OKC FRIDAY Vol. 53 No. 46 • One Section • 12 pages March 20, 2020 The coronavirus disrupted distribution of OKC FRIDAY this week. Print replica is on okcfriday.com
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Virus ruins opening of two major museums By Rose Lane Editor The Oklahoma Contemporary and the National Cowboy Museum’s Liichokoshkomo both had press and donor openings last week then had to close down. Both are multi-million attractions with years of planning, building, and fund raising efforts. The coronavirus has shut down Oklahoma and most other states All venues are closed and preparing for the economic ramifications of the state of emergency. As concern spreads, everything from annual galas to sporting events have been put on hold. Museums, as well all branches of the metro library system have closed the book on operations for at least several weeks. Meanwhile, economic experts still are cau-
For cancellations and closings See Page 6
Our towns declare
STATES OF EMERGENCY By Ashley Haley, Staff Writer
Nichols Hills
The Village
health and safety of our donors and the community at large is at risk, the decision is quite clear, two weeks prior to the event we canceled.”
Amid the coronavirus outbreak that found its way to Oklahoma earlier this month, the City of Nichols Hills declared an emergency due to concerns. The Nichols Hills City Council held an emergency meeting Monday in which the city council and Mayor Steve Goetzinger passed the resolution including regulations and restrictions imposed by the resolution. In the resolution, the city revokes approval of special
The Village Mayor Cathy Cummings declared a State of Emergency for the city Monday due to concerns of the coronavirus global pandemic. After a regular city council meeting was cancelled this week, Cummings approved a proclamation to take precautionary steps to keep residents and staff safe. “The safety and well-being of all of our citizens is our top priority. Stay safe everyone. We can do
See VIRUS, Page 2
See NHILLS, Page 2
See VILLAGE, Page 2
- Photo by Ron Vavak
Liichokoshkomo, the Cowboy Museums new multi-million dollar, 2.3 acre space for children and families to learn and play in the museum’s backyard was previewed for the press last week. Liichokoshkomo is Chickasaw for “Let’s play.”
tioning the public not to panic. Deborah Senner is the president and CEO of Allied Arts. The organization’s annual gala, ARTini, which was originally set for March 27, has
been rescheduled for June 26. “Was it a difficult decision?” she said. “Absolutely! Allied Arts events make up approximately 14 percent of our total revenue. But when the
PCAA gives new life to ball fields off Britton, LHP By Jason Jewell Sports Editor For many residents in northwest Oklahoma City, the former baseball fields at Britton and Lake Hefner Parkway provided numerous childhood memories. The facility, which has been around since the late 1960s, is now getting new life thanks to the newly formed “Sandlot at Putnam City.” “It just needed an
upgrade,” PCAA board member Brent Giles said. “These fields were built in 1967 so it’s become a multigenerational place.” The property is owned by the City of Oklahoma City and leased to PCAA. Prior to the PCAA’s commitment to remodel the fields, the city had other plans for the facility, Giles said. “The city doesn’t supplement nonprofit leagues, so they need to find sponsorships and usually can’t
exist on just league (dues) fees,” he said. The fields had been managed by Mark Loveless but began to show wear in the last few years. “We went into Mark and told him what a great job he’s done with the fields, but let us take it over and give him a break,” Giles said. “So we’re seeing a changing of the guard.” Besides Giles, other PCAA board members include Dr. Ryan French,
FRIDAY’s
Dog of the Week Lady Greta von Schnauzer is an elegant, mature mini schnauzer. She is employed at Journey Quilt company where she greets customers every day. She is the ‘dog-ger’ of Trish Maxwell. Email Dog of the Week, Baby of the Week and Cat of the Week submissions to rose@okcfriday. com. Submissions are used in the order they are received.
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Josh Blair and Jake Hodges. Day-to-day operations at the “Sandlot at Putnam City” are handled by Lane Decker and Austin McClure. Community response to PCAA’s mission has been enthusiastic. “People are very excited about the project,” said Giles, who also works at Steven Giles clothing store in Classen Curve. “People who played there as kids are now bringing their own
children and grandchildren to the fields.” PCAA offers baseball and softball teams through the under-14 age divisions, tee ball is open to both boys and girls. Leagues are scheduled to start April 6, but could be delayed because of the recent coronavirus outbreak. For more information or to sign up for a league, log on to pcaafields.com. See PCAA, Page 3
NHills Building Commission adjusts application process By Ashley Haley Staff Writer In an effort to regulate minor home additions in the city, the Nichols Hills City Council adopted an ordinance to set guidelines for homeowners. At a recent council meeting, the council held a public hearing to adopt an ordinance to allow homeowners to make small additions to their home
without having to go through the city’s Building Commission. Under the ordinance, the addition must be less than or equal to 15 percent of the square footage of the main building, it must be on the first floor of the building and it cannot be visible from the street. If a homeowner or property owner wants to add additional See ORDINANCE, Page 2