAGE BLVD. | 918-810-6765 STATION13TULSA.COM

The Face of Wealth Management

DCH Financial Services

Off-the-shelf or tailored-to-fit?

Which plan would you choose … for your financial future?

Clearly, you want personalized and prioritized planning to help reach your goals. The female investment team of DCH Financial Services can determine your aspirations and investment needs — creating a tailored roadmap to your long-term, sustainable financial growth.

Investment Executives Karen Bruns and Saletha Fuller, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, can discover your timing needs and risk tolerance to provide the right combination of services. And DCH is there at every step, providing critical support, supervision and security.

“The power to restore and strengthen your financial future is in your grasp,” Fuller says. “And within our reach, together.”

2530 E. 71st St., Suite E. Tulsa, OK 74136 918-496-0777 | raymondjames.com/dchfinancial

Karen Bruns, Investment Executive | karen.bruns@raymondjames.com

Saletha Fuller, CFP ®, Investment Executive | saletha.fuller@raymondjames.com

Jackie Potter

ELECTRIC SLIDE

CHASE DOWN THE RAINBOW WITH THESE VIBRANT SUMMER SANDALS.

Seychelles Golden Coast in lavender, $99; Birkenstock Arizona Eva in sky blue, $50; Chaco Chillos Slide in cress green, $50; Sorel Vibe Twist in orange, $120; J/Slides Squish in pink, $59; all from J.Cole Shoes, 9930 Riverside Parkway.

Bonjour bounty

EUROPEAN GOODS INFUSE DEFINED STYLE INTO LONGTIME ANTIQUES BUSINESS.

BY KIM BROWN

Curating a signature collection of French country-style antiques is a passion Linda James has been sharing with Tulsans for decades. anks to her biannual buying trips to Paris, customers can nd authentic European antique items at her eponymous shop — located inside Windsor Market at e Farm Shopping Center.

“I have always loved the style of French country, and I collaborated with Charles Faudree for a couple of my homes,” says James of the late Tulsa interior designer and author, who was known for his signature French country home decor.

But knowing what and how to buy antiques at the markets in France is a skill set James learned over time. She attributes this to her mentor, Dale Gillman, who owned the former Antique Warehouse, near East 12th Street and South Lewis Avenue.

“In 1995 he asked me if I wanted to go on a buying trip to Paris,” she says. “He was so generous; he took me to all the places he knew, showed me how to buy and how to ship it back. But he kind of created a monster.”

6530 E. 51ST ST., INSIDE WINDSOR MARKET | 918-254-9766

LINDAJAMESANTIQUES.COM

10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m., Sunday

SHOP FAVORITES

Soon, James learned some French and started making the trips on her own. She eventually took over Faudree’s storefront space on Cherry Street, then had her own store in another location at e Farm. She decided to join Windsor Market’s 15,000-square-foot showroom in early 2022. And going on those buying trips is still “the best part of the job,” she says. Her rule of thumb for selecting the items is simple: “I buy things I would have in my own home,” she says. “You have to know your market and how much people will spend. I think I’m known for good quality and good prices, and I try to have a variety.” TP

Trumeau Mirrors are favorite finds of James when she’s on buying trips to Paris. Mirrors that feature a painting became popular in the 18th century — mostly hung over fireplaces. Starting at $2,990.

Blue and white transferware china, vases and lamps are popular French country pieces that can be displayed all over the home. Platters start at $149, and are perfect for hanging as part of wall displays.

Antique French chairs are always in demand at Linda James Antiques, including Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. Starting at $500 for a pair.

Coffee table books are great gift items, and James has a variety of stylish choices. For those who love the blue and white transferware, she offers “Blue and White and Other Stories: A Personal Journey through Colour,” by William Yeoward for $54.

Linda James Antiques

Linda James

HUNGRY FOR MORE THAN A MEAL

Seniors in Tulsa urgently need your help. Since February, they have faced significant cuts to their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, resulting in an average reduction of $93 per month for their grocery budget. As if that wasn’t enough, food prices have skyrocketed by 10% month over month. It’s time to take action and make a difference. Please make a gift today and ensure our homebound seniors can age at home with dignity, free from the fear of hunger. By giving, you become a lifeline for those who need it most.

FRESH FACTS

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, YOUR FOOD STORAGE GUIDE FOR FRESHNESS AND SAFETY.

BY ANNA HOLTON-DEAN

It’s easy to start the week with an organized fridge but end up playing Tetris by the weekend. However, keeping food in its proper place is about more than aesthetics; improperly storing food can impact its freshness and safety, too.

“ e (U.S. Department of Agriculture) estimates that foodborne illnesses cost us more than $15.6 billion every year,” says Aaron Greenquist, environmental health specialist and special event coordinator for Tulsa Health Department. To avoid being part of that statistic, Greenquist o ers up the proper refrigerator storage spot for every food staple.

TOP SHELVES

Prepared foods such as deli salads, boiled eggs and non-dairy beverages are ideal items for the top shelf. Since heat rises, some types of produce that haven’t been cut, such as whole heads of lettuce or tomatoes, can be stored here as well. “Once you cut produce, it is perishable, and bacteria can grow,” Greenquist says.

CRISPER DRAWERS

For higher humidity drawers, Greenquist suggests storing produce that does not

perish quickly, such as leafy greens, asparagus and berries. For lower humidity drawers, store items that spoil more easily, such as apples, pears, avocados and melons.

MIDDLE SHELVES

Temperature is most consistent in the middle, so dairy products, such as milk, eggs and cheese, cooked foods and leftovers are ideal for storing here, Greenquist says.

BOTTOM SHELVES

Raw proteins should be stored below cooked foods on the bottom shelves, which also are consistently cold, Greenquist says. Meat, poultry and sh should be stored in sealed containers or wrapped so their liquids do not cross-contaminate other foods.

SIDE DOORS

e doors of the fridge are the warmest environment — not an ideal place for timeor temperature-controlled items, Greenquist says. Condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, mayo and salad dressings, are best suited for storing in this section. Bottled water and sodas also are safe items. Keeping the doors closed as much as possible will help with uctuating temps. TP

Greenquist’s additional tips for food safety

AVOID OVERPACKING THE FRIDGE.

It’s great to have a thermometer to verify the temperature — either a thermometer to insert into food or a dial thermometer that hangs in the fridge to ensure food is staying at 41 degrees or below.

COOK ALL FOODS TO THE PROPER TEMPERATURE, USING A FOOD THERMOMETER, THEN:

Package warm or hot food into several clean, shallow containers and refrigerate. It is OK to put small portions of hot food in the refrigerator since they will chill faster.

Perishable foods, such as meat or cooked leftovers, should be refrigerated within two hours (within one hour when temps are high — think picnic). If the perishable food has been out for more than four hours, it should be discarded for safety.

Frozen meat should be tossed after a year for quality’s sake. Ideally, steaks can be kept frozen for six to 12 months and ground beef for three to four months.

Never wash store-bought meat, poultry or fish because of possible cross-contamination.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in ve Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70. Routine sun protection, including using sunscreen daily and e ectively, has been shown to reduce skin cancer risk as well as prevent premature skin aging, the organization reports.

Today there are many choices when it comes to skin care products recommended for sun protection, including tinted powders and moisturizers.

Gloria Rubio, an aesthetician at Emerge Medical Spa, 9130 S. Sheridan Road, says she likes SkinMedica’s Essential Defense Mineral Shield, because “these are strong enough to protect your skin while out in the sun and gentle enough to be used after a chemical peel.” With an SPF of 35 and options of tinted or untinted, the cream protects against damaging UVA and UVB rays, won’t clog pores, improves texture and tone, and is paraben-free, hypoallergenic, oilfree and fragrance-free.

Powders now contain sun-blocking properties, too.

e Eminence Sun Defense Minerals comes in several shades, including translucent, with an SPF of 30. “ ese powders are water resistant and contain tinted minerals that o er coverage like a foundation,” Rubio says. “ e tinted minerals protect your skin while giving it an even, radiant appearance.”

e hypoallergenic powder won’t clog pores and protects against sun damage. —

ANNE BROCKMAN

LAKE LIFE

4 NEARBY WATERFRONT DESTINATIONS PERFECT FOR A SUMMER STAY.

BY RHYS MARTIN

If you’ve lived in northeast Oklahoma for any length of time, hearing someone say, “I’m going to the lake for the weekend!” is a familiar refrain. Some folks own a cabin or have regular lakeside haunts that provide them with a relaxing experience. Others seek out one of the many nearby resorts to unwind and enjoy the warmth of summer in a variety of ways. You may be surprised at what you’ll nd just a few hours away from town.

Oklahoma’s largest lake is Lake Eufaula, about an hour-and-a-half south of Tulsa. One of the most unique destinations in the state is Carlton Landing, a resort town built from the ground up 10 years ago. Renting a vacation home here for a few days is a way to step back in time when life moved a little slower. e community is built with walkability in mind, full of parks and nature trails, and exploring the lake on a kayak is a

peaceful escape. It’s a terri c quiet getaway. Grand Lake’s Shangri-La resort dates to the 1960s and was brought back from the brink of destruction in the 2010s. Today, it’s a national destination. e centerpiece of the property is a 27-hole lakeside golf course paired with hotel, spa and a variety of dining options. Shangri-La also has a fullservice marina with boat rentals, parasailing opportunities and shing tours. You can even reserve a spot on a guided hunting trip.

Big Cedar Lodge at Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri, is another resort that o ers a complete experience when it comes to a weekend of active relaxation.

ere are multiple ways to stay, from private cabins to rooms in one of several lakeside lodges. Its Top of the Rock Golf Course is a par-3 a air with a beautiful view of the lake. e Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum is a fascinating showcase

of Ozark history and pairs nicely with the Lost Canyon Cave Tour. If you have kids who are less outdoorsy, Big Cedar also has a 50,000-square-foot indoor activity center with an arcade, go-karts and more.

Another refuge of relaxation at Table Rock is Chateau on the Lake, a resort spa hotel perched on a hill overlooking the water. Many of the rooms have balconies that provide unmatched views of the surrounding Ozark landscape. e property’s marina boasts more activities than any other resort in the area including scuba diving, kayaking and more. And, indeed, the variety of on-site spa services provides plenty of stress relief for a long weekend. As secluded and serene as the Chateau is, it’s still only minutes from town and all the entertainment options available at the Live Entertainment Capital of the World: Branson. TP

Carlton Landing

Big Cedar Lodge

Shangri-La Chateau on the Lake

GOODNIGHT SUN

BY CONNIE CRONLEY

Inotice that I have shed some longtime memberships, associations, a liations and acquaintances. Not always deliberately and almost never dramatically. Over time they fell away. Often, unnoticed by any of us.

But I’ve kept my steadfast devotion to heliotropism.

is is the tendency of some plants to turn their faces to the sun all day. Sun owers are the most famous heliotropes. Buttercups and Arctic poppies also are heliotropic. ese owers follow the sun because they nd sunlight stimulating.

I think I converted to heliotropism to compensate for spending decades working in windowless o ces. I am still starved for sunshine.

Luckily it’s July and we’ll have about 14-and-a-half hours of sunlight a day. I need all the sunshine I can get because I’ve been through a cloudy patch. My March birthday hit me with a number so large I checked my birth certi cate for loopholes. Amazing that a paper that old and brown hasn’t crumbled.

Spring allergies were particularly vicious this year, but when the congestion and drainage nally cleared up, I discovered I still couldn’t hear properly. A hearing test con rmed it.

So there I was one afternoon sitting in Costco with my just-out-of-the-box hearing aids, eating an enormous hot dog and feeling sorry for myself.

To make matters worse, I was reading, for the rst time, Judy Blume’s classic “Are You ere God? It’s Me, Margaret.” is book is 53 years old but her depiction of 11-going-on-12 girls is so accurate I was transported back to my own angstful sixth grade. (Angstful is a neologism I just invented, but isn’t it a truthful depiction of that time?) My girlfriends and I were painfully aware of emerging from the cocoon of childhood and everything was high drama. Like Margaret in the book, we anguished about getting a rst bra. We found boys puzzling, both appealing and appalling.

I had ashbacks to one sixth-grade summer dance. We girls clustered together in our full-skirted pastel dresses like shy owers. e boys stood together on the other side of the room until chaperones made them dance with us. We had all taken dancing lessons in preparation for just such an occasion, but the boys were more interested in catching June bugs drawn to the outside lights and dropping them down the back of our party dresses.

An odious boy named John Paul said, “I call you Turnpike because there’s not a curve in sight” and I was miserable. A princely boy named Burke asked to walk me home and I was Cinderella.

When I rst inserted the hearing aids I was assaulted by sound — swirling, booming, ooding sounds. “What’s that swishing I hear?” I asked the technician.

“It’s your hair,” he said, “brushing against your ears. You’ll get used to it.”

From the sixth grade to hearing aids — how did this even happen?

at night at Circle Cinema I saw “Turn Every Page,” a ne documentary lm about writer Robert Caro, 86, and his editor Robert Gottlieb, 91, both refusing to be cowed by numbers and anxious to nish Caro’s nal biographical volume about Lyndon Johnson. I ran into old friends at the cinema and made new acquaintances, luxuriating in conversation with people who love books as much as I do. Suddenly I realized, I am this age and this is my village; it is home.

Currently, we use the term “nightfall” but in the 1600s people didn’t say that night fell, they said night “thickened.” A softer image.

When I left the bright lights of the theater lobby, I carefully stepped around the medallion in the sidewalk imprinted with “Jay Cronley, Writer.”

“Good night, Jay,” I murmured and walked into the thickening night, on my way home to the cottage I love, a glass of pinot grigio and a CD of Bob Marley singing “every little thing’s going to be all right.”

Tomorrow would be lled with sunshine and wonder, so full of marvels I can hear my hair. TP

R I S E H O M E H A S J O I N E D M C G R A W R E A L T O R S

P r o u d t o A n n o u n c e 9 1 8 . 5 9 2 . 6 0 0 0 | M C G R A W R E A L T O R S . C O M

®

GATED GUIERWOODS with 24 hour guard and on site Property Manager. The spacious entry with double beveled glass doors greets you. Lush professional landscaping in the front and backyard area. This property has been totally updated with wood floors, new cabinetry in the kitchen and baths, designer paint throughout. The kichen has high end Thermador built in refrigerator, 5 Burner Dacor Gas Cooktop, Bosch double ovens, Taj Mahal Quartzize countertops & backsplash, Fisher Paykal 2 drawer dishwasher and overlooks the inground gunite pool, patios plus cook-out area. The designer chandeliers and sconces truly enhance the high ceilings. The 3 spacious bedrooms accomodate large furniture and has walk in closets with storage. The driveway is heated for your convenience. Most of all you will enjoy the safety of Guierwoods. Come see for yourself.

7250 South Gary Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74136 | $724,500 3 Bed | 3.5 Bath | 3,496 SqFt

LUXURY PROPERTY GROUP

Call

Enjoy

G R A N D L A K E

Look ing for large & lovely lake home overlook ng Duck Creek just 5 minutes east of Ketchum? Look no fur ther, this 7 bed, 10 bath home s loaded w/nothing but nice & tasteful This luxurious timeless home has gourmet k itchen we can create great food & be apar t of the open living space w/incredible views of Grand Lake Bedrooms ocated on each level of home w/en suite bathrooms There are three ha f baths & 2 aundr y rooms The ma n bedroom on entr y level has an enormous bath & walk-in dress c oset beautifully des gned w/special tile throughout, hand scraped hardwood floors, med a room, wet bar, balconies, full wa kout basement w/k itchenette & bedroom, gentle slope to your

2-slip covered dock with concrete f oors, full house generator and the list goes on. No restric t ons so can be VBRO’s. $1,999,950

6TH & LEWIS

Unique location between University of Tulsa and The Pearl District. The asking price includes both the House (located at 2216 E 6th St) and the Vacant Lot (located at 2224 E 6th St). The property is zoned CS and o ers versatile options for use, including as an o ce, land, or retail space. Its prime location allows for convenient access to nearby retail stores, markets, and entertainment venues. Additionally, the vacant lot provides the potential for a parking lot or the construction of a new building. $459,000

TIM HAYES

918-231-5637

thayes@mcgrawok.com

GORDON SHELTON

918-697-2742 gshelton@mcgrawok.com

SHERRI SANDERS

918-724-5008

ssanders@mcgrawok.com

DIANA PATTERSON

918-629-3717 dpatterson@mcgrawok.com

MI D T O W N L O T

Secluded Midtown lot in Bolewood Glen just off 47th & Lewis. Lot is situated on a corner at the end of the cul-de-sac surrounded by beautiful mature trees. Easy access to Riverside Drive, River Parks, Brookside & I-44. Come build your Midtown dream house! $325,000

Stunning, total remodel in Nov. 2020 includes gourmet kitchen w/ high end appliances, quartz countertops, new ceilings w/ canned lighting, 2 rebuilt gas fireplaces w/ custom mantels, new interior doors/baseboards throughout, elegant lighting fixtures/ceiling fans & hardware, new flooring, replaced glass/screens on sliding doors, master bath gutted & masterfully designed and redone, 2 car garage with epoxy flooring.

$229,000

Fabulous Cul-de-Sac lot in Ashlane Estates. A newer luxury neighborhood conveniently located near Highway 75 South, Creek Expressway & only 15 min to Tulsa Hills shopping. Come see this beautiful neighborhood with amazing hilltop views nestled in rolling hills & surrounded by mature trees. Bring your own builder and build your dream home in this quiet peaceful neighborhood. $93,900

Entertainers dream w/several game rooms, theater (seats 11) 2 gyms, billiards room, cigar lounge vented to outside, 1000 bottle wine room, huge pool, spa, outdoor kitchen & covered living! 6 bedrooms 6 Full & 2 half baths.

Vaulted Primary Suite w/automatic shades, spacious bath w/2 sinks, walk in shower, whirlpool tub, fireplace huge closet w/built ins. Laundry off of Primary Suite. Second Kitchen behind Open Kitchen. Meile Coffee center. Piano Room, Game Room w/patio. Home has a 4000 sq ft finished basement with access to large outdoor living with FP and steps to the pool area. Elevator, Home Generator, tons of storage are just a few of the extra’s this home possesses. 5 Zones HVAC. Control 4 home automation system. Security system w/16 cameras. Garage with high ceiling will accommodate car lift. $4,790,000

2858 E. 67th Place | Southern Hills Contemporary 1.26 acre secluded cul-de-sac lot. Dramatic architecture by Frank Wallace, ORU architect. Vaulted ceilings/incredible natural light. Primary suite offers floor to ceiling windows. Designated office. Spacious beds w/ ensuite baths & walk in closets. 2 BR suites on 1st floor. Private lush yard/greenbelt & mature trees. Walk out basement/game room. Outdoor kitchen & patio w/entertaining space. Entire home renovated to perfection. Short golf cart ride to back gate of Southern Hills. Pool site plans available. 6 Bed | 7.5 Bath | 4 Car Garage | 8,716 Sq. Ft. $2,100,000

2200 S. Utica Place #7C | Located in one of Tulsa’s most luxurious high rise buildings across from Utica Square. Exclusive penthouse community with limited number of residences for low maintenance elegant living . Fabulous views and extreme privacy. 24 hour security provides residence comfortable secure living. Dramatic ceiling height and abundant natural light fill the rooms. Views of Cascia Hall and Utica Square. Large outdoor terrace with outdoor kitchen. Gardening space on balcony. Architecturally the building is stunning. Highest level finishes throughout the building and residence. 2 Bed | 2 Bath | 2 Car Garage | 3,104 Sq. Ft. $1,690,000

3350 E. 54th Street | Mid century Ranch located in desirable Holiday Hills. One level almost 2000 Sq foot home with open concept floor plan. Inside laundry. Spacious private back yard and walled front court yard. Renovated and ready for new owners. Full brick and new roof offer low maintenance exterior. Neighborhood offers mature trees and close proximity to shopping and dining. LaFortune Park/Golf Course and Saint Francis Hospital located near the home. 3 Bed | 2 Bath | 2 Car Garage | 1,968 Sq. Ft. $322,500

SPONSOR/DONATE

We wouldn't be able to do any of this without the support of our amazing sponsors.

In 2022, 60+ local and national businesses contributed in-kind and financial support which allowed us to significantly reduce our expected expenses and put more of the money raised to direct use with our benefiting organizations.

PASTEL PARTY

Longtime chef Alexandre Figueira moved from Brazil to Tulsa in 2016 and three years later opened his family business Doctor Kustom. While menu specials change each day, a constant is a collection of pastels ($13 each), a popular Brazilian street food. A thin dough — made of flour, water, sugar and salt and rested at the exact temperature to create its signature crispy, bubbly crust — envelopes different fillings. The beef pastel features ground beef and mozzarella cheese. The chicken option includes shredded chicken, homemade Brazilian cream cheese and mozzarella. The calabrese pastel — a traditional Brazilian flavor — features smoked sausage, grilled onions and mozzarella. TP

INSIDE MOTHER ROAD MARKET, 1124 S. LEWIS AVE. FACEBOOK.COM/DOCTORKUSTOM2013

TOO HOT to cook

Turn off the oven and make something cool and refreshing.

Crisp greens, chilled soups, chicken or egg salad sandwiches are all great meals on hot summer days. And don’t stop there — homemade ice cream sandwiches, creamsicles and icebox pie are the perfect ending to a summer night.

One tip to remember for summer cooking is to keep fresh veggies stocked, washed, chopped and ready to go. When you want to make a chopped salad, a wrap or a charcuterie board, you’ll have everything you need. Also stock hard salami, nuts, good cheese, and jarred olives and peppers for easy, no-prep/no-heat dinners.

We’ve curated a few summertime favorites that allow you and your kitchen to stay cool. — NATALIE MIKLES

These fresh wraps are great with added cooked shrimp or chicken, or keep them as is. To make life easy, buy a bag of coleslaw mix (without the dressing) for your sliced cabbage and a bag of pre-shredded carrots.

THAI PEANUT WRAPS Serves 4 to 6

PEANUT SAUCE:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

WRAPS:

4 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup shredded carrot

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 cup cooked and shelled edamame

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped

1 cup wonton strips

4 to 6 tortilla wraps

To make sauce: In a bowl, combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, honey and garlic. Whisk well. Whisk in peanut butter and red pepper flakes. Mix together cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, edamame, cilantro, peanuts and wonton strips.

Fill wraps with cabbage mixture, drizzling each with peanut sauce. Cut each wrap in half to serve. Serve with additional peanut sauce on the side.

FIND RECIPES FOR NOBAKE CHEESECAKE, EGG SALAD AND A CHICKEN SALAD WITH MISO DRESSING AT TULSAPEOPLE.COM

Thai peanut wraps

Big dreams, big business

Onifade R.E. Colbert III was 6 years old when he ran downstairs to tell his mom he wanted to sell cookies — enough cookies to buy a plane ticket to visit family in Nigeria.

“You’ll have to sell a whole lot of cookies,” his mom, Ifaseyi Amusan, remembers telling him.

Fast forward. Onifade is 15 years old and his business, Onifade’s Cookie Co., has been successful for years. He sells 16 types of cookies out of the storefront he operates with his mom. And the two fulfill many large corporate orders, including cookies for The University of Tulsa.

“He’s an old soul. He always had a plan for this company,” Ifaseyi says. “And he has a plan to keep growing. He one day wants to be a patent lawyer and help people with their businesses.”

Of course none of Onifade’s dreams would have been possible without the backing of his mom, his fiercest supporter.

“He has the sweetest heart ever. He puts all his love into everything he does,” she says.

The storefront at 1114 S. Yale Ave. is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m., FridaySaturday; and 1-5 p.m., Sunday. — NATALIE MIKLES

Onifade’s Cookie Co. sells mini pies, cheesecake and other desserts. But cookies are the specialty. Here’s what’s frequently on the menu: chocolate chip, butter cookies, peanut butter, oatmeal, snickerdoodle, whoopie pies, fig bars, salted caramel white chocolate, key lime drops, lemon white chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, macadamia white chocolate, fudgy chocolate

NO BOUNDARIES

The partnership between James Beard Award semifinalist chef Paul Wilson and Silo Event Center owner Hugo Gutierrez brings a new and interesting dining experience to the Tulsa food scene.

Last winter the team launched the Sans Murs dinners — unique, themed dinners in the beautiful setting of the Silo, 4629 W. 41st St. Sans Murs, meaning “without walls,” is applicable to these dinners. The boundaries of a traditional restaurant dinner can be bent in this more immersive experience.

Though only about a 10- to 15-minute drive from midtown or downtown, entering the Silo property feels like you’ve traveled far from Tulsa. The property, which sits on 7 acres at the foothill of a hilly nature preserve, has been a wedding venue since 2007. There are four buildings on the property dating back to the late 1800s when Muscogee Nation families called it Redberry Farm.

Gutierrez’s vision was to combine the natural, getaway feeling of the property with modern and chef-inspired food.

“Chef Paul wants to offer a culinary experience that no one in town has seen,” Gutierrez says.

Dinners at Sans Murs came together quickly, in a pop-up style. And so far, diners like what they see. Wilson brings both his experimental style that earned him the James Beard nomination and familiar flavor profiles with him to Sans Murs. Many longtime fans of Boston Title and Abstract and of Wilson have followed him to dine at Sans Murs.

Sans Murs dinners will take place throughout the summer. For reservations, go to sansmurs.restaurant. — NATALIE

MIKLES

Ifaseyi Amusan and Onifade R.E. Colbert III inside the new Onifade’s Cookie Co. storefront

Karaage ribeye with elote from a recent Sans Murs multi-course dinner

Oklahoma staple

3 PLACES TO GET HOOKED ON CATFISH.

BY NATALIE MIKLES

Throw a dart at the menu at EVELYN’S SOUL FOOD, and you can’t miss. Everything — from the fried pork chops and fried chicken to the legendary macaroni and cheese and candied yams — is first class. That includes the catfish, so popular it’s on Evelyn’s small menu of daily entrees. Try it with okra and tomatoes and buttered corn.

3014 N. 74TH E. AVE., 918-835-1212 | EVELYNSOULFOOD.COM

DADDY B ’S fans will tell you how good the catfish is at this new south Tulsa barbecue joint. The catfish is seasoned with just the right amount of salt. Fried catfish orders come with the traditional Oklahoma barbecue sides of white bread, pickles and onions, plus two sides. It’s great with coleslaw. For those hankering for some ‘cue, try the fall-off-the-bone-tender ribs and perfectly seasoned pork.

2809 E. 91ST ST., 918-995-7100 | DADDYBSBBQ.COM

If you’ve only been to ALBERT G’S for barbecue, you’re missing out. Its Friday catfish special is one of the best. But be forewarned: it’s only available on Fridays. These cooks know how to cut the filets, leaving out the dark, tough pieces. These fresh catfish filets are then cooked to a flaky crispiness. For sides, don’t miss the tabouli and potato salad. The fried okra and mac and cheese also are great.

2748 S. HARVARD AVE., 918-747-4799 | 421 E. FIRST ST., 918-728-3650

7588 S. OLYMPIA AVE., 918-921-8080 | ALBERTGS.COM

NEW RESTAURANT

These newcomers to the Tulsa restaurant scene are winners in TulsaPeople’s annual A-LIST Readers’ Choice Awards.

The Hemingway

1515 E. 15TH ST. | 918-248-0185

THEHEMINGWAYTULSA1515.COM

Shaky Jake’s Burgers and Franks 121 N. ASH AVE., BROKEN ARROW 539-367-1419

BRAMBLEBREAKFASTANDBAR.COM/ SHAKY-JAKES

Freya: Nordic Kitchen 3410 S. PEORIA AVE., SUITE 200 918-779-4413

FREYATULSA.COM et al. 1001 S. MAIN ST. | 918-236-8604

ETALTULSA.COM

Holé Molé 1302 E. SIXTH ST. | 539-664-5635

INSTAGRAM.COM/HOLEMOLETULSA

Evelyn’s Soul Food

Albert G’s

Daddy B’s

Birthday cake shake

FROM LA MICHOACANA PLUS

11360 E. 31ST ST., UNIT A | 918-310-1471

COOL TRICKS

American Solera, 1702 E. Sixth St., is the only brewery in Oklahoma with a coolship. Before refrigeration was commonplace, “coolships” — vessels with high surfaceto-mass-ratio, like enormous brownie pans — were used to cool vats of wort (pre-fermented beer) down post-boil to a temperature that allows yeast to thrive. According to Chase Healey, co-founder and co-owner of American Solera, this is necessary for the fermentation process, because yeast can’t survive in super-hot conditions. He’s brewed coolship beers for years, and built one inside American Solera with scraps from Missouri oak trees.

“The idea being, especially with lambic producers, is the wild yeast and bacteria live in the air and in the oak surfaces surrounding the coolship, and then steam and heat can activate it and get it excited,” Healey says.

COOL OFF

La Michoacana Plus offers 60-80 flavors of cream and fruit paletas (popsicles), 36 ice cream flavors, chocolatecovered bananas, ice cream sandwiches, floats and a rainbow of mangonadas and aguas frescas to choose from.

MORE THAN A CHERRY

This cool and sweet dairy treat is blended strawberry cheesecake ice cream with an icing and sprinkle rim, a strawberry- or cupcakeflavored Poptart and strawberry cheesecake popsicle perched on a fluffy cloud of whipped cream, and a drizzle of strawberry sauce.

Coolship fermentation can occur in two ways: the wort can get yeast that occurs naturally from around it — which takes longer — or you can pitch in yeast.

Healey has produced both methods of coolships. He recently brewed a coolship hefeweizen called I Can See My House From Here, where he pitched in the yeast and watched the yeast do its thing.

“We’ve decided the coolship we have in our brewery, while it’s useful in the colder months, we really wanted to get some more beers turned through it. So using it in the spring when the weather’s still a little cool out allowed us to create an open-fermented beer using the tank,” Healey says.

It’s a process that takes all the pressure off of the beer. “It allows the yeast to ferment in an open environment and really creates a nice texture in the beer. And more than anything, it’s just geeky and kind of fun for us as brewers.” —

TOM GILBERT

GO BIG

Four fun “crazy shakes” on La Michoacana Plus’ menu include the birthday cake shake, Oreo, peanut-buttery Mazapan and Gansito (a chocolate, strawberry-and-cream filled Mexican snack cake). $9.10.

Chase Healey in front of the American Solera coolship

TUNED IN TO HISTORY

STORY AND COMPOSITE IMAGE BY PATRICK MCNICHOLAS

In 1946, Tulsa Tractor and Implement Co. began construction on a new building on the southwest corner of East ird Street and South Frankfort Avenue. e company was a primary distributor of International Harvester farming equipment but sold other brands as well.

e new building at 302 S. Frankfort Ave. formally opened on March 27, 1947. It was the largest International Harvester dealership in the southwest at the time and a one-stop shop for the most modern farming equipment in Tulsa.

Nearby railroad spurs brought heavy equipment directly to the building’s front door while large garage door entrances allowed access to the showrooms. Famed Tulsa architect Leon B. Senter is credited with the design of the building; however,

Tulsa Tractor and Implement Co. would soon lease out its building to a new venture. at new venture was television media.

In 1949, Maria Helen Alvarez became the rst female television general manager and helped redesign the building into the largest television studio of its kind, at the time. e studio, with its 22-foot ceilings, rows of lighting and large access doors resembled more of a movie set than a television studio, even with space for a studio audience.

KOTV was the second television station in the state, and the only television station in the Tulsa market until 1954. Broadcasts continued from the building until 2013 when a new studio was opened in the Tulsa Arts District. TP

Tulsa Tractor and Implement Co. facility after it was transformed in 1949 into KOTV studios on the southwest corner of East Third Street and South Frankfort Avenue. Early broadcasting equipment can be seen on the roof of the building.