TulsaPeople November 2018 by TulsaPeople

HEROIC ACTION: LOCAL MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS REMEMBERED

November 2018

Perilla, Cleome and Acer call the gardens at Philbrook Museum of Art home.

Paw-parazzi THE PET ISSUE Philbrookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous felines and other high-profile local animals

Q&A: OSAGE CHIEF GEOFFREY STANDING BEAR HOLIDAY EVENT GUIDE

SPECIAL “I built my business on making people and events feel special. My bank did, too. They bend over backwards for me—like no other banking experience I’ve had. That’s why MY BANK IS MABREY.”

Sara Coonce The Inviting Place

Read more at MyBankIsMabrey.com/Sara

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Specialist returns home with rare expertise.

Dr. Spencer Voth, a Pryor Creek native, was a college student when he accompanied his uncle, a general surgeon, on a series of medical mission trips to Guatemala. “I helped build a hospital there and assisted with surgeries,” he said. “I came back from those trips with the desire to be a surgeon.” Following medical school at OSU, ENT residency in Philadelphia, otology fellowship at the renowned Paparella Ear Institute in Minneapolis and additional surgical training in Italy, Dr. Voth returned home to join Warren Clinic as an otologist and ENT specialist. He is one of the few physicians in the Tulsa area who can perform extremely intricate ear operations such as cochlear implants and middle ear surgeries—procedures that can restore hearing for children and adults. He is also the first in the area to offer a cutting-edge upper airway stimulation to treat sleep apnea. “I thank God for leading me on a path to this career— one that helps others and can improve their lives.” For more information or to find a Warren Clinic primary care physician, specialist or urgent care location, please visit warrenclinic.com or call 918-488-6688.

Spencer Voth, D.O. EAR, NOSE AND THROAT SPECIALIST

Oklahoma Heart Institute is the most comprehensive heart program in the state From advanced diagnostic procedures and minimally invasive surgery to open heart surgery and cardiac rehab, we provide experienced, specialized cardiac care for all patients. Our surgeons have trained at some of the most premier learning institutions in the United States and have performed thousands of life-saving procedures. We offer leading edge technologies and innovative programs to keep your heart beating â&#x20AC;&#x201C; right in the heart of Tulsa. With two locations, Hillcrest Medical Center and Hillcrest South, expert heart care has never been so close.

Hillcrest Medical Center, 1120 S. Utica | Hillcrest South, 8801 S. 101st E. Ave. | Tulsa, OK

918-592-0999 | OklahomaHeart.com

NOVEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 33 ISSUE 1

FEATURED

34 Q&A Geoffrey Standing Bear, native Tulsan and Principal Chief of the Osage Nation BY ANNE BROCKMAN

36 Hometown heroes Local Medal of Honor recipients remembered. BY SCOTT WIGTON Tulsa Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” returns this holiday season to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Find out about more seasonal event on p. 63.

41 ‘Tails’ of Tulsa’s furry, feathered and famous BY ANGELA EVANS

BY JUDY LANGDON

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

Leather goods made in Tulsa. A toy store for the young and old. Small-town Oklahoma. Connie Cronley warns that sometimes the sky really is falling.

Duet serves a sweet tune. Four recipes for your feast. Non-traditional Thanksgiving indulgences. A bartender’s dog inspires a ﬂavorful cocktail.

SPECIAL SECTIONS 49 66 80

Williams’ 100 years in Tulsa Holiday Hints Senior Living

HEROIC ACTION: LOCAL MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS REMEMBERED

November 2018

THE PET ISSUE

The sights and sounds of the holidays make for a sleigh-ride season of fun.

75 LIFESTYLE

101 TABLE TALK

NOVEMBER 2018

Holiday Event Guide

Three destinations for you and your dog. Cynthia Marcoux’s dazzling colored pencil art. A veterinarian inspires children. Three Tulsans helping the homeless.

TULSAPEOPLE

11 CITY DESK

Perilla, Cleome and Acer call the gardens at Philbrook Museum of Art home.

Paw-parazzi THE PET ISSUE Philbrook’s famous felines and other high-profile local animals

Q&A: OSAGE CHIEF GEOFFREY STANDING BEAR HOLIDAY EVENT GUIDE

ON THE COVER Carpet courtesy Party Pro Rents.

ANDREW FASSBENDER/COURTESY TULSA BALLET

Paw-parazzi

Before all the baby talk, let’s talk babies Whether you’re having your first baby, or you’re an experienced mom, questions are natural. Ascension® care teams at St. John are here to help. We listen to understand what’s important to you. Then, together we create a care plan and provide care that’s right for you and your baby. Or, your babies. Visit stjohntulsababy.com

WHAT’S ONLINE TULSAPEOPLE.COM Follow us on Twitter @TULSAPEOPLE

Find us on Facebook FACEBOOK.COM/TULSAPEOPLEMAG

Follow us. Use #MyTulsaPeople to tag your Instagram photos of the people who make this city great. WE’LL FEATURE OUR FAVES!

ONLINE NOW: THE 2018 A-LIST DIRECTORY OF TULSA’S BEST BUSINESSES!

Subscribe to TulsaPeople’s new Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

People are Tweeting about the Tulsa Talks podcast... @shagsss

PLANNING A PARTY OR EVENT? VISIT TULSAPEOPLE.COM/DIRECTORIES FOR THE NEW HOLIDAY PARTY CATERING GUIDE AND UPDATED VENUE GUIDE! 6

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

Is Anna Bennett a great host or what? Finally conjured up the courage to listen to the latest #tulsatalks episode where I am the guest. Anybody else hate hearing their own voice?! Haha. Thanks for having me @TulsaPeople

@leahharper

Crazy Saturday night with laundry and podcasts but really enjoying @TulsaPeople’s new podcast Tulsa Talks if you’re looking for something new.

LISTEN IN AT TULSAPEOPLE.COM/PODCAST AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

Berry good eats (p. 107) Watch a handy how-to for apple blackberry crumble pie at TULSAPEOPLE.COM.

PLUS Enjoy the convenience of TulsaPeople delivered to your door. TULSAPEOPLE.COM/SUBSCRIBE Which downtown district are you? And which Philbrook cat is your spirit animal? TULSAPEOPLE.COM/QUIZ See local gift ideas galore at PINTEREST.COM/TULSAPEOPLE.

Superior service. Mark our words.

The MapleMark team, from left: Eric Davis, Samantha Caldwell-Cory, Will Richardson, Tony Davis, Guylene Dooman.

There’s a new bank in town with some familiar faces at the helm. MapleMark Bank was founded in 2017 by Tulsa banking veterans Tony and Eric Davis. Premium service is and always has been the calling card of the Davis family, and the MapleMark Bank team takes it to another level. After a $90 million initial capitalization—one of the largest in U.S. banking history for a new bank—we have the financial strength to complement our full suite of private banking and family office solutions, commercial and corporate banking services, state-of-the-art technology, and unmatched personal banking experience. Let’s connect, or reconnect, and talk about where you are today, and where you want to be tomorrow.

Commercial Banking • Private Banking • Treasury Solutions • Credit Solutions

maplemarkbank.com

Southern Hills Tower 2431 East 61st Street, Suite 150 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136 918-986-7400

FROM THE EDITOR

Thank you for your service.

1603 South Boulder Avenue Tulsa, Oklahoma 74119-4407 918-585-9924 918-585-9926 Fax PUBLISHER Jim Langdon PRESIDENT Juley Roffers VP COMMUNITY RELATIONS Susie Miller

I say those five words aloud, in my thoughts and

Vietnam had not risen to prominence yet, but

of the armed services. I let police officers and first

journalist and photographer.

in my prayers. I say them to the men and women

responders know I appreciate them whenever I get

he always said a dream of his was to be a war

My dad instilled in me a love of country. For

the chance.

years, he would take me and other family members

that carry a sincere meaning, and I mean it from

cemeteries, including the one where he rests today.

It’s a simple thing. Just a collection of words

the bottom of my heart. I know I’m like many Americans who have never served in the military

but feel a deep sense of gratitude for those that do.

to Memorial Day services at nearby parks and Those visits meant a lot then. They mean even more now.

While developing the subject matter for the

I’ll be honest. I have guilt that I never did.

Medal of Honor recipient profiles featured on p.

missing anniversaries, births of children and other

impacted their lives and the lives of others. The

They’ve spent months away from family,

momentous life events.

I think about those who have laid down

their lives so that I can have the freedom to be a magazine editor in the heartland of America.

I’ve never suffered the loss of a loved one in

the line of duty. A sorority sister of mine lost her husband, a Marine, just months after I graduated

college. He was killed in Iraq. I traveled to Dallas for the service, where I have never seen such an outpouring of love and patriotism.

When my husband was still in law enforcement,

36, I read their citations and how their actions obvious question arose: If I was put in their

situation, could I have done what they so bravely

determination and love for their country and fellow soldier. These men did more than just serve

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER MANAGING PHOTOGRAPHER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER VIDEOGRAPHER

Madeline Crawford Georgia Brooks Morgan Welch Michelle Pollard Valerie Grant Greg Bollinger

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Andrea Canada Steve Hopkins Betsy Slagle CONTROLLER SUBSCRIPTIONS DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR INTERNS

Mary McKisick Gloria Brooks Amanda Hall Kirsten Dominguez Madeline Ewing

MEMBER

TulsaPeople’s distribution is audited annually by

I hope you read these and reflect upon their

courage. I hope the next time you see someone in uniform you say those five important words. Thank you for your service. TP

Langdon Publishing Company sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This issue of Tulsa People was printed on recycled fibers containing 20 percent post-consumer waste with inks containing a soy base blend. Our printer is a certified member of the Forestry Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and additionally, meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards. When you are finished with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it. We can have a better world if we choose it together. Disregard any TulsaPeople subscription solicitation that is not directly mailed from the Langdon Publishing office at 1603 S. Boulder Ave. Contact Langdon Publishing directly if you are interested in subscribing or renewing your TulsaPeople subscription.

with him during his shift. I clearly remember two

My father is buried in Fort Gibson National

EDITORIAL CONSULTING Missy Kruse, The Write Company

the United States. Two made the ultimate sacrifice.

said he was, and often. One time I had dinner

their gratitude.

Anne Brockman Morgan Phillips Anna Bennett Judy Langdon John Langdon

did? Their actions exemplify courage, heroics,

I asked him if he was thanked for his service. He

different people coming up to our table to show

EDITOR CITY EDITOR DIGITAL EDITOR ARTS & BENEFITS EDITOR ONLINE CALENDAR EDITOR

Anne Brockman EDITOR

Cemetery along with his parents. My grandfather

served in the Army during World War I, during

which he taught troops how to use their gas masks. My dad served briefly after college graduation. 8

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

S AY N O T O H A T E

C A P T U R E , S H A R E # U T I C A S Q UA R E | U T I C A S Q UA R E . C O M

LIGHTS ON NOVEMBER 22 | 6:30PM

Under the night sky on Thanksgiving evening, Utica Square ushers in the holiday season with 700,000 gleaming lights and live local music. Grab your loved ones, a cup of cocoa, and meet us on the sidewalk for this magical tradition.

C A L E N D A R + C A U S E S + C U LT U R E Chris and Chelsa Warzecha with their children, Garren and Reese, and their dog, Taylor

SECOND CHANCES VALERIE GRANT

eet Taylor. She’s a friendly and easy-going dog, even with kids. She is potty-trained and follows basic commands like “sit” and “down.” Ultimately, she was a perfect addition to the Tulsa home of Chris and Chelsea Warzecha and their two young children this past May. Taylor was formerly a stray who ended up at an animal shelter in Enid, Oklahoma, before coming to CARE Rescue OK on Christmas Eve 2017. Through the nonprofit’s STAR Program, Taylor was trained to be

“adoption ready” by inmates at the Dick Conner Correctional Center, a medium-security facility in Hominy, Oklahoma. “They think she was an abused dog,” Chelsea Warzecha says of Taylor. “Before CARE Rescue, she was aggressive, territorial, scared. Now she’s just a cuddler. They definitely rehabilitated her.” TP See p. 22 for more on CARE Rescue’s STAR Program.

TulsaPeople.com

NOVEMBER C OMPIL ED BY JUDY L A NGDON

1-2

Living Arts of Tulsa celebrates Mexican heritage and honors departed loved ones at Dia de los Muertos Festival de Arte. Find altars, live music, dancing, food and children’s activities.

1-4

Celebrity Attractions presents the Broadway tour of “Love Never Dies,” the sequel to “The Phantom of the Opera,” at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

1-20

Bugs! Decide if they are science or works of art at Bob Sober’s photography installation at Holland Hall Preparatory School’s ARTworks exhibit in the Holliman Gallery of Walter Arts Center.

A show for night owls, “Art After Dark: A Nocturnal Emporium” at Guthrie Green highlights local artists and live performances. “The Fab Four: The Ultimate Beatles Tribute” includes three authentic costume changes reﬂecting every era of the Beatles’ iconic musical inﬂuence at the Cox Business Center. Head to the Philbrook Downtown for a free Community Dinner, an evening of sharing stories and culture while eating from “elbowls,” small tasting bowls created by artist Michael Strand.

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

2-4

The Tulsa Pop Culture Expo brings celebrities of ﬁlm, gaming, comic books and more to the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center.

“Monty Python’s Spamalot” is Eric Idle’s rollicking musical comedy farce of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. See it for one night only at the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center.

Tulsa Opera Young Artists perform arias and opera highlights at the Tulsa PAC’s free Brown Bag It noontime concert.

2-10

7-11

At the Tulsa PAC, Theatre Tulsa’s “Barnum: The Musical,” tells the story of P.T. Barnum, founder of the long-running Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Signature Symphony presents “Beethoven’s Eroica, Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major,” including commentary, at the Van Trease PACE.

Christina Aguilera brings her “Liberation Tour” to the Paradise Cove Theater at River Spirit Casino Resort.

2 12

Ray LaMontagne performs his brand of folk-rock at the Brady Theater on his Just Passing Through tour.

Be ready for the mid-term elections when Philbrook Downtown hosts “Plan for the Polls: #50stateinitative,” including sample ballots and information on candidates and speciﬁc issues.

“Cirque du Soleil: Crystal” explores the artistic limits of ice through skating and acrobatic feats at the BOK Center.

The University of Tulsa School of Music presents faculty trombonists Daniel Arthurs and Shelby Kifer in “The Colors of the Trombone: A Spectrum of Sound,” a free “Concert with Commentary” in the Lorton Performance Center. The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino welcomes country sensation Scotty McCreery.

Celebrate Philbrook Museum of Art’s 80th birthday watching MTV on the big screen at the ’80s Music Video Watch Party.

AGUILERA: MILAN ZRNIC; ‘SPAMALOT’: COURTESY BROKEN ARROW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER; BEETLE: BOB SOBER; ELBOWLS: MICHAEL STRAND; MTV: 360B/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

CHARITABLE E VENTS Through Nov. 4 Care Card Benefits Family and Children’s Services. CARECARDOK .COM 1 Annual Awards Dinner Benefits Dan Allen Center for Social Justice. DANALLENCENTER.ORG Pink Ribbon Tulsa Benefits Oklahoma Project Woman. PINKRIBBONTULSA.ORG 2 Giving Spirits Benefits Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. OKFOODBANK .ORG / EVENTS / GIVINGSPIRITS Light the Night Walk Benefits Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 115.ORG / OKLAHOMA Uncorking the Cure for MS Benefits National Multiple Sclerosis Society. NMSS.ORG

13 “Circle Mirror Transformation” is a drama class-turned-social experiment, presented at American Theatre Co.’s Studio 308 in the East Village.

9-18

Lisa Rock and her six-piece band bring back the iconic voice of the late Karen Carpenter and her popular softpop band at “Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters” at the Cox Business Center.

Horton Records’ ﬁfth annual Rock ‘n’ Folk ‘n’ Chili Cookoff is a trifecta of fun at Cain’s Ballroom.

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons stops at the Paradise Cove Theater at River Spirit Casino Resort. Their tour marks the 55th anniversary of the Four Seasons’ ﬁrst hit, “Sherry.”

17-18

10-11

Chamber Music Tulsa presents the Brentano Quartet, a 20-year classical music ensemble with violist Hsin-Yun Huang, performing works by Mozart, Brahms and Mendelssohn at the Tulsa PAC.

COURTESY

Tulsa Symphony performs Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” at the Tulsa PAC in a tribute to area veterans.

Best-selling author, public radio contributor and comedian David Sedaris shares new stories at the Tulsa PAC, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. The Tulsa PAC Imagination Series presents “Alice in Wonderland,” a musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s children’s tale featuring actors, life-sized puppets and a digitally projected set. The TU and Oral Roberts University women’s basketball teams clash at the Mabee Center.

“‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ in Concert” sets Potter’s second year at Hogwarts to music as Tulsa Symphony performs John Williams’ score at the Tulsa PAC.

24 27

Dressed to Kill, a KISS tribute band, performs at IDL Ballroom. The Tulsa Oilers play the Allen Americans at the BOK Center.

Editor’s Note: For more November events, see our Holiday Events Guide on p. 63.

The Promise of HOPE Event: Building CommUNITY Benefits Operation Hope Prison Ministry. OHPM.ORG 3 Big Band Hangar Dance Benefits Commemorative Air Force Tulsa. CAFTULSA.ORG Run to Honor the Veterans Benefits Disabled American Veterans. DAV 5 K .ORG 4 Oklahoma Joe’s Food for Kids Benefits Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. OKJOES.COM 8 Unite! Benefits Tulsa Area United Way TAUW.ORG / UNITE 9 First Draft Benefits Tulsa Press Club. FIRSTDRAFTTULSA.COM 10 60th annual Awards Dinner Benefits the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice. OCCJOK .ORG / AWARDS-DINNER.HTML

Back the Blue 5K Benefits Tulsa Police Foundation. BACKTHEBLUE 5 K .COM Paint the Town Red Benefits Delta Sigma Theta Society Inc. DSTTULSAALUMNAE.ORG 12 Monday Morning Mimosas Benefits Crosstown Learning Center. CROSSTOWNTULSA.ORG 13-14 JA Investor Challenge Benefits Junior Achievement of Oklahoma. JAOK .ORG 14 Tulsa Boys’ Home Women’s Association Trivia Night and Dinner Benefits Tulsa Boys’ Home. TULSABOYSHOME.ORG 15 John Hope Franklin Dinner of Reconciliation, “The DNA of Reconciliation: Getting to Know You” Benefits John Hope Franklin Center of Reconciliation. JHFCENTER.ORG 15-16 A Community Christmas Gathering Benefits EveryDay Ministry Inc. EVERYDAYMINISTRY.NET 17-18 Williams Route 66 Marathon Benefits various Tulsa charities. ROUTE 66MARATHON.COM 21 Cancer Sucks Concert Benefits Cancer Sucks. CANCERSUCKS.COM 25 Fifth annual First Lady Nog and GLOGG OFF Benefits Emerson Elementary Art Department. NOGOFFTULSA.COM 26 Green with Envy Holiday Tea Benefits Tulsa Garden Club. TULSAGARDENCLUB.ORG

EDITOR’S NOTE: TULSAPEOPLE IS A SPONSOR OF THE HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS.

TulsaPeople.com

Woof 66, the dog park at Fuel 66

WHERE TO …

Play with your dog For canines that just want to have fun, dog parks provide a safe space to socialize and play. Tulsa has many great options, including these three in various corners of the city.

BY ABIGAIL SINGREY

A Tulsa staple for nine years, Benjamin’s Biscuit Acres features 2.5 acres of play space along with new shade sails and dog fountains. The park is open to dog lovers from 5 a.m.-9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. The park was recently renamed after its visionary and park project chairman, the late John Benjamin. A board of directors keeps the park updated and pristine. “Biscuit Acres has its own community of dog lovers and supporters,” says Board President Becky Clark. 5804 E. 91ST ST., INSIDE HUNTER PARK BISCUITACRES.COM

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

Woof 66 Fuel 66, a tribute to the former glory of Route 66, has been bringing people together to enjoy food trucks and local beer and cocktails since fall 2016. Now it has added a new target market: dogs. Woof 66, Fuel 66’s new dog park, was inspired by owner Robert Carnoske’s desire to continue making Fuel 66 a dog-friendly destination. Open whenever Fuel 66 is open, Woof 66 features plush turf and a yellow keg hydrant, in keeping with Fuel 66’s theme. “It has truly made us a family-friendly environment where everyone, including the family dog, can come,” Carnoske says. 2439 E. 11TH ST. FUEL66TULSA.COM

Rose West Dog Park Since the opening of Rose West Dog Park in May in Broken Arrow, area pups and their human companions have a new place to romp. Open dawn to dusk every day except for Wednesday, the park features water fountains, shade structures and restrooms. “The Rose West Dog Park is quickly becoming one of our more popular parks,” says Broken Arrow Parks and Recreation Director Scott Esmond. “It’s also great to hear from residents how thankful they are that the City of Broken Arrow listened to their request to build a dog park.” TP 4751 W. NEW ORLEANS ST., BROKEN ARROW BROKENARROWOK.GOV

BISCUIT ACRES: BECKY CLARK; WOOF 66: VALERIE GRANT; ROSE WEST: GREG BOLLINGER

Benjamin’s Biscuit Acres

One of the country’s top doctors. Leading the charge against lung cancer right here in Tulsa.

Named 2018 Top Doctor by Castle Connolly Dr. Daniel Nader, Director of the Lung Center at CTCA® in Tulsa, has been recognized by Castle Connolly as one of America’s Top Doctors in pulmonary medicine for the last eight years.

Since 1991, Dr. Nader and his team at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® in Tulsa have been dedicated to building a comprehensive Lung Center to fight this complex disease. With access to cutting-edge technologies, advanced treatments and supportive therapies, our experts specialize in personalized lung cancer care—helping our patients fight cancer.

800.515.9610 | cancercenter.com/tulsa A Network Provider For

NOTEBOOK BY MORGA N PHILLIP S

KENDALL WHITTIER:

TULSA GIANT Mary Beth Babcock is in the market for a 20-foot-tall space cowboy. She envisions the statue will be a new Route 66 roadside attraction outside her shop, Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios at 1347 E. 11th St. At press time, Babcock had raised $4,040 of her $25,000 goal to have Virginia-based sculptor Mark Cline create the iconic statue. The two were interviewed on NPR’s “1A” on Sept. 25. “Mufﬂer Men are very iconic statues that appeared in the early ’60s,” said Cline, who uses molds to recreate the giants. “At one time, there were 200 of these around the country.” Donate to the Buck Atom’s campaign in store or by searching GoFundMe.com for “Route 66 Buck Atom’s Mufﬂer Man.”

Tulsan Michelle Lozano, center, was involved in Camp Fire Green Country for eight years as a youth. Now she is in her ﬁrst year as an AmeriCorps member serving Camp Fire. She says, “Camp Fire gave me the opportunity to meet new people, visit new places and try new things. I learned about friendship, traditions and what it means to be a part of your community. I hope to give our kids the same experience by connecting with them and encouraging them while learning new things.”

CAMP FIRE EXPANDS SERVICE IN TULSA “We’ve had AmeriCorps members for the past 15 years,” says Renee Meek, executive director of Camp Fire Green Country. “Becoming our own AmeriCorps program allows us capacity for new growth.” AmeriCorps is a national service program through which members commit their time to address needs within their community. Members commit to at least one year of service during which they receive a basic living allowance. By becoming its own AmeriCorps program site Sept. 1, Camp Fire was able to bring on 10 additional part-time AmeriCorps members to be club leaders and one full-time staff member. The organization now has 16 part-time and 2 full-time AmeriCorps members. Meek says the expansion, funded by both AmeriCorps and Camp Fire, will allow Camp Fire to serve 300 more kids per year, a 30 percent increase, in its after-school and youth leadership programs. It also expects to see growth in its camp and outdoor programs. “Camp Fire provides youth the social emotional and life skills they need to be successful today,” Meek says. “We know if they are successful in their classrooms, in their peer relationships, in their current activities, we are putting them on the path to a successful future.”

contender for national award

Kendall Whittier has been named a 2019 Great American Main Street Award semi-ﬁnalist by the National Main Street Center. Winners will be announced March 25, 2019, at the Main Street Now Conference in Seattle. The 2019 Great American Main Street Award recognizes exceptional Main Street America programs whose successes serve as a model for comprehensive, historic preservation-based commercial district revitalization. Since January 2013, 41 new businesses have opened in the Kendall Whittier Main Street service area, representing 270 new jobs and $35.2 million in private investment, according to KWMS. The occupancy rate in Whittier Square, a two-block radius from the intersection of Admiral Boulevard and Lewis Avenue, has increased from 35 percent to 97 percent in the past ﬁve years.

Voices of Oklahoma “I remember the occasion we were all out on the bridge and a car came through with some Nazi in it, and we didn’t greet him. And he drove to our school, and he was really rough on our teacher because when we came back to school we all got it, too. It was stupid, you know. Why cry, ‘Heil, Hitler?’ I mean, after all, we grew up saying, ‘Good morning,’ or ‘Good afternoon,’ or whatever, you know, but ‘Heil, Hitler’ just didn’t make any sense. So we wouldn’t do it because it made no sense.” — Sister Therese Gottschalk, former longtime president and CEO of St. John Health System, soon to be called Ascension St. John. Gottschalk was born in 1931 in Bavaria, Germany, and came to the United States in 1953. “Voices of Oklahoma” is an oral history project founded by John Erling in 2009. Visit voicesofoklahoma.com. 16

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

VOICES: TOM GILBERT; BUCK ATOMS: MARK CLINE/ENCHANTED CASTLE SCULPTURES; CAMP FIRE: GREG BOLLINGER

Mark Cline’s drawing of the space cowboy planned for Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios

Exclusively at 1700 Utica SqUare | (918) 749-1700 | brUcegweber.com

LOCAL TALENT

Dr. Rebekah Hartﬁeld, center, brought the real-life Rosie to an April 20 reading of her ﬁrst book, “Rosie the Pig,” at Parkview Weekday Preschool, 5805 S. Sheridan Road.

PET PROJECT

Veterinarian’s book series promotes responsible animal care to Tulsa kids. BY KIRSTEN DOMINGUEZ

eterinarian Rebekah Hartfield has added a second book to her children’s series that follows a young girl’s adventures discovering how to take care of her animals. In “Pistol the Horse,” released this past June, Abby finds a miniature horse limping and helps give him medical attention. In “Rosie the Pig,” released in May 2017, Abby helps a pig with pneumonia. The series is a family project based on true stories; Hartfield is the author, and her sister, Sarah Haug, is illustrator and publisher. Hartfield reads her books at Tulsa-area schools and libraries with guests like the real-life Rosie and Pistol. “When my PR rep asked me what I envisioned, I said, ‘I have to be able to bring my pig! They won’t remember me, but they’ll remember my pig,’” Hartfield says.

These animals help spark children’s interest in veterinary school and motivates them to make sure their pets receive proper medical attention, Hartfield says. She also lectures at veterinary schools and brings vet students to volunteer at her Cushing, Oklahoma, clinic to gain experience. “I love seeing their faces light up when they learn something new,” Hartfield says. “Rowdy the Dog” will be released next summer, followed later by books about a cow, a cat and a goat. “Rosie the Pig” and “Pistol the Horse” are available for $14.99 at doctorhartfield.com or locally at River Trail Animal Hospital and Pet Lodge’s two locations: 10102 S. Delaware Ave. and 12630 S. Memorial Drive, Bixby. TP

BOK CENTER NAMED NO. 1 ARENA If the BOK Center’s 10th anniversary year wasn’t enough cause for celebration, it was named Arena of the Year by the International Entertainment Buyers Association in October. A repeat winner of the honor — the BOK Center also took the title in 2016 — the Tulsa venue outranked an elite group of nominees, including New York City’s Madison Square Garden and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Since opening in September 2008, the BOK Center reports it has attracted more than 7.2 million fans for 516 total concerts and family shows, and more than 700 sporting events. — MORGAN PHILLIPS 18

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

JUST HOW POWERFUL IS HOPE? That’s one question psychologist Chan Hellman, professor in the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work and director of the Hope Research Center at the University of Oklahoma — Tulsa, seeks to answer. Nearly 2,000 published studies about hope, including the research of Hellman and Casey Gwinn, president of the Alliance for HOPE International and founder of Camp Hope America, form the basis of their new book, “Hope Rising: How the Science of Hope Can Change Your Life.” Hellman’s work at the HRC — and with local nonprofits such as the Parent Child Center of Tulsa — is guided by more quandaries about hope: Does hope buffer adversity and stress? Do hopeful children and adults have better psychological, social and behavioral outcomes? Can hope be increased and sustained by targeted interventions? Research aside, Hellman says he personally experienced the power of hope during his own traumatic childhood. For him it was a coach’s hand on his shoulder and the simple phrase, “You’re going to be OK.” In the book, Hellman details this life-changing experience, as well as strategies to increase hope for yourself and potentially for others. “Hope is the belief that tomorrow will be better than today, and that you have the power to make it so,” he explains. “It is a fundamental element of our capacity to live life well.” “Hope Rising” releases Nov. 27 at retailers including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It is $17.95. — MORGAN PHILLIPS

LOCAL TALENT: VALERIE GRANT; HELLMAN: GREG BOLLINGER

MEASURING HOPE

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Kay Meyerhoff and Barbara Rasmussen

HOSPICE HELPERS

IN LIVING COLOR Artist brings objects to life with colored pencil. BY JANE ZEMEL

ot only is there such a thing as the Colored Pencil Society of America — complete with dues, website and magazine — Tulsa artist Cynthia Marcoux is a member and recent society prize winner for her piece “Christmas Memories.” Anyone would swear her drawings are photographs. Crisp exposures. Well-defined details. But there’s no lens involved. Only her sharp eye, wickedly offbeat imagination and colored pencils. Marcoux always knew she’d be an artist. “Painting was too messy,” she says, so she started with photography before landing on colored pencil. Her style? Self-described: kitschy. “I just do what I like, what makes me happy,” she says. For 28 years, Marcoux also was an exhibits tech at the Tulsa Zoo. Jack of all things creative — photographer, artist, carpenter, concrete worker. What-

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

ever it took to make an exhibit interesting. Since 2008, she has done similar work for Philbrook, Gilcrease, Living Arts and now Gathering Place. Her home overflows with inspiration pieces from flea markets and other haunts. In the living room alone — amid a jukebox, pinball machine and robots — is a herd of stuffed animals (think taxidermy, not fluffy), including a peacock, crow, turkey, penguin, chicken, emu and coyote. Upstairs, Marcoux’s studio is an incubator for art in progress. In the queue is “1965,” a showcase of her childhood memories. It depicts board games, beaded roller skates and their case, a trickor-treat bag and old space-age toys. Even a Cheez Whiz after-school snack. All are snapshots from a 9-year-old mind by someone who colors inside the lines and outside the lines and creates the lines. TP

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: VALERIE GRANT; HOSPICE: GREG BOLLINGER

“W

e’ve been through a lot together,” say longtime friends Kay Meyerhoff and Barbara Rasmussen, both in their 80s. Since they met at a Christmas party in New Orleans in 1959, they’ve seen two moves (to Lafayette and then to Tulsa); the upbringing of three children each; the deaths of their husbands, both geologists; and decades of volunteering for St. John Hospice. Meyerhoff started volunteering in 1996, two years after her husband died. For about five years after his death, she volunteered directly with hospice patients for two to three hours at a time whenever they needed her, running errands like picking up a vacuum cleaner or staying with the patient if their family had to leave. Meyerhoff later transitioned to working in the office of the St. John Hospice Bereavement Department and eventually recruited Rasmussen, who had seen hospice in its infancy when she worked as a nurse. In the Bereavement Department, the pair worked two days a week stuffing welcome packets, writing sympathy cards to the families of deceased patients and sending families information about grief support. After touching many lives, Meyerhoff stopped volunteering in 2017 and Rasmussen retired in May. Why serve together for so long? They say they knew firsthand the benefit of bereavement services in the wake of loss, and they wanted to use that understanding to comfort others. — LUTIE RODRIGUEZ

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ROOTS

Tulsa native Logan Honeycutt, left, and his business partner Michael Cody at the 2018 Chicago Innovation Awards Gala. Below, a proud pooch with one of their products.

Part of the STAR Program’s ﬁrst graduating class

Inmates train

DOGS FOR ADOPTION

SMART EATS

Former Tulsan finds success in the pet food business. BY BRANDON SCHMITZ

ormer Tulsan Logan Honeycutt has turned fish into gold for his company, BareItAll Petfoods. Earlier this year, the Booker T. Washington graduate was one of five global recipients of a $10,000 Purina Pet Care Innovation Prize based in part on his knowledge of a pesky invasive fish, the Asian carp, a component of his pet food. In the U.S., there are no predators for some species, including Asian carp and wild boar, Honeycutt explains, “so it’s incumbent on humanity to fix these issues.” He asked, what better way than by feeding them to our pets? “We have to give them protein every day,” he says, “so why don’t we make better protein choices for our pets while also doing something that’s actually good for the environment?” Honeycutt’s appreciation for animals and the outdoors stems from time spent at his grandfather’s farm near Claremore. In high school, a marine biology course deepened his fascination. “I always had an interest in aquatic life, but that was the first time where we really dove into the breadth and variety of oceans, rivers, lakes,” Honeycutt says. “It just helped

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

me to understand the fragility of those ecosystems.” Honeycutt and his business partner, Michael Cody, met at College of Charleston when they both joined the rugby team. They were roommates for a few years and both ended up in Chicago in 2009. They saw that the pet food industry had remained fairly stable in the wake of the recession, and in 2014, started talking about launching BareItAll. Although the company itself is relatively new — it released its first product in 2015 — BareItAll has grown steadily since its founding. Honeycutt aims for its products, which are primarily for dogs and cats, to be sold nationwide by the end of the year. He says a wide variety of animals can benefit from the company’s line of fish oil supplements. “Our name comes from our focus on transparency because we want people to know not only what’s going into our products, but also why it’s there in the first place,” he says. “We actually put our ingredient statement on the front of the package so that there’s no misread.” TP

ROOTS: COURTESY LOGAN HONEYCUTT; STAR PROGRAM: OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

n inventive Tulsa nonprofit is pairing dogs and inmates to improve the lives of each. CARE (Compassionate Animal Rescue Efforts) Rescue OK, a nonprofit and no-kill dog rescue organization, started its STAR (Save Train and Rehabilitate) Program in Tulsa in September 2017. Of the 1,200 inmates at Dick Conner Correctional Center, 16 are selected for the program and paired with eight dogs. Around the clock, they’re with the dogs, house training and socializing, and teaching the dogs 20 everyday commands by the end of the 12-week program. “We really just want them to be really good family dogs,” says Susan Tilkin, CARE Rescue OK board member. CARE volunteers visit the Hominy prison every Friday for training sessions. Thirty-two dogs have gone through the program to date, and it boasts a high adoption rate, which is a win for the dogs. But its success goes further. “It’s more than just a dog program for us,” says Matt Elliott, public information officer for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. “It helps improve our inmates’ outlook. It makes them better inmates … They have something constructive to do with their time.” Volunteers start posting photos of the dogs on Facebook one to two months out from their graduation date. Potential owners can follow facebook. com/carerescueok. — MADISON SCHULZ

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DREAM TEAM

HOSPITALITY + HOPE Three women who care for the homeless in our community BY BRIA BOLTON MOORE

Sara Framel

Alyssa Boyd

Kendra Morgan

Framel remembers being in middle school and seeing a person her age passed out on the street and wondering where the kid’s parents were. “I learned that my great family and upbringing were simply luck of the draw, and that could have been me passed out on the street if I had been born into something different,” she says. As outreach director of Youth Services of Tulsa, Framel helps youth like the one from this memory. She oversees runaway and homeless services: the youth shelter for ages 12-17; the transitions programs that offer case management, employment and education services and housing; street outreach services, which provide showers, hot meals, laundry and computers; and T-Town Tacos, a social enterprise program that partners with the local food bank. “We joke that the more challenging youth are, the more we love them, which is kind of crazy, but most of the time, the most difﬁcult youth are the ones everyone else has given up on,” Framel says. “We want to do our best to let them know that when you come to Youth Services, we’re not going to give up on you.”

As director of women’s ministry at John 3:16 Mission, Boyd says one of the most important facets of her job is “helping women ﬁnd their self-worth.” John 3:16 has offered the Refresh Day Program for women since 2007, but in June the mission launched the Renew Recovery Program, a one-year residential program for women who are homeless and under-resourced. Although John 3:16 has long offered a shelter for men, Renew is the organization’s ﬁrst time offering overnight accommodations for women. Boyd says the program “focuses on the whole person” and includes individual counseling sessions, Bible studies, work therapy and more. One of the women in the program who has history of addiction and abuse said to Boyd: “For the first time, I am realizing that people love me, and I can love people back.”

Growing up in Oklahoma, Morgan experienced homelessness with her mom and sister due to domestic violence and was later an unaccompanied homeless youth. But, “my life didn’t stay stuck,” she says. “My life turned a corner, and I had the opportunity to reach back and give other people a helping hand.” Morgan is executive director of Family Promise of Tulsa County, a multi-faith organization affiliated with National Family Promise. The organization, which began this summer and welcomed its first family into the program in July, works with local congregations to provide shelter, meals and support to homeless children and their families. “Family homelessness, I think, goes unnoticed or unrecognized because it’s not often you see a family on a street corner or with a sign,” Morgan says. “They’re usually hidden — they’re couch surfing, they’re staying in their vehicles, they’re multihouse sharing, often in bad conditions.” TP

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

What makes Holland Hall unique?

Learn more at hollandhall.org.

We start with the exciting possibilities of AND — our many exceptional electives, athletic teams, arts programs, instructional approaches, and active learning opportunities on campus and across Tulsa — and connect them to the solid assurance of ALL — the complete educational experience that prepares students exceptionally well for college, work, and the world beyond. AND/ALL highlights our inscribed values. As an Episcopal school, we honor the individual integrity of each child, and we provide the bedrock education every student needs. It’s a commitment so strong, it’s quite literally who we are. HollAND HALL. The possibilities of AND. The assurance of ALL.

Tulsa’s PreK through Grade 12 Independent Episcopal School

PASSIONS

Tulsan creates

NATIONAL DOG DIRECTORY

Foster and adoptive mom Shelley Keefner says Christmas for Kids has been a “miracle” for her daughters Emerald, Cadence, Payten, Madison and Bree.

Program makes holidays brighter for children in state custody. BY JULIE WENGER WATSON

t any given moment, more than 1,500 children in Tulsa County under age 18 are in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. For most of them, the holidays are far from a Hallmark moment. With generous support from local businesses and individuals, DHS and the nonprofit Tulsa Advocates for the Protection of Children help bring joy to the season through Christmas for Kids, an annual program that provides gifts to children in foster care and group homes. “Last year, we had over 1,626 children benefit from the program,” says Maura Browne, resource coordinator for Tulsa County Child Welfare. In October, kids begin compiling wish lists, which are then distributed to community supporters. Some local companies take on hundreds of kids each season, but an individual family might participate by adding a name or two to their own holiday shopping list. Donations of toys and money that can be used to buy gift cards for older children also are appreciated. Ethnic dolls, sports equipment, action figures, early childhood toys and baby clothes are always in demand. 26

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

Much like Santa’s elves, Browne and her crew work tirelessly to ensure a great holiday for all of the children. “Kids fall through the cracks,” she says. “We get new kids coming into custody all the time, so we’ll take things up until the very last minute.” Tulsan Shelley Keefner’s family has benefitted from Christmas for Kids. She and her husband have adopted five girls through OKDHS and are fostering a sixth. “We’ve even received placements days before Christmas, and I call Maura and tell her whether it’s a boy or girl and their age,” Keefner says. “You would not believe the great things they have picked out.” TP

HELP WITH CHRISTMAS FOR KIDS For more information on sponsoring a child or sending a donation, or to see an Amazon wish list for the most-requested gifts, visit tapchelps.org. Dec. 10-14: Donors drop off gifts at the former Borders, 2740 E. 21st St., from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Thursday, and 9 a.m.-noon, Friday. Dec. 17-18: Foster parents pick up gifts.

“Lost dog”: two words that strike fear into the hearts of pet owners everywhere. But in 2018, finding Fido could be as easy clicking a button. With 30 years of experience in computer programming, Tulsan Bruce Dill recently launched TheNationalDogDirectory.com to help people all over the country find their lost pets. Dog owners can register and describe their dogs on the site for free and update their status to “lost” at any time. This triggers a series of automated alerts to directory members, area veterinary clinics and rescue organizations. A $10 lifetime membership adds benefits such as sending text messages and emails to directory members in the area where the dog was lost, as well as postings on the directory’s multiple social media platforms. Dill, of course, is a longtime pet owner himself. He bought an Irish setter after his wife, Debbie, died 12 years ago. When the breeder required him to sign a contract to show the dog, Dill agreed to the new adventure. “We did 65 dog shows one year,” he says. His current dog, an Irish setter named Dillon, has become an international champion. “As a result of all this, I learned a lot about the dog world,” says Dill, whose first dog-tech venture was ResearchBreeder.com. The site helps pet owners find healthy puppies from healthy parents and ethical breeders. Another venture, DogBookWorld.com — which Dill calls “Facebook for dogs” without advertising, profanity or political statements — is now up and running as yet another site built to help dogs and their loving owners. — MORGAN PHILLIPS

PASSIONS: VALERIE GRANT; DOG DIRECTORY: GREG BOLLINGER

CHRISTMAS FOR KIDS

Bruce Dill and his Irish setter, Dillon

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TulsaPeople.com

Restoring Our Community Banquet More than 400 supporters of Crossover Community Impact attended the Restoring Our Community Banquet on Sept. 14 at the Church at Battle Creek in Broken Arrow. The dinner event featured Steve Largent, a Hall of Fame wide receiver and former U.S. Congressman, as the guest speaker. Based in north Tulsa, Crossover Community Impact is a Christian organization committed to “restoring our community through reconciliation, love and justice.”

JANICE CONNOLLY

1. Patrons Bertheophilus “Judge” and Arrica Bailey 2. Crossover Bible Church’s Praise Team played music. 3. Catering by Orr catered the dinner. 4. Patrons Juanita Mendez and Anthony Benton

Clary Runway

1. Student and alumni designs were the stars of the runway show. 2. Interior design students created small stages that highlighted some Community HigherEd programs, including barber, interior design and welding. 3. Brittney Perez modeled a design of Genesys Dixon. 4. A catwalk at Cain’s 5. Emcee Chera Kimiko wore a design by Saraya Harmon. 6. Model Rinda Pﬁ ster-Tottres in the designs of Shelby Phillips-Billings

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TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

PHIL CLARKIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Cain’s Ballroom was the site of a night of fashion Sept. 22 when Clary Sage College presented Clary Runway, an event that highlights the work of students and alumni of the college’s fashion design, interior design, cosmetology and makeup artistry programs. The event began with a cocktail hour and live music from Jason Swanson, followed by the runway show and raffle drawing. Funds raised will help fund scholarships for students at the private, nonprofit Clary Sage College, Community Care College and Oklahoma Technical College. All three are under the umbrella of Community HigherEd, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit.

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Santorini Night

Dressed in white, more than 200 guests of the Tulsa beneﬁt Santorini Night were transported to Santorini, Greece, on Sept. 15 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. A fundraiser for Emergency Infant Services, the event was presented by the Tulsa Greek Festival and kicked off Greek Week. Festivities included a silent auction, a live auction, live music by Denise Hoey and the Boulevard, and a traditional Greek “breaking of plates.”

1. Patrons Meredith Howard, Judy Eliot, Susan Sadler and Dr. Heather Revelis 2. Led by event planner Tonya Van Zandt Boone, the church’s own Greek chefs prepared Greek-inspired food and drinks. 3. Patron Robert Merriﬁeld of Polo Grill 4. Dinner was served indoors, but guests moved outside for live music and dancing. Martha Metevelis created the ﬂower arrangements.

Oklahoma Caring Awards The Oklahoma Caring Awards on Sept. 13 at DoubleTree Hotel at Warren Place honored six individuals, churches, businesses and health care companies that have gone above and beyond to care for their loved ones, community or clients. Jody Jean Dreyer, a 30-year Walt Disney former senior executive, was the keynote speaker. The Oklahoma Caring Awards raised $76,000 for the Hospitality House of Tulsa, which provides lodging, meals, prayer support, transportation assistance, health and caregiving education, and community connection resources to families traveling to Tulsa for medical treatment.

1. Former Miss Oklahoma Lindsey Hanson, left, facilitated a Q&A with Jody Jean Dreyer, right, and Toni Moore, CEO and founder of Hospitality House of Tulsa. 2. Guests enjoyed a Disney-themed dessert production. 3. The Rev. LeRon West accepts the Caring Award for Individual Community Impact. 4. Louise Whitley, Dr. Kent G. Farish and Angelia Barnett of Crossover Health Services, Healthcare Award Winner 5. Honorary Event Chairs Sean and Angela Kouplen

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TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

OKLAHOMA CARING AWARDS: VITALY MICHKA/CONCORD PHOTOGRAPHY; SANTORINI NIGHT: DENNIS BOONE

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NONPROFIT NEWS

MUSED. and the Reverse Selﬁe Project

On Dec. 1, Tulsa’s poetry and collaborative arts nonprofit MUSED. will host “Presidential Poetry: The Language of Leadership.” Local celebrities will read excerpts from presidential speeches, inaugural poems, personal correspondence and more. This first-time event is a fundraiser for the organization’s “The Reverse Selfie Project.” Guests will enjoy a unique menu of former presidents’ favorite foods (with a twist) by Amelia’s chef Kevin Snell. Artisan Fine Wine and Spirits will provide wine and Champagne, and the Summit Club’s Sarah Elliott will shake up “sippies” inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Guests also will have the opportunity to compose a poem on the topic of leadership and perform their verse live with the Shelby Eicher Jazz Trio. The event, which begins at 6 p.m. at 1331 E. 35th Place, is presented by MUSED., Hemphill LLC and Sam Joyner. Tickets are $125 and can be purchased at musedorganization.org. Sponsors include Hemphill LLC, First Oklahoma Bank, Andrew and Holly Ryan, and Guaranteed Lending Specialists LLC. Pictured at a planning meeting are event host Joyner, Kristen Bennett of Hemphill LLC and Tom Bennett III of First Oklahoma Bank.

Gathering Place

TulsaPeople Creative Director Madeline Crawford, right, and Editor Anne Brockman, center, presented artist Tommy Lee Ball’s original painting, which was commissioned and created for the cover of the September issue of TulsaPeople, to members of Gathering Place’s executive staff. The gift from Langdon Publishing to the George Kaiser Family Foundation and Gathering Place is currently displayed on the second ﬂoor of the ONEOK Boathouse. Pictured with Crawford and Brockman are Tony Moore, executive park director; Kirsten Hein, vice president of programming; and Jeff Stava, executive director.

HBA Charitable Foundation

Tulsa County Parks

LaFortune Park has completed a $3 million renovation of its 18-hole Par 3 Golf Course. The six-month, comprehensive facelift was designed by Tulsa golf course architect Randy Heckenkemper and features new tee boxes, fairways, sand bunkers, putting greens and brighter lights, as well as updates to the driving range. Pictured at the course re-opening are: Acting District 1 Tulsa County Commissioner Michael Craddock, District 2 Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith, District 3 Tulsa County Commissioner Ron Peters, Tulsa County Parks Director Richard Bales, former Tulsa Mayor Bob LaFortune, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and Heckenkemper. 32

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

On Oct. 4, the Home Builders Association Remodelers Council and the Home Builders Association Charitable Foundation presented Revitalize T-Town, an organization that makes homes safe and secure for low-income homeowners, with a check for $41,856.50. Funds were raised at the annual Evening of Giving Gala hosted by the HBA Charitable Foundation on Sept. 20. Pictured are Jeffrey Smith, executive vice president and CEO of the HBA; Peter Grant, vice president of the Remodelers Council and owner of Grant Homes Remodel and Restoration; Jennifer BarcusSchafer, CEO of Revitalize T-Town; Tana VanCleave, Evening of Giving gala chairwoman; Leslie Day, owner of Day Building Materials and Evening of Giving sponsor; Ed Buckingham, Remodelers Council member and owner of the Buckingham Group; and Ken Saltink, president of the Remodelers Council and owner of All American Remodel LLC.

IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER STUDENTS

More than 1,100 students are enrolled in Tulsa.

RESIDENTS

More than 150 medical residents in Tulsa.

FACULTY

185 full-time faculty teach OU-Tulsa students.

ALUMNI

12,000+ OU alumni live in the Tulsa area.

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OU-Tulsa & OU Physicians employ more than 1,300 people.

BUDGET

OU-Tulsa’s budget exceeds $156 million.

TODAY Tomorrow At Riverfield, I was involved in everything from rock band to tennis. I took the confidence gained through these opportunities as I traveled to Tanzania to teach English and participate in service projects. And I carry that same confidence in who I am and what I can achieve as I begin my college career. ~ Grace Clark,

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Q& A

Geoffrey Standing Bear PRINCIPAL CHIEF OF THE OSAGE NATION BY ANNE BROCKMAN

n 2014 Geoffrey Standing Bear was elected Principal Chief of the 20,000-member Osage Nation. This past June, he was re-elected for a second four-year term. Standing Bear grew up in Tulsa and graduated from Bishop Kelley High School and the University of Oklahoma before attending law school at the University of Tulsa, where he graduated in 1980. An accomplished attorney with a deep knowledge of Native American law, his involvement in Osage politics began in 1990 as assistant chief and as a member of the Osage Nation Congress from 2010-2014. He and his wife, Julie, are proud parents and grandparents.

WHAT INTERESTED YOU IN THE LAW? I didn’t know I was going to get into law until I was at OU. I studied sociology, psychology, anthropology. My wife, who I was dating at the time, and I were talking about career paths. She suggested I take the law school examination, which I did. I had a wonderful experience with the University of Tulsa because it’s a great school, for one, and then also they had a professor, Rennard Strickland, who was starting their Native American law program, so I was able to be a student while they were developing that program. YOUR EMPHASIS HAS BEEN IN NATIVE AMERICAN LAW? I have practiced a lot, mostly in Native American law. While I was at TU, I interned at the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. In 1982, I went to work for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation as an attorney. That was an interesting time because the tribes in different parts of the country were looking at gaming and other issues. I was part of the team that ﬁled the lawsuits and, in federal court, established the gaming rights of the tribes here in Oklahoma. That was a big victory for tribal sovereignty. Then I was able to work with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in re-establishing the authority with the Nation to have tribal courts and police. And again, this was part of a nationwide effort at the time. It was very exciting. Since then, I have worked with many different nations. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FORMER ROLE WITH THE OKLAHOMA INDIAN GAMING ASSOCIATION. I was general counsel to the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. That’s a trade organization representing the tribes to ex34

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press the policies, to show Oklahomans the benefits of Indian gaming to Oklahoma. Back when we started the gaming efforts in 1983, and when we opened the Tulsa Muscogee (Creek) Nation Bingo Hall in late 1984, most of the employees were members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The unemployment rate was extremely high at the time, and this was a great job opportunity for them. The tribes began to see the profits and were able to put those profits into educational and health programs. Part of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association’s mission is to show the economic benefits that Oklahoma has received because we are taking responsibility for our own people. It’s important to understand this is not an unlimited pot of money. There is a set amount of people and tourists here in Oklahoma, and there are 39 tribes vying for that business. It’s very competitive. So the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association tries to find common ground where we can promote gaming for all the tribes, all the nations. The real growth for Indian gaming and Oklahoma is to open well-regulated gaming activities that expand what we can do now. A big step was taken by the Oklahoma Legislature (with the introduction of House Bill 3375 in February) by doing the ball-and-dice amendments. IN APRIL, GOV. MARY FALLIN SIGNED HOUSE BILL 3375, WHICH LEGALIZED ROULETTE AND DICE GAMES AT TRIBAL CASINOS. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR CASINO EXPANSION? We need Oklahoma to become more of a tourist destination. With expanded gaming, we can bring in more people who would go to other places. In the Tulsa area it’s about location, as in any business. (The Osage Nation) opened our new casino Aug. 28, which also has a hotel. We didn’t have that before. So we are trying to bring in conventions, people from out of state — and their funds — and make it an enjoyable experience. Right now, Osage Nation Gaming employs 1,100 people. The majority of those are not Native Americans. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OKLAHOMA NATIVES ARE FACING? On the expense side, the tribes’ needs are increasing as the state and federal funding decreases. Recently I’ve met with representatives of the Pawhuska hospital authority and our own clinic on how to work together to deliver health services to all the people when all the funding is being cut. Those challenges

are immense. We work in partnership with as many other entities as we can, and I’m just speaking for Osage, but I know the other nations have the same issues in how to deliver health services to the people. That’s a huge expense. Then on our education side, we have the state situation with education funding and keeping the teachers here. We don’t have enough money to cover preschool to 12th grade. So we concentrate more on the preschool with the hopes to find ways to work internally and in partnership with the schools here. SPEAKING TO THE EDUCATION POINT, THE OSAGE NATION HAS A STRONG LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM. We learned from observing other nations that the immersion program is essential for maintaining our language. Our culture and language are connected so much that to maintain parts of our culture, our language is essential. Right now the immersion program is relatively small because we have a shortage of teachers who are fluent in the language. We started at under 1 year old to kindergarten, and now we’ve expanded into first grade and the second grade. We have 40-some students. Just like our other preschools and in our Head Start program, we’re working our culture, language and our STEAM curriculum — science, technology, engineering, art and math — so all our staff and teachers are taking this complex system and putting it together so the children will know culture, as much of the language as we can, and this STEAM curriculum. IN 2016, THE OSAGE NATION PURCHASED THE BLUE STEM RANCH, 43,000 ACRES OWNED BY MEDIA MOGUL TED TURNER JUST WEST OF PAWHUSKA. WHAT DID THAT MEAN TO YOU AS PRINCIPAL CHIEF AND TO YOU AS AN OSAGE? That was a tough decision, and we took it to our legislature and gaming board first thing. Given our size and our income, it was a hard decision. We finally decided this was an opportunity that was perhaps once in a lifetime, to have that much land, that once was ours, purchased and returned back to the nation. We established a board of directors to manage the ranch. Right now it’s primarily a cattle operation. We also have started bringing in the bison. Our ancestors hunted bison, which were very sacred to us and essential for our lives at the time. We still have a buffalo clan. We made applications for an inter-tribal bison cooperative,

which is a national organization that works with tribes to obtain bison. We have 19 bison that just came in, and we’ve asked for 75 more. It’s a big deal for us. It’s a big commitment. WHY IS IT SUCH A COMMITMENT? The Nation, our government, is funding and operating our programs. Our casinos are our money-maker outside of federal grants, so they are funding the ranch and also the casino expansions. So with the expansions from the casino, we expect greater income. But I’ll tell you, those were tough decisions. We spread out the costs of the ranch purchase over a period of 10 years. YOU’RE IN THE MIDST OF BUDGET PLANNING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR STARTING OCT. 1. I’M SURE IT’S A LENGTHY PROCESS. We serve our people everywhere. With our gaming money, we provide health benefits to our people, which this year is projected to cost $10 million a year. We have an amazing scholarship program, where any Osage can apply for and receive up to $9,000 a year for tuition and books. We’re projecting that program will cost over $8 million. WHAT LED YOU TO SERVE IN TRIBAL OFFICE? The controversy over voting rights. Until 2006, our form of government only allowed Osages who had a share in our mineral estate to vote and hold office. Now this was a major controversy. We had been this way since 1906. At the time though, the original allottees were 2,229 people and they each had one share of the mineral estate and one vote in tribal office. As the laws were interpreted at that time, the headrights (shares) are passed down to heirs. Today, for example, of the over 21,000 Osages, just over 5,000 have shares in the mineral estate. And that means they’re the only people who could vote or hold office if we had the former system. So back in the late ’80s I wanted to see how we could address that and then also protect our federal trust. This issue was worked on by every Chief and every Council, along with many members of the Osage Tribe. Finally, in 2004 the U.S. Congress passed a law allowing us to decide our own form of government. Jim Gray was Chief at the time, and the former Osage Tribal Council led the effort for a new Constitution, which was enacted in 2006. It was really critical if we were going to transition to one-person, one-vote, that our federal trust relationship was protected — to ensure that nothing would happen to the headrights because that’s a source of income for a lot of people. That’s a complex subject. So that’s what got me interested — all that discussion going on. I ran for Congress under the new Constitution to take part in this new era of the Osage. I ran for Principal Chief to have Osage Nation place emphasis on preserving and growing our language, culture and lands. AS A CHILD GROWING UP, WAS BEING OSAGE SOMETHING THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT A LOT IN YOUR FAMILY? Yes. My grandmother lived with us. Her name was Mary Lookout Standing Bear, and she was the daughter of Chief Fred Lookout, who was chief during the early part of the century. He was Chief in the 1920s, ’30s and until 1949. So we had that connection, like a lot of families. But we didn’t speak Osage. We had a lot of Osage words in the house. But we were just part of the Tulsa Osage community. TP TulsaPeople.com

HOMETOWN HEROES Local Medal of Honor recipients remembered. BY SCOTT WIGTON

PFC. ALBERT SCHWAB

Pfc. Albert Schwab’s Medal of Honor is on loan to the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum.

THE MEDAL The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. It is generally presented to its recipient by the president in the name of Congress. On July 12, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill creating the Medal of Honor. At that time, 88 soldiers had already performed heroic actions that would earn them the Medal of Honor. The earliest action that garnered a recognition was by Army Surgeon Bernard J.D. Irwin who over Feb. 13-14, 1861, in present-day Arizona, voluntarily led a command of troops to relieve a surrounded detachment of the 7th Infantry. He was awarded the medal in 1894, 30 years after his deed. The ﬁrst to wear the medal was Pvt. Jacob Parrott for his actions with others in the “Great Locomotive Chase” in April 1862. Of the 3,503 recipients, 72 are living, only one has been a woman and 19 are double recipients. Source: Congressional Medal of Honor Society 36

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Albert Schwab didn’t have to go to war. The Central High School graduate was married, and had a young family and a good job working in the oil fields. By 1944, the tide of World War II was turning decisively in favor of the Allies against the Axis powers. And, though hard fighting still lay ahead, Schwab probably could have sat out the rest of the war. But he didn’t. Instead, in the spring of ’44, he volunteered for the Marine Corps with a friend named Tom Nickle, who would marry Albert’s sister, Katie. George Nickle of Greenville, Kentucky, is Tom’s son and Albert’s nephew. A retired Navy and Marine Corps Chaplain, Nickle recalls the last time he saw his Uncle Albert. “He and my dad came home on leave after boot camp in the summer of ’44,” Nickle says. “We had a family picnic at a park in Tulsa. I remember them carrying a watermelon in a washtub with ice.” Of the two men, only Tom was destined to make it safely home. Family lore suggests Albert was an athletic young man with a cheerful disposition, zest for life and a bit of daredevil in him. According to Nickle, Albert and some friends once created a homemade diving helmet. Albert volunteered to put it on and jump into the Arkansas River. “It didn’t work out too well for him. I think he nearly drowned,” Nickle says. “Those are the kind of stories Mom would tell me about her brother.” Albert’s siblings adored their older brother, says another nephew, Tulsan Jim Carlson. He is the son of Jo Ann Schwab, one of Albert’s younger sisters. “Albert was my mom’s hero even before he went off to war,” says Carlson, the owner of Carlson Co., a manufacturer of steel flanges for the oil and gas industry, where he keeps pictures of his uncle on display. As American forces advanced across the Pacific, Japanese resistance became fanatical, with most soldiers choosing to fight to the death rather than surrender. The savage combat reached a bloody climax in the spring of 1945 when U.S. forces invaded Okinawa, a battle that claimed the lives of more than 12,000 U.S. servicemen,

COURTESY JOYCE CARLSON

about 90,000 Japanese combatants and up to 150,000 civilians, according to the National World War II Museum. It was into this maelstrom that Pfc. Albert Schwab was thrown in May 1945. As one of the bigger men in H (Headquarters) Company, Schwab carried a flamethrower, a bulky, 75-pound weapon that was used to clear bunkers and caves of last-ditch holdouts. On May 7, 1945, Schwab’s unit was pinned down by enemy machine-gun fire. Unable to outflank the enemy due to terrain and with his comrades taking heavy casualties, Schwab charged uphill by himself against heavy fire, unleashing streams of fire that wiped out multiple enemy positions. During the fight, Schwab took a fatal bullet wound to his left hip. “He was a hero,” Nickle says. “But he was also a Marine, and Marines are taught to achieve an objective and carry out their mission. Part of what he was doing that day was his job. It cost him his life, but he helped achieve the objective.” For his gallantry, Schwab received the Medal of Honor, presented posthumously on Memorial Day 1946 at Veterans Park (formerly Boulder Park) in Tulsa. Part of his Medal of Honor citation reads: “Cool and indomitable, he moved forward in the face of a direct concentration of hostile fire, relentlessly closed the enemy position and attacked.” His name lives on at Camp Schwab, a Marine base in Okinawa, as well as here in Tulsa where the local Marine Corps League Detachment is named after him. In 2011, the Marine Corps League spearheaded, with family support, the creation of a sculpture of Schwab that was placed in the central hall at Tulsa International Airport, now officially called Albert E. Schwab Hall. The statue isn’t of Schwab alone. Rather, it shows him embracing his younger sister, Jo Ann, (Carlson’s mother) in a bittersweet farewell, recalling the brief furlough before he shipped out to his fate in the Pacific. Though in failing health, Jo Ann lived long enough to see a dream fulfilled — her brother honored with a sculpture. When the curtain dropped at the dedication ceremony, something remarkable happened. “She rose out of her wheelchair and walked toward the statue and stared at it,” Carlson recounts. “She was clearly moved. It was her brother.” Schwab remains Tulsa’s only Medal of Honor recipient.

ALBERT SCHWAB 1920-1945

SERVICE BRANCH: Marine Corps HOMETOWN: Tulsa CONFLICT: WWII, Paciﬁc Theater, Okinawa MEDAL OF HONOR RECEIVED: For action on May 7, 1945 NAMED IN HIS HONOR: Albert E. Schwab Hall at Tulsa International Airport; Camp Schwab Okinawa CITATION EXCERPT: His aggressive initiative, outstanding valor and professional skill throughout the bitter conﬂict sustain and enhance the highest traditions of U.S. Naval Service.

A statue of Pfc. Albert Schwab resides in his namesake hall at Tulsa International Airport. Inset, Schwab with his wife, Kay, and son, Steven, before his deployment.

Telling stories while there’s time “I don’t know that I’ve ever done anything else as a journalist that has had that kind of consistent reaffirmation that what you’re doing matters and that you should keep doing it,” says Tulsa World reporter Tim Stanley of his work on the paper’s award-winning series “World War II Veterans Remember.” Inspired by the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, the series began in 2015 as a weekly feature profiling local veterans. “We really thought we were going to have to get out there and beat the bushes to find interviewees,” Stanley says. “But from the beginning, the response was overwhelming.” Over three years later, the series is still going strong, with more than 100 interviews complet-

ed, the ﬁrst 65 of which are captured in a book, “Serving Our Country.” Through the power of social media, the stories have been shared across the world. The experience has been memorable and moving for Stanley. “World War II was this enormous common experience they all had,” Stanley explains. “It was unprecedented. There had never been anything like that before, and there has never been anything like it after. There were no lives anywhere that weren’t touched by it. “In ﬁve or 10 years, most of the whole generation will be gone. With the time we have left, let’s take every opportunity to let these people know that they’re important, that their lives have made a difference. Let them know they’re not forgotten.” — JULIE WENGER WATSON TulsaPeople.com

Heroes, hunters and athletes often display their trophies for all to see and admire. Ernest Childers did not. A Medal of Honor recipient, Childers kept the nation’s highest military honor tucked away in a drawer in his Broken Arrow home. “The medal never came out — ever,” says his daughter, Elaine Childers, a retired special education teacher. “It was not a topic of conversation.” And for decades after World War II, Childers’ actions on the battlefield would remain a closed subject, not uncommon for soldiers of that, or perhaps any, era. Childers was an honest, humble, hard-working man who grew up poor on a subsistence farm. A boy of Creek Indian heritage, he shot squirrels and other critters to help feed his family. “He had a .22 rifle with one bullet, and he had to go out on Thanksgiving to get a rabbit for his family,” says Elaine, recounting a family tale. “He saw a couple of rabbits and wanted to get both, so he positioned himself to hit them with a single shot, and he did and that’s what they had for Thanksgiving. He really perfected his marksmanship as a kid, and that served him well later on.” As a young man prior to the war, Childers joined the Oklahoma National Guard to earn extra money. After the U.S. entered the conflict, he became part of the famed 45th Infantry Division. His unit saw action in North Africa and Sicily before landing in Italy. It was on Sept. 22, 1943, that then 2nd Lt. Childers distinguished himself in combat on the rugged countryside around Oliveto, Italy. The Germans were firing down on Childers’ men from the hill above, inflicting heavy casualties. “He was seeing his friends, men he knew well, getting killed,” Elaine Childers says. “It made him angry.” It was that anger that motivated Childers, in spite of a fractured instep, to singlehandedly advance himself uphill to engage the Germans. Childers first eliminated two enemy snipers in a nearby farmhouse and then crawled up to an enemy machine gun nest, wiping out its occupants. Still under fire and nearly out of ammo, he tossed a rock at a second German machine gun nest. Thinking it was a grenade, the Germans jumped out and exposed themselves to deadly fire. Continuing his assault, Childers then captured an enemy mortar observer, who had helped rain death on his comrades. Part of the Medal of Honor citation reads: “The exceptional leadership, initiative, calmness under fire and conspicuous gallantry displayed by 2nd Lt. Childers were an inspiration to his men.” For his actions that day, Childers became the first Native American to receive the Medal of Honor during WWII in the European Theater. Childers received numerous other citations stemming from his actions during the war, and he continued his distinguished military career before retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1965. It wasn’t until after his military retirement, during a return trip to the site of the action in Italy, that he finally began talking about his role in the war with friends and family. “I believe that was when he laid those ghosts to rest,” Elaine Childers says. “After his return visit, it was like he let go and could talk about it.” 38

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Childers with President Franklin D. Roosevelt; Childers with President John F. Kennedy; Childers’ statue at Broken Arrow’s Veteran’s Park

ERNEST CHILDERS 1918-2005

SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. Army HOMETOWN: Broken Arrow CONFLICT: WWII, European Theater, Italy MEDAL OF HONOR RECEIVED: For gallantry in action on Sept. 22, 1943 NAMED IN HIS HONOR: Ernest Childers Middle School, Broken Arrow; Ernest Childers VA Outpatient Clinic, Tulsa CITATION EXCERPT: The exceptional leadership, initiative, calmness under ﬁre, and conspicuous gallantry displayed by 2nd Lt. Childers were an inspiration to his men.

However, one thing never changed. He refused to glorify war and disliked war ﬁlms that simply couldn’t depict the hell that war really is. “To him, war was not romantic or fun,” Elaine says. “It was bloody, cold and wet. It was hunger and the horror of seeing your friends die.” In his long lifetime, Childers became a Broken Arrow hometown legend. In the 1970s, he and his friend, Clarence G. Oliver Jr., helped to organize a Broken Arrow parade honoring America’s Medal of Honor recipients. Over 300 recipients attended. Oliver, who served as Broken Arrow Schools superintendent for 18 years, saw to it in the 1980s that a new middle school was named after Childers. By the mid1990s, a statue of Childers was erected in Veteran’s Park

on Broken Arrow’s Main Street. Childers was reluctant about having a statue of him erected, and Oliver made five trips as an emissary to get Childers’ permission. “He was just a humble, gracious man, but he finally agreed on a few conditions,” Oliver recounts. “One of the conditions was that he didn’t want to be depicted with a weapon and another was to make sure the pigeon droppings would be cleaned off.” Broken Arrow continues to remember Childers with a display in the Broken Arrow Museum. And that medal that once resided in a drawer? It is now displayed at First National Bank in Broken Arrow. “Daddy was such a dignified, honorable man,” Elaine Childers adds. “He had a love of this country that you could not believe.”

COURTESY ELAINE CHILDERS

LT. COL. ERNEST CHILDERS

COURTESY OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, U.S. ARMY

SPECIALIST FOUR DONALD SLOAT It took nearly 45 years for Army Specialist Four, Donald P. Sloat of Coweta, to receive the Medal of Honor for his self-sacrificing valor in Vietnam. Somehow in the fog of war and its traumatic aftermath, Sloat’s actions that fateful January day in 1970 were lost in time. But not forever. His family had been told that Sloat stepped on a landmine. However, decades later, a relative came across an alternative account of Sloat’s death that sparked a quest to find the truth. That quest was led by Sloat’s late mother, Evelyn, who was determined to see her son properly honored for his service and sacrifice. With help from determined members of Sloat’s former unit and others, the story of what happened was painstakingly pieced together and three eyewitnesses to Sloat’s heroism were tracked down. Sloat was just another young man who chose to serve, enlisting in the Army in 1969. He probably didn’t have to at that point as he was a student at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. But he came from Coweta, a patriotic town of 2,500 that had seen more than its share of heartache from the Vietnam War. Several young Coweta men died in Vietnam, including three others from Sloat’s high school class of ’67. Ultimately, Coweta would suffer perhaps more than any other small-town community in the U.S., losing a total of eight men, including Sloat, to the war. Cowetan Dee Wilson, a two-tour Vietnam veteran and officer in the Coweta American Legion Post 226, says the young men of that era, like Sloat, wanted to serve their country. “Coweta was a small, very patriotic town,” Wilson says. “We all wanted to serve and do our part. We were raised to serve and to love our country.” Though a few years older, Wilson attended school with Sloat and remembers a robust, likeable and athletic young man. “He was a big boy, strong and in good shape. I played sports with him. He was very outgoing.” Sloat went on to college and played football there. But a couple years in, he felt the call of his country. He and a classmate signed up for the Army … and Vietnam.

Specialist Donald Sloat was awarded the Bronze Star for valor, along with other commendations, before he died on Jan. 17, 1970, shielding fellow soldiers from an exploding grenade. He later received the Medal of Honor. In 2017, Coweta’s middle school was named for Sloat. His death and those of seven other Coweta men during Vietnam left deep scars on a tight-knit community.

By all accounts, Sloat excelled as a machine-gunner. Before his final action, he already had been awarded the Bronze Star for valor along with other commendations. However, it was what he did on Jan. 17, 1970, that made him an American hero for all time. As his unit moved through the area, they came under fire; a soldier near Sloat tripped a booby trap and a grenade came rolling downhill. Quickly, Sloat picked up the grenade with the intent of throwing it but realized he was surrounded by comrades. To throw the grenade would likely mean killing his fellow soldiers. Instead, Sloat pulled the grenade into his torso and doubled himself over as it exploded. “I was only 5 to 8 feet behind Don when the grenade went off. His act saved my life.” Those were the words of Pfc. DeWayne Lewis Jr., who was on patrol with Sloat and one of the three required witnesses to Sloat’s heroic act. No other soldiers were killed by the explosion, thanks to Sloat. “I’m proud to be his sister,” says Kathy Ahlstrom, who was 5 when he died. Her lasting memory of her much older brother is of him carrying her around on his shoulders, which he did the day he left for Vietnam. “To do what he did, without hesitation, to save the lives of the men in his platoon speaks volumes about the kind of man he was.” Even today, Sloat’s other sister Karen McCaslin is emotional recalling the day the family received the news of Sloat’s death. She was in fifth grade when her older brother Bill came to pick her up at school. “They got me out of class, and I thought maybe he was coming home,” McCaslin says. “I remember Bill turning around to tell us that Don had died.”

Sloat received posthumously, nearly 45 years later and after extensive effort and research, the Medal of Honor. In part, the citation reads: “Sloat’s actions define the ultimate sacrifice of laying down his own life in order to save the lives of comrades. … Sloat’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service.” On Sept. 15, 2014, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Sloat’s older brother. His mother died in 2011, but lived long enough to know the real circumstances of his death, and to know that her son gave his life to save others. In 2017, Coweta’s middle school was renamed in Sloat’s honor. The young men and women who pass through those halls can now pause to see his memorabilia there and know they follow in the footsteps of heroes. TP

DONALD SLOAT 1949-1970

SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. Army HOMETOWN: Coweta CONFLICT: Vietnam MEDAL OF HONOR RECEIVED: For heroism in action on Jan. 17, 1970 NAMED IN HIS HONOR: Donald P. Sloat Junior High School, Coweta CITATION EXCERPT: Sloat distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. TulsaPeople.com

A SALUTE TO:

CAPTAIN CHARLES W. WARD 2018 Inductee Into The Oklahoma Military Hall Of Fame As A Highly Decor ated Veter an Of World War II Charles enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 at age 18. He completed Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division, in Northern Ireland to train for the invasion of Europe. After D-Day, 2nd Lt. Charles Ward fought in the European Theater Of Operations as a platoon leader. His division was assigned to the Third U.S. Army commanded by the legendary General George S. Patton. During the Battle of Metz, Ward was awarded the Silver Star from General Patton himself. The citation noted the young officer, although wounded and without regard for his personal safety, led his depleted company in an attack and capture of entrenched enemy positions. Ward later fought in the infamous “Battle of the Bulge.” In addition to the Silver Star, he was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor, the French Croix de Guerre for Heroism, and the Purple Heart. After his war service, Charles Ward enrolled at the University of Oklahoma and earned a degree in Architecture. OU presented him with the Regents’ Alumni Award in 2007. During his distinguished professional career in Tulsa, he designed the Tulsa Central Library, The Rudisil Regional Library, Southminster Presbyterian Church, Thornton Family YMCA, The Charles C. Mason Education Service Center, Parkland Plaza Office Building, and “Comma House,” a personal residence. We are very proud of Charles Ward, a much loved resident of Inverness Village.

Inverness Village is a leading Tulsa non-profit retirement community offering an engaging, wellness lifestyle complete with a secure plan for future health care needs and maintenancefree living. A variety of independent living options are offered. In partnership with Asbury, a national leader in retirement living, Inverness Village is redefining the expectations of aging.

3800 West 71st Street • Tulsa 918-388-4235 www.invernessvillage.com

#POMSQUAD

They say blondes have more fun, but many don’t realize that this popular idiom applies to dogs, too. Emmylou the Pom is Tulsa’s own doggy debutante, hitting the hot spots of Tulsa and sharing her adventures with 4,500 followers on Instagram. Emmylou’s owner, Sarin Crump, started her 2-year-old Pomeranian’s Instagram page on a whim. “I was always taking pictures of her, and she loves to go places,” Crump says. “So we thought it would be fun to highlight all the fun, pet-friendly places in Tulsa. I really thought it would just be friends and family who followed her. I didn’t really know it would grow like it did.” Sarin and her husband, Brett, already have two senior-aged dogs, a Golden Retriever and another Pomeranian, and had been talking about wanting a puppy. On Sarin’s birthday, her husband surprised her with Emmylou. She was instantly a hit with her new furry family. “We call her ‘the Pom Boss’ because she bosses the other dogs around,” Crump says. “She’s always making us laugh, which is another reason we put her on Instagram. She was just so funny to us.” Emmylou’s perfectly coiffed mane and thousand-watt smile are just a couple of the reasons her Instagram account has become so wildly popular. But Crump also has discovered a few tricks of her own when showing off her posh Pom on social media. “She’s already really funny and feisty, and does her own thing,” Crump says. “So when I decided to start her page, I studied the other dog accounts I personally follow. We are sure to tag anyone we see or anywhere we go, and we also use lots of hashtags. Or if she’s got a toy or is wearing a cute outﬁt in the picture, I always tag the company. She meets new online friends and we follow them back.” Now Emmylou boasts followers from all over the world. But Emmylou is a Tulsa gal, through and through, taking her owners out to some of her favorite places in town. “We go to Stonehorse and Queenie’s in Utica Square. And we probably go to Bohemian Pizza in East Village at least weekly,” Crump says. “We also love all the new breweries, because they are all pet friendly. Emmylou loves American Solera, Cabin Boys and Welltown Brewery.” You can follow Emmylou’s adventures on Instagram by following @Emmylou. the.pom, or you may even spot her out and about at one of Tulsa’s many pet-friendly locales.

‘Tails’ of Tulsa’s furry, feathered and famous BY ANGELA EVANS Humans have long been infatuated with famous animals, whether it’s a talking horse or a grumpy cat. Fawning over your own pet is one thing, but some animals get love and adoration from a much larger audience. Tulsa happens to be home to a few of these “celebrity animals” that capture the imaginations of everyone they meet. A local Pomeranian is putting Tulsa on the map with her Instagram adventures. The cats that prowl the grounds of Philbrook Museum of Art have purred their way into visitors’ hearts. The Tulsa Zoo has a new long-legged baby boy. A German shepherd is hoping for a call from the majors. And a local owl might look familiar to fans of the “Harry Potter” ﬁlms.

TulsaPeople.com

THE DIAMOND DOG In early June, Emily Diacon, a junior at Inola High School, was invited by her church group to Drillers Stadium for Bark in the Park, an event where guests can bring along their furry friends. She thought it was a wonderful opportunity to take along her German shepherd, Verena, who was still a puppy at the time. Diacon and her pup were invited to go down onto the field during the game for a little fun while the Arkansas Naturals were warming up. “I didn’t realize they would be playing catch on the field,” Diacon says. “Fetch is her favorite game. We get on the field, and she is OK for a hot second. Then, she loses her mind.” Nicky Lopez, the shortstop for the Arkansas Naturals, threw the ball toward third base, and it was too much for Verena to resist. She ran full force after the loose ball. “I wasn’t afraid that she was going to hurt anyone,” Diacon says. “I just didn’t want the players to be afraid. She would lick someone to death if she could.” Verena proved to be a very good girl and immediately brought the ball back to shortstop Lopez, eagerly waiting for him to toss it again. While Diacon was occupied with fetching Verena, all the action was caught on the jumbo monitors at the stadium. “I was just so engrossed with her and making sure that nothing bad would happen, I didn’t realize we were on the big screen,” Diacon says. “I just assumed that this sort of thing happened all the time.” The video quickly went viral, jumping from local news, to Twitter, to ESPN’s Sports Center. “I had to actually create a Twitter account just to see what was going on,” Diacon says. “I was so blown away because I didn’t think it was that big of a thing.” Since that fateful game of fetch, Verena has gained many local fans of her own. “We went back to a Drillers game later and everyone recognized her as the one who ran onto the field,” Diacon says. “But really, she loves the attention, by any means.” 42

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ACER

CLEOME

COURTESY PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART

The opening scene in the first “Harry Potter” film features an ominous owl, swooping through the night sky. The owl’s presence heralds the first glimpses of a cast of characters children and adults have grown to love. Though the on-screen appearance seems magical, the owl itself is very real — and lives right here in Oklahoma. The owl, Ulysses, is under the wing of Ash Cary, a life-long falconer and owner of Knightwings, an organization that travels the country with its collection of birds of prey. They focus on Renaissance fairs, traveling about 10 months out of the year to be part of eight different festivals. Ulysses is an eagle owl and is among 22 birds that travel with Cary. “I’ve had Ulysses since about 2002. He was born in Great Britain in captivity for education purposes,” says Cary, who inherited him from a former partner. “Eagle owls are one of the largest owl species on the planet.” Eagle owls are most recognized for their striking orange eyes and intense gaze. Before coming to the U.S., Ulysses was tapped to be one of the hundreds of animals and birds used in the “Harry Potter” films. Ulysses makes another appearance in the second “Harry Potter” movie, playing the part of Bubo, Draco Malfoy’s owl. “There were probably close to 160 different birds in those films,” Cary says. “But since the use of CGI (computer-generated imagery), it’s been a steady decline for use of animals in films.” After wrapping up filming, Ulysses made his way to the United States, where he has been an important part of the Knightwings mission to teach the public about birds and bird conservation through public demonstrations. “He can do lots of things, but it’s important to remember that they’re birds of prey,” Cary says. “They fly from one place to another and hunt. That’s what they do.” The Knightwings crew travels with a variety of birds, like hawks, barred owls, great horned owls, falcons and eagles. Then, the avian entertainers come back to roost in Luther, Oklahoma. The crew also takes time to work with wildlife rehabilitators, and operate a wildlife conservation project called the One World Raptor Conservancy. “We come home in December then leave in February to Florida to start our season,” Cary says. “And everywhere I go, Ulysses goes with me.” To get an up-close experience with this feathered phenome, make plans to attend the Renaissance Festival at the Castle of Muskogee this spring.

Few things on this planet are cuter than baby animals. At the Tulsa Zoo, they’ve gained one big baby — coming in at 5-feet, 10-inches, and 150 pounds — and zoo guests are enamored with the long-legged addition. Lexi the giraffe, an 11-year-old first-time mother, gave birth on July 22 to a baby boy, Ohe (pronounced OH-hee), which means “to win” in Osage. This is definitely a win for the Tulsa Zoo, as it is the first giraffe birth at the zoo in two decades. Zookeepers weren’t the only ones thrilled with the birth. The Monday after Ohe was born, zoo attendance doubled from the previous Monday. During the 15-month gestation, zoo staff worked to keep mom healthy and happy, and they were prepared for the big moment when she gave birth. The process of a giraffe giving birth is an intriguing natural phenomenon. “It can seem pretty awkward, because giraffes give birth standing up,” says Eric Flossic, giraffe keeper at the zoo. “But the calf is already 6 feet tall, so it’s not that dramatic of a fall. The fall itself actually helps break up the embryonic sac from the calf, while also severing the umbilical cord.” And, like a doctor’s pat on a human baby’s bottom, the impact from the fall helps the baby giraffe take that first breath. Since his first breath, Ohe has quickly become a beloved member of the zoo family, and he has caused quite the commotion. “It has been super busy in the giraffe exhibit,” Flossic says. “He is full of energy, and you’ll often see him bucking around the exhibit. Sometimes he’ll just take off and run laps around the yard, which is adorable.” On a recent rainy day, Tulsa Zoo officials posted a video to its Facebook page showing that motherhood can be similar across species. The video shows Lexi in the center of the screen as Ohe runs circles around his mom. Ohe also gets some socializing with his dad, 4-year-old Hekaya who hails from the Bronx Zoo, and his honorary “Aunt Pilli,” the other female giraffe in the zoo’s herd. “Right now, he’s been in the reserve with Mom, so we haven’t let him into the main exhibit yet,” Flossic says. “We’re letting mom have some time off to let her body recuperate, before putting her back with dad too soon.” Lexi and Ohe will go on exhibit together soon. Zookeepers hope Ohe will be ready to venture out in the large main yard of the zoo sometime this fall, to be introduced to his fellow giraffes. Zookeepers also will be hosting intermittent giraffe feedings, so to find out dates and times, visit tulsazoo.org.

ARTS AND CATS

OHE’S SO ADORABLE

Along with its grand paintings and artifacts, the Philbrook Museum of Art also is home to a trio of performance artists who roam the gardens. These three felines, lovingly known as “the Philbrook Cats,” are nearly as popular with guests as the art on the walls. Sheila Kanotz is the director of horticulture for Philbrook, but she and her team also are in charge of keeping the three kitties happy and healthy. Two of the cats — Acer and Perilla — have been at the museum for about 12 years. The third, Cleome, was left during the winter of 2013 with a note and some cat food. “With the addition of Cleome, we reached our capacity with cats,” Kanotz says. “We originally had them around for keeping pests away, but thanks to social media, the cats’ popularity has really blossomed.” Each cat is named after a type of plant or ﬂower, and each has a personality of their own. Acer is the black and white male who loves to see activity in the garden. “If there is a wedding, he wants to be a guest. And he is known for photobombing,” Kanotz says. “He has gotten in cars with employees, and even stowed away once with a photographer who had to bring him back.” Acer’s sister, a calico named Perilla, is more of a homebody. She

stays near the horticulture department shop, and perhaps there is good reason. “Perilla is missing the tip of her tail,” Kanotz says. “We don’t know what really happened, but the morning we discovered her injury, we found her detached tail right outside the cat door. We ocassionally have foxes that roam the grounds, so she may have had a close encounter.” The youngest of the three is Cleome, a female black and white cat, who has proven to be Philbrook’s most effective huntress, catching pesky rabbits with ease. “We really appreciate her efforts in the garden,” Kanotz says. “She’s more of a loner, but in the wintertime she enjoys being in the shop during our meetings. In fact, all three cats like to be in our laps during our meetings.” A few years ago, the cats notoriously donned cameras to give viewers their perspective of the museum grounds and guests. It might come as no surprise that the cats weren’t fans of the cameras. The three cats have gained popularity on Philbrook’s Instagram page and might have even inspired Executive Director Scott Stulen to bring the Internet Cat Video Festival to the museum. If guests don’t happen to see the kitties roaming the gardens, they can load up on special Philbrook Cat memorabilia at the gift shop. TP TulsaPeople.com

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A SPONSORED EDITORIAL SECTION

100 YEARS IN TULSA

WILLIAMS: An American Success Story

TulsaPeople.com

“Williams’ century mark

in Tulsa is a good time to reﬂect on the difference

Williams has made in the city and surrounding re-

gion. I’m thankful to have

a long tenure with a great

company where we have a

long-standing, fundamental belief that

we’re responsible for strengthening our local

communities through investment and involvement. As employees of Williams, we embrace that belief and are proud of our collective

giving spirit. Over the years, the community has reciprocated and supported us during trying times.

“As I look to the future for Williams and the Tulsa community, I am excited about our

collective future. Gathering Place is a great

example of what we can do when we come to-

gether and think big. We depend on the region to be a place where we can attract the very

best and brightest talent for our great company. Continuing to focus on better infrastruc-

ture, downtown development and river parks improvements, and of course strengthening

education, are essential to meeting that goal.

I look forward to continuing our long-standing partnerships focused on helping Tulsa continue to grow and thrive.”

–ALAN ARMSTRONG, PRESIDENT AND CEO, WILLIAMS

“Having lived in Tulsa for more than three quarters

of Williams’ history, I can

attest to their unparalleled civic and philanthropic

leadership position. John Williams personally was instrumental in creating

the Williams Center and the Performing Arts

Center almost 50 years ago and encouraged

Alan Armstrong in Williams’ anchoring gift to Gathering Place more recently. Joe Williams was deeply involved in most areas of Tulsa civic life and was a leader of The Nature

Conservancy. Tulsa would not be what it is without Williams.”

–GEORGE KAISER, FOUNDER,

GEORGE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

Williams Brothers co-founders Dave Williams, center, and Miller Williams, right, at ages 13 and 11 in Oklahoma Indian Territory, 1899.

WILLIAMS COMES TO BOOMTOWN

When Dave and Miller Williams decided in 1918 to move their fledgling Fort Smith construction business to Tulsa, there was no Gathering Place. No BOK Center or Performing Arts Center. No BOK Tower or Williams Center. No City Hall at One Technology Place. No ONEOK Field. All that would come later. (And all would involve Williams, to one degree or another.) What Dave and Miller saw in Tulsa was potential. The city directory at the time listed hundreds of oil and gas companies — but not a single one that built pipelines. “My dad and uncle went to where the opportunity was,” said former Chairman and CEO Joe Williams in a recent interview. Two years out from completing their own first pipeline project, the brothers were confident they had just enough experience to make a go of it amid Tulsa’s oil boom. Sure enough, in no time, the company began taking on projects from Texas to Canada. Their reputation for “a good job on time” (the brothers’ motto) spread throughout the industry. Within a few decades, their company had built thousands of miles of pipelines across the United States, at a time when consumers welcomed the arrival of modern conveniences like gas heating and stoves. As the company grew, so did Tulsa. For the next century, both Williams and Tulsa persevered through booms and busts, ups and downs, major wins and bitter disappointments. But throughout everything, Williams’ commitment to Tulsa has never wavered. Likewise, Williams always knew it could count on Tulsa. Looking back 100 years, it’s hard to imagine one without the other. Would there be a Tulsa without Williams? Of course. But it might not have a 52-story tower anchoring the skyline. Or an elegant performing arts facility for ballet and Broadway musicals. Or the nation’s largest United Way Day of Caring, year in and year out. Dave and Miller probably would have been successful had they stayed in Fort Smith. But in Tulsa, they found the right combination of talented workers, strong business connections and time-tested values that matched their own. In short, they found their home.

“Oklahoma” star Shirley Jones with John Williams prior to her appearance at one of four theaters bought by Williams family members.

TINSELTOWN TO TULSA

The glitz and glamour of Hollywood may seem a far cry from the grit and grime of pipeline construction. Nevertheless, Williams produced some of Tulsa’s most memorable celluloid moments at various times through the decades. Williams Brothers in 1955 purchased controlling interest in four opulent downtown Tulsa theaters — the Ritz, Orpheum, Rialto and Majestic. As always, the company immediately began innovating. In the spring of 1966, it spent $60,000 to install a state-of-the-art 70mm projection system, enabling high-profile regional premieres of splashy hits like “South Pacific.” “Oklahoma” actress Shirley Jones visited Tulsa for that film’s premiere, posing for photos with John Williams and other local dignitaries. The growth of TV hastened Williams’ exit of the downtown theater business. That is, until the development of the $6 million Williams Center Forum, which opened in 1978. Throughout the 1980s, the Williams Center Cinema offered Tulsa’s most luxurious moviegoing experience, with the city’s only full-size screen and the latest Dolby sound. Its inspired mix of classic, independent and foreign titles also set it apart from the multiplexes. Fans flocked to the premiere of “The Outsiders” in 1983, featuring soon-tobe-superstar cast members and author S.E. Hinton. In 1988, “Hairspray” director John Waters signed autographs during a festival of his bad-taste farces — not exactly “South Pacific,” perhaps, but another lasting movie memory for Tulsans of the era.

Charlie Williams

THE GREATEST GENERATION: BORN TO SERVE

The Williams family’s entrepreneurism flourished in 20th century America. So when it came to defending it, the country had no stronger patriots. Charlie supervised the building of airfields, pipelines and roads with the Army Corps of Engineers in the China-Burma-India Theater. John led a Naval Civil Engineering Corps team in the Pacific Theater. David Jr. flew fighter planes over Nazi-controlled Europe in the Army Air Corps 8th Air Force, barely making it back to base on several occasions. “I don’t know that the war gave me any different values,” David Jr. told an interviewer shortly before his death in 2000. “But it gave me a sense of the immediacy of risks. It gave me a sense of the vulnerability and frailty of human beings, and the need to make the most of what you do.” The youngest Williams, Joe, served as an Army Company Commander in peace time. In addition to the family members’ personal sacrifices, the company itself played an invaluable role in the Allies’ eventual victory. Most importantly, the company built the War Emergency Pipeline systems, known as Big Inch and Little Big Inch. These essential pipelines brought vital crude oil and refined products from Texas to key defense plants in the Northeast. Big Inch and Little Big Inch served to safeguard critical fuel supplies from the Germans, who had begun attacking tankers making the oceanic journey from the Texas Gulf Coast and Venezuela. The pipelines also set the industry standard for large-diameter, cross-country pipelines. For these efforts and many others, Williams Brothers was the first pipeline construction company to receive the Army-Navy “E” award for “outstanding performance in wartime construction.” TulsaPeople.com

Clockwise from top left: Retired CEO John Williams with Williams Companies’ headquarters in the 52-story BOK Tower and the area of downtown where he spearheaded redevelopment behind him. The tower’s architect was Minoru Yamasaki. The main entrance to Tulsa’s Gathering Place boasts the name of John Williams.

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

“I’m just glad the company was able to stay in Tulsa when the company was (recently) under attack. The employees love having the company there. We survived as an independent company in Tulsa, which it still is, and everybody should be proud of it.” –JOE WILLIAMS, FORMER WILLIAMS CHAIRMAN AND CEO

“Williams’ employees have always given back in a big way to our communities. In fact, giving The last two members of the Williams family to head the company, John Williams, left, and his cousin Joe, examine the scale model for the Williams Center, a nine-square block development that transformed the Tulsa skyline in the 1970s. The 52-story tower was originally designed to be two smaller twin towers, but as John studied the model he peeled one tower off the model, stuck it on top of the other, and declared that’s the way it should be.

FORMER CEO JOHN WILLIAMS CHANGED THE FACE OF DOWNTOWN

In the mid-1970s, downtown Tulsa, like many American cities, was beginning to decay. Suburban communities and shopping areas were drawing business and vitality away from city centers. John Williams, along with Joe Williams who would succeed him as CEO, led the charge and marshaled community leaders to redevelop downtown. Under their leadership, the face of downtown Tulsa was forever changed. “We went all over the country interviewing top-flight architects,” Joe said in a recent interview. “We gave it to Minoru Yamasaki, who worked with models of the buildings. He produced a model showing two buildings side by side. “John said, ‘Look, let’s do it like this,’ took one building and placed it on top of the other. It was less expensive to do it that way, and more attractive to people. It became a new horizon for downtown Tulsa and I’m very proud of that.” Streets were closed, and parcels of land were combined to create the Williams Center — nine square blocks that included Yamasaki’s 52-story tower that still serves as Williams’ headquarters building, the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, a hotel, Williams Center Green and the upscale Williams Center Forum shopping center, complete with a state-of-the-art movie theater and ice-skating rink. While the Forum was eventually turned into office space for Williams, the overall development set downtown Tulsa on a trajectory of progress. Other developments followed, including the Williams South I and II office towers, one of which is currently home to the Tulsa Regional Chamber, and a 19-story building adjoining our tower that is now Tulsa’s City Hall. John’s community leadership and influence is still felt even after his passing in 2013. Shortly before he died, the 94-year old former Williams CEO encouraged current management to support Gathering Place, a transformational riverfront park located along the Arkansas River. Williams Lodge is the park’s main welcome center and John Williams Way is the main road winding through the grounds.

back is one of our key Core Values & Beliefs. Our commitment is worth stating. We recognize and enthusiastically accept our responsibility to the communities we serve, through acting as a good neighbor and through involvement and support for community activities. And our community involvement in Tulsa has always been particularly strong. Every year, many employees serve on community boards and donate their time and money to charitable institutions throughout the city. It made me proud to be a Williams employee. “The unique relationship between Williams and the community was, I think, best demonstrated by the almost spontaneous support we received one afternoon during our financial crisis in the summer of 2002. Those were tough times for the company and long hours for our workforce. As Williams employees left for the day and arrived on the ground floor of our building, hundreds of representatives of Tulsa nonprofits offered their support with cheers and signs and pats on the back. It was just what we needed and brought tears to everyone’s eyes. Not many corporations these days have such a special relationship with their communities. It was a wonderful day!” –STEVE MALCOLM, FORMER WILLIAMS CHAIRMAN AND CEO TulsaPeople.com

“In the spirit of the Williams family, community involvement is a thread that’s woven into all other strategy.

“When Williams expands in a community, they intentionally seek to be a good neighbor and make the community better because they are there. From encouraging employees to get involved with local nonproﬁts to matching contributions, Williams makes it known that they support their employees as servant leaders.

“Employees just keep showing up to meet real needs and offer resources and support for the tough and complex challenges from which others shy away. Williams’ top leaders have led nationally for decades — Joe Williams chaired the national board of The Nature Conservancy; Keith Bailey chaired the national United Way board; Steve Malcolm led the national YMCA board; and Alan Armstrong has provided hands-on leadership for Junior Achievement for many years. It’s a legacy of leading authentically and inclusively from the top.

“For 28 years, Tulsa employees and Williams have contributed more than a million dollars each year to the local United Way. Imagine a Tulsa without Williams employees 400 strong at Day of Caring, imagine the boards without their employee talent. Imagine the schools without tutors and the donated supplies. Williams employees make a difference in big and Herculean ways. They care. Community service is a core value that jumps right off the plaque on the wall and into the lives made better because Williams employees make every community a better place to live and work.”

–ALISON ANTHONY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, TULSA AREA UNITED WAY 54

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

Joe Williams surveys his legacy contribution, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Osage County.

JOE WILLIAMS: LEGACY OF INNOVATION AND CONSERVATION

Joe Williams, visionary industry leader and conservationist, was the last member of the Williams family to head the company. Under Joe’s leadership from the company’s Tulsa headquarters, Williams refined its investment strategy. It acquired Northwest Pipeline and embraced technology as Williams was a pioneer in the use of satellite communications for field operations. During Joe’s tenure as CEO, America’s telecommunications industry was transformed when this upstart Tulsa pipeline company used decommissioned pipelines to run fiber optic cable across the country, beating major communications companies in bringing the next generation of telecommunications technology to the world. Joe is also a conservationist. An Oklahoman who loves escaping to the great outdoors, he saw a need to protect the environment. The Nature Conservancy was his avenue. In the late 1980s, Joe — along with a handful of other influential Oklahoma business leaders — recognized a natural treasure next door to Tulsa that needed to be set aside and safeguarded. Iconic, untouched grasslands in Osage County were part of vast ranches that were being sold into smaller parcels for development. This native prairie was the largest single tract of remaining tallgrass prairie in the world and, according to Joe, it deserved to be preserved. During a time when the economy was weak and investment dollars were hard to come by, Joe marshaled efforts to purchase the 29,000-acre Barnard Ranch, allowing Oklahoma’s fledgling Nature Conservancy to create its flagship sanctuary, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. It now encompasses 40,000 acres and is home to 2,500 bison that roam 23,500 acres of open range. It is also home to research of native grass species and wildlife.

Four Williams CEOs join together at the dedication of the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, in 2015. From left, Steve Malcolm, Alan Armstrong, Joe Williams and Keith Bailey.

The effort to acquire this pristine piece of Oklahoma prairie “took an entire organization and a group of visionary Oklahomans to do what others had been unable to do,” said Nature Conservancy state director Mike Fuhr. “Chief among them was Joe Williams, who galvanized this amazing group at a time when the local economy was anything but favorable to finding millions of dollars in donations — even for a project that would create a longoverdue prairie preserve for the world to embrace.” Joe served as chair of the state and then the national Nature Conservancy, sharing his leadership and creative fundraising skills to help preserve natural treasures throughout the country. In 2015, the Conservancy honored the former Williams CEO by renaming the Osage County treasure as the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. More recently, at Tulsa’s Gathering Place, the main hall, where community events and social functions take place, has been named the Joseph H. Williams Community Room. Today, Joe, now 85, and his wife Terry live in retirement in South Carolina.

A sign at the preserve’s visitor center that reﬂects the sanctuary’s new name. TulsaPeople.com

A CENTURY OF COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY AND VOLUNTEERISM

Tulsa has always been an extremely generous and philanthropic community. Early oil barons left vast wealth that is still being shared through family and corporate foundations today. Williams, through its corporate foundation, is one of those community partners, supporting schools, parks, hospitals, museums, the arts and charitable organizations. Williams doesn’t just invest dollars in the community; it also supports its employees’ investment of time and talents through volunteer efforts. Williams employees have a long history of volunteering at schools and nonprofits throughout Tulsa and far beyond. Through its employee-driven Homegrown Giving and Matching Gift programs, Williams financially supports the charitable organizations where its employees have a passion to serve. In addition to the hundreds of community volunteers from the Tulsa workforce of more than 1,100, there are 103 employees who serve on 121 nonprofit boards of directors locally. Nowhere is Williams’ support for Tulsa more evident than with the Tulsa Area United Way. For 28 consecutive years Williams and its employees have contributed more than $1 million to the local United Way campaign. Additionally, Tulsa’s United Way traditionally stages the nation’s largest Day of Caring, where community volunteers — like the 400 or so from Williams each year — fan out across the city to donate their time and talents on projects benefitting local United Way agencies. Community support and volunteering are all part of the fabric that makes up the company, so wherever there is a soccer league, soup kitchen or agency helping neighbors in need, you will find Williams employees, with sleeves rolled up, pitching in. 56

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

“Williams is a homegrown success story for

Tulsa, and has been a tireless corporate citizen.

Giving back is part of the corporate culture, and

you see that in the multitude of Williams employees serving our community as nonproﬁt volun-

teers and board members. You also see it in the physical impact Williams has made on Tulsa. In

the 1970s, Williams decided that not only would

they stay in Tulsa instead of moving to Houston, but they would also take what was going to be a warehouse district for trucking compa-

nies and instead turn it into the Williams Center and Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Without Williams, there is no Tulsa Performing Arts Center, and I dare say there is no thriving Downtown Tulsa as we know

it today. I think it is so ﬁtting that Williams has also made signature

contributions to Gathering Place along the Arkansas River Corridor — marking another contribution to one of Tulsa’s unique assets.

“My grandfather, Robert LaFortune, and I have been very fortunate to work with successive generations of leaders at Williams in making

Tulsa a great city. My grandfather always approached his service on the Williams board as a service to Tulsa.

“During his time as mayor, he worked closely with John and Joe

Williams to garner public support for the construction of the Williams Center and the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, and he served on the

PAC Trust with John Williams for nearly 40 years. He and Keith Bailey were close collaborators on a broad range of initiatives to move Alan Armstrong, Williams CEO 2011-current

Tulsa forward.

ALAN ARMSTRONG: YOUNG PROFESSIONAL TO WILLIAMS’ TOP EXECUTIVE

“For me, one of the great experiences of my adult life was to spend

As a young engineer beginning his career with Williams in 1986, Alan Armstrong had no idea he would one day serve as President and CEO, or that the company would handle about 30 percent of all U.S. natural gas. But, that’s exactly what happened. Raised in nearby Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Armstrong witnessed both sets of his grandparents, his parents and an uncle dedicate their careers to Phillips Petroleum. So, after graduating from the University of Oklahoma, he naturally found his calling in the oil and gas industry. In fewer than 10 years, Armstrong was leading commercial operations for Williams in the Gulf Coast region. Following a progression of leadership roles, he succeeded Steve Malcolm in 2011 as president and CEO. Like Williams leaders before him, Armstrong leads by example when it comes to his commitment to enhance communities where people enjoy working and raising families. He serves on several boards for educationfocused organizations. He also spent several years on the Tulsa Regional Chamber board of directors, and was the 2015 chairman. It’s also no small feat that under his leadership, and through some difficult years for the company, Williams continued what now is a 28-year streak of raising over $1 million dollars for the Tulsa Area United Way. Armstrong’s belief in “corridors of excellence” are also evident in the company’s contribution to our city’s new Gathering Place.

two days interviewing John Williams for an oral history project a

year before he passed away. This was one of the greatest minds our country has produced — a man who took a family road and bridge

construction company, and built it into one of the most important en-

ergy companies in the world. His achievements were staggering, and I don’t think properly appreciated by Tulsans today. The chance to

spend time with him, to learn from him, to see that mind at work was

something I beneﬁt from every day as I give my all to make Tulsa the best city it can be.

“As a city councilor, I received important support from Steve Malcolm on several initiatives to make Tulsa a more welcoming and diverse

city. Steve really led the local business community as a thought lead-

er in that space. And after being elected mayor, one of the ﬁrst people I contacted for advice on how to lead a large organization was Alan

Armstrong. Alan has been incredibly generous with his time in helping me grow as a leader.

“A long response, but Williams means a great deal to Tulsa, to our family, and to me personally!”

–TULSA MAYOR G.T. BYNUM

TulsaPeople.com

“Tulsa is a very

philanthropic community. I believe

that Williams as a

corporation and its employees have

been at the forefront of that community

engagement for at least the past 50 years.

“The Williams family that led the modern company were and are (only Joe is still

living) remarkable. John, Charlie, Joe and David all had a view that the company

should, in addition to being a successful business, be a responsible corporate

citizen. That is a more commonly held

belief today, but it has been always so with Williams.”

–KEITH BAILEY, FORMER WILLIAMS CHAIRMAN AND CEO

“Williams has

uniquely demonstrated their commitment

1910s

1918: Williams Brothers moves its headquarters from Fort Smith to Tulsa.

1920s

1923: Williams Brothers begins building pipelines internationally.

1930s

Dave and Miller Williams keep the company afloat, fi nding scarce-as-hen’s-teeth jobs during the Great Depression, which Dave describes as their “cornbread years.” Ultimately their goal was not only to preserve the company but, more importantly, to protect their employees’ livelihoods while up to 25 percent of the nation’s workforce was in the bread lines. 1939: The brothers landed their first major crude-oil pipeline construction project — in Venezuela. Th ings began looking up.

1940s

1943: The U.S. government asks for Williams’ help in the war effort; the company builds two critical pipelines helping ensure the continuity of fuel to the East Coast. 1949: Founders Dave and Miller Williams retire, selling their business in pieces, the last of which is sold to Dave’s son, David Williams Jr., and the founders’ nephews, Charlie P. Williams Jr. and John H. Williams.

and responsibility to

1949: The “modern era” Williams Brothers is born.

Their corporate ethic

1950s

Tulsa through action. is reﬂected in the

decisions made over

decades to support community initiatives and to create a mosaic of community

involvement. From their early investment in downtown Tulsa during challenging

economic times to their ongoing support

for civic improvements, community organizations and livability in Tulsa, Williams’ leadership has consistently been at the

forefront of education, the arts, the United Way, environmental stewardship and Tulsa’s urban renaissance.

“During my tenure of service to Tulsa as Mayor (1992-2002), Williams was a

strong, reliable and unwavering partner as they extended their ﬁnancial and human capital to initiatives that improved the lives of Tulsans for generations.” –FORMER TULSA MAYOR SUSAN SAVAGE

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

1957: The company is publicly traded as an over-thecounter stock. Ten years later, it goes onto the “big board” — the New York Stock Exchange — under the trading symbol WMB. Th is occurs shortly after the company buys its first major pipeline.

1960s

1966: After decades of building them, Williams Brothers buys its first pipeline in an improbable deal that a national business magazine likened to “a minnow swallowing a whale.” 1967: The company begins diversifying its portfolio to include fertilizer, energy and metals businesses.

1970s

1971: The company changes its name to The Williams Companies, reflecting a holding-company business model. 1975: After six decades, the company exits the pipeline construction business. Williams spearheads an ambitious urban renewal project, leading to the construction of a 52-story headquarters tower, then the tallest building in the state; a luxury hotel, performing arts center and shopping mall.

1978: John Williams retires and is succeeded as chairman and CEO by his cousin Joe H. Williams, son of company co-founder Dave Williams. 1978: Williams Center Forum draws Tulsans downtown for upscale shopping, dining, movies and ice skating.

1980s

1983: The Williams Center Cinema hosts the premier of “The Outsiders” written by Tulsan S.E. Hinton. 1983-87: Williams acquires two interstate gas pipeline systems and restructures to focus on its core business of pipelines and energy. 1983: When contemplating what to do with decommissioned pipelines, Operations Manager Ray Pullen floats the idea of stringing fiber-optic telecommunications cable through them. 1985: Joe Williams green lights the fiber-in-pipe venture, eventually creating WilTel, one of the largest, most advanced telecom networks in the country.

1990s

As shareholder value soars, President Keith Bailey leads the idea to give each employee a crisp $50 bill when the stock price reaches that mark. As president, chairman and CEO, he would continue that unique practice, with the stock splitting three times, rising again to $50. More than $10.6 million is hand-delivered to each employee during this time. 1994: Keith Bailey becomes the first non-Williams family member to lead the company following the retirement of Joe Williams. 1995: The fiber-optic network is sold and, following the expiration of a non-compete clause, another one is built in the late ’90s. 1995: Williams acquires Houston-based Transco Energy, including the Transco pipeline that delivers about half of the natural gas consumed in New York City on a given day. 1998: In a merger of two major Tulsa companies, Williams acquires MAPCO for $3.1 billion — ironically, almost 40 years after Williams Brothers originally built the MAPCO pipeline system. 1998: Williams receives the Spirit of America award, the top honor given to corporations by the United Way of America. 1998: “Williams” becomes the branding name for the company with a new logo to replace the “thrusting” W logo.

2000s

2001: The Technology Center, now Tulsa’s City Hall, is constructed adjacent the BOK Tower to office its growing telecommunications business. 2002: Steve Malcolm succeeds Keith Bailey as chairman and CEO. 2002: Following a “perfect storm” of crises in the telecom and energy trading sector, Williams, under the leadership of Steve Malcolm in his first year as CEO, survives a brush with bankruptcy, averted at the last minute thanks to a loan from billionaire Warren Buffett. 2003: Steve Malcolm executes a plan to rebuild the company’s fi nancial strength by focusing on core world-class natural gas assets, selling more than $6.5 billion in assets and reducing long-term debt, earning Williams the title of “turnaround story of the sector” by Merrill Lynch. 2008: Williams is a founding sponsor of the BOK Center concert and sports arena, designed by Cesar Pelli. 2009: Williams enters the Marcellus, a growing supply basin now key to the shale revolution and America’s path to energy independence.

2010s

2011: Williams’ exploration and production company is spun off as an independent company called WPX Energy. 2011: Alan Armstrong is named to succeed Steve Malcolm as CEO. 2014: Williams acquires Oklahoma City-based Access Midstream, a former unit of Chesapeake Energy 2015: Forbes names Williams the most admired energy company in America. 2015: Alan Armstrong is the 2015 Tulsa Regional Chamber chairman, with top priorities to invest in corridors of excellence, improve education, leverage Tulsa’s strengths and encourage young professionals. 2015: Dallas-based Energy Transfer and Williams announce a merger agreement. 2016: After litigation ensues, a judge rules that Energy Transfer can terminate the merger agreement. Soon thereafter, six members of Williams’ board of directors resign. Williams continues to pursue damages based on ETE’s breaches of the merger agreement. 2017: Employees continue to rally behind Alan Armstrong as he financially restructures and refines the company’s strategic focus on sustainable, long-term growth. 2018: Williams acquires the remaining interest in Williams Partners. 2018: The Williams Lodge at Gathering Place opens to the public, as does John Williams Way, the street leading to the park.

Clockwise from top left: Williams made a name for itself in its early years with innovative construction and engingeering practices. Williams Brothers stock (WMB), became listed on the New York Stock Exchange on Dec. 4, 1967. Keith Bailey and the construction of the Technology Center, now Tulsa’s City Hall. In the midst of the company’s financial crisis in 2002, representatives from Tulsa nonprofits filled the headquarters lobby to support and cheer for Williams employees. The Williams Center Forum opened downtown in 1978. Construction of the 52-story tower for Wiliams headquarters began in 1975. TulsaPeople.com

100 Years in

1918

TULSA

2018

THANK YOU. Williams would like to thank the community and our employees, past and present, for a century of innovation and partnership in Tulsa. We look forward to even greater days ahead! (800) WILLIAMS | williams.com

ÂŠ 2018 The Williams Companies, Inc.

A Benedictine School

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PHOTO CREDIT: CHEEKWOOD

GARDEN of LIGHTS NOV. 23 - JAN. 6 Train Rides · Santa Fire Pits · S’mores · Music

Purchase tickets online tulsabotanic.org/gardenoflights

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

THE CURTAIN GOES UP IRVING BERLIN’S “WHITE CHRISTMAS” NOV. 20-25 Various times. Tulsa Performing Arts Center. A male song-anddance team puts on a holiday show at a Vermont inn during the 1940s, where a sister act also is appearing. Based on the 1954 movie; includes many of the ﬁlm’s hit songs. Presented by Celebrity Attractions. Various ticket prices. celebrityattractions. com, tulsapac.com

SLEIGHRIDE SEASON OF FUN With November here, it’s time to seriously think about decorating, list making, gift buying, and enjoying the sights and spirit of the holidays before the busy season is over in a ﬂash. The greater Tulsa area has it all: millions of lights, ice skating, carriage rides, parades, music, Scrooge, the Nutcracker … and Santa will be everywhere.

COMPILED BY JUDY LANGDON

SANTA SIGHTINGS

“THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER” NOV. 29-30, DEC. 1-2, 6-9 Various times. Clark Youth Theatre at Henthorne PAC, 4825 S. Quaker Ave. Hilarity and pandemonium ensue when the Herdmans, the meanest kids in town, take control of a church Christmas pageant. Teen cast. $13, adults; $10, seniors, military and students. clarkyouththeatre.com “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” DEC. 7-9, 13-16, 19-23 Various times. Tulsa PAC. Three Christmas Eve spirits visit notorious curmudgeon/tightwad Ebenezer Scrooge, with a Christmas morning reckoning. Musical version. Presented by American Theatre Co. tulsapac.com, americantheatrecompany.org “YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS” DEC. 7-9, 14-16 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday. Sapulpa Community Theater, 124 S. Water St., Sapulpa. Based on the true story of a little girl who writes a letter to the New York Sun, asking whether there is a Santa Claus, and his response. $12, adults; $5, pre-K-18 year old. our.show/yesvirginia “A WINTER ROSE CHRISTMAS” DEC. 7-9, 14-16 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday. Broken Arrow Community Playhouse, 1800 S. Main St., Broken Arrow. Showcase of singing, dancing, skits, sing-alongs and a Santa visit. Presented by Broken Arrow youth. bacptheatre.com “THE NUTCRACKER” DEC. 8-9, 14-16, 21-23 Various times. Tulsa PAC. Presented by Tulsa Ballet. Set in 1920s Paris, the Nutcracker, Marie, Drosselmeyer, Mouse King, the Sugar Plum Fairy and Mother Ginger all come to life. Choreographed by Marcello Angelini. $25-$105. tulsaballet. org, tulsapac.com

OOHS AND AHS BOARE’S HEADE FEASTE NOV. 17 7-10 p.m. Castle of Muskogee, 3700 W. Fern Mountain Road, Muskogee. Four-course Olde English dinner, with live entertainment, in the mythical village of Castleton. $49.95; reservations required. okcastle.com *LIGHTS ON! AND JENKS KIWANIS CLUB CHRISTMAS PARADE NOV. 17 10 a.m. Main Street, downtown Jenks. Bands, ﬂoats, bicycles, Santa Claus. jenkschamber.com RHEMA HOLIDAY LIGHTS NOV. 21-JAN. 1 5:30-11:30 p.m. 1025 W. Kenosha Ave., Broken Arrow. Opens Thanksgiving Eve, with “Flip the Switch 2018” at 6 p.m. Walk or drive through more than 2 million movable, dizzying and dazzling lights. Free admission. rhemalights.org

TulsaPeople.com

*LIGHTS ON! NOV. 22 6 p.m. Utica Square, South Utica Avenue and East 21st Street. Watch as Santa switches on more than 700,000 white lights illuminating Tulsa’s oldest shopping center. Free admission and parking. Lights remain on through Dec. 31. uticasquare.com UTICA SQUARE’S SANTA HOUSE

ARVEST WINTERFEST

*CASTLE CHRISTMAS NOV. 22-DEC. 31 5:30-10 p.m. Castle of Muskogee, 3700 W. Fern Mountain Road, Muskogee. Free drive-through; donations accepted. Christmas train, hayrides, pony and camel rides (activity fee); Christmas cafe, holiday lights, merchants and Father Christmas (Santa Claus). okcastle.com

*PHILBROOK FESTIVAL NOV. 23-24, 30; DEC. 7, 14, 21, 24, 28 6-9 p.m. Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 S. Rockford Road. Special lighting in the gardens, music, Lego villages and Santa Claus. Pre-purchase tickets as space is limited. philbrook.org

98TH ANNUAL ALL LUTHERAN “MESSIAH” DEC. 1-2 5 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1224 S. Utica Ave. Hear and see Handel’s popular oratorio, with choir members performing in biblical costume. Orchestral accompaniment. Free; donations accepted. felctulsa.org

*ARVEST WINTERFEST NOV. 24-JAN. 7 Various times. Outside the BOK Center. Tulsa’s only outdoor skating rink comes alive, illuminated trees, horse drawn-carriage rides and live music. Special promotions on certain days. tulsawinterfest.com

“TULSA FESTIVAL RINGERS” BROWN BAG IT DEC. 5 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Tulsa PAC. Bring your lunch and hear favorite carols on handbells, at this free concert. tulsafestivalringers.com, tulsapac.com

CASTLE CHRISTMAS

HARK! TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, “THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS EVE” 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR NOV. 15 7:30 p.m. BOK Center. Timeless story, set to music. $39.50$79.50. bokcenter.com GARDEN OF LIGHTS NOV. 23-JAN. 6 5-10 p.m. Tulsa Botanic Garden, 3900 Tulsa Botanic Drive. Garden will be illuminated each night and holiday events throughout the festive season. Limited tickets available; on sale Nov. 1. Complete schedule online. tulsabotanic.org

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

CIRQUE MUSICA HOLIDAY PRESENTS “WONDERLAND” NOV. 29 7:30 p.m. Brady Theater. Concert experience for the entire family, featuring favorite holiday music performed by a live symphony orchestra, with acrobats, aerialists and entertainment hijinks. $39.50-$99.50. bradytheater.com “HOME ALONE” WITH TULSA SYMPHONY DEC. 1 7:30 p.m. Tulsa PAC. Watch the holiday movie classic, as its score is played live. $20-$80. tulsasymphony.org, tulsapac.com

*HOMETOWN HOLIDAY: A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION DEC. 1-2 Noon-9 p.m., Saturday; 1-6 p.m., Sunday. Main Street from First Street to Broadway and Triangle Park, Sand Springs. Live entertainment, including soloists, groups, Tulsa Symphony and Sand Springs Community Band; theater shorts; children’s activities; Blue Dog (French/Cajun painting series) exhibit; food; and Santa Cottage. Free admission. sandspringschamber.com

“JEWEL’S HANDMADE HOLIDAY TOUR,” WITH ATZ, ATZ LEE AND NIKOS KILCHER NOV. 27 8 p.m. Brady Theater. Classic and original holiday songs, including personal hits by the artist; handmade holiday gift-making experience prior to the concert. $49.50-$69.50. All ages. bradytheater.com

GARDEN OF LIGHTS AT HONOR HEIGHTS PARK NOV. 22-DEC. 31 6-10 p.m. Honor Heights Park Drive, Muskogee. More than 1 million lights timed to holiday music. Free admission; donations accepted. visitmuskogee.com

*GLOW ON THE GREEN NOV. 25 3-7 p.m. Guthrie Green, 111 E. M.B. Brady St. Music, “shop local” holiday market, food and drinks, and Santa. Lights will be illuminated at 6 p.m. Free admission. guthriegreen.com

AMERICAN THEATRE CO.’S “A CHRISTMAS CAROL”

“FALLING IN LOVE WITH CHRISTMAS” NOV. 27 7 p.m. Tulsa PAC. Hear favorite Christmas music performed by saxophonist Grady Nichols and vocalists Andy Chrisman and Kelly Ford, with 30-piece orchestra, choir and special guests. $25-$55. Beneﬁts ALS (Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis) Patient Services Outreach. tulsapac.com

“LET’S WATCH A PARADE!” *FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS “THE SWEETEST SEASON OF ALL” HOLIDAY LIGHTING AND CHRISTMAS PARADE NOV. 30 6:30 p.m., lighting; 7-9 p.m., parade. Second Street and Adams Road, to Broadway Avenue and Main Street, Sand Springs. sandspringschamber.com *BROKEN ARROW CIVITANS CHRISTMAS PARADE DEC. 1 10-11:45 a.m. Rose District, downtown Broken Arrow. rosedistrict.com *OWASSO CHRISTMAS PARADE DEC. 8 9 a.m. Smith Farm Marketplace, near North Garnett Road and North 121st East Avenue. cityofowasso.com *TULSA CHRISTMAS PARADE, “MIRACLE AT BOSTON AND 4TH STREET” DEC. 8 1 p.m. East Fourth Street and South Boston Avenue. tulsachristmasparade.org

WINTERFEST: PHIL CLARKIN; CASTLE CHRISTMAS: COURTESY; “A CHRISTMAS CAROL”: COURTESY TULSA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER; UTICA SQUARE: COURTESY

*LIGHTS ON THE HILL NOV. 23-JAN. 1 6-9 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. Chandler Park, 6500 W. 21st St. Drive through 3 miles of bright lights and whimsical holiday displays. Horse-drawn carriage rides and visits from Santa. Free admission. parks.tulsacounty.org

POPULAR HOLIDAY VENUES BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. bokcenter.com Tulsa Performing Arts Center, 110 E. Second St. tulsapac.com Brady Theater, 105 W. M.B. Brady St. bradytheater.com Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center, 701 S. Main St., Broken Arrow; brokenarrowpac.com

COMPASSION LIVE’S “THE ROADSHOW CHRISTMAS TOUR DEC. 6 7 p.m. BOK Center. For one night only, hear performances from Matthew West, Matt Maher, Building 429, Plumb, Josh Wilson and Leanna Crawford. $23-$55. bokcenter.com BILL GAITHER AND THE GAITHER VOCAL BAND, “CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING” DEC. 8 6 p.m. Mabee Center, 7777 S. Lewis Ave. Special guests include comedian Mark Lowry, The Nelons, Lynda Randle, Matthew Holt, Charlotte Ritchie and Greg Ritchie, Kevin Williams, Kevin Moore and Gene McDonald. $26-$72; child and senior discounts. mabeecenter.com MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER “CHRISTMAS” DEC. 8 8 p.m. Paradise Cove Theater, River Spirit Casino, 8330 Riverside Parkway. Favorite Christmas music, with stateof-the-art multi-media effects. Conducted by Mannheim Steamroller founder Chip Davis. Ages 21 and older. $40-$55. riverspirittulsa.com HOLLAND HALL LESSONS AND CAROLS DEC. 9 5 p.m. Trinity Episcopal Church, 501 S. Cincinnati Ave. Vocal group from Holland Hall Preparatory School presents holiday musical vespers. Free. trinitytulsa.org SHERIDAN ROAD’S CHRISTMAS CABARET FINALE DEC. 13-14 7:30 p.m. Tulsa PAC. Hear favorite holiday music sung by Sheridan Road for the last time, all in a candlelit atmosphere with assorted wines and desserts. $25-$44. tulsapac.com A CHRISTMAS CABARET DEC. 14 6:30 p.m. Great Hall, Trinity Episcopal Church, 501 S. Cincinnati Ave. Dinner, silent auction and concert. $75, per person; $400, tables for six. trinitytulsa.org SIGNATURE SYMPHONY PRESENTS “CHRISTMAS IN TULSA,” WITH CHERISH THE LADIES AND THE SIGNATURE CHORALE DEC. 14-15 7:30 p.m. Van Trease Performing Arts Center for Education, 10300 E. 81st St. Irish-American women’s group returns to celebrate Celtic Christmas traditions with high-energy step dancing, harmonies and instrumentation of popular carols, joined by the Signature Chorale. $60-$80. signaturesymphony.org DAVID PHELPS CHRISTMAS SHOW DEC. 15 7:30 p.m. Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center. Nominated for several Dove Awards, Phelps is known for his three-octave vocal range. $25-$65. brokenarrowpac.com

NATALIE WARREN PRESENTATION OF “MESSIAH” DEC. 16 5 p.m. Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, 1301 S. Boston Ave. The Chancel Choir and soloists, accompanied by Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, perform the George F. Handel oratorio. Free. bostonavenue.org

CAROLS AND CRUMPETS DEC. 1 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Tulsa Garden Center, 2435 S. Peoria Ave. No green thumb? Visit here to purchase holiday wreaths, swags, plants, ﬂowers, herbs and additional decor and gifts. Sponsored by Tulsa Herb Society. Free admission. tulsagardencenter.com

HOME FREE, “A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS” DEC. 29 7:30 p.m. Broken Arrow PAC. Five male a cappella country singers, and winners of the fourth season of “The Sing-Off” on NBC. $25-$65. brokenarrowpac.com

CHRISTMAS IN KENDALL WHITTIER DEC. 1 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Kendall Whittier District, East Admiral Boulevard and South Lewis Avenue. Holiday pop-up shop event in historic district. Free admission. facebook.com/ kendallwhittierpopupshops

JUST FOR KIDS FUN *SANTA HOUSE AT UTICA SQUARE NOV. 23-DEC. 24 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Saturday; noon-6 p.m., Sunday. East 21st Street and South Utica Avenue. Garden area. Kids can visit Santa personally at his own house before he heads off in his Christmas Eve sleigh. Free. uticasquare.com *DEAF/HARD OF HEARING CHILDREN’S HOLIDAY PARTY DEC. 1 2-4:30 p.m. Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, 1301 S. Boston Ave. Refreshments, games, crafts, prizes, stockings, visits and photos with signing Santa and hearing Mrs. Claus. Beneﬁts Total Source for Hearing-loss and Access Inc. Email demerson@tsha.cc. tsha.cc *PICTURES WITH SANTA AT DOG DISH DEC. 2 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 1778 Utica Square. Even your four-legged child wants time with Santa. thedogdish.com *CHRISTMAS AT THE AQUARIUM DEC. 16 1-3 p.m. Oklahoma Aquarium, 300 Aquarium Drive, Jenks. Holiday fun for kids with a visit from Santa. Regular admission. okaquarium.org *BREAKFAST WITH SANTA DEC. 1 AND 8 9 a.m. Tulsa Zoo, 6421 E. 36th St. N. Enjoy a scrumptious hot breakfast, take part in arts and crafts, and most importantly, meet Santa Claus. $24, Tulsa Zoo Friends; $29, non-members; $5, children under 3; reservations required. tulsazoo.org/santa

SHOP TILL YOU DROP AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART NOV. 16-18 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday. RiverSpirit Expo, 4145 E. 21st St. Green Country’s largest arts, crafts and boutique show of its kind with gift items from more than 100 artisans, crafters and independent retailers. $10 for all three days; free, kids 12 and under. heartoftulsa.com THE CENTER’S HOLIDAY MART NOV. 17 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges, 815 S. Utica Ave. Find unique artwork created by Center members at this annual holiday shopping event. Free admission. tulsacenter.org *CHRISTKINDLMARKT NOV. 30-DEC. 2 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday; noon-5 p.m., Sunday. German American Society of Tulsa Event Center, 2301 E. 15th St. Experience Bavarian Germany at this annual event, featuring authentic German holiday decor and ornaments, food, live entertainment and a children’s area with story times and Saint Nikolaus (Santa Claus) visits. Free admission. gastulsa.org

CASCIA CHRISTMAS WALK DEC. 2 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Cascia Hall Preparatory School, 2520 S. Yorktown Ave. Tours of four midtown homes decorated for the holidays by local ﬂorists and designers. Cascia Cafe and Cascia Hall Holiday Market, with live musical entertainment by students at the school. $15, advance tickets; $20, at the door. casciahall.com ALLIDAY SHOW DEC. 7-8 6-9 p.m., Friday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday. Retro Den, 1216 S. Harvard Ave. Annual shopping event featuring local makers. Free admission. theallidayshow.com “OH, WHAT FUN!” HOLIDAY MARKET DEC. 7-9 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday, Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday. Union Multipurpose Activity Center, 6836 S. Mingo Ave. Presented by Junior League of Tulsa Inc. Three-day, one-stop holiday shopping event featuring clothing, gourmet food, gifts, children’s items, jewelry and more from more than 100 vendors. $5, day pass. jltulsa.org

SEASONAL CELEBRATIONS TURKEY TROT NOV. 23 8:30 a.m., 5K run; 9:30 a.m., fun run. BOK Center. Run or walk for the holiday fun of it. $15-$40. fleetfeettulsa.com “I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS” ANNUAL SALVATION ARMY CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON AND FASHION SHOW DEC. 4 10:30 a.m., silent auction; 11:30 a.m., luncheon; noon, program and fashion. Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center, 6808 S. 107th E. Ave. Women in Tulsa media model holiday clothing from chosen stores. Presented by Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary. Benefits Salvation Army. TBA, tickets. salarmytulsa.org JINGLE BELL RUN DEC. 8 9 a.m. BOK Center. Put on your favorite holiday costume or Santa hat. Tie jingle bells on your shoelaces. Participate in the longest-running holiday-themed race anywhere. Benefits Tulsa Arthritis Foundation. $75, express pass; $20-$40. arthritis.org ABATE TOYS FOR TOTS MOTORCYCLE RUN DEC. 9 10 a.m.-5 p.m. West parking lot, Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. Watch hundreds of motorcycles, bedecked in holiday toys, ride from south Riverside Drive, through downtown to Expo Square. One new unwrapped toy for admission. Benefits Toys for Tots. abateofoklahoma.org RUDOLPH RUN DEC. 15 8:30 a.m. Rose District, downtown Broken Arrow. 8:30 a.m., fun run; 9 a.m., 5K run. Don antlers or a red nose and lead the pack! $15-$40. fleetfeettulsa.com TP TulsaPeople.com

SHOP LOCAL

Ida Red's two locations feature Tulsa- and Oklahoma-inspired products.

PERKS OF A LOCAL PURCHASE Shopping at Tulsa businesses benefits us all. BY SARA PLUMMER

ith holiday shopping on the minds of many Tulsa-area residents, there are plenty of shops and restaurants in the metro area that have exactly what customers need for everyone on their list. Shopping at local businesses also benefits the city as a whole. “When you shop locally, you know the merchants are remitting sales tax to the city,” says Mike Kier, finance director for the City of Tulsa. “Sales tax is our largest single source of funding for our general fund. Two-thirds of the general fund expenses are paid for by sales tax. That’s police, fire, streets, parks — the primary government services people rely on.” According to Kier, 9.5 percent of all retail sales take place on the internet, and local sales tax growth is having a hard time catching up with inflation. This summer, The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for states like Oklahoma to require all businesses to collect the tax from Oklahoma customers. States will be working to establish mechanisms to collect the taxes, but it will take years to more fully collect from all these businesses. Only when this is fully in place will the tax remittance responsibility 66

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

be fully equalized among businesses. “What’s more important to me than finances is what Tulsa represents,” Kier says. “For all the years I’ve lived in Tulsa, there are some wonderful people here. There are some nifty places to shop.” Angelene Wright, owner of Ida Red, started out as a store manager when the shop first opened in 2008 on Brookside at 3336 S. Peoria Ave. “As a student at the University of Tulsa, I felt really passionate about Oklahoma and Tulsa,” Wright says. “There weren’t any cool Tulsa T-shirts or merchandise at the time,” so she made her own for the store. “I just kept making Tulsa and Oklahoma items, and I found such joy in it.” Last year, a second Ida Red location opened downtown in the Tulsa Arts District at 208-A N. Main St. “People shopping local, it’s everything,” Wright says. “Owning a local business is really hard. I think I speak for a lot of local businesses when I say we’re all kind of living on the edge. We depend on people coming in and thinking about us when they’re shopping. A $20 purchase means the world to us. It helps support jobs and the local makers we get our merchandise from.”

Jason Decker turned his love of ice cream into Rose Rock Microcreamery, which opened in 2017 in the Boxyard at 502 E. Third St., Unit 35. As a business owner, he also shops locally as much as he can. “We try to source our ingredients locally,” Decker says. “It’s the multiplier effect on your dollars. We spend a dollar at Endicott Farms on blueberries, they spend a dollar somewhere else in the area. It benefits the local community, contributes to the local sales tax and creates jobs locally.” Ultimately, shopping at local businesses gives you something you can’t get with an online purchase, says Kathy Duck, executive director of small business at the Tulsa Regional Chamber. “When you shop at a small local business, whether it’s retail or a restaurant or a service, they’re more flexible to what the consumer needs,” Duck says. “They provide the one-on-one attention. You get better service, and you get more unique products. These are real innovators in the community. “They have this real passion for their community and a pride in Tulsa. Tulsa is talked about with a lot of pride.” TP

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CREATE A COMMUNITY

FOCUSED ON LEGACY. Rodney Gray and his wife, Clevetta, learned about the Legacy Tulsa program through a seminar sponsored by Tulsa Community Foundation. It was important to Mr. and Mrs. Gray that they leave a significant gift in their estate plan without neglecting their children and other family members. “For me it [Legacy] means leaving a tangible contribution behind to ensure the continued success of my family, loved ones and charities dear to my heart,” said Rodney. There is not a better time than now to join Legacy Tulsa. This movement is designed for people just like you to make a charitable gift that helps care for you, your family, and the organizations you passionately support. To learn more about the charities participating in the future of Tulsa and how to impact the next generation visit www.LegacyTulsa.com

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MORE ABOUT TALLGRASS STUDIO Tulsa native CHRISTIAN REED began making leather goods as a childhood hobby, but it was not until he returned to his hometown in 2016 that he decided to turn his passion into a business. Meant to combine western style with a modern aesthetic, each piece uses vegetable-tanned leather, which transitions from a pale tan to a rich, ruddy brown with use. Heavyweight nylon thread and solid brass hardware ensure each bag holds up to its lifetime guarantee. For more information, visit tallgrass-studio.com.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sojourner Packâ&#x20AC;? petite backpack, $260. Tallgrass Studio, 1229 Charles Page Blvd., Unit 1.

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STOREFRONT

Plush llamas, unicorns and sloths are popular with boys and girls of all ages. Various prices.

The Kumi Kreation bracelet maker is popular for kids who want to make and trade bracelets with different patterns and colors. $39.99. For ages 8 and up.

HoverQuad remote cars shift and move in many directions. Some are “chameleons” that take on the colors of the light-up tracks (sold separately). Starting at $24.99; for ages 3 and up.

Jana and Chuck Doyle

The kid in all of us KIDDLESTIX HAS TANTALIZED THE SENSES FOR THREE DECADES. BY KIM BROWN

ince 1987, Kiddlestix has been the savvy shopper’s secret weapon. You can walk into the local toy store just hours ahead of a birthday party, select a gift for the child based on age, enjoy free gift wrapping, and head to the party with a guaranteed winner. The unique toys — many made of long-lasting materials — are plentiful for kids (and adult kids) to handle and experiment with in the store. When Jana Doyle and her husband, Chuck, purchased the store three-and-a-half years ago from the longtime owners, they knew it was imperative to keep Kiddlestix’s experience the same. “A big part of it is customer service. You can either walk in on your way to a party, or — and many people may not know this — you can call ahead, say you want a $25 present for a 5-year-old, and we’ll have it wrapped and even take it out to your car,” Doyle says. “We do like to have a blend of classic toys and the flashy remote-controlled toys kids love,” she says. “Parents want to have something that’s going to last, so things can be passed down. Kids don’t

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

realize sometimes that they want that, too. They want the thing that won’t break down.” Because Kiddlestix has been a mainstay in Tulsa for more than three decades, the Doyles enjoy watching second-generation customers enjoy some of the same toys their parents had. “We have so many people bringing in their kids. Our manager has been here for 20 years,” Doyle says. “Why change something that works so well?” Still, the toys are the stars of Kiddlestix, and the owners are proud to offer classic items, with a mix of the trendy things kids add to their holiday wish lists. What are some of the most popular items today? “Unicorns and llamas — and sloths. Even the llamas and sloths have horns, like unicorns,” she says, pointing to just some of the numerous plush toys. “Kids just love them.” TP

Kiddlestix 3815 S. HARVARD AVE. | 918-749-8697 | KIDDLESTIXTOYS.COM

Kids enjoy tactile toys, like Squishy ﬁgures, because they’re fun to hold. $4-$15. For ages 5 and up.

The three-string Loog guitars come in various colors with cards to teach chords. You also can download a free app so kids can learn to play songs. $79.99; for ages 3 and up.

The store has a wide variety of STEM learning sets to show kids how to build a robot. The Alien Robots science kit includes 10 models. $25 and up; for ages 6 and up.

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Sunday, November 11 2:30pm Tulsa Performing Arts Center Experience the breathtaking 1962 work, “War Requiem,” led by Guest Conductor James Bagwell. This large-scale masterpiece combines the Latin Requiem Mass with the wartime poetry of British writer Wilfred Owen to offer a moving prayer for peace that sounds entirely as relevant today as it did when it premiered in Coventry Cathedral.

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Chickasaw Nation Capitol Building

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TISHOMINGO, ADA, PRAGUE AND STROUD ARE WORTHY OF A ROAD TRIP. BY RHYS MARTIN Nashville hot chicken and wafﬂe at Ole Red

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

very small town in Oklahoma has a story to tell. Many of these stories stretch back to the days of Indian Territory and provide a history lesson alongside the experience of the Sooner State in the 21st century. Tishomingo in south central Johnston County is just such a place. The name of the town comes from a Chickasaw chief who died on the Trail of Tears as his people made their journey west. When the tribe settled, Tishomingo was designated the capital of the Chickasaw Nation. The capitol building was built in 1898 and stands to this day as a museum focusing on tribal history prior to statehood. The grounds are beautifully kept and feature several interpretive plaques and statues. The nearby Chickasaw Council House Museum is the home of a large collection of Chickasaw art and artifacts, which tell more of the tribe’s story. Tishomingo also is known as the home of country music superstar Blake Shelton. A new restaurant and music venue opened on Main Street in 2017 called Ole Red, named for one of Shelton’s hit songs. It features traditional American fare and a stage that attracts a variety of musicians, who come to this town of 3,000 to perform for locals and tourists alike. Sometimes Shelton himself walks through the door to visit with folks and have a bite to eat. Several communities that deserve closer inspection can be found along the drive from Tulsa. If you enjoy live music and prefer a historic venue, Ada is the home of the McSwain Theatre. The old Main Street movie house once hosted the likes of Roy Rogers and Susan Hayward for movie premieres before it made a transition into a stage venue. After a full renovation in 2009, the McSwain made a name for itself as a destination once again for theater performances and various live acts. Founded in 1902 by Czech immigrants, Prague is named after the capital city of the Czech Republic (though it’s pronounced differently: praig instead of prog.) It’s also the hometown of Olympian Jim Thorpe. The town’s Czech heritage is on display every May during its annual Kolache Festival. There’s also a historical museum on Main Street and the National Shrine of the Infant Jesus and church. Prague also is the hometown of the late Olinka Hrdy, a muralist and creative artist whose works once graced the Brady Theater and Riverside Studio in Tulsa. If your path home leads you through Stroud, it’s never a bad decision to stop at the Rock Cafe. This Route 66 institution serves travelers from all over the world who come by to enjoy a meal prepared on “Betsy,” the restaurant’s 75-plus-year-old grill. When construction of the restaurant began in 1936, the rocks that were used came from the building of the Mother Road in the 1920s; the construction was so solid that it survived a devastating fire in 2008. If owner Dawn Welch is in, be sure to ask her how she was involved in the development of Pixar’s 2006 film “Cars.” It’s a fun conversation that truly illustrates the fact that every person has their own story. TP

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illions of aging Americans agree with Dorothy when she said, “There’s no place like home.” According to AARP, 90 percent of people age 65 and older say they prefer to remain in their current residence as they age. But reasons beyond their control often force a move. Fortunately, technology is helping prolong seniors’ time at home, and most of these appliances and services require the same thing: high-speed internet and/or Wi-Fi. “We think about Wi-Fi and it seems like we’ve had it forever, but honestly, it has been very recent,” says Bruce Berkinshaw, director of product management with Cox Communications. The service is expanding and improving as the demand for high-speed connection rises. “While it has come so far in the past 10 years, what it will do in the next 10 years will force us to move further, faster than ever before,” says Tiffani Bruton, director of public affairs with Cox. The company is continuing to increase internet speeds across the service area. Bruton says that 100 percent of Tulsa will be 1G enabled by the end of this year. Savvy seniors are remaining in their homes longer by using several kinds of products that address their health, safety and mental well-being.

HEALTH As telemedicine grows in popularity, so does the demand for products to support it, such as Trapollo. The remote health-monitoring system connects patients with clinicians and physicians any time, day or night. “This is allowing the seniors in the home to feel a bit more independent about health information,” 80

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

No place like home TECHNOLOGY IS HELPING AGING ADULTS REMAIN LONGER IN THEIR HOMES. BY ANNE BROCKMAN Berkinshaw says, because Trapollo eliminates the need to schedule or drive to an appointment, or for a caregiver to do so. Berkinshaw says statistics show that the number of doctors’ visits could be reduced by 30-40 percent if more patients could use the teleconference system. But, do they feel comfortable using the technology? A 2018 survey from the Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research says that nearly 9 in 10 adults ages 40 and older would be comfortable using telemedicine for themselves or an aging loved one, but want that virtual encounter to be just as good as an in-person visit and that their private information remains so. Items like the LiveFine Automatic Pill Dispenser and the Tricella Smart Pillbox help track and dispense medication. If someone forgets a

Trapollo is a telemedicine service that allows patients to video chat with their medical professionals in real time.

pill, audio prompts alert of the missed dosage and a text message can be sent to the individual, physician or caregiver, providing a bit of peace of mind. SAFETY Automation is becoming popular in American homes. For those with aging relatives living in another house, things like smart door locks, motion sensors and thermostats can provide a sense of security. Smart door locks can automatically lock at desired times, as well as send text alerts when someone has opened or locked a door. The same is true with motion sensors, which also can turn on lights when someone enters a room. “Each alert is adaptable to each person,” Berkinshaw says. For example, Berkinshaw installed a motion sensor in his mother’s home so that when her garage door goes up, an entry hall and kitchen light illuminate, making it so that his mother doesn’t have to wrestle with a switch, which could lead to a fall. MENTAL WELL-BEING Boredom and loneliness are common among the elderly living in their home. Children or grandchildren might live out of town. Driving might have become more of a challenge. Obviously, with the popularity of streaming services and endless channels on TV, entertainment is plentiful. Video chats with grandchildren are now a norm for any older adult with a smartphone. What’s the next step? According to Berkinshaw it is virtual reality systems that can allow seniors to go on “virtual vacations” or play with a pile of puppies. TP

COURTESY COX COMMUNICATIONS

SENIOR LIV ING

SENIOR LIVING AT ITS BEST: Minutes From Downtown, Miles From Ordinary. Nestled on 50 secluded acres just outside downtown, Saint Simeon’s has been exceeding expectations in senior care and living since 1960. Residents love the state-of-the-art wellness center, therapeutic indoor pool and enjoying time with friends. Their families enjoy the park-like grounds, feeding the peacocks and watching the grandkids on the playground. But the real difference is our outstanding care. With Saint Simeon’s, families have peace of mind.

Come see for yourself. Call Donna at 918-425-3583 for your free tour today. 3701 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard

Saint Simeon’s is a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

saintsimeons.org

Entertainer Janet Rutland and Nancy Sies at Oklahoma Methodist Manor. Sies books entertainers and cultural acts at local senior living centers.

That’s entertainment BOOKING ACTS AT LOCAL RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES BY ANNA HOLTON-DEAN

rom baby boomers to the World War II set, different generations are now coexisting as neighbors at many senior living centers. Some like big band; some love rock ‘n’ roll, jazz or the symphony. And although they might no longer go clubbing or to concerts, they still want entertainment. Tulsan Nancy Sies is on a mission to bring them a range of cultural entertainment just as diverse as the residents themselves. Sies, once the director of the Tulsa Philharmonic, began the business of bringing entertainment to senior communities a little over 20 years ago. She says performers were hesitant at first regarding the unique venue — until she ex-

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

plained, “These are the same people who came to see you at the PAC. Now they just can’t drive to get there.” So, Sies brings top-quality performances to them. Irene Monnet Brown, life enrichment coordinator at Oklahoma Methodist Manor, says Sies’ expertise in choosing artists the residents will enjoy has been a welcomed “blessing.” “I have been familiar with Nancy since her days as executive director of the Tulsa Philharmonic,” Brown says. “We both returned to Tulsa after living elsewhere for many years at about the same time, and I was delighted to hear about her business. I trust Nancy’s judgment implicitly, so when she tells me

that a performer would be good for our audience, I know they will be.” To match every taste and genre, Sies books a variety of entertainers, from classical musicians and jazz singers to multicultural groups and speakers. “Senior communities are made up of people with a variety of experiences and preferences,” Sies says. “Some people would like classical concerts all the time; some would like popular music from the 1940s. “As people born after World War II move into senior communities, they will want more current popular music. Last week, one of my (senior community activities directors) asked for a doo-wop band.” Sies’ philosophy is: Every audience deserves the best. “Most of the audiences we perform for have been exposed to fine concerts throughout their lives, and they expect the same level of artistry,” she says. Brown agrees that is the case for the majority of residents at Oklahoma Methodist Manor. “Many of our residents are long-time attendees of the symphony, opera and other top-performing venues, so they know and enjoy quality and professionalism. They are also a wonderfully warm and appreciative audience, so performers love to come here.” Performers put on the same program they would in any major venue, but the relaxed setting — going into the audience’s home — creates a less formal environment. “Performers are more apt to talk directly to the audience, and seniors really like a little explanation about the music and, sometimes, the instrument itself,” Sies says. “For example, one of the performers I work with plays pianoforte, which is a predecessor of today’s piano. It looks like a small grand, but it has a different sound. The audience is fascinated, and they sometimes ask if they can try to play it. “After a performance, audience members will stay and talk to the performer. This is much easier in a senior community than it is in a regular concert hall,” Seis says. One other consideration that makes Sies’ job so crucial for senior communities is the fact that it might be the only activity some residents are able to enjoy, which further motivates her to bring the best in quality entertainment. “We book professional performers, so the feedback is almost always really good,” Sies says. “One of the programs we book is Ron Wheeler’s ‘Music Talks.’ Ron talks about classical music, and after showing some videos/DVDs, he discusses the music with the audience. “Ron is the longtime music director of the Tulsa Youth Symphony, and almost invariably there is somebody there who had a child or grandchild in the Youth Symphony. In the case of jazz pianist Don Ryan, so many people have heard him over the years, and his performances bring back wonderful memories.” Knowing a performance could be a resident’s first or last adds extra significance for the artists, and it’s something Sies does not take for granted. “It’s extremely satisfying to bring a couple of hours of joy and happiness to seniors who can’t go out to a concert venue,” Sies says. “It’s quite an exciting thing to be able to do.” TP

GREG BOLLINGER

SENIOR LIV ING

We invest in our associates, and encourage our associates to invest in each other – or to do for each other with love.

Local Company Ranked #3 in the Nation for Senior Housing Senior Star began its journey in senior housing nearly 30 years ago here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Burgundy Place and Woodland Terrace were the first two senior living communities purchased, but the organization now operates 14 retirement communities nationwide. Senior Star is a recognized leader in aging services, providing compassionate care and support to residents and their loved ones; but recently Senior Star was recognized nationally for being an employer of choice. Senior Star is ranked #3 in Fortune magazine’s first-ever list of Best

Workplaces for Aging Services. Being certified as a Great Place to Work™ is an honor that was dependent entirely on Senior Star associates’ input. More than 95% of Senior Star associates said they have great pride in what they do and feel good about the way they contribute to the community. They also cite a great atmosphere where they feel they can make a difference, and where they can tackle challenges and feel proud of successes. This makes Woodland Terrace and Burgundy Place more than just great places to work – they are also great places to live! Residents lead

918.518.0153

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lives filled with purpose and joy served by associates who are inspired and supported by leadership they can trust, and united as exceptional stewards for seniors and for those who love them. “We invest in our associates, and encourage our associates to invest in each other – or to do for each other with love,” says CEO Anja Rogers. “These investments make a difference for those we serve. At Senior Star, aligning service with purpose creates not only fulfilling communities in which to live but also great places for people to work.”

71st & Mingo, Tulsa • seniorstar.com/woodlandterrace

SENIOR LIV ING

Erica D. Parker, center, is a member of the Signature Quartet and founded Signature Symphony’s Helpful Harmonies for Wellness, a music program that helps those with memory loss.

Music therapy

SIGNATURE SYMPHONY PROGRAM HELPS THOSE WITH DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER’S.

rofessional cellist Erica D. Parker has performed for thousands, but her favorite performances have always been those she gave for her father, Gig Parker. “My dad was a physicist, and he worked for a major oil company and was the top salesman for his corporation, but later in life, he would start to forget things,” Parker says. “We would go to see him, and he wouldn’t converse with us. He would just sit and watch television. We couldn’t get him to come out of his cocoon.” Their father was suffering from dementia, a disorder marked by memory loss, personality changes and impaired reasoning. “One day, I thought, ‘Well, he’s not going to talk to me, so I might as well take my cello over there and play some music,’” says Parker, who is the director of education outreach over Tulsa Community College’s Signature Symphony and is the part of the Signature Quartet, and is a professor at TCC and Oral Roberts University. “Music is my language anyway, so I kind of did it without really thinking about it.” When Parker began to play for her father, something unexpected happened: He responded. “It was amazing,” she says. “When I would play,

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

Dad would become himself again. He would start to interact with us again. He would talk. He would converse with us, and remember our names. The music gave our dad back to us.” So impactful was the experience that Parker drew on it to develop a program with her fellow Signature Symphony Quartet musicians to do the same for other people facing memory loss through dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Signature Symphony’s Helpful Harmonies for Wellness uses innovative musical techniques to help those suffering memory loss by improving their motor, cognitive and social skills. Parker says she and her colleagues spent six months researching and developing the program before launching it in March 2017. Along with conducting online research, they worked with a physician and the music therapy department at ORU, as well as TCC’s nursing department. Once she finalized the program’s elements, Parker and her fellow Signature Quartet members — Jeff Smith, Rachel Hay and Corbin Bodley — began putting it into practice at senior facilities, nursing homes, assisted care facilities and memory loss units in the Tulsa area.

“We targeted places where the residents are dealing with memory loss,” she says. “We wanted to go to work in places where the people there would most benefit from it.” They visit about 10 facilities several times a year. There, they work with residents, their families and caregivers, tailoring their song list to patient preferences — ragtime, classical, or even Johnny Cash, arranging “Folsom Prison Blues” for strings. Since initiating the program, Parker says she has seen “amazing” results in its participants. “When we come in to some of these places, people are silent, but once we start playing, they start interacting, socializing, becoming more themselves again,” she says. One woman, a former pianist, “just came alive,” Parker says. “Her face just lit up and she started playing ‘air piano’ right next to me.” Parker says the program is the only one like it she’s aware of in the United States, and it has already been selected for a medical study. “Seeing these people connect with the people around them, and seeing them reconnect with themselves, is priceless,” she says. “To see them have joy and happiness again … there’s nothing else like it.” TP

COURTESY ERICA D. PARKER

BY TOM FINK

Montereau 6800 S. Granite Ave. • Tulsa, OK 74136 • 1.866.419.2517 • Montereau.net

ontereau is the area’s premier not-for-profit retirement community. With hometown roots built on 15 years of service, we’re committed to leading the future of senior living in Tulsa. We do this with a combination of first-rate services, a beautiful and convenient location in the heart of the city and a culture of gracious camaraderie. Residents at Montereau are quick to welcome others and enjoy retirement confidently, knowing Life Care will protect their future. Every day, they encounter choices to enrich their lives, whether it’s a brisk stroll on our winding paths, a lively cocktail party in the City View Lounge or spoiling themselves in the spa. As one resident puts it, “That’s what Montereau is all about — meeting new people and engaging in life.” NOTABLE DISTINCTIONS

Minimum Age Requirement .............................. 55 Number of Residences ....................................473 Entrance Fee and/or Security Deposit ..............Yes Pets Allowed ...................................................Yes

Only two lots remain for a custom Garden Home. These beautiful, freestanding 3,000-plussq.-ft. residences can be completely customized inside and out with your ideal floor plan and high-end finishes to make you feel at home. Amenities include a three-car garage, interior and exterior maintenance, safe room, back-up generator and 24-hour security. Call 1-866-419-2517 today to learn more — these lots won’t last long.

THIS IS

Ted and Joann’s Montereau. The Robertsons are true social butterflies. Or as they like to say, “We love making new friends.” With so many activities available at Montereau, they have a lot of opportunities to meet folks. They enjoy going to movies in the community theater and taking advantage of all the campus amenities.

This is the Robertsons’ Montereau. What will yours be?

RAISING RETIREMENT EXPECTATIONS. Discover how we do it here at Montereau. Call 1-866-419-2517 for your personal tour.

1-866-419-2517 | Montereau.net TulsaPeople.com

Oklahoma Methodist Manor 4134 E. 31st St. • Tulsa, OK 74135 • 918.574.2590 • ommtulsa.org

klahoma Methodist Manor strives to improve the quality of life for seniors by providing housing, nutrition and health care services that meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of each member. Open to those ages 62 and over, The Manor features 215 residential independent living homes. Levels of care are available just a few steps away, including rehabilitation, long-term and memory care. For the square footage, Oklahoma Methodist Manor is a great value among independent living communities. The fees to join and reside at The Manor cover a wide variety of amenities: dining, residence maintenance, 24-hour security, fitness center, weekly housekeeping, utilities, an urgent response system and much more. There are also less tangible amenities at The Manor — a culture that is relaxed, friendly and comfortable, a community that fosters a “neighborly” atmosphere of caring and the sort of multi-generational experience that only comes after being in operation for over 60 years. Although The Manor is a faith-based Christian nonprofit, members of all faith communities are welcome. The Manor’s local, volunteer governing board is committed above all else to making OMM the preeminent partner in offering a comprehensive care community for seniors and their families. NOTABLE DISTINCTIONS

Minimum Age Requirement ....................................................62 Number of Residences ......................................................... 215 Entrance Fee and/or Security Deposit ...................................Yes Pets Allowed ........................................................................Yes

Right on the front line ?!?

Oklahoma Methodist Manor is conveniently located in midtown Tulsa, just minutes from downtown Tulsa and close to a number of popular shopping, entertainment and dining districts. Oklahoma Methodist Manor staff members frequently plan excursions to nearby attractions and day trips to regional destinations.

R OT F L NO... It’s run over 2 fishing lines

JK rolling on the floor laughing!!! OYWR! Oh yes we are! I’m glad you’re my BFF

Best Friends Forever

Discover a community dedicated to nurturing the body, mind, spirit and emojie of every individual. 4134 East 31st Street Tulsa, OK 74135 918-574-2590 www.ommtulsa.org 86

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

Life made better. Life made simple. Aberdeen Memory Care of Tulsa has become synonymous with exceptional residential care for seniors. Our focus on serving our residents, meeting their needs, and exceeding their wants defines the Aberdeen Memory Care lifestyle.

Call today to schedule your personal tour!

918.591.2525 | AberdeenMC.com 7210 S. Yale Avenue | Tulsa, OK 74136 AL 7258-7258

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MUSINGS

SOMETIMES THE SKY REALLY IS FALLING

or some years now, in my garden room that overlooks the backyard, two or three strips of the hardwood floor buckle from time to time. Just enough to affect my balance. I have nearly fallen a couple of times. Oh, that’s bad news. No, that’s good news because it inspired me to have it repaired before I really do fall. That’s good news. No, that’s bad news because when the carpenter pulled up a small section of the flooring he said, “Uh. Oh. You’d better come look at this.” We could push our hands through the sub-floor, which had rotted from water damage. Oh, that’s bad news. No, it’s good news because now the mystery of the buckling hardwood floor was solved and the floor could be repaired before it got worse. I could repair it before it became an emergency. That’s good news. No, it’s bad news because when we pulled up a section of floor the size of a Buick, it already was an emergency. Some floor joists and beams underneath were damaged, too, so the repair project now was enormous. Even worse, nobody could figure out where the water had come from, but water

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

marks showed that it had stood several inches deep under the floor. The plumber, as industrious as a groundhog, crawled under every foot of the house and ruled out a leaking pipe. “Ah ha,” I said. “It had to be the broken water pipe that was repaired 10 years ago.” Mystery solved. That’s good news. No, it’s bad news because this means insurance won’t pay for the repair. But, we have to be brave and strong in life and with home repairs, so the day dawned when cleanup was finished, the soil was dry and repairs began. And then. One rainy morning as I walked out the door to go to a meeting, I heard gurgling. Splashing. More water was pouring into the garden room and standing in deep puddles. Carp would have been happy there. Easy to see the water this time because most of the floor was gone. Now that is bad news. No, it’s good news because what if we had put in the new floor and water kept coming in. In a few years, we’d have a repeat of water damage to the new floor. After much more crawling around, in and under and around the house, we discovered the source of the leak — a broken French drain. Now

repairs could be made to the drain and to the floor and my life could get back to order. The pets and I could return to our garden room. I didn’t have to worry about Isabelle the cat getting into the hole in the floor and disappearing under the house. Zeke the dog could resume his place on the window seat keeping watch for killer squirrels invading the backyard. Peace and serenity returned. To celebrate, I wanted comfort food. A bacon and tomato sandwich, I thought. So I hurried happily to the neighborhood shop that sells tomatoes homegrown in a greenhouse. “We’re not selling those tomatoes anymore,” the woman told me. “Not selling them?” “No, Bob has gone out of the tomato business.” “Gone out of the tomato business?” I was repeating everything she said as if I were trying to learn a foreign language. “Why?” “He has stopped growing tomatoes and is going to start growing medical marijuana instead.” No fresh tomatoes? Sometimes the sky really is falling. TP

GEORGIA BROOKS

BY CONNIE CRONLEY

Find us on

RACQUET AND HEALTH

HOLIDAY SPECIALS

Dr. Kara Herrington | Dr. Erin Reed | Dr. Mark Shackelford | Dr. Cristen Thomas

We Welcome You To Our Walk-In Clinic

We are a unique and compassionate clinic devoted to the health and well-being of your family's pets. As a walk-in clinic we do not schedule exams so feel free to stop by any time during our office hours. New patients are always welcome with no need to call ahead. However, a reservation is required for surgery, boarding and bathing appointments. We warmly welcome you and your pet to become a part of our clinic's family!

• BARRE 10 for $75 • TRX 5 for $60 • Personal Training 3 for $99 • Reformer Pilates 5 for $99 • Les Mills Group Fitness & Mat Pilates included w/ membership MEMBERSHIPS STAR T AT

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Your Best Friend. Our Best Medicine. 6231 E. 15th St. | 918.835.2336 | 15thStVet.com

presents

in concert

Saturday, December 1, 7:30pm Tulsa Performing Arts Center

A true holiday favorite, this beloved comedy classic features composer John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live to picture by the Tulsa Symphony. Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin McCallister, an 8-year-old boy who’s accidentally left behind when his family leaves for Christmas vacation, and who must defend his home against two bungling thieves. Hilarious and heart-warming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family!

BEAUTY & WEIGHT MANAGEMENT Am I a candidate for non-invasive vaginal rejuvenation? FemTouch vaginal rejuvenation is a non-invasive procedure that treats many health issues while also improving sexual health. If you are a woman over the age of 20 and are bothered by vaginal dryness, laxity, itching or stress urinary incontinence, you may be a candidate for FemTouch laser vaginal rejuvenation. To find out more how this procedure can improve your vaginal health in just a few minutes, schedule a complimentary consultation with BA Med Spa and Weight Loss Center at 918-872-9999.

The 2018 Tulsa Guest Guide ! is available 24/7 at

TULSA GUEST GUIDE

Malissa Spacek and Dr. James Campbell BA Med Spa & Weight Loss Center 500 S. Elm Place • Broken Arrow, OK 74012 918-872-9999 • www.baweightspa.com

GENERAL DENTISTRY Can you tell me more about suture-free “pinhole” grafting of the gums? A tiny pinhole is made in the gum tissue where gum recession exists. Special instruments are used to cleanse and prepare the root surface and to move the tissue to cover the exposed root surface. Collagen is placed between the teeth and bone to hold gum tissue in place. No sutures are used. Results are often immediate. Call today to see if you are a candidate for this quick procedure

Gene McCormick D.D.S. SAFE/COMFORT Dentist 6281 E. 120th Ct. Suite #400 • Tulsa, OK 74137 918-740-0454 • www.drmccormickdds.com info@safecomfortdentist.com

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT I have recently filed for Social Security benefits. Will I have to pay taxes on the benefits? No taxes are due if your Federal Provisional Income (adjusted gross income plus tax-free interest and 50 percent of your SS benefits) does not exceed $25,000 for a single taxpayer or $32,000 if filing jointly. Half the benefits are taxable if the Provisional Income is between $25,000$34,000 for single filers, and between $32,000-$44,000 for joint filers. Once you exceed the higher threshold, up to 85 percent of your benefits are taxable.

J. Harvie Roe, CFP, President AmeriTrust Investment Advisors, Inc. 4506 S. Harvard Ave. • Tulsa, OK 74135 918-610-8080 • hroe@amerad.com 90

TulsaPeople NOVEMBER 2018

THE ESSENTIAL 2018 VISITORS’ GUIDE TO

SHOPPING, SIGHTSEEING,

NIGHTLIFE AND MUCH MORE From the publisher of

Magazine and

The Guest Guide is a GREAT resource for both Tulsans and visitors.

HOTEL COPY

The 2019 Tulsa Guest Guide will be published in January. For advertising information, contact adservices@ langdonpublishing.com. Please leave this copy for future guests

Benefiting language arts in schools  with a lesson in leadership using   presidential rhetoric as our guide. December 1st.   Six o’clock.

H O S T E D B Y:   S A M J OY N E R   “ G A L L E RY H O U S E ”

Presidential   Poetry

“In a town with so much history, I love being a part of what’s yet to come.”

Performances by:

HANNIBAL JOHNSON   K AT H Y TAY L O R   M I C H A E L WA L L I S   H O N . S A M J OY N E R   S U S A N S AVAG E   DR. TOM BENNETT  W E N DY T H O M A S   AND MORE…

Angela Byers Owner, Byers Creative MEMBER SINCE 2010

Event chairwoman:

KRISTEN BENNETT

Tickets:

M U S E D O R G A N I Z AT I O N . O R G