Edmond Outlook - July 2018

July 2018

9-to-5 with our Canine Coworkers

War Relics From the Attic Dishing Up Friendship Fast Lap Around America

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Features

Alison and I took a road trip to Arlington, Texas last weekend to attend the Eagles concert. I got some tickets on the floor and figured it would be a good get-out-of-town weekend.

If you haven’t attended a concert at the AT&T stadium, let me fill you in. It’s huge. You could fit at least 2 Chesapeake Arenas in there. Even with decent floor seats, we felt miles away. Chris Stapleton opened for the Eagles. I’m not really familiar with his music but some guys wearing cowboy hats a few rows in front of us seemed really excited.

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DISHING UP FRIENDSHIP

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FOR PRESIDENTS & RESIDENTS

Gathan Graham Shares the Power of Music

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OFFICE DOGS

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RANCH HAND, ROPER, PAINTER

Pam & Lisa’s Vintage Obsession

Canine Coworkers Abound in Edmond Capturing the Old West in Sweat & Oil Paint

So, the Eagles come out and nearly 100,000 aging boomers go wild. Back in the ‘90s the Eagles had a tour called Hell Freezes Over (cause they all got over their differences and got back together – probably to pay some bills). I think this tour could be called Memory Loss Takes Over. Lyrics were missed, the audience was welcomed with a “Helllllo Houston” (oops), and voices weren’t what they used to be. Let’s just say half the band took it to the limit, and the other half took it easy.

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But some things never change. Fans will be fans, and when you serve alcohol, some fans become amazing people-watching material. There was a disturbance a couple of rows behind us – two women in their 60s were pulling hair and slapping each other – all because of a spilled beer. Security got the two separated and calmed down. The officers kind of looked like they were lecturing their moms.

Business

Even with a marked increase of oxygen tanks and mobility scooters among the concert attendees, count me in for their next tour. I could always use a reminder that “Life’s Been Good” - as Joe Walsh likes to sing … and he should know, he’s 70.

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WAR RELICS FROM THE ATTIC

Clayton Barnwell Shares Battle of the Bulge Memories FAST LAP AROUND AMERICA

Local Couple Wins National Driving Competition

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RELATIONAL REPAIR

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CROSSINGS CARING

Helping Individuals and Couples Heal Engaging Through Volunteer Ministries

Columns 28

LOUISE TUCKER JONES

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DR. J. DAVID CHAPMAN

My Last Bicycle Ride

Beautifying the Gateways

Dave Miller Back40 Design President Cover photography by Marshall Hawkins

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Edmond Outlook is a publication of Back40 Design, Inc.

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© 2018 Back40 Design, Inc.

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FEATURELOOK

Pam (left) and Lisa (right)

Dishing Up

By Amy Dee Stephens

Friendships are formed in many ways. Pam Mangus and Lisa Pruitt bonded over, not dinner, but over dinnerware. Pam collects Depression-era glass and Lisa collects Fiesta pottery.

Now, their 20-year friendship revolves around a routine of shopping at antique stores—looking for the next special dish to take home and add to the hundreds of dishes they already own.

Pam, a church secretary, and Lisa, a school secretary, are a bit like Lucy and Ethel from the I Love Lucy show. Pam is more reserved and practical, while Lisa is more spontaneous and primed for adventure. They believe it’s their “opposites attract” chemistry that make their friendship special. They’ve shared many laughs while spurring each other toward the purchase of just one more plate.

Although Pam and Lisa have rare and valuable items in their collections, neither pay premium prices. They find greater joy in buying pieces for a few dollars at a thrift store.

Lisa, who owns nearly 300 Fiesta items, admits that her collecting tendency might be an addiction. “Don’t judge,” she said with a laugh. “FiestaWare is so much a part of me, and I do use it! I should be ashamed to admit that I own over 60 luncheon plates, but that’s because I wanted to open a tea room at one time.”

Fiesta was commercially produced as a more expensive line of dinnerware during the 1930s. Lisa purchased her first piece 32 years ago by saving green stamps for a cobalt blue pitcher. Although she’s perfectly happy with modern pieces, she loves finding old originals to brighten her table.

Pam owns over 500 pieces of Depression glass, because it is “cheerful and pretty.” Depression glass, which was cheap and prone to flaws, was originally

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Friendship used as a freebie giveaway during the 1930s. “It was much like finding a prize in a box a Cracker Jacks,” Pam said. “You’d open a container of oats or detergent and find a saucer inside; then you’d go to the store and buy matching pieces.”

Although the glass was only worth pennies then, it’s now quite valuable.

“After I inherited my grandma’s green sugar bowl and lid, I learned how rare it is to have a lid, because it just rested on top without nesting into the bowl,” Pam said. “The fact that it survived intact on a cluttered cabinet for 70 years, from her marriage to the end of her life, just fascinates me.”

Pam finds herself distracted anytime she notices Depression glass in a movie, such as the scene in The Green Mile where the characters are eating under a tree. “I can hardly listen to what they are talking about because I’m so focused on the dishware and thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve got that one!’”

Neither Pam nor Lisa are distracted when it comes to scouting through an antique store or estate sale. They have a solid routine developed which includes pre-scheduling visits based upon opening and closing times. They occasionally take a road trip that results in a friendly competition to find the most pieces or the most valuable pieces.

“It’s more about the memories and the bonding than the stuff,” Lisa said with a laugh. “We don’t need any more, but we continue because it’s truly about our friendship. “For me, every piece has a story,” said Pam. “I think about how I got it, who owned it before me, and how it survived for so many decades. I’d say that if you’re interested in collecting, get a guide book and narrow down what you most want---so that you don’t end up with 500 pieces like me!”

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FEATURELOOK

Playing for Presidents Residents

By Amy Dee Stephens

Gathan Graham lives and loves music! He’s played for three presidents, but his favorite audience members are the residents at local senior citizens facilities.

“It’s incredible to see the power of music work in their lives, especially Alzheimer patients,” Graham said. “Several times a month, I’ll be playing, and all of a sudden, I’ll see the staff getting very excited. Someone who hasn’t spoken a word in months starts singing along to a hymn. It’s embedded in their soul. It’s such a privilege to witness this, and I see it happen all the time.”

Graham is a man of great enthusiasm. He receives much joy from his work as a musician--to the point that he spends his holidays playing for residents.

Although he charges for his playing, he keeps his fees to a minimum, because, “Money can’t buy the joy I get from making listeners happy.”

His fingers fly over the keys at mind-boggling speed. Graham calls it, “singing songs with my fingers.” He usually plays five to seven hours a day, but on Christmas he plays nine hours. “It sounds crazy, but my fingers don’t get tired. That’s how I know it’s God-inspired.”

Although Graham plays a wide variety of music, from country classics to Frank Sinatra favorites, his goal is to keep the old church hymns alive, because that’s the music that speaks strongly to the elderly. As he plays, he looks into the faces of his audience, knowing that even if they seem “checked out,” his music is reaching them in ways he can’t understand.

“Sometimes I see people smile or cry,” Graham said. “Probably 100 people a week tell me it’s the best music they’ve ever heard. I’m not bragging. I feel it. I see it. One song can bring back a thousand memories. That’s why I’m always watching; waiting for that happy moment.”

Graham never had formal music training. He only plays by ear. He taught himself to play the violin and accordion before he was five, and then he begged for piano lessons. Although he had perfect pitch, the local piano teacher said he was too young, so he said, “Fine, I’ll teach myself.” When he was 14-years old, his church needed a piano player, so he took the job, which became his foundation for spiritual music.

As an adult, Graham only dabbled with music. He didn’t return to music until tragedy struck during his early forties. His wife passed away from cancer, and he went through a “dark valley” of depression for four years before he started playing for senior citizens. Now, he is playing full-time, and is often invited to perform at churches and share his story.

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Every Tuesday night, Graham hosts a Facebook Live performance, taking song requests from around the world. He has thousands of hymns memorized, and it doesn’t matter if he hasn’t played the song since childhood—he can still play it perfectly.

Graham has perfomed at the White House ten times--for Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump. In 2017, the Trump Administration invited Graham to play during the White House Christmas tours. “They seemed shocked that I was willing to play for two and a half hours without a break,“ Graham said. “Why take a break when I’m playing on the Steinway piano given to President Roosevelt?”

Graham sees his White House concerts as a big honor, but his true love is to perform for his hometown audiences. He’s a celebrity among the senior citizen set, and they often ask for his autograph. “I’d rather play for them than make millions,” Graham said. “Every day, I’m thankful to play and minister through music, and I’m excited to know that the best is yet to come.”

For more information visit www.gathangraham.com

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FEATURELOOK

Ca nine Coworkers

By Amy Dee Stephens

It’s a growing trend that dogs are “working” in the offices of local companies. Their job is simple: to make employees and customers happier!

Gigi

Gigi may sound like a petite name, but this Great Dane weighs 165 pounds!

Her owner, Todd Wendling, works at US Insurance Group LLC. “I’m six feet tall, and she’s past my waist—so people just stare. I’ve heard people say they haven’t seen a horse that big!” Todd said.

Despite Gigi’s size, she’s not an intimidating dog in behavior. She’s calm, easy going, and quiet. When clients visit, she sniffs them and lies down at Todd’s feet. Todd began bringing her to the office three months ago when his other dog passed away. He hated to leave her by herself, so now, she lies by the office window and watches customers and employees from nearby offices walk by. Todd enjoys her company and is humored by the fact that Gigi now has her own fan club of visitors.

Campus Dogs

A variety of dogs live on the campus of Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics. The dogs are family members of faculty and residential staff who live at the school to oversee the coursework of the 150 high school juniors and seniors who board at the school.

Students and campus visitors often see the dogs while walking around the 32-acre campus. The dogs, small and docile, remain on a leash at all times because staff are cognizant that some people are nervous around dogs.

According to Liz Heigle, the public information officer, “Having dogs on campus creates calmness that reminds many students of home. Students see the dogs in offices, but not in the classroom, because that’s an intense college level environment.”

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Todd and Gigi

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Every Kid Needs Summer Vacation

Jump into the fun!

11807 Sooner Road, Edmond 405.826.7524 nancy@twisteragility.com JULY 2018

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FEATURELOOK Continued from Page 14

Bailey

Bailey is the quiet, mellow Australian Shepherd of Dave Miller. Dave owns Back40 and publishes Outlook magazine. Since his wife, Sandy, passed away, Bailey has been Dave’s steady companion at the office. “Bailey’s really our company dog, because she mixes with all the staff,” Dave said. “She backs up to us when she wants to be scratched, but she’s not a nuisance.”

Dave used to envy people who took their dogs to work, and it finally dawned on him that he could too. The result is that clients love Bailey.

“They tell me our company seems even more trustworthy because we have a dog. Plus, there’s a certain coolness factor,” Dave said, with goodhumored smugness. “In truth, our quality of life is better because she’s here, and her quality of life is certainly better than if she stayed at home with my cat.”

Handsome

Handsome is a grocery store rescue dog that was destined for the pound nine years ago. His owner, Robin Bray, took him in, and he’s spent every workday since at the Quail Tag Agency. “He’s very famous and often photographed,” Robin said. “He thinks that every customer who walks in the door has come to see him.”

Robin and the staff find it a great comfort to have Handsome around. As a rottweiler/labrador/chow mix, he’s protective of his people before and after work. He’ll bark before 9am and after 6pm, but during office hours, he remains silent. According to Robin, on the rare occasion that a customer visits who doesn’t like dogs, she tells Handsome to, “Go to work,” and he’ll go behind the counter and lay down to pout until he or she is gone.”

Dave and Bailey

Trish and Greta

Lady Greta von Schnauzer

Trish Maxwell, owner of Journey Quilt Company, describes her miniature schnauzer as, “the most amazing little ice-breaker and marketer.” Many first-time customers are more aware of her dog than of her services. “People literally walk in and give her their full attention before they talk to me about ordering a quilt,” Trish said.

Trish describes her schnauzer as a cute, quirky little dog, who demands carrots every day at 10:00 and 3:00 on the dot. Unlike most terrier breeds, Lady Greta is not a barker, unless she sees a child she wants to play with or a squirrel she wants to chase. “We call her our Journey Dog, and all my staff love that she comes to work every day.”

Cotton

Although Cotton is a foster dog owned by Curtis Aduddell, she has 79 other “owners” as well. The Great Pyrenees is a daily visitor at Heritage Assisted Living, where she is everyone’s pet. After one look at her sweet, soulful eyes, all fear of her large size disappears. In fact, her enormous size is of benefit to residents who often can’t bend down to pet a small dog.

“Sometimes when people come to our facility, they’ve left pets behind—so Cotton becomes their pet. We know that animals increase the longevity of senior citizens,” said Kimberly Brinner, the director of admissions and marketing at Heritage. “Cotton has a regular visiting routine of taking walks and accepting treats from the residents. When there’s a birthday to celebrate, Cotton even delivers balloons.

If your workplace needs a furry, four-legged coworker to lighten the mood and bring a smile to busy days, check out local dog rescues and animal shelters for the perfect companion. You’ll not only bring some fun to the office, but save a dog’s life in the process. That’s a win-win success worth wagging about.

Summer and Cotton

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FEATURELOOK

Ranch Hand, Roper, Painter

By Amy Dee Stephens

Steve Boaldin

“I don’t paint cowboy art because it’s popular--it’s because it’s what’s in me,” said artist Steve Boaldin.

Boaldin grew up on a cattle ranch, and he loves to tell visual stories about the American cowboy’s way of life. After some ranch work of his own, followed by a 30-year career as a commercial artist for The Edmond Sun, Mardel, and The Oklahoman, Boaldin is now focusing on his art full-time.

That, and his Telly-awarded, Emmy-nominated television show, Art of a Cowboy.

The show was born when Boaldin visited an Oklahoma ranch in early 2017, seeking ideas for new paintings. He took photographs of the animals and the scenery, but was equally inspired by the passion of the workers. “These people are humble, and quiet and hard-working—and they’re feeding the world!” Boaldin said. “Some people think ranching is dead and gone, but it’s still going strong.”

“The show is unscripted. It’s just learning the story of their lives,” Boaldin said. “After visiting the ranch, I look through the footage for the scenes that I think are the most touching to paint.”

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“Selling the originals is what keeps me fed and the electricity on, but I’m the most happy when I’m painting,” Boaldin said, “When people buy a painting, they feel very connected to it, especially the ones from the shows, because they’ve seen the paintings come to life and seen the action going on behind it.”

Boaldin is currently filming the 8th episode of Art of a Cowboy, which airs on OETA

During a chance meeting with publicist, Saraa Kami, Boaldin shared his idea that he’d like to visit ranches all across the United States and tell their stories on canvas. Kami saw a bigger vision of also telling these stories on screen. Five days later, Boaldin was at his family ranch filming the first episode! The premise of the show is that viewers meet ranching families on film and see how they live. Boaldin, the host, then creates five oil paintings based on his visit.

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As a thank you to the families, Boaldin offers a canvas print of their favorite painting and the opportunity to be first to purchase any of the other paintings.

The remaining art is then sold to the public, with pieces available at local art galleries in Edmond.

Boaldin is currently filming the 8th episode of Art of a Cowboy, which airs on the local OETA station. The July show features a 150-year-old ranch in Oklahoma that’s been owned by the same family for five generations. Art of a Cowboy has also received national recognition and will soon be seen on the national Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) and, contract pending, a national cowboy channel.

Although being a full-time artist and television show host is fairly new territory for Boaldin, he’s thrilled to do what he loves and bring recognition to the real-life cowboys he admires and views as tough and rugged Americans.

“The whole show is a win-win situation. The ranchers love to tell their stories, and I get to put their life on canvas,” Boaldin said. “I believe it’s important to bring the legacy of their work to light, because they are passionate about getting food to your grocery store. They lived the ranching life for generation after generation. They want to keep the cowboy life alive, and so do I.” For more information visit www.artofacowboy.com

Boaldin (right) in action

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FEATURELOOK

War Relics from the Attic

By Amy Dee Stephens

When Vicki Eckerd and Kathy Radiant found two boxes in the attic labeled “War Stuff,” they felt relief. Their father, 92-year-old Clayton Barnwell, was a World War II veteran with a purple heart, but at the end of his life, he’d begun to fret about finding his war memorabilia.

“Dad was in the Battle of the Bulge, but he never talked about it when I was growing up,” Vicki said. “After my mom passed away in 1999, he visited the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) center and found out that he could talk about what he’d experienced.”

Barnwell slowly started revealing memories of his military service. He’d left high school to join the war effort in 1943. Barnwell requested the Navy, but since he couldn’t swim, they told him, “You’re going to be in the Army.” He became a medic for a dental unit stationed overseas. A year later, during a brutally cold winter, Barnwell was caught up in the deadliest battle of the war.

He told of the danger. Bullets flying everywhere. 19,000 Americans dead and 47,000 wounded. Barnwell helped the ones he could. He grew emotional as he talked about “the boys” who served alongside him, but also “the boys” he couldn’t help. Vicki thinks her dad kept it all inside because, “You were supposed to be tough. You were just doing your duty--but that war wasn’t like bombing someone a country away. It was hand-to-hand, in the trenches.”

A while back, Barnwell surprised Kathy’s son, Kaleb Berend, a Navy veteran who was visiting from the Navy, with a spontaneous show-and-tell. He walked into the living room holding a hat and dagger from the war. They were items Vicki and Kathy had no memory of seeing before. Afterward, Barnwell returned them to his secret hiding place.

He later moved to an assisted living center and his dementia worsened. He began fretting about where he’d hidden his war items, especially the dagger. Vicki and Kathy took turns returning to his house to search, and even took him there to look, but they found nothing.

Kathy Radiant, Clayton Barnwell, & Vicki Eckerd

armband, a German soldier’s uniform, and a large Nazi banner! Vicki speculates that her dad acquired these items from the German soldiers he helped. “He was allowed to administer medical care to enemy soldiers only after he’d taken care of US soldiers and the armed forces fighting on our side.

I know that since he was a Christian, he felt a moral obligation to help them when he could,” she said. “He did used to joke that the first English word the German soldiers in his care would learn was ‘morphine.’”

Kathy continued looking fervently for the dagger, because she knew her dad had previously walked out of the room and returned with it—so the dagger couldn’t have been hard to access. Kathy finally found it, hidden in the family’s secret, unrevealed hiding spot, a place she’d forgotten from her childhood.

“Dad was so surprised when we showed him. His eyes got big and teary. He had a relieved look on his face,” Vicki said. “We took pictures of him with the war items and made a little photo book so he could remember that we’d found them.”

Barnwell was laid to rest in his own Army uniform, which Vicki and Kathy found in a closet. The sisters are taking measures to safely archive their dad’s war memoribilia so that they remain in pristine condition for the future.

“Kathy and I are extremely proud of our dad for serving our country. I think that looking back, we wish we’d paid more attention to his stories, because we’re just starting to understand what an important part he played in American history.”

“By then, Dad had moved into a hospice situation. We wanted to find the dagger because he was obsessing about it,” Vicki said.

“In March, two months before his passing, we searched the attic and found the two warlabeled boxes.”

The dagger wasn’t among the items inside.

Instead, they found a metal helmet, a swastika

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Clayton Barnwell in Germany, 1944

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BIZLOOK

Relational Repair

By Ian Jayne

worked with a non-denominational para-church ministry to develop relationship-focused resources and training for churches, Walker said. This work eventually birthed the Center for Relational Care, where Bruce was executive director, and Joyce was executive administrator.

At Relational Care Oklahoma, Bruce and Joyce Walker work together to provide a biblically based, clinically sound environment for couples’ therapy.

For Dr. Bruce Walker, PhD, LMFT, LPC, his professional career is all about “helping people love well.” Walker and his wife Joyce, both Oklahoma natives, recently returned to the state after several decades in Texas to found Relational Care Oklahoma, 3324 French Park Dr., Ste. B., Edmond. “We just had to get back to Oklahoma,” Bruce said.

Before pursuing graduate studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, Bruce had a corporate life working for IBM in Wichita, KS and Conoco in Ponca City, OK. Walker completed his graduate and doctoral degrees and worked as a Christian counselor.

In 1997, the Walkers moved to Austin, where they

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Bruce and Joyce Walker

Walker describes his practice as “biblically based and clinically sound,” combining his experiences with his Christian faith with non-religious clinical models, such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a widely-used, evidence-based practice to help couples communicate on a deeper level.

The style of therapy Walker practices is based on attachment theory. “The real focus is on the dynamics of the relationship,” Walker said, “but

those come from the individual personality of each person.” Personality, temperament, genetics and life experiences all influence the phenomenon of selfhood, according to Walker.

“Relational therapy, even if you’re seeing a person individually, focuses significantly on the relational culture or environment in which you grew up.

That’s what has molded and shaped you,” Walker said. “If I’m working with a couple… the bottom line is, does the manner in which they communicate and relate to each other, change for the better?

In order to help individuals and couples heal from the past and free themselves to experience the present, Walker said his practice helps people have “corrective emotional experiences.” The principle of emotional attunement – essentially, meeting clients where they are emotionally – helps to create an environment conducive to therapeutic healing. Walker also strives to facilitate an open, non-judgmental attitude.

Visit relationalcareok.com for more information or to schedule an appointment.

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BIZLOOK

Crossings Caring

By Ian Jayne

Crossings Community Church engages the local community through a variety of volunteer-driven ministry efforts.

At all three of its locations, Crossings Community Church seeks to live out the tenets of Christian faith by engaging the local community through innovative and wide-ranging volunteer ministries.

“We’re very involved in missions, both locally and globally,” said Rebecca Ellison, Director of Communications. Along with global missions work, including in Honduras, Kenya and El Salvador, Crossings works to meet the spiritual and practical needs of neighbors in the metro area.

In addition to its flagship Oklahoma City campus (14600 North Portland Ave.) and its satellite Edmond location (1500 W. Covell Rd.), Crossings also hosts a weekly service at Joseph Harp

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Correctional Center in Lexington, Oklahoma.

Every Sunday, a team of Crossings volunteers brings donuts, coffee and a sense of community to Joseph Harp. The Living Faith ministry initiative also helps men recently released from prison with temporary housing, job searches and reconnecting with families.

“We want to be a church that meets people where they are,” said Senior Pastor Marty Grubbs. “This principle--to connect people in all walks of life-remains a guiding principle for Crossings, its staff and congregations.”

A new weekly conversational series called Alpha opens the door for big, bold questions about Christianity in a friendly environment. Over the course of a meal, attendees can inquire honestly and openly about faith.

Since 2005, when Crossings Community Clinic opened its doors to provide medical, dental, vision and behavioral care to the underinsured and the uninsured, the free clinic has had about 65,000 visits – enough to fill the Chesapeake Arena about four times.

Crossings’ LifeCare initiative also shows the symbiosis that can exist between faith and

community outreach. The mission, headed by volunteers and Christian counselors, offers support groups such as Celebrate Recovery, in addition to content geared towards teenagers and children.

For Crossings, multi-faceted missions, both at home and abroad, remain one of the primary ways to show how a life of faith intersects with one of care for all members of one’s community and beyond.

“We are all restoration projects, works-inprogress,” said Pastor Grubbs. “As we let God work out the necessary changes in our lives, we can bring change—change for the good—to those around us.”

For more information about Crossings Community Church, including service times, resources and volunteer opportunities, visit crossings.church.

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FEATURELOOK

Fast Lap Around America

By Ian Jayne

Slow and steady may not win every race – but perseverance and a love for cars helped Chris and Tina Lewis win the 2018 Tire Rack One Lap of America.

They say that dedication and determination will take you a long way. For Chris and Tina Lewis, winners of the 2018 Tire Rack One Lap of America, it was 5,712 miles, to be exact.

That’s how many miles they put on their 2015 Corvette Z06 over the course of eight long days and nights, driving across the country to racetracks so that they could drive some more.

The One Lap began as a continuation of the Cannonball coast-to-coast race, from New York to California, in the 1970s. The race changed and evolved over the years to its current form. This year, the One Lap began in South Bend, Indiana, at the Tire Rack Wet Skidpad, where competitors kicked off the event by racing around a track wetted by sprinklers, with the fastest time earning the most points. Then, the “lap around America” took competitors to Chicago, St. Louis, Tulsa, Denver, Plano, New Orleans and Bowling Green, before circling back to South Bend.

“You pack all your stuff that you need for that whole week in one car. You can’t take a truck and trailer.

It’s you and another person, in a car,” said Chris Lewis. “You only get one set of tires.”

Chris and Tina Lewis

Lewis said the race was a team effort with Tina, his wife, who journeyed with him across the country, coordinating and organizing the trip for maximum efficiency.

In many ways, the Lewises’ victory was a culmination of years of work and dedication, all stemming from a passion for automobiles and a family

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After fifteen years of racing competitively, Lewis got involved in the One Lap because of his late cousin and business partner, Mike Hedin, whose birthday happened to fall on the start date of the competition. He decided to participate in the 2012 One Lap, and invited Lewis along. They ended up winning the sportsmanship award for helping out others along the way, and they kept coming back.

Hedin passed away from small cell lung cancer at the age of 43 in January 2014. Lewis continued racing to honor Hedin’s memory and out of his love for the sport. Each year, he showed up, dedicated and ready for the grueling, exhilarating week.

“We’ve been doing it for the past four years, never with the thought that we were going to win this thing,” Lewis said. “But we kept getting faster and faster.” After taking an early lead after doing well in the first and second races, Chris and Tina kept up their momentum. “We had these big horsepower guys that were coming up on us really quickly in the points,” said Lewis. They were competing against high-horsepower, high-dollar cars, but the “stars aligned,” and victory was theirs.

“The whole thing’s about endurance,” Lewis said. “When you’ve got to leave out of Denver late in the afternoon, and you’ve got to drive 750 miles to get to your next location, you don’t get a whole lot of sleep.”

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connection. Lewis said he’s always been a “car guy,” competing in autocross in high school before moving on to go-carts and racing cars on tracks.

For Lewis, the win brought disbelief. “There’s something about being out there doing this day after day after day for a week that you just can’t put into words,” he said.

Lewis doesn’t plan on stopping the One Lap anytime soon. “Once you get hooked on it, you do it for life.” he said.

Lewis’ advice for first-time competitors? “Go do one, but don’t plan on being competitive the first time. Go do it in whatever you’ve got… just to see what it’s all about,” he said. Slow and steady might not always win the race, but dedication, perseverance and a little bit of luck just might.

Visit onelapofamerica.com for more information.

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ALOOKBACK fashionable garb and helmets and wondered how my generation survived on typical, two-wheeled bicycles with fringed handlebars and pedal brakes.

Some even had a back passenger seat. (Just keep your bare feet out of the wheel spokes.)

We weren’t into racing or exercising. We simply enjoyed the ride. Plus, it was a means of transportation when we were too young for cars.

It has been years, in fact decades, since I mounted a bicycle. In fact, on my last ride my oldest son, Aaron, was still in school and had a sharp new bike. I decided to take it for a spin around the neighborhood, not fully understanding things like gears and handlebar brakes.

I just spent some time in NW Arkansas, a beautiful area with biking trails through the hills. I saw cyclists on snazzy, well-equipped bikes, wearing

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Just as I settled onto the seat and headed down our steep driveway, Aaron called out to me. As I turned to hear what he said and pedaled backwards to stop and didn’t, I remembered the handlebar brakes and pumped one furiously before I ran over a curb then bounced into the air and came down hard on the roll bar of that banana seat. Aaron came running as I lay on the pavement beside his bicycle.

“What were you trying to tell me,” I asked, hoping only my pride was hurt. “That one of my handlebar

brakes didn’t work,” he volunteered. Obviously, we know which one it was—the one I was pumping.

Unfortunately, I was in pain and had to hit the ER where an x-ray and a comical physician told me my “coccyx” was broken. Nothing fixes a broken tailbone. You simply wait for it to heal.

When I asked the doctor if he had any suggestions concerning the pain and broken bone, he remarked, “I would stay off of bicycles if I were you.” To which he and my husband had a hardy laugh.

So now you see why I’m not out on those Arkansas or Oklahoma bike trails. It’s not laziness. It’s a protective thing—ordered by the doctor!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Louise Tucker Jones is an award-winning author, inspirational speaker & founder of Wives With Heavenly Husbands, a support group for widows.

LouiseTJ@cox.net or LouiseTuckerJones.com.

CITYLOOK

Beautifying the Gateways

By Dr. J. David Chapman

Those working to revitalize downtown Edmond have long wished to beautify the gateways into downtown. Specifically, the intersection at Edmond Road and Broadway. From the south starting at Fifteenth and from the west beginning at Kelley. These two corridors approaching Edmond Road and Broadway may be the most aesthetically challenging in the City of Edmond.

The challenge comes primarily because of a history of open-display zoning and lack of building approval processes. The City of Edmond has been clear it would like to see changes in the business make up in these areas and is now attempting to regulate land usage on major thoroughfares. This is a start; however, it will take years to accomplish the goal of beautification of these entrances to the downtown through government regulation.

A second approach in addition to government regulation is for developers and community leaders to improve the areas by the concept referred to as “highest and best use” which literally changes the uses of the property. By increasing the value of the land near a venue, property owners will no longer be able, or wish, to lease or operate uses inconsistent with the area.

Two local developers are doing this work to change these corridors. I have written about the developments on Broadway and Fifth Street started by The Grant Group. Now trees are being cleared, dirt is being turned, and plans are becoming clear on the corridor between Kelley and Broadway. Neil McGee is leading an effort at 444 W. Edmond Rd between Christie’s Toy Box and Barrett Drug on Edmond Road.

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McGee is transforming this 4-acre property into a mixed-use, urban, walkable development they are branding as The District at Westbridge Pointe. The goal of this new development is to build “community.” By definition urban developments focusing on community bring people together for entertainment and work near where they live. When complete, The District at Westbridge Pointe will be comprised of 14 buildings ranging from 3,000 to 4,440 square feet of retail, restaurants, bars, and offices.

Architecturally, the buildings will be constructed of brick and be urbanwarehouse-style buildings that will surround common areas containing an outdoor stage, courtyard, and water feature.

McGee has compiled an experienced and talented team for the development.

Randy Stafford of Prosperity Bank is providing financing for the project, Dean Koleada of KBGE/CEC is providing engineering services, and Tom Small at Small Architects is providing design assistance. This is the type of development and amenities the citizens of Edmond have requested and several local investors/developers are stepping up to deliver. In doing so, the entry corridor will certainly be more inviting to our downtown area.

Dr. J. David Chapman is an Associate Professor of Finance & Real Estate at UCO. jchapman7@uco.edu

80 East 5th St., Ste. 130 Edmond, OK 73034