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Oklahoma Gazette
Growing pains A boom in the Oklahoma City restaurant scene gives diners options and puts pressure on operators.
by Jacob Threadgill p.14
Metro OKC’S Independent Weekly December 11, 2019
OKC’S NUMBER
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INSIDE COVER P. 14 Is the Oklahoma City metro
restaurant bubble about to burst? Oklahoma Gazette crunches the numbers and talks to industry leaders about the difficult side of a booming restaurant industry. By Jacob Threadgill Cover by Phillip Danner
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CITY Healthy Neighborhood
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6 CITY Manuel Perez Park
groundbreaking 8 METRO Oklahoma County jail administrator chosen 10 CHICKEN-FRIED NEWS
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ARTS & CULTURE 19 ART Until We Organize: The Struggle
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The 73111 ZIP code currently has no grocery store and five small-box discount stores that offer no fresh meats, fruits or vegetables. | Photo Alexa Ace
Improving health
One of the city’s most unhealthy ZIP codes could receive a Healthy Neighborhood Overlay zoning. By Miguel Rios
A potential Healthy Neighborhood Overlay for the 73111 ZIP code is among the first things Oklahoma City Council will decide in 2020. The ordinance to establish the zoning overlay has made its way through the Planning Commission and is set for public hearing Dec. 17 and final hearing Jan. 7. The new zoning would provide dispersal requirements for small-box discount stores, a move city leaders hope will improve health outcomes in the ZIP code, which is considered one of the unhealthiest in the state. The area doesn’t have a full-size grocery store but does have five small-box discount stores, none of which offer fresh meats, fruits or vegetables. “We did send the notices out to over 7,000 residents. I know we had this conversation at our Planning Commission meeting, and in my opinion, it seems as if some of our residents might be a little concerned or just unaware of how the Healthy Neighborhood Overlay works,” said Ward 7 councilwoman Nikki Nice at the Dec. 3 council meeting. “This is not a permanent overlay district. What we want to do is measure the health outcomes. … As soon as we are able to measure better health outcomes in that particular ZIP code, we will come back to the table and ask for it to be removed because we know once we can improve one ZIP code, we can also improve the city.”
Health outcomes
The area is considered a food desert, which the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 defines as an area “with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, particularly such an area composed of predominantly lower-income neighborhoods and communities.” However, councilwoman Nice wants to move away from the term, which many believe unfavorably labels communities in broad strokes as if there is nothing of value in the area. Instead, she hopes people start using terms like “food 4
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security” and “food insecurity.” “After ... understanding what a food desert is described as and how it’s defined, it makes it seem as if there is nothing there,” she said. “But we do know there are people there, there are residents there, there is life there. So I think ‘food security’ is a better term as we’re trying to ensure we get better food security for this community in northeast Oklahoma City.” According to research gathered by the city, more than 75 percent of the 73111 ZIP code is comprised of low-income census tracts “where more than 100 housing units do not have a vehicle and are more than one-half mile from the nearest supermarket.” A study by Lynn Institute found that a majority of residents say they consume less than one serving of fruits and vegetables per day. Additionally, the area has higher negative health outcome rates than the national average. “There are high rates of cardiovascular disease (85 percent), hypertension (325 percent), stroke (128 percent), heart attack (15 percent) and diabetes (125 percent). Mortality rates are just higher there due to low health outcomes,” said Geoffrey Butler, planning director. “The [Oklahoma] CityCounty Health Department has a health index and this ranks very low — 47 out of the 56 ranked. … So the purpose of the ordinance is to protect the health and general welfare of the residents of Oklahoma City by establishing this overlay.” City documents state regulation of small-box discount store locations and concentration is necessary to “preserve property values, prevent blight and protect the health, safety and general welfare of the residents of Oklahoma City.” “As you can see from the area conditions, this is the reason why we have to have some kind of policy in place to help increase at least healthier access and The Healthy Neighborhood Overlay would require new small-box discount stores to be a mile from other similar stores unless they have a pharmacy or 500 square feet dedicated to fresh meats, fruits and vegetables. | Image provided
better access for our communities so they can be able to thrive and give back to not only their community but this great city,” Nice said. According to data from Oklahoma State Department of Health Vital Records from 2013-2015, there’s an 18-year gap in life expectancy across different city ZIP codes. The highest life expectancy in the city is 81 years, compared to 73111’s life expectancy of roughly 69 years. Visit 18yeargap.com for an interactive life expectancy map.
Ordinance details
The Healthy Neighborhood Overlay applies to properties that are partially or wholly within the 73111 ZIP code but excludes those under the state’s CapitolMedical Zoning Commission. Under the ordinance, any new smallbox discount stores must be a mile from another similar store unless they have a pharmacy, which Nice said is of dire
need in the area, or provide at least 500 square feet of retail space for fresh meats, fruits and vegetables. “The ordinance itself is fairly short and simple. The purpose is to avoid the concentration of these small-box retail stores and to encourage access and greater diversity of food options,” Butler said. “It does not apply to anything that already exists. It applies to new stores that may be proposed to the area after this were to pass.” During the Planning Commission’s last meeting about the overlay, some residents were confused about what that meant for businesses and other zonings in the area. The new overlay does not affect existing base zoning of properties in the area. Additionally, businesses are not impacted unless they are considered small-box discount stores. The ordinance defines these businesses as “a store with the primary purpose of retail sales of a combination of sundry goods, products for personal grooming or personal health, and food or beverages for off-premise consumption, and which has a floor area of less than 12,000 square feet and a majority of items in inventory for sale at a price of less than $10.00 per item.” “[This] is being added to the ordinance as a new definition so that we can be precise about what is being regulated and what is not,” Butler said. The next council meeting, where the ordinance is set for public hearing, is 8:30 p.m. Dec. 17 at City Hall, 200 N. Walker Ave.
Wear your pajamas and step on a private streetcar for storytime with Mrs. Claus. Peek inside the historic Santa Fe Train Depot where you will enjoy milk, cookies, and photo opportunities. Then, Mrs. Claus escorts you on a chartered streetcar for a VIP journey and storytime around the loop. Arrive back to shop at the made-inOklahoma store, Scissortail Gifts, and receive an Oklahoma-shaped wooden ornament. A portion of sales helps wrap-up homelessness with a donation to The Homeless Alliance.
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Park milestone
City and community leaders broke ground last week on a park honoring a local Mexican American war hero. By Miguel Rios
The rebirth of Manuel Perez Park has officially begun. Last week, city leaders hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the 27-acre park, which will span several blocks east from S. Robinson Avenue along the Oklahoma River. “The community has been behind this to get this recognition but also to work with the city to get funding, to get the design, to get community input about what the park would be,” Donna Cervantes, associate planner for Oklahoma City, told Oklahoma Gazette. “It brought together so many dreams about what can be for rebuilding and honoring the good and then showing who’s here in the community, what’s been here for decades and showing the growth that’s to come.” The original Manuel Perez Park was north of where the new one will be and was only about an eighth of an acre. Doug Kupper, Parks & Recreation director, said the groundbreaking has been a long time coming. “We all know what Manuel Perez Park looked like,” Kupper said during the ceremony. “I have to admit that wasn’t very inspiring except for the plaque and the expression of who Manuel Perez was and what he meant to the United States of America, let alone Oklahoma City.”
Honoring Perez
Manuel Perez Jr. was an Oklahoma Cityborn World War II veteran who was killed in action when he was only 22. He served as private first class and was posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor for his service in the Philippines. It is the highest and most prestigious award for serving in the armed services. Only 3,508 Manuel Perez Memorial is designed to look like a Medal of Honor. | Image PDG / provided
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people have received the honor. “Through his courageous determination and heroic disregard of grave danger, Pfc. Perez made possible the successful advance of his unit toward a valuable objective and provided a lasting inspiration for his comrades,” according to Congressional Medal of Honor Society. To commemorate him, the city named a park in his honor and created a plaque with his accomplishments. But in 2012, the plaque was stolen. After that, community activists, as Friends of Manuel Perez, began a fundraising campaign to erect a new monument and potentially fund much-needed park renovations.
The voices were heard. We’re going to see a big change here that will spark more change. Donna Cervantes However, at the time, the future of the park was uncertain. Situated at SW 14th Street and Harvey Avenue, the park bordered what is set to become the lower part of Scissortail Park, so officials were considering whether to incorporate the two. Conversations between Friends of Manuel Perez and several city leaders about the best path forward led to the idea of moving the park and having it incorporate a western portion of Wiley Post Park. “That’s how we ended up creating this new opportunity to recognize and honor Medal of Honor Recipient Manuel Perez. I can’t say enough for the Friends of Manuel Perez. They worked tirelessly with park staff and council folks and the
mayor’s office, and we sat through a lot of renditions that our design consultants put together,” Kupper said. “It took us a little bit of time to get it bidded out, but we are so happy that McNabb Construction were the ones that saw the light and gave us a good bid for constructing the park. … I get emotional at these things, especially when we’re recognizing such a distinguished career in the military. It’s hard to think about people giving up their lives to keep our way of life going forward.” Cruz Cardenas, Perez’s cousin and a veteran himself, was at the groundbreaking ceremony. He told Gazette that unless people knew what the former park looked like, it would be difficult to truly appreciate how much of an improvement the new park will be. He said it meant a lot to be able to be part of the groundbreaking. “It was just great,” he said. “It’s too bad he wasn’t here with us.”
Sparking change
Last November, when the city started taking bids for the new park, it was estimated the park could open by late 2019, but the bidding process took longer than anticipated. Cervantes, who formerly served as executive director of Calle Dos Cinco in Historic Capitol Hill, previously told Gazette that some in the community were doubtful the city would honor its commitments. “The city has been faithful,” she told Gazette after the groundbreaking. “I think they had to go out to bid three
Community and city leaders officially broke ground on construction for Manuel Perez Park, which is estimated for completion in fall 2020. | Photo Miguel Rios
times. Instead of coming back and saying, ‘Well, what you wanted, we can’t afford,’ they really pressed forward and went out for more bids and tried to find the right contractor who could do the work at the price we needed. So it took longer, but it’s worth the wait. We’re thrilled with the design, the inclusion that’s being done. The voices were heard. We’re going to see a big change here that will spark more change.” The park’s memorial, which will be in its cul-de-sac and designed like a Medal of Honor, will also honor other recipients from Oklahoma. An Oklahoma flag, an American flag and a Medal of Honor flag will stand over the memorial’s wall where Perez’s plaque will hang next to the words “We Remember.” A pavilion area, event plaza and playground area will be added adjacent to memorial, along with covered seating areas. Manuel Perez Park will incorporate and add features for skateboards onto Mat Hoffman Action Sports Park. A basketball court and two futsal courts will be added near the skate park as well. “It’s just an awesome time to be a part of positive change, to have been part of it when you felt like nothing’s happening or so little baby steps,” Cervantes said. “It’s like planting seeds and then seeing a tree grow. It’s now starting to blossom, so it’s wonderful.” Mayor David Holt also said during the ceremony that this kind of investment can create a “new renaissance in the Capitol Hill area.” “I really envision, maybe 20 years from now, that we’ll have really an unbroken central business district from Midtown all the way to Capitol Hill, and over half of that’s in south Oklahoma City,” he said. “People will think differently about what our central business district is and what its boundaries are. … You will continue to see south Oklahoma City and the growing Latino community that’s now really headquartered in Capitol Hill continue to thrive and grow in our city. And again, projects like this are fundamental building blocks in that, so I’m excited about this project on that level.” Construction is estimated to be complete in fall 2020.
S A T U R D A Y • D E C E M B E R 14
CHRISTM S CELEBRATION &HolidayArt Market
Enjoy Chickasaw history, culture and hospitality this season at the Chickasaw Cultural Center. Celebrate with us and shop the Holiday Art Market for one-of-a-kind works of art from Chickasaw Artists.
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CELEBRATE THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY STREETCAR ON DECEMBER 14! Step aboard the streetcar and navigate to five restaurants along the loop to sip on tastings of Elk Valley beer paired with incredible delights from local restaurants. Get your passport stamped at each stop before disembarking at the Elk Valley Brewery for the anniversary party featuring festivities, food, and fun with music, fire pits, and a holiday movie marathon. Turn in your passport for a final tasting of beer and a swag bag featuring an Elk Valley Brewery & Oklahoma City Streetcar commemorative glass and a pair of OKC socks. A portion of sales from this tour helps wrap up homelessness in Oklahoma City with a donation to the Homeless Alliance. RESTAURANT PARTNERS
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Jingle Bell Jam with Kyle Dillingham and Horseshoe Road Tuesday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m. Brent Blount and Friends Friday, Dec. 20, 8 p.m.
Old Bulldog Band Saturday, Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m. Eldredge Jackson: Silent Night, Jazzy Night Sunday, Dec. 22, 7 p.m. The Groove Merchants Friday, Dec. 27, 8 p.m. Empire State Band Saturday, Dec. 28, 8 p.m. Edgar Cruz Monday, Dec. 30, 7:30 p.m. Shortt Dogg Friday, Jan. 3, 8 p.m.
UCO Musical Theatre: There’s No Business Like Snow Business Dec. 12-14, 7:30 p.m.
For tickets, visit www.ucojazzlab.com or call 405-974-2100. 100 E 5th St, Edmond, 73034 8
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Running the jail
Greg Williams, who has 36 years of experience at Oklahoma Department of Corrections, will be the new county jail administrator. By Miguel Rios
A jail administrator has been selected to run the Oklahoma County jail. Greg Williams, who has worked at Department of Corrections for nearly four decades, was selected unanimously by the jail trust in early November. However, he has not yet been officially hired. The trust recently established its own bank account but is still waiting for clearance to put Williams on payroll. Trust chairwoman Tricia Everest said she does not know when Williams will be hired but the trust is already working with him on a volunteer basis. “He has already toured the jail once with an engineer, and we should know of an office for him if not this week, then next week,” she said. “He’s been attending different meetings, he’s been speaking with the public, and so I think he’s fully into his volunteer part. And we’re excited to work with him now and it will be exciting to work with him as we formalize all the agreements.” Williams told Oklahoma Gazette that his unanimous selection was encouraging and he’s looking forward to being a part of what seems like a new era in criminal justice. “It’s not frequent that people get to come in and say, ‘Let’s just start over,’” he said. “We have a new trust, we have a new organization, we have a new administrator. I don’t really know anybody that works at that jail. I don’t know one person, so I have no personal agendas, no preconceived ideas. I just want to walk in with my eyes wide open and say, ‘How about we all work together? How can we take the good people that are already working there and the people that are working hard
and make those jobs more beneficial and more fulfilling and get some things straightened out that maybe aren’t going as well as they could?’” As recently as last week, Williams served as the deputy chief of operations for Oklahoma Department of Corrections. In working with the department for 36 years, he has held several positions in different areas. Williams began as a correctional officer in 1983 before moving into administrative positions in the mid-2000s.
I want to see where things are going right and where things are that could use some improvements. Greg Williams “I’ve been in charge of the private prison contracts and jail contracts and halfway houses, community corrections centers. At one time, I supervised about 42 facilities for the state,” he said. “I’ve been a warden out of several facilities. I’ve been a deputy warden at several facilities. I had the privilege of opening Eddie Warrior Correctional [Center] in 1989, which is a women’s prison in Taft. … I have just been blessed with being able to work all over the agency, doing a number of roles, a little bit of everything.” Everest said his “stellar career” and qualifications are why the jail trust selected him unanimously. “He has the highest remarks from
Sheriff P.D. Taylor set Jan. 1 as the deadline for the jail administrator to take over, but officials do not expect to meet that deadline. | Photo Alexa Ace
[Department of Corrections director Scott Crow]. He gets along with people. He wants to be able to take the opportunity to improve the conditions for the people who work there, the people who are held there, and ultimately how it interacts with the entire criminal justice system,” she said. “We can really use that intake at Oklahoma County to create better solutions for those lives of the people that are in there and making a better pathway for the people who work there. He understands all the different components.” When the opportunity of becoming the jail administrator came up, Williams said he felt things “lined up” for him. “There seems to be a lot of excitement right now about doing some things different with criminal justice and doing some things different for people in need,” he said. “I saw this as a real opportunity to get right on the ground floor of something very exciting that’s going on.” Williams said he has not really had a chance to get intimately familiar with how the operations of the jail are set up. But he did say he is aware of many of the problems plaguing the facility. “I’m eager to get in and … take a look at all the operations and all the things that are going on. I want to see where things are going right and where things are that could use some improvements. The understaffing and the physical plant problems and a lot of that, those are going to be around. I deal with that at the Department of Corrections, and we have dealt with that forever,” he said. “Working in jails is not easy work, and typically they’re not really highpaying jobs, so it’s [necessary] to have leadership come in and make those jobs more fulfilling. If we can get people that are proud of what they’re doing and [feeling like] they’re accomplishing some good things … for people and making a difference in the community, I think that’s what gets people excited and what gets people to stay.” In terms of reform, Williams is interested in ways to prevent people from getting involved in the criminal justice system in the first place. “I think there’s a lot of people that are going to jail and going to prison and getting involved in the criminal justice system for reasons other than straight up, ‘I’m a criminal,’” he said. “There’s a lot of substance abuse. There’s a lot of mental illness. There’s a lot of things that maybe we can attack or approach early on in the system to keep those folks from penetrating the criminal justice system quite as deeply as they maybe are right now.” Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office and the jail trust have received a lot of criticism for their collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Currently, two agents typically work out of the county jail on weekdays.
Though the sheriff does not honor ICE’s requests to hold individuals at the jail for two days beyond their scheduled release for federal agents to pick them up, community activists say they are still contributing to mistrust with the community and sending individuals into the “deportation pipeline.” Williams said the jail should continue collaborating with ICE. “Again, I haven’t really got in there to try to figure out exactly what are all the dynamics and what are the moving parts with that,” he said. “I’d like to have an opportunity for getting in there and talking to those agents and talking to the jail staff and trying to find out, really is there a conflict. … The jail staff and ICE and all law enforcement ought to be working hand in hand with common goals.” Williams said there are still some logistics to work through, but he is looking forward to officially becoming the new jail administrator. “I’ve got a lot of support from the trust … and I told them I’m going to work real hard to continue to earn that respect. I just want to be a partner with the sheriff that’s in place now. I want to be a partner with the trust. I want to be a partner with [ICE]. I want to be a partner with the inmates and the mental health agencies and really just the whole criminal justice system,” Williams said.
Greg Williams was unanimously selected as the new jail administrator. | Photo Oklahoma Department of Corrections / provided
Sheriff P.D. Taylor recently set Jan. 1 as the deadline for the jail administrator to fully take over the jail’s operations, but neither Williams nor Everest expects that to happen. At a special budget board meeting Dec. 6, Everest requested $450,000 be transferred to fund estimated needs through the next month. “Greg will … be more of our CEO, and then when he takes over the jail operations, which I don’t foresee until maybe even the end of the fiscal year in June, then he will be the jail administrator,” she said. “We asked for $450,000 to go through the next month.” A committee formed to help with the transition met Wednesday.
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Chief Milkshake Duck
The day after Thanksgiving, a story began circulating that was like catnip for the Blue Lives Matter crowd. A Kiefer Police Department officer stopped in uniform at the Starbucks in Glenpool to provide a holiday pick-me-up for dispatcher workers, but instead of misspelling his name, an employee wrote “Pig” on the order. Police chief Johnny O’Mara posted a photo of the coffee cup on Facebook, and less than 24 hours later, he was on Fox News to speak about the incident, which has taken on a life of its own. In the age of “cancel culture,” Starbucks reacted quickly, terminating the store’s manager, even though she claims she’s not the one who wrote the derogatory name on the cup, according to KTUL. O’Mara called for compassion during the Fox News broadcast, asking Starbucks to reconsider its decision to discipline the employee. “We are hoping that we can take this moment where a mistake was made and turn it into something that highlights that ability to be civil with one another, that’s something that’s missing in a lot of society right now,” O’Mara said during the interview.
The appeal for civility is great and all, but does that sound like a guy who is ashamed of something? Especially since his initial Facebook post was deleted? It turns out O’Mara’s proverbial milkshake duck arrived in the form of a Twitter user claiming to be his estranged daughter @MissOMara — who has used the account since 2011. “This is my father and I’d like to say that he is absolutely a pig and I’d like to thank the brave men and women from Starbucks for their service,” the account wrote before continuing, “My father has 0 business being a police officer. He was blatantly, proudly racist when I was a kid. Said things I would never repeat. He treats women like dogs, including his own daughter.”
Barely legal
Remember your first job out of high school and how bad you probably sucked at it? With that in mind, let’s take a look
at this Nov. 30 Oklahoma Watch story about Oklahoma Department of Correction’s latest idea to recruit more officers for its understaffed prisons. “In a little-noticed action, the Oklahoma Board of Corrections passed a set of legislative requests earlier this month that include allowing prisons to hire corrections officials as young as 18,” reported Trevor Brown. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Oklahoma director of ad vo c ac y Nic ole McAfee told Oklahoma Watch that the idea of “teenagers being in these positions of power in a system where they have limited resources” but “a lot of responsibilities, as well as liabilities, in their hands” is “scary.” Bobby Cleveland, executive director of Oklahoma Corrections Professionals, meanwhile, told Oklahoma Watch he hadn’t talked to any correctional officers who were in favor of having 18-year-old co-workers at their
“hard … stressful … dangerous” job. To that may we add this sentence from a story titled “Gang dispute leads to statewide prison lockdown” published Sept. 16 by the Department of Corrections’ own newsroom: “Fights broke out at a half dozen facilities over the weekend, sending dozens of inmates to hospitals and leaving one inmate dead.” Imagine clocking out of a workday that involved coordinated statewide gang violence and not being old enough to unwind with a nice, cold wine cooler. The cu r rent minimum age for corrections officers is 20, but department spokeswoman Jessica Brown said that restriction often means losing potential candidates to police departments, many of which begin hiring at age 19, and the military, which allows 17-year-olds to enlist with parental consent. We agree there’s a lot wrong with that previous sentence, but “make the prison guards younger” is not the first solution that comes to mind.
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In 1990, Oklahoma ranked 32nd nationally in overall health, according to a report by America’s Health Rankings. Today, it is nearly at the bottom, coming in at 47th. In fact, obesity has increased 17 percent in the last six years alone. So what’s a reasonable way to help improve Oklahomans’ health? Oklahoma State Department of Health seems to think it’s reducing its budget by 1.5 percent. In a budget meeting last week, Oklahoma Commissioner of Health Gary Cox asked for a $4.5 million reduction in funds, according to The Oklahoman’s Carmen Forman. Even our legislators were shocked. “In my nine years here, this is the first agency that has come to a committee meeting I’ve been a part of and asked for less money,” said Sen. Frank Simpson. Rep. Marcus McEntire called the proposal “counterintuitive” to reducing Oklahoma’s public health problems, which seems like a fair analysis when lowering the budget of a department whose slogan is “creating a state of health.” “How does that square with the horrible health outcomes in our state, for the department of health to come and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got more money than we need’?” said Sen. Greg McCortney. Cox, who was appointed by Gov. Kevin
Stitt in September, told legislators he already found an estimated $9 million in savings. He’s looking to eliminate some administrative jobs and combine others. “We want to get to be a lean organization,” he said, seemingly without catching the irony of saying that in a state ranked amongst the highest for adult obesity rates. Cox maintains the department is on track to improve outcomes to get to “that top ten state,” which might be hard to do because in addition to obesity rates, we’re already a top 10 state for physical inactivity, diabetes, frequent mental distress and uninsured rates, among a host of other unhealthy outcomes.
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EAT & DRINK
Thai expansion
Lotus Thai delivers fresh food fast with a unique menu that adds seafood and duck to standard offerings. By Jacob Threadgill
Lotus Thai 1133 NW 25th St. facebook.com/lotusthairest | 405-225-1287 WHAT WORKS: The Thai basil sauce is superb and service is speedy. WHAT NEEDS WORK: There is too much raw red onion in the garden salad. TIP: The lunch menu includes an entree, drink and spring roll for under $10, tax included.
There are about 20 restaurants in the Oklahoma City metro serving Thai food. The newest addition is Lotus Thai, 113 NW 25th St., which is connected to Super Cao Nguyen. Have you ever wondered how a country with only about 300,000 residents in the U.S. has contributed so greatly to our culinary landscape? The answer is gastrodiplomacy, which has become one of my favorite words this year after stumbling across Myles Karp’s 2018 story for Vice detailing the concerned efforts the Thai government made to increase tourism to its country by promoting its cuisine abroad. Beginning in the early part of this century, the Thai government began a multi-faceted effort across different agencies and public universities to in-
crease awareness of Thai cuisine, hoping its blend of spice with strong aromatics like lemongrass and Thai basil will also bring tourists to the country. Nearly two decades later, the number of Thai restaurants outside Thailand increased from 5,500 to over 15,000, and that number increased in the U.S. from around 2,000 to over 5,000, according to Vice. The organized effort is sustained through the organization Thai Select, which awards restaurants that cook at least 60 percent Thai food and have chefs and owners that are either of Thai descent, have trained in its cooking styles for at least two years or have a certificate in Thai cuisine from an accredited institution.
I was immediately impressed with Lotus Thai’s menu. Being recognized as Thai Select allows a restaurant to receive money to be used for public relations and advertising from the Thai Department of Export Promotion, among other perks like participating in international trade fairs. The Thai Select website lists
almost 600 members in the U.S. on its website, but none in Oklahoma. Despite receiving no official recognition from the Thai government, the offerings of Thai food in the city have mirrored its growth across the country. On 23rd Street alone, there are three Thai options (Thai House, Moon Thai and Sala Thai) between May and Walker avenues. I’ve only lived in Oklahoma City a little over two years, but I’ve heard stories about Sala Thai’s impact on the Thai restaurant scene in the city, and I’ve also had people tell me that it hasn’t reached those halcyon days recently. Even in the time I’ve been here, I’ve been disappointed with Sala Thai’s offerings. The portions are small, and on my last visit, it substituted mustard greens for bitter melon, which was not my idea of a good time. I didn’t grow up eating bitter melon and would rather munch on raw celery. Another area restaurant, 38 Bistro, particularly its volcano tofu, is a personal favorite. I know there are a lot of people who love Tana Thai Bistro, but I can’t speak from personal experience. Thai House, with its buffet option and a la carte menu, is a little more of a proletariat approach and an option for the masses. I was looking for another Thai option in the surrounding area and ran across Lotus Thai, which opened earlier this year in the space that used to occupy a noodle shop, below Cafe Oasis. Over two separate lunchtime visits at Lotus Thai, I received speedy service and dishes with vibrant flavor that didn’t break the bank while filling me up. It is now my No. 1 for neighborhood Thai restaurants. I was immediately impressed with Lotus Thai’s menu that includes ubiquitous pad thai, massaman curry, and Tom Kha and Tom Yum soups. What stood out to me is the restaurant’s selection of seafood like red snapper and salmon. It also has a dish called The Broken Sea featuring shrimp, squid, scallops and New Zealand mussels. A lunch offering of vegetable stir-fry with tofu in Thai basil sauce | Photo Jacob Threagill
The special Khao Soi, a red curry-based soup with egg noodles, chicken and bok choy | Photo Jacob Threagill
Lotus Thai also has one of the largest selections of duck entrees in the city, rivaling its neighbors Fung’s Kitchen and Golden Phoenix. The next time I dine at Lotus Thai, I want to try one of the seafood options I mentioned or its duck entrees where a crispy duck is served with either a house garlic, tamarind, basil or red curry sauce. It also has a dish called duck yum, which is a boneless duck salad served with red onion, pineapple, tomatoes, bell peppers and cashews. I’m unsure if the menu is using salad as in a dish served with lettuce or salad like chicken salad mixed with mayonnaise. On my first trip to Lotus Thai, I ordered its daily special: Khao Soi, a red curry-based soup with egg noodles, bean sprouts and bok choy topped with a boiled egg, pickled red onion and crispy egg noodles. I started the meal with a house garden salad that — aside from a ton of raw red onion — was an enjoyable start to the meal; house peanut dressing is served on the side. The Khao Soi had a nice balance of sweetness from the coconut milk and heat from the curry. The egg was hardboiled, which robbed me of the satisfying yolk puncture of a soft-boiled poached egg, but to be fair, the menu did say it was boiled. My wife also got an order of the Thai dumpling soup, which was served in a clear broth that had some warmth from sesame oil, and the dumplings were excellent. On a second visit, I stopped in for a quick lunch and made an order off the lunch menu, which includes an entrée, drink and fried spring roll for $9.78, tax included. I got a stir-fry of vegetables with crispy tofu in a Thai basil sauce. The vegetables were extremely fresh and weren’t cooked to death, retaining nice crispness for added nutritional impact. The sauce was excellent, blending the unique licorice flavor of Thai basil with sweet and spicy elements. I look forward to returning to Lotus Thai and hope plenty of folks venture in to keep it in business. O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 9
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EAT & DRINK
COV E R
The Hamilton Lounge & Supperette opened in a former clothing store on the back side of Shoppes at Northpark. | Photo Gazette / file
Growing pains
A boom in the Oklahoma City restaurant scene gives diners options and puts pressure on operators. By Jacob Threadgill
If Oklahoma City’s arrival on the national scene started in 2018 as Bon Appétit recognized Nonesuch as the best new restaurant in the country, 2019 is the year local restaurateurs jumped to strengthen the metro’s destinationdining status. Both anecdotally and according to data, the Oklahoma City metro area has seen an influx of new restaurant openings that serve customers new and exciting options but put a strain on operators who have to navigate a tightening labor pool, which mirrors trends across the country. “It’s my perception, and I think it’s shared by other people in the industry, particularly restaurateurs, that there are a heck of a lot of new restaurants opening, an overwhelming amount of new restaurants,” said Jim Hopper, president and CEO of Oklahoma Restaurant Association, of the Oklahoma City restaurant market. “I’ve been in this role for 15 years, and there have been changes at warp speed. You see developments like Chisholm Creek, Midtown, the [16th Street] Plaza District, Automobile Alley, and there are pockets like that all over the city where there are exciting things happening.” Data from Oklahoma City-County Health Department, which licenses all food-selling establishments (restaurants, convenience stores and schools) in Oklahoma County, shows that 14
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between Dec. 1, 2018 and Dec. 1, 2019, a net total of 286 food establishments have been added in Oklahoma County. The department said that a total of 1,073 food establishment licenses were awarded over the 12-month period, and 787 licenses closed or changed ownership, bringing the county’s total to 6,087 establishments, representing an overall 4.9 percent growth over the last 12 months, which puts it in the range of national growth in the industry. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6 percent growth in the need for
Jim Hopper is president and CEO of Oklahoma Restaurant Association. | Photo provided
restaurant cooks over the next 10 years. In October 2019, the U.S. restaurant industry added 47,500 jobs to the 128,000 overall jobs added in the country, meaning one out of every 2.7 jobs added that month was in a restaurant, according to Jonathan Maze, executive editor of Restaurant Business Magazine. Hiring, training and retaining staff is the No. 1 concern for 51 percent of restaurant owners, operators and managers, according to Toast’s annual Restaurant Success Report, which is a 14 percent increase to the same question in 2017.
Neighborhood competition-
Restaurants aren’t just competing against other restaurants when it comes to retaining staff; they also face the lure of another growth industry in Oklahoma, the medical cannabis industry, which became legal in October 2018. Oklahoma City-County Health Department’s food establishment licenses include cannabis dispensaries that sell edibles. “We’ve felt an impact on the labor side,” said A Good Egg Dining Group CEO Keith Paul. “It seems like it’s gotten a lot better in the last few months, but it started around the opening of the cannabis shops. They’re luring a lot of hourly people to that industry because you can work 9-5 five days per week and that’s attractive to people working a schedule that is late nights or possibly early mornings.” A Good Egg Dining Group has expanded to 10 concepts over the last year, taking over Museum Café at Oklahoma City Museum of Art and opening Mexican Radio in the space formerly occupied by Empire Slice House before it moved down the street. “I think that there are probably too
many restaurants [in the Oklahoma City market], and we’ve seen that in markets like Dallas as well, where for every one that closes, two will open up,” Paul said. “All we can focus on is guest experience and employee satisfaction. We’ve placed an emphasis on that over the last six to 12 months, and it’s really paid off. We’re stabilizing sales and keeping staff happy.” Perhaps no Oklahoma City neighborhood has felt the impact of new restaurant openings quite like the venerable Paseo Arts District where veteran operators Humankind Hospitality added Oso on Paseo and Frida Southwest in addition to its Picasso Cafe and The Other Room bar, which are celebrating their 10-year anniversaries. 84 Hospitality also added Gun Izakaya, Oklahoma’s first Japanese-style yakitori grill and alcohol-focused restaurant, and the group will open a brickand-mortar location of its Burger Punk food truck in the space formerly occupied by The Root. Holey Rollers founder Andrea Koester turned the formerly dingy and cigarette-stained Red Rooster into a bright and natural-lightfilled farm-to-table restaurant with craft cocktails. “The [Paseo] needed it,” said Humankind hospitality president Shaun Fiaccone. “Had it not happened, along with other additions to the neighborhood, we might be laggards [at Picasso Cafe], but we’ll be net winners on the whole deal because there are still so many people that don’t know about the Paseo. There are also people that would never leave Nichols Hills or Edmond and come down here, and now it happens all of the time.” Humankind culinary director and partner Ryan Parrott said that the increase in restaurants has changed the dynamic for many people in an industry
already notorious for high turnover. According to Toast, servers, cooks and dishwashers work about only two months before leaving for another job. “We’ve been pretty fortunate, and we might have a lower turnover than other restaurants,” Parrott said. “It’s a tough market to be in when the employee holds something over the restaurant. It’s almost like we need them more than they need us because they know, ‘If you’re going to tell me to do something I don’t want to do, I can just go down the street and get another job.’ If you go on Facebook or job forums, someone will post on the job board, ‘Anyone hiring servers?’ and the first comment will always be, ‘Every restaurant is hiring servers.’”
It means we’re helping Oklahoma City evolve, and it’s huge for us and we love that we’re part of the growth. Truong Le Humankind Hospitality — like a lot of successful restaurant groups — places an emphasis on handling personnel issues face-to-face between upper management and staff, which is not always the case in large, corporate environments. Humankind Hospitality director of hospitality Kindt Myers said management places an emphasis on seven core values when hiring staff and brings them up regularly during meetings. “It’s not just a competition against others; it is with yourself that will improve your own performance,” Myers said. “We’ve placed our own competition on the same street, and we haven’t cannibalized on ourselves, and there are enough diners that want to be in the environment.”
Happy staff
The most buzzed-about restaurant concepts to open in 2019 in Oklahoma City are The Collective and Parlor food halls, which capitalize on a national trend of combining micro-restaurants around a centralized cocktail program. The Collective opened in Midtown in July and deviates from other food hall models by not making kitchen operators sign long-term leases, instead taking a share of sales from each kitchen. The Collective owner Truong Le owns Okie Pokie, one of nine operating concepts at the food hall, and Chick N Beer, 715 NW 23rd St. “We started off amazing, and then in the last month or so, things have slowed down a little bit, but we expected that. We know that there is competition and new restaurants opening up, but overall, we’ve been very happy with how everything is going. One of the best compliments I continue to hear is, ‘I feel like The Collective Kitchens + Cocktails features as many as 11 micro-kitchens. | Photo Alexa Ace
I’m out of town.’ It means we’re helping Oklahoma City evolve, and it’s huge for us and we love that we’re part of the growth.” The Collective allows individual restaurant operators to hire their own staff but will help if they ask for intervention. Le said that The Collective has been a testing ground for experimenting in ways to incentivize kitchen staff to stay in one location. The Collective’s unique setup, where kitchen staff also serve as front-of-the-house staff, allows kitchen staff to receive tips, a practice typically reserved for front-ofhouse staff. “Normally the best you can hope for [in the kitchen] is salary, but most people are hourly,” Le said. “Staff members get extra income versus just an hourly rate, and they’re taking advantage. We’re experimenting adding the model at Chick N Beer, as well. It makes everyone work as a team.” The Collective will announce two additional kitchen concepts in early 2020. One will fill a vacant kitchen slot, and another will fill the space of Oh! Baby, which closed in late November. “We mutually agreed that [Oh! Baby was] maybe a tad bit ahead of the curve and people didn’t quite take to it as quickly as we hoped,” Le said. “Oh! Baby decided it would be best to part ways for now and re-evaluate the situation. I’d love to have them if they want to try something else.” When Café 7 Pastaria and Delicatessen opened its original location at May Avenue near Memorial Road in 2008, owner and founder J. Mays said that the pizza-andpasta concept stood out as locally owned in the sea of national chains. “We were only one of a handful of locally owned businesses in the whole Memorial corridor,” Mays said. “I think there were three of us up there then,
but that was 11 years ago. It’s really started to change.” In addition to operating two restaurants in Tulsa, Mays expanded his Oklahoma City footprint in 2019 with the opening of The Hamilton Supperette & Lounge on the back side of Shoppes at Northpark, taking over a former clothing outlet. “Because we’re smaller and a local brand, we can work with people more than a corporate environment,” Mays said. “I’ve had several staff members tell about their days in a corporate environment, and they just don’t feel like they’re cared for, and when they come to a smaller group, they’re treated like a family.” Mays credited the culinary program at Platt College with staffing the kitchen at Café 7 when it opened, but culinary programs like the ones at Platt College and Francis Tuttle Technology Center have seen a shift in the types of students entering programs and placement rates. Bill Leib is finishing his third year as the chef instructor for Francis Tuttle’s nighttime adult program, after seven years in culinary teaching with Oklahoma State
The patio at Mexican Radio, the newest concept from A Good Egg Dining Group, which opened in August | Photo Alexa Ace
University of Technology in Okmulgee. “The biggest thing I’ve noticed since I started in culinary education 10 years ago is now the amount of either people already have jobs in the industry or get a job while they’re [in school],” Leib said. “Now so many people are in the industry [already] and want to further their skill set and stand out.” Experienced cooks enter the program to increase their business acumen in addition to cooking skills, potentially laying the groundwork to open their own concepts in the future, but Leib said that everyone who graduates from the 14-month program has a job if they want to stay in the industry. “I get a lot of calls from chef friends and restaurateurs that say, ‘We need people. Who do you have?’ Unfortunately because there are so many opportunities, so many students already have jobs. There’s still a big employment gap to fill. If there are 200 new restaurants, on the low end, [each restaurant] is three to five employees; that’s 1,000 jobs that still need to be filled. Getting the skilled workforce is the problem.” Each 14-month program graduates about 30 people three to four times per year, Leib said. “It’s not that [Oklahoma City] doesn’t have the people to work, but it’s hard to get skilled labor at the rate it is growing,” Leib said. “New York City’s workforce could be small if they saw this kind of growth rate.” Leib said that when he travels to national conferences, the biggest concern among operators is how to retain skilled staff. “People talk about the bubble and when it’s going to burst,” Leib said. “As long as the market drive is still there … it will slow down, but it won’t burst like everyone is talking about. It’s not going to be like where every restaurant that opens will be closed within a year.” O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 9
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GAZEDIBLES
EAT & DRINK
Warm up
December is when the cold really starts to set in, and the idea of facing a few months of the cold can be tough, but luckily we’ve got food to give you company. These seven restaurants have dishes that will fill you up and warm your soul. By Jacob Threadgill with provided and Gazette / file photos
The Press
1610 N. Gatewood Ave. thepressokc.com | 405-208-7739 There’s nothing quite like the warm embrace of a huge plate of mashed potatoes when you’re feeling cold and hungry. Not only are boiled potatoes the most satiating food, according to the satiety index, but they’re also really delicious. The Press offers its Mashed Potato Bowl that tops potatoes with corn, cheddar cheese, fried chicken strips and country gravy.
Cranberry Crumb Bread Pudding Served with a scoop of Sea Salt Carmel Ice Cream
$6 ALL DAY, EVERY DAY IN DECEMBER
NOW SERVING RAMEN! GRANDRESORTOK.COM I-40 EXIT 178 I SHAWNEE, OK I 405-964-7263 16
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Neighborhood JA.M.
15124 Lleytons Court, Suite 103 thatsmyjamokc.com | 405-242-4161 Trailing only potatoes, oatmeal is the food that sticks to your proverbial ribs the longest. Not only is oatmeal a morning snack that will keep you full, its high fiber content makes it heart-healthy. Neighborhood JA.M. takes mundane oatmeal up a notch with the Oats & Hay bowl by adding seasonal granola, fresh fruit and toast with milk and brown sugar on the side.
Sean Cummings’ Irish Restaurant
7628 N. May Ave. seancummings-ok.com | 405-841-7326
If you’re craving a thick and luscious stew that is enhanced with a rich, brown stock, it’s hard to find one better than the one at Sean Cummings’ Irish Restaurant. Order the College Road Irish Stew that has both beef and lamb to provide plenty of protein while vegetables and potatoes make it a well-rounded meal in one bowl. If you’re looking for something similar, try the potato soup topped with bacon.
Yummy Noodles
1630 NW 23rd St. facebook.com/yummynoodlesokc 405-604-4880 An easy way to both warm up and fill up during this season is to drink a bunch of broth. Since opening this location after leaving Szechuan Bistro, Yummy Noodles’ owners have a hit with their streamlined menu of traditional Chinese noodle offerings bolstered by a wide array of broths that range from mild to the unique buzzing sensation created by the Sichuan peppercorn.
Make it a Happy Holiday
with cookie trays, party trays & party subs, breads & pastries
Jimmy’s Round-Up Cafe & Fried Pies 1301 SW 59th St. jimmysroundupcafe.com 405-685-1177
For many Oklahomans, there’s nothing like a chicken-fried steak when you’re feeling down about the cold. Luckily, no matter what you order at Jimmy’s Round-Up Cafe will leave you full because the portions are as big as its complimentary yeast rolls. A large portion of its chicken-fried steak is the size of a manhole cover and worthy of a family with a hungry appetite.
We cater & Deliver!
buffet option available all day!
PAKISTANI/INDIAN CUISINE OKLAHOMA CITY
4104 N. Portland Ave
405.601.3454
EDMOND
301 S. Bryant Ave.
405.341.8888
cHICKEN tandouri & tikka
VII Asian Bistro
Chibugan Filipino Cuisine
While there are certainly many pho offerings in the city, no other restaurant offers a bowl as big as this Asian District staple. The $50 pho challenge includes a free meal if you’re able to finish all 60 ounces of broth and more than four pounds of meat and vegetables. Of course, you can also get one of its extra large bowls if you don’t want to attempt the challenge.
This Del City eatery provides metro diners with the opportunity to take their taste buds on a journey. It offers a trio of soups: Sinigang Na Baboy, which is a slight sweet tamarind-based soup with pork, okra, eggplant, spinach and other vegetables; Tinolang Manok, a chickenbased soup seasoned with fish sauce; and Nilagang Pata, a pork-based soup with cabbage, bok choy and potatoes.
2900 N. Classen Blvd., Suite G facebook.com/viiasianbistro1 405-604-2939
4728 SE 29th St., Del City facebook.com/mychibugan 405-595-2426
Thank You patrons for your support of 25 years!
Join us for lunch or dinner at our new location 412 South Meridian Ave. | OKC | (405) 948-7373 FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR SPECIALS AND EXCLUSIVE OFFERS A FREE SODA W/ THIS AD Dec 4th- 17th EXPIRES: 12/17/19
10% off Buffet Purchase W/ THIS AD Dec 18th- 31st EXPIRES: 12/31/19
butter chicken & white rice
or visit our north location at 4401 W Memorial | OKC (405)286-2865
M-F 7am-6:30pm • Sat 9:30am-4pm 2310 N Western 524-0887 O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 9
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Buy This!
LOV E YOUR FACE ...W E DO
Offering microdermabrasion, peels, facial fillers, Botox and skincare products. Give a gift from our medical skincare spa, dedicated to providing the best care and products. Gift certificates available.
Schelly’s Aesthetics Shoppes at Northpark 12028 N. May Ave. skincareokc.com | 405-751-8930
COOK IE GIF T BAGS
T HE NU T CR ACK ER , A HOLIDAY CL A S SIC
Gather the family and head to the Civic Center to catch the 2019 performance of Oklahoma City Ballet’s The Nutcracker. This timeless story, full of Christmas wonder is the building block of family holiday tradition. Tickets are still available!
We make them, you give them! We also have party trays, cookie trays, party subs, breads and pastries for all to enjoy at your next gathering.
Someplace Else Deli 2310 N. Western Ave. 405-524-0887
Oklahoma City Ballet 6800 N. Classen Blvd. okcballet.org | 405-843-9898
SCR AT CH K I T CHE N & COCK TA IL S GIF T CA R DS For each $100 Gift Card you buy we will bonus a $20 Gift Card!
Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails two metro locations eatatscratch.com
A HOLIDAY E X PER IE NCE LIK E NONE O T HER
Join Oklahoma Shakespeare for an all ages celebration of the life and love of Jane Austen, as seen through the eyes of her most beloved characters, this holiday season. Dance, sing and eat treats or just come as you are and enjoy the show! Tickets on sale now, Jane Austen’s Christmas Cracker runs through December 21.
C.C. BE A NIE S, SCA RV E S A ND MOR E
Want to bring a gift to Dirty Santa that will be stolen ‘til it’s frozen? Shop our wide selection of C.C. beanies, scarves, gloves, earmuffs and even dog sweaters, all in a variety of colors, and starting at only $12!
Oklahoma Shakespeare 2920 Paseo okshakes.org | 405-235-3700
Lush Fashion Lounge 14101 N. May Ave., Suite 114 lushfashionlounge.com | 405-936-0680
MICH A EL O’DELL’S : L A NDLOR D AWAY YOUR S T UDE N T LOA N DEB T
Chronicles the path of a Native Oklahoman’s technique for conquering $250,000 in student loan debt. Michael strategy? Pay off student loan debt with real estate. “I have never made a student loan payment with my own money. I’m sorry to say I don’t have any gimmicky system to sell you. If you read this book, you will be equipped to start your journey toward financial freedom. You will be given advice, Internet search criteria, and suggested readings throughout this text.”
Michael O’Dell Available in audio, edook and print versions on Amazon and iTunes.
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GR EG BUR NS FINE A R T
Visit my website gregburns-fineart.com to find that extraordinary gift. I have one-of-a-kind original paintings, high-quality giclees and reproductions. There is a special holiday offer. You can contact me through the website with any questions.
Greg Burns Fine Art gregburns-fineart.com
ART
ARTS & CULTURE
Her story
Ada’s Kathy Ressel at a rally at the State Capitol in support of the Equal Rights Amendment, January 5, 1982 (Oklahoma Publishing Company Photography Collection, OHS) | Photo provided
Until We Organize chronicles the ERA’s past and might offer guidance for its future. By Jeremy Martin
In the 1970s and even into the 1980s, two dozen words conceived in the 1920s caused a national controversy. “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex,” read section one of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Section two gave Congress the right to enforce section one. Section three set a two-year time limit on its implementation. “If you read it, it’s really short,” said Chelsea Burroughs, assistant curator of education at Oklahoma History Center. “All these fears that I think conservatives had were sort of channeled into something that really wasn’t all that controversial, and that’s always really interesting to me, how it became this image of something bigger than what it was when you really read it. There was this fear that it would change gender roles, essentially.” Until We Organize: The Struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment, an exhibit chronicling the decadelong conflict over the ERA, is on display through November at Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive. The exhibit is comprised of 23 photographs of activists on both sides of the issue as well as buttons and other artifacts, some contributed by former state representatives Wanda Jo Peltier and Hannah Atkins. The ERA, authored by National Women’s Party head Alice Paul, was originally introduced to Congress in 1923, three years after the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote. It was, without success, continuously reintroduced to Congress until 1972, when it passed in the house (354-24) and the senate (84-8). By 1977, 35 of the 38 states needed to achieve the 3/4ths majority required for a constitutional amendment had ratified the ERA. “Oklahoma was seen as a state that
had a really good chance of it passing because the government was supportive; leaders in the house and the senate were supportive,” Burroughs said. “And the political climate in Oklahoma was a lot different in the ’70s. Not to say that it was less conservative, but we were still a Democratic majority, and that obviously has changed.” Perhaps surprisingly, President Richard Nixon endorsed the ERA in 1972, and Jim “Snowball” Inhofe, who was then a state senator, was the first Oklahoma legislator to introduce a bill supporting it. But that bipartisan support of what basically amounted to a clarification of what “all men are created equal” really means did not last.
Conflicting movements
Stop ERA, an organization lead by antifeminist activist Phyllis Schlafly and spearheaded in Oklahoma by Ann Patterson, introduced arguments over gender-neutral bathrooms and whether women would be eligible to be drafted into the military into the debate, which continued statewide for another decade. Though the clothes have changed in the years since the exhibit’s photographs were taken, Burroughs said the passion of the demonstrators both for and against the amendment is obvious and relatable to modern viewers. “This was mostly in the ’70s, so there’s some great retro finds in there,” Burroughs said, “but probably my favorite ones or ones that seems most representative are the ones with activists at the Oklahoma State Capitol, just because it’s one of those iconic things that we can recognize still today, and it’s still a place where people gather when they want their voices to be heard. That was a place where both proand anti-ERA women constantly were during this period. It was also really contentious because that’s where they would
often run into each other and face off. Otherwise they sort of never really came into contact with each other.” Ironically, though Schlafly and Patterson “portrayed themselves as just housewives going out into the public to do the greater good,” they “cut their political teeth” on anti-ERA activism and “still remained in politics long after,” Burroughs said.
Maybe the subjects have changed or maybe the specific issues have changed, but the arc is the same. Liz Charles “Under the guidance of Schlafly herself, Stop ERA men and women in the state began organizing large bus trips to the capitol through their churches to protest the ERA and lobby legislators,” Burroughs wrote in a master’s thesis on the subject. “Schlafly was meticulous in her leadership skills and tactics, and she understood the importance of appearance. The training workshops Schlafly ran, in which she taught women how to dress, what colors to wear, what and how much makeup to put on, how to approach legislators, and how to handle criticism were all a testament to the importance of perception.” Ratification efforts failed again in 1982 — an event Schlafly called “the greatest victory for women’s rights since the suffrage movement” — but, Burroughs said, the pro-ERA movements encouraged Oklahoma women, such as Peltier, to run for office and insist on changes to the laws in their states. “Even though it was never ratified and added to the Constitution, it did sort of force a lot of states to amend sexist legislation that probably would have taken longer,” Burroughs said. “As a way to get around ratification, some states just individually fixed legislation that had been on the books forever that we kind of take for granted, like the fact that Until We Organize: The Struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment is on exhibit through November at Oklahoma History Center. | Photo provided
women couldn’t open lines of credit in their own name and had to have their husbands cosign for stuff. In a lot of states, women were still considered dependents of their husbands, which created issues when they passed away if they didn’t have a will. … There’s not all these sexist statutes that people can point to today as necessity for it, but then again, all of those changes can be overturned by legislation, which is why people still argue for the ERA.” As of now, 37 states have ratified the ERA. Oklahoma Women’s Coalition executive director Liz Charles wants Oklahoma to be the 38th. “I think we’ve come a long way since the dialogue in 1982,” Charles said. “One of the biggest obstacles is since it’s been so long, a misunderstanding that this is something that has already been done. … In addition to any sort of polarizing misconception about what the ERA does, the main thing is just communicating the urgency and the need for this and the fact that this is just the next logical step to what was done almost 100 years ago when we ratified the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. … The common phrase is history repeats itself, so in any of our advocacy work and policy work, especially with deeply emotional issues, like women’s issues and gender equality issues, it’s so important to look to the past. Maybe the subjects have changed or maybe the specific issues have changed, but the arc is the same.” Studying the amendment’s past might give modern activists an insight to its future. “What we can learn from history is that at times, when things felt very big and scary and unknown, looking back, we realized that we shouldn’t have been afraid of making that move,” Charles said. “We look back and see that those fears were made up. ... It only hurt us to not have the courage to do something that was right. ... We’ve created a whole new set of issues that we’re afraid of now, and I know that if we had an opportunity to look back in 20 years, we would think it was ridiculous, so let’s not let history repeat itself here.” Admission is free-$7. Call 405-5212491 to ensure the exhibit is open. Visit okhistory.org.
Until We Organize: The Struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment Through November Oklahoma History Center 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive okhistory.org | 405-521-2491 Free-$7
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TV
ARTS & CULTURE
Continuing Tales
OKC-based LGBTQ+ webseries Scandalous Tales returns for a second season. By Jeremy Martin
Season two of Scandalous Tales might have taken longer than fans wanted, but creator Alexandria Carr said it almost didn’t happen at all. “I know that people have been waiting for two years, and so I got to the point where I felt like I was rushing it,” said Carr, who writes, directs and plays the character Nova in the OKC-based webseries. “I think the universe was saying, ‘Slow down. You want to give good content. Just chill out.’ … There was once upon a time that I thought season two was not going to come together because there was just so much stuff going on. People were dropping out; people were backing out; schedules would conflict. It was just so much stuff.” The first episode of season two, “I Thought You’d Be Happy to See Me,” premiered on YouTube on Nov. 21, but the season’s remaining four episodes won’t be released until 2020. Carr said the new season’s higher production value, spearheaded by new cinematographer John LeVan, means a lengthier filming schedule. “It’s totally different from season one,” Carr said. “I mean totally different. They miked us up. They had so much equipment, many different lights, different cameras. It was literally like a professional set, it
felt like to me, opposed to last season, we had one camera and maybe a phone being used for audio and a light.” The equipment upgrades gave Carr more freedom to get creative with the show’s visual storytelling, but the commitment to increased professionalism has also complicated the editing process. “Before, we were able to do maybe two or three takes, maybe two different angles,” Carr said. “Now, to put it all in a really professional way, one episode may take a month to edit for [editor Tomisha Riddle]. We want to make sure that it’s not rushed. We want everything to be perfect, and if not perfect, almost perfect.”
I always want to tell a good story, but I’m also telling real stories. Alexandria Carr The higher production value is also more costly. Executive producer Asa Laveaux provided funding for filming, but Carr compared finding local locations for filming to “pulling teeth” and had difficulties raising money for editing and postproduction. “Maybe I’m just not marketing things right,” Carr said, “but I was surprised not a lot of people are donating, which is fine. I’m OK with people telling us that we’re doing a good job or that we’re touching their lives or that we’re saving their lives. I was just grateful and thankful that we had people step in and say, ‘I’m going to help you do this,’ because without that there wouldn’t have been a season two. And that’s why I’ve got to try to get stuff together for season three, because this stuff is really expensive and it’s been coming out of all of our pockets. At first, all of the actors, including myself and crew, were paying $20 dues each month to help.” Season two will also introduce several new characters, and for reasons revealed in the first season finale and the second season premiere, at least two characters from season one won’t be returning. Fans Scandalous Tales season two features new cast members and new conflicts. | Photo provided
might miss their favorites, but so far, the feedback has mostly been positive. “A lot of people are asking where Sasha (Corri James) is, but people are just going to have to keep watching to find out,” Carr said. “I thought a lot of people were going to be really, really upset, but when we did the premiere on YouTube, we were able to chat with our supporters while they were watching it. … They were like, ‘Man, this is crazy.’ But they were still watching it, and they were like, ‘OK, what’s coming up next?’”
Real stories
One Sasha-related criticism centered on the lack of a “femme-on-femme” relationship in the season two premiere, but Carr said she’s trying to represent as many different aspects of the LGBTQ+ community as possible throughout the course of the series. “Because there’s so much depth and so much going on within our community, I didn’t want to just stick on one thing,” Carr said. “That’s why season one was a lot about mental illness and the infidelity and hate crimes, and season two ties in some of that mental illness, but it also ties in religion, because that’s something huge within our community that people outside of our community think that we can’t be religious or spiritual or anything like that. So each season — if I’m blessed to do a season three — is going to be different. There’s going to be different spotlights and points that I’m going to hit because there’s more to us than what’s in season one or what’s going to be in season two.” But Carr said focusing on diversity doesn’t mean compromising creative storytelling. “I’m always going to want to tell a good story,” Carr said, “but I also want to represent how we are for our community. And I feel like that’s never been a conflict because I’ve talked to people that watch the series and they’re like, ‘The L Word is great, but that’s not real lesbians. I look at your series, and you’re showing people that look like me or people that are going through the same thing that I’m going through. It’s reality.’ I want to make sure that people know
Season two’s higher production value meant episodes took longer to film. | Photo provided
that we don’t all look one type of way. We’re not all doing the same thing. I always want to tell a good story, but I’m also telling real stories.” For Carr, the commitment to telling real stories means addressing sensitive topics including adultery, assault, suicide, murder and mental illness and confronting potentially controversial subjects such as religion head-on. “I wanted to do it because people don’t talk about it, and I was raised religiously and went to church every Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesdays,” Carr said. “When I first figured out that I was a lesbian — and it wasn’t my family that did this; it was other people, which was crazy to me that it was other people — they were like, ‘You’re an abomination. You’re going to hell.’ That’s why it’s so important for me to write what I did, because I lived that, as far as other people thinking that or saying those horrible things, and I was just a child. I was a teenager, and I was already dealing with depression because I didn’t know how to handle what I was feeling, and then I have adults that say they serve God and they’re God-fearing people, telling me this. I was so confused, and when I got older, I realized I can be this way and I can still believe in God. I can still worship God. People just think it’s just black-and-white, and it’s not. … Once the episodes start releasing, I don’t know what type of feedback we’re going to get, but I’m ready for whatever is going to come because I know it was a bold move to actually step out and do that, especially as a black lesbian in Oklahoma.” While the series continues to attempt to explore what life in Oklahoma City is like for LGBTQ+ people, Carr said it also shows people a different side of an often-misunderstood state. At a conference in Atlanta for webseries creators, she was asked where Oklahoma is and, “Are there black people there?” “When people think of Oklahoma, they think that we’re still riding horses,” Carr said. “I thought it was pretty hilarious.” Visit facebook.com/scandaloustales. O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 9
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BOOK
ARTS & CULTURE
Unwavering Wall Street
After 20 years of researching a massacre in Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Randy Krehbiel releases a book focused on the city’s coverage of the incident. by Charles Martin
A strange whistle pierced the Tulsa night at 5 a.m. June 1, 1921. A white mob poured into the Greenwood District, home of one of the nation’s most affluent African American communities. By noon of the same day, the homes, businesses and churches dubbed “Black Wall Street” by Booker T. Washington were reduced to rubble and ash. Because of the chaos of the days that followed, the dead were uncountable. In 1999, Randy Krehbiel began covering Tulsa Race Riot Commission for Tulsa World. He began collecting a trove of personal accounts, National Guard reports and newspaper clips all providing a scattered and often conflicting narrative of the two days of violence and suffering that continues to resonate almost a century later in modern Tulsa. “I was told to start putting together an archive because we didn’t have much and what we did have was pretty inaccurate,” Krehbiel said. “In our clip files, we didn’t have much on any subject before World War II.” He hadn’t yet considered writing a book on the topic as he was combing through information but was just trying to make the information easier to find for anyone else who wanted to research the Greenwood massacre. Though he recalls phone calls from Tulsans frustrated that this black mark on the state was being drudged back up and tax dollars were going to searching for mass graves, Krehbiel noticed a growing hunger for a clearer picture of the massacre. “There was already quite a bit of work done with oral history, but there hadn’t been a lot of work done looking at the newspapers,” Krehbiel said. “There was a lot of information in them; some of it you had to read closely and read it several times before you understood it.”
Open racism
That is one of the most unique aspects of Tulsa 1921, the book Krehbiel pub22
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lished through University of Oklahoma Press earlier this year. The reactions of the time are revealed through editorials, slanted news coverage and the notable absence of the voices of the Greenwood residents who lost their homes, churches, stores and neighbors.
the newspapers, which is perhaps as telling as the actual details covered in the stories of the time. “I grew up in the ’60s and ’70s during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, so even if you were racist, you didn’t want to advertise the fact,” Krehbiel said. “But in the publications of the day, it wasn’t something you had to disguise. It was the norm.” That is why the coverage was so informative even as the actual specifics of the night remain murky. The events that started with an incident in an elevator that quickly escalated to a lynch mob and then full-blown riot so quick and chaotically that Krehbiel said it was near impossible to get all the pieces into the right places. His attempt to assemble a definitive timeline of events would remain allusive because so many accounts contradicted each other while others might have been tainted by rampant propaganda and rumors swirling through Tulsa. And the newspapers were not immune to the misinformation. “It’s like that old adage that journalism is the first draft of history,” Krehbiel said, “but whether oral or written history, they all have their own perspectives, their own inaccuracies, so I was always asking, ‘How much can I rely on this?’” So we won’t ever really know what that whistle was that blew that morning or whether it really was a signal to start the advance on Greenwood. In fact, Krehbiel writes in the book that it’s possible that there was no whistle at all.
Ugly truth
Tulsa 1921: Reporting a Massacre by Randy Krehbiel | Image Oklahoma University Press / provided
“When you read in newspapers, letters, reports and all the documents that are related, I came away awestruck with the pervasive racism of the day,” Krehbiel said. “I’m not exactly a bleeding-heart liberal, I’m not big into touchy-feely language, but it was appalling how people were treated. Their lives were so constrained.” He recalled an account that a big source of racial tension at the time was that black people weren’t stepping off the sidewalk entirely as white people approached. He was also shocked by how openly racism was displayed within
In the days following the massacre, then termed a race riot, any African Americans still within Tulsa were forced to wear identification cards bearing their identities and the signature of an employer in order to be able to move around tow n freely. Otherwise, they were sent to the fairground camp for protective custody. Armed guards were placed on major roads into town to reassure residents, and Krehbiel wrote that on one occasion those guards “mortally wounded a hapless white picnicker on Sunday evening” and on another shot at a grocer headed to a meatpacking plant. The nearby black community of Red Bird published a letter in the World insisting that they weren’t organizing a revenge attack on Tulsa, disputing widely circulating rumors that threatened to redirect white mobs statewide to every black town or community. Editorials and Sunday morning sermons
spun the events to place blame on the Greenwood residents. “We must not make a martyr of the negro, even though many hundreds of them have suffered innocently,” Krehbiel quoted Reverend J.W. Abel from the First Methodist pulpit. “There are all too many of the so-called leaders of the negro race who habitually discredit the white race as to our willingness to give the negro a chance under all of the rights to American citizenship. … We tax ourselves to educate him; we help him to build churches, we are careful to keep him supplied with work at a good wage, and trust him with a ballot, and all we ask of him is to behave himself and prove himself worthy of our trust.”
Whether oral or written history, they all have their own perspectives, their own inaccuracies. Randy Krehbiel Even more vitriolic and dismissive voices blasted out from the lecterns and editorial pages in the days and weeks to follow. Greenwood residents returning to the wasteland of Black Wall Street faced repeated obstacles from the city government and private organizations, yet in the story’s most surprising turn, the African American community did not capitulate to the pressure of white Tulsans trying to push them out. “Before I started this project, I’d never got a good handle on how many of the black residents came back and stayed and persevered,” Krehbiel said. “There were a lot that left, but there were also those that came back, stayed and rebuilt. There were even some who moved in because of it, because it was an opportunity.” Visit oupress.com.
Randy Krehbiel has been researching the Tulsa Race Massacre since 1999. | Photo provided
OKG Lifestyle
Around OKC EAT pad thai at Sala Thai WATCH The Politician (Netflix) LISTEN “Harder Dreams” by John Moreland READ The Aislings by Brandy Williams LOVE Full Circle Bookstore EXPERIENCE Threshold Climbing + Fitness
Outside OKC Lovera’s Grocers in Krebs EAT The Mandalorian (Disney+) WATCH The Moth Radio Hour podcast LISTEN Grand Union by Zadie Smith READ Zero candy bars LOVE Equality House in Topeka, Kansas EXPERIENCE
Christina’s Picks EAT
Melting Pot — You cannot go wrong ordering anything on the menu
WATCH Greenleaf and old-school Murder, She Wrote LISTEN Hamilton (the musical album) and Just Be Real Sis podcast READ Becoming by Michelle Obama LOVE Tiffany & Co., my students and preparing students for college EXPERIENCE walks in the park at twilight and Thunder games Christina Kirk is an educator, author, judge and college preparation expert all in one.
THE POLITICIAN (NETFLIX) | IMAGE NETFLIX / PROVIDED • “HARDER DREAMS” BY JOHN MORELAND | PHOTO CRACKERFARM / ALL EYES MEDIA / PROVIDED THE MANDALORIAN (DISNEY+) | IMAGE DISNEY PROVIDED • GRAND UNION BY ZADIE SMITH | IMAGE PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE / PROVIDED GREENLEAF | IMAGE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK / PROVIDED • JUST BE REAL SIS PODCAST | | IMAGE JUST BE REAL SIS / PROVIDED • CHRISTINA KIRK | PHOTO PROVIDED O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 9
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CALENDAR are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
Environmental Quality, 707 N. Robinson Ave., 405702-0100, deq.state.ok.us. WED Drag Me to Bingo bingo night hosted by Teabaggin Betsy, 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Partners, 2805 NW 36th St., 405-942-2199, partners4club.com. TUE
BOOKS
Governor’s Club Toastmasters lose your fear of public speaking and gain leadership skills by practicing in a fun and low-stakes environment, noon-1 p.m. Wednesdays. Oklahoma Farm Bureau Building, 2501 N. Stiles Ave., 405-523-2300, okfarmbureau. org. WED
Kent Frates, Dale Lewis, and Larry Yadon book signing the true crime authors will autograph copies of their books, 1:30 p.m. Dec. 14. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT
The Happy Hour a monthly meet up and networking event for professional women with guest presenters and drinks from Anthem Brewing Company, 5-6:30 p.m. second Wednesday of every month. The Treasury, 10 N Lee Ave., Suite 100, 325-660-2264.
HAPPENINGS Afro Beats a dance party with soca, hip-hop, Caribbean, dancehall and other genres of music provided by DJ Sinz, 11 p.m.-2 a.m. Fridays. Glass Lounge, 5929 N. May Ave., 405-835-8077, glasshouseokc.com. FRI Blankets Jackets and Beanies Benefit a benefit featuring live entertainment, an auction and catered dinner, 4-7 p.m. Dec. 15. Will Rogers Garden Center, 3400 NW 36th St., 405-943-0827, okc.gov. SUN
Board Game Day enjoy local craft beer while playing old-school board and arcade games with friends, 5-8 p.m. Sundays. FlashBack RetroPub, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-633-3604, flashbackretropub. com. SUN Conversational Spanish Group Meetup an opportunity for all experience levels to practice speaking Spanish, 7 p.m. Tuesdays. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. TUE
WED
Holiday Lights Spectacular a drive-thru light display more than 1.5 miles long, featuring an 118 foot Christmas tree lit by more than 9,000 LED bulbs, 6-11 p.m. through Dec. 25. Joe B. Barnes Regional Park, 8700 E. Reno Ave., Midwest City, 405-739-1293, midwestcityok.org. WED
Holiday Pop-Up Shops at Midtown shop at a rotating selection of pet-friendly stores, Through Dec. 22. The Bleu Garten, 301 NW 10th St., 405-8793808, bleugarten.com. FRI-SUN Illuminations: Starry Starry Night an immersive light installation inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s famous painting, Nov. 27-Jan. 1, Through Jan. 1, 2020. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED Jackbox.tv Game Night play interactive party games with host Alex Sanchez, 8-10 p.m. Mondays. Oak & Ore, 1732 NW. 16th St., 405-606-2030, oakandore.com. MON
Devon Ice Rink ice stake in the Myriad Botanical Gardens and enjoy seasonal food and beverages., Mondays-Sundays. through Feb. 2. Devon Ice Rink, 100 N. Robinson Ave., 405-708-6499, downtownindecember.com/devon-ice-rink. FRI-SUN
LIVE! on the Plaza join the Plaza District every second Friday for an art walk featuring artists, live music, shopping and more, 6-10 p.m. second Friday of every month. Plaza District, 1618 N. Gatewood Ave., 405-426-7812, plazadistrict.org. FRI
Downtown Recyclers Toastmasters practice your public speaking skills at this ongoing weekly meeting, noon-1 p.m. Wednesdays. Department of
Living Wreath Class learn to create wreaths from living evergreen plants at this workshop taught by zoo horticulturists, 2-4 p.m. Dec. 14. The Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place, 405-424-3344, okczoo.com. SAT The Lost Ogle Trivia test your knowledge in a four-round trivia game, 8 p.m. Thursdays. McNellies, 1100 Classen drive. THU Moore Chess Club play in tournaments and learn about the popular board game at this weekly event where all ages and skill levels are welcome, 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Moore Library, 225 S. Howard Ave. SUN Oklahoma FX Pedal Pop Up an event featuring craft beer, live music and pedal giveaways, 11 a.m.6 p.m. Dec. 14. Vanessa House Beer Co., 118 NW 8th St., 405-517-0511, vanessahousebeerco.com. SAT PAMBE Ghana Global Market shop for handmade and artisanal crafts, clothing and other items at this holiday pop-up shop benefitting bilingual education, Oct. 29-Dec. 24, Through Dec. 24. 50 Penn Place Gallery, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-848-5567, 50pennplacegallery.com. TUE Pooches on the Patio bring your best friend to this dog-friendly happy hour with drink specials, appetizers and free pet treats, 4-7 p.m. Saturdays. Café 501 Classen Curve, 5825 NW Grand Blvd., 405844-1501, cafe501.com/. SAT
Oklahoma Black Film Festival Like most good films, the inaugural Oklahoma Black Film Festival features several diverse events at multiple locations, so get your calendar app ready. The launch party is 7 p.m.-midnight Friday at Will Rogers Gardens, 3400 NW 36th St. Tickets are $25-$400. Festival film screenings are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16, 150 E. Reno Ave. Tickets are $10. Vintage film screenings are 6-8:30 p.m. at Ice Event Center & Grill, 1148 NE 36th St. Admission is $20 (suggested donation). Music awards are 9 p.m.-midnight Saturday, also at Ice Event Center. Admission is $5. Filmmakers Corner is 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday at Nappy Roots Books, 3705 Springlake Drive. Admission is $5-$15. Visit okblackfilmfestival.org. FRIDAYSUNDAY Photo The Love Story LLC / provided
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Postcard Perspectives an exhibition featuring thousands of postcards created by artists from across the U.S. and 37 other countries, 7-10 p.m. Nov. 15-Dec. 28. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. FRI-SAT Renegade Poker compete in a 2-3 hour tournament with cash prizes, 3 p.m. Sundays. Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 211 E Main St., 405-364-7555, bisonwitchesok. com. SUN Sugar Plum Promenade a holiday event with children’s craft, holiday train, marshmallow and s’more toasting stations, hot cocoa, Project Princess character appearances and more, Dec. 13-14, Fri., Dec. 13 and Sat., Dec. 14. Scissortail Park, 300 SW Seventh St., 405-445-7080, scissortailpark.org. FRI-SAT Toastmasters Meeting hone public speaking and leadership skills in a move-at-your own pace environment, 7-8:30 p.m.
Eddie Pepitone Comic Eddie Pepitone’s nickname “The Bitter Buddha” seems like a contradiction of terms, but so is Pepitone’s act, which uses red-faced ranting as a Trojan horse for compassionate social and cultural commentary and scalpel-sharp self-criticism. As a recurring heckler on Conan, Pepitone takes loudmouthed obnoxiousness to absurdly hilarious heights, but he’s even funnier when he sets his sights on himself. JT Habersaat and locals Alex Sanchez and Cameron Buchholtz share the bill. The sound and the fury begins 8 p.m. Saturday at The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave. Tickets are $15-$20. Call 405-532-6376 or visit theparamountroom. com. SATURDAY Photo Mindy Tucker / provided Thursdays. McFarlin United Methodist Church, 419 S. University Drive, 623-810-0295. THU Trivia Night at Black Mesa Brewing test your knowledge at this weekly competition hosted by BanjoBug Trivia, 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Black Mesa Brewing Company, 1354 W Sheridan Ave., 405-7781865, blackmesabrewing.com. TUE Trivia Night at Matty McMillen’s answer questions for a chance to win prizes at this weekly trivia night, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Matty McMillen’s Irish Pub, 2201 NW 150th St., 405-607-8822, mattymcmillens. com. TUE Winter Blooms and Color learn how to add color to your garden during the colder months at this gardening lecture presented by the Oklahoma County Extension Master Gardeners, 6 p.m. Dec. 11. Will Rogers Garden Center, 3400 NW 36th St., 405943-0827, okc.gov. WED
FOOD A Christmas Carol a four-course dinner featuring foods and drinks described in the Charles Dickens classic, 5-10 p.m. Dec. 17. Ludivine, 320 NW 10th St., 405-778-6800, ludivineokc.com. TUE Gumbo Festival Louisiana-based Chef Carolyn will demonstrate how to cook New Orleans-style gumbo and sign copies of her cookbook, followed by a tasting, dancing, drinks and live music, 4-8 p.m. Dec. 14. Nappy Roots, 3705 Springlake Drive, 405-896-0203, facebook.com/pg/nappyrootsbooks. SAT Holiday High Tea Series enjoy a modern update of the 1800s with live harp music, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 14 and 21. Skirvin Hilton Hotel, 1 Park Ave., 405-2723040, skirvinhilton.com. SAT OKC Farmers Market a year round farmers market featuring fresh produce, honey, baked goods, meat, hand made goods and more., Saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. OKC Farmers Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., 4054860701, okcfarmersmarket.com. SAT
YOUTH Art Adventures children can enjoy story time and related activities, 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405-325-3272, ou.edu/ fjjma. TUE Beginning Martial Arts Classes students ages 7 and older can learn martial arts from instructor
GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS!
Darrell Sarjeant at this weekly class, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Thursdays. Nappy Roots, 3705 Springlake Drive, 405-896-0203, facebook.com/pg/nappyrootsbooks. THU
Breakfast with Santa enjoy scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and more and pose for a photo with Santa Claus, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15 and Dec. 21 and 22. The Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place, 405-424-3344, okczoo.com. SAT-SUN OKC Drag Queen Story Hour children and their families are invited to a story and craft time lead by Ms. Shantel and followed by a dance party, 4 p.m. second Saturday of every month. Sunnyside Diner, 916 NW Sixth St., 405.778.8861. SAT The Polar Express Train Ride take a fanciful round trip train ride to the North Pole with hot chocolate, cookies and Santa Claus, Nov. 22-Dec. 31, Through Dec. 31. Oklahoma Railway Museum, 3400 NE Grand Blvd., 405-424-8222, oklahomarailwaymuseum.org. FRI-TUE Sankofa Chess Club children age 7 and older are invited to learn chess in this club meeting weekly, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Nappy Roots, 3705 Springlake Drive, 405-896-0203, facebook.com/pg/nappyrootsbooks. WED Signing Time Sign Language Class children can learn American Sign Language at this class taught by Mrs. Stacy, 4-5 p.m. Thursdays through Dec. 19. We Rock the Spectrum, 64 E 33rd St., 405-657-1108, werockthespectrumoklahomacity.com. THU Story Time with Britt’s Bookworms enjoy snacks, crafts and story time, 10:30-11:30 a.m. first and third Thursday of every month. Thrive Mama Collective, 1745 NW 16th St., 405-356-6262. THU Storytime Science the museum invites children age 6 and younger to hear a story and participate in a related scientific activity, 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. TUE
PERFORMING ARTS Amahl and the Night Visitors the three kings of legend visit a poor shepherd boy and his mother in this opera staged by Painted Sky Opera, Dec. 13-14. First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, 1201 N. Robinson Ave., 405-232-4255, fbcokc.org. FRI-SAT
Category Is a monthly variety show hosted by Tilly Screams and Robin Banks, 10 p.m.-midnight second Saturday of every month. Frankie’s, 2807 NW 36th St., 405-602-2030, facebook.com/frankiesokc. SAT A Christmas Carol the annual production of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic directed by Michael Baron and featuring Dirk Lumbard as Ebenezer Scrooge, Nov. 29-Dec. 24, Through Dec. 24. Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 405-524-9310, lyrictheatreokc.com. FRI-TUE Christmas with the Crawfords spend the holidays with Joan Crawford and family with cameos from Judy Garland, Ethel Merman and Bette Davis, Through Dec. 28. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405601-7200, theboomokc.com. FRI-SAT Divine Comedy a weekly local showcase hosted by CJ Lance and Josh Lathe and featuring a variety of comedians from OKC and beyond, 9 p.m. Wednesdays. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy.com. WED Dope Poetry Night read your poems or just go to listen to others at this open mic hosted by J. Wiggins and Proverb, 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Ice Event Center & Grill, 1148 NE 36th St., 405-208-4240, iceeventcentergrill.eat24hour.com. WED
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Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.
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Drunk Classics: A Christmas Carol a production of the Charles Dickens holiday classic with a twist: one cast member will be randomly selected to perform under the influence, 8-10 p.m. Dec. 13. Vanessa House Beer Co., 118 NW Eighth St., 405-517-0511, vanessahousebeerco.com. FRI Iron Horse Open Mic and Showcase perform music on stage at this show open to all experience levels, 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays. Iron Horse Bar & Grill, 9501 S. Shields Blvd., 405-735-1801. WED Jane Austen’s Christmas Cracker Erin Woods’ original play invites audience members to mingle with 18th-century author Jane Austen and some of her most beloved characters; era-appropriate costumes encouraged, through Dec. 21. Shakespeare on Paseo, 2920 Paseo St., 405-235-3700, oklahomashakespeare.org. THU-SAT Monday Night Blues Jam Session bring your own instrument to this open-stage jam hosted by Wess McMichael, 7-9 p.m. Mondays. Othello’s Italian Restaurant, 434 Buchanan Ave., Norman, 405-7014900, othellos.us. MON OKC Comedy Open Mic Night get some stage time or just go to listen and laugh at this open mic hosted by Travis Phillips, 7 p.m. Mondays. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. MON OKC Improv performers create original scenes in the moment based on suggestions from the audience, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Oklahoma City Improv, 1757 NW 16th St., 405-4569858, okcimprov.com. FRI C Red Dirt Open Mic a weekly open mic hosted by Red Dirt Poetry, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Sauced on Paseo, 2912 Paseo St., 405-521-9800, saucedonM paseo.com. WED Y
Sanctuary Karaoke Service don a choir robe and sing your favorite song, 9 p.m.-midnight Wednesdays CM and Thursdays. Sanctuary Barsilica, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., facebook.com/sanctuarybarokc. WED MY
There’s No Business Like Snow Business a holiday revue featuring CY Broadway classics featuring nearly 100 University of Central Oklahoma students, Dec. 12-14. CMY UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E. Fifth St., Edmond, 405-3597989, ucojazzlab.com. THU-SAT K Veterans Christmas Dinner And Toy Drive Comedy Show comics Zach Smith, Brian Stephens Lenny Vanhorn and Marty Johnson will perform, 7-10 p.m. Dec. 13. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. FRI Whiplash a drag showcase hosted by Topatio and featuring Vanita Viola, Cookie Sinmilk, Indie Catez and more, 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Dec. 14. Saints, 1715 NW 16th St., 405-602-6308, saintspubokc.com. SAT Windham Hill’s Winter Solstice a celebration of global winter solstice traditions featuring guitarist Will Ackerman, singer and multi-instrumental Barbara Higbie, cellist Mia Pixley and more, 7:30-9 p.m. Dec. 17. OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater, 7777 S. May Ave., 405-682-7579, tickets. occc.edu. TUE Y’all The Small Things The Space presents a sketch comedy revue, Dec. 13-14. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. FRI-SAT
ACTIVE Breathing for Higher Consciousness learn therapeutic breathing techniques at this workshop taught by Amber Webster, 2-3:30 p.m. Dec. 14. This Land Yoga, 600 NW 23rd St., 405-529-6428, thislandyoga.com. SAT Holiday Light Ride take a bicycle tour of the light displays in Automobile Alley and Heritage Hills and hear your favorite holiday tunes, 6-9 p.m. Dec. 13 and 19. Holiday Pop-Up Shops, 399 NW 10th St., 405-5145205. SAT-THU
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CALENDAR C A L E N DA R
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YELLOW HOUSE REVISTED Deemcber 13
BLACK JOE LEWIS December 14 RIDERS IN THE SKY December 15 IN FLAMES December 18 CODY CANNON Of Whiskey Myers
Deceember 19
BRYCE MERRITT December 20
12.11 DEE WHITE 12.12 GIFT RAPS 6 hosted by Jabee 12.19 WIGHT LIGHTERS 12.26 CODY BARNETT and The Misfires 12.30 MALLORY EAGLE 1.16 ADAM ANGUILAR 1.18 JASON HAWK HARRIS 01.23 WILDERMISS 02.13 BROTHER MOSES 02.17 MOTHERFOLK 3.11 DEAD HORSES 3.27 TYSON MOTSENBOCKER
ARNEZ J December 21 TICKETS & INFO AT TOWERTHEATREOKC.COM @TOWERTHEATREOKC 405-70-TOWER 425 NW 23rd Street | Oklahoma City
WWW.PONYBOYOKC.COM
@ponyboyokc #StayGoldOKC
Monday Night Group Ride meet up for a weekly 25-30 minute bicycle ride at about 18 miles per hour through east Oklahoma City, 6 p.m. Mondays. The Bike Lab OKC, 2200 W. Hefner Road, 405-603-7655. MON Run the Alley a three-mile social run for athletes of all abilities ending with beers at The Yard, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays. OK Runner, 708 N. Broadway Ave., 405-702-9291, myokrunner.com.
and Michael Waugh, through Dec. 31, Through Dec. 31. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. THU-TUE Small Works IX view smaller-format works by artists Carol Beesley, Julie Marks Blackstone, George Bogart, Douglas Shaw Elder, Skip Hill, Don Holladay and more, Through Dec. 21. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org. TUE-SAT
THU
SandRidge Santa Run a holiday-themed 5K race and 1-mile fun run with a costume contest, reindeer face painting, a coloring station and more, 7:30 a.m. Dec. 14. SandRidge Energy, 123 Robert S. Kerr Ave., 405429-5500, sandridgeenergy. com. SAT Stars and Stripes Spin Jam a weekly meetup for jugglers, hula hoopers and unicyclers, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Stars & Stripes Park, 3701 S. Lake Hefner Drive, 405-297-2756, okc.gov/parks. WED
Twisted Coyote Brew Crew a weekly 3-mile group run for all ability levels with a beer tasting to follow; bring your own safety lights, 6 p.m. Mondays. Twisted Spike Brewing Co., 1 NW 10th St., 405-301-3467, twistedspike. com. MON Yoga Tuesdays an alllevels class; bring your own water and yoga mat, 5:45 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE Yoga with Art workout in an art-filled environment followed by a mimosa, 10:30 a.m. Saturdays. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels. com. SAT
VISUAL ARTS Articulation work on your art or craft project with other creators at this weekly meetup; bring your own supplies and clean up after yourself, 6:30-10 p.m. Thursdays. Little D Gallery, 3003 Paseo St., 720-773-1064. THU Colors of Clay an exhibition of clay pots, bowls, pitchers and jars created by Native American artists, Through May 10, 2021. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRI-TUE Harold Stevenson: The Great Society a collection of 98 large-scale portraits of residents of Idabel, Oklahoma, Through Dec. 29. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/ fjjma. TUE-SUN Jim Keffer and Jean Richardson an exhibition of paintings by both artists, Through Dec. 31. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com. SUN-TUE Leviathan I: The Aesthetics of Capital an experimental exhibition created by artist Pete Froslie exploring climate change, moral and political philosophy through electro-mechanics and game engine-based digital projection, Through Dec. 31. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. WED-TUE Red Earth Treefest an exhibition of handmade ornaments and art objects created by 18 Native American tribes from throughout Oklahoma, Through Dec. 13. OSU-OKC Campus, 900 N. Portland Ave., 405947-4421, osuokc.edu/home. THU-FRI Renewing the American Spirit: The Art of the Great Depression an exhibition of paintings, prints, photographs and more created in the 1930s, Through April 26, 2020. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT-TUE Second Friday Art Walk tour shops studios, venues and galleries to view visual art exhibits, hear live music and more, 6 p.m. second Friday of every month. Downtown Norman, 122 E. Main St., 405-637-6225, downtownnorman.com. FRI Seeds of Being an exhibition examining the evolution of art created by Indigenous groups in North America, Through Dec. 30. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/ fjjma. WED-MON Seeing Now an exhibit of multimedia art works by Hank Willis Thomas, Ken Gonzales-Day, Travis Somerville, Paul Rucker, Graciela Sacco, Terence Hammonds 26
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The Santaland Diaries An essay by humorist David Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day) is the basis for Joe Mantello’s play about an out-of-work actor (played by C. W. Bardsher, pictured above) who discovers playing helper elf to a mall Santa Claus is a tougher role than he ever imagined. Note: This holiday comedy is tamer than Bad Santa, but the theater rates it PG-13. The play runs through Dec. 21 at Carpenter Square Theatre, 800 W. Main St. Tickets are $5-$25. Call 405-232-6500 or visit carpentersquare.com. THROUGH DEC. 21 Photo / provided
Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.
For OKG live music
see page 30
EVENT
MUSIC
Scary monsters
Kinsey Charles will read The Girl Who Sang the Monsters to Sleep and play music from her upcoming album 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at The Paseo Plunge. | Photo Morgan Ward / provided
Singer-songwriter Kinsey Charles’ new children’s book isn’t afraid of the dark. By Jeremy Martin
It was important to Kinsey Charles that the pictures in her new children’s book were frightening. “I was like, ‘I want the monsters to still look scary,’” Charles recalled telling illustrator Natasha Alterici. “I don’t want them to be like, oh, once you see them in the light, they’re fine. I want things to look creepy. I want it to be scary because that’s what it is.’” Charles reads her book The Girl Who Sang the Monsters to Sleep 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at The Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo St. The local first-time author, who has been releasing music both as a solo artist and as part of folk trio Judith for more than a decade, will also perform songs from her upcoming album. The book, published by Literati Press, includes a lullaby Charles sang to her daughter Davie. “Even the lullaby is very minortoned and creepy,” Charles said, “but it’s just talking about m o o n l i g ht and stars and things that. I t ’s the lullaby that the mom sings to the daughter every night, and then the daughter starts wondering, ‘What are those things?’ because she hasn’t seen any of them because their village is so scared of the dark they leave the lights on all the time. So the kids have never seen stars or the moon. They just stay inside at night with all the lights on and the doors locked.” The monsters have to be scary, Charles said, because children are scared of them. The power of honoring someone else’s reality, even when it’s frightening, was a lesson she learned while caring for her grandmother. “We lived with my grandmother for the last two years of her life, and she had Alzheimer’s,” Charles said. “My sisters and my mom, we were all kind of taking turns making sure she was safe and supervised, and we’d take turns sleeping with her because she would get up a lot at night and hallucinate. My mom, being a little bit closer to her emo-
tionally, had a lot of trouble. She would want to argue with her about reality. My grandma would see something scary that wasn’t our reality, but it was hers; that’s what her brain saw. And my mom would say, ‘No, that’s not there. That’s not real.’ And it would scare my grandma more. Then she would start to not trust the people taking care of her. She was like, ‘I see it. You’re telling me it’s not there, and that scares me more.’ … My sister who was a nurse at the time. … She told us, ‘What we need to do is just make her feel safe. Don’t argue with her. Don’t say what she’s seeing isn’t real.’ “One night, my sister was sleeping with her, and my grandma woke up and asked her, ‘Who is that man? Why is that man in our room, and why is he stealing our TV?’ And my sister said,
The Girl Who Sang the Monsters to Sleep was published in November by Literati Press. | Image Literati Press / provided
‘Oh, no, he’s not stealing our TV. He’s fixing it. It’s broken, and so we needed him to come fix it.’ And then it was like, ‘I see this man, and that’s scary in my room at night, but my granddaughter told me he’s here to fix it, so I don’t have to be scared.’ But then she was like, ‘Well, why does he have a gun?’ And my sister said, ‘Well, it’s scary for him to go to different people’s houses at night, and so that’s just in case someone tried to hurt him.’ She was just trying to be as creative as possible and make what she was seeing not scary, and so she went back to sleep.” Charles, who now also works as a nurse, remembered the lesson working
with patients and as a parent. “When I had my daughter start to be afraid of the dark or monsters at night, I kind of used that tactic with her,” Charles said. “She would say, ‘There’s monsters in my closet,’ and instead of me saying, ‘No, there’s not. There’s no such thing as monsters.’ — because maybe her little brain saw those things, I don’t know. I remember seeing scary things when I was little that my imagination told me or I’d have vivid dreams — one night, I told her ‘Well, the thing is those monsters are really tired, and they don’t have their mommies to sing them lullabies, so they come here to hear a lullaby so they can go to sleep. So if you ever see monsters or are afraid of monsters, just sing them a lullaby so they can go to sleep.’ Over the next few nights and the next few months and the next few years, it turned into a story.” Like the protagonist of her story, Charles originally began singing by herself in her bedroom. “When I first started writing songs, it was definitely for me,” Charles said. “I was not planning on sharing those at all. I was, like, 15 years old, in my room. … I was kind of just writing what I knew, which was, you know, not a lot.”
Genuine stories
The solo album she’s currently working on will be the follow-up to an EP she released in 2008. “I remember at my album release party, I was about seven months pregnant, and I was playing guitar on my seven-months-pregnant belly,” Charles said. “I have pictures of that night, and I’m just large and in charge. And now I have a lot more life experience, and even the experiences that I don’t have I try to be aware of other people’s experiences. I do a lot of story stealing for my songs, like writing about a fictional character from a different perspective. I have a song about Eve from the Bible, from her perspective, people telling her she’s the reason that we’re in this mess
in the first place because she tempted Adam. … It’s just a good exercise, I think, as a writer and just as a human being to think from someone else’s perspective.” As she’s gotten older, Charles said, her songs have gotten darker.
I want it to be scary because that’s what it is. Kinsey Charles “Just because I know more about the world and I’ve experienced different heartaches and loss of loved ones and watched more news, for heaven’s sakes, there’s more sad stories to give a voice to,” Charles said. “I just want every single one of my songs and anything I do, really, whether that’s writing a children’s book or being a nurse or being a teacher, I want people to always be able to say that it was genuine, that it wasn’t put on, it wasn’t motivated by avarice or ill will. It’s just, this is my heart. This is what it feels like, and I’m hopeful. I think there’s a tone of hope, even in some of my darkest songs.” Finding real hope in the darkness requires acknowledging the monsters, not ignoring them. “It’s very important to validate people’s feelings and to comfort them,” Charles said. “Not just letting them spiral out of control with their feelings, but it helps them feel more comforted if they are understood. I mean, that’s just human nature.” Admission is free; the book is $10. Visit literatipressok.com.
Kinsey Charles 7 p.m. Dec. 19 The Paseo Plunge | 3010 Paseo St. paseoplunge.com | 405-882-7032 Free
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EVENT
MUSIC
STAY IN! There are plenty of ways to stay active — and stay warm.
1. 2.
Use household equipment, like cans or detergent bottles as dumbbells and chairs for dips.
Stop, drop everything and dance! Put on some upbeat music and get active as a family!
3.
Make a healthy meal together. It’s the perfect season to show your slow cooker some love.
Find more winter activities and recipes at
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D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 9 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M
New Moon
After releasing hours of music, OKC hip-hop artist LoneMoon calls new album Andromeda her real debut. By Jeremy Martin
LoneMoon estimates her 2018 single “Naw Naw” has been streamed about 3 million times — as she described it, an “uncomfortable amount of attention.” “All of a sudden last year, it went from my normal amount of views to, like, ‘Oh wow! OK. 500,000 views in a week,’” the OKC-based hip-hop artist and producer said of the song, which some “Fortnite kids,” including popular YouTuber Albino, have repurposed to soundtrack their gameplay highlight reels. LoneMoon celebrates the release of her latest album, Andromeda, 11 p.m. Dec. 20 at The Forge, 1609 N. Blackwelder Ave. She has been releasing music since 2013, and “Naw Naw” and “Fall” have gotten millions of plays across various platforms, but LoneMoon said Andromeda feels like her first album. “I’ve released, probably, two days’ worth of music, but also I don’t feel like I’ve put out a lot of music that I love from myself that I can come back to and listen to and not hate,” LoneMoon said. “So that’s why I would qualify this as my debut because I actually love the music. … I was able to create something that I actually enjoy.” She released whisper_notes, a collaboration with producer Vhsceral, in January, but Andromeda is the first album LoneMoon has produced for herself since moving out of her parents’ house and her first solo album since transitioning. “I’ve been out of the house for like a year now, and I realized, not only that, but being able to freely express myself as a trans woman was all that I needed
LoneMoon celebrates the release of her latest album, Andromeda, 11 p.m. Dec. 20 at The Forge. | Photo Hippie Headquarter / provided
to make things the way that I wanted to make them and also love them,” LoneMoon said. “I used to hate everything I made, and I hate that because the main thing with being an artist is you can create anything you want; there’s no rules. But there were so many rules and limitations on my life, so I had to remove those and solidify and strengthen this person that I’ve always been.” It’s also the first album she feels like is truly in her voice after working for more than a year to adopt a higher vocal register. “In my opinion, I sound a lot better,” LoneMoon said. “I sound like I don’t care anymore, which is my favorite. I care about my music, but I don’t care about what people think anymore, which feels great. … I changed the register because of my presentation. I wanted it to be authentic. I wanted it to be real, and I wanted it to personify me because I don’t want to put out anything if it doesn’t sound like me anymore. I’ve done that for way too long. … There’s a lot of different ways to train your voice as a trans woman, but I trained my voice musically. I would reverberate my vocal cords at a certain note that basically sounded more feminine, and then I would practice talking. Singing came later. I had to practice a lot. My album has songs on it that, when I finally put it out to distribution, I finished like three of the songs probably that last week because I still wasn’t satisfied with where my voice was. Now I’m making songs like every day.”
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LoneMoon’s “Naw Naw” was streamed millions of times after becoming popular with “Fortnite kids.” | Photo Maddux Wolfinbarger / provided
“When People Validate You Online”
Though “Naw Naw” — which concludes with the lyric “I should let myself be alive” — is no longer in LoneMoon’s voice, she thought of a way to use the track’s popularity to assert her identity. “I was like, ‘How do I make everybody mad?’” LoneMoon said, “so I blurred my face and I changed the picture on the thumbnail on YouTube to the trans flag, and everybody threw a fit.” Some YouTube commenters reacted negatively, but others seem encouraged. “I showed this to my testosterone,” user BubblegumNeko wrote in the video’s pinned comment, which has more than 1,000 thumbs-up reactions. “Now it’s estrogen.”
In my opinion, I sound a lot better. I sound like I don’t care anymore. LoneMoon LoneMoon said she’s proud to use the song, which was also featured in Kobalt Rad’s animated short “When People Validate You Online” — to increase transgender visibility. “It felt good because even though it didn’t sound like me anymore, I could still make something that resonates with people,” LoneMoon said. “The main thing I regret, just in terms of transition in general, is not being educated enough and not having access to enough information about it. If I had the information sooner, I would have been so much happier so much sooner, and I feel like that’s what people need.” Andromeda is the sound of LoneMoon finding her voice lyrically as well. “Before, I didn’t really have a persona,” LoneMoon said, “and now, I’m actually illustrating scenes and I’m illustrating myself in music. The main thing about hip-hop is you are this larger-than-life person. I didn’t have that before, but now … I just know how to rap
about myself, and it feels good. People didn’t have that from me before, and now people have that in abundance.” LoneMoon — who now tries to approach common hip-hop themes such as money, sex and violence from a new perspective — was initially unfamiliar with the genre and originally released instrumental electronic music. “I was mad sheltered at my house, so I didn’t even really know what hip-hop sounded like until I was, like, 18,” LoneMoon said. “So it took me a while to actually start making it in an authentic way that wasn’t embarrassing or cringe-y.” She was inspired to start rapping over her instrumental tracks after reading about XXL magazine’s freshman class of 2016, a group that included Denzel Curry, Lil Yachty, 21 Savage and Lil Uzi Vert. “I was like, ‘Oh wow! These guys are, like, early 20s or 18, 19, making huge names for themselves,” LoneMoon said. “I’m good enough to do this.” Andromeda’s single “Ur Luv” asserts LoneMoon’s status as a “big shot” and a “big girl” with “big plans.” To LoneMoon, the album sounds like her. “I used to get mad listening to my own music, and now I don’t; I’m happy,” LoneMoon said. “Obviously it got me got me to this point, but I wasn’t satisfied. My old recordings I put out over the span of the last four or five years, I’m cool with them, but being myself hit different.” Admission is $5. S. Reidy and Glen share the bill. Visit facebook.com/officiallonemoon.
Christ the King
Catholic Church
8005 Dorset Dr., OKC (405) 842-1481 www.ckokc.org
Christmas Masses Tuesday, Dec. 24 4:30pm, 7:30pm, Midnight Wednesday, Dec. 25 10:00am New Year’s Masses Tuesday, Dec. 31: 5:00pm Wednesday, Jan. 1: 10:00am
CE FOR YOUR PL A happy hour,
605 NW 28th Ste B PASEO 405.602.2302 132 W Main NORMAN 405.801.2900
cktails $6 classic co ! & weekend brunch
LoneMoon 11 p.m. Dec. 20 The Forge | 1609 N. Blackwelder Ave. facebook.com/officiallonemoon $5
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LIVE MUSIC
MARRIAGE STORY
A stage director and his actor wife struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal and creative extremes. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, and Laura Dern.
AMERICAN DHARMA
Academy Award-winning director Errol Morris faces off with controversial political strategist and former Donald Trump adviser, Steve Bannon.
VHS & CHILL: BARGAIN BIN
Buckle up cause this is when things get WEIRD! At a BARGAIN BIN screening YOU, the audience, get to be part of the fun! We’re hooking up the VCR and we have a bin of the craziest and wild VHS tapes ever caught in the wild! We’re going to have some fun prizes and gifts for each ticket holder!
Now Playing Exclusively at Rodeo Cinema
WINTER 2019
HOW THE BROTHERS GRIIIN + CHAIR MODEL STOLE CHRISTMAS 12.23.19
ROBERT EARL KEEN Coming December 13th
COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS
12.26.19
NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH MY SO CALLED BAND
12.31.19
One Night Only! Monday, December 16th at 8pm
SPRING 2020
GRACE POTTER
02.13.20
ORVILLE PECK 03.13.20
OKC’S UNIQUE NONPROFIT ART HOUSE MOVIE THEATRE SHOWING INDEPENDENT, FOREIGN, AND
ANDREW BIRD 04.29.20
DOCUMENTARY FILMS.
Showtimes & Tickets at Rodeocinema.org 2221 Exchange Avenue, OKC 405-235- 3456 (FILM)
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Arkansauce Fayetteville-based bluegrass band Arkansauce released its fourth album Maybe Someday last month. In an interview with Fayetteville Flyer, mandolin player Ethan Bush described the band’s role as “ambassadors for bluegrass and folk.” “This music is timeless to us, but I believe it’s in the hands of new artists to uphold tradition and push boundaries at the same time. That can be a touchy subject for some folks, but we believe it’s vital,” he said. The meat of the music is grade-A, and the extra sauce gives it a spicy kick. Dig in 10 p.m. Saturday at The Deli, 309 White St., in Norman. Tickets are $10. Call 405329-3534 or visit thedeli.us. SATURDAY Photo / provided
TICKETS & INFORMATION AT
THEJONESASSEMBLY.COM
The Lost End, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK
These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11
Three Bad Jacks, Lost Highway. ROCK
Amarillo Junction, JJ’s Alley Bricktown Pub. ACOUSTIC
SUNDAY, DEC. 15
Dee White, Ponyboy. SINGER/SONGWRITER
Crobot/68/Sign of Lies, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK
Ian Moore, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER
Death Angel/Exmortus/Hellfire, 89th Street-OKC.
John Carlton & Kyle Reid, The Winston. SINGER/SONGWRITER
Rotten Stitches/Gutter Villain/SKAB, Blue Note Lounge. PUNK
ounce
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Jason Hunt and Preston Ware, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant. FOLK
TUESDAY, DEC. 17 Country Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. COUNTRY
FRIDAY, DEC. 13
Nomptom/Acetate/Nylon, Opolis. ELECTRONIC
SONGWRITER
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18 Bucky Brown, Fuel Bar & Grill. ACOUSTIC
John Calvin Abney, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER
Chloe-Beth, Kendell’s. SINGER/SONGWRITER
Josh Roberts, Sanctuary Barsilica. POP
In Flames/Red, Tower Theatre. METAL
Twiggs/Mt. Terror/Endocrine Twins, 51st Street Speakeasy. ROCK
Flower | Edibles | Plants | Vapes | Tincture | & More!
MONDAY, DEC. 16
Kyle Reid, Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails. SINGER/
Cody Canada/Jason Boland/Mike McClure, Tower Theatre. COUNTRY
* While Supplies Last
SONGWRITER
Well Now Margery/Mad Dog Montgomery, Sauced on Paseo. FOLK
Cavern Company, Plaza District. ACOUSTIC
175 OZ.*
Nobody’s Girl, The Depot. FOLK
Shelly Phelps & the Storm, Frankie’s. SINGER/
Rozlyn Zora/Chloe-Beth Campbell/Dr. Pants, ACM @ UCO. SINGER/SONGWRITER
HALF OFF
EXPERIMENTAL
Buku, OKC Farmers Market. ELECTRONIC
Ronald Bruner Jr./Jeremy Thomas, The Paramount Room. JAZZ
BUY ONE / GET ONE
Jarvix/Eos/Lucas Oswalt, Sauced on Paseo.
Riders in the Sky/The Quebe Sisters, Tower Theatre. COUNTRY
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, The Blue Door. FOLK
Quality Flower!
METAL
THURSDAY, DEC. 12 Kyle Reid & The Low Swingin’ Chariots/Noah Engh, The Deli. AMERICANA
OUT THE DOOR PRICE
Steel Panther, Diamond Ballroom. METAL Styx, Riverwind Casino. ROCK
901 W. SHERIDAN, OKC
WE’RE SOCIAL.
Psychotic Reaction/Darlington/Kinda Creepy, Red Brick Bar. ROCK
SATURDAY, DEC. 14 Andy Adams, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER Black Joe Lewis, Tower Theatre. ROCK Crooked Vinyl/Moonlight Ford/Dire Gnome, Bison Witches Bar & Deli. ROCK Jahruba & The Jahmystics, Othello’s Italian Restaurant. REGGAE
Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.
GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS!
CANNABIS
Blood feuds
The first Canna Grudge Showdown held on Sunday night was quite a spectacle. By Matt Dinger
Hundreds of people descended upon Newcastle Sunday night for the first Canna Grudge Showdown, and all the fighters left intact, save for one lost tooth. When Michael “Medic Mike” Sutterfield announced the matches last month on Facebook, the card quickly filled up. By the time the smoke cleared, 11 fights had been fought, a couple of belts had been awarded and some bad blood washed away after a few minutes inside the ring. Mixed in with the Canna Grudge bouts was the Stand Up & Fight card, which included two regional belt contests for World Kickboxing Organisation (WKO). The event was held on private property just south of Oklahoma City limits. Hundreds of cars veered from a long, paved driveway and lined up in the grass. Attendees who climbed the hill were met with clouds of cannabis smoke as attendees milled around a paved area between the shop that served as the locker room and the large tent that held the ring. Some stopped and loaded up on hot dogs, sodas and water before taking their seats inside the tent where hundreds of people gathered. The first fight of the night set the tone for the rest of the evening. Two behemoths, Adrian Palmore and Whitney “Werewolf” Daniels, squared off with one another, the latter standing 6 feet 9 inches tall. The first round went smoothly as a dead silent crowd sat rapt, but a front roundhouse kick by Palmore early in the second round woke everyone up and the sound of legs clashing during a checked kick let everyone know that they were in for some exciting fights. Daniels kept tying up Palmore during the third round, staying alive for the duration of the fight, which the judges awarded to Palmore. The second fight did not last long. At 51 seconds into the first round, Jared Rangel knocked Joseph Gibson out cold before he even knew what hit him. Gibson lay splayed out on his stomach as referee David “Thunder” Cummings
called the fight. Rangel took home the lightweight regional title from WKO for his performance. The third match was the first Canna Grudge one and showed the audience that the cannabis industry could hold its own with the other fighters on the card. Matt “Action” Jackson took Byron Harmon to task. It was the first fight of the evening to feature headgear and shin guards, but they proved to be irrelevant after an early stoppage by Cummings after Harmon took a flurry of shots to the face.
The third match showed the audience that the cannabis industry could hold its own with the other fighters on the card. A little comic relief broke up the intensity of the card at that point, with “Ganja” Gordon Flick sparring with “Reefer” Ronnie Welchel. Both graybearded men took wild but meager shots at each other. Even though they both called it quits after the first one-minute round, it was the first fight to really get the crowd going. The tent erupted in wild cheers as the crowd egged both men on as they threw outlandish shots at each other, most of which barely landed, if at all. Felix Iggata handed Johnathan Woody a defeat in the second round of the fight. Woody kept taking straight shots to the face that knocked him down twice in the first round, and Cummings called the fight after a particularly hard blast to the face during the opening of the second round. James Brown then went head-tohead with Sunshine Baker. Brown ate multiple punches while Baker was wearing UFC headgear that protected almost all of his face, but a well-placed shot from Brown left Baker splayed onto
his stomach for a technical knockout during the first round of the fight. The seventh bout was the second title match of the night and the last Stand Up & Fight match, this one a showdown between Braiden Howell and Matt Guymon. The fighters were competing for the regional welterweight title and put on one hell of a show. The first round was all kicking and no boxing. The fighters then clinched during most of the second round, each putting in their fair share of knees to the body of their opponent while being tied up. Guymon pulled off a number of trips, front kicks and a throw but was not able to best Howell at the end of three rounds, setting off a tiebreaker fourth round. The punches that were missing most of the rest of the fight were thrown in the final round, as both fighters used every tool in their arsenals to try to get ahead. When all was said and done, Guymon edged out Howell in a split decision from the judges, securing the belt.
After intermission
After a brief intermission, the crowd erupted when Robert Barker headed to the ring to represent Lotus Gold against Randall Pegg with The Plug 918. Barker came out swinging for the fences in the first round, putting Pegg on defense throughout, but in the second round, Pegg returned the favor with a series of wild overhand punches that battered Barker. Before the full minute of the second round had elapsed, both fighters were out of gas, running down the clock until the break. Both Pegg and Barker were exhausted throughout most of the third round, and the judges gave the win to Pegg in a split decision. Sutterfield, one of the organizers, then jumped into the ring to take on Kody Armstrong. Sutterfield was definitely the lighter and more experienced of the two fighters, dropping his gloves and taunting Armstrong during the first round while still landing a few kicks and a couple big right hands. The second round was uneventful, characterized by big swings and big misses, but the third round heated up, with Armstrong able to keep Sutterfield at bay. Armstrong had a few inches and more than a few pounds on Sutterfield, but
The first Canna Grudge Showdown gave those in the cannabis industry an outlet to air their grievances. | Photo Phillip Danner
both were able to weather each other’s storms long enough for it to go to the judges, who gave Sutterfield the win by unanimous decision. Shelby Dean then entered the ring for her match while Stacy Barker took the bout on, to quote announcer Larry Reed, “about 30 seconds notice.” Dean started throwing bombs as soon as the two touched gloves, but it did not take long for Barker to start timing Dean’s punches and rocking her with return swings. The two fighters ended up in the ropes during the second round before being pulled apart. Both fighters were winded during the third round, but Dean attempted a few hammerfists while Barker gave one final charge and barrage to pull off the win in a split decision. The final fight of the night was the match between Andrew Blackshear and Derek “Hooligan Bean” Workman. Blackshear started with a strong shot, but Workman returned the favor later in the round with a couple of good upward rights before getting the wind knocked out of him in the second round. Workman got tangled in the ropes during the third round but walked it off before taking a few shots to the midsection and ending the fight with both men throwing haymakers until the whistle blew at the end of the fight. Blackshear won by split decision but lost a tooth during the match that had previously been loosened. All in all, the audience was treated to a series of fights that stretched more than two and a half hours and (hopefully) settled at least some of the grudges that have arisen during the first year or so of the cannabis industry in Oklahoma. As Sutterfield has said previously, this is just the beginning. The second Canna Grudge Showdown has not been announced.
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CANNABIS
THE HIGH CULTURE
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Scorched dreams
The week before Thanksgiving, Steve’s Greens Cannabis + Wellness was burglarized and then torched. By Matt Dinger
To say the weekend before Thanksgiving was a rough one for Steve’s Greens Cannabis + Wellness would be one hell of an understatement. Early Nov. 24, owners Stephanie and Dustin Mathis were awakened by their alarm company about a burglary at their cannabis dispensary, 6715 N. May Ave. Stephanie Mathis said one of the accused burglars was arrested while still inside the building and the second apprehended later that night. Two days later, they were alerted in the middle of the night again, this time to reports that their business was on fire. A makeshift incendiary device, thought to be akin to a “Molotov cocktail,” or a glass bottle filled with flammable liquid using a paper or fabric wick, was thrown through a rear window on the south side of the building. “It was actually the counseling office that they threw it into, because my store doesn’t go all the way to the back of the building. There’s counseling offices behind us,” Stephanie Mathis said. The room where the blaze started is used as a playroom for children. Flames tore through the rear of the building before they were halted by firefighters, causing extensive smoke and water damage to the front of the building that houses not only Steve’s Greens but their other business, SB Body Arts. The names of the suspected arsonists have not been released and no arrests had been made by press time. Because she did not want to compromise the investigations into the burglary or arson, Mathis declined to speak on the record about the sequence of events between the two incidents, but there are reasons to believe that both are connected.
Nov. 26, Steve’s Green’s Cannabis + Wellness was set on fire by a makeshift incendiary device. | Photo Phillip Danner
A damage estimate was not available, but Mathis said almost all of the contents of both businesses were lost in the fire. “The smoke just got so bad in SB Body Arts and in Steve’s that both sides are just going to have to completely be gutted,” she said. What initially was thought to be monthlong hiatus will likely now take half a year to repair. And just like that, the businesses that Dustin and Stephanie Mathis built with a small but dedicated group of employees went up in flames. To make matters worse, they had just gotten all of their relevant business paperwork up to speed.
The smoke just got so bad in SB Body Arts and in Steve’s that both sides are just going to have to completely be gutted. Stephanie Mathis “I literally got my renewal for the dispensary the day after the fire. All the money I spent on the certificate of compliance, on the renewal thing, on the new [Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control license] … Even if we did move locations or whatever, we would have to go through that whole process again, and I just spent all that money,” Mathis said. continued on page 35
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$70 MMJ DR. REC’S $70
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$70 MMJ Rec’s $70 Call for appointments 405.608.6820
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MON-FRI 9AM-6PM SAT 8PM-3PM
Randy Whitekiller, DO 5929 N. May Ave, Suite 500 Oklahoma City SUMMIT BUILDING
THE HIGH CULTURE continued from page 32
CANNABIS
She said that the insurance company is still doing their part. “Since the cannabis side is all specialty insurance, it does have a cap. I had my insurance kind of set up like if we were going to get robbed and we would have to fix up the store, not if our place got, like, firebombed, and we lost every single thing in it. So my insurance policy pretty much covered like pretty minimal property damage, like covered doors and windows and then covered whatever product I had in the store, so at least I have that, but it’s not a full Farmer’s policy like the tattoo shop has,” Mathis said. “This has gone past just being like a simple burglary that I’m going to get an insurance check for to fix the windows and reimburse me for some product. This is now my entire fucking livelihood on both businesses and my whole staff and everybody else. At least my tattoo artists have places to go, but everybody else is on payroll. They’re just fucked, and being a small business, we don’t have like massive fucking savings accounts. … Everybody thinks you’re raking in the big bucks because you’re a cannabis dispensary.” It was not as if Steve’s had not prepared. “I had a lot of different security measures in place, and I feel like my security measures that I had in place is what got these guys caught because I had an alarm system. I had a camera system. I had different measures. I had a steel door on my front,” she said. “They spent 10 minutes in my fucking hallway trying to figure out what to do before they actually got into my store.”
Uncertain future
The holiday impeded efforts to both assess the damage and investigate the crimes that have occurred at their busiBoth SB Body Arts and Steve’s Greens, owned by Stephanie and Dustin Mathis, were damaged in the fire. | Photo Phillip Danner
ness, so for now, almost everything is still up in the air. What Mathis does know is that SB Body Arts, which has been the couple’s bread and butter for the past seven years, will be rebuilt first. In the meantime, Dustin Mathis and the other piercers and tattoo artists are going to have to find temporary homes where they can practice their art. The budtenders at Steve’s Greens have all begun searching for jobs. While they have put countless hours building the Steve’s Greens brand, Mathis worries that its absence from the market during a critical time during the cannabis boom in Oklahoma could put a dent in its patronage once it reopens its doors. “Now all my customers that I’ve worked so hard to have to cater to, they’re all going out to other dispensaries, so that means they’re going to look finding other products, they’re going to start liking other products, they’re going to start shopping around and a lot of these people are going to probably find stuff that they like and now it’s going to be divvied up,” she said. This setback comes after another setback on the cultivation arm of their company, Green Seed Farm, which recently relocated to a new, larger space where grow rooms were built instead of using their previous tent system. Now that the plants are growing once again, the retail side has been put out of commission. Stephanie Mathis said they are considering moving their processing license to their farm so they can put out products while Steve’s Greens is being rebuilt. While there has been an outpouring of support from the cannabis community, there are still no solid plans for a benefit event. Those who wish to help displaced employees make it through the rest of the holiday season can donate through a GoFundMe page that can be found on Steve’s Greens’ Facebook page. Visit stevesgreens.com.
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Self Wellness GIFT GUIDE
4 6 R ELE A F CA R H A R T T A PPA R EL
Stay warm and branded this holiday season with 46 Releaf Carhartt beanies, hoodies, pullovers, shirts, hats and more!
46 Releaf Dispensary several metro locations weedmaps.com
T HE M A R I JUA N A R E VOLU T ION S TA R T S HER E
Enjoy one of Okie Kush’s home-grown strains today! Roadkill, with it’s frosty trichomes, will have you saying, “Pass the turkey, please!” and help ease the strain of the holiday madness. Okie-grown, Okie-cured. Visit any of our 4 metro locations to talk with a knowledgeable budtender and find the product that’s right for you!
M A RY ’S NU T R I T ION A L S MUSCLE FR EE Z E
Help ease the holiday stress with Mary’s Nutritionals CBD Muscle Freeze! With 200 mgs of activated hemp extract, it relieves your soreness the natural way. THC free, Mary’s Nutritionals products are great for you or a stocking stuffer for your loved ones.
Strainwise Dispensary and CBD Store 2600 S. Meridian Ave., Suite A leafly.com 405-673-4424
Okie Kush Club several metro locations okiekushclub.com
N AT UR E ’S K E Y GUMMIE S
Nature’s Key Gummies come in a variety of flavors , strengths, and ratios. Their 250mg THC gummies provide patients with an accurate dose that is delicious at the same time. The flavor option featured in this photo is Cherry Limeade.
Ringside Medical 14201 N. May Ave., Suite 205 ringsidemedical.com 405-242-5325
DR . R A NDY W HI T EK ILLER , DO
Offering medical marijuana recommendations starting at $70, Dr. Whitekiller also offers complimentary rec’s to all veterans with an appointment. Appointments can be made by calling 405-608-6820. Located at 5829 N. May Ave, Suite 500.
Dr. Randy Whitekiller, DO 5829 N. May Ave, Suite 500 405-608-6820
MI X ERS FOR YOUR HOLIDAY MINGLERS
Get your motor runnin’ this holiday season with Canna South’s Black Gold Premium 1200mg THC Syrup. This 4oz can packs a punch and mixes perfectly with any beverage. Choose from green apple, cherry, watermelon or blue raspberry to find your favorite flavor or enjoy any of our flower, edibles, plants, vapes, tinctures and more!
Canna South Medical Marijuana Dispensary 1221 SW 59th St. 405-429-7570 cannasouth.net
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PlusCBD Oil pluscbdoil.com 855-758-7223
Mammoth cartridges are full spectrum and come in a variety of strains. Unrefined EVCO 2 oil with native terpenes. Grab a $40 half gram out the door this holiday season!
Tegridy Market 2811 Dorchester Drive weedmaps.com 405-810-5199
Products containing THC in this gift guide are for personal use only and may only be purchased using a valid patient license from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.
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THC PATIENTS Applications Received:
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The Medicine MAN LOYAL CUSTOMER DRAWING FREE FOOD for ALL Buying Patients Sat., December 14, 2019 – 3pm VISA Gift Card for R/T tickets to Vegas & (2) 55” TV’s Rules Apply - Must Be Present To Win MONDAY make it thru the week $30 OFF 1/2 gram try out tuesday 10% off new to you product hump day wednesday 20% discount on 1/8 or more throwback thursday 15% discount on 2 grams or more friday chill with us
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CONSUMERS Natural person or entity in whose name a cannabis license would be issued
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FLOWER REVIEW
Cannabis effects vary wildly from patient to patient based on a multitude of factors, including THC tolerance, brain chemistry and personal taste. This review is based on the subjective experience of one patient. Strain name: Purple Punch Grown by: Braveheart Acquired from: Greenleaf Organics Date acquired: Nov. 27 THC/CBD percentages: no testing available Physical traits: dense, purple-and-green nugs sandy with dense trichomes
dried flower and is easy on the lungs as well, which makes it easy to keep hitting. Fortunately, overdoing it here does not bring any regret, as the effects, while intense, do not becoming overpowering, which makes it an excellent choice for destressing without much of a loss in productivity. I put this one neck and neck with Elite Leaf’s Purple Punch as being the best I have had in the Oklahoma medical cannabis market to date.
Bouquet: sweet and peppery Review: Purple Punch is becoming one of those strains that almost everyone is trying their hand at growing and whose quality is apparent simply by a particular sight and smell. The bad ones are still pleasant, and the good ones are among the best smoke around. This cultivar is definitely the latter. For me, the hallmark of a great Purple Punch is feeling very high while having almost no decrease in ability to perform necessary functions. This one definitely meets that criteria. The smoke is sweeter than the aroma of the
Purple Punch | Photo Phillip Danner
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PUZZLES NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACTUALLY .?.?. | 12015 By Patrick Merrell Puzzles edited by Will Shortz
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DOWN 1 Make amends? 2 They’re compacter than compacts 3 Miffed 4 It’s a rodent native to the Andes 5 Mo. when the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB all have games 6 Unidentified person in a suit 7 Big name in the soup aisle 8 Overruns 9 Highly decorated 10 Eruption particulates 11 When doubled, a Yale football song 12 Survive 13 ____ Lanka 14 Spoons, e.g. 15 Cop ____ 16 It’s a legume 17 Hindu tradition that’s two men’s names in reverse 18 Trite 24 Popular microwave snack 26 What avengers get 29 Exam for many sophs. and jrs. 33 Second-most-popular Vietnamese surname (after Nguyen) 34 Kitt who played Catwoman on TV 35 In ____ development
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SUDOKU EASY | N° 81096
Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com
Patrick Merrell, of Vero Beach, Fla., is a freelance cartoonist, writer, graphic designer, photographer and puzzle maker — ‘‘all in about equal measure,’’ he says. For 40 years he has been drawing cartoons for books, periodicals (including Mad magazine) and other publications. Mice are a recurring theme. Below is the illustration he added to this puzzle just for fun. This is Pat’s 91st crossword for The Times. — W.S. NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS
Puzzle No.1208, which appeared in the December 4 issue. D U C A
A S O F
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M E N D D E S E A L E R Y S E S S I S E T A O A M E R A D S H
T A K E U N E N T I E D S P I A T I V S O N E I N G F E S I L E P R O S L O P T I B E E C O R R E T S S S T H C E R E L I I A Z O N R E D I O R E P
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: The answer to a pressing question will come within 72 hours after you do a ritual in which you ask for clarity. FreeWillAstrology.com. ARIES (March 21-April 19)
“Nobody knows really what they’re doing,” says Aries comedian Conan O’Brien. “And there are two ways to go with that information,” he continues. “One is to be afraid, and the other is to be liberated, and I choose to be liberated by it.” I hope you’ll be inspired by O’Brien’s example in the coming weeks, Aries. I suspect that if you shed your worries about the uncertainty you feel, you’ll trigger an influx of genius. Declaring your relaxed independence from the temptation to be a know-it-all will bless you with expansive new perspectives and freedom to move.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Creativity expert Roger von Oech tells us, “Everyone has a ‘risk muscle.’ You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don’t, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day.” Here’s what I’ll add to his advice. If your risk muscle is flabby right now, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to whip it into better shape. Start with small, modest risks, and gradually work your way up to bigger and braver ones. And what should you do if your risk muscle is already well-toned? Dream and scheme about embarking on a major, long-term venture that is the robust embodiment of a smart gamble.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Many people engage in laughably feeble attempts to appear witty by being cynical—as if by exuding sardonic irony and sneering pessimism they could prove their mettle as brilliant observers of modern culture. An example is this lame wisecrack from humorist David Sedaris: “If you’re looking for sympathy you’ll find it between shit and syphilis in the dictionary.” I bring this to your attention in the hope of coaxing you to avoid indulging in gratuitous pessimism during the coming weeks. For the sake of your good health, it’s important for you to be as open-minded and generous-spirited as possible. And besides that, pessimism will be unwarranted.
CLASSIFIEDS
MUSIC
CANCER (June 21-July 22) “You can shop online and find whatever you’re looking for,” writes pundit Paul Krugman, “but bookstores are where you find what you weren’t looking for.” That’s a good principle to apply in every area of your life. It’s always smart to know exactly what you need and want, but sometimes—like now—it’s important that you put yourself in position to encounter what you need and want but don’t realize that you need and want.
and think about tends to strengthen and reinforce what you’re not supposed to do and say and think about. I prefer author Elizabeth Gilbert’s strategy. She writes, “I don’t try to kill off my fear. I make all that space for it. Heaps of space. I allow my fear to live and breathe and stretch out its legs comfortably. It seems to me the less I fight my fear, the less it fights back.” That’s the method I recommend for you, Libra—especially in the coming weeks.
to do just that: become the champions of devoting practical commitment to righteous causes. With that in mind, I’ll ask you: How are you doing in your work to embody the ideal that Rebecca West articulated? Is your soul loyal to its deepest desires? Has it abandoned itself to its master passion? Take inventory—and make any corrections, if necessary.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Isaac Newton (1642–1726) was one of history’s most influential scientists and a key contributor to physics, astronomy, mathematics, and optics. His mastery of the nuances of human relationships was less developed, however. He had one close friendship with a Swiss mathematician, though he broke it off abruptly after four years. And his biographers agree that he never had sex with another person. What I find most curious, however, is the fact that he refused to even meet the brilliant French philosopher Voltaire, who reached out to him and asked to get together. I trust you won’t do anything like that in the coming weeks, Scorpio. In fact, I urge you to be extra receptive to making new acquaintances, accepting invitations, and expanding your circle of influence.
I would never try to talk you into downplaying or denying your suffering. I would never try to convince you that the pain you have experienced is mild or tolerable or eminently manageable. Who among us has the wisdom to judge the severity or intractability of anyone else’s afflictions? Not I. But in the coming months, I will ask you to consider the possibility that you have the power— perhaps more than you realize—to diminish your primal aches and angst. I will encourage you to dream of healing yourself in ways that you have previously imagined to be impossible.
Bachianas Brasileiras is a nine-part piece of music that blends Brazilian folk music with the compositional style of Johann Sebastian Bach. The poet Anne Sexton relied on it, letting it re-play ceaselessly during her long writing sessions. My painter friend Robin sometimes follows a similar method with Leonard Cohen’s album Ten New Songs, allowing it to cycle for hours as she works on her latest masterpiece. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to select a new theme song or collection of theme songs to inspire your intense efforts in behalf of your labors of love in the coming weeks. It’s a favorable time to explore the generative power of joyous, lyrical obsession.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
“I’ve spent my life butting my head against other people’s lack of imagination,” mourned Virgo musician Nick Cave, who’s renowned for his original approach to his craft. I’m bringing this to your attention because I suspect you will be endowed with an extra fertile imagination in the coming weeks. And I would hate for you to waste time and energy trying to make full use of it in the presence of influences that would resist and discourage you. Therefore, I’ll cheer you on as you seek out people and situations that enhance your freedom to express your imagination in its expansive glory.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
A scholar counted up how often the Bible delivers the command “Fear not!” and “Don’t be afraid!” and similar advice. The number was 145. I don’t think that approach to regulating behavior works very well. To be constantly thinking about what you’re not supposed to do and say
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
How did humans figure out that a luxurious fabric could be made from the cocoons of insect larvae? Ancient Chinese sage Confucius told the following story. One day in 2460 B.C., 14-year-old Chinese princess Xi Ling Shi was sitting under a mulberry tree sipping tea. A silk worm’s cocoon fell off a branch and landed in her drink. She was curious, not bothered. She unrolled the delicate structure and got the idea of using the threads to weave a fabric. The rest is history. I foresee a silk-worm’scocoon-falling-in-your-cup-of-tea type of event in your future, Sagittarius. Be alert for it.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
“It is the soul’s duty to be loyal to its own desires,” wrote Capricorn author Rebecca West. “It must abandon itself to its master passion.” That’s a high standard to live up to! But then you Capricorns have substantial potential
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
“You owe it to us all to get on with what you’re good at,” wrote Piscean poet W. H. Auden. In other words, you have a responsibility to develop your potential and figure out how to offer your best gifts. It’s not just a selfish act for you to fulfill your promise; it’s a generous act of service to your fellow humans. So how are you doing with that assignment, Pisces? According to my analysis, you should be right in the middle of raising your efforts to a higher octave; you should be discovering the key to activating the next phase of your success—which also happens to be the next phase of your ability to bestow blessings on others.
Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.
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Forget Starbucks. Celebrate the War on Christmas at a local coffee shop this year.