She’s a winner!
Now, let’s look for carrots.
OCU names new president
Two people found the correct number of 18 shamrocks in our March 12 edition. We drew Mary Sue Petticrew’s name. Congratulations! You have won $100.
In our April 2 Easter edition, we are hiding carrots. Email your findings to rose@okcfriday before the end of the day on Thursday, April 8. If there is more than one correct answer, we will draw for a $100 prize.
At press time, Oklahoma City University announced it had named Dr. Kenneth R. Evans as its 19th president. He is currently the president of Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Evans will assume the office on July 1. For more, see okcfriday.com.
OKC FRIDAY Vol. 54 No. 46 • One Section • 16 pages • March 26, 2021
www.okcfriday.com facebook.com/okcfriday OKC’s only locally-owned legal newspaper with all local news Serving Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills, The Village, Quail Creek, The Greens and Gaillardia for 47 years
Redbud is back with new events, fall race schedule By Eric Oesch Staff Writer
- Photo by Dewayne Jones, dewayne-jones.smugmug.com
Irish girls soccer team shuts out Southeast McGuinness soccer player Julianne Bentley (in white) splits a pair of Southeast defenders to score one of her two goals in a 9-0 win against the Spartans. The Irish are off to a 2-0 start so far this season, and visit Mount St. Mary this Tuesday. See Sports, Page 6.
Voters to decide city council, school board races April 6 By Rose Lane Editor Fridaylanders go to the polls on Tuesday, April 6, to vote on municipal and school board races. In Nichols Hills, the incumbent and Mayor Sody Clements faces Richard Cornelison for Ward 1 councilman. The Village Mayor David Bennett is opposed in Ward I by Wynter Griffis. Incumbents Bubba Symes, Ward 2, and Adam Graham, Ward 3, are unopposed See ELECTIONS, Page 10
See REDBUD, Page 2
OKC Broadway to return to the stage OKC Broadway and the Civic Center Foundation announced that an updated season series is expected to resume this fall. “It has been an unexpected and extended ‘intermission,’ but Broadway will be back at the Civic Center Music Hall this year and better than ever before,” said Elizabeth Gray, general manager of OKC Broadway and executive director of the Civic Center Foundation. The updated season includes the acclaimed new production straight from Lincoln Center Theatre of Lerner & Lowe’s “My Fair Lady’’ and continues with “Mean Girls,” the hilarious hit
Heroes Ball wins national award The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is the winner of a national award for Virtual Presentations for its 2020 Heroes Ball, OICA’s annual awards and fundraising banquet. The COVID-19 pandemic canceled countless events during 2020, including many nonprofit organizations’ fundraising events. As these cancellations reached epidemic proportions,
The popular Redbud Classic returns to the streets of Nichols Hills as a fall event for 2021 and race officials expect a big turnout when the event is held Sept 11-12 at sites throughout the city. Redbud Classic Race Director Sara Sweet announced the new fall dates and new categories when she addressed the Nichols Hills City Council. The “annual rite of spring” race event joined nearly every other major event in Oklahoma City, including the Oklahoma City National Memorial Marathon, when it canceled the 2020 Redbud Classic due to the COVID pandemic. “Last year our board of directors had serious discussions about postponing the event because of the COVID pandemic and eventually decided to cancel because we just didn’t have enough information,” said Sweet. “Our board was very wise to take a deep breath and get all of our ducks in a row for 2021.” Sweet said race organizers expect the 38th Redbud Classic to draw a record number of entries for their 2021 fall event. Since its inception, the Redbud has provided
OICA’s Board of Directors and staff realized their own annual event – the Heroes Ball – was at risk. The Heroes Ball normally hosts about 400 child advocates, state leaders, and award honorees in a traditional banquet hall. Proceeds from the event comprise almost one-quarter of OICA’s annual budget for child advocacy. The challenge was to find a way to properly honor the state’s outstanding
child advocates and generate the revenue from the event on which the organization depends. “Had we been forced to cancel the Heroes Ball, not only would our advocacy efforts be put at risk, OICA’s entire existence would have become uncertain,” said Joe Dorman, OICA chief executive officer. “The show, as they say, had to go on, even if it had See AWARD, Page 2
musical direct from Broadway with the award-winning creative team. Next on stage is the production of “Dear Evan Hansen,” the theatrical phenomenon that has taken not only Broadway and the entire country, but the world, by storm. The musical revival of “Oklahoma!’’ is followed by Disney’s “The Lion King.” The season is rounded out by “Pretty Woman: The Musical,” brought to life by a powerhouse creative team representing the best of music, Hollywood and Broadway. Additional Season Special offerings may be announced as they
are confirmed. For those that were subscribers to the 2019-2020 season, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’’ is now scheduled for Oct. 26-31. Gray said these shows are part of large national tours. “ ... The task to schedule and reschedule routes in cities across the country with different venue availabilities and restrictions has been, as you can imagine, immeasurably complicated,” she said. “‘Wicked’ and Disney’s ‘Frozen’ were unable to be rescheduled into this next season, but we look forward to having them just as See BROADWAY, Page 10
FRIDAY’s
Dog of the Week Otto the Handsome Frenchie is Ellie Bohanon’s sweet dog, a/k/a “Velvet Head.” He lives in Wilshire Point with his family, Kristen and David. He loves playing ball and snuggling. You can follow him on Instagram @ottothehandsomefrenchie. Send Dog, Baby and Cat of the Week nominations with complete descriptions to rose@ okcfriday.com. Submissions are used in the order they are received.
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