09-01-23 Print Replica

Knights volleyball on hot start

Crossings Christian volleyball player Sienna Spears, left, passes ahead to a teammate during a match earlier this season. The Knights are off to a 9-1 start so far, following a 3-0 sweep of Fridayland rival PC North last Thursday.

In rare split vote, council approves Habitat homes

By Eric Oesch Staff Writer

There wasn’t an empty seat in the house last week as impassioned residents filled The Village council chamber to register their opposition to the construction of four Habitat for Humanity “cluster” homes in their neighborhood.

Residents addressed the council for nearly an hour before a rare split 3-2 vote by council members approved the resolution for the final plat of the Habitat PUD on Major Avenue, one block south of Hefner Road.

Last month city engineer Tim Johnson of Johnson & Associates recommended approval of the project to the Village Planning and Zoning

Commission. The commission determined the final plat

See VILLAGE, Page 12

Mathis Performance Center designed for mind, body and spirit

Casady School is breaking ground this fall on the nearly 8,000-square-foot Mathis Family Fitness and Performance Center.

This facility is designed to be a state-of-the-art strength and wellness complex for expanded physical fitness programs, core training, technology and wellness programming for all students in grades PreK through 12.

“The Mathis family supports Casady School,” said Bill Mathis. “Their mission is to build our young citizens in mind, body and spirt. We proudly applaud their efforts and are honored to make the lead gift toward the new Mathis Family Fitness and Performance complex, benefitting Casady students, athletes, and the school’s worldclass staff and faculty.”

A full wall of north facing windows allows natural light into the Mathis facility and further into the gym. The windows are to provide families and visitors the opportunity to see into an area that displays the school’s commitment to the fitness, wellness, strength, and performance of its student-athletes, Casady Head of School Nathan L.

See MATHIS, Page 3

OKCPhil collaborates with Graham Colton, Lyric Theatre in first concerts

By Mark Beutler Director of Marketing & Public Relations OKCPHIL

The Oklahoma City Philharmonic kicks off its 35th Season with two big concerts in the span of one week.

This Sunday, Maestro

Alexander Mickelthwate leads the OKCPHIL in a free concert at Scissortail Park.

“Marvelous Music from the Movies” begins at 8:30 p.m., and features one of Oklahoma’s favorite sons, Graham Colton.

“We love being part of the community,” Mickelthwate said. “These

concerts at Scissortail Park are so much fun. It’s amazing to feel the love coming from the audience. We feel that onstage, and we give it right back.”

The Labor Day weekend concert marks the third in a series of summer concerts at Scissortail Park. Most recently an estimated crowd

Meet Penny and Russell Voss' 12year-old schnauzer Bizzy. She got her name because she's always getting busy and moves really fast when she gets excited even at her age.

She's never met a stranger and would rather be with people instead of other animals. She loves scratches and belly rubs and chasing her ball.

Email Dog, Cat, Pet and Baby of the Week nominations with complete descriptions to rose@okcfriday.com. Submissions are used in the order they are received.

of 20,000 came out for the Independence Day concert, “Red, White & Boom!”

“We would love to have a crowd like that again,” Mickelthwate added. “And having Graham onstage with us will be so special. He has had an amazing recording career and makes Oklahoma so proud.”

Colton is an Oklahoma City native who released his first album, “Drive,” in 2004 on Universal Records. He has appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “The Late Show with David Letterman” and the “Today Show,” among others.

See OKCPHIL, Page 11

Esther Women series is detailed

As Esther Women enters its 21st season as a Christian Women’s Luncheon Series, a remarkable slate of speakers is bringing new excitement, greater relevance and inspired thoughts to the program.

Usually the first Wednesday of the month from September through May, Esther Women gather at the Christian Life Center at St. Luke’s Methodist Church to share a meal, enjoy exceptional music provided by Oklahoma City University and find meaningful inspiration for Christian women of all denominations, founder Jane Jayroe Gamble said.

This year offers free access to the online community and early purchasing opportunities for special events. Only a few season tickets are available for in-person attendance, but for those who sign up on a waiting list, there are some larger events offered and the Live Streaming Pass.

Cost for a season subscription of nine programs continues to be $225 for the year. A gift from Mo Anderson allows prices to stay the same in spite of inflation and enables more national guest speakers or artists.

See ESTHER, Page 3

and performance of its student-athletes.

- Photo by Eric Oesch

“We have met all the criteria required by law to gain approval,” said Habitat for Humanity advocate David Box at The Village City Council meeting.

- Photo by Richard Clifton, rtcditigalimages.zenfolio.com

INSIDE TODAY: Learn about all our local football teams in FRIDAY’s 2023 Pigskin Preview.

Look for Events to Remember inside today.

OKC FRIDAY in Italy

A large group of Quail Creek Bank travelers recently returned from the hidden treasures of Southern Italy and Sicily. The tour began in Palermo, the capital of Sicily where travelers enjoyed the city’s vibrant culture taking in its picturesque harbors, cobblestone piazzas, and captivating energy. Next, they headed east to Sicily’s Ionian Coast. En route, where they discovered the impressive Mt. Etna (UNESCO) Volcano National Park, which erupted two weeks a fter their visit. Travelers took in the sights and colors of the Mediterranean Sea as they traveled along the breathtaking Amalfi Coast. They experienced the excavated ruins during the stop in Pompeii as they made their way to Rome where the tour concluded. Be sure to pack your newspaper when you travel. Email photos to rose@okcfriday.com.

Tea and Toddies supports FAM

Sue Morison-Burch hosted 25 guests for Tea and Toddies with Turtle, a private fundraising event supporting the First Americans Museum’s new FAMily Discovery Center. Guests saw a museum exhibit in the making with a special behind-the-scenes tour and conversed with

curators. Tea, toddies, and tasty hors d’oeuvres were catered by FAM's Thirty Nine Restaurant and enjoyed with Grandma Turtle. When complete, the FAMily Discovery Center will offer a familyfriendly, one-of-a-kind popup book-inspired exhibit for families of all ages.

First Americans Museum Deputy Director Shoshana Wasserman and Grandma Turtle.

Suzanne Singleterry and party host Sue Morrison-Burch.

MATHIS

From Page 1

Sheldon said. An outdoor plaza area for additional outdoor fitness activities has also been incorporated into the plans.

“We are extremely grateful to the Mathis family for their lead gift that will allow us to continue to live fully into our mission of developing the whole child in mind, body, and spirit,” Sheldon said. “This facility will allow our professional staff to implement training and wellness regimens that grow with the student-athlete to enhance their strength, power and speed while setting them up for longterm success.”

The space is powered by PowerLIFT USA for all racks. PowerLIFT USA has produced

ESTHER

From Page 1

“There’s never a time we don’t need encouragement to live a life closer to God,” Gamble said. “Each speaker in this coming season will come from a different perspective but with specific personal skills to help us dedicate ourselves to live ‘for such a time as this.’”

Speakers for 2023-24 season are:

• Sept. 6 — Dr. Rita M. Murray, is a certified national speaking professional, executive coach, educational psychologist and generational expert.

• Oct. 4 — Dr. Madeline Manning Mims, Olympic gold and silver medalist in track, is a speaker, author and recording artist. Madeline also founded the

fitness, strength, performance rooms across the country, working with a range of high schools, colleges and professional teams (NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB). Each rack station is to have multiple “specialty bars” for different modalities of training, which will allow the strength and performance coaches to modify training to each student-athlete based on their respected sport or past injury history.

iPads at each rack are to be equipped with Teambuildr, a training software the Athletic Department uses to track different data points throughout the year. In addition to the iPads, velocity-based training (VBT) systems are going also be at each rack to further enhance the training experience and intent during sessions. Along with the various strength machines,

US Council for Sports Chaplaincy.

• Nov. 1 — Lee Woodruff is a national author, journalist and speaker. She and her husband, “ABC News” anchor Bob Woodruff, who was injured in Iraq, co-founded a foundation to support injured service members and their families.

• Special day, Nov. 29 — Michael W. Smith, one of the most iconic names in Christian music, joins Esther Women for a special Christmas program.

• Jan. 3 or 10, 2024 (depending on NBA schedule) — Dannie Strack, B.S., DPT, is vice president of human and player performance for the OKC Thunder NBA team. He is to share tangible takeaways on how we can better care for the gift of health.

• Feb. 7 — Anne Graham Lotz, best-selling author, and speak-

dumbbells, and cardio equipment, built-in yard marks are going to be on one side of the room for speed work during inclement weather.

Casady’s fitness, strength, and performance program is geared to develop the whole child from PreK to 12th grade by teaching long-term skills that “push Cyclones to be the best person they can be, both on and off the field,” Sheldon said.

“The goal of fitness, strength and performance isn’t limited to getting the student-athletes faster, stronger, and more powerful,” he said. “The school’s efforts are also driven toward shaping these young men and women into great people.

“Championship character is something Casady works to instill in the students so that they may be resilient, accountable and disciplined.”

er, joins the luncheon from a different location, but her talk is designed specifically for Esther Women.

• March 6 — Rev. Dr. Serene Jones is the first woman to lead Union Theological Seminary in NYC as President. Jones formerly taught at Yale University. She is from Enid.

• April 3 — Dr. Michael Strauss is an experimental particle physicist currently doing research on the ATLAS detector, at CERN in Switzerland. He has been a professor at the University of

Oklahoma since 1995.

• May 1 — Mark Victor Hansen is best known as the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, setting world records in book sales. His wife, Crystal Dwyer Hansen , is co-author with him on a new book, Ask! The Bridge from Your Dreams to Your Destiny. For more information about the upcoming Esther Women series visit the website at estherwomenokc.org or contact Lauren Clanin, at (405) 6091030 or email her at lclanin@stlukes.org.

Taste of the Northwest

The NWOKC Chamber’s annual Taste of the Northwest is set for 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Cantera Event Center, 3701 N. MacArthur in Warr Acres.

With a Night at the Disco theme, the event includes tastings from more than 12 restaurants and caterers, a silent auction and more.

For more information, visit nwokc.com or call (405) 789-1256.

Sports Weekly

FOOTBALL | WEEK 1 PREVIEW: ANTLERS HOST MEMORIAL, CHARGERS GET MILLWOOD

Bevy of road games highlight action in Week 1

By Jason Jewell

Sports Editor

With seven games on the schedule, five Fridayland teams are on the road to highlight Week 1 action.

Deer Creek and Heritage Hall enjoy home games, with the Antlers hosting crosstown rival Edmond Memorial on Friday and the Chargers entertained Millwood on Thurday.

Deer Creek is coming off a dominating

39-14 win at Edmond North last Friday.

Quarterback Grady

Adamson accounted for three touchdowns to lead the Antlers (1-0) which get a bye in Week 3.

Heritage Hall, meanwhile, stayed with the traditional schedule to open in Week 1.

The Chargers seek their second straight Class 3A state championship after posting a wild 72-56 win over Metro Christian in last

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year’s title game at UCO’s Chad Richison Stadium.

Also on Friday, Crossings Christian opens its season with a road game at Hennessey. The Knights begin their first year under new coach Jacob Stephenson after making the Class 2A playoffs in 2022.

John Marshall continues its difficult opening stretch with a contest at Bethany. The Bears (0-1) endured a

WEEK 1 SCHEDULE

Friday, September 1

Crossings Christian at Hennessey

Edmond Memorial at Deer Creek

John Marshall at Bethany

McGuinness at Clinton

PC North at PC West

Thursday, August 31

Casady at Christian Heritage

Millwood at Heritage Hall

52-6 loss at Lawton MacArthur in Week 0. PC North visits district rival PC West this

Friday.

The Panthers (1-0) rolled to a 62-0 victory at Capitol Hill in last

week’s action.

On Thursday, Casady took its first road trip of the season to the east metro at Christian Heritage.

The Cyclones (1-0) look to keep their momentum after pulling off a 24-17 win in over time last Friday against Community Christian. Jozeph Pikula scored the winning touchdown on the first play of overtime. Mount St. Mary gets a bye this week.

CYCLONES 24, ROYALS 17

Cyclones hold off CCS in overtime

By Jason Jewell Sports Editor

Holding a lead through most of the game, the Casady football team saw that advantage dwindle quickly as Community Christian tied the game with a touchdown with 39 seconds left in regulation.

The Cyclones (1-0),

however, regrouped to score on the first play of overtime on a 10yard run by Jozeph Pikula, then the defense intercepted a Royals pass at the goal line on fourth-and-1 to secure a 24-17 victory last Friday night at Hoot Gibson Field.

“Our defense played outstanding tonight,” coach Ty Prestidge said after the game. “The offense struggled in some spots and we missed some wideopen passes, but glad we got the win.”

Special teams also seemed to be in midseason form already, as Casady scored its first touchdown on Grant

Kirk’s 50-yard punt return. Kicker Braden Gerard nailed a 33-yard

field goal and connected on all three extra-point attempts.

“Special teams won the game for us,” Prestidge said. “We got a couple big touchbacks and Braden nailed some key kicks for us.”

The Cyclones jumped out to a twoscore lead when defensive back Jackson Stewart intercepted a Community Christian pass near the goal line and returned it nearly 100 yards the other way for a touchdown and a 143 advantage.

Casady defensive back Jackson Stewart breaks free for a nearly 100-yard interception return in the Cyclone’s 24-17 win over Community Christian.

- Photos by Johnny Holland, jhollandphotography.com

Casady linebacker Connor Phelps (5) tries to bring down Community Christian running back Drew Bradley.

FOOTBALL | WEEK 0 ROUNDUP SOFTBALL

Cyclones clobber Drumright

Scoring in four of five innings, the Casady softball team cruised to an 11-2 victory over Drumright last Monday at Hiller Field.

Brooklyn Wells batted 2-for-3 with a double, triple and two runs scored to lead the Cyclones (4-7). Reagan Prestidge doubled to drive in two runs and scored twice, while Cami Matthews had two hits, two runs scored and drove in another.

Prestidge also picked up the pitching victory, allowing two runs on two hits and recording three strikeouts over five innings.

Casady is set to entertain Community Christian this Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

KNIGHTS GET PAST LITTLE AXE

Crossings Christian broke open a close game with five runs over the fifth and sixth innings to pull away for a 6-2 win against Little Axe on Monday.

Evan Rouse collected two hits and three RBIs to pace the Knights (811). Addison Martin and Emmy Rouse also had two hits and scored a run each.

In the circle, Martin recorded 11 strikeouts and surrendered two runs on three hits over seven innings to earn a complete-game pitching victory.

This week, Crossings plays at Meeker in a doubleheader on Tuesday and at Little Axe on Thursday.

ANTLERS TOP BARTLESVILLE

Capitalizing on three

VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP

Irish net title at Bulldog Showdown

Dominating from the start, the McGuinness volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 sweep over Class 4A No. 5 OCS last Saturday to claim the Lincoln Christian Bulldog Showdown championship.

Clare Kierlm was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the 5A No. 1 Irish (15-2).

Taylor Vann and Charlotte Nelson also received All-Tournament honors.

McGuinness posted wins over Bartlesville, Inola, host Lincoln Christian and OKC Storm, with its only loss to OCS in pool play.

Following a home match against 6A No. 1 Mount St. Mary last Thursday, the Irish visit Norman this Tuesday and host Lawton MacArthur on Thursday.

ROCKETS 2ND AT BROKEN ARROW

Mount St. Mary cruised through the early rounds but suffered a 3-1 loss to 6A No. 5 Jenks in the Broken Arrow Invitational championship match.

The 6A No. 1 Rockets (15-2) outlasted No. 2 Edmond Memorial for a 3-2 victory in the semifinals and posted wins over Tulsa Washington, Owasso and Jenks in pool play.

Deer Creek also competed at Broken Arrow, as the 6A No. 4 Antlers (10-4) posted wins over

errors, Deer Creek scored five runs in the third and fourth innings on the way to a 6-1 victory at Bartlesville last week.

Kennedy Wardlaw batted 2-for-3 with an RBI double and scored twice for the Antlers (11-2). Isabella Hernandez and Jaiden Coffey had in two hits each.

Coffey also went the distance in the circle, allowing just a run on six hits with seven strikeouts.

Deer Creek hosts Westmoore this Thursday at 5 p.m.

CHARGERS OUTLAST KNIGHTS

Heritage Hall’s Janiyah Martin belted a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning for a wild 17-16 win over Crossings Christian last week.

Story continued at OKCFRIDAY.com.

Rockets run over Hennessey

Holding a slim lead at halftime, Mount St. Mary exploded for four touchdowns in the second half to pull away for a 41-15 victory at Hennessey last night.

Quarterback Harrison Tesio accounted for three touchdowns for the Rockets (1-0), including tosses of 20 yards to John Allison and 62 yards to Joaquin Brooks and a 7-yard scoring run.

Cord Brown also scored a pair of rushing TDs covering four and three yards.

IRISH CLOBBER PUTNAM CITY

Scoring five times over the second and third quarters, McGuinness cruised to a 35-20 win over Putnam City last Friday at Pribil Stadium.

the Irish (1-0). Cochran also tossed a 30-yard TD to Nathan Steiner.

ANTLERS TOP EDMOND NORTH

Deer Creek blew open a close game with 17 points in the fourth quarter on the way to a 39-14 triumph at Edmond North.

Quarterback Grady Adamson threw three touchdown passes, all covering at least 25 yards to pace the Antlers (1-0). The junior connected with Colton Neal for 29 yards, Jalen Davis for

70 yards and Mason Miller for 75 yards.

Caden Green added a 5-yard scoring run, while kicker Adrian Arambula nailed field goals of 26 and 28 yards along with 4 of 5 extra-point attempts.

OTHER RESULTS

In other Week 0 results, PC North (1-0) went on the road to Capitol Hill and cruised to a 62-0 win over the Redwolves at C.B. Speegle Stadium.

John Marshall (0-1), meanwhile, endured a 50-6 loss at Lawton MacArthur.

Tulsa Washington, Owasso and Bixby.

This week, Mount St. Mary travels to Edmond to face 4A No. 5 OCS on Tuesday, and Deer Creek hosts Southmoore at 6 p.m.

EAGLES, BEARS SHOW WELL AT NW CLASSEN

Harding Charter Prep and John Marshall combined to win five games at the NW Classen tournament.

The Eagles (6-5) posted wins over Douglass and John Marshall, while the Bears (4-5) beat Millwood and Star Spencer.

This week, Harding Prep travels to Classen SAS this Tuesday and Bethany on Thursday.

Story continued at OKCFRIDAY.com.

Tailback J.P. Spanier ran for three touchdowns covering 3, 4 and 40 yards, and caught a 25-yarder from quarterback Damon Cochran to lead

CROSS COUNTRY ROUNDUP

Antlers run to Bridge Creek crown

With five runners in the top 10, the Deer Creek boys cross country team captured the Bridge Creek Invitational title last weekend.

The Casady boys finished third and Harding Charter Prep garnered seventh place.

Casady’s Sam Rhoades led all Fridayland athletes with a second-place finish in the individual standings, completing the 5-kilometer course in 17 minutes, 25.85 seconds.

Paxton Martens paced Deer Creek with a fifth-place finish, followed by Quinten Hodges in sixth, Nathan Lam in ninth and Colson Robertson

in 10th place.

Deer Creek’s Aiden Taylor led a group of four other local athletes in the top 15 at 12th place, with Casady’s Billy Mathis, Ayden Kerr and Josh Goggins gobbling up 13th, 14th and 15th places, respectively.

Harding Prep’s Rami Shadik finished just outside the top 50 in 54th place for the Eagles.

Three Fridayland girls earned spots in the top 5, as the Antlers place third, the Cyclones were fourth and Eagles grabbed seventh.

Casady’s Caroline Olszewski led the way in third place in the individual standings, while teammates Hope Fahler took fourth and Eva Scheer finished fifth for the Cyclones. Story continued at OKCFRIDAY.com.

PC North’s Kameron Oliver (4) returns a punt for a touchdown during the Panthers’ win at Capitol Hill.

- Photo by Richard Clifton, rtcditigalimages.zenfolio.com

THEATRE

Oct. 12­22 • The Antelope Party OKC Rep is opening its 2023­2024 Season: five shows that are fun, creative and each their own adventure. Season Packages are on sale just a little while longer, so get them while you can. The season begins with the hilarious and timely new play The Antelope Party. It’s a brilliant and fun 90minute play with a cast entirely of Oklahoma­based actors. Visit okcrep.org for details and tickets.

DENTRISTRY DAY

Sept. 8 • Free Dentistry Day

Residents in the Edmond community and surrounding areas will have the opportunity to receive free dental services at Dental Care of Edmond on Friday, Sept. 8. The day is dedicated to providing free dental care to the growing number of Americans without dental insurance. During Free Dentistry Day, extractions will be provided to patients on Friday, between 8 am and 1 pm at 1308 N. Kelly Ave in Edmond. Please call the office in advance to schedule your appointment. For more information, please call 405­2165299 or visit FreeDentistryDay.org.

FUNDRAISERS

Send

Paycom Center Events/Shows:

Sept. 3 • Summer Concert

Brightmusic begins its season with a concert rescheduled from the previous Summer Festival due to a risk of severe weather. “Youthful Brilliance” features works by composers known for their virtuosity in youth: Poulenc, Beethoven, and Joseph Miroslav Weber. Sunday, September 3 at 3:30 pm at the First Baptist Church OKC. The summer festival’s theme “Scenes from Childhood” was geared towards children of all ages, the single ticket price will still be $20 to cover all families with young children. They will also honor the previous season and festival passes for this rescheduled concert.

Oct. 6­7 • Cowboy Arts Sale

Thirteen artists will exhibit more than 50 pieces of original work in Oklahoma City during the 24th annual Traditional Cowboy Arts Association Exhibition & Sale presented by Mr. and Mrs. Kraig Kirschner, on exhibit Oct. 6 – Jan. 2, 2024, at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. For the second year in a row, artists will also offer for sale “Encore” pieces that have previously been held back for their personal collections. Traditional Cowboy Arts weekend will begin with a Preview Cocktail Reception, Friday, Oct. 6 at 5:30 pm followed by the Live Sale Event on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 5:30 pm and an aftersale celebration dinner. All artworks will remain on exhibit and on sale through January 2, 2024. To view the catalog or attend the sale, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/ tcaa.

PBR Freedom Fest ­ Sept. 8­10

Jelly Roll ­ Sept. 19

Koe Wetzel ­ Sept. 30

ODESZA ­ Oct. 12

Jason Aldean ­ Oct. 13

Nate Bargatze ­ Oct. 22

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks ­ Nov. 18­19

In three years at its new home, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center has partnered with numerous local organizations to showcase cuttingedge performances, commission new contemporary works, provide accessible public programs and offer intentional community engagement. Likewise, this vision of access for all is nestled at the heart of the Oklahoma Contemporary Art Reference Library, a partnership with the Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County (Metro Libraries).

“Literature and Poetry have been important elements of our approach to contemporary art and cultural production over the years,” notes Oklahoma Contemporary Director Jeremiah Matthew Davis. “Our partnership

BLOCK PARTY

Sept. 8 • SKATE! the Plaza LIVE! on the Plaza is the Plaza District's free and monthly block party featuring art shows, live entertainment, great food and local shopping. This month is SKATE! the Plaza. They will turn the Plaza District into a skate park with skateboarding, skate culture, punk and more at 1745 NW 16th St. Join the Friends of the Plaza with a VIP experience with cold beers, sign up or renew at plazadistrict.org/fop/.

THIS WEEKEND

Saturday

• Farmers Market at Scissortail Park

• Kirkpatrick Planetarium Shows

• Myriad in Motion: FREE Yoga

• OKC Dodgers vs Round Rock Express

• OK River Cruises Opening Weekend

• Quinto Festival Amistad 2023

• Time Travelers Vintage Expo

Ringling Bros Show ­ Dec. 15­17

Zoo Amphitheatre:

Darius Rucker ­ Sept. 10

All American Rejects ­ Oct. 14

Civic Center Music Hall: Spider­Man, Spider Verse­Sept. 21 To Kill a Mockingbird ­ Oct. 10­15

Bluey’s Big Play ­ Oct. 17­18

with the Metropolitan Library System dates to 2017, a collaboration that deepens with each passing year.”

After the initial donations and purchases were on the reference library shelves, the partnership continued to look into ways to expand and round out the collection. This led to the idea of acquiring entire runs from fine art book publishers. The Library transformed this idea into a reality this summer. For the first time, visitors of the downtown location can now access a major selection of titles published by Taschen, the eclectic, independent publisher of accessible art and pop culture books. Over 150 titles were added and are now available at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library.

Sizzling Summer of 2023

Barbie, the shockingly popular, live action movie based on the Mattel toy, has earned $1.34 billion dollars at the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo. That makes Barbie the biggest hit ever for Warner Bros. Pictures, which has produced gigantic blockbusters like Harry Potter, The Dark Knight, Wonder Woman, and The Matrix. And, it catapults the film to no. 15 of all time. Barbie is still attracting repeat visits and theme parties, so look for more records to be broken before this doll is wrapped up and sent streaming.

Barbie director/cowriter Greta Gerwig is one of the best writers and directors working in Hollywood. She was Oscar nominated in 2018 for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director for Lady Bird and in 2020 for Best Adapted Screenplay for Little Women. With Barbie, she navigates a thousand expectations and creates something hilarious, thought provoking, gorgeous, and wildly entertaining. Gerwig’s husband Noah Baumbach is her co-writer on Barbie Oppenheimer, the biographical thriller about atomic bomb creator J. Robert Oppenheimer, proved to be another blockbuster from director Christopher Nolan Nolan is a five-time

Oscar nominee for writing and directing Memento, Inception, and Dunkirk Oppenheimer rode the internet phenomenon “Barbenheimer” to big success, in which tons of people online encouraged others to see both movies in the same day as a double feature. Oppenheimer has grossed $777 million globally, making it the most successful film ever that never made it to number one at the box office, thanks to Barbie

The biggest independent film this summer, Sound of Freedom, stormed into theaters over July Fourth and racked up more than $180 million at the domestic box office from a $14.5 million budget. The controversial film about human trafficking was directed by Mexican immigrant Alejandro Monteverde in 2018, sidelined when Disney bought 21st Century Fox in 2019, and rescued by Angel Studios, who released the film in 2023. Angel Studios is the Provo, Utah based studio that created and released the popular Biblical series The Chosen.

The Little Mermaid

swam into theaters with some controversy for casting black actress Halle Bailey as the imaginary title character. But Disney fans rushed to theaters to experience the beloved cartoon in live action, earning the film $568 million. Disney’s animated summer film, Elemental, brought in an additional $469 million.

Franchise films made up the rest of the top 10 this summer, from worldwide blockbusters like SpiderMan: Across the Universe and Guardians of the Galaxy to expensive underperformers like Indiana Jones Mission Impossible, and Transformers

On the production front, Hollywood is at a stand-still because of ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild. Both unions are fighting for a more equitable portion of backend revenue now that streaming has changed the way movies are consumed.

Several Oklahoma projects working with WGA and SAG have suspended production as well. Let’s hope for a speedy end to these strikes and a fair result for all parties so we can get Oklahoma crew members back to work and keep up the great momentum in the Oklahoma film industry.

Handel’s Messiah ­ Dec. 3

Tina Turner Muscial ­ Dec. 26­31

Other Events/Shows/Awards:

The Hole Shebang! ­ Sept. 7

Boots, Bandanas & BBQ ­ Sept. 8

Renaissance Ball ­ Sept. 8

Disney On Ice ­ Sept. 14­19

Oklahoma State Fair ­ Sept. 14­24

This joint collaboration has produced yet another fruitful venture: An art-focused book club. Ai Weiwei’s 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows Book Club is a part of the Library’s adult programming lineup this fall, focusing on the works of contemporary artists around the world.

From Sept. 12 to Oct. 21, four book clubs will be held in various locations across the city. Each session will discuss a different aspect of Ai’s book, allowing attendees to participate in rich conversations at every opportunity. One thousand copies will be given away to Oklahoma County residents in August, prior to the first club meet up.

Oklahomans have four opportunities to attend one of the upcoming

Ballet Under the Stars ­ Sept. 15

Flight for Futures ­ Sept. 15

Cattle Barons Ball ­ Sept. 22

Boots & Bling ­ Sept. 26

Fashion for a Passion ­ Sept. 28

Broadway Bash! ­ Sept. 28 12 x 12 Art Show ­ Sept. 29

ZOOBrew ­ Sept. 29

book clubs, each session covering varying themes. The Sept. 12 discussion at Belle Isle Library investigates memoir as genre, while Sept. 27 at Capitol Hill Library will align with the branch’s usual BIPOC Book Club meeting, exploring modern and contemporary Chinese history. Oct. 7 at the Choctaw Library will examine an overview of Ai Weiwei’s works, and the final meet up, Oct. 21, will be at Oklahoma Contemporary, considering topics of art and oppression worldwide.

All book club sessions are free to attend and open to all. Copies of Ai’s book are available at all Metro Library locations and Oklahoma Contemporary’s front desk. More info at metrolibrary.org/1000Years.

McGuinness students earn AP honors

In 2023, 300 Bishop McGuinness students took 563 exams in 21 subjects with a record 83% of students earning a passing score of 3 or higher.

Moreover, 113 students were named AP Scholars, the largest number of Bishop McGuinness students to ever receive the honor. Sixty-eight of these students were from the class of 2023, making this the most of any graduating class from Bishop McGuinness.

The Advanced Placement program offers college-level courses for students while still in high school.

Beyond providing students the academic rigor and experience of a college-level class, these courses also offer the opportunity for students to earn college credit for qualifying scores on the end of the year AP exam. Taking AP exams gives students an advantage in college by allowing them to earn credit while in high school, letting students open up time in their college schedules, graduate early and save money on their collegiate education. In the class of 2023, 77% of graduates had taken an AP exam while at McGuinness, as the national average is just 35%.

With the AP Scholar Awards, College Board’s Advanced Placement Program recognizes high school students who have demonstrated outstanding college-level achievement through their performance on multiple AP Exams. The different award

levels are: AP Scholar (Granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams), AP Scholar with Honor (Granted to Students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams), and AP Scholar with Distinction (Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams).

AP Scholar (51): Destiny Adedayo ’23, Daniel Bryan ’24, Sophia Conduff ’23, Owen Cunningham ’24, Michael Dolan ’24, Benton Eberle ’23, Abigail Fankhauser ’24, Olivia Fosbenner ’23, Kellen Fraile ’23, Lilliana Gates ’23, Martin Goff ’24, Lauren Goodman ’23, Emily Healy ’23, Alex Ille ’24, Laurel Kelley ’24, Abigail Kelly ’23, Niang Kim ’23, Margot Knudtson ’24, Isabella Kunnath ’24, Colin Le ’23, Zella Leffel ’24,, Allison Lewis

’23, Peyton Matteson ’23, Sullivan McCollum ’24, Porter Menz

’24, Sara Newby ’24, Natalie Nguyen ’24, Thien-An Nguyen ’24, Patrick Offiah ’23, Madalyn Parker ’23, Avery Payne ’23, Abigail Pefferman ’23, Tommy Pham

’23, Lillie Rainbolt ’24, Patrick Reese ’24, Conner Resetar ’23, Atticus Richard ’23, Case Richter

’23, Tabytha Roy ’24, Nicholas Schoeffler ’23, Jake Schwartz ’23, Nora Schwartz ’23, Vincent Shivers ’23, Sydney Starr ’24, Samantha Stevenson ’24, Amir Sweis

’23, Ava Thielke ’24, Ella Thomas

’24, Natalie Waddell ’23, Emma Walker ’23, and Victoria Whitbeck ’23.

AP Scholar with Honor (27): Elizabeth Carter ’23, Fina Chongwa ’24, Julia Coats ’23, Andrew Elder ’24, Erik Fankhauser ’24, Skye Fleet ’23, Matthew Fowler ’23, Gabriella Gasbarra ’23, Christian Green ’24, Kathryn Hadrava ’23, Reid Henderson ’23, Santiago Hernandez ’24, Cecilia Ho ’24, Magnolia Kirt ’24, Clara Koktavy ’24, Claire Nguyen ’24, Paris Nguyen ’24, William Oldfield ’24, Andrew Pham ’23, Benji Silvernail ’24, Madelyn Smith ’23, Dean Sylvester ’24, Asher Thorson ’24, Charlotte Waldo ’24, Kendall West ’24, Jeffrey Wienecke ’24, and Kelly Willis ’23.

AP Scholar with Distinction (35): Braedon Black ’23, Gray Blevins ’23, Samantha Chappell ’24, Ella Christensen ’24, Price Collier ’23, Lucia Corredor ’23, Jack Dolan ’23, Encho Genchev ’23, Charles Greene ’23, Maureen Grimes ’23, Kaylin Hart ’24, Henry Ison ’23, Caroline Kivett ’23, Olivia LaForge ’23, Walker Lape ’24, Caroline Lawton ’23, Jacob Love ’23, Baylee Melot ’23, Tara Nguyen ’23, Chisa Nwanebu ’24, Isabella PogueCappellaro ’24, Maria Raglow ’23, Hutton Rhodes ’23, Noah Rice ’23, Alyssa Schmit ’23, Kathleen Schomas ’23, Catherine Schultz ’23, Curt Schwager ’23, Blayne Schwarz ’23, Cate Shadid ’24, Jinna Smail ’23, Daniel Soto ’23, Skye Stewart ’23, Marc Tawk ’23, and Brayden Tran ’23. Email

of the district Court Rick Warren, Court Clerk Oklahoma County, Oklahoma By: /s/illegible signature Deputy (Published in OKC Friday, Friday, August 25, 2023; Friday, September 1, 2023) IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA COUNTY STATE OF OKLAHOMA PB-2022-1012 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF June DeFriese COMBINED NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE OF HEARING

Now on the 16 day of August, 2023, the Court has reviewed the Petition for Administration. Based upon the affidavit of Vanessa Smith, daughter. The Court finds that this matter is proper for summary administration. The deceased is June DeFriese of Grady County, Oklahoma and owner of Real Estate in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma.

1. Petitioner is Vanessa Smith, Daughter, 113 E Snowmass, Yukon, OK 73099.

2. The deceased left no Will.

3. That all heirs have agreed that Vanessa Smith should be appointed personal representative.

4. The heirs are set forth in the petition for probate.

5. The probate value of the estate is $140,000.00.

6. The final hearing is set for Sept. 20, 2023 at 1:30 pm before Judge Riesen, District Court, Oklahoma County Court, 320 Robert S. Kerr, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Room 223.

7. That the person receiving the notice or any interested party may file objections to the petition at any time before the final hearing and send a copy to the petitioner attorney or that person will be deemed to have waived any objection to the petition.

8. If an objection is filed before the hearing, the court will determine at the hearing whether the will attached to the petition shall be admitted to probate, whether summary proceedings are appropriate and, if so, whether the estate will be distributed and to whom the estate will be distributed.

9. Any creditor having a claim against the said June DeFriese must file said claim with the District Court Clerk, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma and send a copy to petitioner’s attorney at the address below.

10.The claim of any creditor will be barred unless the claim is presented within 30 days following the publication of this notice. Dated this 16 day of August, 2023.

(Published in OKC Friday, Friday, August 25, 2023; Friday, September 1,

if granted such license to operate as a Mixed Beverage establishment with business premises located at 7206 NW Expressway in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, under the business name of Granny’s Kitchen Expressway.

Dated this 17 day of August, 2023.

/s/Rami A Abu Hejleh County of Oklahoma, State of Oklahoma.

Before me, the undersigned notary public, personally appeared: Rami A Abu Hejleh to me known to be the person(s) described in and who executed the foregoing application and acknowledged that he executed the same as his

No: PB-2023-113

Matter of the Estate of) Charlene A. Lutke, ) Deceased.) AFFIDAVIT OF NON-MAILING CREDITORS State of Oklahoma) )ss. County of Oklahoma)

I, Kyle W. Riddel, Attorney for Personal Representative of the Estate of Charlene A. Lutke, state that the decedent had no known creditors, and thus the attached Notice to Creditors was not mailed. Notice to Creditors shall be published pursuant to 58 O.S. §331. Dated this 16 day of August, 2023.

/s/ Kyle

NAME CHANGE

/s/Giovanni

/s/Jennifer Clark, Notary Public (SEAL) State of Oklahoma #13007871 My commission expires 08/27/2025

The Postcard

By Anne Berest

In January 2003 a postcard arrives in the Parisian holiday mail that is puzzling to the Rabinovitch family in that it has no signature or return mail address. On the front is a picture of the Opera Garnier and on the address side only the names of Anne Berest’s great grandparents, Ephraim and Emma, and their children Noemie and younger brother Jacques all of whom met death at Auschwitz. The card was folded into a drawer and unnoticed for fifteen years. Anne Berest, the author of this novel, became aware of the postcard at that time and wanted to find out who sent it, why no message, and how did it fit into the family.

Anne engaged her mother, a private detective, a graphologist and the acquaintances either of them knew to find out how their family, France and her own self were connected to the sender of that card so many years ago. Those named had all been deported to Auschwitz in 1942 so Anne and her mother started the long and agonizing journey of finding what had hap-

pened to their family. Anne was a writer at the time and started the story as a novel by an author named Anne. They made numerous trips to neighbors who might be of some help to them in their search. Furniture as well as memories that remained behind just waiting for discovery, and as painful as it would be their findings did become a novel.

Even more astounding, Anne discovered her Jewishness, and following that trail brought more incentive to her to carry on with the job. Learning of her history, she followed Ephrain and Emma’s path from Russia in 1919 through trips to Palestine and Poland and return to Europe in 1929 just in time to have bitter wartime experiences in France that end with their deportation and the four were killed. Just when you think you surely know all about what went on during this time frame, you become all too fully aware of the facts. This novel tells them all, and they are all too believable. “Only the names have been changed.”

Because of heavy censorship during these years, many stories were not always told with complete accuracy, but Berest fielded the facts and contacts so well that The Postcard was actually named one of the “12 Must Read Holo-

caust Books for 2023“ and became a finalist for the Goncourt Prize. She received other honors and has been a long-time bestselling author in France. She so loved her family and devoted herself to uncovering her own Jewishness with great passion even though it meant coming face to face with the devastating history of the Holocaust and terrors her family suffered.

She grieved to learn of over 6 million Europeans between 1933 and 1945 who were marked as “undesirable” often for reasons other than religion, the homosexuals and political dissidents, as well as well-known educators, activists and organizers dedicated to making the entire story known. Those survivors who had to live and relive the story every day needed worldwide recognition of the horrors that could mark entire nations for generations to come.

These days have been called the darkest hours of European history, and the survivors and their tales blend to make emotional, well documented stories speak to the need for worldwide efforts to keep such tragedy from ever happening again… and the postcard? The reader’s challenge is to read the book to learn that secret.

Thanks to Full Circle Bookstore for sharing these books with FRIDAY readers.

Busking at the Myriad Gardens

The Busker Street Fair is returning for a second year to Myriad Botanical Gardens on Friday, Sept. 8, 5 to 8 p.m. “Busking” is the art of performing in a public space in exchange for gratuities. This unique evening event promises to be a fun-filled and familyfriendly experience for all.

At the Busker Street Fair, you can enjoy an enchanting stroll through the beautiful gardens while indulging in delicious street food and refreshing cold drinks. With over 40 vendors, atten-

dees will have the opportunity to shop from a variety of local artisans and immerse themselves in captivating entertainment.

The atmosphere will come alive with the vibrant sights and sounds of talented street performers and musicians. See stilt walkers towering above you and be amazed by the tricks of talented magicians. Immerse yourself in the creative world as you have a custom poem written on an old school typewriter or get your very own classic caricature drawn.

Be sure to bring small change and bills to show your appreciation by tipping your favorite street performers. It’s a wonderful way to support these artists while enjoying their talents.

The Busker Street Fair at Myriad Botanical Gardens is a free event, making it accessible to all members of the community. Mark your calendars for Friday, Sept. 8 and join us for an evening of entertainment, shopping, and culinary delights. For more information, please visit myriadgardens.org.

American Farmer at the Cowboy

American Farmer tells the story of photographer Paul Mobley who set out to capture America’s farm communities, where he encountered an enduring rural culture that remains rooted in the principles of tradition, family, integrity and hard work. Out of a collection of more than 200 of these portraits, ExhibitsUSA has distilled a selection of forty-five iconic portraits showcasing the geographic and cultural diversity of the American Farmer. This vivid portfolio is accompanied by anecdotes and memories in the farmers’ own words that are both a testament to their enduring hospitality and a moving glimpse into the hardships and joys of a way of life that once defined our

national identity.

“Agricultural heritage is a quintessential part of the history and identity of the West, but its significance is often overlooked,” said Nathan Jones, Curator of History at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. “Mobley’s photographs perfectly capture the important role that farmers have played in sustaining generations through economic growth and a deep-rooted sense of community, both in Oklahoma and the rest of the country.”

American Farmer will be on exhibit through Oct. 18, and is a Program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Amazing Faith & Community Engagement Conversation

The Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma invites you to register for this exciting new initiative to bring unity to the community on Sept. 14. We want to start gathering again to eat together, to learn about other faiths and traditions, and to inform ourselves about local issues that affect all of us.

Please join us for our dinner event: Amazing Faith & Community Engagement Conversation. It will be held at the ISGOC (Islamic Center of Greater Oklahoma City) Mercy Mission Building, 3840 N Saint Clair Ave. from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $15. RSVP at tiaok.org.

Locally-owned Business Directory

Nancy Farha’s 9205 N. Pennsylvania Casady Square The Village, OK 73120 (405) 775-0404 nancyfarha.com

23rd Street Antiques 3023 NW 23rd. (405) 947-3800 Oklahoma City, OK 73107 Antiques23.com

Coyle Law Firm 125 Park Ave. No.100 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 (405) 583-3909 coylelaw.com

Gulfport Seafood Market 8016 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73120 (405) 848-3468 Gulfportseafoods.com

Thrifty Pharmacy

10904 N. May Ave. L Oklahoma City, OK 73120 (405) 751-2852

230 S. Santa Fe Ave. Edmond OK 73003 thriftypharmacyedmond. com

BancFirst 6200 Waterford Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73118 (405) 270-1622 Bancfirst.bank

Britton Feed & Seed 708 W. Britton Rd. Oklahoma City, OK 73114 (405) 842-5590 britton-feed-seed.hub.biz

First National Bank of Oklahoma

Covenant Brothers 5900 Mosteller Dr. No. 7 Oklahoma City, OK 73112 (405) 842-4671 covbros.com

Justin Beasley, DDS 4600 W Memorial Rd. Oklahoma City, OK 73142 (405) 755-5400 drbeasley.com

Cindi Shelby, Stylist Lela Rose & Pearl by Lela Rose 333 W. Wilshire Blvd., Ste. F Oklahoma City, OK 73116 (405) 830-1138

First Fidelity Bank 6404 Avondale, Oklahoma City, OK 73116 (405) 416-2222 Website: ffb.com

Denner Roofing Co. LLC 6608 N. Western Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73116 (405) 848-4411 dennerroofing.com

First Source Real Estate Residential Sales 12020 N. Penn Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73120 (405) 236-4747

Amy Wade & Co. Real Estate Team Amy Wade - Listing Specialist 3000 E. Britton Rd. (405) 605-9195 Oklahoma City, OK 73131

AmyWadeandCo.com

Renaissance Hardwood Floors 3608 E. I 35 Frontage Rd. Edmond, OK 73013 (405) 225-3044

848-1415 learningtreeokc.com

Carwin’s Shave Shop 6411 Avondale Dr. Nichols Hills Plaza (405) 607-1197

carwinsshaveshop.com

Winter House 6411 Avondale Dr. Nichols Hills Plaza (405) 607-1199 winterhouseinteriors.com

International Wigs 4429 NW 10th St, . Oklahoma City, OK 73107 (405) 943-1233

Moorman's Distinctive Carpets and Area Rugs 3835 NW 63rd St. Oklahoma City, OK 73116 (405) 848-4888 moormanscarpetsoklahoma city.com

Naifeh Fine Jewelry 6471 Avondale Dr,. Nichols Hills, OK 73116 (405) 607-4323

Naifehfinejewelry.com

Retirement Investment Advisors 2925 United Founders Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73112 (405) 842-3443

theretirementpath.com

10900 Hefner Pointe Dr., No. 300 Oklahoma City, OK 73120 (405) 848-2001 fnbok.com

La Baguette Bistro 7408 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73116 (405) 840-3047 labaguettebistro.com

CK & Co.

6429 Avondale Dr. Oklahoma City, OK 73116 (405) 843-7636 ckandcompany.com

Quail Creek Bank 12201 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73120 (405) 755-1000 quailcreek.bank

Quail Plaza Barber Shop 10940 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73120 (495) 751-2126

All About Travel, Ltd. 6104 Northwest 63 Oklahoma City, OK 73132 (405) 384-3880 www.allabout-travel.com

Papa Dios 10712 N May, Suite D Oklahoma City, OK 73120 (405) 755-2255 papadiosokc.com

Deer Clan Books 3905 N. College Ave. Bethany, OK 73008 (405) 495-9005 deerclanbooks@gmail.com First Liberty Bank 9601 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73120 (405) 608-4500 myfirstliberty.com

Michael Biddinger Real Estate Commercial Sales, Management 12020 N. Penn Ave. OKC, OK 73120 (405) 236-4747

The Adult Clinic at Hearts for Hearing 11500 N. Portland Ave. OKC, OK 73120 (405) 548-4335

Christian Science Reading Room 6490 Avondale Drive (Nichols Hills Plaza North) Nichols Hills, OK 73116 405 843-5334 christianscienceokc.org

Steam It Klean It LLC Carpet Cleaning PO Box 20232 Oklahoma City, OK 73156 (405) 602-4960 Steamitkleanit@gmail.com

Krista Anne’s Boutique 7602 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73116 (405) 310-5500

Tim Hughes Custom Homes, LLC 7009 N. Classen Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73116 (405) 229-7504

Norma Harris Harris Realty Company 13800 Quail Pointe Dr. Oklahoma City, OK 73134 (405) 740-0123

Paul Seikel Pearls Oyster Bar 5641 N. Classen Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73118 (405) 848-8008 www.pearlsokc.com

Locally-owned business listings are only $25 a month. Email rose@okcfriday. com for more information.

Photography exhibition by Paul Mobley captures the soul of the nation’s farming communities

OPINION OPINION

“And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

John 8:32 (quoting Jesus). The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” – Edmund Burke paraphrase, 1767. If you want it in the paper, it’s advertising. If you don’t want it in the paper, it’s news.”

Ancient Chinese Proverb

“Without, or with, offense to friends or foes, We sketch your world exactly as it goes.”

– Byron, 1818.

“Every violation of truth is a stab at the health of human society.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1878.

“We must always stand – alone if necessary – as the conscience of this community.”

– J. Leland Gourley, 1959.

Ability to write was a dream come true

By Annabella Potts Student Intern

When I first started my internship at OKC FRIDAY Newspaper, I was a little nervous about covering events in a town I didn’t know much about.

I wanted to be thrown into the mix and start working on projects as quickly as possible, and I was given ample opportunities to do so. One of my favorite experiences was when I had to visit a dog shelter for our Dog of the Week feature. Playing with all of the dogs while writing something in hopes to get them adopted made me feel empowered in my writing.

I was also given the opportunity to interview an older woman in the commu-

nity who gave me outstanding advice on navigating life as a woman. I’m confident that our conversation will stick with me forever. I always enjoy writing outside of the classroom, so when I was able to sit at my own desk and write for hours, it felt like a dream come true. I’m used to cramming my writing time in during nights after I’ve spent hours at my classes, but with this internship, I had plenty of time to dive deep into stories.

Our Young Professionals series was exciting to work on, as I love writing feature stories because I like to find all of the details about what makes someone special.

Dear Wise Elder: I am retired, drawing Social Security benefits and on Medicare, but I still have medical bills I can’t pay. How do I apply for Medicaid in Oklahoma?

Dear Medicaid: Qualifying and applying for Medicaid in Oklahoma involves several steps. To be eligible, applicants must meet certain income and asset criteria, as well as other requirements based on age, disability, or family circumstances. Determine eligibility: Check the income and asset limits for the specific Medicaid program you are applying for, such as SoonerCare (Oklahoma's Medicaid program for low-income individuals and families). Gather necessary documents: Collect documents like

You

I am extremely grateful to Rose Lane for providing me with the opportunity to secure this internship. Her confidence in my ability to take on stories and problemsolve always left me feeling excited to take on new projects.

I also look up to her strength and leadership as she juggles many different responsibilities while always having a wonderful attitude. My coworkers at OKC FRIDAY brought joy and light to every day at the office and I can only hope that one day I am as accomplished and knowledgeable as they are.

My internship at OKC FRIDAY was a wonderful experience that will lead me to my future endeavors in journalism and writing. I’m proud of the stories I’ve written throughout the summer, and I am excited to continue working towards my dream of having a career in writing.

I also would like to thank the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation and the Inasmuch Foundation for providing me with the funding and opportunity to pursue my dreams before graduating.

proof of identity, citizenship, income, assets, and medical expenses. Apply online or in person: You can apply through the Oklahoma Health Care Authority website or visit your local Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) office to complete the application. Seeking assistance from a Medicaid caseworker or a community organization can help navigate the process and increase the chances of a successful application. Attending a VillagesOKC GIFT workshop may connect you with professionals who can help guide the process.

- Courtesy VillagesOKC, www.VillagesOKC.org, (405) 990 6637

Editor

We urge courtesy in disagreement. We view with favor wise public choices and view with alarm flawed public choices. We give good advice to public officials at federal, state and local levels, and society in general, on what to do right. So,

if they don’t take our advice, it’s not our fault. EMAIL YOUR OPINION to: vicki@okcfriday.com

can have your ad here! $20 a week. Call (405) 755-3311 for details.

ANNABELLA POTTS

His most recent album is “Inside Out,” released in 2020. Colton is an operating partner of The Jones Assembly, an acclaimed restaurant and music venue located in downtown Oklahoma City.

“This is a huge honor for me, performing with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic,” Colton said. “I’m very excited about this concert and I hope everyone comes out to see the show!”

On Saturday, Sept. 9, the Inasmuch Foundation Classics Series returns to Civic Center Music Hall as the OKCPHIL presents Opening Night, a celebration of all Tchaikovsky, featuring Ukrainian violinist Anastasia Petryshak.

“This season is about humanity,” Mickelthwate said. “It is about the deep-seated humanity of you, me— all of us. Humanity with all its emotional expressions. In our case, the deep-seated humanity of our heroes, our geniuses, our composers who are born with gifts. Imagining the most beautiful melodies and inspiring music, yet fully human with all their ups and downs.”

Tchaikovsky was a genius, Mick-

Back to School

elthwate said, with his music being played all over the planet to hundreds of millions of people.

“It inspires, it gives hope,” he added. “But most of all it nurtures something deep, deep within us. Was Tchaikovsky an enlightened prophet above all carnal woes? Far from it. He wrote, despite his pain and insecurities. In every piece, he transcended anew, fought anew, and was victorious anew. Each of his pieces was rooted in deep struggles. By composing, he is setting an example, lending reprieve to millions.”

The first half of the program features Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, which coincides with Lyric Theatre’s September world premiere, “Concerto,” a new play by Alan Olejnikzak about the intriguing stories behind that famous work.

“Alexander and I have been working on this collaboration since 2021,” said Michael Baron, Lyric’s producing artistic director. “We hope to bring a new perspective on Tchaikovsky’s musical legacy. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event that Alexander and I can’t wait to share with our audiences.”

Tickets for Opening Night and all OKCPHIL performances are available online at okcphil.org or by phone at (405) 842-5387.

Musician Graham Colton and OKCPHIL Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate prepare for this Sunday’s concert at Scissortail Park, “Marvelous Music from the Movies.”

Ready for claesses: Kensington Johnson (left) senior year, Mount St. Mary's and McKellyn Johnson (right) sophomore year at Bishop McGuinness. They are the daughters of Rob Johnson and Michelle Tilley.

of the property met all subdivision regulations of the city and recommended approval to the city council.

Ward 3 Councilwoman Melodie Moore cast the only no vote while Ward 1 Councilman David Bennett abstained. Ward 5 Councilman Sonny Wilkinson, Vice Mayor Sean Cummings and Mayor Bubba Symes all cast yes votes.

When congregants of Our Lord’s Lutheran Church shared their idea to donate a portion of their property to central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity to the City Council last September, it was met with enthusiasm from council members.

At the time Mayor Sonny Wilkinson and now former councilman David Glover suggested the possibility of building up to four cluster homes, like those constructed in the Hawthorne neighborhood, on the donated church site.

The idea of cluster homes constructed on their traditional street drew the ire of many residents who took advantage of their opportunity to address the council.

“We welcome low-income housing in our neighborhood,” said Dr. Rachael Jackson, University of Oklahoma English professor, who was born and raised in her home near the donated property. “We’re asking that they build in the manner of homes already there. Consistent with the style and manner of homes already existing.”

Resident Jack Christie told the council, “We would be happier with two homes and not a cluster of four houses. We just want them to be like the rest of the neighborhood.”

Residents also noted drainage and traffic concerns in the presentations. Many were worried fire and ambulance vehicles would have difficulty reaching the homes during emergencies.

“It is always great when community members participate and engage with us,” said City Manager Dave Slezickey. “Passion and emotion do

bring empathy but doesn’t change the applicable rules to the situation.

“We have been successful getting emergency vehicles to where they need to be,” he said about emergency concerns. “Fire Chief T.J. Hamill pointed out that if it was a big enough emergency, they could come in from the church parking lot on the north.

“Almost every land use or rezoning issue has passion and emotion as some like the change while others do not,” he said. “However, the rights of the property owner to use their land in a manner that conforms to city code, usually trumps an opposition from a non-owner of said property.

“I’ve been in local government for 20 years and I am never surprised by a recorded vote,” he said about the split council vote. “I would never bet the farm on a vote prediction.”

Tom Ziebell, a 32-year church member, told the council last fall, “We believe part of our church’s mission is to our community, and because of our involvement with Habitat, we decided to donate the land to provide affordable housing to deserving families.”

The property where the four cluster homes are to be constructed was once used as a softball field when church membership was larger. About 25-30 people attend Sunday church services today.

The Village has at least one other Habitat home located on Westchester Drive that was constructed on a lot where a home was destroyed by fire and demolished.

Since 1990, Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity has constructed nearly 1,100 homes for deserving families. Their homes have been lauded for their geothermal energy efficient construction that is about half the cost of other homes.

Habitat home recipients must donate 100 hours of “sweat equity” and pass credit and background checks. The average brick home is 1,200 square feet with three bedrooms, two baths and a two-car garage.

Slezickey said he now expects Habitat to commence with dirt work and getting permits pulled.

Dr. K turns 75

Above: David Leader and Lori Burson at the birthday party. At left: Jane and Connor Helms.

Above: Hosts Paul Seikel, Dr. Mike Seikel, Dr. David Kallenberger, Dr. K’s daughter Hillary and granddaughter Brielle Moran and hosts Alain Buthion and Michel Buthion. Below: Sheryl Pribyl, Kim Bruno, Amber Brock and Lori Burson.

Friends and family celebrated Dr. David Kallenberger’s 75th birthday with a party at La Baguette. Above: From left, Daniel Buthion, Michel Buthion, Dr. K, Alain Buthion and Pascal Buthion.