20 Reasons to Love OKC 043014

FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY METRO OKC’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY VOL. XXXVI NO. 18 APRIL 30, 2014

MARK H ANCOCK

BY ANGELA BOTZ ER P.30

FOOD & DRINK: EL RENO BUILDS THE PLANET’S BIGGEST ONION BURGER P.22 FILM: AT THE DRIVE-IN: THE WINCHESTER’S GRAND REOPENING P.51

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4/23/14 9:31 AM

CONTENTS 45

10

22

51

LIFE

LIFE

ON THE COVER

NEWS

Happy birthday, Oklahoma City!

After 125 years, there’s plenty to see, eat and do in our metro area. We <3 them all, of course, but we picked 25 to get you started. This is your opportunity to get inside our city. It’s ready and waiting for you. P.30

4

Election: Republicans

6

Legal: bills

8

Community: Bridge to Life grads

10

Metro: fish hatchery

Food & Drink: Papa Dio’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar, El Reno Fried Onion Burger Day, Pie Five Pizza Co., Himalayas Aroma of India, OKG7 eat: salsa

10

News briefs

30

Cover: We <3 OKC

12

Chicken-Fried News

33

51

Community: OKC turns 125

Film: Winchester Drive In Theatre reopens

14

Commentary

35

Culture: St. Baldrick’s

53

Astrology

14

Letters

36

Visual Arts: Not Just Another Day in May, Legislative Arts Day

53

Classifieds

— by Jennifer Chancellor, editor-in-chief

16

OKG picks

21

41

Sports: The See Spot Run

42

Sudoku / Crossword

45

Music: Perfect Pussy, Red Dirt Relief Fund, Anti Mortem, event listings, Luna Moth

38

Books: The Story of Ivan A. Alexander, Free Comic Book Day

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OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 3

Clark Jolley

Dave Weston

The Republican vote Races for this year’s conservative elections are crowded.

BY BEN FELDER

Editor’s note: Oklahoma Gazette’s 2014 election coverage looked at the Democratic Party last week. This week, we take a look at Republican races and the party’s plan for 2014. Look for more coverage in upcoming issues.

In politics, four years can seem like an eternity. But Republican Party leaders, who gained control of the Oklahoma Legislature four years ago, say they are still in their infancy to turn the state around.

“I legitimately feel it’s going to take a generation of GOP control to fix the problems we have inherited from [Democrats],” said Dave Weston, Oklahoma Republican Party chairman.

In 2010, Republicans won every statewide seat and won majorities in both the House and Senate. That’s not likely to change this election year, which might be less about Democrats versus Republicans and more about different types of Republicans battling one another for the heart and soul of Oklahoma.

This year’s biggest race for the party might be the U.S. Senate primary between U.S. Congressman James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, and state Rep. T.W. Shannon, R-Lawton. Several other Republicans are also in the race, but it’s Lankford and Shannon — two rising stars in the GOP — who have drawn the most attention.

“The focus is so much on the U.S. Senate race,” said state Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond. “There is a lot of fascination because of who the candidates are, but also because of who they are replacing.”

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee,

4 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

announced he would leave the Senate following this year, which not only created a race for his seat but impacted several other federal and state races.

Lankford’s decision to run for Senate left an opening in the 5th Congressional District (Central Oklahoma) that has drawn six Republican hopefuls, including Jolley.

Jolley, who serves as chair of the Senate appropriations committee, is considered one of the frontrunners in the 5th District, which includes Oklahoma City and its suburbs.

“This district is becoming more competitive [between Democrats and Republicans] compared to some of the other districts that are actually becoming more Republican,” Jolley said.

“With the growth in the urban core of Oklahoma City, you are seeing more of an urban moderate voice that is coming out of that area.”

The 5th District has become more Democratic, although at a slow pace.

In 2002, the Democratic candidate for Congress received 32 percent of the vote.

In 2012, that share was 37 percent.

While central Oklahoma might be edging toward the left, Republican leaders don’t see the state in jeopardy of swinging back to Democrats anytime soon. With 73 percent of state lawmakers in the Republican party, the state has easily shifted to the right in recent years.

“The few surviving Democrats in the Oklahoma Legislature are not even backbenchers, rather more like interested observers,” wrote Oklahoma Observer columnist Richard L. Fricker earlier this year. “The absence of a viable

Democratic alternative has encouraged the Republicans to go all out in bolstering their numbers even more by inviting the far right into their political tent.”

That’s not to say Republicans won’t have to battle to hold onto some seats.

A few House and Senate districts in the Oklahoma City metro currently held

by Republicans might be in play for

Democrats. However, Republicans believe they can pick up a seat or two in some open races in a few rural districts.

“It seems to me that Democrats are giving up on the rural areas,” Weston said. “The national party’s view on homosexual marriage, on a baby’s right to life, on gun control don’t play well in rural Oklahoma.”

PRIMARY RACES TO WATCH HOUSE DISTRICT 65 Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs, leaves his post this year, and that could put a rural district in play for Republicans. Four Republican candidates will square off in the June primary, and party leaders view the seat as in play for the GOP. “We have some really good candidates in that race,” said Dave Weston, chair of the Oklahoma Republicans. “That will be a good bellwether to determine what course western Oklahoma continues to follow.”

SENATE DISTRICT 40 Senate District 40 in OKC is another district in which term limits will create an open seat. While this is a seat that Democrats are fighting to win, Republicans are confident they can retain possession. Six Republicans will be on the primary ballot, and they represent all points on the political spectrum. Michael Taylor is viewed by some as modern-day Republican, while Steve Kern lands on the far right.

5th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Six Republicans are running for the 5th Congressional District: Steve Russell, Mike Turner, Harvey Sparks, Clark Jolley, Patrice Douglas and Shane Jett. Three are from Edmond, and two are from OKC. Gov. Mary Fallin is a former representative of the 5th District, and James Lankford hopes his time as a congressman will propel him to the U.S. Senate, thus the 5th District can be a launching pad for some.

U.S. SENATE The big Republican showdown this June will be between T.W. Shannon and James Lankford in a race to replace Sen. Tom Coburn. This primary battle has drawn a lot of out-of-state money, along with endorsements from national GOP leaders. With Lankford poised to grab the Central Oklahoma vote and Shannon a popular figure in rural Oklahoma, the winner might be the candidate who performs best in Tulsa.

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OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 5 4/25/14 2:18 PM

NEWS LEGAL

Partisan laws?

Cities feel the squeeze from state lawmakers in a recent round of proposed and approved bills.

BY BEN FELDER

Mick Cornett

Steve Martin

There are many ways in which the state limits the ability of cities to have local control.

— Steve Martin

Abandoned properties

House Bill 2620, which has gained traction through the Legislature this year, would prevent cities from creating property registries.

OKC’s effort to create a registry has received opposition from local Realtors, but HB 2620’s author, Rep. Steve Martin, R-Bartlesville, said it’s designed to protect property owners. “[Oklahoma City] is combining vacant and abandoned properties on its list,” Martin said.

“There is a tremendous difference between vacant and abandoned properties. Some people have property that is well-maintained but vacant.”

Martin said he realizes his bill is exercising state control over municipal matters, but he feels that it is necessary at times.

“There are many ways in which the state limits the ability of cities to have local control,” Martin said. “We don’t let municipalities charge [property] tax or sentence people to death. We don’t

6 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

let them do a lot of things.”

OKC officials view the registry ban as contrary to the city’s right to discuss issues and decide them locally.

“Each municipality has their own democratic process for adopting ordinances to do their work they need to do in their community, and our community felt a need to get on top of this issue,” OKC Planning Director Aubrey Hammontree said.

“We are kind of waiting to see how this bill is going to turn out. Hopefully it won’t pass.”

HB 2620 passed the House and was voted out of a Senate committee.

It now waits to be heard on the floor of the Senate.

Politics at play

Cornett said one of the differences between municipal and state government is partisan politics. Cities have their share of Republican-versusDemocrat issues.

MARK HA N COC K

PHOTO P ROVI DED

In a state in which lawmakers commonly preach local control, the opposite can feel like the status quo to municipal leaders.

“I’m troubled by it,” said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett of the trend of state lawmakers increasing control over cities across Oklahoma, especially the large urban centers of OKC and Tulsa.

A recent rash of state legislation has barred cities in the state from certain activities. A grassroots effort to urge OKC leaders to increase the minimum wage was soon snuffed by state lawmakers who passed a bill barring cities from setting wage standards.

While the minimum wage increase effort had yet to gain support from city leaders, OKC has moved forward on creating an abandoned and vacant property registry, which is also under threat from the Statehouse.

“The registry for abandoned property is something that we have been working on for a long time because we have so many neighborhoods that want to improve themselves,” Cornett said.

“I think the city has a responsibility to do what they can, but this bill would prevent us.”

But with nonpartisan elections and lawmakers, OKC doesn’t see its policies driven by partisan politics like the state government, Cornett said.

“We are not partisan by our nature [at the city], and we create what we hope is a nonpartisan environment,” Cornett said.

“It seems that the rural legislators do a good job of rallying around their causes and the urban legislators divide themselves upon partisan lines.

As a result, rural legislation can often rule the day.”

Minimum wage

Politics appeared to also be at play when Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill into law that prevents cities from setting a minimum wage.

At the national level, Democrats have lobbied for a minimum wage increase. Fallin, a Republican, did not reference cities when she signed Senate Bill 1023. Instead, she directed her comments at President Barack Obama.

“President Obama and the Democratic Party are advocating for an increase in the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10,” Fallin said in a statement.

“Oklahoma doesn’t need the Obama Administration’s advice on how to build a strong economy.”

On the flipside, municipal leaders claim they don’t need state lawmakers’ advice on how to manage their own affairs.

Cost-cutting measures

City leaders are hopeful some other bills will clear hurdles at the Capitol and open the door to economic development and cost savings.

House Bill 1875 would restructure the fee cities pay to the Oklahoma Tax Commission for collecting sales tax.

“Cities were kind of getting frustrated with the service they were receiving from the tax commission and not knowing how that money is being spent,” said Jane Abraham, OKC’s government affairs manager.

Abraham said the city estimates it is overpaying the tax commission nearly $2.2 million each year.

Abraham lobbies for OKC at the state Capitol, and she said a legislative agenda is created every fall in an effort to track issues that relate to municipal government.

This year, that also includes a bill to remove the 2,500-foot buffer around schools that does not allow for the operation of a dog kennel or facility.

“What that law has done is crowd out dog grooming and dog daycare facilities in the urban areas,” Abraham said.

“We are trying to fix that because it’s an economic issue. We are close on that one.”

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OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 7 4/23/14 10:21 AM

NEWS COMMUNITY

P HOTOS BY S HA N N ON CORN M A N

Bridge to a new life

A homeless mission heals hearts and homelessness with the state’s largest free drug and alcohol recovery program.

Tom Jones speaks at the Bridge to Life graduation at City Rescue Mission.

BY BEN FELDER

Patricia Ford needed help.

She had lost her job in 2012 at Tyson Foods in Arkansas and came to Oklahoma City in hopes of finding a better opportunity. Two years later, Ford, 54, had overcome homelessness and incarceration to turn her life around.

“I can honestly say that I am a different person,” said Ford, who was one of three graduates to recently complete the Bridge to Life program at City Rescue Mission.

Considered the state’s largest free drug and alcohol recovery program, Bridge to Life is an eight- to 10-month program that helps clients end homelessness and addiction.

Anger management, spiritual development and life skills are also major themes of the program.

“If God can change me from where I used to be to where I am now, then he can change anybody,” Ford said.

A graduation ceremony was recently held at City Rescue Mission to celebrate the latest three graduates of a program that has helped dozens of people since it was launched in 2007. Alfred Luckey and Kelvin Washington also graduated from the program, and a packed audience in the mission’s chapel celebrated their journey to a new life.

“It’s a whole different high here,” said Luckey during his testimony at the graduation ceremony.

8 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

It’s a whole different high here.

— Alfred Luckey

For more than 50 years, City Rescue Mission has served Oklahoma City’s homeless population. The faithbased nonprofit provides meals and shelter, along with a variety of skilltraining programs that aim to end chronic homelessness.

“We have to recognize that when we leave here back into the real world, we are going to face those same challenges … the same good days, the same bad days,” said Tom Jones, president and CEO of City Rescue Mission. “But one thing we pray they learn is that the God they learned to know while they were here goes with you.”

Hots and a cot

When Ford first came to the shelter, she was simply looking for a meal and a bed.

“I didn’t have any idea that the mission had a program,” Ford said. “I just knew it was a place I could go and get shelter.”

Ford’s first attempt to complete

Alfred Luckey speaks during his graduation for the Bridge to Life recovery program. the program wasn’t successful, and she ended up back in prison. After her brief incarceration, she returned to the mission and gave the Bridge to Life program another try.

“It took me two times to complete it, but when I came back the second time, it was a whole different outlook,” Ford said. “It took a day-to-day process to make it.”

A patient attitude is necessary to complete the program, Washington confirmed.

“It’s not an easy road,” Washington said. “You have to take it one day at a time. Yesterday’s prayer won’t do for today.”

The three graduates are only a fraction of the number of people served through the Bridge to Life program. In 2012, 78 individuals graduated. Beyond the Bridge to Life program, the mission also serves nearly 630,000 meals a year and houses over 140,000 people who need a place to stay.

For many, the mission offers another chance at life and a supportive community that can’t be found anywhere else.

“This program is really such a unique program that if you really want to do something different and better in your life, this is the perfect program,” Ford said. “Here is this place that is designed to help you get back on your feet.”

Ford’s new lease on life has her looking to help others who are traveling down a similar path. She has a dream of training herself to help others overcome addiction and says there are others she has taken it upon herself to mentor.

“To complete something like this is amazing,” Ford said. “Especially when you consider where you have been and how far you have come.”

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OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 9 3/17/14 11:04 AM

NEWS METRO

Local stock S HA N N ON CORN M A N

Oklahoma City maintains the state’s only fish hatchery, which enriches lakes, ponds and lives.

Bob Martin tests the water at the city’s fish hatchery.

BY BEN FELDER

Oklahoma City’s Parks and Recreation Department stocks more than half a million fish a year into the city’s three lakes and other bodies of water across the city.

The city’s fish hatchery was reopened in 1983, and it’s where Bob Martin, a fisheries biologist for OKC, along with two staff members and a team of volunteers, cultivates a variety of fish breeds that will end up in Lake Overholser, Lake Hefner or Lake Stanley Draper.

“We are the only city [in Oklahoma] that operates a fish hatchery,” Martin said. “We have a complete fisheries program that includes fish culture, fish management, surveys, aquatic education and our fishing classes. And we do a lot of extension work that helps people who might call and say they have a problem in their own pond.”

Martin joined the hatchery in 1982, after it had been closed for several years.

The facility, north of Lake Hefner, was renovated and reopened. It includes

six ponds roughly an acre in size and is home to hundreds of thousands of fish that the city receives from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

The city requests nearly 1.2 million fish each year, and the parks department gets priority from the state because they are the only municipal hatchery, Martin said.

Parks officials hope to encourage fishing across the city, including at the eight close-to-home waters that include Dolese Youth Park Pond and Route 66

Park Pond. A children’s fishing education program that serves around 600 children and 400 adults also is offered each year.

“There’s been a trend in recent history that the number of fishing permits has been on a decline,” Martin said. “We have gone from a rural to urban community, and now we are seeing a change in recreation where kids spend too much time indoors. [The education program] is a way to encourage fishing as a recreational sport.”

consensus-building and project implementation are Aubrey’s strong suits,” Couch said. “She has the vision and the drive needed to implement inner-city improvement strategies while addressing the city’s growth.”

road back to parallel spaces.

“We are still very early in the design process,” said David Todd, Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS 3) program manager.

Routes are still subject to change, but officials from Jacobs said converting the east side of Broadway back to parallel parking would be a safer configuration.

Engineers are also getting ready to solicit bids for a streetcar manufacturer. In putting together a bid, officials said they wanted to provide potential manufacturers with many options for streetcar sizes in order to ensure the highest number of bids will be submitted.

Engineers are also hoping to construct a streetcar line that is wire-free, but Rick Gustafson, an engineer working on the route, said restricting bids to only those without overhead wires would significantly reduce the number of manufacturers who would respond.

“Our goal is to be 100 percent offwire,” Gustafson said. “But it would be very risky for us to seek only a system that is 100 percent off-wire.”

METRO BRIEFS City hires new parks and planning heads

Oklahoma City Manager Jim Couch announced the hiring of two department heads last week.

Doug Kupper will become the city’s new Aubrey parks and recreation Hammontree director. Aubrey Hammontree, who is currently interim planning director, will assume the planning director position permanently.

Kupper is currently the parks and recreation director in Wichita, Kan., where he has served for 14 years.

“Probably one of the best projects I managed to execute [in Wichita] was we have the Central Riverside Park, which has been in existence since the 1890s,” Kupper said. “We did a $5 million renovation to the park system.”

Kupper also said he was proud of managing his department through lean economic times.

Couch said hiring Kupper brings

10 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

a lot of experience and passion to the position.

“Kupper is a respected parks professional and has committed his entire career to the field,” Couch said in a statement. “He understands our city’s commitment to improving the quality of life for residents and is avid about bringing his passion and experience to Oklahoma City.”

Kupper, who will officially start May 27 and is replacing Wendel Whisenhunt, who is retiring, said he was looking forward to working in a city that appears to have a lot of synergy.

“The single biggest thing is it seems everyone [in OKC] is on the same page,” Kupper said. “From the elected officials to the citizens, they are all striving to make Oklahoma City a great place to live.”

Hammontree has served as interim planning director since 2013, following the announced departure of Russell Claus. Prior to her promotion, Hammontree served the city for 14 years in various capacities.

“Community engagement,

Streetcar route could impact street parking

Fitting a streetcar system into downtown Oklahoma City was never intended to be a seamless process, city officials recently said.

Members of the MAPS 3 streetcar subcommittee heard a presentation from engineers on Wednesday that outlined more details about the circular route, which could include altering street parking and constructing a one-block line that is seldom used.

Officials from the engineering firm Jacobs outlined a route that would send a streetcar north on N. Broadway Avenue through Automobile Alley, which would convert recently constructed angled parking spaces on the east side of the

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 11

CHiCKEN

FRiED NEWS

Skirvin scares

With found-footage horror films being all the craze, perhaps a new version could be shot by NBA players staying at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

Rumors have circulated for years that the hotel is haunted by a scorned housekeeper and her illegitimate child who supposedly fell to their death from one of the hotel’s upper floors. It was just a fun ghost story until 2010, when the New York Knicks were in town to play the Thunder and several players reported a sleepless, spooky night.

The New York Times published a story on April 19 about the accounts of several NBA players who fear the hotel, have had strange occurrences there and blame their losses to the Thunder on the hauntings.

To cash in on this, the hotel should arm bigname players with handheld video cameras to

chronicle their terrifying nights. Imagine a Blair Witch Project-type movie called Terror at the Skirvin, starring LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard as a scrappy group of professional athletes who set out to get to the bottom of this ghost business at the Skirvin, with terrifying results.

Star power and ghosts is a recipe for box-office gold.

No clean getaway for suds attacker

According to NewsOK, an Oklahoma City man was charged with assault after he — wait for it — squirted baby shampoo on his estranged wife.

Imagine the dramatic scene. She’s dropping her estranged husband off in his parking lot after an afternoon shopping with the kids has turned into an argument again. After reaching in through the window and putting the car in park, he grabs the first thing he finds to squirt her with.

She’s mad, humiliated and really clean, and she really wants him to pay.

An arrest was made that day, dear friends.

For future coparenting ventures, the two might want to get a chaperone until they can behave like adults.

Bad granny

An 83-year-old woman was arrested for selling pot in Stonewall, a small town southeast of Ada, KFOR-TV reported.

After police were tipped off, they then called the DA’s drug task force, which raided the home of Patsey Marlene Maxwell and found several pounds of high-grade marijuana, some of it individually packaged for distribution. Authorities also discovered a .22-caliber pistol.

Many of her neighbors were surprised to find out that Maxwell had been arrested for selling the gateway drug.

“Nice!” one neighbor said.

“She’s a little ole bitty lady.”

Unfortunately for Maxwell, she lives within 2,000 feet of a school.

She was charged with three counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled dangerous substance within 2,000 feet of a school, along with two counts of unlawful use of a telecommunication device to facilitate a felony and one count of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, the news station reported.

Political pandering at its best

Running in a hotly contested primary election means pandering to your base, and for Republicans in Oklahoma, that often means doing anything you can to let people know you don’t like President Barack Obama or his administration.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was scheduled to deliver a speech to OKC police cadets last week. But Rep. Mike Turner, R-Edmond, must have thought, “Screw free speech. That

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Democrat isn’t welcome in the Sooner State.” Turner, who is a candidate for the 5th Congressional District, threatened to protest Holder’s visit. The attorney general decided not to come.

Turner said Holder’s decision was a “victory for patriots in Oklahoma.”

Not to be outpandered, Patrice Douglas, another Republican candidate for the 5th District, said Holder’s decision not to come to Oklahoma was him “ducking more questions.”

The lesson here for Republican candidates is that whatever a Democrat does, demand he or she does the opposite.

Stop that man!

And they say chivalry is dead. Not in Oklahoma City. Ryan Farris was walking to his car in the early morning hours in Bricktown when he was flagged down by a woman in distress telling him she had been attacked in an alley.

Farris quickly

gave chase and was joined by several other bar patrons who aided police in apprehending the man. The man was later identified by NewsOK as Juan Beltran, an OKC resident. He was taken to Oklahoma County Jail on suspicion of attempted rape and assault.

The good Samaritan shook it off as just another day in the big city. He was quoted by News 9 as saying, “There are bad people everywhere, and we just took one off the street.”

That’s one for the good guys.

Now with more Jesus

The South is famous for many things — beer, guns, sweet tea, big hairstyles and a fervent love for the baby Jesus among them. But LifeWay Christian Resources, which supplies study materials and ministry resources to the Southern Baptist Convention, believes it could use just a little more Jesus.

It plans to lend a little religious help by inspiring Southern Baptists

to establish 100,000 new study and fellowship groups by the end of 2014.

While 100,000 new groups might seem impossible, church organizers are giving it the old Bible-college try and have already registered over 18,000 new groups.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that Bob Mayfield — Sunday school and adult discipleship specialist at the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and interim minister of education at Edmond’s First Baptist Church — said the new groups will allow even more people to participate in religious communion and study.

LifeWay is hoping the new study and activity groups will attract new converts and keep the already-fervent interested and satisfied with their spiritual lives.

Something tells us they would probably be a lot closer to their goal if they would have involved the South’s other god: football.

Now with more Jesus (part deux)

Hobby Lobby owner and Oklahoma native Steve Green recently launched a public school Bible curriculum. His dreams for it are vast, reported The Washington Post.

The Green Scholars Initiative was recently adopted by Mustang schools, which has agreed to beta test the fouryear elective course. It will study the “narrative, history and impact of the Good Book,” reported the Post.

Jerry Pattengale, head of the initiative, said he hopes to have it in “thousands” of schools by 2016.

Green told the National Bible Association of his hopes for the course last April: “Whether (upon) our government, education, science, art, literature, family ... when we apply it to our lives in all aspects of our life, that it has been good.”

He would also like the courses to be mandatory.

We smell another court battle.

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OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 13 14_GAZETTE_4.55X6.05_CMYK.indd 1

3/17/14 11:01 AM

COMMENTARY

Immigrants’ actions prove worth

BY NOEMI JIMENEZ

Congress must reform America’s immigration laws to restore the dream of our founding fathers: A nation that welcomes new citizens and treats them as the valuable resource they are.

Oklahoma’s recent immigrant experience shows why we must do this.

In spite of some of the strictest immigration laws in the country, our state has seen a dramatic increase in our immigrant populations and an equally spectacular expansion of the positive contributions they make to our communities.

Hispanics make up the largest immigrant group in Oklahoma; today almost one out of 10 Oklahomans is of Hispanic ancestry. Oklahoma Hispanics and Asians control $10.1

billion in consumer spending power.

They own businesses that generate $3.5 billion in sales and provide jobs for nearly 25,000 Oklahoma workers.

Immigrants of all nationalities make up 7.4 percent of our workforce.

But more importantly, Oklahoma immigrants are good neighbors.

They are almost without exception hardworking, God-fearing people who are totally committed to their families and communities. They exemplify the enthusiasm and energy that immigrants have brought with them to America since this country was born.

Current immigration policies have not kept pace with changing demographics and economics realities.

They punish children for the actions of

their parents. They tear families apart and deny aspiring workers — needed to fill holes in our workforce — the visas that would enable them to become productive additions to the U.S. economy.

This does not just negatively impact would-be new Americans. Our outdated immigration statutes deny all of us a more vigorous economy, more viable communities and more abundant employment opportunities.

Studies estimate that giving undocumented workers (who numbered more than 55,000 people in Oklahoma in 2010) a chance to earn legal status would create almost 4,000 new jobs and grow our economic output by more than $317 million by 2020. Expanding visa availability for the highly skilled

Opinions expressed on the commentary page, in letters to the editor and elsewhere in this newspaper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

immigrant workers needed by Oklahoma companies would add another 3,000 new 2020 jobs and generate a $78 million increase in statewide personal income in just the first year.

Other immigration reform strategies would have similar positive results.

America is known around the world as a nation of immigrants. It is time for Congress to put politics aside and pass the immigration reform legislation necessary to ensure that we continue to uphold that proud tradition.

Jimenez works with the Latino Community Agency as a parent educator.

She also volunteers with the Services That Assist And Redeem (STAAR) Foundation, educating the community through parenting classes and healthy lifestyles, translating, notary and immigration services.

LETTERS Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity.

Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to jchancellor@okgazette.com or sent online at okgazette.com. Include a city of residence and contact number for verification.

Testing doesn’t work

H.L. Menken once wrote that “for every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong.” This is most certainly the case with the Reading Sufficiency Act that mandates retention in the third grade for students scoring an unsatisfactory on the reading test.

In her promotion of the law, Janet Barresi sites the success of an identical law implemented in Florida. She neglected to mention that a Harvard study of the Florida’s law found that there while there was, not surprisingly, an increase in test scores for fourth-grade students, the effect faded after five years.

The study did note that there were fewer retentions in subsequent years, but that, in and of itself, is hardly proof of success.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that children retained in early grades are much

14 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

more likely to drop out than their peers.

School officials are also apprehensive about retaining more than once. The problem of having 13- and 14-year-old boys in class with 11-year-old girls should be apparent.

The solution in Oklahoma has been to cut funding, increase class sizes and threaten teachers in poorly performing schools with their jobs. And if that isn’t enough, the state will now go after the kids and punish them. This will not attract teachers to the profession, nor will it provide the nurturing and encouragement that poorly performing children need to keep them in school.

I taught for a long time, and I think it’s safe to say that you can put any idiot up in front of a class of kids whose parents are professionals and their kids will do well on tests. Kids from less privileged backgrounds need tough, dedicated teachers who work a lot harder for a less satisfactory result.

I spent years working in difficult school environments, and I have nothing but the highest regard for most of my colleagues in those schools. The reality is that many of them leave for easier jobs in cushier schools out of an instinct for self-preservation.

The Reading Sufficiency Act is, as Menken said, “simple, clear, and (dreadfully) wrong.”

— Mack Paul Norman

My opinions and facts

Mr. Cal Hobson’s “Opinions and Facts” (Commentary, March 19, Oklahoma Gazette) is another example of the liberal paradigm: The government owns all earnings of all citizens and benevolently allows the peons to keep a small portion.

He communicates his “facts” as if they are the solution, but sadly are just the usual: tax, tax, tax.

Fact No. 1 cites diesel and gas “assessments.” They are not “assessments,” but are taxes, which have not been raised since 1985. To Americans, that is a good thing. Fact No. 2 bemoans that our Legislature won’t pass a tax increase and that Governor Fallin would veto it if they did. That is a great thing.

Fact No. 3 questions what our leaders will do to address the current budget shortfall. This may come as a shock, but

I suspect they will act like leaders and find solutions.

Maybe there should be a commission consisting of entrepreneurs who are struggling to make payroll and still have enough left over to feed their kids, housewives that squeeze and stretch their household budget to cover everything, maybe a couple of retired folks on a fixed income trying to figure out how to pay for all of your social engineering balderdash and a couple of college folks working part-time to cover their rising tuition so the tenured professors can get six-figure incomes for writing papers that no one reads. Just a guess on my part, but I bet that that group would have no problem cutting the budget and still be able to cover all essential services.

— Pete Lepo Edmond

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HAPPENINGS Take Back the Night, march and rally to focus on eliminating sexual violence in all forms, 7 p.m., May 1.

University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. THU Shall We Dance, American and International styles of ballroom, Latin, country and swing dances, 8-10 p.m., May 2. Shall We Dance, 2260 W. Main St., Norman. FRI Shade Lovers Workshop, trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals that love shady areas, 9:30-10:30 a.m., May 3. tlc Garden Centers, 105 W. Memorial Rd., 751-0630, tlcgarden.com. SAT Single Mother’s Conference, 9:30 a.m., May 3. Greater Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 1020 NE 42nd St., 424-2186.

SAT Plaza Sunday/St. Baldrick’s Day on The Plaza, benefiting childhood cancer research, live music from local artists, food trucks, charitable shopping opportunities, raffles and prizes, 1-4 p.m., May 4. Plaza District, 1618 N. Gatewood Ave., 367-9403, plazadistrict. org. SUN

Buddha Mind Meditation Class, instructed meditation practice and lecture on Buddhist principles, 7-9 p.m., May 6. Buddha Mind Monastery, 5916 S. Anderson Rd., 869-0501, ctbuddhamind. org. TUE

FILM Finding Vivian Maier, (U.S., 2014, dir. John Maloof and Charlie Siskel) a nanny whose previously unknown cache of 100,000 photographs earned her a posthumous reputation as one the most accomplished street photographers, 7:30 p.m., May 1; 5:30, 8 p.m., May 2-3; 2 p.m., May 4. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU

BOOKS Free Comic Book Day, meet Captain America, Wonder Woman, Spiderman and more, artists and writers, bounce house and refreshments, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., May 3.

DZ Comics and Gaming, 733 N. Moore Ave., Moore, 7353994, dzcomics.com. SAT

PERFORMING ARTS Cmplt Wks of Wm Shkspr, three actors parody the plays of William Shakespeare, 7:30 p.m., Apr. 30-May 3.

Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May Ave., 682-1611, occc.edu. WED–SAT

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Looking for a relaxing cruise along scenic shorelines? You don’t have to leave the state — or the city, for that matter — to find one. Oklahoma River Cruises is holding a season preview party with live music, local wine and food vendors and, of course, its signature climate-controlled cruisers.

The celebration is 2-6 p.m. Saturday at the Regatta Park Landing, 701 S. Lincoln Blvd. Admission to the party is free, and mini cruises are $6. Call 702-7755 or visit okrivercruises.com.

Side by Side Concert, Maestro Levine and the musicians of the Philharmonic mentor and coach the members of the Oklahoma Youth Orchestra, Apr. 30. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter. com. WED Urinetown: The Musical, musical comedy that satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement and municipal politics, 7 p.m., May 1-2; 2, 7 p.m., May 3. Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 524-9312, lyrictheatreokc. com. THU–SAT

nber4g e e p S e Mik 30 - MAY APRIL

Oklahoma River Cruise

Saturday PROVI DED

Ted’s Cafe Escondido 2836 N.W. 68th • OKC

UCO Senior Toast, honor and celebrate students’ efforts with one final congratulatory toast, 4-5 p.m., May 4. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. SUN P ROVI DE D

Go Program™ Event

UCO Wind Symphony, featuring Central associate professor of flute and professional performer Emily Butterfield, 7:30 p.m., May 1. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. THU

jyu11 n a C n u j RaMay 7 - Ma

You Can’t Take It With You, Pulitzer Prize-winning Kaufman and Hart comedy, 8 p.m., May 1-3; 2:30 p.m., May 4. Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N. Walker Ave., 5211786, jewelboxtheatre.org. THU–SUN FUBAR: The Musical, student-written rock musical, 7:30 p.m., May 2-3. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. FRI–SAT Sooner Theatre Showcase 2014, variety show featuring special song and dance performances by students from The Studio of the Sooner Theatre, 10 a.m., 2, 7:30 p.m., May 3. Sooner Theatre, 101 E. Main St., Norman, 3219600, soonertheatre.com. SAT

edman t S e n i t ChrisAY 14 - MAY 18 M

Carnival Around the World 2014, evening of dance performances that include ballroom, jazz, salsa, Argentine tango and more, 7 p.m., May 3. International Dance Studio, 3001 NW 73rd St., 831-9752, idancestudio. com. SAT

RI S CE MOR 5

VINY 21 - MAY 2 MA

orrEel1l M e i k n FraAY 28 - JUN M

Singing Men of Arkansas, an auditioned men’s choir pursuing professional excellence in choral sound, 8:30 a.m., May 4. Metropolitan Baptist Church, 7201 W. Britton Rd., 722-2550. SUN

My Friend, Death Saturday is Free Comic Book Day, but Tyler Kelting has already been publishing strips of his post-apocalyptic comic book series My Friend, Death on his website.

The Edmond-based writer/artist will sign the first two issues of the series 5-7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 7 at New World Comics, 6219 N. Meridian Ave. Admission is free.

Call 721-7634 or visit myfrienddeath.com. See related story on page 40.

Wednesday, May 7

16 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Senior Choreography Showcase, performance featuring new and innovative choreography, 7:30 p.m., May 5. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. MON

FOOD Fast, Fit Family Meals, learn to cook whole food meals that are suitable for children but satisfy grown up needs, 6:30-9:30 p.m., May 1. Francis Tuttle Technology CenterRockwell Campus, 12777 N. Rockwell Ave., 717-4900, francistuttle.edu. THU Paint N Cheers, creative social art classes, 6:30 p.m., May 1-2, 6; 2 p.m., May 4. Paint N Cheers, 1614 N. Gatewood Ave., 524-4155, paintncheers.com. THU

Pinot’s Palette, wine and paint party, 7-9 p.m., May 1. Pinot’s Palette, 115 E. California Ave., 6023850, pinotspalette.com. THU Derby Days Happy Hour at the Park House, food and drink specials to celebrate the Kentucky Derby, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., May 2-3. Park House Restaurant, 125 Ron Norick Blvd. FRI The Artistik Palette, the social painting place, 6-9 p.m., May 2. Artistik Palette, 5820 E. Reno Ave., Midwest City. FRI 3rd Annual Pop!, sample more than 60 champagnes, sparkling wines, ciders and craft beers, small bites, a raffle and live music with proceeds benefitting St. Anthony Hospital, 6:308:30 p.m., May 2. Rapp Foundation Conference Center - Saints Medical Plaza, 535 NW 9th St., 4th Floor, 272-7383, saintsok.com. FRI

IF THAT’S YOU

EMAIL YOUR RESUME TO CDUANE@OKGAZETTE.COM

Broadway & Brew, featuring local breweries and restaurants, entertainment and performers from Lyric’s upcoming shows, 7-11 p.m., May 2. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, myriadgardens.org. FRI Brunch N Learn, food tastings, cooking demo, style and trunk show, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., May 3.

Nonna’s Euro-American Ristorante and Bar, 1 Mickey Mantle Drive, 235-4410. SAT Cheesecake: Beginners, learn the basics of making cheesecake, 6:30-9:30 p.m., May 5.

Francis Tuttle Technology Center-Rockwell Campus, 12777 N. Rockwell Ave., 717-4900, francistuttle.edu. MON

PROVIDED

Gluten Free Meals, focus on healthier gluten free cooking, 6:30-9:30 p.m., May 6. Francis Tuttle Technology Center-Rockwell Campus, 12777 N. Rockwell Ave., 717-4900, francistuttle.edu. TUE

Tipsy Artist Birthday Party Have you ever enjoyed an adult beverage but wondered what to do with your other hand? Then you should check out Tipsy Artist parties, which have seen a steep rise in popularity in the current wine-and-paint party boom. (It’s also a great early Mother’s Day present. Hint, hint.) The Tipsy Artist Birthday Party features gift baskets and giveaways — and, of course, wine and painting — starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Tipsy Artist Paint Palace, 124 W. Oklahoma Ave. in Guthrie. Tickets are $29-$40. Call 757-8779 or visit tipsyartist.com.

Friday

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 17

continued

SPORTS

Come see the unveiling of the newest Neal McGee Home!

16717 Little Leaf Lane in Rose Creek

Gated Entrance • North of 164th on May

May 2, 3, 4 from 1 to 7 pm

PieceWalk & 5K, opportunity to give Oklahoma families affected by autism a day of togetherness and a day to support awareness in our state, 8:30 a.m., May 3. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 Mickey Mantle Drive, 218-1000, autismoklahoma.org. SAT OKC Redhawks vs. Round Rock Express, minor league baseball, 7:05 p.m., Apr. 30-May 1. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 Mickey Mantle Drive, 218-1000, okcredhawks.com. WED–THU YogaVerve, donation-only class with all proceeds going to a local nonprofit, 10:30 a.m., May 4.

YogaVerve, 16501 N. Shawnee Ave., Edmond. SUN Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma Fourth Annual Walk in the Park, 5K run and 1-mile fun run/walk, 2 p.m., May 4. Stars and Stripes Park, 3701 S. Lake Hefner Drive, parkinsonoklahoma.com. SUN OKC Redhawks vs. Memphis Redbirds, minor league baseball, 7:05 p.m., May 6-7. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 Mickey Mantle Drive, 218-1000, okcredhawks.com. TUE–WED

YOUTH Festival of the Child, one-day event to celebrate children, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., May 3. Yukon City Park, 2200 S. Holly Ave., Yukon, 350-8937, cityofyukonok. gov. SAT Story Time with Julie, hear the best and newest children’s books, 10:15-11 a.m., May 3. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT Schoolhouse Craft, color and collage a schoolhouse masterpiece to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, 11 a.m., May 3. Lakeshore Learning Store, 6300 N. May Ave., 858-8778, lakeshorelearning.com. SAT Make + Take Art, enjoy quality time with your children while helping them develop their creative skills, 1-4 p.m., May 3. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 951-0000, cityartscenter.org. SAT

VISUAL ARTS A Walk Through the Soul, paintings by Karam, an artist from Seoul, Korea whose impressionist oil paintings are derived from her emotions. Paseo Originals Art Gallery, 2920 Paseo St., 604-6602, paseooriginals.com.

All Fun and Games, an innovative exhibition featuring the video arcade game as a medium of visual art. FAC Gallery, 444 South Flood Ave., Norman, 329-4523, normanfirehouse.com.

Better Than Wallpaper, Beth Hammack’s new body of work consists of her large trademark abstract paintings.

JRB Art at the Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 528-6336, jrbartgallery.com.

Biting the Apple 2014, provocative art show for artists working in alternative mediums. IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave., 232-6060, iaogallery.org.

Brett Weston: Land, Sea, and Sky, examples from 1940-1985 consisting predominantly of mud, rock and ice abstractions. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com.

Clay Classes with Susan Cromer Yback, handbuilding and wheel throwing for ages 6 and up, 10 a.m.-noon, May 3. House of Clay, 1100 NW 30th St., 524-5610. SAT Drawing from the Tropics, Debby Kaspari’s work is infused with the color and light of the tropics. Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 2973995, myriadgardens.com.

Horse as Icon, Jean Richardson’s horses reflect her prairie roots and her passion for contemporary art.

Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., 5213356, arts.ok.gov.

Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, gain a global perspective on the food and the environment through photos. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 325-4712, snomnh.ou.edu.

PROVIDED

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Weekend Keeper Connections, from anemones to zebras, learn about your favorite zoo animals from the people entrusted to care for them: the keepers, May 3-4. Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Pl., 4243344, okczoo.com. SAT–SUN

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Saturday at Regal Spotlight Stadium 14, 1100 N. Interstate Drive; AMC Quail Springs 24, 2501 W. Memorial Rd.; and Cinemark Tinseltown USA, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave. Tickets are $10-$25. Visit fathomevents.com.

Saturday Member FDIC

18 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Mayweather vs. Maidana

Oklahoma Cultural and Arts Alliance Inc. Presents

The Tango Experience C HRI S N GUY E N

May 3rd & 4th, 2014

A Weekend of Spectacular workshops featuring Guillermo Cerneaz and Marina Kenny

Western Avenue On the Lawn We all know how kids love their little furry friends, which is why the Oklahoma Humane Society is joining forces with On the Lawn, the monthly family-oriented celebration of area families and businesses. This monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event features a pop-up kids play-zone, an outdoor mini-market and an OK Humane Society adoption park.

The fun takes place 5-8 p.m. Thursday at 62nd Street and Western Ave. behind Whole Foods. Admission is free. Visit visitwesternavenue.com.

Early Bird Special $100 Weekend Pass before May 1st!

Thursday

$120 Weekend Pass $60 per day $20 per class

Indigene, original photographs of indigenous people taken over the past five years, many document the Hadzabe tribe of Tanzania. The Caliber, 48 NW 8th, 641-4500, facebook.com/TheCaliber.

Shifting Frontiers, cowboy portraits and and rugged Western landscapes. Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com.

Master Artists at the Jacobson House, works of art by 40 Oklahoma Native American artists. Jacobson House Native Art Center, 609 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 3661667, jacobsonhouse.com.

SiO2, glass works by John Byrne, Rick and Tracey Bewley and father/son duo Chris and Micah McGahan.

Paseo Originals Art Gallery, 2920 Paseo St., 604-6602, paseooriginals.com.

North of Reno, black and white photographs of architectural elements from selected buildings in Oklahoma City. JRB Art at the Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 528-6336, jrbartgallery.com.

Small - The New Large, paintings, prints and drawings which utilize colors that appeal in small sizes. Jann Jeffrey Gallery, 3018 Paseo, 420-5707, jannjeffrey.com.

OK CityScape, Oklahoma City skyline built of more than two million building blocks. Remington Park, 1 Remington Place, 424-9000, remingtonpark.com.

Outta the Ball Park, featuring artists Alan Ball and Nancy Park. Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com.

With 1 hour practice

Sunday, May 4th 1:00p - 4:15p

With 1 hour practice

6 Beginner Classes 6 Inter/Advanced Classes 2 Practice Sessions

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Spring 2014 Capstone Exhibition, showcasing the work of 10 graduating Central studio art students working in various media. Istvan Gallery, 1218 N. Western, 831-2874, istvangallery.com.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner, award-winning works of 31 UCO graphic design students who took home a total of 90 ADDY Awards this spring. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, 9742000, uco.edu/cfad.

SHANNON CORNMAN FILE

RISQUE: The Art of Sexuality, undergraduate and graduate students create and exhibit art to shed positivity on a taboo subject. Womb Gallery, 25 NW 9th St., 596-3999, wombgallery.com.

OKCAA

Saturday, May 3rd 12:00p - 3:15p

First Friday Gallery Walk Do you like leisurely strolls? Better yet, do you like leisurely strolls through a variety of art galleries, exhibition openings, restaurants and live performances from local musicians? Then check out the First Friday Gallery Walk 6-10 p.m. Friday and noon-6 p.m. Saturday in the Paseo Arts District, 3022 Paseo Street. Admission is free.

For OKG Call 525-2688 or visit thepaseo.com.

music picks

Friday-Saturday

see page 49

Largest Local Selection!

9 Convenient Locations!

www.partygalaxy.com OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 19

James Mock, Ph.D. UCO Professor of Philosophy Joanna Lambert UCO Graduate

Mentors Matter Joanna Lambert thought she was just fulfilling a

humanities requirement when she registered for “Philosophy of Life” with Dr. James Mock. Instead, she found fulfillment in her own life, along with the resolve to change her major. In Dr. Mock, she says she found a mentor who taught her how to think, not what to think, a lesson that has led to personal and professional success.

“Dr. Mock made it fun to learn. His authenticity stands out. When you are your most authentic self, you give permission for others to do the same. This is the great gift Dr. Mock gives to his students. His example has allowed me to be effective in my work as a mental health counselor. I have found when I am my most authentic self, I give my clients the permission to do the same – and that is where healing begins.

I attribute the knowledge I gained as a philosophy student at Central, in part, to what has made me a more complete person, a whole person.”

Tell us how a Central faculty or staff member inspired you at univrel@uco.edu.

Live Central

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA Edmond, OK • (405) 974-2000 • www.uco.edu TM

20 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

LIFE FOOD & DRINK

SHANNON CORN M A N

Papa knows best

After a bumpy start, Papa Dio’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar gained a following in the 1970s that remains today.

BY GREG HORTON

Bill Bonadio opened his first restaurant in Oklahoma City about the same time a revolution was unfolding in Iran. The two unrelated events helped catapult Bonadio and his restaurant into Oklahoma City’s collective awareness in a very unusual way.

Bonadio, owner of Papa Dio’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar, opened his first concept, Dio’s Original Fried Pizza, at 10700 N. May Ave. in 1979. Bonadio was using a 600-yearold family recipe that his paternal grandparents brought over from Italy.

“I had just left the HRAD [hotel and restaurant administration] program at Oklahoma State [University], and I was a third-generation restaurateur, so I believed I was prepared to open my own place,” Bonadio said.

The first location didn’t thrive. He had placed a pizza joint within one mile of six others.

“I didn’t do my market research,” he said.

His father was semi-retired at the time, and he suggested that his son open an Italian restaurant. Bonadio liked the idea, and his dad supplied some of the recipes. To honor his father’s input, Bonadio opened Papa Dio’s at 2905 W. Hefner Road shortly after closing the fried pizza restaurant.

Because Bonadio is Italian-American, he decided to honor both countries by flying their flags outside his new restaurant.

However, this decision caused some difficulties. The Italian flag features three vertical bars of green, white and red, and the Iranian flag includes the same colors displayed horizontally. Some Oklahomans were confused, and given the state of the Iran hostage crisis, Bonadio quickly became the object of threats and insults.

He took to local media to introduce himself and clear up the confusion.

“We got a ton of business after that,” he said. “We grew until I was able to buy my dad out in 1988.”

Bonadio would eventually move the restaurant to its current location at 10712 N. May Ave. In 1996, Bill Mathis, a friend of the family, approached Bonadio with an idea.

“He loved my food,” Bonadio said. “He said, ‘Bill, this is as good as anything I eat anywhere I travel, but you have to have good wine.’”

Bonadio, who confessed he is more of an Italian jug wine drinker, agreed, and the two opened the wine bar adjacent to the bistro to feature an improved wine list and fine dining options.

Papa Dio’s menu has grown since, but you can still find the pizza from Dio’s Original Fried Pizza on the

four-page menu. The only item ever removed from the menu was Italian chicken-fried steak. Everything else remains, including all 14 sauces made in-house, which Bonadio himself helps prep every day; he still cooks every day the restaurant is open.

Bonadio recently expanded the menu to four pages because he wanted to include all the former daily specials.

I was a third-generation restaurateur, so I believed I was prepared to open my own place.

— Bill Bonadio “We still do specials, but these were the ones everyone wanted,” he said.

The most popular special menu item over the years has been the meatloaf. Bonadio’s mother, Constance, works in the restaurant, and her job is to call a long list of customers every time the meatloaf makes an appearance.

“I love making the calls,” she said.

“Everyone is happy to hear from me.”

Three generations of the Bonadio family at Papa Dio’s: Bill, Constance and Michael Bonadio.

Bonadio’s son, Michael, also works at Papa Dio’s. That means there are three generations of the Bonadio family working at the restaurant. The generational consistency leads to a consistency in quality, too.

Bonadio said he credits his family’s commitment to quality, consistency and service for his success. Hard work should probably be included, as well, but Bonadio focuses on service more than anything.

“When the gluten-free craze started, people used to bring me the pastas and asked me to cook them,” he said. “I’ve added them to the menu now because that’s what we do; we serve customers what they want.”

When the gluten-free customers showed up, staff members asked Bonadio what they should do.

“I told them what I tell everyone who asks for a modification,” Bonadio said. “I cook for money, so the answer is yes.”

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 21

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Let them eat onion burgers Thousands flock to El Reno each year to enjoy the city’s most iconic food.

BY DEVON GREEN

El Reno Fried Onion Burger Day 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday Main Street, downtown El Reno elrenoburgerday.wordpress.com 262-8888

Creating the world’s largest fried onion burger took some ingenuity and a pioneering spirit. It required creativity and hard work, but in the end, 8,000 people watched the first 8 1/2-foot-wide burger lifted off of an oversized grill in 1989.

El Reno’s Fried Onion Burger Day is now in its 25th year, and it has come a long way. The organizers have

the hard part down to a science with a custom grill and a convection oven — which measures 12 feet by 12 feet — built especially for the festival.

“We didn’t even have an oven (for the 350-pound bun); that came later,” said Debbie Harrison, program director of the El Reno Main Street Program.

The El Reno Main Street Program plans promotional events — like the Christmas parade during the holiday season — in downtown El Reno throughout the year. But it all started with the burger day to foster a sense of community and celebrate El Reno’s most iconic food. Onion burgers have been a part of El Reno’s food culture

This year, more than 25,000 people are expected to visit El Reno to watch the creation of the world’s largest onion burger.

“ Not just another day in May ”

SHANNON CORNMAN

james bokovoy

Photo exhibition marking the anniversary of May 2013 storms

since the early 1900s, when beef was scarce and expensive. Adding onions to a meager hamburger patty was a way to boost flavor and bulk.

This year, more than 25,000 people are expected to visit El Reno to watch the creation of the world’s largest onion burger. It will be made with 350 pounds of beef and 150 pounds of onions. The 350-pound bun consists of, among other things, 60 eggs and 15 gallons of water. It will be baked the day before in a huge, custom-made convection oven.

Citizens of El Reno are encouraged to chip in to help make the burger.

On Friday morning, there will be a volunteer onion-peeling party hosted at Gilmore’s Pub & Barefoot Bar, 112 S. Choctaw Ave., and a meat-rolling party at The Centre Theatre, 110 S. Bickford Ave. The 350 pounds of meat are courtesy of OKC West Livestock Market Inc., Alfadale Stock Farms, Oklahoma Beef Council and Larry’s Meat Inc. Local grocer Beachler’s IGA will donate the onions.

During the first Burger Day, hungry participants bought more than 1,300 onion burgers. Over 25 years, attendance has swelled to 25,000

Opening reception Tues., May 6, 5-7pm

Ground floor of Leadership Square in downtown OKC

Curated by Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center Presented by Ahead of the Storm:The Oklahoma Tornado Project

Jeremiah Roberts holds a fried onion burger at Johnnie’s Grill in El Reno. people from as far away as Australia who come to celebrate a food created out of necessity and a tradition maintained as a point of city pride.

There will be live music from the El Reno Jazz Band, Small Town Sound, Suckerpunch Suzie, Shiloh Station and the Mike McClure Band.

A variety of food vendors will be there for the hungry masses, including food truck El Reno Original Onion Fried Burgers, parked at the El Reno Tribune. Other food choices include funnel cakes, turkey legs and caramel apples, all sponsored by various local organizations.

Local favorites Sid’s Diner, Johnnie’s Grill and Robert’s Grill will be open and serving onion burgers. There will also be a burger-eating contest from 10 a.m. to noon in the big burger area downtown.

And, of course, the focus of the event, the big burger, will come off the grill at 1 p.m.

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Sporty pies Retired professional athletes from Oklahoma return home to open a pizza franchise.

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Two of Oklahoma State University’s former standout athletes are bringing a new pizza franchise to the metro this year. Billy Bajema and Josh Fields have signed a deal with Pie Five Pizza Co. for as many as ten franchise locations in Oklahoma. Pie Five is a subsidiary of Pizza Inn and is headquartered in The Colony, Texas.

Bajema and Fields were teammates on the OSU Cowboys football team in the early 2000s, Fields as a quarterback and Bajema as a tight end.

Bajema went on to play nine seasons in the NFL that included a 2012 Super Bowl championship with the Baltimore Ravens. Fields was drafted in the first round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft by the Chicago White Sox. He played with the Sox and the Kansas City Royals in his MLB career.

Both retired from their respective sports and, along with Brandon Birdwell, who also played at OSU, and Bajema’s brother-in-law, Tyce

I love pizza, and I was wanting to do something in the food industry.

— Billy Bajema

Jones, formed Pistol Pies LLC. Birdwell and Fields already own three Firehouse Subs franchises in the state.

Bajema said the group is still considering locations for the first store.

“We don’t have a fixed date yet, but we’ve narrowed it down to three possible areas in the metro area,” he said.

Once the first store is open, probably late summer this year, Bajema said the group plans to

P ROVI DED P HOTOS

Exterior of a Pie Five Pizza Co. similar to stores set for Oklahoma. open one about every 6-8 months, depending on the growth potential.

According to industry analysis, the Pie Five franchises are expected to do very well. Forbes magazine listed Pie Five in its “10 Hot New Restaurant Chains from Established Brands” coverage this year.

The group plans to open stores in Tulsa eventually but is now focusing on the Oklahoma City metro area.

Each store will employ about 15 people, including management.

The concept is in the fast-casual category of restaurant franchises, and the model is different from other pizza concepts currently in the state.

Pie Five is counter-service pizza.

Like Subway and Chipotle, it allows customers to move down a line of options, picking ingredients they prefer. The concept appealed to Bajema during his market research.

Bajema knew his professional sports career would not last forever.

In the off-season, he began laying plans for a future business endeavor and studying business at Harvard University.

“I love pizza, and I was wanting to do something in the food industry,” he said.

“I liked the pizza segment, and this concept stood out for me. We considered several competitors with a similar model, but we really hit it off with Pie Five’s leadership team.”

Pie Five has opened 19 stores in the past three years in six states, including Texas and Kansas.

Bajema said the company now has 150 franchises under contract and will be expanding to five more states — including Oklahoma — in the near future.

Another reason Bajema and Fields chose Pie Five was the service aspect. As customers move through the line, choosing from an array of options and four different crusts (including gluten-free), they are able to completely personalize the experience, and the pizza is ready for them less than five minutes after completing their order.

“I had no idea you could cook a personalized pizza in two and a half minutes until I started researching,” Bajema said.

In addition to pizzas, Pie Five also allows customers to personalize salads by applying the same model, which allows for healthy options, as well as an extensive menu of vegetarian choices.

Billy Bajema

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Mountaintop masala Himalayas Aroma of India offers cuisine for carnivores and vegans alike.

BY DOUG HILL

Himalayas Aroma of India 705 N. MOORE AVE., MOORE

Tika masala on the lunch buffet at Himalayas Aroma of India.

HIMALAYASOK.COM 701-390O WHAT WORKS: EXOTIC FOOD SERVED IN A PLEASANT ATMOSPHERE. WHAT NEEDS WORK: IF THERE MUST BE BEEF ON THE MENU, COOK IT LOW AND SLOW. TIP: COME PREPARED TO BE OVERWHELMED WITH CHOICES.

The description printed on the menu at Himalayas Aroma of India is, “A fine dining experience where earth and sky meet.”

It’s a notion that bravely ignores the fact that the place is tucked between I-35 Bingo and an empty, available storefront in a suburban strip mall where the tenant mix is rounded out with a Western wear outlet store. But Himalayas seeks to transport diners to India.

The real culture clash was revealed by a menu on which vegan and vegetarian plates outnumber those with meat.

A test of any culture’s culinary repertoire is if you could be tempted to make an entire meal of its bread alone. France and Italy, I’m looking at you.

There are nine different breads, or naan, on the menu. Pan-fried naan stuffed with caramelized onions or filled with dried fruits and nuts are among the varieties. Hot naan dripping with honey was among the evening’s best tastes.

Himalayas features both a lunch and a dinner buffet ($8.95 and $10.95 on weekdays, a little more on weekends) along with a full menu.

There are around 30 choices on the

26 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

buffet.

Most dishes familiar in AmericanIndian restaurants, such as chicken tika masala, beef korma and chicken biryani, are on the buffet. What shouldn’t be overlooked are the small chutneys and obscure dishes that show off the chef ’s regional or ethnic background.

Inspired lemon-pickle chutney was a revelation of citric intensity.

Pineapple halwa and tamarind and tomato soup were also full of bright personality. Southern India’s cabbage poriyal spiked with coconut, shallots and black mustard seed was truly fit for a Raj. The menu featuring eggplant baingan bhurtha ($9.95) and veggie dumpling makhni kofta ($10.95) also reveals pizza served with French fries ($4.95) and chicken nuggets ($4.95).

Although Himalayas’ chefs are champs with the rice, lentils and spinach dishes, they’re also no slouches preparing food with a face.

Chicken in various spicy gravies are winners in particular. The tandoori chicken with its peculiar brick-red color appeared to be overbaked to dryness but turned out to be moist and flavorful. Chicken biryani, the old war hen at any American-Indian joint, was boldly flavored with ginger and cumin.

Dessert includes unadorned fresh fruit and cardamom-flavored vermicelli pudding with the best being creamy mango custard.

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Viva la salsa Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner. Why not liven up your table with one of these fresh, locally made salsas? They’re great if you like to feel superior to your fellow revelers with what you can handle or you just like to give those corn chips some pep. Find these at places like the Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City Farmers Market and Urban Agrarian.

— By Devon Green, photos by Shannon Cornman

Dorian’s Foods

Towhead Salsa

Mittie’s Kitchen

1008 County Road 1586, Marlow crestvieworganicfarms.net 580-658-3022

P.O. Box 1390, Tuttle towheadproducts.com 618-7418

49200 Hardesty Road, Earlsboro facebook.com/mittieskitchen oklahomafood.coop 593-9986

Dorian’s Foods out of Marlow produces quality picante sauces and unusual relishes on its farm. Dorian’s chow-chow is a dynamite addition to any cookout. It’s a great addition to hot dogs or hamburgers.

You can find products at the OSU-OKC Farmers Market through Susan Graff’s Crestview Farms booth, or you can order chow-chow and other products, including freshly made picante sauce and jalapeño relish, through Crestview’s website or just give the farm a call.

Made from a family recipe, Towhead Salsa uses only the freshest ingredients and is produced in small batches. The salsas are all-natural and preservativefree. The price is reasonable: A 16-ounce jar only costs five bucks.

You can find these at Urban Agrarian, 211 S. Klein Ave.; Native Roots Market, 131 NE Second St.; and Bill Kamp’s Meat Market, 7310 N. Western Ave., or you can purchase directly from Towhead’s website.

At her home in Earlsboro, Melinda Billingsley creates locally sourced salsa that is so fresh you could take credit for making it yourself and no one would be the wiser.

With no chemicals or hard-to-pronounce ingredients, this salsa’s flavor is a perfect complement to light summer fare.

Billingsley’s products can be purchased through the Oklahoma Food Cooperative and on Saturday mornings at her booth at the Oklahoma City Farmers Market, 1205 SW Second St.

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Ace In the Bowl Salsa

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El Rancho Salsa

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39232 E. 231st Street South, Porter livesayorchards.com 918-483-2102

308 Clermont Drive, Edmond dcfarmsalsa.com 833-6771

Available at locations around the metro elranchosalsaok.com

Susan Witt has been making her salsa at home for more than 20 years and has only recently made it available to the public. Ace in the Bowl comes in three varieties: hot, medium and mild. Witt credits her unique blend of ingredients for the flavor. Plus, you can’t miss the ace playing card on her labels.

You can pick up these salsas at Whole Foods Market, 6100 N. Western Ave.; The Gourmet Gallery, 1532 S. Boulevard, in Edmond; and Oklahoma Red Dirt Emporium, 101 E. California Ave.

Did you know that Porter is the peach capitol of Oklahoma? Livesay Orchards in Porter creates delicious salsa with a hint of sweetness, thanks to its addition of peaches.

The largest peach farm in Oklahoma, it also produces peach jam, peach butter and even a peach barbecue sauce so you can treat your guests to something a little different.

You can visit the orchard and pick up all of Livesay Orchards’ products directly from mid-June through September. You can also find them at Urban Agrarian.

If you crave a kick to your condiment, look no farther than Mamma Dee’s Pretty Hot variety. It’ll certainly wake up your taste buds with a flavorful combination of tomatoes and jalapeños and just a hint of citrus. Mamma Dee’s runs the gamut from mild to very hot.

You can find its products at Sprout’s Farmers Market, 6410 N. May Ave.; The Beef Jerky Emporium, 9346 N. May Ave.; and Savage Trading Company, 10840 NW 10th St., in Yukon.

According to its website, El Rancho Salsa evolved as a company in response to customers’ demand that the owners of Shamrock Convenience Store on NW 50th Street and N. Portland Avenue sell the hot sauce they offered with their burritos. One thing led to another, and now the four varieties of El Rancho Salsa are available all over the metro, including at the OSUOKC Farmers Market, 400 N. Portland Ave.; Urban Agrarian; and Akin’s Natural Foods Market, 2370 W. Memorial Road.

Belly Dancing Saturdays • 8:30

6014 N. May • 947-7788 www.zorbasokc.com

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 29

S HA N N ON COR N M A N

LIFE COVER

OKC Harn Homestead

Get on it! You still have time to experience your city this year.

and medical equipment. Not to be missed is the popular leech jar, which contained bloodsucking worms to treat a variety of medical conditions.

M A RK HA N COC K

BY ANGELA BOTZER

Oklahoma City just turned 125 years old. To hallmark the metro’s well-established and celebrated eclecticism, Oklahoma Gazette shares some of OKC’s notable local eateries, attractions and cultural landmarks. Here’s why we ♥ OKC and you should, too.

Visit National Saddlery and Cross ♥ Bar Gallery at 1400 S. Agnew Ave. It features a wonderful array of Western furniture, clothing, saddles, tack and home decor. One of the highlights is leather craftswoman extraordinaire Patricia Lee in the back of the store workshop. (Visitors are welcome.) She has been cleaning, oiling and repairing saddles since 2002 and is also an expert builder of tack.

His neighbors said it couldn’t ♥ be done, but in 1898, William H. Odor built the perfectly round

SEE IT!

The bawdy Sunday Gospel Brunch ♥ at The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., usually requires advance reservations

Arcadia Round Barn, 107 Oklahoma 66, in Arcadia. Bring your camera to this often-photographed Route 66 landmark. Made of bur oak and restored in 1992, it is the only truly

because it’s an ever-popular must-do in the metro area. The beautiful “Kitty” and “Norma,” drag queens dressed to the nines, wear choir robes, sing songs and engage the audience with hilarious skits and improv comedy.

There’s also superb food; the bagel and salmon combo is scrumptious, as are the quiche, mimosas and the Bloody Mary bar.

round barn in the country.

Can’t make it ♥ to the Grand Canyon this year?

Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., has a 360-degree panorama of the Grand Canyon, and it’s almost as breathtaking as being there. And running through May 5 is the interactive The Science of Rock ’n’ Roll, which explores the science of amplification, electric guitars, keyboards and more through a timeline. Plus, there are guitars, drums and keyboards to try. How fun is that!

DO IT!

always wanted to uncover ♥You’ve your inner drummer, and now is A giraffe at the Oklahoma City Zoo

Banjo Museum, 9 E. Sheridan Ave. After viewing all these banjos, you’re inspired, you know you want one. Stop in the gift shop for your choice of fourstring, clawhammer or bluegrass banjos, some made by the famed Deering Banjo Company. Check out the array of instruction books and you’re on your way to some fine picking.

See more than 300 banjos, ♥ including clawhammer, fretless, bluegrass and more at The American

MARK HANCOCK

Take a break in rural Oklahoma ♥ right in the middle of the city at Harn Homestead & 1889ers Museum, 1721 N. Lincoln Blvd. Tour the barn built in 1904, a schoolhouse built in 1897, gardens and residences of the Harn family. Also see rare Victorian hair art, relics from the days when women wove the extra hair found in their hairbrushes as art and also wore them as hair accessories.

Arsenic, cocaine and laudanum (a ♥ solution containing morphine) are absent in today’s pharmacies, but these

American Banjo Museum

30 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

medicinal bottles from another era can still be seen at Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum, 214 W. Oklahoma Ave., in Guthrie. The museum includes a wide variety of tinctures, compounds

SH ANNON CORNMAN

The Boom’s Sunday Gospel Brunch

An Invitation to Catholics to Come Home Begins Tuesday, April 29th• 6 pm

We welcome Catholics who no longer attend Mass regularly.

Do you have issues with the Church you would like to discuss? Do you want to come home to the Church?

9313 N. PeNNsylvaNia • Casady square 405-607-2842 M A RK HA N COC K

Mon-Fri, 10aM-5:30pM • sat, 10aM-3pM

the time for drum lessons at Larsen Music Company, 4001 NW 63rd St. Stellar instructor Bill Repavich will get you started at $20 for an introductory lesson and assist you in purchasing a practice pad, an instruction book and, of course, drumsticks.

Feed the giraffes atop the giraffe-feeding platform at the Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place. For $3.00, and depending on giraffe participation, you can feed branches and lettuce to these tall wonders. You can also pop the question to your significant other with the zoo’s Wild About You Proposal packages. They include free admission, your choice of proposal location, a swan paddleboat ride and an engagement photo.

♥

Grab your dance shoes! It’s time ♥ for Czech folk and polka dancing at Yukon Czech Hall, 205 N. Czech Hall Road, in Yukon. A live brass band plays every Saturday night from 9 to 11 p.m. Admission is $5. Before you know it, you will be dancing polkas, waltzes and traditional Czech dances with style.

There’s fine food and hookahs ♥ at The Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Cafe, 2900 N. Classen Blvd. “We focus on the social aspect of hookah, conversation with music that’s not too loud,” said owner Sammy Khader. Besides a wide variety of hookah tobacco flavors, there are also nicotine-free and tobacco-free flavors.

Order a Turkish coffee and the mezze platter, a small selection of MiddleEastern appetizers, for the full exotic experience.

Gain a powerful stance with ♥ archery lessons. Private and group lessons for all ages are offered year-round at Arrowhead Archery Pro

Taquería El Dolar food and truck Shop, 3108 Epperly Drive, in Del City. “We saw a spike with young girls requesting archery lessons after the movies Brave and The Hunger Games came out,” said co-owner and certified archery instructor Gayle Steele.

Oklahomans love our official state rock, the rose rock.

You can view and purchase these treasures, along with agates, gems and minerals, at quaint Timberlake Rose Rock Gallery and Museum, 419 S. Highway 77, in Noble. And you can collect your own rose rocks (up to six rocks each) in the park at Lake Stanley Draper.

♥

thegreenat tic.com

Please join us for five informal group discussions on Tuesdays, April 29, to May 27 from 6-7 pm at 5024 N. Grove, in the Kastner Room.

For more information call St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church at 789-2595

Out with the old.

In with the rebate.

REBATES UPTO

500

$

ON NATURAL GAS

DRYERS

Get your cool fishing vest out of ♥ the closet and reel in your fishing skills at Arcadia Lake in Edmond through the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Free equipment is supplied for flyfishing and regular fishing. Learn to tie knots, cast, identify local fish and build your knowledge of conservation. Included in these threehour classes is one hour of fishing at the beautiful lake.

Channel your inner Dale ♥ Chihuly at Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive.

You’ve admired the Chihuly glass wonders at the museum for a long time, and now you can make your own sparkling creations. Two-day glass-blowing classes are offered throughout the summer. Learn glassshaping techniques to create glass tumblers, bowls and paperweights.

EAT IT!

Good news! You can get rebates from Oklahoma Natural Gas when you purchase and install a new natural gas clothes dryer. Plus, with natural gas you’ll see long-term energy savings that help lower your utility bills.

For a complete list of rebates, terms, eligibility requirements, forms and natural gas facts, visit OklahomaNaturalGas.com/Rebates.

When you see the colorful food ♥ truck at NW 10th Street and N. Pennsylvania Avenue with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the side, stop the car; you need a taco from Taquería El Dolar. For $1, you

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 31

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can get an absolutely delicious carnita (“little meats”) taco with onions, cilantro and lemon on lovingly handmade tortillas.

The Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Cafe

Celebrate that new raise at The ♥ Coach House, 6437 Avondale Drive, in Nichols Hills. The sautéed

City. A small pepper-seasoned breakfast steak comes with eggs and perfectly cooked — crispy on the outside, soft on the inside — hash browns. For a more adventurous breakfast, try calf brains and eggs.

Dover sole with citrus emulsion ($52) is worth the celebration. Pair it with a bottle of Joullian Chardonnay ($40).

Finish the evening with a Grand Marnier soufflé with raspberry sauce ($11) because everything is better with raspberries.

Say “Prosit!” at the Royal Bavaria Brauhaus, Restaurant and Beergarten, 3401 S. Sooner Road, in Moore. Grab some German specialty beers such as wheat beer King’s Weizen, Dunkelweizen or a German pilsner. Accompany it with Gemischter Wurstteller mit Sauerkraut, a German sausage sampler appetizer.

♥

Have a Western-style breakfast ♥ at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, 1309 S. Agnew Ave., in Historic Stockyard

If you see a line of people out ♥ the door and down the block, it’s lunchtime at Nic’s Grill, 1201 N. Pennsylvania Ave. This tiny, cash-only establishment serves up a legendary juicy cheeseburger with grilled onions and seriously fun curly fries.

Yes, the seating is very limited, but it’s well worth the wait in line.

Hint: with the burger, get extra napkins. Also be on the lookout for local and national celebrities. In 2012, actor Colin Farrell stood in line for a Nic’s burger.

SH ANNON CORNMAN

Hungry patrons lined up at Nic’s Grill

32 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

S HA N N ON CORN M A N

LIFE COMMUNITY

Oklahoma City has packed a whole lot of history into its 125 years.

Today, Oklahoma City is home to nearly 600,000 residents, making it the nation’s 29th largest city.

BY BEN FELDER

As American cities go, 125 years is on the young side.

Oklahoma City’s birthday celebration last week could be considered a Sweet 16 as the state’s capital city celebrated its 125th birthday.

OKC may be young, but it has packed a lot into more than a century of existence.

“When you look back at our city’s history, it seems we are always in the best of times or the worst of times,” said Mayor Mick Cornett on the city’s birthday on April 22.

“But you look at where we are now, and I think we are really going to thrive in the future.”

Depressions, droughts and terrorism have challenged OKC over the past 125 years, but Cornett said all those factors have made for a strong city that can weather future storms.

Almost overnight on April 22, 1889, the Oklahoma Land Rush

transformed open prairie to a tent city of nearly 5,000 people.

Today, it is home to nearly 600,000 residents, making it the nation’s 29th largest city.

City officials present and past were on hand for a daylong birthday celebration last week at City Hall.

Even William L. Couch, the city’s first mayor, was on hand — played by an actor.

Former mayors Andrew Coates and Ronald Norick also were present for the event and took a few moments to reflect on the history they helped create.

“What’s really nice about our 125th is I get to see a lot of my old colleagues,” said Norick, who served as mayor from 1987 to 1998.

“I enjoyed tremendously my service with the city, it was really a lot of fun.

Trust me; when you are through with your service, you will look back on it as a wonderful experience.”

The birthday celebration also included tours of City Hall and Civic

Center Music Hall.

A standing-room-only crowd also filled the council chambers to hear a presentation on the history of OKC. “History is made by the decisions people make when they walk onto that stage of history,” said Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma

Historical Society.

“I really believe that in this 125 years since the Land Run, we’ve been dealing with challenges with opportunities. We still have many challenges ... and many opportunities.”

The city’s birthday celebration was a chance for citizens to get a closer look at OKC’s history.

But city officials said they also came away from the event with a deeper appreciation of the town.

“I’ve been working in City Hall for many years now,” said Kristy Yager, the city’s public information officer.

“But it wasn’t until we put the tour together that I learned more about City Hall. I have always appreciated this building greatly. Every time I walk in, I feel grateful to serve citizens, but to learn more about the building has been very eye-opening to me.”

CITY OF OKLAH OMA CITY

Happy birthday

above Citizens inspect a 1910 fire engine parked outside City Hall in celebration of Oklahoma City’s 125th birthday. below OKC circa 1930.

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 33

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34 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

LIFE CULTURE

Monkey see, monkey shave

St. Baldrick’s celebrants go bald in continuing efforts to raise money for childhood cancer research.

BY DEVON GREEN

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Bald is beautiful, especially when it’s for a good cause. It seems contradictory for a business that makes its living styling locks to help its clientele shed them, but to make a difference in the lives of sick kids, Velvet Monkey Salon, 1701 NW 16th St., is doing just that.

St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a national, volunteer-driven nonprofit organization that challenges participants, or “shavees,” to go bald in solidarity with children with cancer and raise pledge money while doing it.

VZD’s Restaurant & Club, a regular site for the yearly event, held its drive earlier this month and has seen it grow for several years. Its most recent event raised more than $125,000.

St. Baldrick’s Foundation donates more money per year to childhood cancer research than the American Cancer Society, according to its official website. Nationally, volunteers raised more than $34 million in 2013 alone.

This year, local organizers Suzanne Yancey and Kai Tancredi decided to host their own fundraiser for St. Baldrick’s, this time in the Plaza District. Yancey, who works in the nonprofit sector, heard of the foundation several years ago.

She has a special needs child and became aware of St. Baldrick’s through other parents. The thing that drew Yancey to the event is the way the national foundation operates.

“Working with nonprofits, that’s the first thing I look for — [St. Baldrick’s Foundation] operating costs are so low, they operate with almost none and give more across the board than several other organizations,” she said.

Yancey approached Estrella Evans, owner of Velvet Monkey Salon, about holding an event, and she donated both her salon space and her stylists.

Fellow organizer Tancredi is the project and event coordinator for FreeOK, a local nonprofit that focuses on activism within the local humanist community.

MARK HA N COC K

ADD-ONS

$10 Glycolic Peel $20 Jessner’s Peel PERMANENT MAKEUP

Misty Byrd of Velvet Monkey Salon shaves a head during a recent St. Baldrick’s event at VZD’s.

Since the planning began, Tancredi herself found out she has cancer. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

“So now, it’s personal,” Yancey added. She is putting her money where her hair used to be.

“I set a goal of $1,000, and I have surpassed that. My friends have donated $1,200 to see me bald,” she said.

She also pointed out that so far, more women than men have signed up to be shaved on May 4.

“Being bald is a statement, especially if you are a woman. Its just as much about raising funds as it is about raising awareness,” she said.

Yancey, a customer at Velvey Monkey, said her stylist is not thrilled with her losing her locks, but she agreed to it as long as she gets to do the shaving. Velvet Monkey’s goal for the event is $10,000, and Yancey said they’ve already reached 75 percent of that pledge. As for the loss of her own hair, she’s philosophical.

“You know, you spend enough time around these kids and you realize they didn’t have a choice, so to have that choice and be able to help kids in the process is a no-brainer,” she said.

For more information: stbaldricks.org/events/velvetmonkey stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/1178/2014

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 35

LIFE VISUAL ARTS

JA M ES BOKOVOY/ASS OC I ATED P RESS

Weathering the storm A new exhibit explores the powerful and iconic photography from last year’s historic tornadoes.

Thursday through May 31 Leadership Square 211 N. Robinson Ave. oklahomacontemporary.org 951-0000 Free

SUE OG ROCKI/ASSOCIATED PRE SS

A mother cradles her daughter. The daughter, who probably hasn’t been held in such a way in a very long time, buries her face into the crook of her mother’s neck, hiding from the sights of a suddenly unfamiliar landscape.

Both are dirty, disheveled, weathered by a storm. Leaving behind miles of debris and one solitary tree, the mother, LaTisha Garcia, and her daughter, Jazmin Rodriguez, tread through the scattered remains near Plaza Towers Elementary School on May 20, 2013, following the worst tornado Moore has seen since 1999.

LaTisha Garcia carries daughter Jazmin Rodriguez near Plaza Towers Elementary School following the May 20, 2013, tornado that struck Moore.

36 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

This iconic photo representing the devastation nearly one year ago will be on display, along with other images from that memorable day, in downtown Oklahoma City’s Leadership Square for a monthlong photography exhibition. According to Becky Sowers, marketing and public relations manager for Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, approximately 15 photos of various sizes will show moments of the tornadoes from the onset of the storm, the immediate aftermath and the road to recovery.

People on the scene, including Moore residents, first responders, out-of-state volunteers and national photojournalists, submitted all of the photos for the exhibition, including the image of Garcia and her daughter captured by Sue Ogrocki of The Associated Press.

Journalists from KGOU Radio, Norman and the OKC metro area’s National Public Radio affiliate initiated the exhibition with Oklahoma Contemporary to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the storms, said Karen Holp, KGOU general manager.

“I think that anytime we pause to reflect on difficult times, it helps us process those memories and perhaps find new resources within ourselves,” Holp said.

May also marks the anniversary for The Oklahoma Tornado Project, a special series of reports started by KGOU soon after the event. For the project, journalist Kate Carlton has reported about 30 stories following residents, recovery efforts and resulting storm safety legislation.

One of the first stories she completed after joining the project last September was an interview with a mother who lost her son at Plaza Towers.

“That was a two-hour-long interview, and it was just an experience

It was such a beautiful sunset, and yet there was so much destruction.

— Becky Sowers

that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Just the vulnerability she showed to me as a reporter was really impressive and humbling,” she said. “I was really fortunate to see that if you really listen to people, they do want to open up and they do want to share their stories.”

Carlton, Holp and other members of KGOU knew from reporting in the field that people were documenting their experiences with cameras, so they wanted those numerous unseen images and stories to be available to the public through a partnership with Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center.

“I don’t really want it to be a mournful experience for anyone, even though it definitely has the possibility

CHARLIE RIEDEL/ASS OC I ATED P RESS

Not Just Another Day in May

JOH N FRYREAR

BY MOLLY EVANS

of being sad,” Carlton said. “But we’re not just looking for pictures that have a house that’s leveled.”

Sowers believes the photos selected for the exhibition represent the emotion of the day, and that lends itself to some “heart-wrenching” photographs.

“We have some really — I hate to say they’re beautiful — but just some absolutely haunting images of the sunset that night. It was such a beautiful sunset, and yet there was so much destruction,” she said. “The juxtaposition of the photos is really jarring.”

And that juxtaposition is overarching. The exhibition and The Oklahoma Tornado Project seek not to minimize the tragedy but shed light on a dark day in recent state history.

“There’s such a sense of hope in Oklahoma because people just bind together,” Carlton said. “They join hands, and it becomes something really incredible.”

P ROVI DE D

Lawton Arts and Humanities Council volunteers in 2013 at Legislative Arts Day.

Artistic types State-funded arts organizations will rally May 7 at the Capitol to help educate lawmakers about the value of continued support.

BY DEVON GREEN

Legislative Arts Day 9 a.m.-3 p.m. May 7 Oklahoma State Capitol Building 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. ok4thearts.wordpress.com

Oklahomans for the Arts, an arts advocacy organization, is leading initiatives across the state in a day of activism May 7 at the state Capitol.

Groups from across the state that receive public funds also will share experiences about the far-reaching impact of arts programs.

“You’ve got such a wide variety of groups — you begin to get a sense of the Oklahoma Arts Council and how critical their funding is — it touches every part of the state,” said Jennifer James, director of Oklahomans for the Arts.

Dozens of organizations that receive state funding for arts programs — including Oklahoma City Ballet, Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Norman Arts Council, OKC Philharmonic and Red Earth Inc. — will fill the fourth-floor rotunda next Wednesday to help educate lawmakers about the importance of continued public support.

The event starts at 9 a.m. with a kickoff by co-chairs Julia Kirt, new executive director of Oklahomans for the Arts and former longtime executive director of Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC), and Ken Busby, executive director of Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa. Jim Tolbert, chairman of Oklahomans for the Arts, will join them. There will be more than 30 organizations with informational booths and at least 100 advocates making rounds and talking with legislators.

The public is welcome, but James said the legislators are the target audience.

“We’re only in our third year, but I would like to say that it’s a colorful event that makes a big statement,” she said.

The organizations hope the event will entice legislators to talk with their constituents about arts funding. When advocates talk about the reason our Legislature seems committed to cutting arts funding, the answer is lack of knowledge.

In a previous interview about legislators’ willingness to cut funding for arts programs, James said, “[The legislators] are not on the ground, seeing the impact of these programs.”

Earlier in the year, when legislation was on the table to cut Oklahoma Arts Council funding, the advocates who stood up and made their voices heard managed to change legislators’ minds.

This event focuses not only on current and proposed legislation but also on future legislation.

“We also want them [state lawmakers] to get an idea of the economy of it and how broad the influence [is],” James said.

An example of the bigger picture is how the city of Guthrie has grown due to seed funding for smaller arts projects.

The Pollard Theatre has long been the cornerstone of a sleepy downtown that has been experiencing a revitalization over the past decade. State funds help keep its doors open, which helps draw in additional festival, tourism and business revenue.

Now is the time for advocates to stress the impact of programs like House Bill 2580, which extends the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program.

The bill will go in front of the state Senate during its next session.

415 Couch Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73102 (405) 236-3100 www.okcmoa.com OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 37

SHANNON CORN M A N

LIFE BOOKS

Not-so-funny pages A graphic novel by an OKC artist tracks the trials and tribulations of a most unusual teddy bear.

BY GREG HORTON

Ivan A. Alexander is a teddy bear, and in the graphic novel aptly titled The Story of Ivan A. Alexander, Dorshak Bloch tells the origin story of this displaced and anthropomorphic bear.

Dorshak Bloch is a pseudonym for Oklahoma City artist Dustin Oswald, owner of Bombs Away Art. Oswald said his nom de plume is an homage to Robert Bloch, one of America’s most prolific writers of crime, horror and fantasy.

He wrote Psycho, which was the basis for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film of the same name. It’s a fitting pen name given the narrative arc of The Story of Ivan A. Alexander, as the book juxtaposes beautiful illustration work with scenes of graphic violence.

38 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Dustin Oswald at his Oklahoma City art studio.

The illustrations, created by Oswald, are an homage to late 19th-century and early 20th-century work known as the golden age of illustration.

Artists who create similar work use a very specific style that features line work, a technique that involves the artist using a pen or pencil to create shade and texture.

The graphic novel is illustrated in black and white with a colorized cover. Oswald said he is working on at least three characters’ origin stories.

One of those characters, a rabbit, appears briefly in this book, once

directly and once in a bedside photo.

Oswald’s novel is full of references and allusions, and finding them is half the fun.

Hint: Be sure to look at the photographs or paintings in individual frames.

The story doesn’t take long to read, but that really isn’t the point.

Each frame is sometimes better read as a standalone illustration, as the narrative is intentionally disjointed, a technique that accurately reflects Ivan A. Alexander’s sense of displacement and identity confusion.

The book is a mixture of science fiction, fantasy and horror and, believe it or not, is a children’s story.

(It’s about a teddy bear, after all.)

However, more than anything, it is an exploration of identity.

A quote on the back cover sort of gives it away, and while it reads like a fake blurb, Oswald said it’s real.

It’s from a woman named Claire, who is identified as a psychologist who

asked that her last name not be used.

“She actually said three things about it, and I chose the one on the back cover. She also called it an ‘experience in schizophrenia and an illustration in psychosis,’” Oswald said.

I’ve had this project in mind for a long time.

— Dustin Oswald

reviewed the material.

She apparently approached Oswald at Dallas Comic Con — an expo for comic book, science fiction, horror, anime and gaming enthusiasts — and asked to read the book. After she was done, she gave him a brief review and

“I’ve had this project in mind for a long time, and Charles and I have stayed in touch over the years,” Oswald said. “It made sense to go with Charles and Literati.”

Martin began Literati in 2010. The subculture press was established to give a voice to local storytellers and comic book authors and artists.

The company sells comic books, novels, clothing and artwork. It does not accept unsolicited manuscripts but does meet with aspiring authors and artists at conventions and events around the country.

To help develop new talent, the press introduces artists and writers to its audience through its Literati Presents series and with fiction and illustrated materials online at literatipressok.com.

The Story of Ivan A. Alexander is available at Blue Seven, 7518 N. May Ave.; New World Comics, 6219 N. Meridian Ave.; DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St. and Stash, 412 E. Main St. in Norman.

Oswald worked with Charles Martin at Oklahoma City-based publishing company Literati Press to distribute the book. The two met when Martin was interviewing Oswald about his art several years ago.

YOUR NIGHT OUT .. .

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 39

LIFE BOOKS

Free the comics!

In its 13th year, Free Comic Book Day is bigger than ever.

BY DEVON GREEN

Free Comic Book Day May 3 Various metro locations freecomicbookday.com

Comic book shops get in on the fun as well, most of them hosting events with costume contests, local artists and entertainment.

Nearly everything is included, from cult favorites like The Tick to Stan Lee’s newest superhero tome, Chakra the Invincible, and youth comics to adultsonly and everything in between. With more than 50 comics to choose from, Free Comic Book Day is a great chance to discover a new storyline.

Comic book shops get in on the fun as well, most of them hosting events with costume contests, local artists and entertainment. It is a chance for enthusiasts to support their local shops and expose newcomers to the genre and to the community that loves it.

Comics gained popularity in the 1930s when a certain caped crime fighter first appeared, and interest has

40 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

SH ANNON CORNMAN

Comic books are a uniquely American art form, and Free Comic Book Day has grown from a grassroots movement started in 2002 to an event that takes place in independently owned comic books shops across the country. It involves all facets of the industry, but the primary focus is recognition of the craft.

To celebrate, participating local and national shops across the country will give away comics on May 3.

There are unique promotions designated for the event, and several publishers even release special issues.

It’s also great exposure for lesser- known comics.

A selection of comic books that will be given away on May 3 at New World Comics.

Where to shop Three metro comic book shops, among others, are flying up, up and away and beyond free comics to make a day of fun and entertainment for all ages.

DZ Comics & Gaming 733 N. Moore Ave., Moore dzcomics.com 735-3994 Writer, illustrator and cartoonist Jessica Garvey will share an insider’s perspective on creating comics. Also, Jordan Boyd, a colorist for comics Umbral and Star Wars Legacy, will be in-store. Various superheroes will stop by, and there will be face-painting and a costume contest. The store is also having a sale on comics and graphic novels.

Second Chance Books & Comics 3909 N. MacArthur Blvd. second-chance-books.com 603-7151 The store will give away door prizes, including tote bags of goodies like merchandise and gift certificates.

Employees will dress as their favorite

comic book characters. Local band The Wurly Birds play at 3 p.m.

New World Comics 6219 N Meridian Ave. newworldcomics.net 721-7634 In addition to free comics, the store is staying open for 24 hours for a special sale from 9 a.m. to 9 a.m. In the evening, superheroes will stop by to take pictures with fans. There will be a midnight drawing and a 3 p.m. video game tournament. Local publisher Literati Press will celebrate the release of Literati Press Presents Vol. 3, and the creators will be in-store to sign copies.

Atomik Pop 2 7884 S. Western Ave. 635-0848 All-Star Comics 6900 N. May Ave. 842-7800 Hastings Entertainment 1105 Garth Brooks Blvd., Yukon 350-1803

continued to grow.

The 1930s saw the publication of the first superhero comic, Action Comics 1, featuring Superman. He soon led the charge in both commercial success and popular imagination and reigned as king of the scene until the 1950s, when heroes were updated to appeal to younger readers.

The 1961 appearance of Marvel’s The Fantastic Four ushered in an entirely new superhero mythology and snagged thousands of young new fans. This trend would continue until it became common knowledge that comics are not just for kids.

The early ’80s and ’90s saw a new age of sophistication, and the world took note.

In 1992, Art Spiegelman won the Pulitzer Prize for his graphic novel Maus. Michael Chabon followed suit with the graphic novel adaptation of his novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2001.

The graphic novel is about the golden age of comics.

Chris Cowden

Run dog run

P ROVI DE D

LIFE SPORTS

Honoring animal lover Chris Cowden, Guthrie’s sixth annual The See Spot Run will benefit Free to Live, a local nonprofit animal sanctuary.

BY BRENDAN HOOVER

While working in the oil fields, Chris Cowden drove a lot of back roads in rural Oklahoma.

“He always carried a big bag of dog food in the back of his truck because there were so many stray animals out there,” said his sister, Teri Cowden-Hirzel. “He would always stop and feed the animals.”

The second of four siblings, Chris would often bring home stray animals. As an adult, he frequently rescued abandoned dogs and cats, hounding his family members until they adopted them.

Chris died on May 17, 2008, the victim of a tragic motorcycle accident.

A car turned in front of him as he headed west on Highway 105 just outside of Guthrie. The 43-year-old Guthrie resident died on impact.

Searching for a way to memorialize Chris after the accident, his family got the idea to combine his love for animals and fitness into a charity event, and The See Spot Run was born.

The sixth annual event is May 10 in downtown Guthrie. The race, featuring a 5K, a 10K and a one-mile fun run, will benefit Edmond’s Free to Live, a nonprofit animal sanctuary.

“It’s nice because it really does help us remember him in a positive way,” said Cowden-Hirzel, a race organizer. “We’re able to come together as a family, celebrate him and also do something for others as well.”

The See Spot Run course is a hilly challenge for many runners, but it mirrors the route that Chris liked to run through downtown Guthrie.

The finish line is located inside Guthrie High School’s historic Jelsma Stadium, known as “The Rock.”

Participants are encouraged to run with their pets.

Since its inception, The See Spot Run has welcomed more than 3,000 runners from all over the country and has raised $35,000 for Free to Live, Oklahoma’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary.

“It’s an honor to be a part of this race and this community,” said Matt Goodwin, Free to Live’s executive director. “It’s a huge benefit to us and something, at this point, that we count on.”

Opened in 1984 by Bill and Pat Larson, Free to Live celebrates its 30th anniversary in August.

Since its inception, more than 10,000 animals have been rescued.

Currently, about 360 dogs and cats live at the 18-acre facility, which features separate housing for animals with special needs or infectious diseases that might be put down at other animal shelters. Free to Live finds homes for about 500 animals each year.

Tracey Jech is a kennel tech at Free to Live who has run several times with her rescue dog, Damion, an Alaskan Malamute/Bassett hound mix.

Jech said The See Spot Run has helped raise awareness for animal welfare.

“Once you learn how much abuse and neglect and abandonment of animals there is, you just keep doing more and trying harder to do as much as you can for them,” she said.

To register online, visit theseespotrun.com.

OKL AHOMA GAZ ETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 41

SUDOKU/CROSSWORD SUDOKU PUZZLE MEDIUM

WWW.S UDOKU-P UZZLES .N ET

Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9.

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42 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS Puzzle No. 0420, which appeared in the April 23 issue.

Z O O S S A F E A R T G W A P I A M A N Y P R O S A N D R R A P I E N U F P A N T A R C S C H E T H E A S Y S T A B R I L L E R O O Z O N W A N E

A R M A R E A L A S S I T H H A U H A P P E R E R A R O B B E D E D T A B A P O E B A N D U L E S E M E P R I L L I A N I T I E A N D S O

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A S C S C R H E A C O N S A R T H N S P H A C R E D R O W O P P W O U N F R E T T E E L E U S E S H E L S E T I O N E L L I E L E T L Y Y

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NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE ON WHEELS By Elizabeth C. Gorski / Edited by Will Shortz

1 Healing cover 5 Instants 9 Ancient symbols of royalty 13 Checks 18 ___ and Louis, 1956 jazz album 19 The Sun, The Moon or The Star 21 Best-selling novelist whom Time called “Bard of the Litigious Age” 23 Attribute of Elks or Lions Club members 25 Recital piece for a wind player 26 Toast words after “Here’s” 27 Relative of turquoise 29 Proceeds 30 Within earshot 32 Anthem preposition 33 Mobile home seeker?

34 1966 Wilson Pickett R&B hit 40 Abbr. on sale garment tags 41 Short open jackets 42 Commandment word 43 Pipe valves 49 “I’ve got half ___ to …”

50 ’50s political inits.

51 Year, to Casals 52 Greeting that includes a Spanish greeting in reverse?

53 Andean tuber 54 Opera based on a play by Pierre Beaumarchais, with “The” 58 Complete shutout?

61 Post letters 62 Hammer 63 Stockholm-bound carrier 65 Yale Bowl fan 66 Roisterous 68 Bond yield: Abbr.

69 These, to Thierry 70 Ruler known as “Big Daddy” 72 TV’s Cousin ___ 73 Urban renewal target 76 Qualcomm Stadium athlete 79 Paris’s ___ du Carrousel 81 Writer Chekhov 82 Pet Shop Boys, e.g.

83 Stella D’___ (cookie brand) 84 Jermaine of the N.B.A.

86 They’re steeped in strainers 89 Mrs. abroad 90 Vocabulary 92 Reversal, of sorts 93 Walker’s strip 95 Govt. promissory notes 99 Former Chevrolet division 100 Suffix with narc101 Dirty rats 102 Like equinoxes 105 Fine hosiery material 110 Visa alternative 112 The African Queen novelist 114 Makeup removal item 115 Classic theater name 116 Stain 117 Designer Anne 118 Leonard ___ a.k.a. Roy Rogers 119 Covenant keepers

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Oklahoma Gazette is circulated at its designated distribution points free of charge to readers for their individual use and by mail to subscribers.

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35 Man, in Milano 36 Cuts, as a cake 37 Coffee-break time, perhaps 38 Shakespeare’s Titus ___ 39 Financial writer Marshall 40 “What business is ___ yours?”

43 Bird whose feathers were once prized by milliners 44 Neil of Fox News 45 Ken of Brothers & Sisters 46 Quaker production 47 One of the Kardashians 48 Composer Camille Saint-___ 50 The U.N.’s ___ Hammarskjöld 51 Pounds’ sounds 54 Give rise to 55 “You Must Love Me”

Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute). The answers to the New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle that appeared in the April 23 issue of Oklahoma Gazette are shown at left.

Oklahoma Gazette

6

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DOWN 1 Breakaway group 2 Renault model with a mythological name 3 Woody’s Annie Hall role 4 Joanie Loves Chachi co-star 5 ___ 500, annual race in Ridgeway, Va. 6 Wildlife IDs 7 Ones who are the talk of the town?

8 Baking ___ 9 Actress Judd 10 Use elbow grease on 11 Opening for a dermatologist 12 Common newsstand locale: Abbr.

13 Seat at the counter 14 Ready to be played, say 15 De-file?

16 ___ Trend 17 Graceful trumpeter 20 ___ Aviv 22 John Irving character 24 QE2’s operator 28 Leave in a hurry 31 Music producer Brian 33 ___-Magnon man 34 New corp. hire, often

3

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ACROSS

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musical 56 Nosy one 57 Millennia on end 59 Candy-heart message 60 “That’s ___!” (“Not true!”)

63 Rug fiber 64 Hersey’s Italian town 67 Roman emperor 71 Flaps 74 Naval petty officer: Abbr.

75 “Amazing” debunker 77 Anita of jazz 78 La Dolce Vita setting 80 Slugger’s practice area 84 Futurist 85 ESPN broadcaster Bob 87 Certain Sooner 88 Some M.I.T. grads: Abbr.

89 “Are you putting ___?”

90 Slick hairstyle 91 Fancy tie 93 English church official

94 Kick-around shoe 95 Chaim ___, 1971 Best

Actor nominee 96 City that sounds like a

humdinger?

97 Query from Judas 98 Life Saver flavor 99 Like bachelorette parties,

typically 101 Product of Yale 102 Jezebel’s idol 103 Many a PX patron 104 Prime letters?

106 Amazon fig.

107 D-Day invasion town 108 Former C.I.A. chief

Panetta 109 Artist’s alias with an accent 111 The Price Is Right

broadcaster 113 I.C.U. pros

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44 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

LIFE MUSIC

DREW REY N OLDS

Pussy galore Socially aware and feminist-tinged hardcore act Perfect Pussy became a musical phenomenon overnight.

BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

Perfect Pussy with Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, Green Dreams and Sex Snobs 8 p.m. Monday The Conservatory 8911 N. Western Ave. conservatoryokc.com 607-4805 $8-10

The minds behind Perfect Pussy didn’t figure they’d make much of a peep outside of their native Syracuse when the five of them came together as a fake band for a film, let alone become an international symbol of feminism in the still often alarmingly sexist hardcore and punk scenes across the globe. But six months after a humble, raw but powerful little demo cassette tape caused a wholly unexpected stir in outlets like Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, that’s precisely where the band finds itself.

Most of this is thanks to frontwoman dynamo Meredith Graves, who you’ll find musing over modern feminism with Interview and sharing fashion tips with Elle all in the name of female empowerment. But her

bandmates, including guitarist Ray McAndrew, are more than happy to take on the cause with her.

“It’s so strange,” McAndrew said. “In our hometown, in the hardcore scene, there was a lot of racism, misogynistic homophobia. They’ve started to check their privilege a little bit.”

Not that there hasn’t been backlash, too.

“I was walking down the street the other day, and someone who plays in a lot of bands around here just drove by and flipped me the bird,” McAndrew said. “He was someone I had considered a friend. It’s funny how quickly people turn on you.”

It’s a small price to pay, though, for the international recognition and coverage for Perfect Pussy, much of which was hooked by the explosive name that McAndrew said Graves concocted as “a fuck you to body image.”

The only thing more explosive is its searing, mayhem-thriving but surprisingly melodic hardcore artpunk sound, on full display with I Have Lost All Desire for Feeling, the aforementioned cassette demo that ushered in the whirlwind.

It’s funny how quickly people turn on you.

— Ray McAndrew

“I just laugh whenever I think about it. I still don’t get how or why it happened,” McAndrew said. “The night it happened, we just went to the bar and got shitfaced. I don’t think we let it get to our heads, though. It’s weird seeing your name on Pitchfork when you’ve been playing in basements and never stepped on an actual stage.”

The band “got more serious” soon after, realizing there was a rare opportunity to turn a passion into its livelihood, and approached its debut

record, Say Yes to Love, with laser-like focus. The album was written and recorded entirely within two weeks and hit shelves in March through Captured Tracks, a label renowned for indie rock upstarts like Beach Fossils, Mac DeMarco.

“There was definitely pressure that we’d never really imagined, but we handled it,” McAndrew said. “[The album has] these really pretty chords, but we got it to sound really gross, which is how we like it.”

The plans moving ahead aren’t totally pinned down, but there’s a good chance the quintet hits the selfdestruct button sooner rather than later. An international tour follows the massive national trek that winds through Oklahoma City on Monday, and another full album will follow a series of 7-inch singles, including a split with Welsh noise-pop outfit Joanna Gruesome. But Perfect Pussy is intent on dying as it lived: on its own terms.

“We’re in no rush to do it,” McAndrew said, “but we are definitely going to do another album and then break up.”

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 45

KE L LY KE RR

LIFE MUSIC

Oklahoma strong The Red Dirt Rangers and Red Dirt Relief Fund are assisting local musicians in times of need.

BY ALISSA LINDSEY

Oklahoma’s own Red Dirt Rangers joined forces with Red Dirt Relief Fund in February to record a promotional song and video and raise money and awareness for the relief fund.

The nonprofit fund began as a way to provide a financial safety net for musicians and their families who have fallen on hard times. The fund raises money through concerts in order to offer grants to musicians affected by natural disasters, health concerns and other various needs. With funds raised through a concert in February, the relief fund was able to provide supplemental income to local musician Mike Hosty while he recovered from open heart surgery earlier this year.

On March 25 and 26, over 15 musicians and 50 singers joined the Red Dirt Rangers to record “Stand (Let Your Voice Be Heard),” an adapted version of a song written by singersongwriter Chuck Dunlap.

Producers and Red Dirt Rangers band members Brad Piccolo and John Cooper had less than two weeks to get the word out to the musicians who would participate: John Fullbright, Parker Millsap, Kevin Welch and others. They were joined

by David Smith’s gospel choir and the other Red Dirt Rangers band members (Ben Han, Randy Crouch, Don Morris and Rick Gomez).

“I’m looking at it in a historical perspective,” Piccolo said. “This will be capturing a slice in time of Oklahoma music.”

The Rangers have been together for 26 years, and the two-day recording experience was like a tearful family reunion, Piccolo said; many of the musicians who gathered for the project

46 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

I think a civilized society should take care of its citizens.

— Brad Piccolo

hadn’t seen each other in years.

Red Dirt Relief Fund President Cooper and fund member Piccolo want this project to educate those who are self-employed about their healthcare options and the Affordable Care Act. “It’s not perfect,” Piccolo said, referring to the act. “But it’s a good step toward what I think a civilized society should do: take care of its citizens.”

And through programs like the relief fund, Cooper and Piccolo want to encourage musicians to stay in Oklahoma and continue to contribute to the local music scene. “[Red Dirt] is Oklahoma music,” Cooper said. “It’s just heartfelt, original. It’s nothing to do with a genre specific. It’s a blend of all kinds of music that have come through Oklahoma. It’s not really a music; it’s more of a scene. It’s more of a brother or sisterhood.”

Band members Cooper, Piccolo and Han survived a helicopter crash in 2004, and the experience was an early inspiration to begin the relief fund. “[After the accident], there was such an outpouring of love and emotion for us,” Piccolo said. “That just opened our eyes to what the power of a community pulling together can do.”

THE NEW OPEN

DANCING LESSONS

WEDNESDAYS

P ROVI DE D

Chicka-shades of greatness

COUNTRY

WED, THURS & FRI at 5 & SAT at 2

401 S. MERIDIAN

Playing for unusually large crowds in its early days helped prep Chickasha’s Anti-Mortem for the hard-rock spotlight.

BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

Anti-Mortem with Everybody Panic!, Anialas and Killer Ghandi 7 p.m. Friday Diamond Ballroom 8001 S. Eastern Ave. diamondballroom.net 677-9169 $12-15

There’s no one way to DIY, but Oklahoma hard rock outfit Anti-Mortem found the most quintessentially Oklahoma way to throw its own shows in the earliest days of the band.

After blowing a few fuses in guitarist Zain Smith’s parents’ house during rehearsals, they were promptly moved to the old barn that his dad had previously used as an auto shop.

It didn’t take many practices before someone suggested treating the barn as a makeshift concert venue. Soon after, Anti-Mortem was playing its very first live shows.

But these weren’t small, quiet gatherings of a handful of their closest friends. The shows were massive music parties that attracted hundreds of concertgoers with nothing but the promise of loud music and good times.

“That shows you all you need to know about Oklahoma,” singer Larado Romo said. “We had total strangers there, everyone from middle schoolers to middle-aged men. It was wild. Our very first shows were playing to several hundred people, so we never really had to worry about stage fright.”

It’s not often that you refer to a group of barely twenty-somethings as Oklahoma music scene veterans, but that’s exactly what the makeup of Anti-Mortem — Smith, Larado, brother and guitarist Nevada Romo, bassist Corey Henderson and drummer Levi Dickerson — are.

Those barn gigs first started nearly a decade ago, Larado just barely a

teenager and the rest not much older.

The early start had its advantages.

The edgy outfit paid its dues just as most of its brethren are starting out.

The guys are thoroughly enjoying the spoils of those long hours dedicated to refining their brand of metaltinted hard rock, mostly in the form of opening slots for bands like Black Label Society and Killswitch Engage, while a record deal for their debut album, New Southern, is being celebrated with Friday’s release show at Diamond Ballroom.

“It’s nice to be getting the payoff now — not when we are 30 or 40,” Larado said. “I might only be 20, but I feel like an old man, dude. We’ve been doing this for almost ten years, and we’ve put a lot of work into this.”

Anti-Mortem has the chance to become one of the few headlinerstatus hard-rock bands that Oklahoma has short of Hinder, and New Southern has the band primed for just that. Some finishing touches from sought-after modern-rock producer Bob Marlette (Rob Zombie, Seether, Filter) has helped the group find national radio play with its single “100% Pure American Rage.”

“We were stuck in our own sound,” Larado said. “And to have someone who was not us make suggestions, it really helped out a lot of the songs.”

More national tours, maybe even international, will follow New Southern’s release, as will an appearance at the United Kingdom’s Download Festival alongside the likes of Avenged Sevenfold and Linkin Park. And Anti-Mortem has barn parties in its native Chickasha to thank for all of it.

“I’d call it surreal, but we’ve worked a long time for this,” Larado said. “Everything we wanted to do on this record we did. It was a perfect representation of who we are, who we were and where we come from.”

OKL AHOMA GA Z ET TE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 47

48 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

LIVE MUSIC WEDNESDAY, APR. 30

Adam and Kizzie, The Paramount OKC. JAZZ Anti-Mortem/Everybody Panic/Anialas/Killer Ghandi, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK BAT, Nonna’s Purple Bar. ROCK Bandromeda, Landing Zone, Midwest City. ROCK

100 Bones, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ROCK

Casino, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. R&B

Bob Mintzer, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ

Caught Stealing/The Strugglers, HiLo Club. ROCK

Depth and Current/Sisters of Your Sunshine Vaper/Luna Moth, Opolis, Norman. ROCK

Chad Slagle, Jazmoz Bourbon Street. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Grant Wells, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

PIANO

Christian Pearson/Gary Johnson, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Joel Forlenza, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman.

PIANO

Cody Shaw, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. COUNTRY

Karmin/Bonnie McKee, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. POP Open Jam with the Band, The Point After. VARIOUS Runaway Home, The Blue Door. ACOUSTIC The Deli All-Star Jam, The Deli, Norman. VARIOUS The Faint, The Vanguard, Tulsa. ROCK

COLOURM US I C . N E T

LIFE MUSIC

Colourmusic/Eureeka/Luna Moth, Womb Gallery. ROCK Dante and the Hawks, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. ROCK Dog Daze, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY Drive, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse. COVER Mark Gibson, Vintage 89, Guthrie. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Colourmusic

Matt Blagg, Redrock Canyon Grill. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Tyler Russell, Grand Casino, Shawnee. COUNTRY

OKG

music

pick

Colourmusic with Eureeka and Luna Moth Friday

Fresh off the release of their pretty damn awesome third LP, May You Marry Rich, Stillwater-based freak-rock trio Colourmusic knows how to bring the psych. So, too, do locals Eureeka and Luna Moth, and when these three get together ... well, don’t say we didn’t warn you. The show starts at 8 p.m. Friday at Womb Gallery, 25 NW 9th St. Admission is free.

Call 600-6366.

Drive, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse. COVER

MONDAY, MAY 5

Equilibrium, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK

Banana Seat/Drive, Mama Roja’s Mexican Kitchen. COVER

Eric Dunkin, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. ROCK

Perfect Pussy/Yamantaka/Sonic Titan/Green Dreams/ Sex Snobs, The Conservatory. ROCK

KRISTI KNU PP

Chad Slagle, Jazmoz Bourbon Street. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Tycho, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, Saturday, May 3

THURSDAY, MAY 1 Aaron Newman Band, Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown.

ACOUSTIC BAT, Nonna’s Purple Bar. ROCK Chase Kerby, 51st Street Speakeasy. SINGER/ SONGWRITER David Morris, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

PIANO David Ramirez with Penny and Sparrow, The Blue Door.

FOLK

Maurice Johnson, Avanti Bar & Grill. JAZZ Mike Black & the Stingrays, Sliders. COVER

Evan Michaels Band, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill.

COUNTRY Grant Stevens, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

PIANO

TUESDAY, MAY 6

Open Jam with the Band, The Point After. VARIOUS

Jacob Tovar & The Saddle Tramps, Grandad’s Bar. COUNTRY

Christian Pearson/Tara Dillard, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Paul Benjamin Band, Grandad’s Bar. ROCK

Jim the Elephant, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ROCK

DJ Ryno/DJ Brewdawg, Baker St. Pub & Grill. DANCE

Rural Route Ramblers, The Paramount OKC. BLUEGRASS

Mike Black & the Stingrays, Film Row. COVER

Slaid Cleaves, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Mitch and Allen, Redrock Canyon Grill. VARIOUS

Gavin Degraw/Parachute/Rozzie Crane, Diamond Ballroom. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Texas in July/Structures/Myka Relocate/Elitist/ Ephemera, The Conservatory. ROCK

Nicnos, Wormy Dog Saloon. ROCK

The Bourgeois/Speak/Memory, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

Rusty and The Nails, Newcastle Casino, Newcastle. ROCK Stars, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. ROCK

Open Jam with the Band, The Point After. VARIOUS The Hey Diddles, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. ACOUSTIC

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7

The Waymires, Aloft Oklahoma City Downtown. ROCK

Terri Hendrix with Lloyd Maines, The Blue Door.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

GRiZ/Michal Menert/Late Night Radio, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. FOLK

Voodoo, Nevada Max’s. ROCK

The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

Beth Bombara, The Conservatory. ROCK

Jason Young Band, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

West 51, Remington Park. COUNTRY

Grant Wells, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

PIANO

Myron Oliver/Stephen Speaks, Redrock Canyon Grill.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

YelaWolf/Falkirk, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. HIP-HOP

The Grown Ups/Children of the MOON/Foxglove and the Honeyfarm Gypsies/Bread and Butter Band, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. ROCK

SATURDAY, MAY 3

The Warlocks/Junebug Spade/They Play Wolf, The Conservatory. ROCK

The Dave Thomason Band, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon.

COVER

ADDverse Effects/Tallows, Blue Note Lounge. VARIOUS

Aaron Pierce/Honeylark, Dunlap Codding. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Bandromeda, Landing Zone, Midwest City. ROCK

SUNDAY, MAY 4

Stars, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ROCK The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

FRIDAY, MAY 2 Aaron Newman, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill.

COUNTRY

BAT, Nonna’s Purple Bar. ROCK

Laura Leighe, Baker St. Pub & Grill. POP

Tycho/Afterlights, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. ELECTRONIC

Born In November, 51st Street Speakeasy. R&B

Edgar Cruz, Red Piano Lounge, Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

ACOUSTIC

Bruce Benson, Vintage 89, Guthrie. JAZZ

Open Jam with the Band, The Point After. VARIOUS

Casey and Minna, JJ’s Alley. ACOUSTIC

The Dillinger Escape Plan/Tera Melos/Vattnet Viskar/ Jean Jean, The Conservatory. ROCK Third Eye Blind, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings.

Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 49

LIFE MUSIC REVIEWS with

EVERYBODY PANIC ANIALAS and more

THIS FRI

MAY 2

THIRD EYE BLIND THIS SUN MAY

4

Dilated pupals

Luna Moth

CELESTIAL SHADES

BY ZACH HALE

Luna Moth is no stranger to experimentation. Joey Paz’s Normanbased project began in 2010 with Shamanic Youth, a 10-track exploration of layered guitar and pop deconstruction, but has since evolved into a fleshed-out four-piece.

MAY 6

MAY 9

MAY 10 DIAMONDBALLROOM.NET

2014

I-240 & S. EaStErn

50 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

And while the ideas implemented have traversed a diverse range of genres, its conceptual foundation largely remains unchanged.

Celestial Shades, self-released through Bandcamp in March, is a continuation of Paz’s scattershot brand of sensual psychedelia. Its influences are plucked from all ends of the musical spectrum — postpunk, ambient, R&B — and it often does so abruptly and without warning. The only difference? Paz’s songwriting is more focused and refined while the album’s mood remains consistent despite every opportunity to jolt and jostle the listener through each corner of hell and back.

This much is evident from the get-go. Opener “Apotheosis” is four minutes of densely layered drone, screeching guitar swells and gauzy ambiance. As the layers build, so too does the intensity, culminating in an impossibly beautiful explosion of color in sound. More importantly, the song is an intrepidly forceful introduction, as if to somehow signify an album of blunt inaccessibility.

But an abrupt end to the track acquiesces to the warm, welcoming soul of single “I Don’t Mind” with its pattering percussion and a delicate melodiousness serving in stark contrast to the song’s predecessor.

Paz’s impassioned croon assumes the forefront, harmonious “oohs” provide

a subtle flourish of saccharin and the listener is washed clean of the previously foreshadowed doom.

Despite this contrast, the songs do embody the same moody disposition.

While Paz’s previous releases gathered a variety of sounds without a consistent identity, Celestial Shades harnesses his ideas from song to song with a single traversable bridge.

Much of the album’s lyrics, however, are even more dense than its instrumentation — not an easy feat.

Most will need a pocket dictionary to decipher a good chunk of Paz’s lines, which at times favor cuteness over practicality. On “I Don’t Mind,” he sings, “An unequivocal eclipse of eloquence entrenched in vivid bliss,” which just screams, “Look at me,” thus hindering the potency of an otherwise-beautiful work. The songs that provide the most mystique — like “67 Moons” (“Jupiter’s got 67 moons/ But I got you”) — do so genuinely, effortlessly and never force the issue with pretension.

Though the band has taken a pivotal step forward with Celestial Shades, it still seems on the cusp of its best material. What’s attainable now is clear, however, and its amalgam of sounds points toward something uniquely enveloping. With further tweaking and consolidation, hearing Luna Moth’s name alongside other modern psych-pop luminaries at the very least seems fathomable.

P HOTOS BY M A RK HA N COC K/FI L E

LIFE FILM season. But if the response on social media (and real life, of course) is any indication, it’s a cost that Shanbour is willing bear for many more years.

“Have you seen our Facebook?

Over 14,000 comments! People are excited about the new season,” Shanbour said. “But I also get letters and phone calls from people all the time telling me thank you for keeping this drive-in open. I have also seen a lot of kids grow up, and they always remember and they bring their kids. It’s why I can’t think of doing anything else.”

While, at press time, a list of the first pair of features wasn’t available for the one-screen drive-in, Shanbour promises a summer full of blockbusters with an emphasis on family films, which have always been a hot ticket for the Winchester. He cited films from Disney and recent hits like Madagascar as being the “best for business.”

There’s a lot of feelings in the Winchester, a lot of memories.

— Lindy Shanbour

Back in action

Rebuilding after last May’s tornadoes, Winchester Drive In Theatre is once again open for business.

BY LOUIS FOWLER

When many local cinephiles heard word that the legendary Winchester Drive In Theatre was hit hard by last year’s epic spate of tornadic activity, an aura of sadness spread throughout the community. After all, the drive-in was a celebratory gathering place for movie fans looking for nostalgia and families looking for inexpensive entertainment, as well as an integral part of the Oklahoma City landscape, a piece of the past that, sadly, is pretty much dead in America.

“I have been out here since 1968,”

Winchester owner Lindy Shanbour said. “This place is my home. I love going out here, I love people coming out here and I love watching the kids grow up. There’s a lot of feelings in the Winchester, a lot of memories. I could have sold it after the tornado, but that wasn’t the way I wanted to go.”

Instead of closing the curtain on the business, Shanbour decided to rebuild, which included repairing the destroyed screen, installing new projectors and fixing a large amount of holes in the roofs. Film fans can see

After a mean season of storms ravaged the classic drive-in last year, Winchester Drive In Theatre reopens Friday night. his dream realized once again when the Winchester opens its doors Friday, just in time for the upcoming summer movie season.

Besides the unpredictable weather, Shanbour added that some of the other killers of drive-ins include daylight savings time, the cost of keeping up with technology and the winter

Though film culture has changed since the grand opening of the Winchester — its first lineup included the decidedly adult World War II comedy The Secret War of Harry Frigg starring Paul Newman as part of a triple bill — Shanbour reiterates that his love of movies and the Winchester itself will be a part of him for the rest of his life. As long as he’s around, it will stay open, tornadoes be damned.

“I could go on and on and talk about the Winchester for hours,” Shanbour said. “I love talking to anyone about it, even the people who come from out of town to take pictures of the cowboy and the concessions. Half the people who come through those gates out there thank me for keeping it open. It’s a part of Oklahoma, and that feels good.”

VISIT OKGAZETTE.COM for DVD and Blu-ray reviews of Holy Ghost People, Escape from Tomorrow and more.

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 30, 2014 | 51

Two contestants compete & win up to

PLUS, a finalist spot in the Grand Prize Giveaway

Finding Vivian Maier Thursday | 7:30 p.m.

Friday | 5:30 & 8 p.m.

Saturday | 5:30 & 8 p.m.

Sunday | 2 p.m.

FRIDAY, MAY 30 at 10PM

All finalists from each Friday in May compete to

WIN A 2014 HARLEY DAVIDSON FRIDAY, JUNE 27 at 10PM

All finalists from each Friday in June compete to

WIN A PAIR OF 2014 SEA-DOOS!

For movie descriptions and ticket sales visit okcmoa.com

401 N Tompkins Dr • 405.787.0211 info@ironmasters.com • Ironmasters.com Check us out on Facebook!

OKGAZETTE.COM

GIVEAWAYS! WIN MOVIE TICKETS For your chance to win a pass for 2, email specialsections @okgazette.com beginning Wednesday, April 30.

Screening is on Tuesday, May 6, 2014, 7:30 PM Harkins Bricktown 16 150 E Reno Ave.

405.964.4444 KICKAPOO-CASINO.COM

PASSES NOT A GUARANTEE OF ADMISSION. SEATING IS LIMITED TO THEATER CAPACITY, AND IS FIRSTCOME, FIRST-SERVED ONLY. SCREENING HAS BEEN OVERBOOKED TO ENSURE A FULL HOUSE. THEATER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERBOOKING. PASS HOLDERS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO ARRIVE AT LEAST 90 MINUTES EARLY. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE RESTRICTED OR PROHIBITED.

IN THEATERS MAY 9

KICKAPOO-CASINO.CO M 52 | APRIL 30, 2014 | OKLAHO MA GAZETTE

P H O N E (4 0 5 ) 5 2 8 - 6 0 0 0 | E - M A I L : A D V E R T I S I N G @ T I E R R A M E D I A G R O U P. C O M

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: Think of the last person you cursed, if only with a hateful thought if not an actual spell.

Now send them a free-hearted blessing.

Prime part of you. What’s that you say? You don’t have an Optimus Prime part of you? Well, that’s what Eeyore might say, but I say different .

ARIES March 21-April 19 “Dear Astrologer: We Aries people have an intense fire burning inside us. It’s an honor and a privilege. We’re lucky to be animated with such a generous share of the big energy that gives life to all of nature. But sometimes the fire gets too wild and strong for us. We can’t manage it. It gets out of our control. That’s how I’m feeling lately. These beloved flames that normally move me and excite me are now the very thing that’s making me crazy. What to do? - Aries.” Dear Aries: Learn from what firefighters do to fight forest fires. They use digging tools to create wide strips of dirt around the fire, removing all the flammable brush and wood debris.

When the fire reaches this path, it’s deprived of fuel.

Close your eyes and visualize that scene.

CANCER June 21-July 22 Would you like to forge new alliances and expand your web of connections and get more of the support you need to fulfill your dreams? You are entering the Season of Networking, so now would indeed be an excellent time to gather clues on how best to accomplish all that good stuff. To get you started in your quest, here’s advice from Dale Carnegie: “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

TAURUS April 20-May 20 You remind me of a garden plot that has recently “My personal philosophy is not to undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible.” So said Taurus-born Edwin Land, the man who invented the Polaroid camera. I have a feeling these might be useful words for you to live by between your birthday in 2014 and your birthday in 2015. In the coming 12 months, you will have the potential of homing in on a dream that will fuel your passions for years. It may seem to be nearly impossible, but that’s exactly what will excite you about it so much -- and keep you going for as long as it takes to actually accomplish.

GEMINI May 21-June 20 n the Transformers movies, Optimus Prime is a giant extraterrestrial warrior robot. His body contains an array of weapons that he uses for righteous causes, like protecting Earth’s creatures. His character is voiced by actor Peter Cullen. Cullen has also worked extensively for another entertainment franchise, Winnie the Pooh. He does the vocals for Eeyore, a gloomy donkey who writes poetry and has a pink ribbon tied in a bow on his tail. Let’s make Cullen your role model for now. I’m hoping this will inspire you to get the Eeyore side of your personality to work together with the Optimus

LEO July 23-Aug. 22 Do you finally understand that you don’t have to imitate the stress-addled workaholics and selfwounding overachievers in order to be as proficient as they are? Are you coming to see that if you want to fix, heal, and change the world around you, you have to fix, heal, and change yourself? Is it becoming clear that if you hope to gain more power to shape the institutions you’re part of, you’ve got to strengthen your power over yourself? Are you ready to see that if you’d like to reach the next level of success, you must dissolve some of your fears of success?

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22 “Beauty is the purgation of superfluities,” said Michelangelo. Do you agree? Could you make your life more marvelous by giving up some of your trivial pursuits? Would you become more attractive if you got rid of one of your unimportant desires? Is it possible you’d experience more lyrical grace if you sloughed off your irrelevant worries?

I suggest you meditate on questions like these, Virgo. According to my interpretation of the astrological omens, experiencing beauty is not a luxury right now, but rather a necessity. For the sake of your mental, physical, and spiritual health, you need to be in its presence as much as possible.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22 I’m pretty sure God wants you to be rich. Or at least richer. And I know for a fact that I want you

to be richer. What about you? Do you want to be wealthier? Or at least a bit more flush? Or would you rather dodge the spiritual tests you’d have to face if you became a money magnet? Would you prefer to go about your daily affairs without having to deal with the increased responsibilities and obligations that would come with a bigger income? I suspect you will soon receive fresh evidence about these matters. How you respond will determine whether or not you’ll be able to take advantage of new financial opportunities that are becoming available.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21 Thhe U.S. military budget this year is $633 billion. In comparison, the United Nations’ peacekeeping budget is $7.8 billion. So my country will spend 81 times more to wage war than the U.N. will spend to make peace. I would prefer it if the ratio were reversed, but my opinion carries no weight. It’s possible, though, that I might be able to convince you Scorpios, at least in the short run, to place a greater emphasis on cultivating cooperation and harmony than on being swept up in aggression and conflict. You might be tempted to get riled up over and over again in the coming weeks, but I think that would lead you astray from living the good life.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Actor Matthew McConaughey prides himself on his willingness to learn from his mistakes and failures. A few years ago he collected and read all the negative reviews that critics had ever written about his work in films. It was “an interesting kind of experiment,” he told Yahoo News. “There was some really good constructive criticism.” According to my reading of the astrological omens, Sagittarius, now would be an excellent time for you to try an experiment comparable to McConaughey’s. Be brave!

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 “Dear Oracle: I might be hallucinating, but recently I swear my pet iguana has been getting turned on whenever I disrobe in front of it. My

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PISCES Feb. 19-March 20 If blindfolded, most people can’t tell the difference between Pepsi and Coca-Cola. But I bet you could, at least this week. Odds are good that you will also be adept at distinguishing between genuine promises and fakes ones. And you will always know when people are fooling themselves. No one will be able to trick you into believing in hype, lies, or nonsense. Why? Because these days you are unusually perceptive and sensitive and discerning.

This might on occasion be a problem, of course, since you won’t be able to enjoy the comfort and consolation that illusions can offer. But mostly it will be an asset, providing you with a huge tactical advantage and lots of good material for jokes.

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AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18 “Eat like you love yourself,” advises author Tara Stiles. “Move like you love yourself. Speak like you love yourself. Act like you love yourself.” Those four prescriptions should be top priorities for you, Aquarius. Right now, you can’t afford to treat your beautiful organism with even a hint of carelessness.

You need to upgrade the respect and compassion and reverence you give yourself. So please breathe like you love yourself. Sleep and dream like you love yourself. Think like you love yourself. Make love like you love yourself.

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naked body seems to incite it to strut around and make guttural hissing sounds and basically act like it’s doing a mating dance. Is it me, or is the planets? I think my iguana is a Capricorn like me.

- Captivating Capricorn.” Dear Capricorn: Only on rare occasions have I seen you Capricorns exude such high levels of animal magnetism as you are now. Be careful where you point that stuff! I won’t be shocked if a wide variety of creatures finds you extra alluring.

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Act of 1968, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, preference or discrimination.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of this law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings in our newspaper are available on an equal housing opportunity basis.

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*Lease financing available on 2014 BMW 740Li vehicles, only at participating BMW centers on leases assigned to BMW Financial Services NA, LLC/Financial Services Vehicle Trust through May 01, 2014. Monthly Lease payments of $829.00 for 36 months based on MSRP of $78,925.00.

* Lease financing available on 2014 BMW X3 sDrive28i vehicles, only at participating BMW centers on leases assigned to BMW Financial Services NA, LLC/Financial Services Vehicle Trust through May 01, 2014. Monthly Lease payments of $419.00 for 36 months based on MSRP of $44,425.00.

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