during the marriage should be divided through the divorce.
Tracing separate property or assets in a divorce can be an important issue for lots of individuals. Take a situation where somebody has a 401k or IRA before marriage. They have put money into this account before marriage.
They then get married. After marriage, they continue to contribute to this 401k or IRA. At this point, pre-marital separate funds and marital funds are being mixed.
The parties then file for divorce. In these situations, the one spouse is often asking that the entire 401k or IRA be divided in the divorce. The spouse who had funds in these accounts before marriage argues that the pre-marital portion should be set aside to them entirely. And they argue that only the funds put in
The reality, however, is that the separate funds need to be traced out from the account. This often requires a forensic accountant reviewing statements and doing an analysis to determine the amount that was in these accounts during the marriage.
At a minimum, parties may need to subpoena the statements from the date of the marriage to try to determine the amount that was in there. However, it can often be hard to obtain statements at the exact date of the marriage.
In addition to 401ks or IRAs, tracing can be important for other assets like bank accounts, investment accounts, whole life insurance policies, and other assets where a party might have built up cash value before marriage. In some instances, a party might consider having a prenuptial agreement drafted before getting married.
Stange Law Firm, PC limits their practice to family law matters including divorce, child
custody, child support, paternity, guardianship, adoption, mediation, collaborative law, estate planning and other domestic relation matters.
Stange Law Firm, PC gives clients 24/7 access to their case through a secured online case tracker found on the website. They also give their clients their cell phone numbers. Call for a consultation today at 855-8050595.
Ready to get your spring projects o the ground? You’re in luck – experts o er gardening tips, and we explore new home tech, ways to grow your own food, and some home improvement projects to try this year.
e real estate market has been a roller coaster ride over the last few years; low inventory, high interest rates and in ation have contributed to uctuations. Despite the chaos, you can make your real estate goals come to fruition with a little assistance.
Real estate agents around the state are handling market uctuations with ease – nding great success for themselves and their clients. e Top Real Estate Agents listing shines a spotlight on rms of all sizes, recognizing talented agents and displaying their total volumes for 2022.
For adults and children with a minor illness or injury, visit saintfrancis.com/urgentcare to select a time and clinic location to visit, or choose a virtual visit online.
TULSA
Springer Building
6160 South Yale Avenue
918-495-2600
Tulsa Hills
7858 South Olympia Avenue
918-986-9250
South Memorial 10506 South Memorial Drive 918-943-1050
SAND SPRINGS
102 South Main Street 918-246-5750
BROKEN ARROW
Elm Place
2950 South Elm Place, Suite 120 (101st Street and Elm Place) 918-451-5191
Kenosha 1801 East Kenosha Street (71st Street and OK-51) 918-449-4150
OWASSO 11610 North 137th East Avenue (Hwy 169 and 116th Street North) 918-928-4180
*If you are experiencing severe illness, a major injury, symptoms of a heart attack, stroke or shortness of breath, please call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
saintfrancis.com/urgentcare
URGENT CARE HOURS FOR IN-OFFICE VISITS:
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Springer location only)
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
VIRTUAL URGENT CARE: Visit saintfrancis.com/urgentcare to schedule a virtual urgent care visit 24/7/365.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
2023 is ying by – but we’re keeping up the pace with another dynamic Oklahoma Magazine edition for you. Feel free to wish us a happy 27th anniversary this month, too!
March is high time for spring cleaning to commence; we present the annual home and garden feature in tandem (page 36). Interior designers, architects and horticulturists weigh in on the trends, o er gardening tips and explore this year’s most popular home improvement projects.
Going hand-in-hand with that is our real estate spotlight (page 42). Some of Oklahoma’s top experts discuss the market, goals to hit before purchasing a home, and o er advice for lucrative realty investments. Stick around for the Top Real Estate Agents listing, highlighting Oklahoma's highest producers from area agencies (page 50).
We also delve into the world of aeronautics and aviation, investigating career pathways in these lucrative elds, as well as Oklahoma-based companies on the rise and what tech is slated to drop within the decade (page 32).
With spring break around the corner, you’ll want to peruse our State cover for Oklahoma-based ideas, ranging from museums to state parks and preserves and everything in between (page 6). Other goodies include the exploration of history-making Human Rights Commissions in Tulsa and OKC (page 14), as well as a look at our brand-new bull-riding team, the Oklahoma Freedom (page 8).
Stick around for some Saint Patrick’s Day content (pages 13, 54, 57), as well as a tour of a stunning new build home in Bixby (page 20).
Remember – warmer days are just around the corner!
Mary Willa Allen Managing EditorPRESIDENT AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
DANIEL SCHUMAN
PUBLISHER AND FOUNDER
VIDA K. SCHUMAN
MANAGING EDITOR
MARY WILLA ALLEN
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
JOHN WOOLEY
GRAPHICS MANAGER
MARK ALLEN
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
NATALIE GREEN, NATHAN HARMON, SCOTT MILLER, STEPHANIE PHILLIPS, DAN MORGAN, DAVID COBB, SCOTT JOHNSON
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We o er a few Oklahoma alternatives.
Gas station snacks, sunglasses and carefully devised playlists – reminders that the best road trips are a delicate balance of planning and spontaneity.
is spring, you don’t have to travel far to get a change in scenery and break out of the humdrum of a daily routine.
From its state parks to its peculiar tourist attractions, Oklahoma is full of hidden treasures and unexpected destinations that can cure even the most severe cases of wanderlust. Here are a few spots to serve as inspiration for your next outing.
Fresh air works wonders for those needing a hard reset. Oklahoma is home to over 30 state parks and preserves, o ering plenty of wide-open spaces and wilderness to explore.
Located northeast of Lawton, the Wichita Mountains National Wild-
life Refuge spans 60,000 acres of diverse terrains, giving visitors the opportunity to appreciate Oklahoma’s indigenous wildlife – including bison, prairie dogs and longhorn cattle. Travelers can spend all day traversing the refuge’s hiking trails, shing spots, camping grounds and even Mt. Scott, a summit that reaches 2,464 feet above sea level and o ers stellar views.
If you’re looking for a drastic change from the state’s wooded landscapes, check out the Little Sahara State Park in Waynoka. Known for its 1,600 acres of sand dunes, the park looks like a scene from Indiana Jones. e desert’s unique topography is the result of the Cimarron River that once owed through the area, leaving behind terrace deposits that eventually formed dunes. rill-seekers can get their kicks by renting (or bringing) ATVs to race atop the park’s sandy peaks.
ALSO VISIT: Robbers Cave State
You don’t need to head out of state for a dazzling week o .Spring break options abound in Oklahoma, from Quartz Mountain in Lone Wolf (above), to Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park in Chelsea (right) and Robber’s Cave State Park in Wilburton (facing page).
Park, Wilburton; Roman Nose State Park, Watonga; Quartz Mountain State Park, Lone Wolf; and Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Pawhuska.
Want to learn something new? With an array of historical sites, Oklahoma has plenty of fodder to enrich understanding of the state’s culture and history.
Travel back in time at the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center, Oklahoma’s only prehistoric American Indian archeological site open to the public. Situated a stone’s throw from Spiro, the site was a trading hub for prehistoric Mississippian cultures. Visitors can follow walking trails to see the twelve mounds where artifacts were uncovered, and tour interpretive exhibits to learn about some of Oklahoma’s earliest known history.
Stroll the brick sidewalks while admiring architecture from bygone eras in the Guthrie Historic District, the largest contiguous district on the National Registry of Historic Places. Originally the state capital, the city of Guthrie was a hotspot of activity during the Land Run of 1889. Visitors can enjoy a mecca of antique shops, museums and local eateries within a walking distance from one another.
ALSO VISIT: Sequoyah’s Cabin, Sallisaw; Fort Washita, Durant; Honey Springs Battle eld, Checotah.
After years of development, the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City opened its doors in September 2021.
e state-of-the-art museum educates visitors about the 39 distinct Native American tribes in Oklahoma through art exhibits and educational programming. Visitors can spend the day exploring the 175,000-square-foot facility and grab a bite to eat at irty Nine Restaurant, which serves Indigenous-inspired cuisine.
Nestled in the heart of midtown Tulsa, Philbrook was the home of oil tycoon Waite Phillips in the 1920s. Philips and his family lived in the Italianate mansion, known as Villa Philbrook, for 11 years before donating the property to serve as an arts center. In addition to its three levels of Native American, European and American art collections, the museum features 25 acres of lush garden grounds, where visitors can discover sculptures, a cabin and friendly garden cats.
ALSO VISIT: OKCMOA, OKC; MabeeGerrer Museum of Art, Shawnee; Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, Tulsa.
Many of Oklahoma’s cities have invested in bolstering their tourism over the last two decades, bringing about many attractions for both travelers and locals.
Beloved Food Network star Ree Drummond selected her hometown, Pawhuska, as the destination for the Pioneer Woman Mercantile. Since its grand
opening in 2016, the spot has been bustling with shoppers looking to taste mouthwatering dishes and snag home goods designed with Drummond’s whimsical air. In February, the mercantile reopened after undergoing renovations to its retail area and bakery. Visitors can even reserve tickets to tour the Lodge at the Drummond Ranch, where the television personality lms her show.
After two years and $11 million in renovations, the Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City reopened its Crystal Bridge Conservatory in November 2022. e newly updated space includes a re ecting pool, terraces, cascading waterfalls and a diversi ed plant collection that immerses visitors in a tropical oasis.
ALSO VISIT: Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve, Bartlesville; Woody Guthrie Center, Tulsa; National Weather Center, Norman.
ere isn’t a more iconic road in American culture than Route 66 – known as America’s Mother Road. As one of the country’s rst highway systems, Route 66 stretches over 2,000 miles, beginning in Chicago and ending at the Santa Monica pier in California. More than 400 miles stretch through Oklahoma, which are renowned as some of the most drivable and scenic portions of the route. Travelers can learn more about Route 66 history by stopping at one of its many dedicated museums in Elk City, Clinton and Chandler.
ALSO VISIT: e Blue Whale, Catoosa; Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park, Chelsea; the Pops 66 Soda Ranch, Arcadia. With so many destinations and landmarks, there’s plenty to do in Oklahoma this spring, even for lifelong residents. No matter what the destination may be, every memorable road trip is de ned by the surprises along the way. FAITH HARL
Long gone are the days of the lone ranger – but now Oklahoma o ers something new. Formed in 2022, the Oklahoma Freedom became one of the founding teams to join the ranks of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Team Series, an elite league of eight groups comprising some of the world’s most competitive bull riders.
“[Bull riding] is so much more of a team sport than we ever thought it would be originally,” says Cord McCoy, head coach of the Freedom and a ve-time International Professional Rodeo Association world champion. “In one year, we have felt the e ectiveness of what a team can do for each other. We’ve learned faster and better as a team than we did individually.”
e PBR Team Series touts a new, tournament-style format for one of America’s longest-standing rodeo
sports. For 10 weeks, the eight PBR teams square o in ve-on- ve bullriding competitions. e highestscoring teams advance through the bracket – with the hopes of competing in the nal PBR Team Series Championship.
e PBR Team Series was in development for several years before kicking o its rst season last year. McCoy, who was born and raised in Oklahoma, was thrilled to receive the opportunity to lead the state’s rst o cial bull-riding team.
“Oklahoma’s got the best, most loyal fans,” he says. He credits the enthusiasm for the team, in part, to its strong performance during the inaugural season, placing fourth in the nal PBR Team Series Championship.
e team, however, fought an uphill battle to secure the spot. e Freedom was nearly eliminated mid-season after losing to the Nashville Stampede. In a glorious redemption, the team delivered four consecutive 90-point scores in the Last Chance Game, beating the Missouri under and Kansas
Following this comeback, the Freedom went on to win seven games in a row, including victories at the Freedom Fest in Oklahoma City.
“We went on the longest-winning streak that has ever been done,” says McCoy. e Freedom was also the rst PBR team to score a victory in its hometown.
e team’s winning stretch earned a spot in the semi nals, where they eventually lost against the Arizona Ridge Riders.
While they didn’t nab the championship title, the team’s overall performance has built up momentum for next season.
“We got a taste of success, and now we know what this group of guys can do,” says McCoy.
e Freedom consists of 12 professional bull riders. ree of them – Deklan Garland, Shawn Bennett Jr. and Trevor Kastner – hail from Oklahoma.
In putting together a team, McCoy selected riders with di erent levels of experience. e team’s veteran riders are Kastner, Chase Outlaw and Eli Vastbinder. Sitting on injured reserve is Jess Lockwood, a two-time winner of the PBR World Championship.
Come game time, McCoy selects ve riders to duke it out in the ring with the opposing team. Each rider must stay on their bull for at least 8 seconds to score points.
“ ere’s always that rank bull – or most dangerous bull – and somebody has to take on for the team,” says McCoy. “We need guys that will step out there for the team and slay the dragon.”
e Freedom was last in the draft for the 2022 season.
However, McCoy has con dence in the team, with plans to keep the roster the same for the upcoming season. e three-day 2023 PBR Team Series Championship will commence on Oct. 20 in Las Vegas.
“It’s awesome that we can go into year two with the same group of guys and throw our three veteran [bull riders] in there,” says McCoy. “I think we’ve got a very good chance to win the whole thing in 2023.”
FAITH HARLOklahoma Freedom has become one of the founding groups in the Professional Bull Riders Team Series.Oklahomans now have a new team to root for –the Oklahoma Freedom, part of the Professional Bull Riders Team Series.
rofessional softball team the Oklahoma City Spark is elevating the sport – and the state – as the newest franchise of the Women’s Professional Fastpitch Softball League (WPF). e team, the third announced in the franchise, begins its rst season in June.
e OKC Spark leadership – and professional softball leadership as a whole – is dominated by women.OKC Spark owner, Tina Floyd, is the rst female owner in WPF history; she and her husband, co-owner Robert, are Oklahoma natives and business owners/entrepreneurs. Floyd, a longtime University of Oklahoma softball supporter, has been a continuous champion for women throughout her life.
“My husband and myself have three adult daughters; raising girls helped me understand the need to teach them the value of owning who they are and what they can do with their lives,” she says. “I want them to accomplish more than I have in whatever ignites them. I want them to be unapologetic for having a seat at the table, and not ever be silenced because of their gender. I feel the same passion for the ladies that will be rep-
Presenting the OKC Spark. Understand your worth and own it.”
Alongside that passion for supporting women is a true love for the sport itself.
“I got involved in the professional world of softball by watching and befriending the best in the collegiate world, Coach [Patty] Gasso [of OU]. I played as a child, through high school and loved the sport,” says Floyd. “Watching collegiate softball has inspired me to help create a space where these world-class athletes can continue to play the sport they love and dominate.”
Leading the OKC Spark team is head coach Amber Flores – who held the same position at Seminole State University prior. With the Seminole Trojans, Flores’ guided the team to the Junior College World Series ve times in nine seasons. Flores, who played for OU and professionally, earned the NJCAA Region II Coach of the Year award ve times.
Women’s Professional Fastpitch Commissioner Lauren Chamberlain, who also played at OU, has had a decade-long vision of acquiring an Oklahoma City franchise.
“Signing on the dotted line on an Oklahoma City team has been a literal dream come true,” said Chamberlain in a press release. “To give our young girls the opportunity to witness the professionals of our sport is priceless. We see how Oklahoma supports softball, and I have no doubt that it will do the same with the Spark.”
e OKC Spark has eight con rmed players signed as of mid-February, with two more to be announced in the following weeks, says Floyd.
“ ere will be a draft in April where we will have four selections,” she adds. e USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in OKC will host all the team’s home games for 2023. e season begins on June 15 and nishes Aug. 17 after post-season play. Goals are lofty, but morale is high.
“We want to put the most competitive team out on the eld every game,” says Floyd. “We want to win the championship. O the eld, I want our women to have the rst-class experience they deserve. I hope for young athletes to get to come to the ballpark to watch and hopefully meet their idols. I want the Spark to be a community team that allows opportunities for all fans to be engaged. We want to give back to the city of OKC and be partners for years to come.”
Floyd says that while professional softball teams in Oklahoma have been attempted before, roadblocks have occurred.
“ e time is now to invest in women and in the sport, and create a team and league that understand the value of the women in this space,” she says. “It is not just a pastime; young athletes look up to these females for their accomplishments both on and o the eld.”
GINA A. DABNEY & MARY WILLA ALLEN Former OSU outfielder Chelsea Alexander was signed to the OKC Spark in December.A professional softball team will soon begin its inaugural season in OKC.
In 1962, the Houston Chronicle dubbed Je erson Spivey as the fastest draw in the modern west. Spivey then migrated to Hollywood, where he taught actors to draw, twirl and holster a .45 Colt handgun.
Impassioned by the Wild West mystique, Spivey ful lled a childhood dream in 1968. He saddled up an Arabian horse, Mister Sol, in Santa Barbara, Calif. en, Spivey rode 4,000 miles, blazing his own trails through back roads and wilderness areas across the U.S., to Rehoboth Beach, Del. A media frenzy created a mushrooming fan base that greeted Spivey from coast to coast.
As the rst man in modern history to ride horseback across the nation, Spivey lived o the land – except for a few meals
in-the-saddle pilgrimage, Spivey was featured in 1971 on To Tell the Truth – a popular television game show.
“I wanted to nd the America I had grown up reading about,” says Spivey. “I was fearful that it would be gone.”
Spivey’s adventures continued when, in 1976, he and his son rode bicycles coast to coast. en in 1984, Spivey again tightened the latigo on his cinch, riding horseback through the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico. He conquered Africa’s Namib Desert on horseback two years later.
Born in Erick, one-year-old Spivey lost his father in 1935. Left to raise six children alone during the Great Depression, his mother placed Spivey and two siblings in an orphanage. Tenyear-old Spivey ran away, beginning his life-long quest for adventure.
Besides his expeditions, Spivey authored a variety of articles released by National Geographic, Horse and Rider and other publishers. He also penned four books, including Wind Drinker, chronicling his 1968 trek. His Wind Drinker dedication reads: “For the dreamers and the doers, and especially for those who are one and the same.”
Spivey’s daughter, Tecla Coslett, says her dad was also a musician, songwriter, poet, playwright, inventor, gun
A dense and thorny underbrush ripped the skin off Spivey’s knuckles during his 1968 journey – to the bone. That same year, he created a knife to prevent such painful incidents. Using tank armor steel, he crafted his utilitarian, trademarked Sabertooth knife so anyone could use the tool. He personally used the knife for just about everything. His made-in-the-USA Sabertooth doubles as a hatchet and saw, is created for wilderness survival and is a tool that hunters, campers, mountain bikers, backpackers, archeologists and military appreciate to this day. (The knives
Je erson Spivey made his mark on Oklahoma – and the world – several times over.Jefferson Spivey finishes his 4,000 mile horseback ride across America, greeted by fans at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.
OKC is home to over 370,000 residents that are 55+, and VillagesOKC is bringing them together to rede ne life, remain active and hold onto independence. But VillagesOKC is a plan – not a place.
“Villages is a community of trusted individuals, organiza-
needed in order to age with vitality and purpose,” says Marilyn Olson, the group’s executive director. “Although we connect virtually through our website, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, we have monthly meet-ups in all kinds of locations. So we are meeting new friends and being challenged by people we didn’t previously know.” e network involves a web of local resources to help seniors age well at home, and also to help their families. And Villages works with other senior organizations to create as many aging support services as possible.
Villages o ers members a pleth-
an escape plan and sit. We need to keep planning ahead for the bumps in the road.
“When we serve, we feel better, and that helps combat loneliness. e goal is to help people connect at the point of their interests or needs, and in the process, nd friends.”
Members pay dues, and may choose from an ongoing, regular calendar of events and opportunities. And Villages allows members to engage with others and grow in a safe environment, because all members must pass a background check.
VillagesOKC, described as a “community of trusted individuals, organizations and professionals,” works to connect seniors with information and resources to help them age well.
events, transportation assistance,
“We’re out to share so that others will have con dence,” says Olson. “We have a huge veterans initiative. And we have connections with churches. ere’s strength in numbers, and we want to ll the gaps for seniors.”
Members of Villages hail from Guthrie, Norman, Choctaw, El Reno and other cities around the region. e group includes members who are 101, and members in their 40s who asked to join.
Overall, says Olson, “we are changing the conversation about aging.”
CAROL MOWDY BONDThe Villages’ program that’s been around the longest, The GIFT – Gathering Information For Transitions – is a four-week interactive workshop, with 90 minute sessions, that guides participants through time-saving techniques which provide rapid access to key information.
Facilitators lead participants through discussions about life transitions that range from downsizing, refinancing a home, moving a parent into one’s home or general legal issues.
Each participant ends up with a notebook in which they’ve placed their personal information and decisions, so that they can plan ahead. Participants meet attorneys, real estate agents, funeral directors, estate sale pros and other trusted professionals, not as salespeople, but as new friends who answer questions.
It’s always a treat to see Oklahomans make it to the big leagues – whether that’s in business or in front of a crowd. One such shining example of the latter is performer Elvie Ellis. He currently plays Judas in the touring Broadway show Jesus Christ Superstar, but his love for theatre has much deeper roots.
“I grew up in a musical family, so I’ve always had a passion for performing,” he says.
He mentions that as a child, he would often make up skits or dances and perform them for his family, but the need to be on the stage – in front of more than just a few people – soon took precedence.
“I saw my older brother perform in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at our school, Classen SAS. I went to every single performance and rehearsal – mostly because he was my ride to and from school – and I just remember being completely enamored by the entire process.”
Although Jesus Christ Superstar is Ellis’ second touring show, the excitement hasn’t worn o .
“ is is a dream show and role of mine, so I was pinching myself throughout the entire audition pro-
cess,” he says.
Auditions began while Ellis was still touring on the previous show, Waitress. e process started, he says, with a video audition – and then ying out to New York twice to perform in-person.
“It was really serendipitous actually, because the days that my in-person auditions were scheduled just happened to be on days that I didn’t have performances for Waitress, so I was able to audition without missing any shows.”
While he did feel honored to get the role, he also felt like it there was a touch of destiny involved.
“It just felt right, more than anything,” he says. “ is was a role I had been dreaming and praying about doing for so many years, so getting cast felt like an answered prayer, and like everything I had done previously led me to that moment,” he says.
Touring life can be tough, but almost every day is di erent from the last.
“Like with any job, it has its highs and lows,” he says. “Being away from my family and my sweet dog, Baker, is hard, but getting to perform this amazing piece of work for audiences across the country is so special and
compares to almost nothing.”
Since Ellis began collecting roles, he’s gained a few favorite memories – including playing Charles Clarke in Lyric eatre of Oklahoma’s Titanic, as well as the Scarecrow in Classen’s production of e Wiz. “[ e Scarecrow] was my rst principal role, and it was so much fun to recreate such an epic musical with Black in uences,” he says. “My rst national tour with Waitress was a big one for me, too. I was ‘swing’ in that show, so I covered all the ensemble roles, and I understudied three of the male principal tracks. It was a lot of hard work, but a ton of fun.”
Ellis, a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, was cast in a production of e Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber in his collegiate program; this was his rst introduction to Jesus Christ Superstar
“Although I didn’t sing any solos from the show in that concert, I remember being enamored by my peers who did have the solos,” he says. “I also remember thinking I could never sing that music well. Fast forward and here we are; it’s funny how things come full circle.”
DREW JOSEPH ALLENSurely a SuperstarOklahoman and theater professional Elvie Ellis shines a bright light on the state.
here are many stories behind how various groups arrived in Oklahoma. And the tale of the arrival and success of the Irish in Oklahoma is woven throughout the state’s history. e timing of a devastating famine, the opening of the state to non-native inhabitants, and the forced relocation of Native tribes all played a role in bringing the Irish to the state.
In the early 1800’s, Irish trappers and traders were drawn to Indian Territory to ply their trade, and the Irish made up a sizable percentage of U.S. Army personnel who were stationed at the various forts in the territory.
Help for the Irish Potato Famine came from an unexpected source. In 1847, the Choctaw tribe, after hearing about the plight of the Irish and experiencing their own hardships during forced relocation by the U.S. government to Indian Territory, raised $170 (more than $5,000 in today’s dollars) to send for relief.
In 1995, realizing the generosity of the gift, the Irish president at the time, Mary Robinson, visited the Choctaw Nation as a gesture of thanks. The connection between the Irish people and the Choctaws is now memorialized with a large statue in a park in Midleton, County Cork, south of Dublin – the recipients of the generous gift from more than 150 years before.
e 1870s brought Irish, among others of European extraction, for employment in the coal mines near McAlester – making the area very cosmopolitan at the time, according to the online Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Early railroads making their ways across the area also employed a large number of Irish tracklayers, some of whom stayed on after the railroads were built and later abandoned.
Unrest and poor economic prospects, many
Tdue to the devastating potato famine during the 19th century in Ireland and Great Britain, led many Irish to brave the Atlantic. Most didn’t settle in the Oklahoma area immediately – but come to America they did, and in large numbers. According to e British and Irish in Oklahoma by Patrick J. Blessing, the largest population of Irish born residents was recorded in the 1890 census, which was just before the opening of land in Oklahoma Territory to a non-native population. e number of people reportedly born in Ireland, but living in Oklahoma Territory, jumped from 329 in 1890 to 1,384 in 1900 according to U.S. census numbers, probably due to the Oklahoma Land Run opportunities that took place during that time.
roughout their history in the United States, Irish immigrants were di erent from other immigrant groups in that “they rapidly blended into the population, with most marrying Americans” according to e Encyclopedia. And this included marrying into Native American tribes, so much so that many of the participants in forced relocation e orts into Indian Territory had an Irish parent or spouse.
e in uence of Irish immigration on the beginnings of Oklahoma is deeply rooted. From politics to industry to labor and labor unions, the Irish played a signi cant role in the founding of our state.
BONNIE RUCKER The home, built in 1879, housed Irishman Frank Murray, his Choctaw wife Alzira McCaughey Powell and their nine children.The missions of the Oklahoma City and Tulsa Human Rights Commissions are simple: protect, promote and support the human rights of every person in the community, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion or other status.
OKC’s Human Rights Commission met this January for the rst time in 27 years – and Tulsa’s commission has been a catalyst in making that a reality.
e previous OKC Human Rights Commission met from 1980 until the city council disbanded it in 1996. However, Mayor David Holt created the Human Rights Commission Task Force in 2020. After soliciting public comments on the ordinance, it passed on July 19, 2022.
“ e Human Rights Commission will embody the city’s commitment to human rights and help build a community that respects human dignity and opportunity for every person,” said chairperson Valerie Couch in a press release.
e nine members of the OKC commission meet at 11 a.m. every other month. Each of the eight city council members recommended one person to the mayor to represent their ward. Mayor Holt appointed one person at large, who serves as chair. e ordinance establishing the commission requires one member to be a lawyer.
While OKC’s commissioners are just getting their footing again, the Tulsa Human Rights Commission has been making strides to take care of its local citizens’ everyday needs – like education, housing, health and justice.
“ e promotion and protection of human rights is an important part of Tulsans feeling a sense of belonging, safety and social cohesion,” says Krystal Reyes, City of Tulsa’s chief resilience o cer. “ e commission has a key role to play to improve the day-to-day life of Tulsans.”
Tulsa’s commission is made up of 15 members, individually appointed by the mayor and conrmed by the Tulsa City Council. ey serve for three years. ere must be an advocate for veterans, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as liaisons from the Latinx, African American, Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women, and Indian A airs Commission, alongside eight at-large members.
Tulsa commissioners meet at 3:30 p.m on the third Monday of every month in City Hall. ey also meet independently to work on committee-related business and attend various events on behalf of the commission.
Reyes says some of the commission’s primary goals and accomplishments from the past year include:
• Serving as the model for the reformation of the OKC City Human Rights Commission;
• Celebrating International Human Rights Day by launching the inaugural Tulsa Humanitarian of the Year Award in December; the commission honored Vicky Langston, who started a program called Open Tables to bring together people from di erent faiths, as well as posthumously honored Richard Jackson, who launched a program in the mid-1990s to provide tax services to low-income Tulsans;
• Mayor G.T. Bynum signing a proclamation stating that Dec. 10 was “World Human Rights Day” in Tulsa;
• Voting to send a letter addressed to Speaker Pelosi and Representative Hern in support of Kimberly Teehee, a member of the Indian A airs Commission, being sat as a delegate in the House of Representatives in honor of the New Echota Treaty of 1835;
• e Compassionate Tulsa Committee of the Human Rights Commission awarding a compassionate Tulsan award at each monthly meeting; more information about Compassionate Tulsa can be found by visiting compassionatetulsa.com.
ALAINA STEVENSHuman rights commissions ght for all Oklahomans.The Tulsa Human Rights Commission helps to take care of citizens’ everyday needs, like housing, health and social justice.
ubiquitous threetiered rocket slide, as colorful like art and as di erent from traditional playground equipment as “Telstar is from a Conestoga wagon.”
Most of the United States – and arguably much of the world – was enthralled with the idea of space travel in the 1950s and ’60s. And it wasn’t just adults who were entertaining a growing interest in all things space – children were equally as enchanted in the idea of launching o to the moon. So much so that space travel staples, such as rockets and satellites, began to replace the traditional slides and teeter-totters on children’s playground equipment in the era.
Here are a few parks with rocket play structures that you may remember, and some you can still visit today.
ADA: Playground rocket in Glenwood Park
DURANT: Rocket Park
EDMOND: Stephenson Park – an ongoing renovation project saw the removal of a rocket slide last fall, but parts will be used as an art piece in the completed park
MIAMI: Rocket slide in Jaycee Park
MOORE: Rocket slide in Fairmoore Park – removed in 2000
OKLAHOMA CITY: Stars and Stripes Park rocket ship slide –removed in 2007
In the March 1963 LIFE Magazine, with a young Fidel Castro on the cover, an article titled “Playgrounds Take a Space-Age Spin” gives a colorful, if very indicative of the times, description of the playgrounds.
“It is once again that time of year when children explode from steam-heated houses – but the familiar playground cry of ‘Bang, bang, you’re dead!’ is giving way to ‘Blast o !’ is space-age switch from the TV-style fast draw to the countdown is encouraged to no end by the latest in playground equipment,” the article reads. It goes on to describe the new structures, which often seemed to include the
But it wasn’t just the United States that was encouraging a childhood interest in space through play, as these playgrounds were showing up in the USSR and other Eastern Bloc countries at the time, too. An Atlas Obscura article from 2013 with the unlikely title “ e Essential Guide to Soviet Playgrounds: Fun and Games in the USSR,” o ers examples and pictures of 1960s era playground equipment in the former communist collection of countries. Many rockets, similar to the ones in U.S. playgrounds at the same time, are featured.
e reason that this information may seem oddly familiar is that many of these playground structures endured through the 1970s and 1980s, and some even into the 21st century. Many readers have probably slid down a rocket slide or climbed atop satelliteshaped climbing bars. But, as a new focus on increased safety measures came into play after the creation of the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1973, many playgrounds were renovated. And the focus on space travel was not as strong for later generations.
Not all of the rocket slides are gone. Many can still be found in older playgrounds around the country and in Oklahoma. But as these space-themed playgrounds are removed, a few have rooted themselves in nostalgia to such a degree that some communities, after removing the actual structures, have erected statues to pay tribute.
BONNIE RUCKER Space-inspired playground equipment was highly popular in the 1950s-1960s.e space race in uenced a variety of infrastructure programs around the world, including playgrounds in Oklahoma.
If you’re looking for a relaxing activity or an adventurous outing, native wildlife is ready to reveal its wonders. Must-see parks include Black Mesa State Park and Nature Preserve, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge, and the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
Black Mesa State Park, located in Oklahoma’s northwest corner, shares borders with Colorado and New Mexico and is home to a wide variety of wildlife including antelope, bighorn sheep, black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, elk, red and gray foxes, prairie dogs, horny toads and mule deer.
In the summer, grasshoppers are abundant, representing a rainbow of colors. ey grow to exceptionally large sizes – so big that “the park sta jokingly refer to [them] as ‘grass walkers’ because they can get so big they don’t hop, but just crawl around,” says Taylor Nelson, spokesperson for the state park.
Summer isn’t the only time to see spectacular wildlife in Black Mesa. Nelson suggests visiting in the fall to see tarantulas come out of their burrows and the winter to see bobcats, red, gray and swift foxes, as well as coyotes.
“ e chance to see wildlife is
always there, you just have to take a closer look,” she says.
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is located in the southwest region of the state, hosting an active breeding season for bison and Rocky Mountain elk.
Quinton Smith, the refuge’s visitor service manager, explains that to see any wildlife, you should follow the “dawn and dusk” rule, as most activity happens in the early morning and evening.
“Park your car, turn your engine o and unroll your window,” says Smith, to better experience the bison and elk bugling during breeding seasons – late summer and early fall respectively.
Visiting an Oklahoma state park or wildlife refuge is akin to time traveling, says Smith.
“[ e refuge] is just as pristine as it was before statehood in 1907,” he says.
When visitors preserve parks, habitats are protected and wildlife thrives. In order to keep habitats safe, visitors should “take pictures and leave only footprints,” says Smith.
Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge is located in the southeastern region of the state. It was established to promote and aid migratory waterfowl and, according to its website, provides protection for over 290 di erent species of birds, including the bald eagle.
e refuge’s visitor services specialist Allison Newberg advises guests to respect the wildlife in their native homes.
Black Mesa State Park
travelok.com/state-parks/blackmesa-state-park-nature-preserve County Rd. 325, Kenton
580-665-8396
Hours: Dawn to dusk, unless camping
Admission: Free, unless camping
Wichita Mountains
Wildlife Refuge
fws.gov/refuge/wichita-mountains/visit-us
Two Refuge Headquarters, Indiahoma
580-429-3222
Hours: Dawn to dusk, unless camping
Admission: Free, unless camping
Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge
fws.gov/refuge/tishomingo/ species
11766 S. Refuge Rd., Tishomingo
580-371-2402
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Admission: Free
“If their behavior changes because of you, you’ve gotten too close,” she says, adding that giving animals their space is key to safety and habitat preservation.
Newberg mentions the best way to support wildlife refuges and parks is to visit and experience them.
“Come enjoy a walk through the woods, a peaceful moment on a water-side bench or a conversation with the songbirds,” she says.
CHLOÉ ZOELLNERIf you find yourself bored with the normal routine, why not take your free time up a notch and try extreme outdoor adventures? There are numerous ways to scratch that adventure itch right here in Oklahoma.
Andy and Alyssa Beck, owners of the Oklahoma Skydiving Center in Cushing, suggest jumping out of an airplane – with the proper safety and training, of course.
“My first skydive was in 1998,” says Andy. “I realized I had found what I was meant to do. I’ve been skydiving ever since.”
Andy started out mowing grass at the drop zone, then moved up to training and certifications as his experience grew. In 2014, he and Alyssa purchased the center. Since that time, they have upgraded everything with new gear, remodeled facilities and an experienced staff.
“Six years ago, we built the first non-prototype Cessna 206 turboprop Pratt and Whitney PT-6 in the world,” says Andy. “That makes us the only dropzone in Oklahoma
to have turbine aircraft – which is safer, faster and allows us to go up to 14,000 feet for all jumps, and 18,000 feet for high-altitude skydives.”
How safe is skydiving? Well, safer than you might think.
“In 2021, skydiving had 11 fatalities total worldwide out of 3.57 million skydives,” according to the United States Parachute Association, says Andy. “That’s 0.28% fatalities per 100,000. In comparison, auto accidents for the year 2020 [saw] 11.7 fatalities per 100,000 people,” according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute.
After two hours of training, most people are ready for their first skydive on the same day – $220 for a 14,000 foot tandem skydive or $420 for an 18,000 foot tandem skydive that includes video and photos of the jump.
If you’re not quite ready to voluntarily jump out of a plane, there are other on-land options.
Derek Kelsey, manager of tour-
ism and recreation for Oklahoma state parks, offers an alternative: wild caving at Alabaster Caverns. The outing is only $8 per person.
“We have four different caves on the property, which include Bear Cave, Hoe Handle Cave, Ice Stalactite Cave and Owl Cave,” says Kelsey. “These caves range from about 500 feet to 1,600 feet.”
As wild caving does involve some risks, Kelsey doesn’t recommend this sport to anyone with mobility, respiratory or heart issues. Also, if you suffer from claustrophobia, wild caving is not going to be the sport for you.
“One of the biggest risks is slipping in the cave,” says Kelsey. “Our wild caves do have some pretty rugged terrain and some tighter spots where visitors will have to crawl in order to navigate through. We require that each caver have three individual sources of light, a hard hat or bicycle helmet, long sleeves and long pants, gloves, a bottle of water and a first aid kit for the
DEBI TURLEYBarry Friedman recently published the rst in a proposed triology of books honoring his father, Jack, and his many (often hilarious) life observations.
Like a lot of other people, I watched as the last years of Jack Friedman’s life cascaded out over the Internet, rendered in dialogue-driven vignettes written by Jack’s son (and my good friend) Barry Friedman, the Tulsabased stand-up comedian and author. Like most stage comics, Barry is used to telling stories from his own experiences to get laughs, and this narrative allowed him to do just that – some of the postings could’ve worked very well in a comedy routine (and have, now that I think about it). However, while his little observations of his dad and their life together could be very funny indeed, there was much more to it than that. Anyone who encountered Jack and Barry online quickly realized that Barry not only possessed a comedian’s eye for the absurd, but also a good deal of heart.
Now, Barry has edited and tweaked and collected the rst third or so of these pieces into Jack Sh*t: Voluptuous Bagels and Other Concerns of Jack Friedman, which has just been published by Babylon Books. e beginning volume of a proposed trilogy, it sprang from the internet posts, which he began doing some 15 years ago, after the senior Friedman, following the death of his wife – Barry’s mother – moved from New York to Las Vegas.
“When he got to Vegas, I’d write every day when I was visiting him,” recalls Barry. “I was keeping a diary, so to speak, on Facebook and then Substack, just to chronicle
his life for me and to entertain people. I thought there was some funny stu there, that the dynamic was interesting, and I noticed that people were following along. So I thought, ‘Maybe there’s a story here.’
“ e more I wrote,” he adds, “the more I realized that what I was writing about were the last years of his life, and trying to do it without an overabundance of melancholy or memory or a longing for something else. It was just contemporaneous. It was the life of an old, overly active, healthy man with his son, who had plenty of time to spend with him.”
e term “overly active” may sound a little unusual, but it ts the situation – and Jack Friedman – perfectly. As Barry notes, “He was 90. He thought he looked 60. And he acted like he was 40.”
After several years in Las Vegas, Jack moved to an apartment in Tulsa, and then to a retirement community, where he spent the last four-plus years of his life. All along the way, Barry was there to chronicle each step of his dad’s journey. In the process, Jack Friedman’s internet stardom continued to grow – one fan pronounced him “America’s Comedy Dad” –
although the man himself never seemed to actually grasp his celebrity status.
Or maybe he did.
“One time, when someone had mentioned something to him in my presence about Facebook, he asked me, ‘Are you getting rich o my fame?’” says Barry with a laugh. “I told him there weren’t enough hours in the day to tell him what was wrong with that sentence.”
In addition to his blogs and other internet writing, Barry did commentary about Jack on Public Radio Tulsa. e two were even featured in a Tulsa World pro le.
“Yeah, but he didn’t read it,” Barry notes with another laugh. “Well, he read the rst page, looked at the picture, and then he didn’t read the jump.
“People would come up and ask him about that piece, and about other stories, and the radio essays, and the blog and Facebook stu , and they’d tell me, ‘Love what you wrote. Great piece. Your father’s hilarious.’
“And he’d ask me ‘What did you say?’ –or, ‘What did I say?’
“He had no clue about any of it,’ says Barry. “You know, when he died, I gured I’d go into one of his closets, and there would be clippings of everything I’d ever written, with parts circled. No. He never even read one of my books.”
e closest he came, according to Barry, was in Las Vegas.
“I was in his apartment, and he’s in the living room, with [Barry’s rst book] Road Comic in his hands. And he says, ‘You can write. I’m going to tell you something: I know all the words you know. You know what the di erence is between us?’
“I thought, ‘ is should be good.’
“He goes, ‘You know what order to put ‘em in.’”
Although Jack didn’t read Barry’s writing, he did go to some of his son’s stand-up performances in Vegas and the Bahamas. It was during those times that Barry began to realize that his dad was “very competitive about jokes and stu .
“Sometimes somebody would tell me in front of him how funny they thought I was, and he’d say something like, ‘Well, some of that is mine,’” recalls Barry. “One time we’re in Vegas, and a showgirl walks by. I mean, she’s got the jeans on, the boots, her hair’s piled up, her makeup’s
all over the place. I knew her, and after she’d hugged me and walked o , my father looked at her and said, ‘Ach, to be sixty again.’
“So I said to him, ‘ at’s very funny. Is that yours, or did you hear it somewhere? Because if it’s yours, I want to use it onstage.’
“He got very o ended. He said, ‘ at’s my bit.’
“I said, ‘Dad, look. You’re an accountant. You don’t have bits.’ It was like I was stealing his act.”
ose of us who have followed Jack Friedman and his son over the internet for well over a decade know that, thanks to Barry, his dad did turn out to have “bits” after all, little observations that may have grown more and more o -kilter as his life wound down, but that were nonetheless consistently entertaining and sometimes more than that. While there are some profoundly touching moments in Barry Friedman’s chronicles of his father’s later life, with its inevitable conclusion, Jack Sh*t is anything but a lachrymose end-oflife tome.
“One of the insights the director at LIFE Senior Services, Eileen Bradshaw, gave me was that she thought the blogs were popular because there wasn’t very much of, ‘Here’s how my dad used to be; look at him now,’” says Barry. “She said, ‘It’s very
much about “here he is now; this is the life we have, and this is the only life we know.” I think people like that, because they go through that with their parents all the time.’
Adds Barry, “You know, we all have parents, or had parents. We all have stories. ere’s nothing particularly unique about this project. So the fact that people cared about my father and me and that relationship was heartening. ey knew speci c things, speci c moments, about us. I mean, we love our parents, and we’re ambivalent about our parents. People who read this story – maybe they get the connection. Maybe they get the relationship.”
He adds that some have written or told him, after following the saga of Jack and Barry Friedman, that “your father really loved you.”
“I guess he did,” Barry muses. “I know he did. But the story is really about getting through the last 10 or 15 years with him. It was wonderful, to be a witness to that, to be able to see that. Of all the emotions I have about those years, regret is not one of them – which is really uncomfortable for me, not to feel bad about something.” He laughs. “But I certainly wrung as much life out of this relationship as I could. And so did he.”
JOHN WOOLEYHealth insurance and Medicare plans change every year. An agent at a call center isn’t going to know your area like a local will. I’m from Tulsa originally, and now live in Oklahoma City. I’m always tracking network changes, and what they mean for the hospitals, doctors, and pharmacies you use. You’re going to have questions from time to time. You need someone to call who will help you find answers. As an independent agent, that’s my job. My business grows when I take care of you so well that you refer me to someone else. I work with many different carriers, not just one. That gives you options to find the right fit. I can help with health insurance, Medicare, life, and supplemental products designed to protect you and your family. Best of all, my services are free to you.
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What do I need to know about saving for college?
Whichever sources of funding you choose for college, there are important considerations to keep in mind. Time is your friend. The sooner you start saving for any long-term goal, the better. There are a range of tools available to help. The 529 plan is specially designed to pay for higher education costs. Contributions to the 529 plan are made on an after-tax basis and grow tax free. A Coverdell Education Savings Account also offers tax-advantaged saving. U.S. savings bonds are low-risk investments that provide modest returns with limited tax benefits. A custodial UGMA/UTMA account enables unlimited investing on behalf of a minor. Another way to save on college costs is through a pre-paid tuition plan, which locks in tuition at current rates and is available for a short list of state schools. A longer list of private schools offers pre-paid tuition through a Private College 529 Plan. You can also save for future college expenses in a regular savings account or Individual Retirement Account (IRA). A note about FAFSA. Your expected family contribution (EFC) is calculated when you apply. Your EFC reduces the amount of eligible federal funding your student can receive. Students can contribute, too.
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A new build in Bixby beckons with natural light, a neutral color palette and stunning high ceilings.
This Bixby home is surrounded by a wooded landscape; the acre lot, which backs up to a creek and green space, was the ideal setting for a new construction. Boulevard Interiors, owned by Gunta Sandmeyer, teamed up with Tulsa home builder Southern Homes to create this calming oasis.
Boulevard Interiors has been serving residential and commercial clients since 2015. Southern Homes, headed by Sandmeyer’s husband, Ralph, has been in business for more than 20 years. Together, the duo provides new home selection and design services to clients in Tulsa, Bixby, Jenks, Broken Arrow and Oklahoma City.
“ e homesite was the biggest driving factor in the design of this home,” says Sandmeyer. Providing a neutral backdrop for the home’s furnishings and artwork was also key to a bright and airy aesthetic.
“To add to the neutral but sophisticated background, we chose clean lines, letting the natural environment outside speak for itself,” she says.
e windows and doors were speci cally positioned to take advantage of the wooded views, and the southern exposure provides its own bene ts.
“Large windows illuminate the interior with natural light, while framing the tranquil views of the surround-
ing wooded landscape,” says Sandmeyer.
A neutral color palette of creamy whites, natural stained woods and a select amount of dark, nearly black accents were used to add contrast within the home’s peaceful atmosphere.
Great Room: is home design has 18-foot ceilings in the great room, along with a wall of windows for beautiful views. Wood beams accentuate the tall ceiling. A stone replace reaches to ceiling height and is anked by builtin shelves. Below the open shelving are closed-cabinets for storage.
“ e large voluminous space is perfect for entertaining and spending time with friends and family,” says Sandmeyer.
Kitchen and Dining: Sandmeyer describes staying on-trend as it pertains to designing kitchen, dining and entertainment spaces.
e new trends include having a volume of space with high ceilings; having a large dining area instead of a closed-o formal dining room; and generally moving away from separated spaces to having one large area that includes the kitchen and dining. In this Bixby home, she’s done just that.
Interior solutions for these areas were expertly addressed.
“To anchor the space, we went with a custom-built plaster range hood and a professional double oven range below,” says Sandmeyer. ree di erent colors were used, making the area custom and totally unique. Stained wood and light cabinets add to the comfortable feel. Floating shelves, which display pottery, are right on trend. Clear glass pendants hang above the large island, where there is ample seating. An apron sink is located within the island, which has a waterfall treatment on both sides.
In between the kitchen area and the great room is a large dining table. Above is a metal and glass lighting xture that coordinates with the island pendant lights. Adjacent to the great room, the
walk-in pantry adds storage and additional counter space.
“ at pantry is amazing,” says Sandmeyer.
Mudroom Plus: To provide indoor/outdoor living spaces, an additional mudroom, bath and exterior door were added. Since there is a pool, this area is convenient and heavily used.
Primary Bath: A free-standing soaker tub has its own nook which brings ample coziness. White cabinets with dark pulls give a beautiful contrast in this space.
All in all, a home should be a sacred space where a family can gather in peace; Sandmeyer feels she has achieved that with this new home.
“It feels calm,” she says.
GINA A. DABNEY
S p a c e P l a n n i n g | R e m o d e l s | C o n s t r u c t i o n P r o j e c t M a n a g e m e n t
F u r n i t u r e S e l e c t i o n & I n s t a l l a t i o n | W i n d o w T r e a t m e n t s
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Since 1964
Lisbon is a bustling metropolis with grandeur that includes architecture, statues and plazas. Cruise ships and multiple train stations prove the popularity of Portugal’s capital city. Yet with all the big-city cachet it o ers, Lisbon also has many quaint pockets worth exploring – as that’s where the heart of the city truly pulses. e art district, for example, is resplendent, with details to focus on during guided tours. Get in the bohemian zone on a tuk-tuk tour for better access to the compelling, artistic alleys.
Riding in a tuk-tuk is a popular way of sightseeing. It’s a motorized, three-wheeled open vehicle that has a lid if needed. ey are often available wherever taxis and Ubers are, and make you feel part of the city’s atmosphere, especially when the lid is open.
e art district can be viewed as you drive through neighborhoods of chapels, murals and musicians. Consider it a motorized art crawl as your tuk-tuk driver educates you about the signi cance of various murals and neighborhood trivia. is travel writer experienced the advantages of this form of transportation by being able to disembark at random to listen to an impromptu Fado concert.
Fado, a speci c music genre associated
with Lisbon, originated in the 1820s; it’s distinctly mournful and follows a traditional structure. Fado is believed to be connected to the word “fate” and often tells of the plight of sailors and laborers. Fado musicians prefer an organic experience; they rarely publi-
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e Mirador lookout point is the breathtaking cityscape masterpiece – where people gather to marvel at the sweeping vista of Lisbon. Richly saturated colors of pastels and jewel-toned buildings on rippling hillsides are adorned by massive bougainvillea, draping o the red tile roofs. e scent of something cooking nearby will attract your attention when you notice vendors in the streets selling warm chestnuts right o the grill.
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People savor their time in the city streets, as Portugal is reportedly the third safest country in the world. e seawall has a very communal spirit of people enjoying the atmosphere and dipping their feet in the ocean. When you’ve nished your tour of the art district, your tuk-tuk driver can deposit you at a recommended restaurant, or at least nearby. It’s always a good idea to ask where the locals dine. One particular restaurant, Ramiro, is seafood only; no sides and no bread. is will whet your whistle but leave some appetite for a bigger meal after more walking. All in all, a tuk-tuk tour of Lisbon’s art district is one of Europe’s most memorable adventures.
GINA MICHALOPULOS KINGSLEY
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Many people may experience feelings of anxiety and moments of panic, but there are unique di erences between an anxiety and panic attack.
Collyn Campbell, LCSW, CCTP, a licensed psychotherapist with Norman Regional Health System, says the term ‘anxiety attack’ is used as a non-clinical diagnosis to describe intense feelings of anxiety.
abdominal distress, dizziness, paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations) and a fear of dying. Individuals may also experience derealization – feeling as though things aren’t real or like a dream – or depersonalization, feeling detached from one’s body.
“Panic attacks have a beginning, middle and end, and usually last less than a half hour,” says Campbell. “Anxiety is more of a constant state of arousal in the brain and body, which seems to be connected to a dimmer switch that can intensify or lessen based on the moment at hand. People essentially use the phrase ‘anxiety attack’ when the proverbial dimmer switch is cranked all the way up.”
e good news, Campbell says, is there are many options for selfcare and emotional self-regulation, as well as psychotherapy and psychotropic medications.
neural networks within the brain between therapy sessions, which is where the healing magic of therapy takes place.”
It’s important to pay attention to your emotions and how they’re impacting your daily life.
“If you get that feeling where you’re so wound up that you can’t think straight or make appropriate decisions that align with your internal moral compass, it might be time to seek help,” she says. “If you are having ongoing, daily, repeated disturbances in your basic day-to-day functioning, then it’s de nitely time. If you have even eeting thoughts of wishing you could go to sleep and never wake up, or miraculously and unexpectedly die of natural causes, then it’s undoubtedly time. Fully formed suicidal thoughts, even just once? Call 911 immediately.”
People will often delay seeking help because they believe they can x themselves, or others are telling them to just ‘snap out of it.’ People worry about the stigma associated with needing medication. Overall though, society seems to be changing its view on mental health and substance abuse treatment, says Campbell. She encourages people to be kind to themselves and treat anxiety like any other illness or injury.
“Anxiety is excessive worry, busy thoughts and mind, feeling edgy and/or irritable, di culty concentrating or staying in the moment, muscle tension and sleep disturbances,” says Campbell. “ e term ‘panic attack’ is a clinical diagnosis referring to much more intense feelings of anxiety, coupled with disturbing psychosomatic symptoms such as palpitations, a pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling or shaking, and sensations of shortness of breath or smothering.”
Additional symptoms can include chest pain or discomfort,
“ ere are countless self-care options, but my personal favorites … are: continuous prayer/ mindfulness/meditation, breathing and grounding exercises utilizing all ve senses, yoga/working out, eating right and getting the proper amount of sleep.”
Other practices include journaling, talking with a positive, nonjudgemental friend and tapping using the Emotional Freedom Technique.
“Anyone who knows me well has heard my accolades for tapping,” says Campbell. “Tapping is my favorite self-care tool because of its arousal-modulating properties and ability to create new
“Shame and fear keep us locked into inadvertently ignorant thinking patterns, and we have to remember that ‘hurt people hurt people,’” she says. “If I’ve learned anything being a therapist for 20+ years, it’s that if we want something to change, we have to change ourselves.
“ erapy works. Medicine works. But if we don’t want to do the work and believe that we have the capacity to change, then we absolutely never will. We have to do the work. We have to know that we deserve happiness and peace just as every other human does. And if someone just read this and realizes they themselves believe that they are not deserving of love, peace, happiness, or forgiveness – then this is for them.”
REBECCA FAST
A licensed psychotherapist explains the di erence between these two terms, as well as coping mechanisms for both.
Whether you are a soonto-be mom or dad, occasional babysitter or beloved grandparent, it never hurts to review some safety basics for babies and toddlers.
Here are a few tips to get started:
• Install a working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm in every bedroom and on every level of your home.
• Ensure your baby’s crib is moved away from furniture and blinds – which can entangle an energetic toddler.
• Do not load the crib with toys or blankets. Buy a rm mattress and put a taut, tted sheet on top. A typical sleeper pajama should be warm enough to avoid a blanket.
• Take the time to understand what type of car seat your child should be in at any given age and weight, and learn how to use it correctly.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
injuries while riding in vehicles are the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. Never allow a child to ride in a car or truck without being properly buckled into a car seat that has been previously determined to be appropriate for them.
e most common mistake parents make regarding car seats? Moving a child into the next size before he or she is ready. And other studies show that many car and booster seats are used in a way that reduces the seat’s e ectiveness, including loose installations and harnesses.
Some good news for the caregiver who is timid about bath time: the Mayo Clinic reports that a newborn baby only needs to bathe about three times a week until he or she is more mobile. Too much bathing can cause dry skin and increases the risk of dropping that precious (but slippery) package.
Don’t have a baby tub? Put a clean towel in a sink. When lling the tub, use your hand to check the water temperature. Always gather the supplies you want to use (shampoo, a cup for rinsing, a dry towel, lotion and clothing) be-
fore putting the baby in the bath. Never leave an infant alone in the water for any reason.
About two inches of water is enough for bathing a newborn. Make sure the room is not too cold – a wet baby can chill easily.
Washing the baby from the head downward accomplishes two things – rinsing areas just once and leaving the more soiled body parts for last.
While there is no sure way to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), there are some steps that can be taken to reduce the risks.
• Always put the baby to sleep on his or her back instead of stomach.
• Keep the crib bare. Stu ed animals are cute, but can become a breathing hazard for a sleeping infant.
• While adult beds are not safe for an infant to sleep in, it is a good idea to have the child sleep in your room for the rst six to 12 months.
• Don’t fall asleep with the baby in bed with you – it is too easy to roll close enough to su ocate the infant.
Above all, use common sense. ink twice before committing to an action that might be unsafe for your child.
DEBI TURLEYe world works a little di erently for newborns; we review best practices for car, sleep and bathing safety.
At 50 majestic feet tall, Chief Standing Brave proudly and heroically stands sentinel over Big Cabin, a quiet community in the southern tip of Craig County. e town, once proclaimed the safest place in Oklahoma, adjoins one of the busiest highway intersections in the state.
Big Cabin, with an estimated population of about 250, is home to two busy truck stops across U.S. 69, and is two miles south of the Will Rogers Turnpike (Interstate 44). e Chief Standing Brave statue, with a 100-feather headdress, spear and shield emblazoned with the Oklahoma state ag, guards the area from his post at the Woodshed truckstop. Erected in 2001, the steel, wire mesh-and- berglass statue, built by an auto body mechanic, weighs a reported 15,000 pounds, and is roughly modeled after a similar roadside attraction in Maine.
According to the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, the original truck stop owner rst tried to buy the Maine statue and bring it to Oklahoma; he was unfortunately unsuccessful, and decided instead to have a similar one built for his business.
Cody Praytor, the Woodshed’s current manager, says Chief Standing Brave is the rst thing drivers see when they get o the turnpike and head into town. e statue requires little maintenance and is quite an attraction.
“We see people out there taking pictures all the time,” he says.
Big Cabin is nearly equidistant between Adair and Vinita, the Craig County seat. Miami is another 30 miles to the north, and Tulsa is about 55 miles to the southwest.
According to a history compiled by the Craig County Genealogical Society, the town was named for a local landmark, a plank cabin that existed near the place where the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway built a switch in 1871. Another historical account maintains that the town took its name from nearby Cabin Creek. Incorporation did not come until 1958, but before that, the settlement gained a reputation for producing hay; the town was proclaimed by one local hay producer as the “hay capital of the world.”
Southeast of town lies one of Oklahoma’s more noteworthy historic sites, the Cabin Creek Battle eld. Information from the Oklahoma His-
Big Cabin was the birthplace of New York Yankees pitching standout Ralph Terry, born Jan. 9, 1936. The right-hander helped lead the Yankees to five straight world championships in the early 1960s. In a 12-year major league career, Terry also pitched for the Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) and the New York Mets, and won 107 games in the majors.
Terry won the Most Valuable Player of the 1962 World Series. After retiring from baseball, he turned to professional golf and played briefly on the PGA Tour and the Senior Tour before his death in 2022.
torical Society states the battle eld, located on the once-important Texas Road that ran between Kansas and Texas, was the site of two key Native American Territory engagements between Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War.
Information compiled by the state Historical Society shows the Texas Road was used by Native Americans, explorers, the U.S. Army, pioneer immigrants, trail herds and traders. During the Civil War, it became the conduit for moving military supplies from Fort Scott, Kan., to Fort Gibson in Indian Territory. e two skirmishes, both in 1863, were tied to use of the Texas Road during the war.
In today’s more peaceful times, former City Clerk Linda Purcell notes that Big Cabin is a mostly quiet place. She has in her possession a clipping from a county newspaper proclaiming Big Cabin, in the view of an online information service, as “the safest place in Oklahoma.”
She said there is no longer a police department, with the area patrolled by Craig County sheri ’s deputies.
“We’re just a small town with two big truck stops,” she says. Despite its small size, it’s worth a trip.
HENRY DOLIVEe tiny town of Big Cabin o ers more than meets the eye.
Peppered throughout Governor Kevin Stitt’s Feb. 6 “State of the State” address were references to a staple of the Oklahoma economy: the aerospace industry.
The term covers the design, building and repair of aircraft flown within the atmosphere, programs associated with pilot training and anything to do with the space program. Oklahoma has all this and more.
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce refers to it as “aerospace and defense,” taking in the state’s five military installations, two Air National Guard operations and numerous aerospace assets, including the Oklahoma Air and Space Port.
But to hold its place as an industry leader, Oklahoma must continue to train its young people and provide manpower for the more than 1,100 aerospace entities operating here, the governor reminded.
“There is so much demand for these degrees,” says Eric Wydra, director of the University of Oklahoma School of Aviation. “There is such a huge pilot shortage. It’s amazing how
short of pilots the industry is.”
The job outlook for pilots “is expected to grow 6% in the next several years,” according to a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City. “The outlook for mechanics is expected to grow 11% in the coming years. In Oklahoma, the aerospace industry ranks second, only behind the oil and gas industry.”
OU offers academic degrees in professional piloting, aviation management with a pilot certificate, aviation management – non-flying, and air traff ic management, says Wydra.
Enrollment in the pilot training program is capped at 250, but 100 more freshmen will be added in the fall, growing the school to 350 students and its airplanes from 19 to 28.
“By 2026, enrollment will be up over 600,” Wydra says. “OU has already invested $12 million for that expansion plan.”
Oklahoma State University and Southeastern Oklahoma State University also have professional pilot and other aviation degree programs; in fact, a total of nine of Oklahoma’s
take a look at technological advances in the fields and how our state is remaining competitive.
colleges and universities offer aerospace degrees and certifications including graduate programs, according to the Department of Commerce.
Oklahoma CareerTech is a major player in aerospace training. Since 2006, Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City has produced more trained and certified professionals for Oklahoma aviation companies than any other program, according to its website.
“Within a matter of 10 to 15 weeks, they have the skill sets for entrylevel placement at many of these maintenance, repair and overhaul companies that are working on aircraft,” says Nick Powell, aerospace program manager at Francis Tuttle.
The Tulsa Technology Center offers aerospace training in nearly every sector of the industry, including drone maintenance and piloting, machine technician, aviation power plant and aviation airframe.
Tinker Air Force Base is the home of the Air Force Sustainment Center, which is strategic and tactical in creating combat power for the nation. Tinker is looking for qualified engineers and maintenance technicians to satisfy expected job growth, and CareerTech, including the Mid-Del Technology Center in Midwest City, offers students a career path to those high-paying, critical jobs.
Oklahoma students as young as kindergarteners can get a taste for the industry through partnerships between private and public sectors.
The FAA’s STEM Aviation and Space Education Program teaches students about civil and commercial aviation and the critical role that science, technology, engineering and math play in a young aviator’s future, according to the FAA website. Programs are offered at the elementary, middle school and high school level.
CareerTech also offers middle school and high school programs for students from campuses throughout the state, teaching such classes as automation and robotics, flight and space and engineering design.
The Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center occupies more than 130 buildings on 1,100 acres in Oklahoma City. It’s home to more than 6,300 federal employees, contractors and students who work in organizations that provide critical functions in the National Airspace System.
With more than 25,000 military and civilian employees, Tinker Air Force Base is the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma, with an annual statewide economic impact of $3.51 billion, according to its website. In addition to hosting the Air Force Sustainment Center and Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, Tinker is home to six Department of Defense, Air Force and Navy activities with critical national defense missions.
The Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker AFB has the mission of “sustaining weapon system readiness to generate airpower for America.” It provides “war-winning expeditionary capabilities to the warfighter,” according to its website, through depot maintenance, supply chain management and installation support.
The Aerospace, Autonomous Systems and Defense Council is chaired by Elizabeth Hutt Pollard, the state’s secretary of science and innovation. The men and women who serve on the council provide guidance and strategic counsel to Pollard and Gov. Kevin Stitt to help move Oklahoma forward in the areas of aerospace and autonomous systems.
Eric Wydra, head of the OU School of Aviation, says there is a massive pilot shortage in the U.S. OU aims to change that.The Oklahoma Aerospace Alliance has a goal of advancing and strengthening the state’s aerospace industry. Areas of focus are government affairs, workforce development and innovation and growth.
Tulsa is home to one of the 13 locations of LMI Aerospace, a St. Louis-based company that provides aerostructures, systems and components to the aerospace industry. It serves customers across the entire aircraft cycle, from design and build to manufacture and overhaul.
From its 300,000-square-foot engineering, research and development facility, the Boeing Company provides engineering, software, logistics services and maintenance for military aircraft; field support teams at Tinker Air Force Base; and contractor logistics services. Boeing has more than 3,500 employees in Oklahoma City and spends $348 million annually with 89 Oklahoma suppliers and vendors.
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology was founded in Tulsa in 1928 and has additional campuses in Colorado and California. Programs in Tulsa include aviation maintenance, aviation electronics, aviation flight and a bachelor’s degree in technology management.
The University of Oklahoma School of Aviation offers academic degrees in professional pilot, aviation management with pilot certificate, aviation management – non-flying and air traff ic management.
Oklahoma is ranked No. 1 in preparedness for the drone industry by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, which scored each state based on factors such as airspace lease and easement laws, presence of a state task force or program off ice, a designated place to test new technologies and current number of drone jobs in the state.
The Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) industry is exploding, producing a sometimes-confusing list of acronyms, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
A UAS consists of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a remote electronic controller and a command and control data system connecting the two so they can communicate. The UAV may be autonomous and operated by onboard computers, or piloted remotely by a human operator.
Alina George with the FAA’s UAS Integration Off ice says “drone” is the colloquial term used for all remotely piloted aircraft. The FAA uses it to describe any aircraft without a pilot onboard, regardless of size, shape or capability.
Today’s UAVs can collect signals intelligence, haul cargo, enforce laws, inspect remote pipelines and help fight wildfires. Commercial uses include photo and video services, data collection, package delivery, film production and mapping. Private citizens buy drones for entertainment and security purposes.
Oklahoma State University offered the nation’s first graduate degree programs in UAS engineering at a research university, according to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. OSU’s Unmanned Systems Research Institute was the first to receive FAA approval to fly an unmanned fixed-wing aircraft swarm within national airspace.
Between 2014 and 2019, $44 million in contracts were awarded to Oklahoma companies and institutions in support of unmanned aerial systems, the commerce department reports. Sponsors include the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense and the FAA.
The Choctaw Nation’s Daisy Ranch is a 44,000-acre site where the tribe works with the FAA and other partners to safely test and validate UAS operations.
Among the employers of CareerTech graduates is Skydweller Aero, a cutting-edge aerospace
company based in Oklahoma City that is working with solar power technology to develop a new class of unmanned aircraft.
Oklahoma City’s Kratos, which has a partnership with Francis Tuttle Technology Center, designs and builds the XQ-58 Valkyrie, an unmanned combat aerial vehicle that serves as a wingman for fighter aircraft in combat.
The commerce department says Oklahoma’s unique mix of terrain and testing capacity makes it the perfect state for UAS and UAV research and development.
Only 8% of pilots in the airline industry are women, says Wydra, but OU is out to change that.
“Women are very underrepresented, so we recruit hard,”
Women currently make up about 24% percent of OU’s pilot
“It used to be the military was the primary pipeline for hiring,” says Wydra, who is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. “Women weren’t allowed to be military aviators until the 1980s. That has
The Oklahoma Career Tech system, which offers a number of aerospace training programs, says women are joining the
industry in greater numbers, serving as pilots, astronauts, maintenance technicians, engineers, air traff ic controllers and business owners.
Oklahoma has a five-year strategic plan for science and innovation, and the combined industry that state leaders refer to as “aerospace, autonomous systems and defense” is a key pillar in the quest to be a top 10 state for innovation and economic growth.
Strictly speaking, aeronautics is the design, manufacture and maintenance of air flight–capable machines, and aviation has to do with aircraft operation. Oklahoma is a major player in both, and has kept pace in the rapidly developing field of unmanned systems. Add to that the state’s five military installations and the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, and it’s an industry that outshines the sum of its parts.
“The programs housed at the FAA touch every aspect of the nation’s airspace by providing training, supply chain management, medical/educational human factors research and the national registration database of all U.S.-registered aircraft and airmen,” a spokesman for the MMAC said.
Diversity and interdependence contribute as much to the success of the industry as the raw numbers of jobs created, says the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.
“In recent years, several new state-of-the-art facilities have come to fruition,” the Chamber reports on its website, “demonstrating once again the incredible partnership among officials, citizens and corporations statewide.”
Only 8% of pilots in the airline industry are women, but OU “recruits hard” for female students.
Holistic design as homage to nature, along with eco-conscious use of materials, are leading the current home trends. Examples include open atriums – bringing the ora, fauna and actual trees indoors. Perhaps this is why the rich, natural hues of deep red, brown and green are trending.
“I do like rich colors, either for a library or living room – certainly not for bedrooms,” says James Steinmeyer, owner of Tulsa-based Easton-Steinmeyer & Associates. “At present, we are doing a deep chocolate brown in a shiny vinyl for a library, and in a living room with a wall of windows, a deep dark avocado color, in a shiny lacquer. I would generally not do such a saturated color in a living room, but with the light from the windows playing on the lacquer walls, it adds a great deal of interest.”
Right-sizing – older generations looking to move or remodel to suit their current lifestyle – continues to play a role in inte-
rior design choices.
“I would think that with changing lifestyles, it certainly will happen to all of us,” says Steinmeyer. “You must be brave and edit what you no longer need or what will not t into a new space. ere is no sense in trying to force what might have worked in another life into your new life. Change is good for all of us.”
Also trending in interior design is an emphasis on multi-functionality for rooms.
“I have lived in multipurpose rooms all my life, because of living in NYC for most of my adult life,” says Steinmeyer. “For me, it is easy to understand and hopefully convince clients that it is an easy way to live.”
While interior design trends like ‘cottage core’ and ‘grandma chic’ wax and wane in popularity, some never go out of style.
“Our o ce has mixed antiques with modern pieces, for what now seems like a long time,” he says. “It is what makes for an interesting room – and one which is not stuck in time.”
By Tracy LeGrandReady to get your spring projects o the ground?
You’re in luck – experts o er gardening tips, and we explore new home tech, ways to grow your own food, and some home improvement projects to try this year.
Pandemic-related challenges of recent years resulted in deeper and renewed interest in greenspaces, yards and plants. From using environmentally friendly woodbased compost alternatives to focusing on climateresilient plants, many homeowners are discovering their green thumbs.
“People are rediscovering their backyards,” says Casey Hentges, host of OSU Extension’s Oklahoma Gardening Show. “When people couldn’t get out many places, they could still go to plant nurseries and parks. en with grocery prices rising, people are interested in growing vegetables to at least supplement their grocery buying.”
is deeper appreciation means many things, including embracing nature’s less-loved species as part of the cycle of growth – such as slugs that help recycle decaying material and aphids that provide food for ladybirds, lacewing and hover y larvae.
“People are reevaluating having a green lawn space and are wanting plant materials that invite pollinators,” says Hentges. “ ese days, there seems to be more of a conscious thought of our ecosystem and not just of creating a pretty yard. People are more aware of the pollinators. Same with spraying anything on plants, people are more aware of how it impacts pollinators and the life in the soils, earthworms, slugs – all of it.”
Julia Laughlin, Oklahoma County OSU Extension horticulture educator, has seen a pronounced uptick in food and herb garden interest – especially among the easiest things to grow, like radishes, lettuce and certain herbs.
“ ere’s a resurgence in interest in culinary gardening and, since the pandemic, people are focused on fresh food,” says Laughlin. “We’re looking to our backyard to see what we can grow in even a little space, and so we’ve seen a huge in ux of questions about backyard culinary gardens, canning and preserving, and in herb gardens – because they’re realizing it’s pretty easy to grow tomatoes, peppers and herbs.”
Laughlin lists basil among the top sought herbs with its ease of growth and variety of avors like lemon, ai and cinnamon. Another favorite is rosemary which, Laughlin says, “is a little tricker to grow because it is a Mediterranean herb, and to grow in Oklahoma, it needs excellent drainage. Varieties of mint are also very popular, because who doesn’t like mint in tea, salad and other dishes?”
Among the very best herbs to plant in Oklahoma, Laughlin says, is thyme, as it is “just so easy to grow … and can grow in a pot or the ground and will come back every year if it doesn’t get too dry over the winter.”
Architect Jack Arnold says that inspiration for home and interior design can be found just about anywhere nowadays.
Photo courtesy Jack Arnold
The OSU Extension Office offers a variety of resources to help firsttime gardeners with new projects.
Whether hiring experts or taking on projects yourself, home improvement, maintenance, remodels and installing smart home tech features is a booming business.
Known as an expert in residential design, Jack Arnold, A.I.A., says the internet, Pinterest and Instagram have opened a world of possibilities. Inspiration is everywhere.
“In the old days, you waited for magazines every month to get ideas,” says Arnold. “Nowadays, you can nd anything you want.”
In terms of landscaping, Arnold o ers some advice.
“When you go to plan out a yard, look at the plot and see what you must work with. From there, you can go to a landscape architect and either have them do the work, or just get a schematic master plan design and install it yourself. Or go to a nursery and get some help for part of it. You can use that design as a tool to communicate what you want and save a lot of time, money and e ort.”
A reason to get that professional advice? Making sure you get plants and materials that hold up to 100 degree days and our Oklahoma freezes, Arnold says, and “if you get gravel as a feature, you have to nd ways to control it where it won’t get in your grassy areas – and an expert will save you these sorts of troubles.”
If you don’t know where to start, Arnold suggests looking at yards you like and trying to nd out who did the planning. He also suggests getting references for professionals before hiring them.
Jack Arnold advises those embarking on landscaping projects to get professional advice and find what types of yards you prefer before diving in.Making a backyard an oasis can include technical goodies like TVs and sound systems, as well as outdoor kitchens and artful lighting. For Arnold, the backyard improvements are about creating an outdoor room that connects to the backyard via hardscape.
“I may take materials used in the indoor space and bring them outside,” he says. “I create a focal point, and it could be a fountain or piece of art. I take advantage of what there is on the lot. In creating an outdoor space, I remember that people migrate to backyards, and if there isn’t an outdoor room, we can create one
When Mother Nature is nudging you to try gardening, the experts at OSU Extension help make the endeavor easier – and potentially more rewarding.
“My biggest piece of advice for a newbie gardener is to start small,” says Hentges. “It is easy to buy too much, thinking of a perfect garden.”
Laughlin adds: “If you start with a container, you won’t need big tools. You only need a hand trowel for planting and a hand cultivator, which looks like a rake on the end for weeding. For a bigger garden, you will want a long-handled rank, a hoe and a shovel, along with some kind of cultivator or tiller. But with containers, you don’t need much.”
Beginners are well served by starting with easier plants.
“For easy, go with basil, because it’s fun and rewarding and works great in a pot,” says Laughlin. “Patio tomatoes are called that because they tend to stay small and grow well in containers. Lettuces and radishes are very quickly rewarding.”
Both Laughlin and Hentges direct gardeners of all levels to plentiful fact sheets and resources o ered by OSU Extension, including the Oklahoma Proven listings of speci c trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials that thrive in the state – visit osufacts. okstate.osu to learn more.
with an arbor or pergola to establish a place to sit and have a conversation. In the desire to have an outdoor space, you want to create something that ts the people who live there.”
Laughlin suggests letting nature be décor to enhance the backyard experience.
“I like to bring my tropical house plants outside for warm weather and mix in with containers with blooming annuals,” she says. “ is gives you a mix of foliage type plants with things that will bloom hard, like petunia, periwinkle and lantana.”
Easy-to-grow plants and veggies include basil and tomatoes, says Julia Laughlin with the OSU Extension Office.ere’s an app for everything, including various home and garden goodies to help horticulture enthusiasts nd answers and advice. Apps make it possible to participate in virtual courses, troubleshoot plant health problems and much more.
e latest trends in home and garden gizmos and gadgets include the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller. With its easy-to-use mobile app, users can create e cient and tailored schedules based on a yard’s speci c needs, all while saving on water usage. e app also integrates with other smart home devices like Amazon Alexa.
e ECOWITT Wireless Digital Rain Gauge accurately measures rain precipitation, temperature and humidity and uses a 300-foot wireless transmission range to help give a precise monitoring of yard and crop health. It also o ers rainfall data down to the rate, date of event and rainfall total on an hourly, daily, weekly and monthly basis, as well as a programmable rain alarm. It also monitors indoor room temperatures and humidity.
ere are gardening gadgets galore to try out, including robotic mowers like the Worx WR155 Landroid Robotic Mower that can
mow up to ½ an acre on a single charge.
While these are fun to explore, Hentges advises caution.
“We’re looking into di erent apps, but I think you should be careful – they can lead you in di erent directions if they don’t know your geographic location,” she says. “ ere is nothing like being in your garden itself.
For example, apps that are used to identify plants might get you close, but you still want to double check.”
OSU Extension, she mentions, has been using some high-tech gadgets.
“We have a robot mower at the botanic garden, and for the last eight years it’s worked pretty well,” she says. “ ere is a lot of tech that can help change the way to maintain a garden or make some of it easier. We are using a weeding robot as well, but it depends on your speci c soil.”
Dig for diamonds. Hit the trails. Discover the history. Unwind in the lodge. There’s something for everyone at Arkansas’s 52 state parks. Join us as we celebrate a century of historic sites, one-ofa-kind experiences and free activities for all. Start planning your adventure today at ArkansasStateParks.com.
LAKE FORT SMITH STATE PARK
By Gina A. Dabney
The real estate market has been a roller coaster ride over the last few years. Low inventory, high interest rates and inflation have contributed to fluctuations. According to Red Fin – which operates a residential real estate brokerage in 95 markets in the United States and Canada –there were 3,134 homes sold this past December in Oklahoma, which is down from 4,558 homes sold in 2021. Additionally, home prices in December 2022 were up 4.1% compared to the same time the previous year. Despite the chaos, you can make your real estate goals come to fruition with a little assistance. Helping Oklahomans navigate the market are experienced real estate professionals Leland Chinowth, president and co-owner of Chinowth and Cohen Realtors; Sherry Lewis, broker/owner with Keller Williams; and Peter Walter, founder and broker of Walter and Associates.
Chinowth con rms that currently, there is a lower inventory of houses. And, compared to this time last year, “listings are down 20%,” he says. ere were a lot of sellers, he explains, but those sellers have not been able to nd their next home, thereby creating a “log jam” e ect.
At this time, home prices are not increasing.
“ e market is leveling o ,” he says. “It is still a good time for sellers.”
Nationally, Oklahoma fares well in terms of a ordable housing; Chinowth describes it as still “an extremely popular place to live.”
As he follows certain real estate experts, Chinowth says there is a prediction that the market will be very active in the near future.
“2024 will be a market boom year,” he says.
Lewis recaps that during the height of the pandemic – 2020 to 2021 –people were paying above-market value for homes. However, in 2023, the market is moving towards a more normal level. One guiding factor is the interest rate.
“ e interest rate is still palatable,” Lewis says, “running 5.9% to 6.2%.”
Even though Oklahoma is “still having a housing shortage,” she says, people are looking to purchase.
“ e next several months look
more favorable.”
She mentions that even though home builders’ prices for new homes are relatively high, they are now reducing a bit.
“Prices [in general] are back to an arena that people can a ord,” she says.
Walter agrees: “ e market in Tulsa is still strong.”
Buying a home is a big step; the experts o er a few tips.
“A 20% down payment of the contract price is the most ideal. e FHA [Federal Housing Administration] still o ers 3.5% down,” says Chinowth, also the FHA loans are typically for “more conservative price ranges.”
He also recommends avoiding Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), which may be required with obtaining a conventional home loan. e PMI protects the lender if you stop making loan payments.
“Get rid of PMI as soon as you can,” he advises. “It is of no value to you as a buyer.”
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to take the plunge, Lewis says that there is “never a bad time to buy a home.” She advises to carefully save money for the down payment – which does not have to be huge. And depending on the buyer’s earnings range, the down payment can be lower.
Walter says to those waiting to purchase a home, it is always a good idea to save more money and broaden the home search area until nding the right space for you.
If you nd yourself on the other side of the real estate equation, there are a few steps to follow. “Call a Realtor rst,” says Chinowth. en, “take care of odors.”
After this, focus on lower-maintenance home improvement projects, like painting the walls a neutral color, replacing the carpet and decluttering. ese updates will help sell the property without too much out-of-pocket money – good bang for the buck.
e real estate agent will also help with staging the home and with clutter management solutions, like out-of-house storage options.
Leland Chinowth, president of Chinowth and Cohen Realtors, says a 20% down payment of your home’s contract price is “ideal.”With Heidi as your partner in real estate, ALL roads lead to home.
Offering over three decades of experience and successes, Heidi has accumulated over $50 million in recent production as a solo agent – often out-producing entire realty teams. She continues to be a top-tier expert in both local and statewide markets, meeting the needs of her clients, buyers and sellers alike.
Heidi’s expertise is vast, ranging from new construction and resale to renovations and interior design. Working with a wide variety of clientele, she consistently achieves Top Agent awards for production volume in properties sold.
A trusted guide, Heidi harbors a keen understanding of microeconomic factors impacting the Oklahoma markets including shifting realty values, mortgage rate and finance options, hot selling metro locations and consumer motivations.
“It is difficult for locals to imagine how much our market is changing, but Tulsa is becoming a rockstar choice amongst families across the U.S. We are experiencing historical growth – a reverse migration back to the Heartland,” she says.
Continuously offering her time and energy, Heidi boasts an extensive professional network streamlining the sales process from the early stages of preparing to list, with proven results at the closing table. She is dedicated to a seamless experience, lifting the many stressors which accompany making a big local or out-of-state move.
Heidi strives for a five-star day at the closing table, which she achieves through her sharp ability to negotiate and her passion for exceeding expectations.
“I love people and to serve families; there is nothing more rewarding than to watch dreams unfold and people’s lives change for the better – there’s NO place like HOME!” she explains.
Whether that dream is to live in South Tulsa or Midtown, or enjoy sprawling acreage where “the wind comes sweeping down the plains,” Heidi’s desire is to make her client’s dream come true. Heidi received her bachelor’s degree in business from Oral Roberts University and after graduating, got her Oklahoma license in 1991.
“WE MAY BEGIN OUR JOURNEY IN REAL ESTATE, BUT MY GOAL IS TO END AS FRIENDS!” - HEIDI
A Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) is an option for those ready to start the investment journey. A REIT is described by Chinowth as pooling a large amount of money that is contributed by a trust. e key is to make sure your liability is limited to what you invest. Know the facts prior to investing with a REIT.
“Know what the rate of return is,” says Chinowth. “Be with a limited partner.”
Even though a REIT can be used for commercial or residential real estate, it is more common in the residential sector. e REIT can be used, for example, to purchase a
condominium or condominium complex.
“A trust isn’t good or bad,” Chinowth says; what’s important is what is done with it. Focus on “not risking more than you can a ord nancially,” he says.
e big advantage of a REIT is that the nancial part is spread over a “trust” or group of people.
Another way to invest in real estate is by purchasing rental property; Walter calls it a “good idea” and a positive starting point of the investment journey.
In regard to buying rental property, it may be a good time to start, as rent rates have soared in recent months.
“Rent rates have increased in the multifamily market,” con rms Lewis.
Most buyers purchase one or two rental properties a year. Many investors buy for a family to use, for example, a place for a dependent to live while going to college.
However, big investors are purchasing real estate for rental purposes, so buying now may be competitive.
Some people may be thinking of ipping houses as an avenue for real estate investing; Walter advises against it in this economy.
“It is too expensive to do updates due to in ation,” he says.
Debt-to-income ratio (DTI): is number is used by lenders to see how well a borrower can handle their monthly debts. To get your DTI, divide your monthly debt payments by your monthly gross income. Many lenders will want to see a DTI that is 36% or lower. Loan-to-value ratio (LTV): is number compares the amount of a loan to the value of the asset being nanced. To calculate, the amount
borrowing should be divided by the price of the property being purchased or nanced. e lower the LTV the easier it will be to qualify for a mortgage loan. Many conventional loans require the LTV to be no higher than 80%. e greater the down payment amount the better/higher the LTV will be. Conventional Loan: is is a type of mortgage that is not insured or guaranteed by the government.
KAREN BLEVINS GROUP BRANDI TRUE
CHRIS GEORGE HOMES
AMY PROSSER
TONYA ELLISON
JENKINS TEAM
SHAWN PETERS
JUDY STOCKER DEB WILMOTH
BRAD BOREM JESSICA FORD & ASSOCIATES
MISSY HAGINPITTMAN
ALLI HAYES REAL ESTATE GROUP
SUSIE GENET
CARRIE DEWEESE
TIFFANY JOHNSON HOMES MANDY RENEE
BARBARA STATEN
KRISTI REED
BARBARA HOPPER
SC CLIFFORD
CHAD SPURGEON
VAL GAUDET
MARILYN MORENZ
JEN MILLERMORROW
CAROLYN & JONATHAN BOLDING
THE DENNER GROUP
DONNA POSEY
KELI SMITH
JUDY BACHMAN & CATHY PRICHARD
JENNIFER ROBERTSON
MONTSE TORRES
MEGAN FOREHAND
SUMER GORDON
MELISSA MANSFIELD
LORI MOODY
JENNIFER WYKOFF
BETSY SWIMMER GENNI DAVIS
TAYLOR BAY
AUSTIN KIRKPATRICK
GAYLE ROBERTSPISKLO
THE HAND TEAM
JEFF & LAUREL STARKWEATHER
THE HOMESTEAD GROUP DAVID WARDEN
JILL TAYLOR
LINDSEY CRAIG KEN HUTMACHER
DARIELA GONZALEZ
KELLEY WARD
BARBARA MUNTER & KRISTEN SIDES
CINDY RODGERS
CHERIE FRENCH
BLAKE MONTGOMERY
TIFFANY WEBB
CHRISTINA GNOSE
MONICA CASTILLO
BILLY JOE & THERESA WATTS JAYNE ASH
KIM DAVIS & KACI LANKFORD
ALISHA COOPER
CASEY MCFARLANE
NATALIE RICHARDSON
HARWELL HOME TEAM
RACHEL ROBISON
DANNETTE STAPLES
LEE VANTREESE
TRAIE & TORIE ELIAS
CODY ADDINGTON
TERRI BARNETT
KRISTEE BARLOW
KIMBERLY TOMLINSON PAT & SAMANTHA O’CONNOR
JUDY VEAZEY
GABBY GRIJALVA BUTLER TEAM
KRISTI RUSSELL
MIKE HUGHES
CARMEN PLUNK
AMOS RADLINGER
MONTY MILBURN
JACK WALLACE
MINDY SEHL
AMANDA BIVENS
EDIE PHILLIPS
BARBARA & GAGE MARTIN
PEGGY WHITWORTH
KEVIN SHAHAN
JACKIE KNOX
KRISTI GATTON
KRISTEN SIMON
Real estate agents around the state are handling market fluctuations with ease – finding great success for themselves and their clients. Oklahoma Magazine’s Top Real Estate Agents listing shines a spotlight on firms of all sizes, recognizing talented agents and their hard work in 2022.
Accent Realtors (Teams)
Paul Wheeler
918-665-8559
$26,184,493
Cenury 21 –
Around the State (Individuals)
Amy Hall
Homestead RealtyPoteau
918-649-7121
$15,141,067
Suehzen Mosley
Mosley Real Estate -
Chickasha
405-222-8625
$13,408,200
Monica Medley
Clinkenbeard Agency - Muskogee
918-704-5101
$12,024,624
Justin Young
Clinkenbeard Agency - Fort Gibson
918-820-2946
$11,108,920
April Vaughn
First Choice Realty - Tulsa
918-696-1617
$8,586,100
Cindi Knippers
First Choice RealtyCoweta
918-694-8920
$8,380,874
Sarah Payne
First Choice Realty -
Coweta
918-760-7340
$8,370,120
Carla Weaver
First Choice Realty - Elgin
580-280-0715
$7,704,900
Huiyang Gao
First Choice RealtyMoore
316-821-1788
$6,342,577
Cheri Hutson
First Choice Realty -
Coweta
918-232-2432
$6,330,307
Misty Julian
First Choice RealtyElgin
580-656-1909
$6,199,500
Ananda Scaggs
First Choice Realty - Tulsa
918-506-3920
$6,006,920
Patsy Clinkenbeard
Clinkenbeard Agency - Fort Gibson
918-869-7504
$5,828,795
Tresa Hunter
First Choice Realty - Tulsa
918-640-6375
$5,792,390
Tyler Messec
First Choice RealtyMoore
405-905-9014
$5,517,200
Amanda Curtsinger
First Choice Realty - Tulsa
918-822-1146
$5,390,900
Lacey Bradshaw
First Choice RealtyElgin
580-678-9857
$5,241,350
Larrin Rudy
First Choice Realty - Tulsa
918-520-0102
$5,124,200
Wanda Brown
Homestead RealtyPoteau
479-629-2116
$5,123,600
Blair Schoppa
Mosley Real Estate -
Chickasha
903-733-5703
$5,079,829
Chinowth and Cohen Realtors
(Individuals)
Brandie True
918-688-4581
$37,469,832
Barbara Staten
918-257-2012
$27,154,985
Amy Prosser
918-805-9713
$26,145,767
Missy Hagin-Pittman
918-955-8626
$25,871,132
Shawn Peters
918-808-2239 $24,920,800
Gayle Roberts-Pisklo
Borem
Megan Forehand
DeWeese
Posey 918-520-4920 $14,337,100 Deb Wilmoth
Ellison
Stocker
Susie Genet
Coldwell Banker Select – Around the State (Individuals)
Jeanette Bagrosky 918-810-6034 $9,388,000 Coldwell Banker Select – Around the State (Teams)
The Maureen Kile Team
Maureen Kile 918-605-4150
The G7 Group
Greg Ganzkow 918-381-5656 $40,858,880
The Rainwater Team
Josh Rainwater 918-852-8500
The Slemp Team
Alice Slemp 918-260-3735
$30,132,100
The Parker Team
Alicia Parker 918-231-5995
$26,641,700
The Vining Standlee
Team
Kimberly Vining
918-370-8147
$24,554,875
The RLC Red Door Group
Katherine Cook
918-693-3900
$21,425,000
McGuire-Cooley Team
Deborah McGuire
918-695-9711
$19,759,575
The Beverly Jeanes Team
Beverly Jeanes 918-931-9434
$18,408,400
The Vermillion Group
Janet Vermillion 918-230-1915
$17,153,300
Jeb Perry & Associates
Jeb Perry 918-284-0664
$17,087,599 Pollard-Sams Team
Jen Pollard 918-625-0351
Chinowth and Cohen Realtors
(Teams) Jenkins Team Laurie Jenkins
918-951-4663
$29,505,646
Hand Team
Cindy Hand
918-724-1089
$16,243,000
The Ballard Home Team
Carrie Ballard
918-630-4380
$15,567,000
The Mary Carter Team
Mary Carter
918-637-7961
$15,514,183
The Corrie Egge Team
Corrie Egge
918-230-8433
$15,000,000
The Brian Kirk Team
Brian Kirk
918-869-7080
$14,173,500
Kevin Rhoades Team
Kevin Rhoades
918-260-9072
$13,503,000
The Wilbourn Team
Select Commercial Group
David Roberts
918-695-6979
$11,305,950
The Martin-Bakovic Team
Ti any Martin
918-852-2326
$11,222,000
Concept Realty (Individuals)
Robert Kleven
918-304-7573
$12,400,162
Engel & Volkers
Tulsa (Teams)
Chris Zinn Group
Chris Zinn
918-262-4030
$42,840,134
eXp Realty East
(Individuals)
Lindsey Morris
405-205-7830
$30,757,901
Sandra Bahe
918-470-4710
$30,104,361
Robin Wilson
918-810-1511
$27,114,602
Amanda Dudley
918-520-6514
$23,159,403
Wil Montomery
580-745-4752
$14,147,581
Katye Halloran
918-804-6991
$12,808,800
Sabrina Shaw
918-637-7826
$14,267,909
Clay Cecil
580-230-0834
$13,391,250
Tony Georr
918-955-4500
$10,227,700
Jennifer Samuelson
918-361-1473
$8,467,342
Alicia Butler
918-200-6449
$8,692,650
Darryl Baskin
918-732-9732
$7,442,385
eXp Realty East
(Teams)
Private Label Real Estate Team
Brandi and Troy
Fugate
918-645-6329
$35,275,095
580 Realty Team
Brian Allen
580-980-4226
$27,634,178
Burger & Co. Real Estate Group
Brooke Burger
918-810-2471
Karla Meislahn
Jessica Wilbourn 918-798-1808
$12,223,000
$27,155,785
Cultivate Realty Group
Ashley Kadlec
918-592-8948
$9,831,262 Janet Helms 405-921-0572
$9,406,727
$46,391,000
Kelli Haus
817-658-6454
$23,607,100
Natalie Simon
586-855-0247
$19,326,254
William Mahan
405-301-5560
$16,996,566
Della Runnels
803-322-1455
$15,823,939
Kathy Parker
405-642-1929
$15,711,848
Wendy Foreman
405-473-6832
$15,314,502
Rick McCormick
405-310-7470
$15,221,782
Cindy Keathly
214-783-9425
$15,148,518
Whitney McNair
405-323-6562
$13,252,997
Marcela Guerrero
918-955-8266
$12,660,010
Shane Johnson
405-230-0161
$11,179,390
Tyler Thomas 580-571-5016
$10,381,668
Mandy Apple
405-318-8528
$10,314,091
Haley Sanchez
405-824-2555
$10,026,500
eXp Realty West
(Teams)
Hart Home Selling Team
Brandon Hart
405-990-4569
$41,994,344
1411 Homes Team
Jana Fariss
405-474-0411
$20,514,380
Hamilwood Realty (Teams)
The Gordon Watson Team
Gordon Watson
405-210-6886
$130,000,000
Keller Williams Realty Elite
(Individuals)
Brian Cook
580-334-2303
$25,735,318
David Oliver
405-532-3800
$24,859,811
Simon Shingleton
405-314-7856
$23,546,130
Brent Holliday
405-788-1708
$21,981,068
Kacie Kinney
405-760-3455
$21,810,667
Leesa Williams
405-205-0867
$18,820,064
Katie Chapman
404-429-8806
$18,043,469
Richard Ayling
405-641-5012
$15,635,470
Denise Schroder
405-408-3699
$15,496,490
Jennifer Whitten
405-414-2864
$13,969,299
Lesley Ballenger
405-401-5994
$13,929,033
Nicole Woodson
405-816-0046
$13,844,365
Shelby Cummings
405-641-5120
$13,426,343
Lisa Mollman
405-210-8736
$13,355,809
Christie Davis
405-326-2566
$12,800,853
Darian Woolbright
405-887-3007
$12,330,193
Amanda Hall
405-501-4307
$11,232,265
Markus Smith
405-443-6783
$11,138,120
Danny DeKinder
405-922-3611
$10,135,682
Keller Williams
Realty Elite (Teams)
Wyatt Poindexter Group
Wyatt Poindexter
405-417-5466
$57,594,866
Keller Williams Realty Platinum (Individuals)
Paula Harell Beauchamp
512-201-3875
$50,241,553
Dawn Hibben
580-743-3174
$42,479,205
Ashly Darlene Kuma
918-640-5535
$41,403,737
Michael Carter
405-219-2433
$34,226,039
Sharon Ferguson
580-612-5111
$24,537,400
Debra Elliot
580-212-7288
$18,810,750
Eddie Landry
405-210-5800
$13,044,366
Brenda Richey
940-736-6599
$12,391,525
Jenny Burns
405-473-4931
$12,364,750
Evelyn Warren
580-236-0124
$12,297,500
Phil Boevers
405-642-5029
$11,191,450
Melissa Brake
405-408-4535
$10,547,999
Tilley
Monroe
Green
rey Burns
Conway
Buxton
Freel
Michelle
Sometime around the turn of the century, Brett Rehorn, an a able restaurant contractor with 17 years in the business, decided to build the grandest Irish pub in T-Town – a bar and restaurant so magni cent it would be known around the world.
“ e entire block,” he told a reporter in 2001, “will look just like a street in a typical Irish town.” He put a million dollars and years of his time into the project. A Dublin designer drew up the plans. Flooring, cabinetry, furniture – all were shipped from Ireland. A long and beautifully worn bar, 100 years old, came from Dublin. e massive carved wood back bar was lovingly built in Ireland’s capital, and you’d swear it was as old as the bar. On opening night, a young woman named Patti Stevens proudly stood behind the bar, welcoming in new customers into Kilkenny’s Irish Pub.
Twenty years and more have rolled by and there’ve
been some changes. e Irish antiques and memorabilia that cover every available inch of space have changed. Rehorn is an inveterate collector, constantly buying more antiques, which he swaps out for those already there. e menu, already huge, has gotten a lot bigger. Often, the chefs will create a special, and Rehorn loves it so much it stays on the menu. Gatherings at Kilkenny’s for Saint Patrick’s Day have grown more popular overtime; check the restaurant’s social media pages for 2023 updates. ere are so many Irish dishes you’ve probably never heard of. ere’s boxty, colcannon, coddle and champ. Boxty are stu ed potato pancakes, colcannon is a mix of mashed potatoes and cabbage, coddle is bacon and sausages mixed with veggies, and champ is mashed potatoes forti ed with butter and cream. All delicious, and there are also many chicken, steak and seafood dishes ranging from hearty stews to subtly sauced lets.
Irish pubs are at the ready to welcome patrons during this lively holiday ... and all year-round, too.Kilkenny’s Reuben comes with corned beef, tangy sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, grilled on marble rye.
Quite a few of the chefs have been there since opening night – that’s why the food is so good. If you go in during early evening, there’s a good chance that you’ll see Patti Stevens behind the bar, chatting with some of the regulars whom she rst met on opening night.
“Oh, not me,” says one loquacious customer, “I’ve only been coming since 2009.”
Some of the regulars who have since died are memorialized by little metal plaques on the chairs and walls.
“Oh, this was a great guy, he always ordered half-andhalf,” recalls Stevens, pointing at one plaque, referring to a drink made of a light beer topped with Guinness.
And why is Stevens still here?
“Oh,” she says, “Brett’s a good guy to work for.” – B.S.
O’Connell’s Irish Pub and Grille, located in Campus Corner across from the University of Oklahoma campus, o ers an authentic taste of Ireland with a vibrant atmosphere and delightful menu. Since its opening over 50 years ago, O’Connell’s has become a beloved landmark for locals seeking hearty grub and visitors looking to experience traditional pub culture.
In the month of March, O’Connell’s celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with gusto; so much so that they have become known as one of the most popular St. Patty’s Day events in the state. In years past, they’ve hosted an array of gatherings, including an early morning breakfast, live music throughout the day, and gallons and gallons of ice-cold, emerald-hued brew. is year, O’Connell’s will be celebrating the event for the 55th time and they are sure to put on a celebration that won’t soon be forgotten. Check their Facebook page for the latest details.
A true year-round hotspot among locals and college students alike, the Irish pub o ers a wide array of options for dinner, such as sandwiches, wraps, wings and seventeen di erent burgers. Often dubbed one of the best burgers in Norman, O’Connell’s Ranchhand burger o ers a juicy patty topped with bacon, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing. Of course, no
visit would be complete without trying one of the restaurant’s signature pub entrées like classic beer-battered sh and chips made with Atlantic cod.
On Wednesday nights, O’Connell’s gets even livelier when it plays host to burger night plus karaoke. You can build your own burgers starting at $5.50, pair them with a pint of beer, and then take the stage when karaoke starts at 9:30 p.m.
No matter what time you visit, O’Connell’s atmosphere is always abuzz with cheerful conversations, clinking beer mugs and good vibes. e sta has created an inviting environment that makes it feel like you’re walking into an oldfashioned Irish pub – right in the heart of Oklahoma. – N.O.
BRIAN SCHWARTZ & NICKY OMOHUNDROIf you think all cat sh is greasy and heavy, then a visit to the Cat sh Connection in Edmond will change your mind. is local eatery is changing people’s perceptions of cat sh with its light and clean-tasting creations.
Co-owner Mario Avila never thought he’d dive into the restaurant business, let alone open a new spot specializing in cat sh – something that made him think of “a dirty kind of sh” growing up. But after seeing lines out the door at Cat sh Connection’s original Dallas location, his curiosity was piqued. ere, he found not just the best cat sh he ever had, but some of the best sh he ever had. Avila and his business partner opened their own version in Edmond the summer of 2022 – with all the original recipes from Dallas’ prior success.
Here, you’ll be served some of the lightest and akiest cat sh lets, seasoned in the original or nitro/spicy (think more seasoned versus spicy hot), fried to perfection. Using a light oil, the cat sh remains light and avorful.
In addition to delicious lets, try the bone-in whole sh for the full avor experience. To complete your meal, sink your teeth into housemade boudin balls stu ed with cheese, grab a plate of wings, or enjoy sides like hush puppies, coleslaw and okra. To top it o , the restaurant makes its own delightful tartar/remoulade sauce. Next time you crave some cat sh, look no further than Cat sh Connection to get your Southern x. 2000 S. Broadway, Edmond
NICKY OMOHUNDRO
O’Connell’s in Norman welcomes college students and locals alike for Saint Patty’s Day activities. Photo courtesy O’Connell’sOklahoma-based trailblazer Stephanie Miller is changing the face of comfort food. As executive chef at the Hamilton Supperette and Lounge in OKC, she proudly serves up “Okie-focused” menu items rooted in her home state. Together with her partners at Killer Squid Hospitality, Miller has become one of the hottest names in town.
Having grown up in Norman, Miller attended the University of Oklahoma before deciding to pursue her passion for cooking. In 2008, she graduated from Platt College and wasted no time diving into the culinary world, working mornings at Cafe 7 and nights at Bravo Italian Kitchen. When a leadership member at Cafe 7 left thirteen years ago, Miller seized the opportunity to become an integral part of Killer Squid Hospitality, joining as a partner. e decade-plus relationship has been met with great success – including e Hamilton Supperette and Lounge, where Miller has helmed the kitchen since April 2020.
“We know what Oklahomans like to eat and what we like to eat ourselves,” says Miller when asked what made her and her partners open a supper club. ey realized that there was a need in the Village neighborhood for a “nicer,
higher-end place where you could dress up or be casual and go have a martini.”
Yet, she admits, “the spot should never have worked,” as the Hamilton is located on the east side of Northpark Mall in a former men’s clothing store.
e restaurant o ers a truly unique dining experience, with its mid-century supper club atmosphere, stellar cocktails and elegant comfort food. Miller believes that part of its charm lies in being able to forget you’re in a mall as soon as you step foot through the door.
e Hamilton quickly lled a particular dining void in OKC. e menu’s focus is on Okie-centric dishes, “like big steak, fried quail and ingredients that mean something to the people of Oklahoma,” says Miller.
e quail entrée, according to Miller, “will probably be the best you’ve ever had,” and is a homage to the North Park Mall’s owner; the land the mall now sits on is where he used to go quail hunting many years ago.
Hamilton guests are also in for a luxurious cocktail experience. Emily and Jimmy Mays, the bar manager and co-owner respectively, have been hard at work crafting custom creations to tantalize
taste buds. eir signature Flower Power is a combo of Zephyr gin, lemon juice and lavender syrup, topped with an edible orchid; plus there’s a carefully curated beer and wine list.
Killer Squid Hospitality’s latest concept, Dado’s Pizza, opened in November 2022. e New York Citystyle pizzeria features grab-and-go slices for a few dollars, alongside whole pies so large they “barely t in the trunk of your car,” says Miller.
Looking to the future, the goal is to “keep opening di erent concepts and serving the city as best we can,” she says. She’s excited to give back to the community with a new vision: an upscale sports bar focused on golf, giving local fans unrivaled access to quality food and entertainment experiences centered around the sport they love.
Over the past decade, Miller says she has seen a tremendous amount of growth across Oklahoma’s cuisine landscape, which gives her excitement for the future. As part of a New Year’s resolution, she’s “committed to only eating locally and to help out everybody that needs it.”
Her passion for committed service sets an example worth following.
NICKY OMOHUNDRO
Real Irish cuisine graces the Sean Cummings’ menu, with items like Boxty – potato crepes lled with beef, caramelized onion and mushrooms – along with Irish stew, meat pies, corned beef and bangers and mash. e restaurant also has a wide selection of Irish beers and spirits. 628 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City; seancummings-ok.com
One of Oklahoma’s most beloved dining destinations, McNellie’s o ers an Irish feel in downtown and south Tulsa, as well as OKC. From cottage pie to sh and chips and everything in between, diners can enjoy a slice of Ireland in Oklahoma. Many come to McNellie’s for the ample, rotating beer menu, as well as other Irish spirits. 409 E. First St., 7031 S. Zurich Ave., Tulsa; 1100 Classen Dr., OKC; mcnellies.com
Alongside a wide array of Irish whiskeys, the Black Raven also serves up traditional grub like bangers and mash, sh and chips, and corned beef and cabbage. Other specialties include ribeye, shepherd’s pie and roasted lamb. Finish o with an Irish bread pudding or Guinness chocolate cake. 1878 N. Church Avenue, Harrah; blackravenirishpub.com
Described as an ‘Americanized Irish pub,’ J. Farley’s o ers all the bar food you could want, plus an ‘Across the Pond’ section with goodies like Irish wolfhounds, Reubens, shepherd’s pie and chicken and cabbage. e restaurant also hosts an array of weekly events, like bingo, karaoke and live music performances. 820 S. Lynn Riggs Blvd., Claremore; jfarleyspub.com
Described as “Broken Arrow’s best kept secret,” CJ Moloney’s o ers a variety of entertainment options including pool, darts, live music and karaoke, as well as traditional meals like the ‘Dublin Delight,’ topped with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing, and the ‘Paddy melt,’ with marble rye, Swiss cheese, sautéed onions and spicy mustard. 849 S. Aspen Ave., Broken Arrow; cjmoloneysba.com
Henry Hudson’s Pub
Committed to providing a friendly, inviting atmosphere with low prices, Henry Hudson’s pub is a popular OKC, Yukon and Norman stop. While the fare isn’t particularly Irish, you can still nd a laid-back atmosphere with standard pub grub. Several locations in the OKC metro; henryhudsonspub.com
Pub W
You’ll nd a little bit of everything at Pub W, brainchild of the McNellie’s Group. Burgers, salads, sandwiches and melts, you’ll get into the Irish spirit with a handful of brews on tap as well as Irish spirits. Locations in Tulsa, OKC, Norman and Edmond; pubdub.com
MARY WILLA ALLEN
EVENTS LISTED ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CHECK INDIVIDUAL WEBSITES FOR UPDATES.
BROWN BAG IT: JAZZ THIS!
DUO March 1 Tulsa PAC Jazz-
This! is a musical ensemble based in Tulsa that performs a variety of music but specializes in innovative arrangements of jazz standards and songs from the Great American Songbook. tulsapac.com
AMERICAN THEATRE
COMPANY PRESENTS:
SKELETON CREW March
3-11 Tulsa PAC In Dominique Morisseau’s third play in her Detroit trilogy, a makeshift family of workers at the last exporting auto plant in the city navigate the possibility of foreclosure. tulsapac.com
TULSA SYMPHONY PRESENTS ALLURING: AN EVENING OF OPERA March
4 Tulsa PAC Enjoy works, arias and duets from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Donzetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Verdi’s Rigoletto. tulsasymphony.org
CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS
PRESENTS: HAMIL-
TON March 7-19 Tulsa
PAC Hamilton is the story of America’s founding father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary. celebrityattractions. com
CENICIENTA: A BILINGUAL CINDERELLA STORY March
10 Tulsa PAC Ten-year-old Belinda loves to tell stories, but when she’s in the basement preparing for a party upstairs, she’ll have to get creative. Using everyday objects like teapots and napkins, Belinda recreates the classic tale of Cinderella. tulsapac.com
CHAMBER MUSIC TULSA
PRESENTS: AKROPOLIS
REED QUINTET March
12 Tulsa PAC As the first reed quintet to grace the Billboard Charts, the untamed band of five reed players and entrepreneurs are united by a shared passion: to make music that sparks joy and wonder. chambermusictulsa.org
TSO AT TU: PROKOFIEV’S SYMPHONY NO. 1 March
12 Tulsa PAC Enjoy works from lauded composers as well as guest conductor Brett Mitchell. tulsapac.com
TULSA SYMPHONY PRES-
e Tulsa Symphony o ers two goodies this month at the Tulsa PAC. First is Alluring: An Evening of Opera on March 4, with works from Mozart, Rossini and Verdi. Stick around for Tchaikovsky – e Man Behind the Music from March 24-26. Chamber Music Tulsa hosts the Akropolis Reed Quintet on March 12, also at the PAC; the group is the rst quintet to hit the Billboard charts. Lastly, musical fans won’t want to miss Hamilton, presented by Celebrity Attractions, running at the PAC from March 7-19. e story of one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, the musical is replete with a riveting ensemble cast and catchy tunes.
At the OKC Civic Center Music Hall, OKC Phil presents two events. First is Sight and Sound on March 4, featuring the music of Evelyn Glennie. Next is the Texas Tenors, performing March 17-18. Stick around the Civic Center for Canterbury Voices’ Dave Brubeck’s To Hope! on March 9, as well as the smash hit musical Disney’s Frozen, running March 22-25 courtesy OKC Broadway.
e McKnight Center for the Performing Arts in Stillwater o ers three performances this month: the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra on March 3; Late Night with Leonard Bernstein on March 5; and Curtis on Tour: e Soldier’s Tale on March 24.
Enid residents should also visit Gaslight eatre from March 17-25 for a rendition of e Odd Couple.
ENTS: TCHAIKOVSKY – THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC March 24-26 Tulsa
PAC Back by
the Tulsa PAC with live accompaniment by the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. tulsasymphony.org
JOSH ABBOTT BAND March 3 Cain’s Ballroom Country crooners the Josh Abbot Band visit Tulsa. cainsballroom.com
TOBYMAC HITS DEEP TOUR March 25 BOK
Center MultipPlatinum-selling artist TobyMac and the Awakening Foundation announce the 2023 TobyMac Hits Deep Tour artist lineup featuring TobyMac and the DiverseCity band. bokcenter.com
TURNPIKE TROUBA-
DOURS March 30 BOK
Center Due to overwhelming demand, a second show has been added for Turnpike Troubadours. bokcenter.com
JOURNEY March 31 BOK
Center One of the most legendary rock bands of all time, Journey, announces the continuation of their highly successful tour with the 50th Anniversary Celebration Freedom Tour. bokcenter.com
ART
FRANCHESKA ALCÁNTARA AND KARA LYNCH: STRANGE & OPPOSITIONAL Through March 19 108
Contemporary Francheska Alcántara and Kara Lynch invite you to Strange & Oppositional, a collective meditation on Black feminist fugitive aesthetics. 108contemporary.org
I CAN’T EMBROIDER WORKSHOP March 20 108 Contemporary Think you can’t do something? Think again! Join us for the I Can’t Embroider workshop. 108contemporary.org
REMBRANDT TO MONET: 500 YEARS OF EUROPEAN PAINTING FROM JOSLYN ART
MUSEUM Through May 28 Philbrook Immerse yourself in European masterworks at Philbrook. philbrook.org
ROBERT PETERSON: HOMECOMING Through June 11 Philbrook Museum of Art Lawton, Oklahoma based artist Robert Peterson’s stu ning portraiture depicts the diversity of the black experience and pushing against stereotypes. philbrook.org
SLUMGULLION: THE VENERATE OUTPOST Ongoing Philbrook Museum of Art Philbrook is proud to partner with award-winning artist
Karl Unnasch to present Slumgullion, a full-scale log cabin built from the skeleton of a late-1800s pioneer home. philbrook.org
UNIVERSITY OF TULSA
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL March
1 Reynolds Center The Lady Hurricane plays at home against UCF. tulsahurricane.com
BIG 12 WRESTLING March
4-5 BOK Center The championship marks the eighth neutral-site conference championship for the sport and the seventh in Tulsa. bokcenter.co
OKRHA RIDE & SLIDE March
7-12 Expo Square Enjoy an event hosted by the Oklahoma Reining Horse Association. exposquare.com
AMA ARENACROSS CHAMPIONSHIP March 10-12 Expo Square Enjoy exciting motorcross action at the championship. exposquare.com
TULSA OILERS March 10-26 BOK Center See the Oilers take on a variety of competitors this month. bokcenter.com
NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS March 16-18 BOK Center Experience the thrill of live wrestling as the most talented athletes from around the country face off in downtown Tulsa. bokcenter.com
HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS March 27 BOK Center Your favorite Globetrotter stars are bringing out their amazing basketball skills, outrageous athleticism and a non-stop good time. bokcenter.com
FIRST FRIDAY ART CRAWL March 3 Downtown Tulsa Since 2007, the Tulsa Arts District has presented the community with rotating art displays as part of the First Friday Art Crawl. travelok.com
Photo courtesy Celebrity Attractions popular demand, Tchaikovsky returns toTULSA TOWN HALL PRESENTS: RICHARD DREY-
FUSS March 3 Tulsa
PAC Richard Dreyfuss is an American leading man, who has played his fair share of irritating pests and brash, ambitious hustlers. tulsatownhall.com
GREATER TULSA HOME & GARDEN SHOW March
9-12 Expo Square Prep for summer with the Home and Garden Show. exposquare.com
SECOND SATURDAY ARCHITECTURE TOUR March
11 100 E. Second St. Take a fun and educational walking tour during the Second Saturday Architecture Tour. tulsaarchitecture.org
AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
NATIONAL AGILITY CHAMPIONSHIP March 17-19 Expo Square Canines compete for top dog at this agility championship. exposquare.com
T-TOWN HALF MARA-
THON March 25 418 E.
Second St. This March, save the date for the 5th annual T-Town Half Marathon. travelok.com
OKLAHOMA JEWISH FILM
FESTIVAL March 26-March
30 Circle Cinema For an entertaining and rewarding cinematic experience, join the audience in Tulsa for the Oklahoma Jewish Film Festival, held at the iconic Circle Cinema. jewishtulsa.org
OK, SO TULSA GRAND
SLAM March 31 Tulsa
PAC The best storytellers in Tulsa descend upon the PAC for the Grand Slam event. tulsapac.com
BRAINIAC BALL March
4 Cox Business Convention Center Family and Children’s services is popping into 2023 with more fun and less drone! brainiacball.com
SAPPHIRE CELEBRATION
ANNUAL AUCTION “NIGHT ON BROADWAY” March 4
services to women and families affected by domestic and sexual violence. themonarchball.com
OKC PHIL PRESENTS: SIGHT AND SOUND March 4
Civic Center Music Hall Enjoy music from Evelyn Glennie. okcphil.org
then have become one of the most sought-after musical acts. okcphil.org
OKC BROADWAY PRESENTS: DISNEY’S FROZEN March 22-25 Civic Center Music Hall From the producer of The Lion King and Aladdin, Frozen, the Tonynominated Best Musical, is now on tour across North America and the critics rave, “It’s simply magical!” okcbroadway.com
April 30 Oklahoma Contemporary Featuring seven artworks by three artists, Fugitive Speech explores acts of personal testimony in the face of social, cultural and historical odds. oklahomacontemporary.org
ART OF THE NORTHWEST COAST Through May 1
JUSTICE Through May 14 OKCMOA William H. Johnson celebrated black activists and their accomplishments even as he acknowledged the realities of racism, violence, and oppression they faced and overcame. okcmoa.com
Norman The OU women’s basketball team takes the court. soonersports.com
OKC THUNDER BASKETBALL March 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 19, 28, 29 Paycom Center Don’t miss the state’s NBA team take the court against regular season adversaries. paycomcenter.com
WINTER JAM March 4
March 9
CANTERBURY VOICES PRESENTS: DAVE BRUBECK’S TO HOPE! A CELEBRATION
Civic Center Music
Hall Canterbury reprises this beautiful celebration mass for the first time in 15 years, artfully combining elements of jazz and classical music. okccviccenter.com
OKLAHOMA CITY BALLET
PRESENTS: FUTURE
VOICES March 9-12 Susan E. Brackett Dance Center The Oklahoma City Ballet will perform a memorable show with Future Voices: A Choreographic Showcase this March. travelok.com
LYRIC THEATRE PRESENTS: HUCKLEBERRY
FINN’S BIG RIVER Through March 11 Lyric at the Plaza This new revision of Broadway’s Tony Awardwinning musical, with the support of over 100 consensus organizers serving the Black community, will lift your spirit. lyrictheatreokc.com
OKC PHIL PRESENTS: THE TEXAS TENORS March 17-18 Civic Center Music Hall This Emmy Awardwinning vocal trio was a top finalist in the popular show America’s Got Talent, and since
Paycom Center Get ready for We The Kingdom, Jeremy Camp, Andy Mineo, Anne Wilson and more. paycomcenter.com
ANA GABRIEL March 16
Paycom Center Ana Gabriel is coming to Paycom Center! paycomcenter.com
BLAKE SHELTON March 17
Paycom Center Blake Shelton is bringing his Back to the Honky Tonk Tour to Paycom Center. paycomcenter.com
AN EVENING WITH AMY GRANT March 30 Civic
Center Music Hall Amy Grant’s career spans more than 40 years and stretches from her roots in gospel into becoming an iconic pop star, songwriter, television personality and philanthropist. okcciviccenter.com
STEVIE NICKS March 30
Paycom Center Legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Nicks has extended her touring run into 2023 with fourteen performances across the U.S. paycomcenter.com
FUGITIVE SPEECH Through
National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum From painted totem poles to ben wood boxes, northwest coast artwork is known across the world. nationalcowboymuseum.org
PLAYING COWBOY Through May 7 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum
Since the publication of the first dime novels and the worldwide tours of Wild West shows in the 1880s, children across the globe have “played cowboys and Indians.” nationalcowboymuseum.org
OUTLAWMAN Through May 7 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Using the museum’s material culture object collection, works of art, and the Glenn Shirley Collection in the DRC, this exhibition examines the often-thin line separating the outlaw from the lawman. nationalcowboymuseum.org
YOU HAVE DIED OF DYSENTERY Through May 7 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum “You have died of dysentery” is a line from the famous ‘game over’ screen from The Oregon Trail series of computer games. The quote also calls out the connection between Western themed play and the often-dark realities of history. nationalcowboymuseum.org
FIGHTERS FOR FREEDOM:
ART AND ACTIVISM AT TOUGALOO COLLEGE
Through May 14 OKCMOA
Co-organized by the American Federation of the Arts and Tougaloo College, Art and Activism at Tougaloo College examines the birth and development of this unique collection—the first in Mississippi dedicated to modern art. okcmoa.com
ARTOONS Through July 26 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum
Presented in conjunction with the Toys R Western and You Have Died of Dysentery exhibitions, ARToons will continue the playful nature of the exhibitions on display throughout the Museum at the same time. nationalcowboymuseum.org
CHIHULY THEN AND NOW: THE COLLECTION AT TWENTY Ongoing OKCMOA
Redesigned in collaboration with Chihuly Studio, Chihuly Then and Now: The Collection at Twenty incorporates a unique design, featuring five decades of glass and painting and tells a comprehensive story of Chihuly’s groundbreaking career. okcmoa.com
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
March 1 Lloyd Noble Center,
OKC BLUE BASKETBALL
March 3, 8, 10, 13, 15 Paycom
Center See the OKC Blue take on foes as the regular season comes to a close. paycomcenter.com
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
MEN’S BASKETBALL
March 4
Lloyd Noble Center, Norman Enjoy the OU men’s basketball team as they take on TCU. soonersports.com
HARLEM
GLOBETROTTERS March 25 Paycom Center The Harlem Globetrotters play two games on March 25. paycomcenter.com
FIRST FRIDAY GALLERY
WALK March 3 Paseo Arts
District Visitors can enjoy art openings, wine tastings, live music and other activities. thepaseo.org
OKC AUTO
SHOW March 3-5 OKC Fairgrounds One-of-a-kind car models will be on display during this three-day show. okcfairgrounds.com
JURASSIC QUEST March
10-12 OKC Fairgrounds Kids and kids at heart will love this venture back to prehistoric times. okcfairgrounds.com
SHRINE CIRCUS March 23-26 OKC Fairgrounds
River Spirit Casino Resort
The evening features a delectable dinner, great auction items, dancing and live music, and more. riverfield.org
LIVE UNITED AWARDS
March 7 Cox Business Convention Center Enjoy this awards ceremony benefitting Tulsa Area United Way. tauw.org
SIP FOR SIGHT GALA
March 11 Mayo Hotel Enjoy a gala benfitting Vizavance. sipforsight.com
CARNIVALE March 25 Cox Business Convention Center Support Mental Health Association of Oklahoma with a night of cocktails, dinner, dancing and entertainment. bestpartyintown.org
TIPTOE THROUGH THE TULIPS March 25 Tulsa
Botanic Garden Experience beautiful floral blooms and benefit Tulsa Botanic Garden. tulsabotanic.org
MONARCH BALL March
31 Southern Hills Country Club DVIS is the only nonprofit agency in Tulsa and surrounding communities to provide comprehensive intervention and prevention
Solo fun-seekers and families can nd a variety of community events to visit.
In Tulsa, 108 Contemporary o ers both an art show and a workshop. Francheska Alcántara and kara lynch: Strange & Oppositional runs through March 19 and showcases a collection on Black feminist fugitive aesthetics. Secondly, visit the gallery for the I Can’t Embroider Workshop on March 20. Tulsa Town Hall hosts actor Richard Dreyfuss at the PAC on March 3, and you can visit the Second Saturday Architecture Tour on March 11, starting at 100 E. Second Street. Dog lovers should amble down to the American Kennel Club National Agility Championship, running March 17-19 at Expo Square. And if you’d prefer to get some exercise yourself, the T-Town Half Marathon kicks of March 25 at 418 E. Second St. Other can’t-miss events include the Oklahoma Jewish Film Festival, March 26-30 at Circle Cinema, and the OK,
So Tulsa Grand Slam on March 31 at the PAC.
Oklahoma Citians with curious kiddos should head to Jurassic Quest March 10-12 at the OKC Fairgrounds. ere, you’ll venture back to prehistoric times with dino buddies. Other events in OKC include the Shrine Circus on March 23-26, also at the fairgrounds, as well as the Medieval Fair from March 31-April 2 at Reaves Park in Norman. Transport yourself to magical times of the past – with kings, queens and dazzling knights. Around the state, visitors can enjoy the Mustang Chocolate Festival at the Town Center on March 3; Acrofest on March 4 at Idabel’s Museum of the Red River; and the Sunnyside Up Film Festival from March 24-26 at the Coleman eatre in Miami.
Family time will fly by at the Shrine Circus. okcfairgrounds. com
OKC HOME & OUTDOOR
LIVING SHOW March
24-26 OKC Fairgrounds Prep for summertime at this expo. okcfairgrounds.com
MEDIEVAL FAIR March
31-April 2 Reaves Park, Norman Discover the magic of times past at Reaves Park this spring as you are transported to an age of kings, queens and knights in shining armor at Norman’s Medieval Fair. medievalfair.org
BOOTS & BALL GOWNS March
4 OKC Convention Center It’s time to don those cowboy boots and saddle up for another boot scootin’ time at Boots and Ball
Gowns benefitting Infant Crisis Services infantcrisis.org
ARTS! ARTS! ARTS!
GALA March 5 21C Museum Hotel Arts! Arts! Arts! is the annual gala for the OU Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts. ou.edu
OKC RESTAURANT
WEEK March 7-12 Citywide Mark your calendar! OKC
Restaurant Week is set for March 7-12. rfbo.org
THE BRAVE BALL 2022
March 25 Omni Hotel Join the CARE Center at this year’s annual gala, Brave Ball, at Omni Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City. carecenter-okc.org
OKLAHOMA HOSPITALITY
CLUB ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
LUNCHEON March 31 OKC Golf and Country Club For 53 years, OHC has honored Oklahoma women during this annual fundraising event. okcnp.org
THE LEGENDARY COUNT BASIE
ORCHESTRA March 3 McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, Stillwater In the history of jazz music, there is only one bandleader that has the distinction of having his orchestra still performing sold out concerts all over the world. mcknightcenter.org
PAULS VALLEY OPRY March 4
Pauls Valley High School The Pauls Valley Opry revived a 1960s and 1970s tradition built on traveling the state to play country, rock and folk music in a variety of clubs. travelok.com
THE CEMENT OPRY March 4
410 N. Main, Cement The Cement Opry is a monthly live variety show held in the Jesse James Ballroom, which is located above the Cement Museum. travelok.com
LATE NIGHT WITH LEONARD BERNSTEIN March 5
McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, Stillwater A well-known insomniac for whom night was a time for creativity and friendship, deep introspection and revelry, the iconic Leonard Bernstein loved to work and entertain at all hours. mcknightcenter.org
GASLIGHT THEATRE PRESENTS:
THE ODD COUPLE March 17-25
Gaslight Theatre, Enid Experience a reimagined performance of The Odd Couple live at Enid’s Gaslight Theatre. gaslighttheatre.org
CURTIS ON TOUR: THE SOLDIER’S TALE March 24
McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, Stillwater A thrilling tale of trickery and magic, Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat comes to life through an ensemble of musicians from the Curtis Institute of Music. mcknightcenter.org
CHRIS STAPLETON March
17-18 Choctaw Casino and Resort, Durant Country legend Chris Stapleton plays two shows in Durant. choctawcasinos.com
THE KILLERS March 24 Choctaw Casino and Resort, Durant See this rock band live for one night only. choctawcasinos.com
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL March 4 Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater The women’s basketball team takes on the last of regular season foes this month. okstate.com
MUSTANG CHOCOLATE
FESTIVAL March 3 Mustang Town Center Satisfy your sweet tooth at the Mustang Chocolate Festival, where guests can sample from 21 vendors offering a wide variety of irresistible chocolate treats. travelok.com
ACROFEST March 4 Museum of the Red River, Idabel Celebrate all things dinosaur at Acrofest, a fun-filled day inspired by Oklahoma’s state dinosaur, the acrocanthosaurus atokensis. museumoftheredriver.org
SUNNY SIDE UP FILM FESTIVAL March 24-26 Coleman Theatre, Miami This is an international film festival showcasing ample talent. brenrockproductions.com
Music opportunities abound in March.
e BOK Center in Tulsa presents two can’t-miss shows this month: country legends the Turnpike Troubadours on March 30 and Journey on March 31, as the band continues its 50th Anniversary Celebration Freedom Tour Paycom Center in OKC o ers several events. First up is Christian music festival Winter Jam on March 4, with guests including We e Kingdom, Jeremy Camp, Andy Mineo and Anne Wilson. Ana Gabriel visits on March 16. Oklahoma native and country star Blake Shelton plays March 17. One of the biggest names in music, Stevie Nicks, rocks the house on March 30, and comedian Katt Williams visits March 31. Amy Grant also performs her mixture of gospel and pop tunes at the Civic Center on March 30. In Durant, the Choctaw Casino and Resort presents Chris Stapleton on March 17-18 for back-to-back concerts, as well as rock act e Killers on March 24.
his directorial debut here, so we’ll see if it’s a knockout when it releases on March 3.
For a biographical drama, keep an eye on Golda. e lm depicts the life of the titular Golda Meir – the Prime Minister of Israel from 1969-1974 – with focus on the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Meir was only the fourth woman in the world elected as head of state, and is often described as the “Iron Lady” of Israeli politics. She will be played by Helen Mirren, which will almost certainly be a powerhouse performance to see when it hits theaters on March 10.
With the painful cinematic months behind us, March rolls into town with a lot more stunners than one might expect. I hope you’ve got a movie pass, because there’s a lot to see!
Swinging hard to open the month is Creed III. e ninth installment in the Rocky franchise, the lm follows Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther) as he comes face-to-face with an old boxing friend, Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country). e rst lm in the franchise without Sylvester Stallone returning as Rocky, this story has big shoes to ll. Alongside starring in the lm, Jordan also makes
Next, a frankly wild looking psychological horror lm titled Inside might catch your interest. e story concerns Nemo (Willem Dafoe), an art thief, who attempts to steal priceless works – only to nd himself trapped inside a New York penthouse as the plan goes awry. e trailer seems to indicate it’s a one-man-show for Dafoe, and it’s also helmed by rst-time director Vasillis Katsoupis. So, the jury’s still out on what kind of movie this will wind up being. It releases March 10.
Sci- gets a chance to shine this month with 65. Written and directed by duo Scott Beck and Bryan Woods – creators of A Quiet Place – the lm sees pilot Mills
(Adam Driver) crash landing on a mysterious planet that winds up being Earth … only it’s 65 million years ago. Mills and the one other survivor (Ariana Greenblatt, Stuck in the Middle) must traverse across the planet, avoiding prehistoric creatures along the way. e trailer o ers a wonderful blending of sci- and dinosaurs, and with Danny Elfman composing the soundtrack, it should be, at the least, quite entertaining when it comes out on March 17.
For some of the best action choreography this side of an ’80s Jackie Chan lm, grab tickets for John Wick: Chapter 4. Keanu Reeves is back, this time trying to claw his way to freedom by defeating the High Table – the governing council of the crime underworld’s most powerful organizations. Returning cast includes Lawrence Fishburne, Ian McShane (Deadwood) and Lance Reddick (Fringe). New faces, such as Donnie Yen (Ip Man franchise) as the blind assassin Caine, and Bill Skarsgård (It) as the Marquis de Gramont – the High Table’s newest leader – assure that this installment will bring tons of action and excitement when it drops on March 24.
DREW JOSEPH ALLEN
March comes out swinging with psychological horror, drama, action and science ction.
Commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Carrie Slatton-Hodges works to address mental health and substance use issues in the state. Focused on delivering services designed to address the needs of high-risk populations, Slatton-Hodges is leading the nation’s launch of the 988 Mental Health Lifeline. A graduate of Southern Nazarene University and Southwestern Oklahoma State University, SlattonHodges has been a licensed professional counselor for over 30 years. We caught up with her and got her thoughts on ...
I started my work in mental health in a rural setting covering eight counties, and have provided, developed and supervised most any type of behavioral health program you can think of. I’ve always loved to build programs and budgets and collect data to analyze what works and what does not.
I think I was born a counselor by nature, and I was raised by very intelligent parents who also strongly believe in giving back to society and to those less fortunate. One of the best things in life is to see someone go from being very ill, and to be around to see them at their best. I’ve had a lot of that luxury in my life and have seen in from a variety of vantage points during my professional career as a licensed professional counselor for over 30 years. I’ve held a variety of clinical and administrative positions, both in the public and private sectors, ultimately leading me to the role of commissioner. I have a very strong commitment to supporting the wellbeing of Oklahomans – improving mental health and addiction services and supports across this state, because everyone deserves to live a valuable, productive life in the community.
I believe we must improve upon our suicide and overdose rates, because losing even one person is one too many, especially when there are evidenced-based prevention and treatment services to help those of us with suicidal thoughts and addiction disorders. We have many opportunities in front of us. We need to continue to develop our statewide crisis system by layering in more
technology, mobile crisis response teams, additional urgent care centers, and to work more closely with law enforcement dispatch. We need to continue to develop and partner on diversion from the criminal justice system for those with mental health and addiction issues, and we need to continue to improve access to behavioral healthcare at all levels, and go more upstream with prevention strategies embedded within school settings. e public health issue of suicide and overdose will take all of us working together to make a signi cant impact longterm, and I believe we have a lot of positive momentum from many stakeholders that will help Oklahoma achieve this goal. … the 988 Mental Health Lifeline. e launch of 988 is just the beginning of a complete transformation of how people access treatment, receive support and understand how to help a loved one in need. e ease of only having to remember three digits (to call or text) to talk to someone immediately that understands mental health and addiction challenges is a gigantic win for Oklahoma and the rest of the nation. However, what comes after that is also so critically important. Being connected to your local treatment provider,
having the ability to assist with scheduling an appointment, and following up to see if you had di culty accessing care revolutionizes the approach we’ve taken previously.
In addition, the ability to dispatch mobile crisis teams when a face-to-face interaction is needed to help de-escalate a situation, most often without law enforcement, increases the willingness of people to reach out for help. is system helps to further destigmatize mental health and addiction.
At one point in my career, I was on-call for crisis evaluations from 5 p.m. until 8 a.m. for a year in western Oklahoma – and let me tell you, these diseases don’t discriminate. I’ve seen persons from every walk of life be brought to their knees by anxiety, depression, addictions and psychosis. I’ve also seen them get back up o their knees, with help and support and to go on to live full and healthy lives. e system that we’ve built in Oklahoma will help more people feel comfortable taking the di cult step of reaching out.
