Odd Oklahoma 051414

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These quirky road trips satisfy the curiosity seeker in each of us. BY DEVON GREEN P.42

BUZZ ON BIZ: MIDTOWN RENAISSANCE WILL RECEIVE URBAN PIONEER AWARD P.15 SPORTS: GO, SKATE, WIN! ROLLER DERBY BOUT IS ABOUT MORE THAN WINNING P.52

LIZ WARREN

FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY METRO OKC’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY VOL. XXXVI NO. 20 MAY 14, 2014


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CONTENTS 15

42

ON THE COVER

NEWS

Oklahoma obscura: From an accidental sideshow mummy to Sasquatch, a lake octopus, a nudist park, a action figure museum and so much more, everything odd in Oklahoma is just a day trip away. Or even closer. Mwuahaha. P.42

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— by Jennifer Chancellor, editor-in-chief

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39

LIFE

LIFE

Transportation: Crosstown Boulevard

15

Buzz on okc.BIZ: Urban Pioneer Award

6

Metro: news briefs

26

8

Health: Lottie House

Buzz on okc.BIZ: NE grocery store

10

Chicken-Fried News

28

12

Commentary

Buzz on okc.BIZ: COOP Ale Works

12

Letters

30

OKG picks

35

Food & Drink: Della Terra Pasta, Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q, Viva La Pies, OKG7 eat: caterers

42

Cover: odd Oklahoma day trips

44

Community: American Legion Car & Bike Show

16

Best of Business winners

45

Home & Garden Directory

46

Visual Arts: Lifetiles

47

Performing Arts: Henry V

48

Sports: Kevin Durant, PBA Summer Swing, Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic, roller derby

53

Books: Any Other Name

54

Sudoku / Crossword

57

Music: Schwarzstock, Paper Bird, Tyson Meade, singles reviews, event listings

64

Film: Only Lovers Left Alive

65

Astrology

65

Classifieds

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P HOTOS BY BEN FELDER

NEWS TRANSPORTATION

Crosstown traffic A recent Crosstown Boulevard development meeting brought anger and praise from city residents.

Residents mull over proposed Crosstown Boulevard plans at last week’s public meeting.

BY BEN FELDER

An hour before 18,000 passionate Thunder fans roared inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, there was a slightly smaller crowd of equally passionate citizens across the street at an open house hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to showcase four ideas for a crosstown boulevard in downtown Oklahoma City. “They call it a boulevard, but it’s a highway,” said Burt McAnally, owner of the Oklahoma City Farmers Public Market near the site of the proposed boulevard. “The portions that are elevated are going to kill development even if you make it look pretty. I don’t care what [ODOT] says.” Dozens of citizens attended some portion of the open house on May 7, and several, like McAnally, had strong words of disapproval for any boulevard plan that includes portions of raised roadways similar to an old stretch of Interstate 40 that was torn down last year. “This makes no sense,” said Jill Adler, who threw her hands in the air after speaking with an ODOT official. Crosstown Boulevard represents one of ODOT’s largest projects and has become one of the most controversial. Opponents of the proposed boulevard have become louder in recent years and claim ODOT isn’t listening to their concerns. “That’s not true,” said Terri Angier, chief of media and public relations for ODOT. “Frankly, the fact that this boulevard hasn’t been built yet is because we want to work with the public. The fact that we and the city wanted to listen to the public is why we are here tonight and haven’t built it already.”

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Angier said ODOT hopes to pick one of the four alternatives presented last week in the next 60 days and construction could start within the year.

Project evolution

Officials with the city and ODOT said public comments have impacted the design of the boulevard, and even those who still aren’t entirely pleased with the options being presented admit it reflects changes they have asked for. “Alternative C is dramatically better than where we first started,” said Jeff Bezdek, a member of Friends for a Better Boulevard, a grassroots group that is advocating for a pedestrian- and urbanfriendly boulevard through downtown. Of the four options presented by ODOT last week, Alternative C received the highest rating based on metrics the agency used to evaluate cost, environmental impact and traffic functionality. Bezdek said Alternative C reflected some of the ideas proposed by his group. “But it could still be better,” he added. Bezdek said Alternative D appeared to be the best option for downtown, as it has direct access to Classen Boulevard and Western Avenue, does not have elevated portions and has better accessibility to downtown streets. However, Alternative D also received the lowest rating on ODOT’s scale. City officials also said the boulevard plan has improved over the past year. “Over a year and a half of public comments, there have been some significant changes to the original concept,” said OKC’s public works

Frankly, the fact that this boulevard hasn’t been built yet is because we want to work with the public. — Terri Angier

director Eric Wenger.

The next step

ODOT officials said public comments from the open house will be collected and another public meeting will be scheduled in about 60 days to present the alternative the agency would like to move forward with. Paul Green, director of operations for ODOT, said construction on the boulevard could begin within the year if no major changes are made. “It could start late this year; that’s

feasible,” Green said. “But we have a lot of things to overcome.” Not everyone is ready to go with one of ODOT’s four plans. Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid said he was disappointed in the structure of the open house and felt more changes needed to be made to the plans. “I thought last night was inadequate in terms of a public meeting,” Shadid said. “On the second floor of the convention center during the NBA playoffs? That wasn’t right.” Shadid questioned ODOT’s metrics for ranking each alternative and said the boulevard acts as an expressway at some points in downtown. “We have time to make changes,” Shadid said. “We just saw [ODOT’s] plans. I think the public and the city council has the right to digest it.”


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METRO BRIEFS Registry helps reduce meth production

Lawmakers credit legislation passed last year for drastically reducing the number of methamphetamine labs in Oklahoma. Authorities in Clark Jolley Oklahoma closed 410 meth labs in 2013, which was a reduction of more than half of the 830 labs that were shut down in 2012, according to Consumer Healthcare Products Association. The Oklahoma Legislature agreed to join a national registry that puts limits on pseudoephedrine sales in Oklahoma and dozens of other states, including Kansas and Texas. Pseudoephedrine, which is commonly found in cold and allergy medicines, is also used to make meth. Lawmakers had considered requiring a prescription for the drug, but the registry was seen as a better alternative. “The concern we had [for requiring a prescription] would mean that every time grandma is sick, grandma has to go out, go to her doctor, pay the copay and do the things she needs to do to get a prescription,” said Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, who helped write the registry measure. “The reality is she may just have a stuffy nose and she can just pick something up at the drugstore.” The National Precursor Log Exchange, or NPLEx, registry provides real-time monitoring of pseudoephedrine sales, preventing individuals from reaching their limit in Oklahoma and traveling to another state to buy more. — Ben Felder Council prayers ruled constitutional

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Starting a city council meeting with a prayer that favors one religion was ruled constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court following a 5 to 4 ruling last week. In a case that challenged a New York town’s practice of starting its council meetings with a Christian prayer, the court ruled that the constitutional prohibition against government establishment of religion was not violated when a religion-specific prayer is offered. Like many cities, Oklahoma City begins its council meetings with a prayer from a member of the local religious community. “I think we have had almost every religion out there in the past,” said Steve Hill, chief of staff for Mayor Mick Cornett. “We reach out to any and all religions.” Hill said no one has ever declined an invitation for religious reasons, and

the city does not give any guidelines for the prayer, other than to keep it brief. “We don’t tell them what they should or shouldn’t say,” Hill said. — BF Dorman criticizes Fallin over execution investigation

Rep. Joe Dorman took his first public swipe at his gubernatorial opponent over last week’s botched execution. “I’m here to Joe Dorman demand a true independent investigation into the irregularities surrounding the execution of Clayton Lockett last week,” Dorman, D-Rush Springs, said in a press conference last week at the State Capitol. Dorman said he disagreed with Gov. Mary Fallin’s appointment of Department of Public Safety (DPS) Commissioner Michael Thompson to lead an investigation into an execution on April 29 that took nearly 45 minutes to kill Lockett before he eventually died of a heart attack. “No matter how you look at it, Commissioner Michael Thompson cannot be an impartial witness and investigator,” Dorman said. Fallin’s Director of Communications, Alex Weintz, issued a written statement following Dorman’s press conference, calling his statements politically motivated. “The governor takes her role in the criminal justice system seriously and is not going to join Rep. Dorman in trying to make the execution process a campaign issue or a forum to attack the death penalty in Oklahoma,” Weintz said. “Furthermore, Clayton Lockett’s autopsy is being conducted in Texas by the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science, assuring the medical review of his execution is independent and conducted by an accredited organization.” Last week, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals announced its decision to delay the execution of Charles Frederick Warner for six months. Warner was originally scheduled to be execution on the same night as Lockett. — BF

The Joy Mennonite Church held a Public Confession for Involvement in the Culture of Death on Friday. Visit okgazette.com for a story and video from the event.


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NEWS HEALTH

A house of hope Lottie House is a peer-run resource for Oklahomans managing their mental health issues.

Tammy McKee was lonely. The struggles of trying to overcome a felony charge in hopes of landing a job had taken a toll, and she was battling mental health issues, including depression. Down on her luck and running out of money and medication, McKee, 52, admitted herself to a hospital. She first learned about Lottie House once she left the hospital two weeks later. “I saw a flyer for the Lottie House and started coming here,” McKee said. “I didn’t realize how lonely I was at the time. This place was like a godsend.” Lottie House is a drop-in center on Oklahoma City’s east side that offers an inviting place for adults dealing with mental illness. The facility is peer-run, which means the leaders of Lottie House have a personal understanding of mental health issues. McKee said Lottie House offered her a place to hang out and attend classes — her favorite is creative writing — and a chance to interact with others who share similar struggles. “It’s such a neat place to be,” McKee said. “It’s so comfortable; when you walk in, they welcome you. It’s such a joy to be here.” Lottie House is not a clinical facility but works to meet the communal needs of those who want or need help managing their mental health. “For most of us, we don’t isolate. We don’t even think about isolating. We are engaged with our employment, our families, our churches, our faith community, whatever it may be,” said Michael Brose, executive director of the Mental Health Association Oklahoma (MHAO), the organization that runs Lottie House. “But people with serious mental illness, they are oftentimes reticent or sensitive about participating and being out in groups of people.” The MHAO runs a similar facility in Tulsa and brought the concept to Oklahoma City last year after encouraged to do so by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Shortly after opening Lottie House, the MHAO was approached about becoming a statewide agency, especially since the Mental Health Association of Central Oklahoma had closed its doors last year. The Tulsa-based organization changed its name and expanded to offer its services of advocacy, case management,

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PH OTOS BY MARK HANCOCK

BY BEN FELDER

above Tammy McKee learned a lot about knitting from Daniel Sherman at Lottie House in Oklahoma City. right Mental Health Association Oklahoma Executive Director Michael Brose at Lottie House.

counseling and other resources statewide. “All they have to do is sign in their name,” Brose said about visitors. “Anybody can drop in here at the dropin center at Lottie House. You don’t have to identify yourself as having a mental illness.” Like McKee, Daniel Sherman first learned about Lottie House from a flyer. “I found out that they were going to have a party here,” Sherman, 57, said. “I

just decided to show up.” Sherman, who has dealt with chronic homelessness over the past few years, started attending a knitting class at Lottie House and has found a passion for making hats and scarves. “There are blessings everywhere here,” Sherman said. “It’s nice to share your story with others, give them a lift up and encouragement that they can make it.” It’s not uncommon to find Sherman

knitting a hat in the living room at Lottie House, enjoying conversation with others in a setting that is safe and inviting. “That really is a big aide to recovery,” Brose said about interacting with others. “When people feel like they are a member of the community, that they belong, that’s a big thing in terms of people’s recovery.” Like many others, McKee has found a community at Lottie House. She recently earned her degree in social work and wants to work for an agency or organization that offers people a chance to recover from their own addictions, illnesses or other challenges. “I want to give them some encouragement and confidence and build them up,” McKee said. “Just help them keep going forward, a lot like the Lottie House does.”


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CHiCKEN Rice’n ... trouble

It’s like something from a comedy parody of Breaking Bad. Two alleged burglars were quarantined after allegedly stealing water bottles and a speaker system from a home contaminated with ricin, reported KFOR. In April, the homeowner, Preston Rhoads, was arrested for a plot to murder his girlfriend with the potentially lethal toxin. Kevin Phillips, 32, and Ramon Stephens, 34, must have noticed the home was empty — because of the signs outside warning people to stay out. “We ain’t going to go nowhere near the house,” neighbor Robert Carter told KFOR. But Phillips and Stephens carped the diem and went inside anyway. A neighbor noticed the activity and called the cops, who found the pair carrying items from the home and placing them into a car they’d backed into the homeowner’s

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FRiED NEWS garage, NewsOK.com reported. Once in jail, the suspects were quarantined, showered and decontaminated. A media release said the inmates are no longer a health threat to anyone at the jail.

This is some heavy news

Put the potato chips down and go for a run or something. No, really. Do it. We have a problem, Oklahoma. Or have you forgotten since the last poll that ranked us one of the fattest and most unhealthy states in the country? This time, The Commonwealth Fund determined that Oklahoma is one of the nation’s worst offenders in 25 of 33 health categories, according to The Norman Transcript. Apparently, we need to do a better job getting health insurance and visiting the doctor and dentist every once in a while, even though they can sometimes

be a little scary. We also need to exercise and just stop being so obese. But we’ve heard this all before. Maybe it’s high time we actually did something about it.

Holier than thou

Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, R-Tulsa, felt the need to speak for every Oklahoman when he said on the Senate floor that President Barack Obama is “suppressing our Judeo-Christian values,” reported The Huffington Post. Inhofe continued on to accuse Obama of instead promoting Islam. Inhofe made it clear that he believes the Christian God is responsible for creating the United States. “We’ve got to restore that morality of our nation given to us by the founding fathers,” he said. To put Inhofe’s accusation in perspective, a 2012 Gallup election survey revealed that only 11 percent of Americans think Obama is Muslim while 34 percent correctly identified him as a Christian.

Naked, armed and possibly dangerous

What’s scarier than a naked 71-year-old man? Well, a naked 71-year-old man wielding a meat cleaver. On the evening of May 3, Oklahoma City Police responded to a complaint on the 3200 block of SW 48th Street when the aforementioned naked elderly man, Earnest Lee Robertson, decided to apparently just not give a damn anymore. According to neighbors, it wasn’t uncommon to see Robertson — with his thick white beard and flowing head of hair — outside in nothing but some good, old-fashioned tighty-whities. This time, however, clothes must have slipped his mind. “He’s been outside in his underwear many times, but this time, he went too far,” neighbor LuAnn Kelley told CBS affiliate KWTV. “He came out of the house without any clothes on with a meat cleaver, and he was chasing a guy in a car.”

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Holy smokes. If that imagery doesn’t strike fear in your heart like Linda Blair projectile vomiting in The Exorcist, then you are either the toughest S.O.B. on the planet or Earnest Lee Robertson himself. Allegedly, children were present too, the news station reported. Thankfully, the meat cleaver wasn’t used. Robertson was just having a little fun with the neighbors. That’s all. And for just two measly charges of indecent exposure and assault with a deadly weapon.

Beware of resident

An Oklahoma City man took the words Do Not Disturb to a whole new stratosphere when he opened fire on a door-to-door salesman. In a report from KOCO news, Glyn Mearanto had posted signs bearing various warnings about the consequences of stepping foot on his property, his eight-foot fence

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declaiming, “Beware of Everything” and “Private Property.” Intrepid meat salesman Steven Michael Williams apparently likes to live dangerously. Blithely ignoring the warning signs, he approached the house of a man who really, really doesn’t want company. Then he knocked. Mearanto greeted the knock with a blast from a .410 shotgun loaded with buckshot. Neighbors were quoted in the report, saying, “He’s a real nice man,” and, “We’re just glad he’s here.” Because men like Mearanto are making the world safe one meat pusher at a time.

Best Girl Scout ever?

Oklahoma City Girl Scout Katie Francis recently sold 21,477 boxes of Girl Scout cookies and broke the national record for most boxes sold in a

single season. Twelve-year-old Francis has been a record-breaker for the past few years, breaking the state record with 7,482 and then beating her own sales last year with 12,428 boxes sold. In honor of her great success, Francis traveled to New York City to do interviews with Fox & Friends, Inside Edition and Canada’s CTV. She also interviewed with magazines Bon Appetit, Parents and Entrepreneur. “I got to go to the Girl Scouts national headquarters, and the CEO herself even let me tour her office,” Francis told NewsOK.com. In a parody video from Mashable.com, Francis lists her top five tips for getting ahead in the cutthroat business world: No. 1, stay focused; No. 2, know your competition; No. 3, stay connected to your customers; No. 4, don’t be afraid to make other people cry; and No. 5, remember to believe in yourself.

Broken promises

We’d like to lease your land. Wait. Never mind. Chesapeake Energy Corp. has found that trying to break oil and gas leases in Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania has brought its share of trouble. The Tulsa World reported that our friendly neighborhood energy company was ordered to pay $121 million to three leaseholders in Texas after an appeals court decided it could not back out on deals to buy mineral rights after natural gas prices tumbled in 2008. A Houston federal judge ruled that the leases, first negotiated in 2008 for more than 500 acres in the Lone Star State, could not be scrapped just because the company did not want them anymore. The article further reported Chesapeake faces hundreds of landowner lawsuits in Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania for allegedly breaking contracts for oil and gas leases.

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COMMENTARY

Hold elected officials accountable BY ADAM SOLTANI

According to the website for the United States Senate, “Upon taking office, senators-elect must swear or affirm that they will ‘support and defend the Constitution.’” Our elected officials are not only voted upon by people within our state to represent Oklahoma but are also expected to protect and defend rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. These rights include our right to freely practice our religion without government intrusion through the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. I would go even further and say that no elected official from our state should make any religious group feel as if they are second-class citizens, especially religious minorities. April 30, Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe took to the Senate floor in

Washington, D.C. and alleged that President Obama promotes Islam and suppressed “our Judeo-Christian values.” If that was not enough, Inhofe further emphasized that our nation was founded under a Christian God. As an Oklahoma Muslim, I felt denigrated by these remarks that reflected a feeling of superiority of one religion over another in the eyes of our U.S. senator. As the director of an Oklahoma-based Muslim civil rights group, I demanded an explanation from our senator on behalf of Oklahomas of all faiths. Below is an excerpt from my letter to Inhofe dated May 1, 2014. “We are writing to address your April 30, 2014, remarks on the Senate floor that seem to indicate that you believe Islam does not support Judeo-Christian

values. We are seeking clarification of your remarks and their implications for American Muslims, particularly the growing Oklahoma Muslim population. Islam is a part of the rich Abrahamic tradition and does not in any way suppress Judeo-Christian values in our country. Furthermore, we do not believe your views represent the views of most Oklahomans. ... In recent years we have seen the growth in cooperation amongst the Abrahamic faiths in our state and country, and we fear that your remarks set us back. ... “Your remarks regarding our nation’s founding are also troubling, as our nation was founded on the understanding that America would be home to those of various religious backgrounds. Professor Denise Spellberg writes in her recent

Opinions expressed on the commentary page, in letters to the editor and elsewhere in this newspaper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

publication that our founding fathers intentionally included the concept of religious pluralism when planning for our country’s future: ‘It strikes me that [Thomas] Jefferson was theorizing for a future that included Muslims — not in spite of their religion, but because of it and because of his notion of universal civil rights.’” Elected officials need to know that we, as citizens of our great state and country, will hold them accountable for their words and actions. As a pluralistic society of diverse cultures, ethnicities and religions, those whom we elect to represent us should also represent the diversity of our society and work to bring us closer together as a people, not further divide us along racial, ethnic, cultural or religious lines. Soltani is executive director of the Oklahoma Council on American-Islamic Relations.

LETTERS Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to jchancellor@okgazette.com or sent online at okgazette.com. Include a city of residence and contact number for verification.

We need real healthcare

Michael McCarthy (Commentary, Letters, March 25, Oklahoma Gazette) shows no knowledge of how the health insurance industry has performed in the past. They have been the epitome of waste and excessive profit. Private companies have had a 20-25 percent administrative cost basis, Medicare 5 percent. In the decade 2000-2010, your monthly premiums rose 125 percent while insurance industry profits increased fivefold. That is your money going to pay for no healthcare whatsoever. Obamacare has some faults, but until now, health insurance companies did not have any requirement on how much of your premium dollars needed to be spent on actual healthcare. Nor did they need to cover previous medical conditions or act in many ways as if they cared what

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happened to you. One of the principle jobs of government is to defend you from external enemies as well as unfair practices and policies perpetrated domestically by the more powerful and wealthy, against whom most of us have no chance without government regulation. He seems to forget that the USA is the federal government; without it, we would be independent, defenseless states with chaotic commerce and no defense against foreign powers. Many Tea Partiers espouse opinions that show no loyalty to our country nor any evidence of patriotism. They could make a smaller government if they turned back all federal highway money, library and police/fire department grants, etc. Living in Edmond, I thought for sure our wealthy, conservative city would decline the $17 million used to widen Covell Road and Kelly Avenue; however, it didn’t happen. The mass of selfish, self-centered, keep-all-I’ve-got Tea Party members are the furthest thing from what this country needs. After serving for 26 years in the military, I can only view this era as one of the saddest in U.S. history. — Kenneth Wainner Edmond Take, take, take

I loved Moore showing its true colors recently, but this letter is not about that.

I came from a different state where the revenues from timber extraction (natural resources) and sales tax actually go toward the infrastructure of the state and help the people living in that state to afford food because food purchases are not taxed. Taxes on gas and other purchases go toward good roads without need of tolls and toward a lack of potholes. Taxes also go toward bus kiosks where users of public transport systems aren’t left standing in the rain or burning sun. And citizens are taxed once, not twice, as here in Oklahoma, where you are taxed at the grocery and elsewhere and then pay income tax at the end of the year. In the state where I came from, The Human Rights Commission is viable, and everyone got or could get health care, no matter their income. What I mostly do not understand is

how this state, with all of its gas and oil dollars, can’t do more for its citizens. Yes, I know about the food bank and other token things the gas and oil industry of this state has done to make themselves look good. (Let’s not discuss the quality of the food distributed.) But what about roads? (Texas had better farm-to-market roads when I lived there.) What about a bus system that protects its users from the elements everywhere, not just near places considered important? What about taxing citizens twice? What about really caring? In my experienced estimation, this state doesn’t show that it cares about its citizens. Smoke and mirrors; token offerings. Nothing real from the powers that be who extract so much wealth from this state but just give tokens back. — Mary McMinn Oklahoma City


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Blight busters P HOTOS BY M A RK HA N COC K

Midtown Renaissance will receive the Urban Pioneer Award for its revitalization efforts.

BY KELLEY CHAMBERS

Mickey Clagg, Bob Howard and Chris Fleming pose in The Hotel Marion with the new Buick sign in the background.

Urban Pioneer Award 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, June 4 The Bill and Pam Shdeed Great Hall Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center Oklahoma City University 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave. kristen@plazadistrict.org $250-$5,000 Deadline to reserve a table is May 16

The aptly named Urban Pioneer Award will be given in June to Bob Howard, Mickey Clagg and Chris Fleming, collectively known as Midtown Renaissance. The award, presented by Fowler Volkswagen of Norman and 16th Street’s Plaza District Association, is given yearly to a person or group that has helped revitalize an area of Oklahoma City that has been ignored or fallen victim to blight. The Midtown group entered the picture in 2006. It purchased a group of properties, including the longignored Plaza Court, 1110 N. Classen Drive. Since that time, the group has gobbled up blighted properties and renovated them to upscale residential, office and retail properties. Midtown is bordered by NW 13th Street, NW Sixth Street, Classen Boulevard and N. Broadway Place. Howard, who grew up in Moore, recalled coming downtown and to what is now known as Midtown as a young man in the early 1960s. “Me and my buddies would ride the bus and spend a Saturday going to different movies,” he said. “We’d go primarily downtown, but we would evolve into Midtown.” In the early 1970s, Howard was a budding car salesman at Bob Moore Cadillac downtown. As the newest

member of the team, he said it was his job to run to what was then Kaiser’s Ice Cream Parlor, 1039 N. Walker Ave., to get milkshakes for his fellow salesmen. In 2006, Howard, Clagg and Fleming teamed up to take a chance on a part of town that had been largely ignored for decades. Last year, Mayor Mick Cornett presented the group with an award for outstanding development. He said the area began to decline in the late 1960s, when many people moved to the suburbs, and Midtown became an area people simply drove through coming into or going out of downtown. Howard, Clagg and Fleming had a vision for Midtown with their first purchases there. “Initially, we wanted to create a neighborhood where people could live, work and play,” Howard said. “That was our vision.” Nine years and more than 30 projects later, they are still going strong and have six projects set for completion by the end of the year. Fleming said the projects in the works include The Hotel Marion, which will be residential units; a parking garage near NW 10th Street and Broadway Avenue; the mixed-use Buick building at 1101 N. Broadway Ave.; the Pontiac building at 1100

The Hotel Marion

N. Broadway Ave.; the Mayfair apartments at 1315 N. Broadway Place; and Fassler Hall (a beer garden) near NW 10th Street and Walker Avenue. When those projects are finished, they will account for most of the group’s brick-and-mortar holdings. But plans will not come to a halt once the buildings are completed. “We own a lot of vacant land in the neighborhood, and we’re working on development plans,” Fleming said. Going forward, Fleming said all projects will be new construction. Kristen Vails, executive director of 16th Street’s Plaza District Association, praised the Midtown team’s development efforts. “With this award, we celebrate the vision, risks and commitment of

leaders who have played such a vital role in the progress of our inner city,” Vails said in a statement. “Through their passion for renovating historic properties and creative vision for new development, Midtown has been revitalized into a thriving neighborhood where people live, work and play.” For Howard, it has been a long road, but one that he has thoroughly enjoyed. “We started this thinking it would be a five-year project,” he said. “Now it’s taken on a life of its own.”

Past Urban Pioneer Award winners Tom McDaniel, 2005 Lou Kerr, 2006 Meg Salyer, 2007 Mike Turpen and Mark Funke, 2008 Ann Simank, 2009 Steve Mason, 2010 Bill and Bob Ross, 2011 Wayne Coyne and J. Michelle Martin-Coyne, 2012 Chip Fudge, 2013

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 1 5


T

he readers of okc.BIZ have spoken and have selected the winners for this year’s Best of Business. Each year okc.BIZ asks its readers to vote for their favorite businesses in Central Oklahoma. This year there was an overwhelming response. Categories ranged from commercial real estate and architecture to event planning and

VISIT

1 6 | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

auto fleet sales. Readers cast their votes online in 25 categories. After collecting thousands of votes the winners were determined. In all, 125 companies were either winners or finalists. “Great businesses that consistently offer great products and services should be recognized for it,” said

Dave Rhea, general manager of Tierra Media Group, parent company of okc. BIZ and Oklahoma Gazette. “Through this program, customers, vendors and stakeholders have an excellent opportunity to do just that. It is also an important opportunity for these companies to receive unsolicited performance feedback.”

TO SEE THE FULL BEST OF BUSINESS PRESENTATION


BEST CPA AND ACCOUNTING FIRM

BEST INVESTMENT ADVISOR

BEST COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

Eide Bailly LLP Cole & Reed, P.C. Don Armstrong, Diamond Payroll Services, LLC HoganTaylor LLP Hyde & Company CPAs, PC

Edward Jones Bank of Oklahoma Josh Parsons, Redbud Financial Group, LLC Michelle Coble, Odyssey Financial Group, LLC RBK Capital, LLC

Alliance Roofing & Construction J. E. Dunn Construction Group, Inc. Lippert Bros., Inc. Manhattan Construction Group Timberlake Construction Co.

BEST COMMERCIAL LAW FIRM Crowe & Dunlevy Cheek & Falcone, PLLC Hartzog Conger Cason & Neville McAfee & Taft Tomlinson, Rust, McKinstry & Grable P.C.

BEST COMMERCIAL BANK Bank of Oklahoma BancFirst First Fidelity Bank MidFirst Bank Republic Bank & Trust

BEST INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMPANY InterWorks 3Nines Technologies, Inc. DMC Services NewCall Communications Resourceware, Inc.

BEST HEALTH CARE COMPANY INTEGRIS Health Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma Encompass Home Health & Hospice LiveWell Family Chiropractic Center OU Physicians

BEST COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE COMPANY Baker First Commercial Real Estate Cushman & Wakefield Equity Commercial Realty Mark McKee, Keller Williams Realty, Inc. Price Edwards & Company

BEST FINANCING SOURCE Focus Federal Credit Union Bank of Oklahoma Bank SNB First Fidelity Bank Tinker Federal Credit Union

BEST COMMERCIAL INSURANCE AGENCY OR BROKER NFP Maschino, Hudelson & Associates Garner Insurance The Ledbetter Insurance Agency Inc. Professional Insurors Agency, LLC State Farm

BEST ADVERTISING AGENCY Skyline Media Group Campbell & Company Advertising McMahon Marketing Trifecta Communications VI Marketing and Branding

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN FIRM NubzDesign Ocean Graphic Design s design inc. SeeHawk Graphics & Web Design VI Marketing and Branding

BEST PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM Trifecta Communications Anglin Public Relations Jones Public Relations, Inc. Saxum SYN3RGY Creative Group

BEST PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT COMPANY Moisant Promotional Products Homer Miller Company Integrity Promotional Solutions, LLC IPGI IMAGENation Promotional Group, Inc. ROBYN Promotions

BEST COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURAL FIRM OR DESIGN COMPANY Frankfurt-Short-Bruza Associates D5 Architecture Fitzsimmons Architects HSEarchitects TAP Architecture

BEST MEETING OR EVENT-PLANNING SERVICES OR RENTALS factor 110 | Destination Oklahoma 110 events Cory’s Audio-Visual Services Marianne’s Rentals for Special Events PDC Productions Plan Ahead Events

BEST VENUE FOR AN EVENT OR MEETING National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Hamilton Event Center Reed Conference Center Skirvin Hilton Hotel Will Rogers Theatre

BEST PLACE FOR A COMPANY PARTY PICNIC / RETREAT / OUTING Oklahoma City Zoo Andy Alligator’s Fun Park Boathouse District Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark Frontier City

BEST STAFFING SERVICE PROVIDER People Source Staffing Professionals Accel Financial Staffing Express Employment Professionals LSG Staffing, LLC Principal Technologies Inc.

BEST ADULT EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTION Francis Tuttle Technology Center Metro Technology Centers Moore Norman Technology Center Oklahoma City Community College University of Oklahoma University Outreach

BEST COMMERCIAL PRINTER Quik Print of Oklahoma City, Inc. Heritage, The Integrated Resource Impressions Printing Southwestern Printing The Printers of Oklahoma, LLC

BEST WEB DESIGN AND SERVICES Levant Technologies LLC Funnel Design Group InterWorks SYN3RGY Creative Group VI Marketing and Branding

BEST OFFICE FURNITURE / EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES COMPANY Stow’s Office Furniture ABC Enterprises Inc. Copelin’s Office Center Scott Rice Smart Image Systems

BEST FLEET AUTO SALES LEASING / SERVICE Bob Moore Auto Group Fleet Sales Bob Howard Dodge Fleet / Commercial Cooper Automotive Group Fleet Sales Hudiburg Auto Group Fleet and Commercial Sales Reynolds Auto Group Fleet Sales

BEST TRAVEL AGENCY Travel Leaders Bentley Hedges Travel Big Sky Travel Source Journey House Travel, Inc. Prime Time Travel Rainbow Travel Services Inc.

These are the Top 5 finalists in each category; the company that got the most votes is in bold. The other finalists are listed in alphabetical order. O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 1 7


Career Training

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2014 BEST OF BUSINESS

The best are ... Our community has voted, and here are the best businesses in Oklahoma City.

BEST INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMPANY

InterWorks

PROFILES BY LOUIS FOWLER PHOTOS BY MARK HANCOCK & SHANNON CORNMAN

Each year, okc.BIZ presents Best of Business, a reader-driven nomination, voting and awards process that spans more than 20 categories, hundreds of nominees and thousands of votes. Below are 2014’s winners.

BEST CPA OR ACCOUNTING FIRM

Eide Bailly LLP

There are few tasks as daunting to a business as keeping its books straight. One wrong number, one mistake and boom, there’s an IRS agent at the door. That’s why it’s important to have a trusted name that not only has the knowledge and experience to get it right the first time but the customer service skills to be available when it comes down to the wire. Eide Bailly LLP is just that accounting firm. Founded in 1917, it offers the core services of audit and assurance and tax, as well as numerous expanded services. It has 22 offices in 10 states. Eide Bailly consistently keeps that foundation of knowledge and experience it was founded on as its mission to deliver the best in accounting.

There are several distinct edges that InterWorks holds over the competition. In addition to being versatile, it delivers only the highest-quality services and solutions from a broad base of industry-leading technology partners. What really distinguishes InterWorks is the people it employs — people who are knowledgeable, friendly and hardworking, building the solid reputation and foundation on which the company stands. “We think readers and customers voted for us because we’ve made a positive impact on the way they do business,” CEO Behfar Jahanshahi said. “Our solutions are designed to help other businesses succeed.”

Remaining Top 5 : 3Nines Technologies, Inc. | DMC Services | NewCall Communications Resourceware, Inc.

BEST HEALTH CARE COMPANY

INTEGRIS Health

INTEGRIS Health is the state’s largest Oklahomaowned health care corporation and one of the state’s largest private employers. It’s one of most trusted health care companies in Oklahoma thanks to its long-standing tradition of providing the highest quality of care. With a firm belief that quality is the highest priority, INTEGRIS is proud to bring outstanding health care services once only found in larger cities. And with many upcoming projects on the horizon, including the recent acquisition and joint venture with Lakeside Women’s Hospital, a significant strategic move for INTEGRIS, it’s practically a given that INTEGRIS will continue to be the best health care company in Oklahoma.

Remaining Top 5 : Cole & Reed, P.C. | Don Armstrong, Diamond Payroll Services, LLC HoganTaylor LLP | Hyde & Company CPAs, PC

Remaining Top 5 : Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma | Encompass Home Health & Hospice LiveWell Family Chiropractic Center | OU Physicians

BEST COMMERCIAL LAW FIRM

BEST COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Crowe & Dunlevy

Professional. No other word truly describes the type of service clients receive when doing business with Crowe & Dunlevy. Since 1902, the firm has grown along with Oklahoma City, providing local businesses and national firms with exceptional counsel. With more than 110 years of experience and nearly 30 practice groups, Crowe & Dunlevy is one of the most experienced and established full-service legal firms in Oklahoma. Throughout the years, the firm has received numerous accolades, including being recently recognized as the 2014 Oklahoma Firm of the Year by Benchmark Litigation, the annual guide to the country’s leading litigation firms and attorneys.

Baker First Commercial Real Estate

With experience in all facets of commercial real estate, from raw land to completely developed properties and all aspects therein, it’s Baker First’s laserlike focus on quality projects and superior service to its clients that keeps them in high demand. What’s the key ingredient to its success? Innovation. Continually evolving over the years has helped Baker First better understand its clients’ needs and desires while always improving company systems and procedures. Its goal is to provide seamless communication from start to finish. 2014 is a repeat win for Baker First Commercial Real Estate. But it’s not the awards that truly matter; it’s the people you help. And Baker First does that in spades.

Remaining Top 5 : Cheek & Falcone, PLLC | Hartzog Conger Cason & Neville | McAfee & Taft Tomlinson, Rust, McKinstry & Grable, P.C.

Remaining Top 5 : Cushman & Wakefield | Equity Commercial Realty, LLC Keller Williams Realty, Inc., Mark McKee | Price Edwards & Company

BEST COMMERCIAL BANK

BEST FINANCING SOURCE

Bank of Oklahoma

Founded in 1910, Bank of Oklahoma has set itself apart from other financial institutions by providing exceptional financial expertise through nationally competitive products and services delivered in a personalized and responsive manner by a staff focused on delivering customized solutions to meet clients’ individual financial needs. BOK has been a Best of Business winner several times because of the relationships it creates with its clients. BOK continues to develop product solutions that meet customers’ needs. Most recently, the BOK team has enhanced its suite of mobile apps, allowing for check deposit and account alerts through smart phones. BOK strives to continually look toward the future.

Remaining Top 5 : BancFirst | First Fidelity Bank | MidFirst Bank | Republic Bank & Trust

Focus Federal Credit Union

From working with charities and beautification projects to offering umbrella escorts on rainy days, it’s no wonder Focus Federal Credit Union took okc. BIZ’s top honors this year. It all comes down to one thing: superior service. It isn’t something that is just in the mission statement; it’s something that permeates from the core of every dedicated team member Focus has the opportunity of having on its payroll — and its members can tell. Employees love to see a loan getting worked up. Focus has done away with that tiresome image of loans being approved and denied in a giant back office where an executive sits in an oversized leather chair. It was only a matter of time before Focus would earn the top spot for best financing.

Remaining Top 5 : Bank of Oklahoma | Bank SNB | First Fidelity Bank Tinker Federal Credit Union

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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2014 BEST OF BUSINESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

BEST INVESTMENT ADVISOR

Edward Jones

Having built a name for itself with more than 90 years of experience, the first name in investing is Edward Jones. Founded on a set of core principles that focuses on the long-term individual investor, the firm has staked its reputation on the personal relationships it fosters with its clients. The firm’s investment philosophy focuses on quality investments, diversifying them and maintaining long-term perspective that are keys to reaching client goals. Edward Jones knows that it’s not enough to follow one or two of these elements — all three must work together. This approach helps clients reduce major disappointments along their financial journey.

Remaining Top 5 : Bank of Oklahoma | Josh Parsons, Redbud Financial Group, LLC Michelle Coble, Odyssey Financial Group, LLC | RBK Capital, LLC

BEST COMMERCIAL INSURANCE AGENCY OR BROKER

NFP Maschino, Hudelson & Associates

NFP Maschino, Hudelson & Associates has the local experience and national presence to understand the ever-changing benefit needs of employers. Maschino offers strategic consulting with compliance planning, health and welfare programs, creative wellness solutions, HR services, ancillary benefits and much more. Maschino offers a robust suite of services to meet the individual needs of its clients and their employees. This understanding that client needs differ from time to time is the reason NFP Maschino, Hudelson & Associates stays current with industry demands, allowing it to consistently exceed client expectations.

Remaining Top 5 : Garner Insurance | The Ledbetter Insurance Agency, Inc. Professional Insurors Agency, LLC | State Farm

BEST ADVERTISING AGENCY

Skyline Media Group

Skyline offers state-of-the-art, in-house broadcast production coupled with a retail mindset and smart media insights geared to enhance its clients’ bottom lines. This unique ability has helped its clients achieve unsurpassed success. “Our creativity is the first thing many people notice about our agency,” said Skyline President Chad Stalcup. Skyline’s Emmy award-winning work has been showcased around the world in newspapers and on television. Skyline continues to grow by keeping its finger on the pulse of compelling and innovative ways to get campaigns successfully into the public eye.

Remaining Top 5 : Campbell & Company Advertising | McMahon Marketing Trifecta Communications | VI Marketing and Branding

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN FIRM

NubzDesign

NubzDesign has been growing since 2011. That was the year it began offering graphic design services. That move led to printing, video and animation. All of the growth was driven by client needs. It saw a need for clients wanting a better, more economical printing option, and NubzDesign was more than happy to provide it to them. Nabeel Jamal believes it is its service and commitment that sets the company apart. “We take the time to understand our clients’ needs and work until they are happy,” Jamal said. “Let them nitpick to their hearts content so that they get something they are truly satisfied with. We are here for and because of our clients, so that’s who we take care of first.”

Remaining Top 5 : Ocean Graphic Design | s Design, Inc. SeeHawk Graphics & Web Design | VI Marketing and Branding

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BEST PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM

Trifecta Communications

Trifecta Communications wants to change the world vicariously through its clients by being great partners. Whether that client is Great Expectations transforming education in Oklahoma, the Boy Scouts of America building the leaders of tomorrow or the City of Moore rallying Oklahomans after a devastating tornado, Trifecta invests in making an impact. It started as a video production house in CEO Brent Wheelbarger’s house. The company motto is to “create innovation that makes money and changes the world.” It’s something the company takes very seriously and applies not only to Trifecta but also to its clients. Trifecta wants its clients to change the world.

Remaining Top 5 : Anglin Public Relations | Jones Public Relations, Inc. Saxum | SYN3RGY Creative Group

BEST PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT COMPANY

Moisant Promotional Products

Whether it’s a shirt with a company’s name embroidered on it, a coffee cup with a logo or pens that display that ever-important website address, Moisant Promotional Products has you covered. Moisant’s mission is to help clients find costeffective ways to market and promote businesses with custom promotional items that speak to both customers and clients. Family owned since 1990, Moisant has been a Best of Business winner for seven years straight. Their customers appreciate the level of service they provide and acknowledging that is the best way to say thank you. Moisant will continue growing and using technology to stay ahead of the game.

Remaining Top 5 : Homer Miller Company | Integrity Promotional Solutions, LLC IPGI IMAGENation Promotional Group, Inc. | ROBYN Promotions

BEST CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

Alliance Roofing & Construction

When it comes time to construct a dream, businesses need a commercial construction company they can trust, a company that won’t overcharge them, cut corners or fail to complete the task on time. Alliance Roofing & Construction has built a name for itself by filling that need. As many remember from last May’s spate of terrible weather, the roofing industry was needed more than ever, and the team at Alliance rose to the occasion by offering honest and reliable service that only furthered its goodwill in the business community. And with more bad weather likely in the future, Alliance will only continue to live up to this well-earned award.

Remaining Top 5 : J. E. Dunn Construction Group, Inc. | Lippert Bros., Inc. Manhattan Construction Group | Timberlake Construction Co.

BEST COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE FIRM OR DESIGN COMPANY

Frankfurt-Short-Bruza Associates

Frankfurt-Short-Bruza Associates has prospered and grown under three generations of leadership since opening in 1945. Because of its reputation for great service and quality and award-winning design, FSB competes and wins national projects against much larger companies. It does this by specializing in providing high-quality architecturalengineering services that exceed ordinary expectations across many sectors. A trusted name with a rich history in Oklahoma City, FSB is best known for designs that withstand the test of time, as well as its legacy of the highest caliber industry leadership throughout its 69 years in business.

for voting us in the Best Financing Source category.

Remaining Top 5 : D5 Architecture | Fitzsimmons Architects | HSEarchitects TAP Architecture

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 2 1


2014 BEST OF BUSINESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

BEST MEETING OR EVENT PLANNING

factor 110 | Destination Oklahoma | 110 events

For many people, one of the most hectic, nerveracking tasks is trying to put on a meeting or event. Between finding a location and hiring a caterer, it’s a massive effort that the team at factor 110 is more than happy to take off your hands. Providing service, value and creativity is the reason for its “four factors,” the elements of loyalty, communication, honesty, and experience that guide its service-driven team to take the stress out of managing your next event, association, or destination. Through its unique products and services, factor 110 is committed to being a trendsetter in the industry, understanding client needs, exploring creative approaches and respecting a mission and budget.

BEST ADULT EDUCATION

Francis Tuttle Technology Center

Francis Tuttle Technology Center is widely regarded as the premier facility for adult education in Oklahoma. Francis Tuttle actively looks for opportunities to provide training that meets the needs of both employers and individuals. Francis Tuttle also places emphasis on soft skills — things that many might take for granted, such as communication, teamwork and collaboration, conflict resolution and many others that are more than necessary in today’s workplace. It’s with a thoughtful focus and attitude toward the real-life situations that adults continuing their education come across on a daily basis at Francis Tuttle.

Remaining Top 5 : Cory’s Audio Visual Services | Marianne’s Rentals for Special Events PDC Productions | Plan Ahead Events

Remaining Top 5 : Metro Technology Centers | Moore Norman Technology Center Oklahoma City Community College | University of Oklahoma University Outreach

BEST VENUE FOR EVENT OR MEETING

BEST COMMERCIAL PRINTER

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum opened its doors in 1965 and has offered facility rental services for more than 25 years. It offers in-house audio/visual support by Little Orchard Sound. The majority of events consist of fundraisers, awards banquets and seminars for nonprofits, major companies, private corporations and associations. Besides the distinguished surroundings, what keeps the museum’s clients all roped and rustled is high-quality service. So giddy-up and assure a successful experience for your clients as they live out their cowboy fantasies while giving you the rootinest, tootinest event you’ll ever have the pleasure of holding.

QuikPrint of Oklahoma City, Inc.

Few commercial printers would use the word passionate to describe their business. But that’s exactly how QuikPrint describes itself. The people who work there have passion and integrity and are genuinely friendly, professional and knowledgeable. “Quik started in a garage. We now have six Oklahoma City locations and affiliates across the nation but are still family owned and operated,” Michael Moore, Nichols Hills location manager, said. “What started as a one-press operation has turned into a fleet of presses, copiers, large format and mailing capabilities. There isn’t much we can’t do to assist our customers with their needs.”

Remaining Top 5 : The Hamilton Event Center | Reed Conference Center Skirvin Hilton Hotel | Will Rogers Theatre

Remaining Top 5 : Heritage, The Integrated Resource | Impressions Printing Southwestern Printing | The Printers of Oklahoma, LLC

BEST PLACE FOR A COMPANY PARTY/PICNIC/RETREAT/OUTING

BEST WEB DESIGN AND SERVICES

Oklahoma City Zoo

Whether you’re 8 or 80, who doesn’t enjoy a fun time at the zoo? That’s right: nobody. And to go as an adult, as part of a company party, is even better. Offering both taxable and nontaxable group rates, it’s a competitive, cost-effective way for employees to cut loose and get wild with the animals. For groups of 25 or more, the zoo offers an ever better package: the motor coach special, an all-inclusive package that includes zoo admission, a catered lunch and safari tram tickets. There’s no better way to get the full view of the zoo and not have to worry about anything other than coming up with the courage to brave the snake and spider exhibits.

Levant Technologies, LLC

Levant Technologies has been in business 11 strong years and serves more than 450 clients throughout the Oklahoma City metro area with beautifully designed websites and innovative smart phone apps. What sets Levant apart from its competition, however, is its written set of family values toward integrity, flexibility and customer experience. It’s with these four ideals that Levant believes makes a positive impact on the economy and many families’ livelihood by helping local Oklahoma City business owners, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. Last year alone, Levant successfully celebrated the launch of 64 projects in only 52 weeks. That’s an incredible 500% growth in just the last two years.

Remaining Top 5 : Andy Alligator’s Fun Park | Boathouse District Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark | Frontier City

Remaining Top 5 : Funnel Design Group | InterWorks, Inc. | SYN3RGY Creative Group VI Marketing and Branding

BEST STAFFING SERVICE PROVIDER

BEST OFFICE FURNITURE

PeopleSource Staffing Professionals

An office is only as good as its staff. And an office can’t function without them. So who do Oklahomans call when they have a spot they need to fill ASAP? PeopleSource, of course. Employing consistent communication with its clients and a keen eye toward great customer service, its highly qualified candidates have saved many a day for businesses in need. PeopleSource speaks with its clients extensively about what their specific requirements are, helping them find the perfect fit for each and every job. Businesses know PeopleSource won’t let them down. Founded in Oklahoma City in 2002, the company has eight offices throughout Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado and Tennessee.

Remaining Top 5 : Accel Financial Staffing | Express Employment Professionals LSG Staffing, LLC | Principal Technologies

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Stow’s Office Furniture

As bad as it sounds, people do judge books by their covers, and a potential client could be judging whether or not to do business with you based solely on the office you occupy. Is it full of cheap, junkie furniture? If so, you need Stow’s Office Furniture, and you need it now. Offering the best in new, pre-owned and modular furniture, Stow’s has grown from a handful of rented mini-storage units to a 60,000-square-foot showroom in Oklahoma City, and a 37,000-squarefoot warehouse. This growth, according to Stow’s, is a direct result of dedicated employees and a loyal customer base. It’s the reason the company believes its customers are its best advertisers.

Remaining Top 5 : ABC Enterprises Inc. | Copelin’s Office Center | Scott Rice Smart Image Systems

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24


Thank You

5823 MOSTELLER DRIVE + OKC, OK 73112 +

405 286 0000 +

SK YLINEMEDIAINC.COM

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 2 3


2014 BEST OF BUSINESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

BEST FLEET AUTO SALES/ LEASING/SERVICE

Bob Moore Auto Group Fleet Sales

One of the best perks of a job has to be a company car. Not only is it a source of reliability on the employer’s part, but it also keeps the employee from having to put unreasonable dollars into the care and wear of his or her personal vehicle. If you don’t think that’s something that matters, talk to someone who is constantly on the road for a company. Bob Moore is one of the most reputable auto dealers in Oklahoma, and it has an entire department dedicated to fleet vehicles. This is because it understands that its business customers have volume pricing needs that have to work within their budgets without sacrificing quality.

Remaining Top 5 : Bob Howard Dodge Fleet / Commercial | Cooper Automotive Group Fleet Sales Hudiburg Auto Group Fleet & Commercial Sales | Reynolds Auto Group Fleet Sales

BEST TRAVEL AGENCY

Travel Leaders Bentley Hedges Travel

In a world where more people are using the Internet to book travel, Travel Leaders Bentley Hedges Travel continues to grow. After all, a computer can’t build a relationship with you and your travel needs the way a human can. Along with extensive experience, knowledge of destinations, longevity and stability, Bentley Hedges’ personal relationships with clients allow the company to deliver an outstanding travel experience. The company has continued to adapt to the many changes in the travel industry over the last 44 years, using current technology with a singularly human touch to give its team more time to focus on clients’ expectations.

Remaining Top 5 : Big Sky Travel Source | Journey House Travel, Inc. Prime Time Travel | Rainbow Travel Services Inc.

P

lease visit okc.BIZ to read the expanded winner profiles in each category and to learn how your company can participate in 2015’s okc.BIZ Best of Business.

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O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 2 5


ADVERTISING AGENCY

405-848-7330

722 N. Broadway Ave • Suite 401 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 campbellandcompanyadvertising.com

E H T R O F U O Y “THANK IONS AND FOR NOMINAT ST YEAR!” A GREAT 1

Urban grocers

” EB DESIGN SERVICES W T ES B D N A M R FI R TP NOMINATED FOR “BES

Buy For Less and Homeland look to build or improve stores in urban areas of OKC. BY BEN FELDER

OM

SYN3RGYCREATIVE.C

2 6 | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

A new planned NE 23rd Street grocery store will replace a current Buy For Less with a new store that is more than double in size. The current owner of the Buy For Less at NE 23rd Street and Martin Luther King Avenue, Esperanza Real Estate, plans to open a new Uptown Market based on a similar concept in Edmond. In addition to the 50,000-square-foot store, plans include additional retail and office space, along with some type of community or educational facility. Susan Binkowski, who runs Esperanza, said the new grocery store will anchor a development that will also include a nationally known retailer and medical complex. “The beauty of this project is that while it started with the identification of the store, it really grew from there with input from the community,” Binkowski said. “I gathered as many of my friends, leaders and people from the community who live there, and we sat around the table and dreamed about what else is missing from this community.” Renderings from Studio Architecture show a modern mixed-use development that is integrated into the community. The project has been championed by Ward 7 Councilman John Pettis Jr., who said it would bring economic development, jobs and affordable housing to the northeast side of the city. “Years ago, northeast Oklahoma City had thriving businesses, but over a course of time, developers and Realtors took businesses outside [the ward],” Pettis told Oklahoma Gazette in April. “But I think this is a huge step in the right direction to help a distressed area.”

above A rendering of a proposed grocery store and development at NE 23rd Street and Martin Luther King Avenue. The city council has also voted to move forward on exploring tax incentive options for the development, including the use of tax increment financing. Binkowski has also said the new development will include public space, such as a green area that can host concerts and other community events. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin this winter, and the store will take about one year to build, Binkowski said.

Homeland ponders redesign

A few miles west of the proposed Uptown Market, Homeland at NW 18th Street and Classen Boulevard could receive its own renovation. In a letter to area residents, Homeland president and CEO Darryl Fitzgerald announced his intention to remodel the store but said the plans are in the early stages and tax incentives from the city would be sought. “We have engaged a store design group to begin a review of your current store and to give us an architectural drawing for a total remodel of our current store,” Fitzgerald wrote. “We believe this remodel will cost between $2.5 (million) and $3.5 million dollars. To offset some of this cost, we will be asking the city to consider a possible tax abatement for some period of time. This process can be lengthy.”

REN DERI N G P ROVI DE D BY STUDI O A RC HI TE C TURE

We are honored to be among the finalists in the okcBIZ 2014 Best of Business Awards


www.ehhi.com Encompass would like to thank the people of Oklahoma FOR VOTING US INTO THE

B EST of B U S IN ESS in OK L A H O M A for 2014

A Better Way to Care • A Better Place to Work • A Better Choice for Home Health Purcell 866.527.9911

Norman 866.424.2273

Oklahoma City 405.722.0047 O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 2 7


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New COOP A local craft beer company moves brewing facilities and offices to west Oklahoma City.

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BY KELLEY CHAMBERS

For J.D. Merryweather, a new home for his craft brewery has been a long time coming. “We’ve been working on this for two years,” he said at a recent press tour of the new facilities of COOP Ale Works. Merryweather and Daniel Mercer co-founded COOP in 2009 to bring truly great, locally made beer to Oklahoma. What started out as a small project has exceeded all expectations. Back then, the COOP team set up shop on NW 51st Street next door to 51st Street Speakeasy. They had a seven-barrel brewhouse in a building that was only 5,200 square feet. It served their purposes for a time, but by 2011, the brewers knew they would need to expand to meet the growing demand for their products. COOP’s new home at 4745 Council Heights Road is about 15,000 square feet with the capability to build another 10,000 square feet. It is a 30-barrel brewhouse, which Merryweather

Vats containing beer at COOP Ale Works. said provides room for a 42 percent increase in production capacity. It is a bustling hive of beer brewing with colorful cans waiting to be filled with beer on pallets that nearly reach to the ceiling. That 15,000 square feet will allow COOP to increase its terminal production capacity to about 32,000 barrels, which is about eight times what they were able to produce in the old location.

J.D. Merryweather at COOP Ale Works


The building, constructed in 2008, according to Oklahoma County records, was a shell when Merryweather decided to make it COOP’s home, allowing his team to customize the space to meet their needs. The location is a bit off the beaten path and situated in an industrial park in far west Oklahoma City, but Merryweather said it’s perfect. “This is a great location to grow, and it has great highway access,” he said. Despite being out of the way, Merryweather wants the building to be the site of events and beer tastings, and he plans to build bocce ball and volleyball courts out back. Some of COOP’s milestones over the years include being the first Oklahoma craft brewery to have a full-time barrel aging process and being the first in the state to use cans as its primary source of packaging.

With limited capacity at the original location, Merryweather said the company was only able to put a few of its beers like Native Amber and Horny Toad Blonde in cans. The new facility has space to can additional beers in the COOP lineup, including DNR, Gran Sport Porter and Elevator Wheat, which will hit the shelves in cans this summer. COOP also plans to expand to Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas this summer. And it will add Texas this fall. With that growth will come additional staff. COOP currently has six full-time employees and two part-time employees. This year, the company plans to add five additional employees. The new facility is still a work in progress. “We still need to build a cold storage and a barrel room,” he said. Those additions are expected to be completed this month.

BRIEFS Energy industry leaders support Lankford campaign

James Lankford, current 5th District congressman and candidate for the U.S. Senate, has picked up support from leaders in the state’s energy industry. Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, has created an energy advising team that includes names like Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm and Devon Energy President and CEO John Richels. Hamm also served as energy James adviser to Republican Lankford Mitt Romney during his 2012 run for president. “Energy independence means greater security and a strong economy in our nation,” Lankford said in a statement. “As the president continues to push environmental policies that discourage energy growth, I will continue to advocate for all types of energy development. I am grateful to have these energy leaders on my team, and we will to work together on the best energy solutions for our state and our nation.” Lankford’s campaign reported in 2010 that he worked on the U.S. House of Representatives committee to push the Obama administration to curb ethanol mandates. In his role as chairman of the House Energy Policy subcommittee, Lankford wants to repeal mandates and expand the exportation of

natural gas from the United States. “Oklahoma leads the nation in energy development and innovation. Oklahomans know best that advances in energy leads to good jobs and a vibrant economy,” Lankford said in a media statement posted to his official website. The second-term congressman is running for the seat that will be vacated by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee. Lankford’s main Republican challenger is former state speaker of the House of Representatives T.W. Shannon. A May 3 article in The New York Times focused on Shannon, who is a member of the Chickasaw Nation, and how he has received overwhelming support from the tribe. The primary election is June 24. The runoff primary is Aug. 26. The general election is Nov. 4.

TogeTher We

Build dream groW TogeTher We make a difference

New Automobile Alley tenant

The Buick building, 1101 N. Broadway Ave., has a new tenant. Canaan Resources signed a lease for 18,498 square feet and will occupy the second and third floors. It is a private equity firm that focuses on the natural gas industry. The building built in the 1920s was recently renovated, and the company plans to be moved in this fall. Derek James with Price Edwards & Co. represented the owner, Midtown Renaissance Group.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 2 9


recommended by our own Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

S HA N N ON COR N M A N

OKG picks are events

FOOD Tea and Tips with Becky, a devotion to nutrition and wellness, 9:30-10:30 a.m., May 14. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Rd., Edmond, 509-2700, uptowngroceryco.com. WED

Classen SAS Reunion

Tipsy Artist, wine and paint party, 6-9 p.m., May 14. Tres Cantina & Grille, 305 E. Main St., Norman, 701-8282. WED

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Shoppes at Northpark, 12028 May Ave. 405-751-8930 Open Mon-Sat Gift Certificates Available

BOOKS

Gluten Free Shopping Tour, get tips and tricks for shopping for special dietary needs, 9:30-10:30 a.m., May 15. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Rd., Edmond, 509-2700, uptowngroceryco.com. THU

Children’s Book Week: O is for Oklahoma, book signing by Boys & Girls Club, 5 p.m., May 16. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. FRI

Violins and Vino, beginners lesson, wine-tasting and cocktail party, silent auction, 5:30-8:30 p.m., May 15. IAO Art Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave., 232-6060, iaogallery. org. THU

Wonna Elam Cornelson, Echoes of Reality book signing, 3-5 p.m., May 17. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT

Paint N Cheers, creative social art classes, 6:30 p.m., May 15, 17, 20; 2 p.m., May 18. Paint N Cheers, 1614 N. Gatewood Ave., 524-4155, paintncheers.com. THU, SAT–SUN, TUE

Dee Nash, The 20-30 Something Garden Guide book signing, 2 p.m., May 18. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks. com. SUN

FILM Freeload, (U.S., 2014, dir. Daniel Skaggs) follow five 21st century hobos as they hop trains and freecycle their way across the U.S., 7 p.m., May 14. The Paramount OKC, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 517-0787, theparamountokc. com. WED NOW: In the Wings on a World Stage, (U.S., 2014, dir. Jeremy Whelehan) follow 20 British and American actors on a whirlwind 10 month international tour of Richard III, 7:30 p.m., May 15. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU God’s Pocket, (U.S., 2014, dir. John Slattery) when Mickey’s crazy stepson Leon is killed in a construction “accident,” nobody in the working class neighborhood of God’s Pocket is sorry he’s gone, 5:30, 8 p.m., May 16-17; 2 p.m., May 18. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI–SUN Premiere on Film Row, family- and pet-friendly block party featuring film screenings, live music, art exhibitions and food trucks, 6-9 p.m., May 16. Film Row, 700 W. Sheridan Ave.. FRI

Pinot’s Palette, paint, drink, have fun, 7-9 p.m., May 15-17. Pinot’s Palette, 115 E. California Ave., 602-3850, pinotspalette.com. THU–SAT Oklahoma Craft Beer Festival, beer-tasting event with live music, food trucks and over 200 beer samples from the U.S. and around the world, May 17. Bricktown, 121 E. Sheridan Ave., oklahomacraftbeerfestival.com SAT

It was 20 years ago today — well, not today exactly — but it has been 20 years since Classen School of Advanced Studies opened its doors. To celebrate SAS’s 20 years, and all things Classen, the school will host a celebration 4-8 p.m. Saturday at the historic Classen High School building, 1901 N. Ellison Ave. It will include food, music and tours and a celebration in the auditorium. Admission is free. Visit okcps.classenmh.schooldesk.net.

Saturday

The Artistik Palette, the social painting place, 7 p.m., May 16. Artistik Palette, 5820 E. Reno Ave., Midwest City, artistikpalette.com. FRI Thyme for Fun in the Kitchen, create delicious meals with ingredients from your own herb and vegetable garden, 9:30-10:30 a.m., May 17. tlc Garden Centers, 105 W. Memorial Rd., 751-0630, tlcgarden.com. SAT

Automobile Alley Shop Hop, cruise historic Automobile Alley for open-house events, extended hours and special deals, 6 p.m., May 15. Automobile Alley, Broadway between NW 4th and 13th, 488-2555, automobilealley.org. THU

Learn with Brunch, learn about healthy eating and shopping., 9:30-10:30 a.m., May 21. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Rd., Edmond, 509-2700, uptowngroceryco.com. WED

Fandango at the Harn: A Night on the Prairie, celebrating our state history and pride with Oklahomainspired food and auction, 6-10 p.m., May 15. Harn Homestead, 1721 N. Lincoln Blvd., 235-4058. THU

HAPPENINGS

Grief Support Groups, step-by-step approach for those who wish to resolve their loss issues, 6-7 p.m., May 15. Asbury United Methodist Church, 1320 SW 38th St. THU

Lawyers in the Library, law professionals available to answer general legal questions, 5:30 p.m., May 15. Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Ave., 2318650, metrolibrary.org. THU

Rock for the Retreat, benefit to provide healing retreats for wounded service members and their families, 6 p.m., May 15. The Petroleum Club, 100 N. Broadway Ave., 232-1184. THU Oil and Gas Safety Awareness Course, classes providing oil and gas industry professionals with specific safety awareness, 8 a.m., May 16. Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May Ave., 682-1611, occc. edu. FRI Indie Trunk Show, local crafters, artists and businesses of Oklahoma showcase handmade items and vintagestyle decor, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., May 17. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, 3001 General Pershing Blvd., 948-6700. SAT Quail Springs Mall Blood Drive, asking all area residents to give blood, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., May 17. Quail Springs Mall, 2501 W. Memorial Rd., 755-6530, quailspringsmall.com. SAT

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Buddha Mind Meditation Class, instructed meditation practice and lecture on Buddhist principles, 7-9 p.m., May 20. Buddha Mind Monastery, 5916 S. Anderson Rd., 869-0501, ctbuddhamind.org. TUE

MON-FRI, 10AM-5:30PM • SAT, 10AM-3PM

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Sister Act Nuns get a bad rap. But if you’re a believer in divine cinema classic Sister Act, you know the convent can get down with the best of ’em. Celebrity Attractions brings the Broadway musical comedy, produced by Whoopi Goldberg herself, for eight celestial performances, beginning 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through May 25 at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. Tickets are $20-$65. Call 297-2264 or visit okcciviccenter.com.

Tuesday, ongoing

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PERFORMING ARTS Once Upon A Mattress, musical comedy and adaptation of The Princess and the Pea, 7:30 p.m., May 15–17; 2 p.m., May 18. Upstage Theatre & Performing Arts Studio, 844 W. Danforth Rd., Edmond, 285-5803, upstagetheatreok. com. THU–SUN Native American Play Festival, reflection of Oklahoma pride highlighting the tradition of storytelling in the Native American culture, 8 p.m., May 15-17; 2 p.m., May 18. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. THU–SUN Testify Live: A Clean Comedy Event, live comedy with Stephon and Chinnitta Morris, 7:30 p.m., May 16. Serenity Outreach Community Church, 2717 N. Missouri Ave. FRI Growing and Learning with Sissy, story of how one man overcomes and embraces his “powerful effeminance”, 8 p.m., May 16-17; 2 p.m., May 18. Actors Casting Warehouse, 30 NE 52nd St., 702-0400. FRI–SUN


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Henry V, taking place during the Hundred Years War between France and England, Henry V debates whether he has the right to claim French territories under a property contract, 8 p.m., May 16-17; 2 p.m., May 18. Reduxion Theatre Company, 914 N. Broadway Ave., 651-3191, reduxiontheatre. com. FRI–SUN

Go Program™ Event An opportunity to meet Gabriel Pardo, MD, learn about perscription GILENYA, and connect with people in your community.

Oak City Comedy, live comedy in the theater, 8 p.m., May 16. The Paramount OKC, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 517-0787, theparamountokc. com. FRI

May 16th, 2014 at 12:00pm

Massay’s DanceStar Annual Revue, 22nd Annual Dance Recital, 11 a.m., 2:30, 7 p.m., May 17. Rose State College, 6420 SE 15th St., Midwest City, 7337673, rose.edu. SAT

Ted’s Cafe Escondido 2836 N.W. 68th • OKC

Summer Jam Concert Series, featuring singersongwriter, actress Angie Stone and Soul Music Hall of Fame inductee Mint Condition, 8 p.m., May 17. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SAT

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Accessible to people with disabilities. Light meal will be served. Parking will be validated. Space is limited.

Second Sunday Poetry, reading by J. D. Whitney, 2 p.m., May 18. Norman Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 307-9320, pasnorman.org. SUN

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YOUTH

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088

The Secret Garden, crafts, activities, viewing of the movie The Secret Garden and performances from Lyric Theater, 10 a.m.-6p.m., May 14. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, myriadgardens.org. WED–SUN Endangered Species Day, learn about the past, present and future of endangered animals while watching them in their habitats, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., May 16. Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place, 424-3344, okczoo.com. FRI

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2014 YMCA Youth Triathlon Series, five competitive events featuring swimming, biking and running, May 17. Earlywine Park, 3033 SW 119th St., 297-3882, okc.gov/parks. SAT

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Touch-a-Truck at UCO, children experience life-size vehicles and interact with the people who operate them, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May 17. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. SAT

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PROVIDED

Story Time with Julie, hear the best and newest children’s books, 10:15-11 a.m., May 17. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT

Other Desert Cities A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012, Other Desert Cities is just par for the course for esteemed playwright Jon Robin Baitz (also nominated for A County Fair in 1996). See Carpenter Square Theatre’s rendition of the tense, off-Broadway comedy-drama 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday at Carpenter Square Theatre, 800 W. Main St., through June 7. Tickets are $5-$20. Call 232-6500 or visit carpentersquare.com.

Friday–Saturday, ongoing

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continued Catch of the Day Fishing Pole, kids make a great catch every time with a fish craft they make and play with, 11 a.m., May 17. Lakeshore Learning Store, 6300 N. May Ave., 858-8778, lakeshorelearning.com. SAT Weekend Keeper Connections, from anemones to zebras, learn about your favorite Zoo animals from the people entrusted to care for them: the keepers, 11 a.m., May 17. Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place, 424-3344, okczoo.com. SAT Family Day, enjoy a variety of hands-on art activities for the entire family, 1-4 p.m., May 18. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 325-3272, ou. edu/fjjma. SUN Hershey Youth Track Meet, boys and girls ages 9-14 competing in running, throwing, and jumping in the annual Hershey Track & Field Event, 1-5:30 p.m., May 18. Yukon Middle School, 1029 Garth Brooks Blvd., Yukon, 350-8920, cityofyukonok.gov. SUN Little Big Chefs Cooking Classes, chef-instructed kid’s cooking class, 2 p.m., May 18. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Rd., Edmond, 509-2700, uptowngroceryco.com. SUN

SPORTS Full Moon Bike Ride, meet-and-ride from the Gardens’ Bandshell on a full moon route through downtown Oklahoma City, 7 p.m., May 14. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, myriadgardens.org. WED EWGA Weekend Play Day, enriching the lives of women through the game of golf, 1 p.m., May 15. Earlywine Golf Course, 11600 S. Portland Ave., 691-1727. THU Bike to Work Day, national campaign to promote bicycling as a healthy and efficient transportation alternative, 8 a.m., May 16. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, myriadgardens.org. FRI

OKC Energy vs. Richmond Kickers, men’s professional soccer, 7 p.m., May 16. Pribil Stadium, 801 NW 50th St. FRI Hungryman Challenge and 10K, eat-and-run relay race, costume contest, raffle, benefiting the Neighborhood Services Organization, 7:30 a.m., May 17. Ninth Street District, 9 NW 9th St. SAT Oklahoma Victory Dolls vs. Duke City Derby Munecas Muertas/NW Arkansas Natural Disasters, women’s roller derby focused on sportsmanship and giving back to the community, 4 p.m., May 17. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, 3001 General Pershing Blvd., 948-6700. SAT YogaVerve, donation-only class, proceeds go to a local nonprofit, 10:30 a.m., May 18. YogaVerve, 16501 N. Shawnee Ave., Edmond. SUN

VISUAL ARTS A Walk Through the Soul, paintings by Karam, an artist from Seoul, Korea whose impressionist oil paintings are derived from her emotions. Paseo Originals Art Gallery, 2920 Paseo St., 604-6602, paseooriginals.com. Better Than Wallpaper, Beth Hammack’s new body of work consists of her large, trademark abstract paintings. JRB Art at the Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 528-6336, jrbartgallery.com. Cletus Smith, includes watercolor still-life and landscapes. Summer Wine Art Gallery, 2928 B Paseo St., 831-3279, summerwinegallery.com. Creating Art with your DSLR Camera, Tom Purvis covers what makes an image more appealing, the process of planning the image and how to use your camera to capture, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., May 17. Paseo School of Art, 3110 A N. Paseo St., 205-8990, paseoschoolofart.com. SAT

PROVIDED

11th Annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic, event begins with a dinner, auction and live entertainment at Riverwind Casino and ends with a double-shotgun golf tournament at Belmar Golf Club, May 16. Belmar Golf Club, 1025 E. Indian Hills Rd., Norman, 364-0111. FRI

Bricktown Throwdown, three-day CrossFit team competition, 5 p.m., May 16-18. Bricktown Canal, 115 E. California Ave., 234-8263. FRI–SUN

Barre3 class For the uninitiated: barre3 classes are self-described as “where ballet barre meets yoga and pilates.” Does that tickle your qi? Then check out the first in a series of monthly classes instructed by barre3 founder Sadie Lincoln 7-8 p.m. Monday at Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave. Admission is free. Call 445-7080 or visit myriadgardens.org.

Monday OKC 405-608-4477 | BODYTRENDSPA.COM | BROKEN ARROW 918-759-7524 3 2 | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E


P R OVI DE D

Do you or your child suffer from moderate acne?

PBA Summer Swing If you’re not all that into bowling, consider one thing: In addition to the PBA Oklahoma Open, there are title events at the Professional Bowling Association’s Summer Swing called the Wolf, Bear and Badger Opens. How awesome is that? (Plus, who isn’t into bowling?) The nine-day event kicks off 2 p.m. Saturday at FireLake Bowling Center, 40945 Hardesty Rd., in Shawnee and runs through May 25. Single-day passes are $10, and allweek passes are $30. Call 275-2855 or visit grandboxoffice.com. See related story on page 50.

We are currently seeking participants for a research study testing an investigational topical medication for acne. Qualified participants must: • be 12 years or older • have between 20 and 50 red irritated pimples and 30 to 100 whiteheads or blackheads on their face

Saturday–Wednesday, ongoing Cuba 2014, photographic exhibit, meet the photographers, hear stories of their adventures in Cuba, 7-9 p.m., May 9. Shevaun Williams & Associates Commerical Photography, 221 E. Main St., Norman, 329-6455, shevaunwilliams.com. Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, gain a global perspective on the food and the environment through photos. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 325-4712, snomnh.ou.edu. Indigene, original photographs of indigenous people taken over the past five years, many document the Hadzabe tribe of Tanzania. The Caliber, 48 NW 8th St., 641-4500, facebook.com/TheCaliber. Lifetiles, wall pieces that appear to come to life, move and change as the observer passes by. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

Not Just Another Day in May, curated photography exhibit marking last May’s storms in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 951-0000, cityartscenter.org.

Compensation may be provided for time and travel.

OK CityScape, Oklahoma City skyline built of more than two-million building blocks. Remington Park, 1 Remington Place, 424-9000, remingtonpark.com.

Health insurance is not needed to participate.

Outta the Ball Park, featuring artists Alan Ball and Nancy Park. Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com. RISQUE: The Art of Sexuality, undergraduate and graduate students create and exhibit art to shed positivity on a taboo subject. Womb Gallery, 25 NW 9th St., 596-3999, wombgallery.com. SiO2, glass works by John Byrne, Rick and Tracey Bewley and father-son duo Chris and Micah McGahan. Paseo Originals Art Gallery, 2920 Paseo St., 604-6602, paseooriginals.com. Small - The New Large, paintings, prints and drawings utilizing colors that appeal in small sizes. Jann Jeffrey Gallery, 3018 Paseo St., 420-5707, jannjeffrey.com.

PROVID ED

North of Reno, black-and-white photographs of architectural elements from selected buildings in Oklahoma City. JRB Art at the Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 528-6336, jrbartgallery.com.

Qualified participants will receive at no cost: • Study-related care • Investigational topical medication

Nature in Art Series Nature really is all around us. That newspaper or computer screen you’re looking at? Yeah, nature. It’s also everywhere in art, as The Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma’s new Nature in Art Series so adeptly portrays. Check out the first show with featured artist Paul Snyder 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday at The Nature Conservancy’s Midtown office, 408 NW Seventh St., and later this month at H&8th Night Market. Admission is free. Visit nature.org/oklahoma. For OKG

Thursday

music picks see page 63

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LIFE FOOD & DRINK

Eat your wheat Local pasta maker Chris Becker wants you to want more from your noodles.

BY DEVON GREEN

as many variations of pasta shapes as there are snowflakes. For a food that has been around since the 12th century, this is no surprise. Della Terra is available in nine varieties — three lunga, or long, and six corta (cut) with delightfully descriptive names. Campanelle is shaped like little bells, and galleti resembles the crest of a rooster. Becker also is handy with suggestions about how best to enjoy his creations by pairing the right sauce with the right pasta. To make his creations, Becker uses a combination of old-world technique and modern technology. He emphasizes that an important part of his process is the bronze die-cut extruder, the part of the machine that shapes the pasta as the dough is pressed through the machine. “The bronze die extruded shape lends itself well to making craft pasta. It makes the pasta more course and porous, causing the pasta to grip the sauce,” Becker said. With one taste of his pasta, you will understand completely what he is talking about. It’s pretty much the opposite of a slimy strand of spaghetti with a few molecules of sauce hanging on for dear life. The high-tech portion of his operation comes in at the drying stage.

When it comes to drying, it turns out pasta is a finicky beast. It needs the ideal combination of heat and humidity to properly obtain the right texture. Becker said the overall drying process takes between 16 and 24 hours. This preserves the nutrients in the wheat. “Springtime is ideal,” he said. “Before commercial dryers, there was one season where those conditions happened, and you made all of your pasta for the year during that one season.” Becker has a commercial dryer that takes Mother Nature out of the equation and allows us to enjoy his handcrafted pasta anytime. The texture and bite of his pasta is unique and satisfying. Della Terra Pasta is available at Olive & Co., 7602 N. May Ave., and Whole Foods Market, 6001 N. Western Ave., or by visiting dellaterrapasta.com. Just please don’t buy into that “throwing the spaghetti at the wall to see if it’s done” trick. “I don’t even know how that idea got started, but it makes me laugh,” Becker said.

Chris Becker with his Della Terra Pasta selections.

PHOTOS BY SHANNON CORNMAN

You might think you know about pasta. But if your knowledge doesn’t extend far past the difference between the dry, boxed stuff and the pre-packaged “fresh” pasta in your grocer’s refrigerated section, Chris Becker will blow your mind. The pasta aficionado and owner of Della Terra Pasta’s feelings about pasta go beyond love. For him, perfect pasta is an obsession. Lucky for us, he makes it right here in Oklahoma City, so we can experience fresh pasta the way it is meant to be. The first thing that goes into crafting pasta is the grain. Durum wheat is high in protein and gluten content, making it ideal for pasta-making. Most pasta, regardless the end product, contains this wheat. The similarities, however, end there. Becker sources his durum wheat from certified organic suppliers and seeks only the highest-quality ingredients. One of the most ideal places for growing durum wheat is right here in the United States — North Dakota and Minnesota, to be exact. Italy actually imports a large amount of its durum from this region. Spending time around a walking encyclopedia of pasta knowledge, you pick up some interesting tidbits. For instance, you don’t just make your dough and then decide what kind of pasta you are going to make. The process works in reverse. You determine what pasta you are making and then make the dough accordingly. And just in case you were wondering, yes, there are just about

Pasta from Della Terra Pasta.

The bronze die extruded shape lends itself well to making craft pasta. It makes the pasta more course and porous, causing the pasta to grip the sauce. — Chris Becker

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 3 5


Rudy foodie Rudy’s Bar-B-Q might be owned by a Texan, but crimson and cream runs through his veins.

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BY DOUG HILL

Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q 3450 CHAUTAUQUA AVE., NORMAN RUDYSBBQ.COM 307-0552 WHAT WORKS: GOOD BEEF BRISKET AND SMOKED TURKEY. WHAT NEEDS WORK: COLE SLAW QUALITY CONTROL. TIP: DINERS IN SOONER OR LONGHORN APPAREL WILL FEEL WELCOME.

It’s rare for a public establishment of any variety in Norman to have a University of Texas Longhorns banner on prominent display. Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q has one, along with those of the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, hanging high over the dining room. (The owner lives in Texas but went to OU.) Rudy’s menu is posted on an enormous board so you can decide while standing in line. The selections have a few quirks. There’s “lean brisket” and there’s “moist brisket,” which means with some fat. Unlike nearly every barbecue joint from coast to coast, Rudy’s does not serve french fries. It does, however, have new potatoes, baked potatoes and potato salad. You can get a side order of green chili stew. Barbecue sauce is spelled “sause,” and there’s an explanation for that printed on Rudy’s T-shirts for sale: “Because taste is more important than spelling.” Prepare to be denigrated if you want the mildest sauce, which is labeled “Sissy Sause.” Rice Krispy treats are among the dessert selections. Service at the counter was fast and friendly. At the heart of barbecue in these parts is the brisket. Rudy’s beef is tasty. All meals are served with Sunbeam Bread’s Texas Giant white

Selections at Rudy’s Bar-B-Q include brisket, baked beans, white bread, creamed corn and Rudy’s Sissy Sause. bread. Cram some brisket between a couple of slices and it is a tasty barbecue sandwich. Snow-white hickory-smoked turkey breast slathered with “sissy sause” was among the best tastes. Texas sissies must be tougher than the garden variety because this sauce boasts a robust black pepper bite. The coleslaw was unseasoned shredded cabbage and carrot with absolutely no dressing of any kind whatsoever. Rudy’s beans naturally are of the pinto variety. Shredded smoked meat and plenty of spice in them rated a double thumbs-up. Rudy’s has a Conoco gas station out front. The “country store” is of the modern convenience variety with beer and soft drinks. Enter the restaurant by joining other customers in a line that’s regulated by livestock control-type railing for your turn to place an order at the counter. Long dining tables are pushed together in rows resembling a German beer garden that Rudy’s calls “family style.” Around the perimeter are lots of picnic tables if you don’t want to make new friends. The room decor is made up of various vintage automotive and agricultural product signs. Serve yourself at a nearby soft drink beverage station. It has directions on a sign that reminds, “Your Mother is not here. Please clean up your own mess.” Low-point beer may be purchased separately in the country store and carried to the dining room.

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The two ladies of Viva La Pies want to share their comfort food with the metro.

BY DEVON GREEN

The women behind Viva La Pies would like you to imagine a friendly neighborhood pie shop where you can cozy up to your favorite slice with a great cup of coffee. What could be more homey than a slice of pie? After eight years of planning, owners Deanna Layman and Charissa Morrison are on the way to make that dream a reality. “We both love the nostalgia that pies bring, the sense of home that it evokes,” Layman said. The two became partners over conversations about baking and family recipes. Both ladies have a passion for baking that goes back to their childhood. “I’ve been baking as long as I can remember. I have a pie crust recipe from my grandma, and that’s really what got me venturing into the pie world,” Morrison said. The two announced their plans to build a pie shop in Edmond a few months ago and have been generating buzz with social media since then. In recent weeks, they launched a 35-day Kickstarter campaign for the necessary funds for the shop and the equipment necessary to make it a reality. “The goal of the campaign is $15,000, and most of it will go to equipment,” Layman said. They plan to make nine varieties of pie available at all times, with specials rotated based on seasonal availability. The pies have cute names in line with the revolutionary tone of the shop’s name. Two listed on the website are The Blue Crown, a blueberry banana, and the aptly named The Peoples Pie, bacon apple, because bacon is one of the great equalizers. “Our pies will feature local ingredients when available, and we will not use hydrogenated oils or high

Deanna Layman (left) and Charissa Morrison of Viva La Pies. fructose corn syrup,” Layman stressed. Viva La Pies will offer catering, custom orders, whole pies and pie by-the-slice. They also will serve java from Norman-based Mariposa Coffee Roastery. Layman plans to expand the pie selection to savory pies in the future. The location of the shop will be announced midway through the Kickstarter campaign. “We have several in mind. We’re picking out the perfect spot,” Layman said. “We’re getting the details together, and our goal is to be open in mid-June.” The women are excited to bring something like this to Edmond. Their goal is to foster a sense of community. They want to create a shop selling delicious confections, but they also want it to be a place people want to spend time. A cult-favorite television series from 2007-2009 called Pushing Daisies starred Oklahoma actor Lee Pace, a pie-maker, as the protagonist. The show centered on a pie shop rife with nostalgic touches and down-home charm. Layman cited the show as one of her influences when Viva La Pies was in the planning stages. “I was making a lot of pies and plans while watching that show,” she said. Pie is one of the original comfort foods, and Layman and Morrison’s recipes have been handed down over generations. The Viva La Pies Kickstarter campaign runs through May 26. To learn more about the concept or contribute to the cause, visit vivalapies.com.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 3 9


Let somebody else do the cooking Unless they’re planning a wedding, most people don’t often think of caterers. But when it comes to feeding the hungry multitudes, these guys and gals are a gift from heaven. So for your next big to-do or intimate gathering, why not let the professionals handle the hard part? — By Devon Green, photos by Mark Hancock and Shannon Cornman

Running Wild Catering 3830 N. Maney Drive runningwildcatering.com 751-0688

This catering company has just moved into new digs in north Oklahoma City, and executive chef Teresa Walters can’t wait to show you what she can do. Walters and her crew have a selection of preset menus to take the decisionmaking out of planning your next event, or they can work with you to create the spread of your dreams. They do it all, from tasty bites to plated dinners. Its menus offer a diverse selection, from barbecue to Italian and Mexican food.

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Prairie Gypsies Catering Co. 415 NW 30th St. prairiegypsies.com 525-3013

Not that there is such a thing as “just” a catering company, but when it comes to branching out, the Prairie Gypsies know a thing or two about it. Not only do the ladies do traditional catering, but they offer takeout meals and boxed lunches and have a slew of their jellies and dressings available for retail sale. They’re even nice enough to share some of their recipes for your own use on their website. But there’s something to be said for letting the professionals do it for you.

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Abbey Road Catering 113 Hal Muldrow Drive, Norman abbeyroadcatering.com 360-1058

The folks at Abbey Road Catering produce food that tastes incredible but is also beautiful. You only have to look at its website full of gorgeous photos to know that presentation is something it takes very seriously. The menu items available range from comfort food to the unexpected, and it has a helpful staff willing to work with you to create your ideal event, be it a cocktail soiree or dinner for 150.


Aunt Pittypat’s Catering 1515 N. Portland Ave. auntpittypatscatering.com 942-4000

Aunt Pittypat’s is one of the oldest names in the catering business in Oklahoma City. The company’s reputation precedes it. Known for consistent, quality presentation and staff, Aunt Pittypat’s has served the metro for more than 20 years. As the adage goes, practice makes perfect. With menus for all three meals plus small hors d’oeuvres, there’s something for everyone.

Cheever’s Catering

Venue 104 Catering

2500 N. Walker Ave. cheeverscatering.com 208-4444

10400 S. Western Ave. venue104ok.com 691-6544

Heather and Keith Paul know a thing or two about the restaurant business. The couple are the brains (and heart) behind such local favorites as Tucker’s Onion Burgers and Iron Starr Urban Barbeque. Catering is no exception to their devotion to local food done deliciously right. A Good Egg Dining Group, their parent company, is a registered Made In Oklahoma Coalition restaurant, meaning it strives to use locally made or grown food in its concepts.

The staff at Venue 104 will go above and beyond to create the perfect food for your event, and they are no strangers to cooking to impress. Chef Derek Nettle spent years in the governor’s mansion, cooking for Govs. Brad Henry and Mary Fallin and their families. Rather than have set menus to choose from, Nettle works with each client to create what they desire and make every event shine with unforgettable food.

Kam’s Kookery & Guilford Gardens 2834 Guilford Lane kamskookery.com 840-0725

Kamala Gamble is the woman to know about local produce and cooking. Her catering company and communitysupported Guilford Gardens strive to teach and support sustainable agriculture. From cooking classes to catered events, Gamble practices what she preaches — local ingredients lead to healthier, happier communities.

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LIFE COVER

Is it real? Some believe that a monster does indeed exist at Lake Thunderbird.

Oklahoma obscura

Take a trip through some of the curious attractions the state has to offer. BY DEVON GREEN AND KELLEY CHAMBERS

Everybody loves a good mummy, and Oklahoma has two noteworthy ones. There is the beautiful mummy of Tutu, who died in approximately 332 BCE. Her body was preserved in the traditional way of ancient Egypt. The entire mummification process took 70 days. She is displayed at the MabeeGerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee along with the museum’s impressive ancient Egyptian collection. In the collection, there is also a mummified cat believed to have been a sacrifice to Bast, the Egyptian goddess of women’s health.

Grave of accidental sideshow mummy Elmer McCurdy Summit View Cemetery 1808 S. Pine St., Guthrie cityofguthrie.itlnet.net/cemetery roadsideamerica.com/story/14196

The other, lesser known mummy has a much wilder story to tell. He was a crook named Elmer McCurdy who was killed

The Egyptian mummy at MabeeGerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee.

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Fort Reno POW cemetery and ghost tours 7107 W. Cheyenne St., El Reno fortreno.org 262-3987

Fort Reno was developed in 1847 to be a military encampment during the Indian Wars. Throughout its long and colorful history, the fort has been host to Indian scouts and Buffalo Soldiers and breeding grounds for army mules and horses. There are 70 German and Italian prisoners of war interred on the grounds of the fort. Given the fort’s colorful history, it seems only fitting that it would be the sight of some feisty spirits.

Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday, 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday 18154 First St., Spiro okhistory.org/sites/spiromounds.php 918-962-2062

The Mississippian culture that thrived along the banks of the Mississippi river from AD 800s to the 1450s had a vast trade network and a pictographic writing system. Artifacts revealed from within the mounds show goods from California, Mexico and the Great Lakes region. Permanent settlers built large earthen mounds around central plazas. The great mystery is why the population of this thriving center all but vanished and the land remained empty from 1600 to 1832, when it was cleared for farming. In the 1930s, an unsavory group masquerading as a mining company looted the site, sold the artifacts and destroyed one-third of the mounds. The site is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an ongoing subject of significant archaeological research. The center hosts special events during the solstice and equinox with walks through the site with archaeologist Dennis Peterson. He explains the history of the mounds and their particular arrangement in regard to the sun’s movement. ED

Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art 1900 W. MacArthur Drive, Shawnee mgmoa.org 878-5133

There are continuous reports of paranormal activity on the grounds, including slamming doors, cold spots and reports of faces in windows. Mysterious things also show up in photographs taken there. You can get in on the paranormal action with the Fort El Reno Ghost Tours, hosted once a month at the fort. The tour is a lantern-lit walk through the grounds while hearing about the unsolved mysteries and murders during the fort’s long history. The tours run monthly from April through October, rain or shine.

PR O VI D

Tutu the Egyptian mummy

in a 1911 shootout with a sheriff’s posse. The undertaker in Pawhuska embalmed McCurdy’s body with an arsenic-based preservative, and when no one came to claim the body, he put it on display. He charged a nickel to see the body of the “The Bandit Who Wouldn’t Give Up.” The mummy, which people took for a mannequin, made its way through amusement parks, traveling carnivals and a movie before it came to rest at The Pike in Long Beach, Calif. In 1979, during filming of an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man, the dummy was “discovered” to be an actual corpse. Elmer McCurdy’s decades of being ogled were over. His remains were sent to Oklahoma and buried in the Boot Hill section of Summit View Cemetery in Guthrie. The medical examiner who helped identify the mummy requested two cubic feet of concrete over the body so he would never be disturbed again.

MARK HANCOCK

The world is a weird and wonderful place, and there are amazing and delightful things around every corner. Oklahoma has a wealth of the weird and offbeat, and we’ve compiled a few of the best so you can learn a little more about our state. Consider this your guide to the funkier side of Oklahoma. The truth might be stranger than fiction, but mystery and supposition are even more exciting.

Heavener Runestone 18365 Runestone Road, Heavener atlasobscura.com/places/heavenerrunestone 918-653-2241

There has been much theory and speculation on the origin of the stone, discovered in the 1830s by a Choctaw hunting party. There are written reports of the rock being seen by white trappers in 1874, who believed Indians carved it. Local historian Gloria Farley saw it in 1928 and realized the similarity of the carvings to the runic alphabet used by Vikings. There has been much speculation about the origin of the stone and whether Vikings passed through eastern Oklahoma in the 11th century. Theories about its origin range from the runes were carved by an ill-fated French expedition up the Mississippi to a prank by local Boy Scouts. The stone continues to be a draw to Heavener and the beautiful country surrounding it.

Showmen’s Rest and Bull Rider’s Reprieve Mount Olivet Cemetery Cemetery Road, Hugo 580-326-7511

A portion of Mount Olivet Cemetery is dedicated to those who have moved on to the big top in the sky. There, you will find graves of animal trainers, tightrope walkers and the 1962 World Champion Bull Rider, Freckles Brown. In this section of the cemetery — demarcated by granite pillars topped by circus elephants — you will find headstones depicting various aspects of circus life, including the headstone of Jack B. Moore, which is a model of a circus tent. Showmen’s Rest tombstone


S HA N N ON COR N M A N

The cemetery is a moving tribute to those who have finished their time on the road. As one headstone proclaims, they are “Dun Rovin’.” Also of note, Circus City is not far from the cemetery on Kirk Road and, in its heyday, was the winter home to more than 15 different traveling shows. Several shows still spend the off-season there. The city is also home to the second largest herd of elephants — the family behind the Carson & Barnes Circus run the Endangered Ark Foundation, where they participate in an elephant breeding program to preserve the endangered Asian elephant. Find out more at carsonbarnescircus.com.

Robbers Cave State Park 2300 Park Cabins Road, Wilburton 918-465-2565

Formerly named Latimer State Park, the 8,000 acres near Wilburton was renamed Robbers Cave in 1936 for some of its more notorious temporary residents. Through the ages, the natural cave served as a hideout for many an outlaw, including Jesse James, The Dalton Gang and Belle Starr. The cave is a natural choice of hideouts — it was not only shelter from the elements, but it was deep in the heart of what was, at the time, rugged wilderness. The main cavern runs more than 40 feet into the mountain and, as a bonus for all would-be fugitives, has a secret back exit. Visitors to the cave today can traverse the same steps that those running from the law took so long ago. Also of note, Younger’s Bend, Belle Starr’s refuge for the lawless, is located in Stigler, about 40 miles from Robbers Cave. In 1886, The Dallas Morning News reported the “Outlaw Queen” said, “I am friend to any brave and gallant outlaw.” She was known to give refuge to those in need of it in her cabin deep in Indian Territory and welcomed them into her home. She was shot in the back just before her birthday in 1889 and is buried at the site of the cabin.

A bust of Jim Thorpe at Territorial Capital Sports Museum in Guthrie.

SHANNON CORNMAN

Fort Reno in El Reno.

Oklahoma Sasquatch Honobia Bigfoot Festival Oct. 3-4 facebook.com/ honobiabigfootconferenceandfestival 918-917-3723

According to Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), you don’t have to look far in Oklahoma to find someone who has seen or heard the big guy. Since it has been compiling reports of sights and sounds affiliated with the mostly nocturnal creature, it lists 88 reports in our state. According to BFRO and other Bigfoot researchers, the Ouachita National Forest is a hotbed of Sasquatch activity. Honobia is the site of a biannual Sasquatch Festival. Researchers and fans gather to celebrate the mysterious hairy beast that scares the bejesus out of people with its nocturnal antics and oddly remains out of focus in photos, regardless of technology.

Thunderbird lake monster Lake Thunderbird State Park 13101 Alameda Drive, Norman 360-3572

This mysterious creature is said to inhabit at least three of Oklahoma’s lakes, but especially Lake Thunderbird. The creature is said to be responsible for the drowning

don’t miss the Territorial Capital Sports Museum in downtown Guthrie. The museum is a collection of Oklahoma sports history and Oklahoma athletes who have gone on to great things. One exhibit traces the history of minor league baseball in Oklahoma from the Oklahoma City Indians to the 89ers and the RedHawks. There is a strong focus on baseball, but there are exhibits on college and professional football players, Native American athletes and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Plan to take some time to chat with Richard Hendricks, the museum’s director. He is a walking encyclopedia of Oklahoma sports history. If it’s sports-related and it happened in Oklahoma, chances are he can tell you all about it.

and disappearances of unwitting lake swimmers. Although there are many skeptics, people who claim to have seen the creature describe a monster with tentacles and “leathery, reddish brown” skin the size of a cow. Could it be a rogue cephalopod with a taste for Okie flesh? There is no physical evidence, but many believers latch on to the alleged high number of mysterious drownings as evidence enough. Oklahoma lakes are murky enough to conceal what might lurk beneath. Proceed with caution, and whatever you do, don’t wake the kraken.

As we said, Oklahoma is rich with the weird. Here are a few more destinations to stumble upon for pure entertainment and brilliant cocktail party conversation:

Oaklake Trails Naturist Park

1720 W. Will Rogers Blvd., Claremore willrogers.com 918-341-0719

24601 Milfay Road, Depew 918-324-5999

The Oaklake Trails Naturist Park, near Depew, is a pretty cool place. The folks there love sunbathing and enjoying the great outdoors in their birthday suits. To get a sample of the naturist life, head out to the park May 17 for the yearly Run, Walk or Crawl 5K Run. The event is open to the public, and it is clothing optional just in case you want to dip your toe in the nudist lifestyle from the safety of your own garments. Nudists refer to those who wear clothing as “textiles.” Don’t be a textile; let it all hang out at this park that was established in 1992 on 400 acres nearly smack dab between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The park is open year-round, and guests are always welcome to try it out, but be sure to contact the park in advance so they’ll know to expect you. And don’t worry; no one is allowed to take your photo without your consent. So get out in that warm Oklahoma sun and brown your buns with some nice, likeminded folks.

Territorial Capital Sports Museum 315 W. Oklahoma Ave., Guthrie 260-1342

Whether you are a sports fan or not,

Tom Mix Museum 721 N. Delaware St., Dewey tommixmuseum.com 918-534-1555

See a monument to a man who was a cowboy movie legend and the suitcase that killed him.

Will Rogers Memorial Museum

A beautiful tribute to the man and the legend, this destination gets a mention for the fact that Will Roger’s “death pocket contents” are on display.

The ghost of the Rock Island Railroad Waurika Library 98 S. Meridian St., Waurika 580-228-3274

It is said that the library, a converted railroad station, not only houses artifacts and photos from the station but a ghost as well. There are rumors that one librarian even has a tape of some spooky incidents.

The Center of the Universe 20 E. Archer St., Tulsa

A concrete circle of about eight feet in diameter that sits in the center of Tulsa is an acoustic anomaly. When you stand inside the circle, whatever sound you make is significantly amplified. Those outside the circle can’t hear anything, regardless of the volume inside. See the full list of Odd Oklahoma online at okgazette.com

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 4 3


Revved up American Legion Post 12 plans a car and bicycle show to raise awareness of veterans and help build community awareness. BY ALISSA LINDSEY

American Legion Car & Bike Show 8 a.m.-2 p.m. May 17 American Legion Post 12 6101 NW 50th St., Bethany 787-6010 $10-$15

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American Legion Post 12 in Bethany will host its inaugural American Legion Car & Bike Show as part of its push to restore the post to its golden age of active membership, said Dixie Brown, finance officer and acting adjunct at American Legion Post 12. The Legion is a veterans’ organization that offers social, financial and emotional support to Armed Forces members, as well as to veterans and their dependents. The car show’s purpose is to encourage participation from active Legionnaires and invite other veterans to join. “American Legion is set up for veterans to have a place to go and have fellowship and get involved in the community and support patriotism,” Brown said. The car show will include a 2014 BMW, 1920s classics and everything in between. While the car enthusiasts parade around in their hot rods, the children can show off their bicycles. The Legion also plans to award patches to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts or make donations to the organizations for the children’s participation. Local bike shop Melonbike also will set up demonstrations about bicycle safety and maintenance for kids. The car show winners will be awarded plaques, and the first 50 registrants will receive dash plaques as well. The Bethany post has 1,400 members, making it the biggest post in Oklahoma. However, its active membership has fallen, Brown said. She hopes the event will bring more active members into its ranks.

above A Ford Mustang hot rod. The American Legion also financially supports community programs like Special Olympics, American Legion Boys State and baseball, and it is working toward having a large enough active member base to support these programs by volunteering members’ time and talents as well. During the car and bike show, guests can peruse booths of local arts and crafts vendors and win prizes from local businesses like dinner for two at Ann’s Chicken Fry House or carrelated paraphernalia.

The Bethany post has 1,400 members, making it the biggest post in Oklahoma.

The event is meant to galvanize the post’s membership, too. Verle Coslett, a World War II and Korean War veteran, has been a member of The American Legion for more than 20 years, and the post has provided him with many fun memories during that time. American Legion member and Vietnam War veteran Phillip Gray said The American Legion and the veteran community in Oklahoma are important reminders of the incredible service these veterans have given to their country. The veterans’ continued service to the community is a reminder to Oklahomans to be thankful to all of our veterans for their sacrifices.

M A RK HA N COC K/ FI L E

LIFE COMMUNITY


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Rufus Butler Seder shows off his work.

Eye spy The work of artist Rufus Butler Seder explores optical trickery and motion picture magic. BY DEVON GREEN

Lifetiles 6-9 p.m. Friday Satellite Galleries Science Museum Oklahoma 2100 NE 52nd St. sciencemuseumok.org 602-6664 Free

Outdoor Festival 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Museum Open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (405) 478-2250 1700 NE 63rd St • Oklahoma City, OK

4 6 | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

When Rufus Butler Seder was two, he got a toy in a Cracker Jack box. It was a little picture of a baseball player, and when you moved it, the picture moved. Like most young children presented with a neat optical trick, Seder was fascinated. Unlike most children, however, he turned that fascination into a career. Seder is an artist and inventor who lives in Massachusetts and creates, among other things, murals that appear to move as the observer moves. “Really, that’s what my murals are: giant Cracker Jack wiggle pictures,” Seder said. His art and inventions center around what happens between the eye and the brain, and that has been the focus of his life’s work. His exhibition, Lifetiles, will be on display at Satellite Galleries at Science Museum Oklahoma. Seder dived into the history of tricks and techniques for making objects appear to move. He studied magic when he was a child, and his father, a photographer, introduced him to different ways the eye can be fooled. When his interest in cinema led him to explore the history of motion pictures, he stumbled upon further inspiration for his craft. “My favorite filmmaker is the French stage magician George Melies (A Trip to the Moon). His movies are astonishing,” Seder said. “I would have loved to work beside him in that magical studio of his in Paris.” While he is demure about being

a film historian, Seder is a confessed movie junkie. He has acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of moving pictures and the history of cinema, both before and after the advent of electricity. You can hear him speak about these influences and other tidbits of optical magic history during his presentation at the reception for the opening of Lifetiles.

Seder’s work gets people asking questions. — Scott Henderson

In addition to his success as an installation artist, Seder has also created scanimation, books built on the principle of a flip book with the action all on one page. The medium uses an overlay pattern that, when moved, makes the image beneath appear to move. Several of his optically animated books, including Star Wars: A Scanimation Book, have become international best-sellers. Seder also has his own company, Eye Think, Inc., that creates all manner of gadgets that fool the eye. Scott Henderson, who directs the Satellite Galleries, first heard of Seder from his Wizard of Oz Scanimation series. (Henderson’s daughter is a huge fan.) “[Seder’s] work gets people asking questions,” Henderson said. “That’s what I want all of our guests to experience, because you never know what spark is left behind.”

P ROVI DE D

LIFE VISUAL ARTS


P ROVI DE D

LIFE PERFORMING ARTS

Fit for a king Reduxion Theatre’s Henry V does justice to Shakespeare’s original with a well-acted, niftily presented affair. BY LARRY LANEER

Henry V 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday Through May 31 Broadway Theater 914 N. Broadway Ave. reduxiontheatre.com 604-4730 $16-$22

In the prologue to Shakespeare’s Henry V, Chorus asks, “Can this cockpit hold the vasty fields of France? Or may we cram within this wooden O the very casques that did affright the air at Agincourt?” The answer to Reduxion Theatre Company’s production, now at the Broadway, is a satisfying, “Yes.” Reduxion artistic director Tyler Woods staged the play in-the-round in the cozy Broadway Theater. The scenic design by Woods and Jason Coale includes four tall pillars on hinges that are raised or lowered to set different scenes. Woods keeps the action flowing, and the fine cast performs with snap and a certain edginess. Characteristic of Reduxion shows, the production gets a little in-your-face at times. Andrew Rathgeber gives a strong performance as King Henry. His Henry doesn’t seem like someone you’d want to sit down with for a pint of bitters, but his job of warring and conquering isn’t exactly for wimps. When Henry visits the soldiers the night before the battle at Agincourt, Woods oddly has him leaping from perch to perch like a mountain goat. Claire Powers plays Chorus, and when she performs the prologue, you’d think she’s going to do the entire play by herself — and she probably could.

The Reduxion cast performs Henry V. Woods stages some of Chorus’ speeches with actors, something about which experts can disagree. With Chorus, Shakespeare creates images in the minds of the audience. When the speeches are staged, the director’s ideas replace what’s in the audience’s imaginations. Whether this is a good idea is a topic for discussion over post-theater drinks. Woods’ casting is cross-gender, specifically with females playing some male characters. One suspects this is because Woods, to his credit, was looking for the best actor for the role. The practice has somewhat of a historical precedent; in Elizabethan theater, all of the roles — both male and female — would have been played by men or boys. The production’s “intimacy coach” is Tonia Sina Ellis, an expert on choreographing sexual intimacy for the stage. Jeffrey Meek’s period-inspired costumes come in red for the English and blue for the French, including some nifty helmets or, to quote Chorus, casques. The men’s costumes have triangle-shaped codpieces, which are new to me. Woods makes some judicious cuts to the script and adds some of his own stuff. He stages Henry’s order to kill the camp boys, whom he suspects are sabotaging the English campaign, something Shakespeare only describes. In this staging, Reduxion does “cram within this wooden O” a fluidly presented, well-acted account of the play. And it’s as close to real swordplay as you’ll ever want to get.

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(405) 605-6789 proudly brought to you by

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O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 4 7


S HA N N ON CORN M A N

LIFE SPORTS

Best of the best The MVP award grows Kevin Durant’s brand and the spotlight on OKC.

BY BEN FELDER

STOP THE PRESSES!

Are you experienced? Oklahoma Gazette wants you. We’re hiring a full-time general assignment editor-reporter. Applicants must have prior news and feature writing experience and be able to manage freelancers and staff. They must also have a lust for meeting and beating deadlines and an eye for accuracy. InDesign, Word, Wordpress, social media and multimedia experience preferred. Send your resume, references and five writing samples to Jennifer Chancellor, jchancellor@okgazette.com. No calls please.

Oklahoma Gazette is an equal opportunity employer. 4 8 | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Kevin Durant was already a global sports star. However, the announcement of his first National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player award on Tuesday solidified his status as a sports icon that has not only fueled the Oklahoma City Thunder but has also helped put OKC on the map. “Having an athlete like Kevin Durant playing in our city only makes our job easier,” said Tim Brassfield, executive director of Oklahoma City All Sports Association. “I think the Thunder have helped us move at a quicker pace in becoming a [global city],” Brassfield added. “Durant is a big part of that.” Durant’s presence on the team has helped OKC buck the norm of relocated franchises wading through years of losing before building a winner. Almost from the very beginning, the Thunder has been a premiere NBA team bringing global attention to the metro area. “Kevin’s importance to our community has grown along with his basketball career,” said OKC Mayor Mick Cornett. Durant, who is regularly thought of as the league’s second-best player — after LeBron James — finally captured the league’s top individual award after finishing second in voting three times before.

Kevin Durant weeps as he accepts his MVP award last Tuesday.

This city, all they want [is for] us to be is ourselves. You love us for who we are. I thank you so much for embracing us. — Kevin Durant

During a ceremony to present him with the MVP award on Tuesday, Durant took time to thank his teammates and coaching staff. He also reflected on his upbringing and how he never dreamed about making it to the NBA. “It felt like it was a box. There was no getting out,” Durant said about his childhood growing up in poverty outside Washington, D.C. “I never thought I could make it to college, the NBA or make it here today.” Durant’s on-the-court accomplishments are historic. By winning the league’s scoring title this year for the fourth time in five years, Durant joined Wilt Chamberlain,


George Gervin and Michael Jordan as the fourth player to reach that feat. Durant also scored at least 25 points in 41 consecutive games this season, which is the third longest streak in NBA history. While KD’s statistics have made him one of the game’s greatest players, it has also helped bring attention to OKC, which is the sixth smallest market in the United States to be home to one of the main four professional sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA). Durant has endorsement deals with global brands like Nike and Gatorade and, in 2012, was ranked No. 14 on Sports Pro Media’s list of the top 50 most marketable athletes in the world. Also, his jersey was the second highest in sales this season, according to NBAStore.com. Durant might be a sports superstar, but those around him say he carries himself like someone from middle America. “It’s really refreshing that this award was given to Kevin just through him doing his work and committing to the things that are most important to the team,” said Sam Presti, general manager of the Thunder. Thunder head coach Scott Brooks was also quick to praise Durant’s work ethic and humility on Tuesday. “He does it with such a pure heart,” Brooks said. “He gives everything to his team. He gives everything to his community. What you see is what you get. He is as humble a superstar that you will ever run across.” Durant also praised his adopted city. “This city, all they want [is for] us to be is ourselves,” Durant said. “You love us for who we are. I thank you so much for embracing us.” Durant also said he was proud to play in a community that seems to embody fighting through adversity. “There are so many things that try to bring us down here in Oklahoma,” said Durant, referring to the state’s history with natural disasters and terrorism. “We finish second, but we keep fighting until we finish first. This is the perfect place [for me].”

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O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 4 9


LIFE SPORTS

Greg White, Ph.D. Director of Musical Theatre

Mentors Matter Before he won a Tony Award for producing the

2014 Broadway revival of “Pippin,” Jay Krottinger took the stage at the University of Central Oklahoma. Dr. Greg White filled the role of mentor for Jay, serving as a teacher, advisor and sounding board as he prepared to enter the challenging field of show business. “Greg has a special gift for identifying the strengths and talents of each student. He helps us capitalize on what sets us apart. His classes are about learning to be true, honest and drop the ‘wall’ or ‘façade’ we use in everyday life. Show business is a tough, cutthroat career full of ‘no’s.’ Greg continues to offer professional industry advice based on his own prestigious experience. I am always thinking, ‘How would Greg approach this?’ when I am in performance mode. He instilled in each and every one of us the ability to access our true self as performers.” Tell us how a Central faculty or staff member inspired you at univrel@uco.edu.

Live Central

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA Edmond, OK • (405) 974-2000 • www.uco.edu TM

5 0 | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Top-tier pro bowling returns to Oklahoma as Shawnee’s Grand Casino Hotel & Resort and FireLake Bowling Center hosts the PBA Summer Swing. BY BRENDAN HOOVER

PBA Summer Swing May 17-25 Grand Casino Hotel & Resort Grand Event Center 777 Grand Casino Blvd., Shawnee grandboxoffice.com 964-7263, ext. 8161 $25-$80 Note: Pro-Am entries may be purchased at FireLake Bowling Center. For additional details, call 275-0404, ext. 0.

Tulsa native and touring pro Mike Edwards knows what it means to win a Professional Bowling Association Tour title. He did it in the 1994 PBA IOF Foresters Bowling for Miracles Open in Ontario, Canada, defeating bowling legend Pete Weber to snap a 12-year winless streak. “To finally break through and get that win, you can’t believe it,” said Edwards, the first Native American to win on the PBA Tour. “It was a lifetime deal, a childhood dream.” Edwards and many of the world’s best bowlers will converge May 17-25 on Shawnee for PBA’s 2014 Summer Swing, a multi-tournament event that will be hosted by Grand Casino Hotel & Resort and FireLake Bowling Center. The tournaments will be the first PBA Tour events held in Oklahoma since the 2005 Tulsa Championship at The Lanes at Coffee Creek. Edmond’s Boulevard Bowl hosted PBA Tour events as late as the 1990s, including the Seagram’s Coolers U.S. Open in 1989. “It’s good to see the PBA back in the state,” Edwards said.

Tournament format

The Summer Swing will include four PBA Tour title events: Wolf, Bear and Badger opens and the PBA Oklahoma Open. It also includes the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort Summer King of the Swing, a special event involving four winners plus a wildcard player. The eight-day program also will include a PBA Southwest Region (think NBA Development League) tournament over Memorial Day weekend.

PHOTO USED BY PERMISSI ON OF P BA LLC

Jay Leland Krottinger Producer, Square 1 Theatrics BM ‘06, MM ‘12

Bowling for titles

Norm Duke at the Wolf Open in Wauwatosa, Wis., last year. Tournament qualifying and match play rounds will be May 19-22 at FireLake. The stepladder finals will be conducted in a 1,500-seat arena setting on two specially constructed lanes in the Grand Event Center May 24-25. All five television finals will air on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday nights in June and July. More than 50 hours of live coverage will be broadcast on Xtra Frame, PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel. “I think it’s a great choice to come into Shawnee,” said Chris Barnes, a 17-time PBA Tour winner from Double Oak, Texas. Fans can bowl with PBA stars during the Pro-Am event on Saturday, May 17 at 2 p.m. at FireLake Bowling Center. Players confirmed to bowl include PBA Hall of Famers Walter Ray Williams Jr., Weber, Parker Bohn III and Norm Duke as well as top pros like Barnes, reigning PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte, Sean Rash, Tommy Jones, Wes Malott and Mika Koivuniemi.


Golfing buddies The 11th Annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic benefits OK Kids Korral, a home away from home for families battling pediatric cancer.

S HOC KI N K

Toby Keith

BY BRENDAN HOOVER

Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic May 16-17 Riverwind Casino, 1544 Oklahoma 9, Norman Belmar Golf Club, 1025 E. Indian Hills Road, Norman tobykeithfoundation.org 271-6552

In years past, the Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic has supported the vision that families with children battling cancer should have a place to call home while receiving treatment at local hospitals. That dream became a reality when OK Kids Korral recently opened, lessening the financial, physical and emotional burden facing pediatric cancer patients and their families. The 11th annual golf classic will be

May 16-17 with a Friday night invitationonly event at Riverwind Casino followed by the celebrity-filled golf tournament Saturday at Belmar Golf Club. “We work on this event for months and months because we know it helps keep all the great things at the OK Kids Korral up and running,” said Toby Keith in a news release. It’s The Toby Keith Foundation’s largest fundraiser, and last year’s event raised $1 million to help finish construction of the Korral, located at 818 NE Eighth St. Proceeds from this year’s shindig will fund operations at the new $8.5 million, 25,000-square-foot facility. “It’s really the backbone of our fundraising,” said Juliet Nees-Bright, executive director of the foundation. “Without that event, it would be very

difficult to keep the doors open.” About 750 guests will bid on a slew of live and silent auction items — including an African safari and autographed items from the likes of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, baseball great Derek Jeter and more — during Friday night’s dinner. Keith will act as auctioneer and spearhead the entertainment. A sold-out double shotgun golf tournament will include celebs such as Bob Stoops, former NBA player Sam Bowie and pro golfer Steve Stricker. The foundation and Belmar Golf Club will host the third annual OK Kids Korral Championship on June 16-21. The Adams Golf Pro Tour Series will feature at least 100 professional golfers. A collegiate tournament, the Schooner Fall Classic, will be hosted by Keith’s

wife, Tricia, in October. Since opening, the Korral has had more than 75 area families. Working on referrals, the facility helps families stay together, enjoy home-cooked meals and feel more comfortable, Nees-Bright said. The Korral features 12 private suites, a gourmet kitchen, a neutropenic wing for children with weakened immune systems, even a movie theater and game room. Because employees and volunteers work so closely with families, emotions can run high, Nees-Bright said. “Some days you feel very helpful, and some days there’s a rough story,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s all worth it because we can see how much we really are helping the families.”

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 5 1


Oklahoma Victory Dolls

Go, skate, win The Oklahoma Victory Dolls are more than bruisers on wheels; these women play to win on the philanthropic track, too. BY DEVON GREEN

Oklahoma Victory Dolls All-Stars vs Duke City Derby Munecas Muertas 5:30 p.m. Saturday State Fair Park Centennial Building 3001 General Pershing Blvd. oklahomavictorydolls.com $10-$15

The Oklahoma Victory Dolls were the youngest league ever to be accepted into the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) in 2008. The Victory Dolls now are ranked No. 37 in the WFTDA and first in the state. “You have to play to qualify, and you want to play teams that are ranked slightly higher than you so you can move up,” said Melissa Heying, public relations and marketing chairwoman for Oklahoma Victory Dolls. Heying also plays on the team as a blocker and occasional pivot. The goal of the game is to lap the other team’s players. As blocker, Heying prevents the opposing team from lapping hers by (almost) any means necessary. When she is tapped to pivot, it’s her turn to lap the other ladies. “I basically get to steal points,” she said. Injuries are more a rule than an exception. Heying mentions her “first broken bones” almost too breezily. For those who think that these ladies are weekend warriors, you’re wrong; Heying said she and her teammates train year-round. Their personal workouts include everything from running to weight training, CrossFit and anything else that keeps them in top shape for the season. There’s more than hardcore skating happening here — the team also

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gives back to the community. It’s a nonprofit, and home bout proceeds go to local charity, Heying said. This year’s charity is Neighborhood Services Organization. “We are always looking for ways to give back to the community,” Heying said. Saturday’s home bout is against the Duke City Derby Munecas Muertas from Albuquerque, N.M. They most recently defeated the No Coast Derby Girls of Lincoln, Neb. “We only had a 15 percent chance of winning, and we beat them by 77 points,” she said. That win bumped the women up in WFTDA rankings, which determine the team’s placement in the playoffs. “We have to beat Duke, and we have to beat them by a reasonable amount of points to be secure, so this game will determine where we end up in September,” Heying said.

LINGO PACK: Team-members on the track. BOUT: Game. JAMMER: The skater in the pack who can score points, usually ID’d by the star on her helmet. BLOCKER: The skater in charge of blocking the opposing pack’s jammer and keeping her from passing; also helps her pack’s own jammer score. PIVOT: A blocker who stays at the front of the pack and regulates its speed. LAPPING: The action of making a full pass through the pack or making a full circle around the track. FLAT-TRACK: A flat surface that can be used for skating.

S UZY S M I TH P HOTOGRA P HY / P ROVI DE D

LIFE SPORTS


LIFE BOOKS

He wrote the sheriff

Craig Johnson, writer of the best selling Longmire novels, makes an Oklahoma City stop.

BY LOUIS FOWLER

Craig Johnson book signing 7 p.m. May 19 Full Circle Bookstore 50 Penn Place 1900 Northwest Expressway fullcirclebooks.com 842-2900

Craig Johnson

JOH NNY LOU

There’s an old piece of advice that is typically offered to writers when they’re looking for a subject to scribble about: write about what you know. It’s something that Craig Johnson, author of the hugely successful Sheriff Walt Longmire novels — and an acclaimed A&E television series — has taken to heart. When not sitting in front of a keyboard, he’s more than likely fixing an irrigation pump out on his land in rural Ucross, Wyo., population 25. It’s that ultimate hands-on approach to small-town trials and tribulations that makes his mysteries the total antithesis of the typical gritty crime-potboilers with which readers are often inundated. “In many ways, Longmire was a response to a lot of the stuff that was going on in crime fiction and television,” Johnson said. “It seemed like about 10 years ago, when I started writing the books, everything was all that CSI (crime scene investigation) stuff, everything was all about the technology. And that only holds my interest for so long. I knew I couldn’t be the only one.” That was when Johnson decided to take a different approach to the mystery, creating a police procedural that is set in the least populated town in the least populated state in America: Wyoming. It’s the type of place where DNA results can take over nine months to get back to investigators, so intense detective work — as well as tight-knit community connections — come into play more often than not to solve crimes. The other aspect of Longmire’s

success, Johnson surmised, is that it’s the triumphant return of the classical Old West hero, merely updated to today’s world of highly stylized criminal activity. “People act like this guy is completely new and different, but he’s really kind of old-school,” Johnson said. “Longmire lives by a code and wears a hat, and he’s decent, and he’s good, and he tries to do the right thing.” Fans will have a chance to tell Johnson their thoughts on the classically heroic nature of Longmire as he signs copies of his latest tome, Any Other Name, Monday at Full Circle Bookstore. Having received numerous accolades from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for both his novels and the television series, Johnson said one of his favorite stops on any tour is Oklahoma. “There’s a true cowboy culture there that I think responds to the books and to Walt,” he said. “People from that kind of territory can tell when it’s BS or when it seems realistic.”

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 5 3


SUDOKU/CROSSWORD SUDOKU PUZZLE HARD

Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9.

IF THAT’S YOU

WWW.S UDOKU-P UZZLES .N ET

EMAIL YOUR RESUME TO CDUANE@OKGAZETTE.COM

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS Puzzle No. 0507, which appeared in the May 7 issue.

P I E R A R L E W A S G E A R E B L E W A I R C L A S H I T T R M O N A F L E W A I L S S O L M C O O P U R V U T N E T O A D T U T O S T E N

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ACROSS 1 Like many shotguns 9 Mole 14 Back-to-back games 20 Singer Christina 21 ___ gin fizz 22 Twelfth Night lover 23 Oil and gasoline giant 24 Very vexed 25 Leonardo ___, a.k.a. Fibonacci 26 ___-pitch softball 27 What a detective tries to econstruct 29 Platoon setting 30 Sommelier’s prefix 31 Flavor 32 Lozenge brand 34 Platoon director 37 Suckling site 38 The Man Who Mistook His Wife for ___ (1985 best seller) 42 Old Baby Bell based in the Big Apple 43 Assents 45 Stretch out 47 Neuter 50 Literary inits. 52 Jai alai basket 53 Water checker? 56 Going out for the afternoon? 60 The Who’s “My Generation,” e.g. 64 Pelvic parts 66 Musician’s practice with four sharps 68 Former Obama social secretary Rogers 69 Over 70 Like some swords … or a hint to this puzzle’s theme 72 Balkan native 75 Old Jewish villages 77 Start of a Beatles refrain 78 Old Highlands dagger 79 Thelma and Louise, e.g. 82 Davis and Midler 84 Cover some ground? 85 Dizzy 86 Bit 88 “___ put it another way …” 90 Persevered 94 Spurs

98 Landmark tech product of 1981 102 Latin “to be” 103 Biblical name of ancient Syria 105 Dispel differences 108 CSI setting 110 Coal or pine product 111 Melted chocolate, e.g. 112 Kind of algebra 116 “Is it in you?” sloganeer 118 Write-___ 119 Renter’s dream, maybe 120 Lhasa ___ (dogs) 121 Some sheet fabrics 124 Nothing, in Napoli 125 Tuscany town 126 Sign-up 127 Classic London transport 128 Genetic structure 129 Source of some discrimination DOWN 1 Wind instrument pitched an octave lower than its smaller cousin 2 How ballerinas move 3 “Enter quickly!” 4 Rock’s Ocasek 5 Pipe fitting 6 Renter 7 Heath evergreens 8 Thinks maybe one can 9 Huffington of the Huffington Post 10 Teri of Tootsie 11 Subject of some computer settings 12 Closeted 13 Lao-___ 14 Enter quickly 15 Native New Yorkers 16 ___ D.A. 17 Primatologist Fossey 18 Sicilian city 19 Hotel accommodation for more than one 28 Kindle competitor 29 ___ chops 31 Battle of the ___ 33 Letter that’s also a name 35 Chillax 36 Art appreciation 38 Forever young 39 Dimmed stars?

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Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute). The answers to the New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle that appeared in the May 7 issue of Oklahoma Gazette are shown at left.

Oklahoma Gazette

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NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE JOINED SIDES By Mary Lou Guizzo n / Edited by Will Shortz

63 Better at picking things up? 65 Jock 67 Job listing inits. 71 Descent 73 Old car make that’s a homophone of a modern car model 74 Relative of a twin 76 Anatomical tissue 79 Reaction of surprise 80 Ticks off 81 Need a lift? 83 Brand of power tools 87 Vet, e.g. 89 Queen’s honour: Abbr. 91 Brightly colored bird 92 Country whose flag says “God is great” 22 times 93 Chess champ Mikhail 95 Part of a jazz combo 96 Precious 97 Mexican shawls 99 ___ Gorilla, 1960s TV

cartoon character 100 First of a kind 101 Betrayed 104 Raucous bird 106 Squirrel, e.g. 107 South American land 108 Al ___ 109 Swiss city on the Rhine 112 Attraction in a carbon dioxide molecule 113 Baby’s boo-boo 114 Equivalent of 20 fins 115 Something clickable 117 Collette of United States of Tara 120 Blond shade 122 Bamboozle 123 City council rep.

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LIFE MUSIC

PHOTOS BY DOUG S C HWA RZ

Live ’stock

What started as a small gathering coordinated by a local photographer has evolved into Schwarzstock, a full-fledged local music extravaganza. BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

Schwarzstock Friday-Saturday The 160 4901 W. Jensen Rd., El Reno stubwire.com $20-$30

Doug Schwarz had a beautiful moment a couple years ago, lying underneath the starlight after an impromptu birthday party and concert on the quiet, wideopen spaces offered by one of his family’s farms. It didn’t take long before he wanted to share that feeling with everyone else. Schwarzstock has evolved from a friends-of-friends affair to a full-fledged countryside music festival. Now in its fourth incarnation, the fest showcases some of the biggest names in Oklahoma music over two days on a plot of land just outside of El Reno. “We wanted to take it from this fun little field party and really make it something a little more serious,” Schwarz said. “The first time, it was just a small party. The second time, it was word of mouth. Last time, we took it a bit more seriously, and now it’s a real festival. It’s gone from being involved with the bands to bringing the entire city in.” Schwarz is best known for his work behind the camera, snapping press shots for many of the bands on the Schwarzstock bill and devoutly

documenting the Oklahoma music scene with his concert photography over the past few years. But this gives him the opportunity to not only chronicle the local culture scene he so admires but add something to it, something different. There are a fair amount of music festivals that have popped up across the state, but Schwarz likes to think of his as providing an experience you can’t find anywhere else. Schwarzstock encourages concertgoers to pitch a tent and set up camp on the grounds overnight, mimicking the environment of Bonnaroo or Wakarusa but with a Sooner State focus. And out there in the middle of the country with little noise other than the chatter of friends, the bands on the stage, the night sky unhindered by the lights of the city, it’s a special thing. “It’s like hanging out with your friends on this bigger, community scale,” Schwarz said. “There’s something kind of pure about it. At the core of it, there’s 400 to 500 people hanging out who all really know each other, and we want to bring more people in on that feeling.” Added to a bigger bill, bigger production and bigger grounds, Schwarzstock is now expanding its programming, adding more standup comedy sets, vendors, food trucks and volleyball courts, even potentially bringing fishing and astronomy group-

Schedule

It’s like hanging out with your friends on this bigger, community scale. — Doug Schwarz

led stargazing into the fold as well. Even on the eve of the festival, Schwarz’s mind is already churning and he’s pondering how to make the next festival better while potentially populating the time between festivals with other Schwarzstock undertakings, shows or otherwise. “I look back at it all, and it’s really something,” Schwarz said. “Hundreds of people have made this happen, and that’s incredibly humbling to have so many volunteers to help put your dream together.”

Friday IndianGiver 6 p.m. The Wurly Birds 7 p.m. Moongiant 8 p.m. Feathered Rabbit 9 p.m. The Gentle Art of Floating 10 p.m. Tallows 11 p.m. Deerpeople 12 a.m. Larry Chin with Mannachine and Colin Nance 1 a.m. Saturday Bowlsey 10:45 a.m. Chelsey Cope Band 11:45 a.m. Chase Kerby 11:45 a.m. Tyler Hopkins 12:30 p.m. The Chloes 12:45 p.m. O Fidelis 1:15 p.m. Honeylark 1:45 p.m. Kyle Reid 2 p.m. Defining Times 2:45 p.m. John Calvin 2:45 p.m. Samantha Crain 3:30 p.m. Junebug Spade 3:45 p.m. Tequila Songbirds 4:45 p.m. Sherree Chamberlain 5:45 p.m. Prettyboy 6:45 p.m. Ali Harter and the Man Band 7:45 p.m. Jabee 8:45 p.m. Skating Polly 9:45 p.m. Broncho 10:45 p.m. Horse Thief 11:45 p.m. Sibling Rivalry 12:45 a.m.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 5 7


THE NEW

LIFE MUSIC

JACK ROWDY

COUNTRY

SATURDAY JUNE 7TH

WEDNESDAYS

DANCING

BAND

401 S. MERIDIAN OPEN WED, THURS & FRI AT 5 • SAT AT 2

Baroque folk band Paper Bird endured some turbulence in its nascent years but now finds itself soaring.

Premiere Night Friday Music of

Indigos, Sephra, Max Ridgway Trio

BY KEVIN PICKARD

Comedy of

Oak City Comedy Outdoor Movie

Cinema Paradiso

Saturday • Free Comedy Show Featuring Zach Smith & Nick Sanford Music of Bruce Benson

Paper planes “I took the normal route of going to college and getting all of my general 8 p.m. Sunday studies out of the way while I was trying Bricktown Music Hall 104 Flaming Lips Alley to figure out what I wanted to do,” she bricktownmusichall.com said. “When we started this band, it was 600-6092 pretty clear to me that was the path I $12-$17 wanted to be on for a while.” After playing together for about four In an origins story perfectly tailored for years, Paper Bird had the opportunity to a folk band, Paper Bird formed when score a ballet. The band decided at that a group of friends just a couple years point to add drummer Mark Anderson, out of high school took a trip to the realizing it needed percussion for a mountains of Colorado. more orchestral sound. Anderson also “We just started writing songs happens to be Sarah’s brother. together, and it felt really organic “We had to get a drummer,” Sarah and natural,” said Sarah Anderson, said, “and I was like, ‘Well, my brother’s who sings and a drummer. plays trumpet Let’s just try in the band. that.’ And it “That same was the perfect day, we went fit.” out busking in At the Breckenridge end of 2013, and made some the band money and just faced another — Sarah Anderson decided to give it challenge when a try.” Macon Terry, The band who had been relies on its democratic structure, which playing upright bass since its inception, claims no designated leader, to create left the band. Shifting from seven a uniquely collaborative sound. Often, members to six, Summeril put down his three members will sing at once. Unlike banjo and picked up the electric bass. most bands in which one person sings It was just the sort of experimentation a melody and backup singers provide with which Paper Bird seemed to thrive. harmony, Paper Bird frequently has “It has been awesome. It feels really, all three members singing different — really solid, and you know we were albeit complementary — melodies at kind of in a place where we needed a the same time. change,” Sarah said. “The music has Usually, the band’s singers are its changed, and the lineup has changed. It female members: Genny Patterson just feels great.” (who also plays keyboard), Esmé Sarah believes the shuffles bode Patterson and Sarah Anderson. well for the band’s future. After going Rounding out the six-piece lineup through the experience of not knowing are Caleb Summeril on electric bass, what she wanted to do with her life, she Paul DeHaven on guitar and Mark has found it in Paper Bird. Anderson playing the drums. “We’re to the point where we really Sarah Anderson sang in choir want this to be something that will throughout school. However, after sustain us for a long time,” she said. high school, she felt some confusion “We’re in a place where we are going about what she wanted to do with to have to work really hard, and we’re her life. willing to do it.” Paper Bird

come in for lunch, wine & cheese, coffee & pie or just entertainment. 701 W sheridan 405.517.0787 theparamountokc.com

The music has changed, and the lineup has changed. It just feels great.

5 8 | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

P ROVI DE D

LESSONS


LIFE MUSIC REVIEWS Shanghai knight BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

Tyson Meade has nothing to prove. He might not be a household name (outside of his home state of Oklahoma, at least), but his influence on the scope of alternative music is just as indelible as that of Lou Reed, David Bowie or Morrissey.

Tyson Meade Album: Tomorrow In Progress | May 20 | tysonmeade.com

Meade’s work in Oklahoma’s own Defenestration and Chainsaw Kittens proved immensely influential on both Kurt Cobain and Billy Corgan, and it’s not all that big of a leap to suggest that Nevermind and Siamese Dream (two of the most important albums of the ’90s) might not even exist — at least not in the capacity we know them — if it hadn’t been for the creative guidance that Meade’s music provided its creators. And between Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, you have Meade’s legacy drawn through to nearly every alternative rock band out there today … consciously or not. That’s likely why he felt content to let Chainsaw Kittens go to bed in 2000, releasing a second solo album, Kitchens and Bathrooms, in 2008 (after Motorcycle Childhood in ’96) before moving to Shanghai, where he taught for a number of years, satisfied with the legacy he left behind. For all this, Tomorrow In Progress has nothing to prove either. It’s the product of a pure love of music, not drawn from personal torment or an obsessive drive. To quote a certain early Adam Sandler vehicle, it seems born out of “a happy place.” Late career comebacks tend to flop like a fish out of water, overreaching for the past due artistic or commercial benchmarks. But Meade feels right at home with this centered, comfortable collection of very good songs. It’s a deserved victory lap after a grueling race he has already won. Tomorrow In Progress — and the rebirth of Meade as an artist — has its roots in an encounter with violin prodigy Haffijy back in Shangai, and Meade brings more notable friends in on the party as well: Jimmy Chamberlain and Nicole Fiorentino (Smashing Pumpkins), Derek Brown (The

Flaming Lips), Trent Bell (Chainsaw Kittens) and Jesse Tabish (Other Lives). There’s a significant pedigree brought into the record, and its musicality is off-the-charts good. But craftsmanship means little if there’s not a solid idea to build on, and Meade’s wryly demented glam-pop genius is as strong as ever. Opener “Nihilists Need Love Too” matches wits with the best heavily orchestrated pop songs of the ’70s. The saucy “Kiss Me Arabia,” meanwhile, bounces with the same attitude of lauded weirdo-pop act Deerhunter, and its theatrical followup “Flying Through Our Skins” is equally gripping. Tomorrow shines brightest in its most radical, bizarre moments (“Mao Into Madame Mao Into Marvin Gaye,” “Chinese Space Station Worker (Ramona’s Song)”). But even the safer turns (“When We Were,” “Buddy Dash,” “Winter Boys Cutting the Rug”) are just as formidable and boast some breakout appeal to boot. There’s nothing groundbreaking about Tomorrow In Progress, but that time came and went anyway. Instead, it serves as a reminder of just why Meade is referred to by some as the Godfather of Alternative Rock — and that he won’t soon let you forget it.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 5 9


LIFE MUSIC REVIEWS John Fullbright

Single: “High Road” | johnfullbrightmusic.com

75¢ DRAUGHTS M-F 4p-8p

Like many of the artists his supporters have likened him to, John Fullbright is a storyteller at heart. Songwriters like Neil Young and Randy Newman had an uncanny knack for potently visceral third-person accounts, and Fullbright often demonstrates a similar proclivity — or at least the potential to. “High Road,” from his aptly titled forthcoming album Songs, is perhaps the best evidence yet that the Okemah-bred 26-yearold can paint a picture with the best of them. It would be easy to get wrapped up in the story of its protagonists, a couple who fall in love on the premise of innocence only to endure a tragically abrupt

ending. Yet Jack and Susie are mere conduits for Fullbright’s message; “Living comes natural to many,” he sings. “Love comes natural to few.” While his delivery might not seem all that experiential on the surface, the overarching theme suggests a deeper, more personal meaning. And while the song clocks in at a brazen seven and a half minutes, each acoustic strum, each lyric is necessary to properly convey its melancholic fervor. Ultimately, “High Road” unfolds in a way that’s arguably as penetrating as anything in the budding singer-songwriter’s fledgling — yet increasingly engaging — catalog. — Zach Hale

Tallows

Single: “Soft Water (PLSTKNOVA Remix)” | soundcloud.com/plstknova

NOW: In the Wings on a World Stage Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

Much of Tallows’ 2013 album, Memory Marrow, seems ripe for the remix treatment. “Soft Water,” however, would probably be the most daunting prospect for a producer to tackle, if for no other reason than it’s probably the record’s most organic, guitar-driven song. Enter rising electronic artist PLSTKNOVA, the alias of 19-year-old Edmondite Ethan Strange, whose dopamine-drenched downtempo complements the original’s anthemic zest better than you might expect. Not that the two versions are anywhere in the same realm. Strange smartly plucks from the original’s quieter passages for his rendition, which is part of the recently

released Memory Marrow Remixes cassette tape, beginning with its melodic, Rhodes-esque electric piano hook but quickly turning it on its head. Singer Josh Hogsett’s shrill vocals are doused in reverb, setting up the song’s drowsy yet hard-hitting rhythm section. Strange’s greatest trick, however, is taking the aquatic elements of the original and transfiguring them into something more glacial. His approach is decidedly more chilled and favors atmosphere over climactic exultation. Strange’s remix never sacrifices melody for stiffness, although the results are often numbing. — ZH

Husbands

Single: “Aikin” | husbandsokc.bandcamp.com

God’s Pocket

Friday & Saturday, 5:30 & 8 p.m. Sunday, 2 p.m.

For movie descriptions and ticket sales visit okcmoa.com 6 0 | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Nobody in their right mind would ever accuse Husbands of remaining stagnant. The OKC/D.C. duo made up of Wil Norton and Danny Davis have managed to traverse a far-reaching stylistic palette in their short time together, due in large part to their unconventional, singlebased release model. “Aikin,” on the other hand, finds Husbands in especially unfamiliar territory. The Animal Collective comparison here is inescapable. Between the song’s 3/4 time signature and its sugary, carnival-like hook, “Aikin” more closely resembles a Strawberry Jam outtake than the duo’s beach pop

of yesteryear. But despite its likenesses, it’s also one of the most infectious and intricately crafted pop songs they’ve ever put out, as repeated listens reveal a subtle exhilaration once your brain emerges from the labyrinth. After the dust settles in the song’s latter minute, it’s clear that no matter how many formulas Husbands concoct, they’re not content to master a single craft. Whereas many acts would falter under such mercurial experimental ventures, the foundation Husbands are building is firmly entrenched in them. — ZH


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LIVE MUSIC WEDNESDAY, MAY 14 Aaron Newman Band, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ACOUSTIC Grant Wells, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Mike Hosty Duo, Grand Casino, Shawnee. ROCK North Meets South, The Deli, Norman. ROCK Out of Sane, Victimz. COVER Queens Of The Stone Age, Brady Theater, Tulsa. ROCK Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers, Bricktown Music Hall. COUNTRY The Band Perry, Grand Casino, Shawnee. COUNTRY

THURSDAY, MAY 15 David Morris, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Grieves/Son Real/Fearce VIII, The Conservatory. HIPHOP Midnight Revival, 51st Street Speakeasy. ROCK

P R OVI DE D

LIFE MUSIC Iced Earth/Sabaton/Revamp/Empire Down, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK Jordan Law, Jazmoz Bourbon Street. ACOUSTIC Lucky, Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown. SINGER/ SONGWRITER Matt Blagg, Redrock Canyon Grill. SINGER/SONGWRITER Maurice Johnson, Avanti Bar & Grill. JAZZ Max Ridgway/The Indigos, The Paramount OKC. ACOUSTIC My So Called Band, The Deli, Norman. COVER Pat Power, Opolis, Norman. ROCK Randy Cassimus, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC Rick Price/Steve Cross, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. SINGER/SONGWRITER Schwarzstock featuring Deerpeople, Tallows, Prettyboy and more, The 160, El Reno. VARIOUS Shiloh Station, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. COUNTRY Small Town Gossip, Nonna’s Purple Bar. FOLK

Wanda Jackson

Space For Lease/Regg, Brothers Eatery & Pub, Norman. VARIOUS Street Kings, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK Styx/Foreigner/Don Felder, Zoo Amphitheatre. ROCK

OKG

music

The Clique, Friends Restaurant and Club. COVER

Wanda Jackson Wednesday, May 14

pick

Wanda Jackson. Need we say more? The First Lady of Rockabilly and The Queen of Rock hasn’t performed solo in three years, but she’ll do exactly that at a benefit concert for the Start Helping Impacted Neighborhoods Everywhere (SHINE) Foundation, a charitable organization that supports programs encouraging youth community service. The outdoor performance takes place during the larger SHINE event, which runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, May 14 at The Greens Country Club, 13100 Green Valley Drive. Admission is free, but a minimum $10 donation is requested. Call 751-6266 or visit thegreenscc.com.

Eagulls, Opolis, Wednesday, May 21

Lucky, Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown. ROCK Mike McClure Band, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. COUNTRY

PROVID ED

Mirror Travel/Western Residents/Astral Planes, The Conservatory. ROCK

Myron Oliver/Stephen Speaks, Redrock Canyon Grill. SINGER/SONGWRITER

The Shelley King Trio, The Blue Door. VARIOUS

Pidgin Band, The Deli, Norman. ROCK Redneck Brown and The Freshwater Donkeys, Remington Park. COUNTRY

TUESDAY, MAY 20 A.J. Gaither/Christian Lee Hutson/Kyle Reid/Parker Millsap, The Deli, Norman. VARIOUS DJ Ryno/DJ Brewdawg, Baker St. Pub & Grill. DANCE David Bruster, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. ROCK

Rowdy Folk/Scott Shelby Band, Vintage 89, Guthrie. FOLK

Gary Johnson, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Schwarzstock featuring Horse Thief, Broncho, Samantha Crain and more, The 160, El Reno. VARIOUS Shakers of Salt, Newcastle Casino, Newcastle. COVER

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21

Stars, Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown. ROCK

The World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Show: Brit Floyd, Brady Theater, Tulsa. ROCK

Taylor Houdek, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

Travis Kidd, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. COUNTRY

The Grown Ups, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK

Brandon Jackson, Grand Casino, Shawnee. COUNTRY

The Clique, Friends Restaurant and Club. COVER

Voodoo, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK

The Wanted, Grand Casino, Shawnee. POP

Cedric Burnside, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. BLUES

The Dave Thomason Band, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. COVER

SATURDAY, MAY 17

Uncle Zep, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Cover Me Badd, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER

SUNDAY, MAY 18

Dave Matthews Band, BOK Center, Tulsa. ROCK

The Weathermen, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ACOUSTIC

FRIDAY, MAY 16

Borderline, Sliders. COUNTRY

Aaron Newman Band, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. ACOUSTIC

Freak Juice/Bruce Flea, HiLo Club. ROCK

Attica State, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse. COVER Billee Jeane/Tyler Russell, Remington Park. JAZZ Borderline, Sliders. COUNTRY

Aaron Newman Duo, Redrock Canyon Grill. ACOUSTIC

Buffalo Killers, Bricktown Music Hall. ROCK

Grant Stevens, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Holy Moly, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. COUNTRY

Bruce Benson, Vintage 89, Guthrie. JAZZ

Jacob Becannen/Mark Vollertson, Nonna’s Purple Bar. ACOUSTIC

Casey and Minna, JJ’s Alley. ACOUSTIC

Jeremy Phifer, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. COUNTRY

Christian Pearson/Gary Johnson, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Johnny Rivers, Riverwind Casino, Norman. ROCK

Class Act, Riverwind Casino, Norman. VARIOUS

Jordan Law, Jazmoz Bourbon Street. ACOUSTIC

Electric Avenue, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. COVER

Life of the Party, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. COVER

Glow God/Weak Knees/Silver Spruce, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

Lower 40, Wormy Dog Saloon. ROCK

Edgar Cruz, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. ACOUSTIC Hop Jam featuring Hanson, Robert Randolph and the Family Band and more, Brady Theater, Tulsa. VARIOUS Mike Hosty, The Deli, Norman. BLUES

Doe Eye/Akiba/Walking Relic, The Conservatory. ROCK Eagulls/Twin Peaks, Opolis, Norman. ROCK Grant Wells, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO North Meets South/The Deli All-star Jam, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

Open Jam with the Band, The Point After. VARIOUS Paper Bird, Bricktown Music Hall. FOLK The Giving Tree Band, Lions Park, Norman. ROCK

MONDAY, MAY 19 Peter Furler Band/Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. ROCK The Handsome Devils/Alan Orebaugh, The Deli, Norman. VARIOUS

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.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | 6 3


@KSBI52

(405) 470-0993

LIFE FILM

Undead purgatory Only Lovers Left Alive, the new vampire flick from revered indie director Jim Jarmusch, is equal parts brooding and intoxicating.

Monday - Fr!iday @ 6:30 PM

BY PHIL BACHARACH

Cox 7 HD707 AT&T U-Verse 52 HD 1052 DirecTV 52 Dish 52

Monday - Friday @ 4 PM!

Drew Schroeder Abby Broyles

TV Wedding on May 16th @ 4 PM! 6 4 | M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

ksbitv.com/get-married

The first thing you might notice about the vampires in Only Lovers Left Alive is how effortlessly cosmopolitan they are. Smart, artsy, sexy — these undead are unequivocally cool. That’s no surprise when you consider this is the work of masterful indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, a purveyor of idiosyncratic cool whose credits include Night on Earth, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and Broken Flowers. Jarmusch doesn’t make movies like anyone else, and Only Lovers Left Alive — which opened Friday exclusively at AMC Quail Springs Mall, 2501 W. Memorial Rd. — is hardly your run-of-the-mill vampire flick. It is imbued with an oddball sensibility, a nearly plotless affair that doesn’t include even a single instance of on-screen bloodsucking. (These creatures are far too civilized for such mischief.) But it still leaves a helluva bite mark. Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers) is Adam, a centuries-old musician currently squirreled away in an old Victorian house in Detroit. A brooding recluse surrounded by vinyl records and vintage guitars, his primary connections to the outside world are an adoring fan named Ian (Anton Yelchin, Star Trek into Darkness) and a skittish doctor who keeps him stocked with O negative blood. It’s a lonesome existence for a guy who used to hang out with Romantic poets, so Adam perks up some when he is visited by his wife, Eve (Tilda Swinton, The Grand Budapest Hotel), who has been

residing in Morocco. Eve is as warm and pleasant as Adam is dark and despairing. In other words, they make a magnificent couple. But they share some things in common, too, particularly a passion for literature, music, science and the like. Their closest friend is playwright Christopher Marlowe (John Hurt, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), a fellow vampire who, it turns out, really did pen Shakespeare’s masterpieces. It can’t be easy to remain interested in the world after several hundred years, but Adam and Eve maintain a deep appreciation for the artistic and the beautiful. Their aesthetic is reflected in a film packed with cultural references. For the undead embracing life in a city of decay, the danger of irony overload can be real. Adam refers to the living as “zombies,” lamenting everything from environmental destruction to humankind’s penchant for unsightly electrical wiring. Perhaps such writing is not exactly subtle, but Jarmusch and his cast somehow make it work. The writer-director loves provocative ideas and memorable images, and Only Lovers Left Alive is teeming with both. He also has ideal collaborators in Hiddleston and Swinton, both of whom are terrific here. The movie shimmers and luxuriates, by turns funny and profound, humming along on the intoxicating charisma of its fullblooded characters. Drink up.


FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: What’s the thing you lost that should stay lost? What’s the thing you lost that you should find? FreeWillAstrology.com

ARIES March 21-April 19 When the path ahead divides in two, Aries, I am hoping you can work some magic that will allow you to take both ways at once. If you do master this riddle, if you can creatively figure out how to split yourself without doing any harm, I have a strong suspicion that the two paths will once again come together no later than August 1, possibly before. But due to a curious quirk in the laws of life, the two forks will never again converge if you follow just one of them now. TAURUS April 20-May 20 Free jazz is a type of music that emerged in the I see you as having more in common with a marathon runner than a speed racer. Your best qualities tend to emerge when you’re committed to a process that takes a while to unfold. Learning to pace yourself is a crucial life lesson. That’s how you get attuned to your body’s signals and master the art of caring for your physical needs. That’s also how you come to understand that it’s important not to compare yourself constantly to the progress other people are making. Having said all that, Taurus, I want to recommend a temporary exception to the rule. Just for now, it may make sense for you to run fast for a short time. GEMINI May 21-June 20 If you fling handfuls of zucchini seeds on the ground of a vacant lot today, you shouldn’t expect neat rows of ripe cucumbers to be growing in your backyard in a couple of weeks. Even if you fling zucchini seeds in your backyard today, you shouldn’t expect straight rows of cucumbers to be growing there by June 1. Let’s get even more precise here. If you carefully plant zucchini seeds in neat rows in your backyard today, you should not expect ripe cucumbers to sprout by August. But here’s the kicker: If you carefully plant cucumbers seeds in your backyard today, and weed them and water them as they grow, you can indeed expect ripe cucumbers by August.

CANCER June 21-July 22 “If we want the rewards of being loved,” says cartoonist Tim Kreider, “we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known.” How are you doing with this trade-off, Cancerian? Being a Crab myself, I know we are sometimes inclined to hide who we really are. We have mixed feelings about becoming vulnerable and available enough to be fully known by others. We might even choose to live without the love we crave so as to prop up the illusion of strength that comes from being mysterious, from concealing our depths. The coming weeks will be a good time for you to revisit this conundrum. LEO July 23-Aug. 22 There’s a piece of art on the moon: a ceramic disk inscribed with six drawings by noted American artists. It was carried on the landing module of the Apollo 12 mission, which delivered two astronauts to the lunar surface in November 1969. One of the artists, Leo maverick Andy Warhol, drew the image of a stylized penis, similar to what you might see on the wall of a public restroom. “He was being the terrible bad boy,” the project’s organizer said about Warhol’s contribution. You know me, Leo. I usually love playful acts of rebellion. But in the coming weeks, I advise against taking Warhol’s approach. If you’re called on to add your self-expression to a big undertaking, tilt in the direction of sincerity and reverence and dignity. VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22 The planet we live on is in constant transformation. Nothing ever stays the same. To succeed, let alone survive, we need to acclimate ourselves to the relentless forward motion. “He not busy being born is busy dying,” was Bob Dylan’s way of framing our challenge. How are you doing with this aspect of life, Virgo? Do you hate it but deal with it grudgingly? Tolerate it and aspire to be a master of it someday? Whatever your current attitude is, I’m here to tell you that in the coming months you could become much more comfortable with the ceaseless flow -- and even learn to enjoy it. Are you ready to begin? LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22 “It isn’t that I don’t like sweet disorder,” said

English author Vita Sackville-West, “but it has to be judiciously arranged.” That’s your theme for the week, Libra. Please respect how precise a formulation this is. Plain old ordinary disorder will not provide you with the epiphanies and breakthroughs you deserve and need. The disorder must be sweet. If it doesn’t make you feel at least a little excited and more in love with life, avoid it. The disorder must also be judiciously arranged. What that means is that it can’t be loud or vulgar or profane. Rather, it must have wit and style and a hint of crazy wisdom. SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21 I have three sets of questions for you, Scorpio. First, are you anyone’s muse? Is there a person who draws inspiration from the way you live? Here’s my second query: Are you strong medicine for anyone? Are you the source of riddles that confound and intrigue them, compelling them to outgrow their narrow perspectives? Here’s my third inquiry: Are you anyone’s teacher? Are you an influence that educates someone about the meaning of life? If you do play any of these roles, Scorpio, they are about to heat up and transform. If you don’t currently serve at least one of these functions, there’s a good chance you will start to soon. SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21 According to my reading of the astrological omens, you should draw inspiration from this Chinese proverb: “Never do anything standing that you can do sitting, or anything sitting that you can do lying down.” In other words, Sagittarius, you need extra downtime. So please say NO to any influence that says, “Do it now! Be maniacally efficient! Multitask as if your life depended on it! The more active you are the more successful you will be!” Instead, give yourself ample opportunity to play and daydream and ruminate. CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 In Raymond Chandler’s pulp fiction novel Farewell, My Lovely, his main character is detective Philip Marlowe. At one point Marlowe says, “I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the

country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun.” In accordance with your astrological omens, Capricorn, I’m asking you to figure out how you might be like Marlowe. Are there differences between what you think you need and what you actually have? If so, now is an excellent time to launch initiatives to fix the discrepancies. AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18 There’s a slightly better chance than usual that you will have a whirlwind affair with a Bollywood movie star who’s on vacation. The odds are also higher than normal that you will receive a tempting invitation from a secret admirer, or meet the soul twin you didn’t even know you were searching for, or get an accidental text message from a stranger who turns out to be the reincarnation of your beloved from a previous lifetime. But the likelihood of all those scenarios pales in comparison to the possibility that you will learn big secrets about how to make yourself even more lovable than you already are. PISCES Feb. 19-March 20 Author Eva Dane defines writer’s block as what happens “when your imaginary friends stop talking to you.” I suspect that something like this has been happening for you lately, Pisces -- even if you’re not a writer. What I mean is that some of the most reliable and sympathetic voices in your head have grown quiet: ancestors, dear friends who are no longer in your life, ex-lovers you still have feelings for, former teachers who have remained a strong presence in your imagination, animals you once cared for who have departed, and maybe even some good, old-fashioned spirits and angels. Where did they go? What happened to them? I suspect they are merely taking a break. They may have thought it wise to let you fend for yourself for a while. But don’t worry. They will be back soon. 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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