Kristin loves Allied Arts
The Art of Flowers
Kristin Chenoweth on stage during her concert benefiting Allied Arts at the Civic Center Music Hall. Page B1
Joan Frates and Kitty Champlin are excited to hear about the art of foraging for flowers during the luncheon which benefited the Myriad Gardens. Page B5
OKC FRIDAY Vol. 53 No. 5 • Two Sections • 16 Pages June 7, 2019
www.okcfriday.com facebook.com/okcfriday OKC’s only locally-owned newspaper with all local news Serving Oklahoma City, Nichols Hills, The Village, Quail Creek, The Greens and Gaillardia for 45 years
Lance reigns over 2019 Senior Follies
County budget hearing set is set for Thursday By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer
King Bill Lance led the talented actors and singers on stage last weekend as the Oklahoma Senior Follies returned to the Oklahoma City University stage to raise money for the Alzheimers Foundation and encourage seniors to stay active and pursue their gifts. Mercedes Russow, who is 99-years-old, played a Gershwin medley on the Steinway and the crowd went wild, from left Linda Wright, Gary Sander, Kitti Asberry and King Bill Lance. More Photos next week.
violence,” said Heritage Hall graduate Emory Stephenson. “As citizens, we must aim to come together and compromise on issues as a whole to create a more united nation.” Beyond mere division, some expressed concern about polarization and a lack of willingness to compromise within
The Oklahoma County Budget Board has tentatively endorsed a slight increase in the county’s Fiscal Year 2019-20 General Fund budget, which includes an increase in the sheriff ’s budget, another cost-of-living raise for county employees, a significant decrease in the county clerk’s operating budget and more than $1 million in cost savings on health care claims. A public hearing on the county’s budget DAVID HOOTEN will be held in downOklahoma town Oklahoma City County Clerk on Thursday at 10 a.m., at 320 Robert S. Kerr Ave. (the annex building next to the county courthouse), Room 204. The proposed Oklahoma County General Fund budget for FY 2020, which starts July 1 and ends June 30, 2020, is $100.68 million. That constitutes “a modest increase” of $1.4 million, or 1.5 percent over the current General Fund budget of $99.2 million, County Clerk David B. Hooten said. The General Fund is the principal source of operational revenue for most county government offices. The Budget Board, at Hooten’s request, lowered the county clerk’s FY ‘20 General Fund budget to $2.5 million, a reduction of $212,619, or 7.9 percent, from its current
See GRADS, Page 3
See COUNTY, Page 5
- Photo by Fran Kozakowski
Division in politics of concern to 2019 grads By Sara Schlecht Student Intern Conscientious concerns about division in the current political climate and its effects topped those held by members of OKC FRIDAY’s All-Star Leadership and Scholarship teams. These All-Stars are graduates of Fridayland high schools and appeared in our
recent Class of 2019 edition. Upon being asked “What is the greatest concern facing your generation?” many of the All-Stars indicated concern about divisions within society, be they political or something else entirely. “Our nation has been divided by political and ideological lines which create constant controversy and sometimes
Emergency Medical Services Authority costs up slightly for Village By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer The Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) notified The Village its bill in Fiscal Year 2019-20 will increase by 3 percent. The subsidy could climb to $70,912, which is incorporated into the proposed new city budget, City
Manager Bruce Stone said. However, he added, “The amount they usually bill us is lower than what they first say.” The Village paid EMSA a subsidy of $55,000 in this fiscal year, which ends on June 30, he said. The payments, Stone said, “provide EMSAcare for all residents of The Village,” who number nearly
10,000. “This pays for all ambulance costs incurred above and beyond what applicable insurance pays for. If the resident has no insurance, it pays the total cost.” The city’s subsidy “pays for transport in any area covered by EMSA,” he said. EMSA responded to 102 medical emergency reports in The Village in April that resulted in 81 transports
to area medical facilities, ledgers reflect. The average response time was 10 minutes and 49 seconds, EMSA records show. EMSA is Oklahoma's largest provider of pre-hospital emergency medical care. It has a fleet of vehicles that provide ambulance service to more than a million residents in central and northeast Oklahoma.
FRIDAY’s Kari Watkins and Mike Turpen named Compassionate Citizens Rescue Dog of the Week Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum Executive Director Kari Watkins and attorney Mike Turpen will be presented with the Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled Compassionate Citizen of the Year Awards. The 59th anniversary celebration is Thursday, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Impact Oklahoma Recreation Center on the OKFD campus, 8421 N. Walker Ave.
WATKINS
TURPEN
Watkins, a third generation journalist, became the Oklahoma City National Memorial’s first staff member as the communications director in March 1996. She was named executive
director in 1999. Today, she oversees the operations of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum, one of Oklahoma’s most visited sites. She is also race director for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. She has been recognized with several awards including: the 2000 Women in Communications Byliner Award, the 2005 See AWARDS, Page 3
Her Time is running out Emma is a red brindle Staffordshire mix around 2-yearsold. She takes treats gently and gets along with other dogs when introduced properly She would do best with an active family with older children because of her size, 60 pounds. The Village Animal Adoption fee is $45 and will be refunded with proof of spay/neuter $25 and vaccinations $20. Call Bryan Balenseifen at 7519518 and leave a message to schedule an appointment to see her, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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