January 10, 2019

January 10, 2019 Vol. 19, No. 33

In This Issue ROUGH CUT SWISS

CHAMBER BANQUET JAN. 25 TO CELEBRATE BUSINESS YEAR & RECOGNIZE LEADERS

Rough Cut Swiss, in real life, is located in front of Othello’s Restaurant at the southwest corner of Main and Broadway, but this week it is hidden somewhere in our paper.

Email contest@edmondpaper.com with the correct location to be entered in the weekly drawing. For more information see page 4.

New Commissioner On the Job See Page 5 PHOTOS PROVIDED

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 Rain High 48° Low 38°

SATURDAY, JANUARY 12 Cloudy High 49° Low 32°

SUNDAY, JANUARY 13 Partly cloudy High 48° Low 34°

The Edmond Conference Center will again be host to hundreds of people for the annual Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet Jan. 25. To know more please contact Savannah Barrington at sbarrington@edmondchamber.com.

Inset: University of Central Oklahoma president Don Betz will be honored as ‘Citizen of the Year’ at the upcoming Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet Jan. 25.

Betz will be stepping down as president later this year.

You know you’re living in a vibrant business community when hundreds of people enthusiastically support and attend the annual chamber banquet.

That’s the case in Edmond, where the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce gets ready to host hundreds of business leaders and members at its awards banquet later this month.

Several awards, including the Edmond Citizen of the Year and the Edmond Small Business of the Year, will be given out during the awards banquet, which gets under way at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25 at the Edmond Conference Center. The evening is presented

by Arvest Bank.

The event is held by the Edmond Chamber to recognize the work and accomplishments

of people, businesses, volunteers and sponsors in the Edmond area. The event is open to the public. Tables of eight are available for $750, individual member tickets are $100 and individual non-member tickets are $125.

“This is our opportunity to thank our members and the community at large for an outstanding year,” said Sherry Jordan, Edmond Chamber President & CEO. “The Edmond area is known for its wonderful citizens and its entrepreneurial and innovative spirit.

This event gives the Edmond Chamber a chance to recognize those who personify this spirit while encouraging others to take their products, businesses, customer service and leadership to the next level.”

Several awards will be given out

including: Edmond Citizen of the Year to Don Betz, Integris Health Edmond’s Volunteer of the Year to Jessica Lyle, Mercy’s Ambassador of the Year to Joe Cardenas, RCB Bank’s Philanthropic Business of the Year to Premier Beauty Bar, OU Medical Center Edmond’s Young Professional of the Year to Sammy Flores and Prosperity Bank’s Woman of the Year to Stephanie Carel. There are three finalists for First United Bank’s Small Business of the Year, Brent Gibson Classic Home Design, AC Owen Construction and Crawford Family Funeral and Cremation Service.

To purchase individual tickets or a corporate table for your business, visit edmondchamber.com or contact Savannah Barrington at sbarrington@edmondchamber.com.

Page 2 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Edmond Life & Leisure • January 10, 2019 • Page 3

Schools: Students must think before they post Edmond Public Schools is beginning the New Year with an initiative aimed at raising awareness among students and families of the ills that lurk within and beyond the screens of social media.

The goal of the district’s #ThinkBeforeYouPost initiative is to educate students and parents about the serious consequences that can arise as a result of posting and/or reposting hoax threats, obscene photos of themselves or others, or hate speech and bullying. In recent months, Edmond has seen a significant rise in the number of erroneous social media posts, especially ones regarding school safety. Each post had to be fully investigated to determine its credibility.

“The investigations, which often extend well beyond the school day, consume administrators’ time and attention, drain law enforcement resources and create unwarranted anxiety and panic for parents,” said Associate Superintendent Dr. Debbie Bendick.

The district is partnering with the Edmond Police Department to present the message to students. Officers will visit all six middle schools in the district between Jan. 14-25 to speak to students about their digital footprint, how to responsibly report any safety concerns they may see on social media and the repercussions of posting or reposting false information.

“It is very important to understand that sharing legitimate information about a potentially unsafe situation is

welcome and we never want to prevent that,” said School Resource Officer Derick Pickard. “However, when someone changes, embellishes, or fabricates information it can have serious consequences that can include criminal charges.”

Edmond’s campaign mirrors the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s hashtag campaign which was launched last year after the FBI experienced a spike in hoax threats in the aftermath of tragic shootings such as the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.

Resources from the F.B.I. hashtag campaign, as well as other educational materials about social media use, will be posted to the district’s website, www.edmondschools.net.

Parents and students will also see the hashtag displayed on school marquees, social media platforms, and websites. Secondary site administrators will also be wearing T-shirts with the hashtag, which were created and donated by the Edmond Public Schools Foundation.

“We hope the visibility of the campaign will encourage parents and guardians to talk to their children about the appropriate use of their personal devices and the social media tools and apps available to them. We take very seriously the safety of our students and hope that this initiative will enhance the partnership we enjoy with our students' parents as we work together to preserve their children's innocence and protect their futures," added Bendick.

Page 4 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

From the Publisher

Airline travel challenges Please forgive me for sounding like I am a grumpy old guy but honestly, I am getting there.

When you get to a certain age, us guys can become grumps.

Doesn’t seem to happen to women but men get old and, frankly, kind of on the grumpy side. I try to avoid it, but my dad was one of the world’s great grumps but loveable in a former Ray Hibbard U.S. Marine kind of way. I am working hard not to be like that in life. Despite what you might read below, life is good, and I enjoy travel as always, my friends.

With all due respect, here goes: Flying sucks. It used to be wonderful. Going to the airport and getting on American Airlines when I first flew at 19 years of age was a beautiful experience. Half the fun of visiting my friend who lived in New York City was getting on that silver bird and being pampered by the flight attendants. I dressed up for the flights and so did my fellow passengers.

Lisa and I attended a New Year’s Eve party at a friend’s house in Scottsdale, Ariz. It was a short trip, so we flew Southwest Airlines on a direct flight there and back. Should have been one of the easiest flights you could make. Honestly, except for one pushy flight attendant, it was a great trip both ways. I think airlines have a difficult job and often we passengers make it harder on them. Let’s face it folks, some of us passengers can be beyond difficult.

On our return flight, three of us were arranging our seating and we were working it out just fine.

One Southwest Airlines flight attendant decided she needed to supervise the move. There was no need. We were quick, not holding up the plane in the least and being very polite with each other.

Along comes the pushy flight attendant trying to organize things after the move was already completed. The three of us ignored her until she called me “Big Daddy.” I looked her right in the eye and said politely, “You need to ease up and not call me names.”

She closed her mouth and walked away which I think was a good choice for her.

The conduct of the flight crew or the airlines isn’t what really bothered me that day. It was my fellow passengers. In another life, I had a job where for one year, I flew all over the country. Saying that I was sick of flying for many years after that would be a gross understatement. Having learned to take a breath, put on my head phones and go to my happy place has served me well over the years when on airplanes.

Dogs. I like all animals. I’ve even learned to sort of like cats. Alexx Harms and April Burgess in our office have taught me tolerance for cats. I am not an animal hater. Even when those chickens’ rights folks from out of state were sending me nasty emails and telling me my grandparents didn’t really love me, I never took it out on the chickens. I like all animals. However, why do so many people these days fly with their dogs? It is on the increase.

There is a federal law that allows for emotional support dogs to board at no extra cost. If they are small enough, they can sit on the floor or in the lap of their owner. The requirements to be an emotional support animal are weak and need to be better defined. Last year there were over 750,000 “comfort” dogs that flew on airlines which was more then double from the year before.

Anyone can get a fake certificate and doctor’s letter to support their claim.

I am not talking about service dogs. They are a different category and the numbers for actual, working, service dogs have not spiked and are about the same year to year. A service dog does a job, not just sit and let you pet them. From what I read, folks that train and those that use a true service dog are fed up with the army of passengers claiming to have and need comfort dogs. Folks with real service dogs consider the untrained comfort dogs dangerous because they are not trained

and need to be controlled.

Too much junk onboard. A nice lady, I am sure, two rows up boarded the plane with three giant books along with her suit case that should have been checked and her lunch. It took her lots of extra time to settle in the aisle seat she had selected which backed up the entire boarding process. Was she really going to read all three of the foot-thick books in a two-hour flight? She did not. Instead she mainly ate her smelly lunch and yellow highlighted a couple of pages in one of the books.

Smelly food onboard. I get it. Airlines have cut back on food service, forcing us all to bring our own snacks and meals onboard. But did you really have to clean out the back of your refrigerator and bring it on the flight? Fruit, cheese and some crackers will probably keep you from starving to

See Publisher, Page 5

Check out what’s inside! n Weekend calendar of events ........................................................Page 7. n Columnist looks at politically incorrect entertainment..................Page 8. n Dave Farris chronicles a challenge the FBI had ..........................Page 10. n Famed singer to come back home ..............................................Page 13. n George Gust looks at his favorite 2018 films..............................Page 15. n Crossword ..................................................................................Page 15. n What to know when going on a spending diet ..........................Page 18. n Business News ............................................................................Page 21. n Worship directory ......................................................................Page 23.

Find the ‘Rough Cut Swiss’ Rough Cut Swiss, in real life, is located in front of Othello’s Restaurant at the southwest corner of Main and Broadway, but this week it is hidden somewhere in our paper. E-mail contest@edmondpaper.com with the correct location to be entered in the weekly drawing.

Rough Cut Swiss is by artist David Phelps. Phelps is an Oklahoma based sculptor whose work has been featured throughout the state. He is inspired by expansive spaces and hopes his works will inspire meaningful meditation.

Said Phelps, “I grew up on a farm in the central valley of California where the fields became an extension of oneself. I continue to live in the wide open spaces of Oklahoma where my sculptural images expand to include their environments as part of the aesthetic experience.”

Publisher Ray Hibbard Jr. ray@edmondpaper.com Partner Christopher T. Hoke Editor Steve Gust news@edmondpaper.com Production April Burgess, Deanne York

Cover Design April Burgess Legal Counsel Todd McKinnis Ruebenstein & Pitts, PLLC Copyright © 2019 by Edmond Media Publishing 107 S. Broadway Edmond, OK 73034 405.340.3311 (office) 405.340.3384 (fax)

Advertising Director Alexx Harms alexx@edmondpaper.com

Mailing address: P.O. Box 164 Edmond, OK 73083

Advertising Account Executive Chris Thomas chris@edmondpaper.com

All rights reserved.

Material contained herein may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission from Edmond Media Publishing.

Contributing Writers Dave Farris, Mallery Nagle, Kacee Van Horn, Rose Drebes, George Gust.

Photographer Melinda Infante

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Edmond Life & Leisure • January 10, 2019 • Page 5

New Commissioner on the Job PHOTO PROVIDED/RICK BUCHANAN

Oklahoma County District No. 3 has a new commissioner, Kevin Calvey. Last week he was administered the oath of office by Oklahoma County District Judge Tom Prince. With Calvey is his mother Mary Jane Calvey. Kevin Calvey, a Republican and Iraq War veteran, was elected to the post last fall with more than 59 percent of the vote. He replaces Ray Vaughn a longtime political figure from Edmond. Vaughn was elected to three terms as commissioner and decided last year to step down from the post. District No. 3 covers most of the northern sections of Oklahoma County. There are two other commissioners on the board as well.

Publisher

From Page 4 death on a two-hour flight.

Why do people carry on luggage that they can’t lift to an overhead bin? Check the darn thing at the ticket counter or at least the gate. Oh, another idea would be to take some stuff out. I am happy to help those less able to lift the luggage and put in place, but odds are if you can’t lift it you don’t need to be hauling it around either.

I fully understand that there are times when a person has a cold and they must fly. It can’t be much fun for them either. But, coughing and sneezing can all occur without the giant germ spreading going on folks. Just come prepared because you know you will be sneezing and coughing before you get in the car to come to the airport. Medicate yourself health permitting and plenty of tissues to contain those germs please.

Airplanes are germ factories, and even if you aren’t as much of a germaphobe as I am, it can get a little overwhelming. When I fly with my sis-

ter the first thing she does is pull out the anti-germ wipes and wipe down her seat, arm rest and the meal tray even if she doesn’t plan to eat on it. This is a little annoying, but I figure she is keeping herself healthy. Frequent hand washing and using hand sanitizer are enough for me.

Travelers that take off their shoes and decide it is a good time to air out those puppies should not be allowed on the plane folks. An enclosed place that circulates its own air with people crammed inside is the wrong place to feel the air between your toes. On international flights I see some that take off their socks as well. Sorry, but how gross is that in an airplane?

How folks dress on a plane is a topic that could take several columns. My sister puts it this way when she says, “People that fly should use their outside clothes and not their inside ones.” I totally get that the glory days of folks dressing up is gone from airlines, but some of the stuff that folks put

on to travel is just scary my friends.

I used to say that flying today is what it used to be like to travel cross-country on a bus. This isn’t true any longer because I honestly think it is worse. Send me your airline stories and I will put them together for a future column. Just email me at ray@edmondpaper.com with travel in the subject line.

Just about any kind of travel you are up for is made easier by using a travel agent. They really can save the day especially if you get stuck in route. It gives you someone to call that already knows you. The official travel company for Edmond Life & Leisure is Prime Time Travel. You can reach them at (405) 340-1120. They have saved the day for us many times over. From planning to execution, a full service travel agent is the best value for your travel dollar.

(Ray Hibbard may be reached by e-mail at ray@edmondpaper.com)

Page 6 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Young minister leads Edmond congregation

By Hugh Hancock NewsOK.com/The Oklahoman On the corner of Danforth Road and Interstate 35, tucked away in a shallow valley, sits the Edmond Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Rev. T.J. Sands delivers sermons on most Sabbath mornings, doing so since becoming a full-time pastor in 2016.

Born in Florida and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Sands, affectionately known as “Pastor T.J.,” has become accustomed to change. He’s also a relatively young pastor, at 31, in charge of an entire church and seemingly on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — delivering sermons, working with the church elders, visiting sick members, counsel-

ing congregants.

Many members are married, have children and even grandchildren. Recently married in September, Sands knows that marriage is holy and beautiful, and an institution that gives him more understanding as pastor. The experience of having children is a “few years away,” he said.

Sands received his bachelor of arts degree at Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas, majoring in theology with a minor in biblical languages, Greek and Hebrew. His plans for the future include continuing his education at a master’s level, most likely online programs so he can continue to devote the bulk of his time guiding church members.

When asked what he thinks is wrong with religion today, Sands said, “A lack of love and acceptance. We must begin with love and acceptance.

“We’ve heard it a hundred times: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

He said everyone is on the same spiritual journey, each at different points along the way. Those with the time and experience help those who are struggling.

A recovery ministry is the one area that Sands sees as growing over the next several years. The Edmond Seventh-day Adventist Church offers healthy cooking classes, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, bipolar and depression recovery groups and smoking cessation classes.

As Sands grows as a new pastor, he realizes that people gain experience daily. They make good choices and gain experience or poor choices and gain experience.

Either way, we should always have the attitude that no one is perfect, he said.

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Oral hygiene may have link to lupus Good oral hygiene prevents cavities. Now, new research suggests it may also make a difference in preventing and managing lupus and other diseases.

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists Umesh Deshmukh, Ph.D., and Harini Bagavant, Ph.D., have found a link between gum disease and lupus, an autoimmune disease.

“Our findings suggest a simple message: If there is good dental care, patients have a good chance of experiencing less severe disease,” said Bagavant.

“With further research, we might be able to tell if proper oral health has the potential to help prevent these diseases altogether.”

At OMRF, Bagavant and Deshmukh study the effect of oral health in lupus, a disease that strikes an estimated 1.5 million Americans. The scientists’

research focuses on bacteria commonly found in the mouth that have been associated with gum disease.

“Our study shows that patients who might have been exposed to gum disease causing bacteria show higher lupus activity. Therefore, we expect that a seemingly small change, like brushing and flossing regularly, could benefit patients who are already on a host of powerful medications by allowing them to modify their treatment with fewer drugs or less powerful dosages,” she said. “And fewer drugs can mean fewer side effects.”

Deshmukh said the new findings provide strong rationale for improving dental care in lupus patients as an add-on to traditional therapy. The research could also lead to new methods of early disease detection.

Brown is guest speaker for genealogical meeting Before oil was discovered in Oklahoma, coal was king. Prior to statehood, coal mining became an important industry and was Oklahoma's original energy boom.

It was a dangerous occupation and hundreds lost their lives in mining accidents, methane gas explosions or died from black lung disease. Men and boys as young as 10 often toiled thirteen hours a day in the dark mines for little pay. There were few safeguards in place and mining conditions were harsh. Mothers and wives sent their sons and husbands into the mines every morning not knowing if they would return at the end of the day. Yet, these early miners persevered, established towns and raised their families putting down deep Oklahoma roots.

The Edmond Genealogical Society will meet Monday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the LDS Church, 1351 E. 33rd Street in Edmond. Our program, The History of Coal Mining in Oklahoma, will be presented by Dr. Kenny Brown, Professor Emeritus of History from the University of Central Oklahoma. He will tell us how coal mining began and it's part in shaping Oklahoma.

Kenny L. Brown, earned his Ph.D. degree in history at Oklahoma State University in 1985. He has taught for over 36 years and has authored “The Italians in Oklahoma,” 10 articles in scholarly publications, two booklets, and eight portions of edited books or encyclopedia articles. He contributed a chapter on progressivism in Oklahoma for Davis Joyce’s “An Oklahoma I Had Never Seen Before”: Alternative Views of Oklahoma History (OU Press, 1994). He also is a specialist in the American West, the Gilded Age, and the Progressive Era. His honors include the Muriel Wright Award for his article on Robert L. Owen in The Chronicles of Oklahoma, the McCasland Award for Excellence in Teaching Oklahoma History, and UCO Distinguished Teacher Award. Dr. Brown has served as consultant to several museums, is a charter member of the Friends of the Oklahoma Historical Society

Brown Archives, and is on the Board of Trustees of the E.E. Dale Society—a support group for the Western History Collections at OU. A McAlester native, Brown has taught at Cameron University, Panhandle State University, and UCO. He has served on the boards of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Humanities Council, the Oklahoma Historical Records Advisory Board, and Harn Gardens and Homestead Museum. He has led several dozen programs for Let’s Talk About It Oklahoma over the last twenty-five years and has worked closely with public schools, including a Teaching American History project with the Western Heights School District.

In 2013 Brown received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the College of Liberal Arts at UCO. A year later, the Oklahoma Historical Society inducted him into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame.

The group’s Feb. 18 program will feature EGS member Walt Stoyanoski who will present The GEDCom Explained.

Genealogical research assistance is available at 5:30 p.m. prior to the meetings. Visit our website www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~okegs /and find us on Facebook: Edmond Genealogical Society (EGS).

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Edmond Life & Leisure • January 10, 2019 • Page 7

Thursday Jan. 10 ---- In the Gallery ---- Exhibit: Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered ---- Carrie the Musical

Friday Jan. 11 ---- In the Gallery ---- Exhibit: Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered ---- A Date with the Duke: In Old Oklahoma (1943) ---- Carrie the Musical ---- Brad Taylor ---- Kicker Arenacross ---- Oklahoma Boat, RV & Tackle Show

Saturday Jan. 12 ---- In the Gallery ---- Exhibit: Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered ---- Carrie the Musical ---- Kicker Arenacross ---- Equilibrium ---- Kyle Rainer & Runnin’ Hot ---- Oklahoma Boat, RV & Tackle Show ---- Signature Tour ---- Family Fun Weekend Blitz

Sunday Jan. 13 ---- In the Gallery ---- Exhibit: Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered ---- Carrie the Musical ---- Signature Tour ---- Read the West Book Club: The Coming ---- Oklahoma Boat, RV & Tackle Show Extra Information on Weekend Happenings

In the Gallery Location: Edmond Fine Arts Institute Extra Info: Featuring works by Cody L Rains For information go to: http://www.edmondfinearts.com/

Exhibit: Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered Location: Armstrong Auditorium Extra Info: Free Admission; an archaeological exhibition that will enable visitors to discover the history of ancient Judah’s most famous kingprophet pairing—a story which illuminates how Jerusalem escaped annihilation at the hands of King Sennacherib’s Assyrian army at the end of the 8th century B.C. For more information visit armstrongauditorium.org.

to reserve a line number for the event, you must pre-order a copy of DAUGHTER OF WAR online (https://www.bestofbooksok.com/ev ent/brad-taylor-coming-best-booksjan-11) or by phone at (405) 3409202.

Kicker Arenacross Location: Lazy E Arena Extra Info: $15-$30, prices go up the day of the show. https://www1.ticketmaster.com Signature Tour Location: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City Extra Info: 1 – 2 p.m.; see some of the finest Western art in the country during this docent-facilitated Museum tour. For more information, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org A Date with the Duke: In Old Oklahoma (1943) Location: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Extra Info: 5 – 8 p.m., Guests can whet their appetites with a cash bar and scrumptious buffet prepared by The Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City while watching a special film screening of In Old Oklahoma (1943).

Read the West Book Club: The Coming Location: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Extra Info: 1 – 2:15 p.m., S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room The Coming is an epic novel of native-white relations in North America, intimately told through the life of Daytime Smoke – the real-life red-haired son of William Clark and a Nez Perce woman.

Family Fun Weekend Blitz Location: Mercy Fitness Edmond 1-35 Extra Info: 12 – 2 p.m., We invite you to participate in our Family Fit day in the Kids' Zone and stay for a complimentary aquatic service demonstration and swim skill assessment. Complimentary chair massages will also be available in the lobby.

Please contact Customer Service to schedule a time for you and your family to enjoy all the day's activities. mercyfitness.net, 405 757-3300 Equilibrium Location: UCO – Jazz Lab Extra Info: 8 p.m., $10, ucojazzlab.com, 405 974-2100.

Carrie the Musical Location: Upstage Theatre Blackbox, Edmond Extra Info: upstategheatreok.com or 405 285-5803

Kyle Rainer & Runnin’ Hot Location: River Lounge, Riverwind Casino Extra Info: 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Brad Taylor Location: Best of Books Extra Info: 6 – 7:30 p.m., He will be signing copies of his book, DAUGHTER OF WAR. This book is part of Taylor's PIKE LOGAN series. In order

Oklahoma Boat, RV & Tackle Show Location: Oklahoma State Fair Park Extra Info: One of the largest outdoor show in the state. okcrvandboatshow.com

Page 8 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Commentary ... We’re on YOUR Side

Politically incorrect ducks Interesting article the other day concerning entertainment.

Some vintage shows, songs, movies and books may simply be too politically incorrect to enjoy anymore. The world has changed quite a bit in 50 to 100 years.

One of the examples they provided was the old television program, "I Love Lucy." To be fair, I Steve Gust can't imagine a protagonist like Ricky Ricardo spanking his wife in a modern situation comedy.

There are other shows, which didn't always portray women and minorities in the best light. For example try making a cartoon these days with a main character named Speedy Gonzalez. Some of those stereotypes would not be tolerated today.

It kind of makes you wonder what kind of films they would have made in the 18th or 19th century if that technology had been around in those days.

Most of those movies would be extremely politically incorrect according to today's standards.

If you don’t think so, then please consider the following example.

Nursery songs aren't off limits anymore.

The other day my granddaughter was over and I put on a few YouTube nursery song videos for her.

One is the classic "Five Little Ducks."

If you've forgotten about this song, here is the plot. The ducks go play and the mom calls them back by quacking. The problem is they don't all come back. Each time she calls there is one less duck until none return. There is a happy ending

though. (Spoiler alert) The mom and all of them are eventually reunited.

Two things about this video stood out for me.

First of all there are tens of millions of views for these baby songs. There is one variety of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," that has a whopping one billion views.

Secondly this duck selection has more than 4,000 people leaving comments. Imagine that!

There are 4,000 people compelled enough to leave comments about a nursery song.

A lot of the people writing noted how their child, usually unruly, would become mesmerized and sleepy watching the duck story. That makes the song worth its weight in gold for most parents.

Yet some people openly criticized the song and the maternal duck figure. They couldn't understand how a mom wouldn't immediately go looking for one missing offspring.

Some people were even more blunt about the mama duck. They accused her of being a terrible parent and urged Child Protective Services and the police to be contacted. You just want to get these people's attention and tell them to chill out. It's an animated nursery song that helps children learn to count.

Yet apparently it promotes bad parenting?

If a nursery song, innocent as this one is, can be politically incorrect there probably isn't any form of entertainment that can pass the politically correct test.

(Steve Gust may be reached at news@edmondpaper.com)

Risks facing our first responders

By The Oklahoman Editorial Board We tend to take law enforcement officers and firefighters for granted — or, in the case of police, find reasons to criticize their work. Yet the experiences of Ronil Singh and Christopher Roy are sobering reminders of the inherent dangers law enforcement officers and firefighters face on the job.

Singh, 33, was shot and killed Dec. 26 while making a traffic stop in Newman, California, a city of 11,000 located east of San Jose. Officials said the fatality was the first in the history of the 12year-old department.

Singh's killing has taken on political overtones. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson says the

He (Singh) was among 53 law enforcement officers shot and killed in the line of duty during 2018. suspect had come to the United States illegally from Mexico, had been arrested twice for DUIs and had a known gang affiliation. Yet a bill that became law in 2017, Christianson said, kept his department from contacting Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“This is a criminal illegal alien with prior criminal activity that should have been reported to ICE,” he said.

“Law enforcement was prohibited because of sanctuary laws and that led to the encounter with Officer Singh.”

A native of Fiji, Singh had been with the department since 2011.

He was among 53 law enforcement officers shot and killed in the line of duty during 2018 — a 15 percent increase from 2017, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Oklahoma, thank goodness, didn't lose a law officer to gunfire in 2018. The lone death in the line of duty occurred in February, when Jarate Condit, 23, a reserve officer with the Asher Police Department, died in a single-vehicle accident.

(One of last year's victims, Ventura County, California, sheriff's deputy Ron Helus, was among those killed Nov. 8 in a mass shooting at a bar in Thousand Oaks. Helus had earned a master's degree online from the University of Oklahoma in 2016.)

See Risks, Page 12

The challenges facing Okla. County government

by The Oklahoman Editorial Board The recent death of an Oklahoma County jail inmate, the sixth to die in jail custody during 2018, once again cast a negative light on the facility. The jail has often been an albatross for the county and, as Ray Vaughn noted during his final meeting as District 3 commissioner, that isn't likely to change any time soon.

Creation of the county's Criminal Justice Advisory Council has resulted in effective new policies and a reduction in the jail population of about 1,000 inmates in the past year, Vaughn said at the meeting Dec. 26. However, he said, “the design and poor construction of the facility is now costing taxpayers millions of dollars in repairs without the promise of needed functionality for the variety of needs of our inmate population.”

His hope, Vaughn said, is that the relationship

with the advisory council, along with a new jail trust, “will … help us address the significant funding that will be required for a successful overhaul of our criminal justice facilities.”

Vaughn, leaving office after 12 years as commissioner, spent most of his time talking about things other than the jail.

He noted the county's purchase in 2008 of the former General Motors plant on behalf of Tinker Air Force Base. Supported by a $45 million bond issue approved by voters, he noted the investVaughn ment led to creation of more than 1,000 jobs at Tinker. Six years later, the county and city went together to buy the BNSF Railroad yard, allowing for further Tinker expansion.

Letters to the Editor policy We love mail, especially mail from Edmond Life & Leisure readers with complaints, compliments or comments about what they read here. The rules, even for e-mail letters: 1) You must tell us your full name; 2) You must give us your complete address and phone numbers (but we will identify you only by name); and 3) We reserve the right to edit letters for length, clarity and taste (our taste).

Send mail to Letter to the Editor, Edmond Life & Leisure, 107 S. Broadway, Edmond, OK 73034, or fax to 340-3384 or e-mail to news@edmondpaper.com.

During Vaughn's time in office, voters approved a bond issue to renovate the courthouse, providing new electrical, plumbing and heat and air. He made note of $6 million spent on flood-control projects in the Crutcho Floodway, and flooding abatement work in the Deer Creek area.

He acknowledged the work of fellow commissioners Brian Maughan and Willa Johnson, and the other members of the county's budget board.

“While we occasionally have our differences, we honor the decision of the majority and move on,” he said. “Peace and relationships have been preserved to the benefit of all including those we serve.”

He praised his aides, but also county department heads and staff. “I have had the advantage of watching our family in the best and worst of circumstances and have marveled at how professional, polite, patient and caring they are while providing needed services to the public,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn also took a moment to compliment county employees of all stripes.

“The Bible says that our highest calling is to be a servant to others,” he said. “I witness every day true servanthood willingly provided by those that work for the county. … I would say that we have some of the most talented people in the Oklahoma County family that I have ever worked with.”

The jail gets most of the headlines, and rightly so, but county government encompasses much more. Vaughn, to his credit, offered a reminder of that before leaving for retirement.

Edmond Life & Leisure • January 10, 2019 • Page 9

Page 10 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Pretty Boy’s partner to go on trial

Questions continue on feds’ case in train station massacre

By David Farris In October 1934, FBI Director John Edgar Hoover named Charley “Pretty Boy” Floyd and Adam Richetti as suspects in the ambush murder of four lawmen and their federal prisoner at the Union Train Station in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 17, 1933.

Farris His pronouncement was made without proof or a valid witness, and was based on nothing more than sketchy, circumstantial evidence. The only actual suspect connected to the massacre was Vern Miller, who had long since been murdered by his underworld associates. It was as if the Bureau needed to close the case quickly, so they pinned the crime on a couple of gangsters who were already wanted and perhaps wouldn't be taken alive. Hoover had even written in a memo that the suspects “must be exterminated by us” which seems to imply that he didn't want the case to go to court. Unfortunately for the Bureau, two days before Floyd was shot down by lawmen on Oct. 22, 1934, Richetti had been arrested in Wellsville, Ohio, and soon after was returned to Missouri to stand trial. For Hoover, this was a worst-case scenario.

In addition to the Bureau's lack of evidence against Richetti, the ballistics expert they hired to examine the crime scene, Merle Gill, determined that agents had lied to him about the shooting.

Most damning was their lie of omission regarding the presence of a 16-gauge shotgun, owned by McAlester Police Chief Otto Reed. Three of the men killed had been shot by Chief Reed's weapon, loaded with ball bearings, and not by the gunmen who were armed with .45 caliber machine guns and pistols. This fact contradicted their claim that the only shotguns in possession of lawmen were a couple of 12-gauge pumps that were never fired.

Agent Joe Lackey, from the Oklahoma City office was one of the agents wounded in the shooting, and who doubled-down on the Bureau's denial of Reed's 16-gauge. In a memorandum to Hoover, he claimed, “The writer (Lackey) is thoroughly familiar with shotguns and is positive that the gun carried by Chief of Police Reed was 12-gauge.”

Not only did Lackey know that Reed's shotgun was a 16-gauge, he had been the one in possession of it.

Although there was no mention of Reed's 16gauge in any official FBI records of the Union Station massacre, both agents and local lawmen knew that one had been involved. Kansas City Agent Reed Vetterli had personally returned the shotgun to Chief Reed's family in Oklahoma. To this day, the shotgun remains in possession of the Reed family and is a cherished heirloom. Robert Unger, author of “The Union Station Massacre: The Original Sin of J. Edgar Hoover's FBI,” visited Reed's descendants and personally saw the firearm for himself. It is a Winchester model 12, with an 18inch factory-made barrel. Reed's family also told Unger how Chief Reed would load his own shotgun shells, each with three ball bearings.

Gill stated that he had opened one of these unique, unfired shells found in Reed's pocket in the presence of Vetterli and other agents at the Bureau's office in Kansas City. There is simply no doubt that, on the morning of the massacre, Chief Reed had brought his personal 16-gauge shotgun, loaded with ball bearings, and that Hoover's men had knowledge of that fact and what happened next.

Hoover was not happy about independent inves-

tigators examining evidence. The only strategy for the Bureau was to discredit Gill, after having relied upon his services for almost two years. “Well it serves us right for ever having dealt with Gill,” the Director explained.

When Assistant Attorney General Joseph Keenan asked Hoover for his opinion of Gill's work, the Director blasted back, “Certainly I would never recommend this man Gill for anything. Tell the Criminal Division that in our experience with him we could not conscientiously concur in any recommendation where his veracity or integrity is involved.”

Despite any disdain Hoover felt towards the ballistics expert, prosecutors in Missouri wanted to use Gill's testimony in both the state and federal trials Richetti faced. Kansas City U.S. Attorney Maurice Mulligan could see that the Bureau's case against Pretty Boy's partner was a loser. He asked Hoover if Vi Mathias, Miller's girlfriend, would be willing to testify publicly, instead of as a confidential witness. When Mathias refused, Mulligan decided not to prosecute the case. It was the federal charge for killing Kansas City Agent Ray Caffrey that had brought the case under the FBI's jurisdiction in the first place. Hoover's case was unraveling.

All that remained were state charges against Richetti for the murder of Kansas City police detective, Frank Hermanson. State Assistant Prosecutor Michael O'Hern had the challenge of presenting the Bureau's case, with its many imperfections.

And then, a miracle happened. Gill announced that he had matched a .45 caliber shell casing from the massacre, given to him from a Missouri State Highway Patrolman, to one of the two pistols Floyd had on him when he was killed. This seemed a little too convenient and, for some reason, there was only one; but regardless, it was what prosecutors needed. They could connect Floyd to the massacre and Richetti to Floyd. This was in stark contrast to Gill's announcement months earlier that, “Pretty Boy Floyd had nothing to do with the massacre.”

Gill was still a loose cannon for Hoover's men.

His knowledge of Reed's 16-gauge could derail the case and only serve Richetti's defense attorneys.

Lucky for the prosecution, Gill seemed to have forgotten all about such earlier findings, and enthusiastically supported the Bureau's version of events.

This seemed odd, but there could have been a variety of reasons for his convergence. The self-described “ballistician” relied heavily upon law enforcement officials for his livelihood, and perhaps feared that bad press from the Bureau might ruin him.

A more direct explanation was the fact that, two days before Richetti's trial, Gill had mysteriously disappeared. His wife was described as “frantic because of the disappearance.” However, when the trial began on the morning of June 13, 1935, just four days shy of the second anniversary of the massacre, the ballistician was present in the courtroom and ready to testify. It was the same with the Bureau's confidential witness, Vi Mathias, who had finally signed a prepared statement after an extended visit with agents. In their company, the witnesses' memories suddenly became sharper, and forgotten events were recalled. One can only imagine what Gill experienced during his absence.

O'Hern had the evidence and witnesses he needed to present at Richetti's trial. Finally, the FBI was ready to present their case, and they had selected the perfect strategy for defeating Richetti's public defenders; perjury.

Lankford will join United States Senate Finance Committee WASHINGTON, DC – In an announcement by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) was selected last week to join the Senate Finance Committee for the 116th Congress. He will retain his current assignments to the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Committee on Indian Affairs.

“It is an honor to be selected to serve on the esteemed Senate Finance Committee,” said Lankford.

“This Committee is front and center on tax policy, healthcare, and trade, all of which are some of the top priorities for Oklahomans. As the new Congress convenes, we must create commonsense solutions that allow the American people to live their lives without fear of unnecessary government intervention. I look forward to adding Oklahoma’s voice to these important issues in the days ahead.”

Lankford has been a leading voice on a number of issues that fall under the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee, including international trade, for which he secured one of the only Senate amendments on trade policy; healthcare; and solvency of federal support programs like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). He most recently introduced the Lessening Impediments from Taxes

(LIFT) for Charities Act, which would repeal a new section of the tax code that requires some tax-exempt organizations, like churches, to pay federal taxes on employee benefits, like parking, meals, or transportation.

The Committee on Finance was established as a standing commitSen. Lankford tee of the Senate in 1816 and is one of the oldest and most powerful committees in the Senate.

It has the largest jurisdiction among both the House and Senate and oversees more than 50 percent of the federal budget. Its primary areas of jurisdiction include taxation and other revenue measures; bonded debt of the United States; customs; reciprocal trade agreements; tariffs; general revenue sharing; Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, TANF, and other Health and Human Services programs financed by a specific tax or trust fund; and social security.

Edmond Life & Leisure • January 10, 2019 • Page 11

Governor grateful & optimistic on state’s future

By Gov. Mary Fallin In just a matter of days, Oklahoma will have a new governor and I will once again - after 28 years - be a private citizen.

I’ve enjoyed my decades of service as a public servant, Gov. Fallin as a state legislator, lieutenant governor and a member of Congress, especially the past eight years serving as your governor. The best part certainly is meeting the many wonderful Oklahomans across our state and listening to their concerns. The challenging and rewarding part comes with finding solutions to their concerns and issues.

Despite two economic downturns during my time as governor – one underway when I took office and the global energy downturn early in my second term – Oklahoma’s business climate is healthy. We’ve diversified our economy. We’re training and educating our citizens to learn skills sets necessary for jobs today and in the future.

Oklahoma’s unemployment rate is the lowest in 17 years and with the new jobs and people moving to Oklahoma, our state’s population has grown to just under 4 million people!

Oklahoma offers an incredibly low cost of doing business. For the second year in a row, the Anderson Economic Group’s 2018 State Business Tax Burden Rankings ranks Oklahoma with the lowest tax burden in the country.

Oklahoma has one of the lowest costs of living in the U.S., plus the state has the second-lowest electric power costs in the country, and at the same time offers a great quality of life.

During my administration, the

Oklahoma Department of Commerce has secured 526 new and expanding business announcements representing more than $14.6 billion of investments. When you look at job numbers tallied by cities and other local entities, the estimate is close to 200,000 new jobs.

We’ve made great progress in diversifying our economy. Oil and gas will still be a dominant part of our economy. However, the aerospace and defense sector of our economy has seen a huge growth in jobs and investment. In fact, for the first time in decades Oklahoma will have two aerospace manufacturing facilities that will produce high-performance, jet-powered unmanned aerial tactical and target drone systems. Other expanding industries include paper goods as well as steel milling; digital information services like Google; and large fulfillment centers like Amazon.

Pro-business policies that I supported and signed into law helped spur our economy and lower the state’s unemployment rate. They include: Transitioning Oklahoma to an administrative workers’ compensation system committed to taking care of injured workers yet reducing the state’s average workers’ comp loss costs rates nearly 64 percent lower than they were in January 2011.

Making Oklahoma more business friendly by enacting tort reform measures: Oklahoma has moved from 42nd to 31st in reducing frivolous lawsuits.

Cutting Oklahoma’s unfunded pension liability of $16 billion nearly in half to about $8.4 billion.

In the area of education, we’re also making progress. New revenue sources approved in the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions established a much more stable financial position for the state, and allowed Oklahoma

last year to give a raise to public school teachers, which I had proposed and pushed for each of the last three years.

Teachers will see an average pay raise of $6,100, or a 16 percent pay increase - the highest pay increase in state history. Oklahoma’s teacher pay went from 49th to 29th in the nation, and to No. 12 when the cost of living is factored. In Oklahoma’s seven-state region, teacher pay went from last to No. 2.

We’re making progress with smarton-crime policies and on how we deal with nonviolent offenders who need substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation, which will help ease prison overcrowding. I signed 17 criminal justice reforms during my time in office, including seven last year that will reduce the flow of nonviolent offenders into prison; establish a more efficient and streamlined

parole process; and facilitate successful reentry that reduces recidivism.

I truly believe the future of our state is bright, with a low unemployment rate of 3.3 percent and $451 million in the Rainy Day Fund. Based on current trends and if our state does not experience an economic downturn, our state could see another significant Rainy Day Fund deposit later this year, which could bring our Rainy Day Fund close to $850 million.

The next administration and Legislature will have the resources to address many of the state’s priorities and to ensure core services are adequately funded. I’ll be watching from the sidelines cheering them on to take our state to the next level.

It’s been a great honor to service the people and our state in office, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity.

Page 12 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Risks From Page 8 The U.S. Fire Administration reported 83 firefighter fatalities during 2018. One of the most recent victims was Roy, 36, of Worcester, Massachusetts. On Dec. 9, he and his colleagues responded to a fire in the basement of a three-story, six-unit apartment building.

However, “Conditions deteriorated rapidly and, ultimately, the fire went to five alarms,” the USFA says.

Five firefighters were able to escape. Roy and another firefighter became trapped and had to be rescued. The other firefighter survived, Roy did not.

According to the USFA, Oklahoma lost two firefighters on the job in 2018. One was William F. Brinza III, 64, with the Cowskin Rural Fire District in Grove, who suffered a medical event soon after responding to a structure fire in May. The other was Madison Clinton, 54, assistant chief for the Friendship Volunteer Fire Department near Altus, who was killed in August when part of a residence collapsed on him.

As this new year gets underway, we extend our gratitude to the men and women across Oklahoma who pledge to serve and protect their communities, and wish them a safe 2019.

An opportunity to help foster children Capitalizing on the spirit of New Year’s Resolutions, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Oklahoma County is asking members of the community to step forward and resolve to improve the lives of children in foster care. The "I Resolve To" campaign focuses on the ways Oklahoma County residents can get involved with the nonprofit program: by volunteering or becoming a supporter. CASA works with the juvenile deprived court system to provide trained volunteer advocates to speak for the best interests of children in the foster care system due to abuse or neglect.

As part of the January recruitment campaign, CASA of Oklahoma County will host an Open House Tuesday, Jan. 29 from 6-7 p.m. CASA’s recruitment experts have a goal of bringing 15 new community advocates into the program by the end of the month.

“Community problems require community solutions. It takes all of us working together to impact the lives of this vulnerable population of children,” said CASA Director of Recruitment Kathy North.

“The courts are complicated. Foster care is complicated. But becoming part of the solution doesn’t have to be. We provide all the training and support the layperson will need. It only requires that compassionate hearts step forward and gift their time.”

At Open House, members of the community are invited to meet and hear from staff, current volunteers, and Executive Director Jennie Hill. Staff answer questions and guide a brief tour of the CASA offices, the Juvenile Center, and a courtroom.

CASA volunteers are supported in their service by an Advocacy Supervisor who coaches the advocate in writing court reports, appearing in court, and participating in necessary meetings and visits. The volunteer advocate is never alone in their journey of service.

January's Open House event is free to the public and guests can RSVP by calling 405-713-6602 to speak to North. Guests are encouraged to enter through the ground floor entrance on the east side of the building and check in with security. CASA staff anticipates a large attendance and encourages attendees to mingle and make friends.

CASA is located at 5905 North Classen Court, #302, Oklahoma City, OK 73118. Questions about the Open House event or the CASA program can be directed to Kathy North at kathy.north@casaofokco.org or by phone at 405-7136602. For information on other CASA programs around the state, visit the Oklahoma CASA Association website at oklahomacasa.org. CASA of Oklahoma County is a proud United Way Partner Agency.

Edmond Life & Leisure • January 10, 2019 • Page 13

Famed singer, actress will do benefit show TIckets for “Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Oklahoma,” presented by ARTSOK, INC. and the Kristin Chenoweth Arts & Education Fund, are on sale now.

This concert, headlined by Oklahoma Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth and accompanied by the OKC Philharmonic, will take place at the Civic Center Music Hall on May 14 at 7:30 p.m., and the proceeds of the event will benefit Allied Arts.

Chenoweth is a TONY and EMMY award-winning singer and actress. She is a graduate of Oklahoma City University with a Master’s degree in Opera Performance. She is known for her roles in Broadway musicals like “Wicked” and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” while also playing roles in television series like “Glee” and “Pushing Daisies,” and most recently NBC’s “Trial & Error” receiving critical acclaim for her performance as Heiress Lavinia Peck-Foster. She is also an inductee into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, as well as the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.

Chenoweth joined forces with the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center (BAPAC) Foundation and ARTSOK, Inc. in 2012 to form the Kristin Chenoweth Arts & Education Fund, with the goal of furthering artistic and educational development by serving as a cultural and economic regional partner.

Chenoweth's accomplishments were honored by her hometown with BAPAC naming "The Kristin Chenoweth Theatre" in 2012. Partnering with the BAPAC in a labor of love, Kristin launched an annual Broadway Bootcamp in 2015, providing young Broadway hopefuls with the opportunity to take classes, hold performances and learn from top mentors in the entertainment industry including Kristin herself.

“We are so fortunate to host Kristin Chenoweth – she is a phenomenal performer with a genuine love of her home state,” said Deborah McAuliffe Senner, President/CEO of Allied Arts. “Her goals to grow the arts in Oklahoma align perfectly with the Allied Arts mission, which made our collaboration a perfect match.”

Chenoweth is currently working on her next album, set for release in 2019. Tickets for “My Love Letter to Oklahoma” are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.okcciviccenter.com, or by calling (405) 594-8300.

Kristin Chenoweth

Page 14 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Some celebrity homes on the market Throughout 2018, many of the world's superstars tried to sell their glamorous mansions and compounds. From Beverly Hills to Florida and New York City, there was a celebrity property for almost anyone who is extremely wealthy.

“Taylor Swift Restores Samuel Goldwyn Mansion” America’s #1 sweetheart, Taylor Swift, is one of the world’s richest celebrities with estimated career earnings from her music, concerts, acting and endorsements approaching $800 million. What to do with all that money? Taylor has invested much of it in real estate with homes in New York City, Rhode Island, Nashville and her most recent purchase of Samuel Goldwyn’s mansion in Beverly Hills. Included are a library-screening room, a guest suite with a private entrance on the home’s main level, a library, card room, gym and an additional private guest apartment above the garage. The master suite has a veranda that overlooks the city lights.

Outside is a swimming pool and pool house with kitchenette and sunken tennis courts.

Goldwyn (1879-1974) founded award-winning Goldwyn Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Productions - now known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer with the famous roaring lion head logo. In recognition of Goldwyn’s historical contributions to the film industry, Taylor sought and achieved landmark status for her new home to ensure its preservation for future generations of movie fans. Her home is now an official Beverly Hills city landmark.

Since purchasing the home in 2015, Swift has worked closely with architects to bring the estate back close to its condition that existed in 1934 when it was built for Goldwyn and his wife, Frances. The home was a neighborhood destination for many of the era’s Hollywood stars including Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin and used by Sam as collateral for several of his films including Wuthering Heights and his 1946 Oscar-winner The

Best Years of Our Lives. After he died in 1994, the home stayed in the Goldwyn family for over 80 years until Taylor purchased it from the estate of Goldwyn’s son for $25 million.

“Ellen DeGeneres's Montecito Flip” Ellen DeGeneres is well known for her endless energy dancing up and down the aisles of her TV show studios, headlining numerous Hollywood award shows and her frequent charity work and performances. In her spare time, Ellen is by far the #1 celebrity home flipper leaving her competitors such as Jennifer Aniston, Meg Ryan and Diane Keaton in the leftover construction dust.

Ellen and her wife, Australian–American actress Portia de Rossi’s latest real estate investment and a predominant subject in Ellen’s book, Home, is an expansive house and grounds on a Montecito, California hill overlooking the ocean and mountains and also next door to Oprah. Known as “The Villa,” it was designed by noted architect Wallace Frost after returning from Italy. Entranced by 17th-century Italian villas, this was the home he envisioned and built for himself and his family, which he replicated with great accuracy. Ellen and Portia purchased the estate in May 2013 for $26.5 million and expanded it through the acquisition of two adjacent properties, which now totals 16.88 acres.

The 10,500-square-foot home includes six bedrooms, eight baths, nine fireplaces, multiple libraries, a marble-wrapped chef’s kitchen and formal rooms. An indoor-outdoor entertaining pavilion was built from stone excavated on-site with hand-made iron windows. The couple also added a lap pool, sunken championship tennis court and installed state-of-the-art irrigation, mechanical, electronic and security systems. Suzanne Perkins of Sotheby’s International Realty in Santa Barbara, California is the listing agent.

Ellen’s 1930’s Italian villa is for sale; originally priced at $45 million, it has been reduced to $39.5 million.

“Johnny Carson's Longtime Beach Home” Unequaled late-night talk show host Johnny Carson was a standout among entertainers, to which his 30-year longevity on air is testament. Though three preceded him in the genre: Arthur Godfrey, Steve Allen and Jack Parr, it was Carson who became - and still is - the icon of late-night talk shows.

He sent Americans to bed each night with a smile on their faces and was instrumental in boosting the careers of many entertainers we still enjoy today including Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen DeGeneres, Roseanne Barr, David Letterman and Jay Leno.

After he moved his show from New York City to Burbank in 1972, Carson loved to play golf and for a number of years owned a home in Bel Air. However, in the mid 1980s he bought a four-acre, clifftop home above the celebrity-studded Point Dume community in Malibu overlooking the Pacific Ocean where he lived with third wife, Alexis, until his death in 2005. The house, designed by architect Ed Niles, is a study in wood beams, glass and indoor landscaping that blurs the line between indoors and out. On the grounds are championship tennis courts with a pavilion that has two bedrooms, kitchen, gym and locker room, a waterfall and koi pond, and another separate guest house. After Carson’s death in 2005, Alexis continued to live there for two more years before selling to film producer Sidney Kimmel and his wife, Caroline. The Kimmels restored it to its original plan and have recently put it on the market for $81.5 million. Chris.Cortazzo of Coldwell Banker, Malibu West, California is the listing agent.

See Homes, Page 17

Will feds loosen laws regulating marijuana?

So far, the task of loosening marijuana laws has been left to individual states to implement. But that changed when the Democrats won control of the House of Representatives last month.

“The states have been carrying the water for the pro-marijuana forces for several years but that may finally start to change,” says Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish (www.sarahleegossettparrish.com), a cannabis industry lawyer.

“The federal government is about to get involved in a big way. Uniform national marijuana laws are certainly now on the table.”

Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer (DOR) has already laid out a blueprint to advance national marijuana legislation. Blumenauer’s plan could begin as soon as Democrats take the gavel next month, he says. His strategy would include starting to move the 37 bills currently unable to make it to the House floor under Republicans onto committee schedules, for hearings and proposed legislation.

Here are some of the House committees that could be looking at marijuana issues and what they would be considering: The House Judiciary Committee.

Rep. Blumenauer wants the House to “deschedule” marijuana. It is currently labeled a “Schedule 1” drug, the most tightly restricted category reserved for drugs that have “no currently accepted medical use.”

Cannabis advocates have been trying to change that classification since

1972.

House Veterans Affairs Committee.

Hearings may be held on proposed legislation to give veterans access to medical marijuana.

House Financial Services Committee. The focus would be on banking changes. Right now, cannabis businesses are unable to use banks, causing them to be an all-cash business, which makes them more susceptible to robberies and violence. There are many other advantages for cannabis producers if they could have access to banking institutions.

Further optimism about the future of passing national marijuana laws is due to two major roadblocks being removed. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was fired by President Donald Trump and Texas Rep. Pete Sessions was defeated by Democrat Colin Allred. Although Jeff Sessions had more of a national profile, Rep. Pete Sessions was arguably more important for pro-marijuana forces to remove since he was chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee. He has been credited with keeping almost all marijuana legislation from reaching the floor of Congress for a vote.

“No marijuana bill could get a floor vote under Representative Sessions,” Parrish says. “He was probably the biggest legislative roadblock to comprehensive national marijuana legislation. Now that he is gone, there is a lot of optimism that many of these bills may finally get a vote.”

Edmond Life & Leisure • January 10, 2019 • Page 15

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Images from some of George’s top films of 2018 including ‘Won't You Be My Neighbor,’ ‘A Star is Born’ and ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’

Looking back at top 2018 films

By George Gust This time of year is a wasteland of new release movies in theaters. With the big time releases from Christmas still hanging around studios have pegged January as a time to dump the movies you know are stinkers.

This dearth of new releases on the silver screen provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the year that was 2018 at the movies. This year I’ll be doling out my own hardware for some

Square dance lessons start at the MAC As a reminder, Edmond Parks and Recreation in conjunction with Edmond’s Square Dance Club, “Teacup Chains,” are offering square dance lessons on Mondays and Thursdays at the MAC in Mitch Park.

Square dancing has over 1,000 steps per dance, it’s like Simon Says to music, everyone can do it, and it’s different that you remember from fourth grade.

There are two levels of lessons being offered, Plus (advanced) which start at 6 p.m. and Mainstream (beginning) which are from 7 to 9 p.m.

Cost for the lessons is $22 per person, payable to Edmond Parks and Recreation. Contact them to register at 405359-4630. Mainstream Lessons focus on learning the basic steps and Plus Lessons open the door for more challenge and possible competition. Square dancing is a great way to exercise both mind and body and the social benefit of belonging to a fun group is a bonus.

Club dances are held at the Edmond YMCA, 1220 S. Rankin St, each month on the first and third Saturday Nights.

Anyone is welcome.

Square dancing is friendship set to music.

Contact Leo Wideman at 405-657-9314 for any additional information on the lessons.

of 2018’s best in film.

Best Comedic Performance They say that comedy is subjective, but what is not up for debate is that Hollywood has given up on the wide release comedy.

Outside the Kevin Hart vehicle of the week, there wasn’t a lot to choose from.

However Ike Barinholtz’s performance in “Blockers” was off beat and irreverent enough to earn my best comedic perform-

ance.

Winner: Ike Barinholtz “Blockers” Runner Up: Awkwafina “Crazy Rich Asians” Nicest Movie There was a time in Hollywood when every movie needed to have an edge to it, covered in grit (see anything Zac Snyder has done). But there seems to be a yearning for a nicer and softer

See George, Page 16

Crossword Puzzle STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: FACES AND PLACES ACROSS 1. Fraternity K 6. ____Jeeves.com 9. Civil rights icon 13. Think tank output 14. Like a dim star 15. What pigeon did 16. *Up on compass 17. Shakespearean fuss 18. Did like goo 19. *On a novelty button 21. Decline 23. Galley tool 24. "Workers of the world, ____!"

25. ____-Air in L.A. 28. Way off freeway 30. *Pain scale faces, e.g.

34. "-zoic" periods 36. "____ ____ good example" 38. Xe 39. Hokkaido native 40. *Face in a text 42. Crescent 43. *Like Jason's or Freddy's face 45. October birthstone 46. Genealogical plant 47. Capital of Taiwan 49. "Tosca" tune 51. Blunder 52. Chopper blade 54. One of Indiana's quests 56. *On a prankster's face?

58. *Like one at a haunted house 61. Selected 62. Water snake 64. Prejudiced person 66. Macho men 67. Pastrami holder 68. South American camelid 69. *Like one in front of Taj Mahal?

70. Create with cloth 71. George to George W.

DOWN 1. Reunion bunch 2. #17 Across, pl.

3. Make waves 4. BBQ spot 5. Masonry unit 6. Not home 7. *Like one at a funeral 8. Familiar 9. *Face on Mount Rushmore 10. Do like goo 11. "As ____ on TV" 12. Put two and two together 15. Cerebral part 20. Clear the board 22. Doesn't mix with water 24. To the required standards, 3 words 25. *In Beauty's magic mirror 26. "The Goldbergs" sibling 27. Hawaiian veranda 29. Memorandum, for short 31. Accustom

32. Not a gregarious one 33. *On a snob's face 35. *One receiving something unexpected 37. A bit cracked 41. Hipbone-related 44. Monarch bodyguard 48. I in T.G.I.F. 50. Fit for farming 53. Deed hearings 55. Whale's lunch 56. Sound of relief 57. Opening page 58. A whole bunch 59. "Goodness gracious!"

60. Top of the Capitol 61. Repeated Cuban dance step 63. Needle hole 65. Makes feathers stick

See Answers Page 23

Answers Page 23

Page 16 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

George From Page 15

approach to content. In this regard the documentary “Won’t You be My Neighbor” wins the day, with heartfelt interviews with the people that knew Mr. Rogers best, this documentary reminds us what true positivity and caring can accomplish.

Winner: “Won’t You be My Neighbor” Runner Up: “Paddington 2” Honorable Mention: “Christopher Robin” Best Comic Book film Sorry Disney’s Marvel’s “Avengers: Infinity War” this just wasn’t your year. There were a couple of films that came on the block late in the year that had a fun and fresh take on the well worn super hero genre. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “Aquaman” were in a tight race for comic book movie superiority, but Spider-Man ultimately wins with its unique animation and attention to detail.

Winner: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” Runner Up: “Aquaman” Biggest Breakout Not too long ago Bo Burnham was just a silly Internet comedian turned stand up comic. With his writing and directing debut “Eighth Grade” he proves that he’s got the opportunity to be the voice of a generation. His debut film delves into a basically unexplored time in adolescence on film and reflects the social media obsessed society we currently live in.

Winner: Bo Burnham “Eighth Grade” Best Film While the Academy certainly will not agree with me, the best movie I saw this year was “A Star is Born” followed closely by “Mission Impossible: Fallout.” The filmmakers behind “Fallout” have taken the action genre to the next level in this film, producing a heart racing spy film that is so slick and moves so smoothly it’s hard to see it being topped in the prolific series. However, Bradley Cooper in front of and behind the camera shines in this remake of the classic Hollywood movie, with fantastic performances and moving music, “A Star is Born” is a movie that stays with you.

Winner: “A Star is Born” Runner Up: “Mission Impossible: Fallout”

Bumsoo Ahn, Ph.D.

Grant to help researcher look into aging issues Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist Bumsoo Ahn, Ph.D., has been awarded an Irene Diamond Fund/AFAR Postdoctoral Transition Award in Aging.

The award, presented by the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) with support from the Irene Diamond Fund, will provide $120,000 in research funding to Ahn, a postdoctoral fellow studying age-related skeletal muscle weakness at OMRF. AFAR is a leading nonprofit dedicated to advancing healthy aging through biomedical research. The goal of this program is to provide portable and flexible transitional funding for senior postdoctoral fellows as they transition to faculty positions. The award provides full-time research training and grant support.

“By giving these postdoctoral fellows this extra boost at a critical moment in their career path, AFAR is helping create a research pipeline that is essential to advancing better therapies for age-re-

lated diseases and discoveries that will help us all live healthier and longer,” said AFAR Executive Director Stephanie Lederman, Ed.M. At OMRF, Ahn works in the Aging and Metabolism Research Program under the guidance of Holly Van Remmen, Ph.D., looking at hormone administration as a therapeutic strategy for age-associated skeletal muscle weakness. Specifically, he studies unacylated ghrelin, a hormone naturally released by the stomach that signals you to eat. This hormone has unknown effects on skeletal muscle, but Ahn and Van Remmen found that when it was elevated in blood, it increased muscle mass.

Ahn earned his Ph.D. at University of Florida.

His academic focus was respiratory muscle weakness in in debilitating disease, including heart failure and cancer.

“I am honored to receive this award,” said Ahn. “This funding will provide me with a real opportunity to push my research forward and make a difference for our aging population.”

OMRF accepting applications for teen philanthropy class OMRF is now accepting applications for its seventh annual Teen Leaders in Philanthropy class. Applications are due March 15.

High school sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible to apply for the program, which helps students gain a deeper understanding of the nonprofit sector, develop hands-on leadership skills, learn about different types of giving and how they can best implement these skills in their communities.

Up to 45 students will be selected for the 2019-20 school year. The cost is free for students, and all expenses

are covered by OMRF. Students selected as teen leaders will learn the fundamentals of development, board structure, networking, fundraising and using social media.

They will work collectively on a special event to cap off the program activities in the spring.

Group sessions will begin in September and continue throughout the 2019-20 school year. Students chosen for the program must demonstrate good academic standing and attend school in Oklahoma.

For more information, visit omrf.org/teen-leaders.

State budget forecast looks bright The State Board of Equalization released last week its revenue certification for fiscal year 2020, which begins next July. If spending continued at its current pace, the budget for fiscal year 2020 is estimated to exceed the current budget by $612 million. This is not surprising after a year of record-breaking revenue collections for the state.

The last fiscal year, from July 2017 to June 2018, saw a record amount of revenue—$5.85 billion brought into the General Revenue Fund.

This current fiscal year has already seen an increase of $314 million deposited into the General Revenue Fund compared to the same time last year.

Much of this growth is attributable to the growing state economy as the oil and gas industry bounced back from the multi-year recession, and the state economy boomed along with the national economy.

While this recovery is certainly good news, revenue increases due to economic good times must be met with caution. As Oklahoma has experienced in the recent past, good times are not always guaranteed. A focus on government reforms and prudent spending habits should still be the priority. Keeping state government from becoming a hindrance to Oklahoma’s economic growth will ensure Oklahoma is better prepared for the next economic downturn

Edmond Life & Leisure • January 10, 2019 • Page 17

Energy producer gives grant to Catholic high school Cristo Rey Oklahoma City Catholic High School will be outfitting each of its current students with a TI-84 Plus calculator, courtesy of a “Funding the Future” STEM grant from Continental Resources.

Since 2013, Continental Resources has awarded grants to educators across the company’s operating area to bolster efforts in the key subjects of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and reading.

The grants are intended to fund innovative and engaging educational programs that nurture students with the educational resources they need to grow into future leaders.

“It is our hope at Continental that these grants are used to inspire the next generation of mathematicians, scientists and geologists in our state,” Continental Chairman and CEO Harold Hamm said. “Supporting Oklahoma’s outstanding teachers and students has long been a priority of our company, and we look forward to seeing how this grant money is used to further the education experience and prepare our next generation.”

The grant was accepted on behalf

PHOTO PROVIDED

Cristo Rey OKC Development Director Becca Giles (second from left) with members of Continental’s Funding the Future committee.

of Cristo Rey OKC by Development Director Becca Giles. The TI-84 Plus calculators will ensure every student at Cristo Rey has the classroom tools needed to solve the math problems

that are part of the school’s STEMbased curriculum.

Cristo Rey OKC President Renee Porter thanked Continental and said the school relied on strong commu-

nity support.

“Cristo Rey OKC is successful because of the tremendous support we continue to receive from businesses and individuals in our community,” said Porter. “Whether it’s employing our students directly through the Corporate Work Study Program, offering support through initiatives like ‘Funding the Future,’ or making donations that cover the cost of tuition, we are grateful and blessed to have the backing of so many generous partners. We are thrilled to put these resources to good use by offering our students a life-changing education and a pathway to college and a successful career.”

More than 200 educators in four states applied for Continental’s Funding the Future grants in 2018. A review committee voted to award grants to 47 teachers, including 33 in Oklahoma.

The Funding the Future program was established in 2013 to bolster education efforts in areas where Continental operates.

Grants are available up to $5,000.

To learn more about this grant program, visit http://clr.com/community.

Credit union marks 80th year Communication Federal Credit Union will celebrate its 80th year of serving the financial needs of Oklahomans in 2019. The credit union now has 23 locations, with two in Edmond. CFCU was recently ranked as the number one credit union in Oklahoma by Forbes Magazine and rated number one in member value by Callahan and Associates. Stop by any CFCU location to learn why we're number one when it comes to taking care of people.

Mercy holding ‘Family Fit Weekend Blitz’ Saturday The Mercy Fitness Center will be holding a Family Fit Weekend Blitz on Jan. 12 from noon to 2 p.m.

Officials state Mercy believes "a fit family is a happy family."

Mercy is offering participants a chance to come to the Kids' Zone and stay for a complimentary

aquatic service demonstration nod swim skill assessment. In addition, complimentary chair massages will be available in the lobby.

Mercy officials ask for one adult per child be there to participate. The Mercy Fitness Center is at 2017 W. Interstate 35 Frontage Road in Edmond.

For more information call (405) 757-3300.

Homes From Page 14 “Elvis And Priscilla Presley's Palm Springs Honeymoon Love Nest” Elvis Presley met Priscilla in Bad Nauheim, Germany in 1959 during his service in the Army when she was only 14-years-old, the daughter of an Army officer and his wife who had taken Priscilla with them to a party at Elvis’s home. Although she was only 14, Elvis couldn’t get her out of his mind and their budding relationship turned into a marriage proposal just before Christmas in 1966 - seven years later. They were married at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas in May, 1967. Elvis leased The House of Tomorrow as their honeymoon house on a one-year lease for $21,000 and their child, Lisa Marie, was born exactly nine months later. The home was designed by modernist architect William Krisel and featured in a 1962 Look magazine article as “The House of Tomorrow.”

Futuristic even for today, the midcentury-modern round house is on the market with walls of glass overlooking a secluded pool terrace and views of the Santa Rosa Mountains and the Coachella Valley. The 5,000square-foot house has five bedrooms and five baths and comes with 1.16 acres of land with private garden, tennis court and orchard in addition to the swimming pool. Mary Kay Nibley of Rodeo Realty, Beverly Hills, California is the listing agent.

Now for sale at $5.9 million, the House of the Future is also well-

known as the honeymoon hideaway of the King of Rock ‘n Roll which he leased in 1966-1967.

“Jane Fonda's Stunning Contemporary” From Vogue cover model, dance teacher, acclaimed Hollywood and Broadway actress and war protester to selling over 17 million exercise videos, Joan Fonda shows no signs of slowing down. She has owned and lived in many beautiful homes over the years from her New Mexico ranch where she lived in jeans and cowboy boots to her sleek and sophisticated home in the Beverly Hills Trousdale Estates which she put on the market in 2017.

The 7,100-square-foot home’s glass walls, glass elevator and multiple covered and open terraces create indoor/outdoor living spaces to enjoy sweeping canyon and ocean views.

Though very sophisticated in its contemporary design, the home is warm and inviting with multiple spaces for entertaining.

In addition to the outdoor viewing pavilion with fire pit, there is yet another special place - the meditation garden. Listing agents are Jade Mills and Valerie Fitzgerald of Coldwell Banker Previews International in Beverly Hills.

Jane Fonda’s stunning contemporary home in Beverly Hills overlooking a canyon and Pacific Ocean originally listed at $12.995 million has been reduced to $9.995 million.

Page 18 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

Tips for going on a spending diet According to the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend an average of $1,007.24 during the holiday season, up 4.1 percent from $967.13 from last year. If you went over your holiday budget this year, you may be worried and a bit apprehensive about checking bills in January. To help you get back on track, the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA) offers these tips to boost savings by sticking to a spending diet for your New Year’s resolution.

What is a spending diet? In layman’s terms, a spending diet is extreme budgeting. Basically, you vow to not spend any money outside of fixed expenses for a certain period of time. The most successful dieter will review fixed expenses and look for ways to cut costs there, too. The idea is to spend only what is vitally necessary in order to push additional savings toward debt or building savings. n Increase your income to increase your savings. Even if you only have a few spare hours on the weekend, consider finding a second job to boost your income. If you are serious about your spending diet, even the smallest income increase can make a difference. If you’re unable to work another job, consider selling off some of your belongings. List more valuable items on websites such as eBay or Craigslist, but be cautious about online scams and only meet potential buyers in public, crowded places. For lower value items that are not in new or good condition, organize a garage sale. n Cut out non-essential expenses.

In order to see results in your spending diet, you will need to cut out as much nonessential spending as possible. Entertainment expenses can make or break your spending diet. Therefore, try to avoid making plans to go out, see a movie or shop with friends.

Instead, make plans that involve very little spending – such as watching a movie at home, hosting a game night at home, going to the park, visiting a free museum, borrowing movies, books or audiobooks from a local library, etc. n Consider ways to lower fixed expenses. If you are a homeowner, talk to a banker and see if you are able to refinance your mortgage at a lower rate. It isn’t always possible, but you will never know until you ask. Also consider reviewing other plans—such

as mobile phone carriers, cable or satellite subscriptions services—to see if a cheaper alternative exists. For example, according to Fortune, pay TV subscribers (which includes satellite service) paid an average of $107 per month in 2017. changing to alternative services – like Hulu and Netflix – can lower your spending drastically, depending on what you are willing to cut from your viewing. If the service is unnecessary, or it goes unused every month, consider canceling the service altogether. n Make the most of what you already have. Items like food and shelter are obvious necessities, but eating out during a spending diet can make savings goals difficult to reach. While you’re on a spending diet, try to make meals at home as often as possible.

Challenge yourself to save even more by only using the food in your kitchen. Set aside a very modest weekly budget for staple items—such as milk, eggs, butter and bread—but see how far you can stretch pantry items, like beans, rice, pasta and canned vegetables. To make it easier, find an app or website (like SuperCook.com) that allows you to input the items you have and shows you recipes you can make. n Avoid credit and debit temptations. Consider hiding or removing credit cards from your purse or wallet and storing them in a safe place. Carrying plastic increases the temptation and the likelihood you will cheat on your spending diet—much like keeping potato chips and candy bars in your office if you’re trying to lose weight.

By hiding credit cards, you’ll have to dig them out to use them, which will give you the opportunity to secondguess purchases and determine if they are worth crashing your diet. n Evaluate and adjust your regimen. Like a diet for weight loss, a spending diet should be a gradual process and adjustments should be made along the way until goals are met. Begin your spending diet by documenting your savings over a week’s time. Once the week is over, evaluate how much you saved and how well you stuck to your spending diet. After seeing how much you saved, you may want to increase your savings initiatives by extending your spending diet to a few months. Eventually, with hard work and determination, you’ll see positive results in your bank account.

Edmond Life & Leisure • January 10, 2019 • Page 19

Ways newspapers benefit students

Classrooms have come a long way since the days when pioneering settlers would send their children to single-room schoolhouses. Modern classrooms might be technical marvels, but one less flashy learning tool remains as valuable as ever.

Newspapers might not be as glamorous as tablets or other gadgets, but they are still an invaluable resource to educators and students. The following are seven ways in which newspapers in the classroom can benefit students. n Newspapers build vocabulary.

Numerous studies have found that reading can improve youngsters' vocabulary. Each day, newspapers are filled with fresh stories that can introduce kids to new words, helping them to strengthen their vocabularies and make them more effective communicators. n Newspapers improve reading skills. Like the old adage says, "Practice makes perfect." Reading newspapers each day can help kids develop their reading and comprehension skills. n Newspapers promote critical thinking. Newspaper reporters are trained to objectively report the news, sharing facts without allowing their own opinions to influence their stories. Educators can choose stories from the newspaper to serve as catalysts for discussions that focus not just on the facts listed in the story, but what might be behind them.

Such discussions can help youngsters develop their critical thinking skills. n Newspapers bring ideas and current events to life. Many children are aware of major world events, even if they don't know or understand the details. Newspaper articles about world events can be used as avenues to discussions about what's going on in the world. n Newspapers build global awareness. Customized newsfeeds funneled through social media outlets can make it hard for young people to recognize and understand the world beyond their own communities and

A newspaper can engage a student to learn in many different ways.

interests. Each days, newspapers include local, national and international stories that can illustrate to kids that there's a world beyond their own. n Newspapers promote social consciousness. Without newspapers, young people may never be exposed to the social issues facing their own communities or those issues that are affecting people across the country

and the world. Newspapers provide unbiased exposure to such issues, potentially leading youngsters to further explore topics that are shaping their world and even encouraging them to form their own opinions. n Newspapers make learning fun.

According to a 2017 report from Common Sense Media, kids younger than eight spend an average of two

hours and 19 minutes per day looking at screens. Newspapers provide a welcome break from tablets, smartphones and computers, and kids may have fun flipping pages and getting a little ink on their hands.

Newspapers remain invaluable resources that can benefit students in myriad ways.

By Metro News Service

Page 20 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

ABOVE -- Owner of Lorenzen Farm Art, Nichole Lorenzen of Lawton creates farmhouse decor and gifts from her original watercolor paintings.

LEFT --- Lorenzen offers original watercolor paintings in real barn wood frames and prints on tile, metal, coasters, car coasters (as seen), bookmarks and magnets. Shown here are her coasters and a Christmas ornament.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Made in Oklahoma

Agriculturalist brings city to farm in a unique way LAWTON – Nichole Lorenzen is bringing the farm to the city one art project at a time.

Owner of Lorenzen Farm Art, Nichole Lorenzen creates farmhouse decor and gifts from her original watercolor paintings. She offers her paintings in real barn wood frames and prints on tile, metal, coasters, car coasters, bookmarks and magnets.

“Being able to offer farm tractor art prints to people that own or remember their pieces of equipment makes me feel like I am bringing agriculture into a few more homes,” Lorenzen said.

She said what makes her art special is that it is created from what she sees on her own farm where she bales hay and tends to cattle alongside her husband. Lorenzen said she loves that she can paint and work while watching the kids and dogs play all while the cattle bawl in the background. She loves the idea of growing a business at her farm.

Lorenzen Farm Art was started in 2013 when Lorenzen was accepted to an art show. In 2017 she opened her online Etsy store. This year, she has added Amazon and is currently building a website for wholesale and retail shoppers. She also sets up booths at art shows and festivals.

“The booth should feel like a country home that says, ‘Come in, leave your boots on the porch and grab a sweet tea,’” Lorezen said. “It brings a smile to your face and lightens your load. The artwork is bright and happy. It reminds you of good old memories from Grandpa’s farm.”

Lorenzen’s goal is to continue expanding her operation into gift shops and businesses across the state and nation. Lorenzen Farm Art recently joined the Made in Oklahoma Program. To learn more about the business, visit www.nicholelorenzen.com or find the company on Facebook, Instagram or Etsy.

Edmond Life & Leisure • January 10, 2019 • Page 21

Eateries close on Broadway

By Richard Mize NewsOK.com/The Oklahoman Edmond's old main drag is kind of dragging after another wave of restaurant closings late last year.

They screeched to a stop on top of the 2017 shuttering of Pepe's Mexican Restaurant and relocation of Outback Steakhouse to Memorial Road and the demise of Applebee's and other eateries.

Broadway Avenue from downtown south to 33rd Street has seen better days.

The most recent casualties are national, regional and local.

PHOTO PROVIDED

n Long John Silver's, 630 S Broadway, closed.

The franchiser is based in Lexington, Kentucky. n Rib Crib, 2601 S Broadway, closed. The barbecue chain is based in Tulsa. n Colby's Grill, 511 S Broadway, closed. It was owned and operated by an Edmond couple.

Sagging performance may not necessarily be the only problem. Traffic isn't lacking: Four of the top 10 busiest intersections in Edmond are along Broadway, at 33rd Street, 15th Street, South Avenue and Comfort Drive.

Colby Mason said on the Colby's Grill Facebook page that he closed in November after his landlord sold the building.

The sale could have been part of a bigger effort to accumulate property in the area for redevelopment, said Janet Yowell, executive director of the Edmond Economic Development Authority. She noted that recent closings have been older buildings.

"If you want to go back a little longer in time,

See Close, Page 22

Also with Jeremy, middle, are Patti Davis, President, Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) and David Whitaker, Board Chairman, Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA).

By McBride Orthopedic Hospital

Honored for his dedication It is with pride, McBride Orthopedic Hospital honors Jeremy Podany, RN, BSN, as its Oklahoma Hospital Association ‘2018 Spirit of Passion and Dedication’ Award Recipient.

Jeremy serves as Director of Acute at McBride and has been an enthusiastic, motivational, handson leader.

He believes in consistent communication with his employees and works hard to be a strong listener and effective manager and co-worker within the organization.

One of Jeremy’s greatest strengths is his relationship with patients and their families. He makes a point to engage with patients/visitors so he can understand their needs, wants and expectations during their stay. That desire to gain additional in-

New Ag Secretary will speak at Cattlemen’s Association The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association is pleased to announce that Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma's newly appointed Secretary of Agriculture, will kickoff the 2019 Winter Policy Meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 23. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the Reed Conference Center located in Midwest City, Okla. Committee meetings and the OCA quarterly board of director's meeting will follow Secretary Arthur's keynote address.

"We are so thrilled and honored that Secretary Arthur has accepted our invitation to speak and kick off our annual

Policy Meeting. She brings a wealth of experience, solid leadership and a tremendous passion for the success of Oklahoma agriculture," said Weston Givens, OCA President. "In 2016, Arthur was presented OCA's Distinguished Service Award. She is an OCA member and a fellow beef producer.

We sincerely look forward to working with her as Oklahoma's Secretary of Agriculture."

The winter policy meeting provides OCA members an opportunity to consider and create policy that drives the organization. OCA membership is required to attend.

EEDA’s ‘Preview’ set for Feb. 7 The Edmond Economic Development Authority “Preview” will be Feb. 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Edmond Conference Center, 2833 Conference Drive.

The center is in the Hilton Garden In Edmond at the northwest corner of Interstate 35 and Covell Road.

This year's guest speakers include the Oklahoma Lieutenant Gov. Matt

Pinnell as well as EEDA executive director Janet Yowell.

Until Feb. 1 the cost will be $30.

After that it's $40. Lunch is included in the ticket price.

To register, please visit www.eeda.com/event-home or call (405) 340-0116.

Sponsoring the 2019 Preview is First Fidelity Bank.

Couple sentenced for fraud A husband and wife duo who previously were charged with 115 counts of Medicaid fraud by a federal grand jury have been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay $268,796 in restitution.

U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Lawrence Vasquez, 62, to 20 months in federal prison and three years of probation and his wife Eunja Vasquez, 56, to five years of probation and 15 days of weekend incarceration for submitting fraudulent claims for unnecessary medical supplies to Medicaid beneficiaries through their Edmond company, Mercy Diabetic Supply Inc.

The company is not affiliated with Mercy Health System.

The two pleaded guilty last summer after Attorney General Mike Hunter's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the company. Investigators found the couple were falsifying Medicaid claims for insulin pump supplies for patients who didn't use insulin pumps for treating diabetes. Some of the claims the couple filed were for patients who didn't have diabetes.

Investigators also found the couple falsified medical forms and forged physician signatures as part of their unlawful operation.

To submit business news please send to news@edmondpaper.com

sight and apply what he learns into daily operations has proven to be an important resource toward his overall success.

Jeremy models strong leadership qualities in everything he does and makes it a point to further his management skills by exploring various resources of information. He loves to read articles and do research in order to garner a broader perspective and makes a point to share that information with staff to grow their range of abilities as well.

McBride is blessed to have such an unyielding force on its staff. Jeremy’s passion and dedication to his job exemplifies McBride’s mission and highlights the positive impact a gifted leader can have on any organization.

Page 22 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure

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Tall Oak Midstream presented Sunbeam Family Services with a $5,000 donation to support the nonprofit’s mission of providing people of all ages with help, hope, and the opportunity to succeed through Early Childhood, Foster Care, Counseling and Senior Services.

"Giving back is a core value at Tall Oak Midstream,” said Carlos Evans, chief commercial officer and founding partner of Tall Oak Midstream.

“Sunbeam Family Services is an outstanding organization and we are very pleased to support its efforts to assist the most vulnerable among us and strengthen every generation in our community.”

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Each year, Sunbeam provides wraparound services to 10,000 Oklahomans to break the cycle of generational poverty and help them learn, grow, heal, and thrive.

“Sunbeam serves our community from cradle to cane, which means we help babies from birth to our senior citizens,” said Jim Priest, chief executive officer of Sunbeam. “Thanks to generous support from the community and partners like Tall Oak Midstream, we are able to provide supportive services to our neighbors when they need it the most.”

To learn more about Sunbeam, or to make a donation, visit sunbeamfamilyservices.org or call 405-609-8994.

Santa Fe Presbyterian Church hires Hall to lead programs

SOLD! TWIN BRIDGES

in restaurants, which account for 40 percent of retail, said Jim Parrack, senior vice president and head of the retail property division of Price Edwards & Co. "And, you would expect the fallout to hit poor operators/concepts and less desirable locations first," Parrack said, "which brings us to the issue of the corridor.

"If you exclude the larger neighborhood centers at 33rd and Broadway, the Broadway corridor in Edmond has always been a bit of a mixed bag. Much of this can be attributed to it being a high-traffic commuter route that is located between two major retail corridors — Memorial Road between Western and Portland and the Second and Broadway area in Edmond."

Parrack said high traffic on Broadway, if not fragmented by spotted, concentrated pockets of stores and restaurants, might support a retail power center.

Inman said dining and shopping on Broadway, existing or new, will increasingly compete with Quail Springs Mall and Memorial Road, and even Penn Square Mall and Oklahoma City's Midtown, because of road improvements.

In any case, whether Broadway Avenue's best days are in the past, or this is a lull, Yowell said "it's prime for redevelopment."

Edmond-based Tall Oak Midstream donates $5,000 to Sunbeam Service

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add Santa Fe Cattle Co., Marie Callender's, Pepperoni Grill, KFC, Golden Corral, El Chico, Goldie's to (the) list of restaurant casualties on the old Broadway corridor in Edmond," said Mark Inman, senior vice president and retail property broker with CBRE. Restaurants are going where the people are, he said, especially where they live rather than commute.

Housing sprawl has scattered stores and restaurants.

"Ten to 15 years ago, Edmond primarily had one retail corridor, which was Broadway. Now, Broadway has to compete with four or five retail corridors within the Edmond trade area," Inman said.

Retail growth around Second Street and Bryant Avenue, Danforth Road and Santa Fe Avenue, Covell Road and Kelly Avenue, and 15th Street and Interstate 35, he said, is "creating fragmented traffic patterns and fragmented dining and shopping."

Vacated eateries aren't necessarily being replaced by new restaurants.

AAA Insurance is in a new $1.74 million building where Pepe's was at 1701 S Broadway. The Wash Factory car wash, at $1.75 million, is going in where Applebee's was at 3521 S Broadway.

Closings along Broadway are probably fallout from the general growth

“I love students and have had some success maintaining long-term relationships with them,” said Laurel Hall, who was recently hired as Santa Fe Presbyterian Church’s DirecHall tor of Youth Ministry and Christin Education. Hall started her new position at this church in Edmond on Jan. 1.

She will be preaching from the pulpit on Jan. 13.

For the past 18 months, she has served the congregation of Connecting Point/The North Campus of Westminster Presbyterian Church as a Pastoral Intern. Hall grew up as an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City.

She also served Westminster as a Youth Intern - writing curriculum and teaching high school Sunday School classes, taking students on mission trips, and spearheading a college ministry. In addition, Hall served as Chaplain for Troop 4 Boy Scouts of America.

She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in Letters with Distinction degree and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. In 2014, Hall began her seminary journey at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. She graduated in 2018, having won the seminary's Frederick Boechner Award for Excel-

lence in Preaching.

In 1996, she married Ward Hall and taught French at Westminster Middle School. The two welcomed their first child, daughter Arden, in 1999.

For six years, the family re-located to Paris, Texas, and during that time welcomed their second child, son Brink, in 2001. While they lived in Paris, they were active members of Holy Cross Episcopal Church. The family moved back to Oklahoma City in 2004.

Hall has been a certified yoga instructor since 2003 and earned her 500-hour master teacher certification with Holy Yoga in 2012. When she's not at church, she loves to cook, exercise, and cheer for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the University of Oklahoma Sooners.

Santa Fe Presbyterian Church, 1603 North Santa Fe Avenue in Edmond, has been striving to fulfill its vision statement, “We are an oasis of hope in Christ; come see, be fed, go tell,” since its charter in 1996. The church has continually been growing and is in the process of planning a new addition to its current facilities through its Vision 2020 program.

Mission is a strength of this church and supports more than five organizations that are a food resource for the Oklahoma City metro area.

Services are Sunday at 8:30 am and 11 am. Child care is available.

For further information: call 405/341-3300 or visit the website www.santafechurch.org.

Send news, photographs to news@edmondpaper.com

Edmond Life & Leisure • January 10, 2019 • Page 23

Company’s grant to benefit youth at upcoming summer camp Sunbeam Family Services received a $5,000 grant from UnitedHealthcare in support of Sunbeam’s “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” program. This grant will provide 100 scholarships to grandfamilies at Camp Shiloh this summer.

Oklahoma is one of the top states in the nation for grandparents raising their grandchildren due to the state’s high incarceration rate. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren supports Oklahomans raising their grandchildren without the presence of parents in the home. The majority of grandfamilies receive no support from the biological parents or the state. This program is open to grandparents living in Oklahoma, Cleveland, Canadian and Logan counties.

“UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to support Sunbeam’s Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program and Camp Shiloh. This grant will

help provide a fun and safe summer experience for participating children, and an important and welldeserved break for their grandparents,” said Chris Abbott, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement in Oklahoma. “Grandparents who raise their grandchildren provide an invaluable service to their families and communities. We hope grandparents will take advantage of the time kids spend at camp to focus on their own health and well-being.”

UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement is the largest business dedicated to the health and wellbeing needs of Medicare beneficiaries, more than 120,000 of whom live in Oklahoma.

“Camp Shiloh is a ‘week of camp fun’, allowing many of our grandchildren to benefit from leadership programing,” said Patrick O’Kane, director of Senior Services at Sunbeam. “Attending camp is a luxury not in the budget for our grandfamilies. In

addition to the grandchildren enjoying this special experience, grandparents have the opportunity to focus on their own self-care, something that is usually overlooked.”

Sunbeam’s Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program serves nearly 300 grandfamilies and more than 600 grandchildren. For more information about Sunbeam’s Senior Services, call 405-6096551 or visit sunbeamfamilyservices.org/GRG. This holiday season, Sunbeam is asking the community to join them in raising $87,000 to help children, families and seniors learn, grow, heal and thrive. The nonprofit’s mission is to provide people of all ages with help, hope, and the opportunity to succeed through Early Childhood, Foster Care, Counseling and Senior Services. For more information, visit sunbeamfamilyservices.org or call 405609-8994.

Group having coat drive Central Oklahoma Chapter Hearing Loss Association of America (COC HLAA) is collecting coats to benefit City Rescue Mission and we welcome your assistance. To participate, bring a new coat for a man, woman, or child, or a 'gently used', clean coat to the Hearing Helpers Room, 5100 N Brookline, Suite 100 before Jan. 17.

Hearing Loss Association exists to assist those with hearing loss live successfully in a hearing world. There are two meetings monthly striving toward that goal. Meetings are on the second Monday at 6:30 p.m., and the third Thursday, 1:30 p.m. Meetings are held at the Lakeside Methodist Church, 2925 NW 66 and the public is invited. No charge. For more information, visit the website. OKCHearingLoss.org

Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi Good Shepherd Anglican Church (Traditional Episcopal) 1000 N. Broadway, Edmond •314-8715 Sundays - Holy Communion 8:00 & 10:00am Animal Friendly Parish “If you have people who exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have those who deal likewise with their fellow human being.”

St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

www.anglicancgsedmondok.com 1928 Book of Common Prayer • anglicancgesedmondok.com

SCRIPTURE • TRADITION • REASON

Page 24 • January 10, 2019 • Edmond Life & Leisure