OKC FRIDAY Vol. 53 No. 52 • One Section • 12 pages May 8, 2020
www.okcfriday.com facebook.com/okcfriday For information on businesses now open, see Pages 5 & 12.
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 46 years
Now open:
NHills follows OKC’s example By Rose Lane Editor
— Photo by Fran Kozakowski
Helping his hometown
Los Angeles based actor, James Austin Kerr, middle, has spent the last month volunteering with his parents in his hometown of Oklahoma City. While home, James has been helping deliver Meals on Wheels with his family, as well as auditioning for future acting work via web meetings with casting agencies. Pictured here at St. Luke's United Methodist Church heading out to deliver meals with James are his parents, Steve and Beth Kerr, front, and his grandmother, Lou Kerr, and Mary Pointer, of Sister Cities, in back. Sister Cities was kind enough to donate hand sanitizers for the patrons on the MOW route.
The Village elects David Bennett mayor By Rose Lane Editor The Village City Council has elected David Bennett mayor and Sonny Wilkinson vice mayor. However, the vote on Wilkinson’s re-election vote to his Ward 5 seat will not take place until June 30 due to COVID-19. Bennett and
Wilkinson did not draw opponents for their positions. Outgoing Mayor Cathy Cummings explained that the City Council had two options: • Elect a mayor and vice mayor during the first meeting in May as per tradition and not officially swear them in until the first meeting in July, or, • Elect the mayor and vice mayor during the first meeting
in July. If Wilkinson is not re-elected, another vice mayor will be chosen. Dustin Struthers is his opponent. This is Bennett’s fourth term as mayor and Wilkinson’s second as vice mayor. Cummings said serving as the mayor of The Village has See VILLAGE, Page 11
Waytable connects restaurants with frontline workers By Rose Lane Editor Matt Wills visited a cafe in Dallas which employs mentors and
at-risk youth. The operation was very successful and Matt decided to bring the concept back to Oklahoma City. The
organization also provided “wrap-around” social services. The 35-year-old Village resident, whose career is in
FRIDAY’s
Dog of the Week Born and raised in Oklahoma, Winston is 1 of 10 siblings whom he stays in touch with regularly. At the age of 7 weeks, he went to live with his human and best friend, Kelsey Bowie, of Edmond. He enjoys playing ball or taking a swim in the pool. He especially loves being told he’s a “good boy” and appreciates LOTS of attention. Email Dog of the Week, Baby of the Week and Cat of the Week submissions to rose@okcfriday.com.
Sponsored by Paulette and Leo Kingston of WePayFast.com
healthcare start-ups, founded the Spur Kitchen Foundation, doing business as See WAYTABLE, Page 11
Nichols Hills’ reopening restrictions closely mirror those of Oklahoma City. City Attorney John Williams drafted an ordinance with the guidance of OKC Mayor David Holt’s reopening proclamation and with the help of procedures being implemented at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. This was as Nichols is bordered on three side by Oklahoma City. All restaurants, bars with on-premises food service, breweries, wineries, taverns, food halls, cafeterias and any other food service have been allowed to reopen, as are personal care businesses including salons (hair and nail), barber shops, cosmetology facilities, aesthetician facilities, laser hair removal facilities, spas, massage facilities, tattoo parlors and piercing facilities. All athletic gyms, recreation centers, exercise facilities, indoor sports facilities and similar recreational facilities are now open, also. Facilities where persons gather for presentation or entertainment, such as movie and live theaters, concert halls and places of worship are available, too. There were no additions to the ordinance in regard to retail establishments. City parks are open but playground equipment should not be used. In most cases, social distancing of 6-feet is required, employee temperatures must be taken and employees and patrons may need to wear masks. CDC sanitation protocols apply. All bars without on-premises food service, night clubs, hookah bars, cigar bars and vaping lounges are still closed to the public. Social gatherings of more than 10 people on public or private property remain prohibited. All special events permits and revocable permits issued for events on city property or requiring the closure of public right-of-way for events are revoked and such new permits shall not be issued. The ordinance is printed in its entirety on Page 9. City Manager Shane Pate said residents and business owners have been happy to comply with the restrictions. “We have a long way to go,” Councilman Peter Hoffman said. “People will be more mindful about their coming and going — and that’s a good thing.” Editor’s note: The Village also has closely followed OKC’s lead. See its proclamation at www.thevillageok.org.
Willingham first National Merit winner Crossings Christian Willingham received the School’s Nicholas WillingNational Merit State Farm ham is the only Fridayland Companies Foundation student to be named a Scholarship. His possible National Merit Scholar in career field is pediatrics. the first round of the 65th The scholars were selectAnnual Scholarship ProWILLINGHAM ed from students who gram. advanced to the finalist level He is among approximately 1,000 in the competition and met the critehigh school seniors who have won ria of their scholarship sponsors. corporated-sponsored National Merit Corporate sponsors provide National Scholarship awards financed by Merit Scholarship for finalists who about 160 corporations, company are children of their employees, who foundations and other business are residents of the communities the organizations. Willingham is also company serves or who plan to puramong only eight winners in the sue college majors or careers the state of Oklahoma. sponsor wishes to encourage.