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inside COVER P. 27 With more young people moving to the central neighborhoods, a new breed of churches is tailoring the worship experience to a new generation of Oklahoma City faithful.

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Testing pattern

Despite protections, most employers will be able to drug test for marijuana if State Question 788 passes.

By by Jacob Threadgill

Editor’s note: This article is part of a series examining cannabis and cannabinoids in Oklahoma leading up to the June 26 medical marijuana referendum.

In 2012, Oklahoma passed the Standards for Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Act, which strengthened employers’ ability to administer tests for intoxicating substances against groups of employees suspected to be under the influence on the job.

Part of section 6 of State Question 788 to legalize medical marijuana, which will appear on the June 26 primary ballots, adds anti-discrimination language for individuals with medical marijuana licenses.

The anti-discrimination portion of SQ788, which also addresses housing, medical care, child custody, state-issued licenses, municipal zoning and research licenses, says that “an employer may not discriminate against a person, hiring, terminating or imposing any term or condition of employment” based on a person’s status as a medical marijuana user.

Section 6 states that an employer can continue drug testing if they might “immediately lose a monetary or licensingrelated benefit under federal law of regulations.”

Also, an employer may take action against a medical marijuana licensee if they use or possess marijuana at the place of employment during work hours.

“Most Oklahomans will not be licensed by the state to consume medical

marijuana to treat ailments. We’re talking about a small percentage of the employee population,” said Blake Johnson, an attorney with Crowe & Dunlevy. Neither Johnson nor Crowe & Dunlevy have a position for or against SQ788. “We’re also only talking about employers that aren’t federally licensed and don’t receive grants from the federal government, which is an additional restriction.”

The potential inability of businesses to maintain a drug-free workplace if medical marijuana passes has been built into recent anti-SQ788 positions presented by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and The Oklahoman editorial board.

“Under the language of SQ788, the ability of most employers to be a drug-free workplace would be questioned, it not outright abolished,” said the May newsletter from Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.

Testing precedent

Despite the chamber’s claim that drug testing would potentially disappear if SQ788 is passed, state courts have upheld employer decisions to terminate workers with medical marijuana, even in Colorado, which became the first state to legalize recreational use in 2012.

A 2015 ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in favor of Dish Network in a discrimination case filed

by Brandon Coats in 2010, citing that because marijuana is illegal under federal law, Coats had no protection from getting fired.

“The State Chamber would have you

Blake Johnson is an attorney with Crowe & Dunlevy. | Photo provided

think every one of your employees could come to work stoned,” said Chip Paul, chairman of Oklahomans for Health, the nonprofit that led the signature petition to qualify SQ788 on the ballot.

“Oklahoma is an employment-at-will state which means an employer can fire you for any reason —dirty socks or being high on the job. All we have said is an employer cannot unduly discriminate against a cannabis patient.”

While no cases have advanced to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, other state supreme courts have followed precedent.

“Many states’ courts have said altogether that employees have no protections under medical marijuana reform,” Johnson said, noting that different statutory language makes it difficult to draw a one-to-one comparison from other states to Oklahoma.

The relationship between Section 6 in SQ788 and Oklahoma’s Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Act needs to be resolved by the Legislature before SQ788 goes into effect if it passes, according to Ogletree Deakins attorney Vic Albert.

“On the one hand, we’re going to have a law that you may have this policy [under the Drug and Alcohol Testing Act] and it may ban these things, but we’re going to have this new law that says, if it is licensed person — and it is so easy to get a license under SQ788 — and they test positive, then you may not take action against employment,” Albert said.

Albert referred to language in the bill that puts two-year medical marijuana licenses at the discretion of individual doctors rather than having a pre-approved list of conditions for which medical marijuana can be prescribed.

Paul said the idea that “anyone” can get a medical marijuana card is one of the biggest criticisms the campaign faces.

“Where should medical marijuana Victor Albert is an attorney with Ogletree Deakins. | Photo provided

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be regulated? By an arbitrary and politicized list of conditions or by your physician? This is far less permissive than a list of medical conditions where a physician is just checking a box,” Paul said. “We require physicians to stake their reputations on their recommendations, just like with any other medicine.”

Albert raised concerns with SQ788’s language because of accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and SQ788’s exception that employers are protected if an employee is under the influence on the job.

“Since marijuana can stay in the system for weeks, it is possible for someone to test positive without being under the influence at work,” Albert said.

“It creates so much uncertainty for employers for what they can and can’t do in terms of taking action against employees who test positive for marijuana. It’s not like alcohol, where an employer can give an employee a Breathalyzer. Anytime you water down the employers’ ability to test for intoxicants or mind-altering substances in the workplace, you impair the employers’ ability to provide a safe workplace for the employees and the public.”

Johnson said that the most probable employment dispute would fall under Oklahoma’s version of the ADA, which he said would be an advantage for the state because it would treat it like other cases as long as the state Supreme Court extends protections for medical marijuana.

“If they do extend protections to that very small class of workers, responsible employers are familiar with how to handle those scenarios,” Johnson said, noting that employers will engage in “interactive dialogue” with the employee to determine if the banned substance is, in fact, the best treatment for the ailment and other questions.

“The answers to all of those questions will determine whether or not it is reasonable for the employer to make an accommodation,” he said.

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Complex mandate

Oklahoma has a long road ahead of it before controversial Medicaid work requirements can be put into place. By Ben Luschen

In January, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), with encouragement from the White House, announced that it would allow states to mandate work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients to receive benefits and released guidelines for how those mandates should look.

Four months later, Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill that requires the state to seek such a waiver from CMS, joining several other states that have either already earned approval for a new work requirement or are seeking it.

Proponents of such a mandate argue that working provides physical and mental health benefits, while detractors say the requirements are discriminatory and might force people in need out of the low-income medical assistance program.

While Oklahoma’s desire to impose work requirements on capable Medicaid recipients is clear, the specific population of people the mandate will affect takes some figuring.

Medicaid programs are intended to assist primarily those who are not able to work.

“The majority of our members are either pregnant or children or physically disabled,” said Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) spokesperson Jo Stainsby. “That’s not that category.”

Stainsby said the work requirement will primarily affect parents and caregivers of school-age children. The bill Fallin signed gives exemption to those younger than 19 or older than 50 and parents of children younger than 6, mirroring the work-requirement limits set on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). There are some other exceptions listed in the bill,

like the exemption of Native Americans, that depend on federal approval.

All of that narrows the field of Oklahoma Medicaid recipients who might face work requirements to around 8,000, according to OHCA estimates.

“That number is still going to change as we work out exactly what exemptions are going to be included in the waiver,” Stainsby said.

It is not yet known when the state’s work mandate will actually be put into effect. What will specifically qualify as work is not fully understood yet either. Most states that have had their mandates approved or have submitted applications to CMS require 80 hours of work (or a community service alternative in some cases) per month.

Carly Putnam, a policy director at the nonpartisan nonprofit think tank Oklahoma Policy Institute, warns that however the final mandate might look, its implementation could be problematic for a lot of low-income people already in tough situations.

“If we’re really, really lucky it will be a minor inconvenience,” Putnam said. “At worst, people could lose access to life-saving health care.”

Long process

OHCA executive director Nico Gomez is required to seek federal waiver by Nov. 1 under the bill Fallin signed. But there is a lot of work to be done to get to that point, and there is no telling how long it will take CMS to review the state’s submission.

Stainsby, Gomez’ spokesperson, said the first step is for the OHCA board of directors to prepare a recommendation for the work mandate, which will

Oklahoma Health Care Authority, led by executive director Nico Gomez, has until Nov. 1 to prepare, approve and submit the state’s work requirement for able-bodied Medicaid recipients to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. | Photo Gazette / file

include tribal consultation and an opportunity for public comment.

Once the recommendation gains board approval, it will be sent to CMS. While there are set expectations for when OHCA gets that request to the federal agency, what will happen after that is not as clear.

“Where a little bit of the unknown comes in is how long it’s going to take CMS to view and act on the waiver submission,” Stainsby said.

Other states have already submitted their own waivers to CMS. Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky and New Hampshire have had theirs approved, while Alaska, A r izona , Ma ine, Minnesot a , Mississippi, Michigan, Ohio, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin have formally submitted requests to CMS. The backlog of states waiting for approval might mean Oklahoma has to wait in line.

“I expect that [CMS] will deal with them before they get to us,” Stainsby said.

Oklahoma likely has a long road ahead of it before any labor requirement could be put into place. Stainsby said work has only just begun.

“This is just the starting point,” she said. “The bill just passed and the executive order just came down in March, and that’s just kind of the springboard.”

Stainsby encouraged anyone with input on the mandate to be present for the board’s public comment hearing, which will be scheduled for sometime in July.

“We do plan to take into consideration anything that is submitted as comment,” she said.

Coverage gap

Putnam said it is important to remember that every state is approaching the work requirement a little differently.

Some states have already been approved, but none of them look like Oklahoma.

“The Health Care Authority, I think, is very much trying to assemble this airplane while they’re flying it,” Putnam said.

Oklahoma’s past refusal of federal Medicaid expansion providing health care to low-income families through the Affordable Care Act presents another unknown in the work mandate.

Earlier this month, CMS administrator Seema Verma warned states without expanded Medicaid that work requirements would likely leave some without any coverage options.

As Medicaid recipients find jobs or increase their work hours to meet the 20-hour weekly requirement, some of them will make enough money to bump them out of the Medicaid threshold.

“It creates this catch-22 where they’re working to comply with the work requirement and then fall into the coverage crater with the 200,000-

odd other low-income adults with no access to health care,” Putnam said.

All of the states that have had their work mandates approved by CMS so far are states with expanded Medicaid coverage.

Above any other issues with the mandate, Putnam said a work requirement is simply unneeded.

“There is no substantive reason for the state to be pursuing a work requirement,” she said. “No matter how many arguments you have for what should or shouldn’t be included as an exemption or should or shouldn’t count as a work activity, the fact remains that it feels like a fundamentally dishonest conversation.”

Setting roadblocks?

A federal lawsuit filed in January by a group of 14 Kentucky plaintiffs is being pressed against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over the state’s CMS-approved work requirement, arguing that the mandate goes against the intended nature of Medicaid services.

Justice in Aging is one of several organizations acting as a friend of the court in the case. Eric Carlson, directing attorney at the senior advocacy organization, said he does not believe the work mandates are about encouraging participation, advancing skills or supporting the mental health of Medicaid recipients.

“It’s a mechanism to limit or reduce enrollment,” he said. “It’s another roadblock for low-income people to face when they’re attempting to get Medicaid coverage. It reflects a certain hostility toward this population.”

Carlson said Justice for Aging has been and will continue to watch developments in the mandates other states are making.

He said the advocacy group believes the courts should rule against CMS. “It’s not advancing the objectives of the Medicaid program,” he said. “In fact, it’s doing the opposite.”

Putnam does not want to read malicious intent into state lawmakers’ push for these requirements, but she also thinks the mandate provides a solution for a problem that does not seem to exist.

“The problem is we know that most people who can work already work,” she said. “Most people are not choosing to live in deep poverty for the fun of it.”

If the intent of the mandate is backed by a desire to get people believed to be disconnected from employment back to work, Putnam said there are other ways to do that, like increased child care and elder care services, transportation options, and accessible and available treatment for mental health and substance abuse disorders.

The work mandate, she said, gets these people no closer to any of these things.

“From what I’ve heard from legislators discussing this bill is that there is a genuine desire to help people,” she said.

“But our concern is that in an effort to help people, we’re actually going to make their lives substantively worse.”

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Next in line

OKCPS has a new superintendent, but some board members raise selection concerns. By Ben Luschen

Oklahoma City Public Schools’ Board of Education convened May 22 to approve the hiring of the district’s newest superintendent. It has become a fairly common ritual for the state’s largest school district, which has hired 13 different superintendents since 2000.

But unlike the July 2016 vote for the last superintendent hired, Aurora Lora, this vote was not unanimous.

The OKCPS board voted 5-2 in favor of hiring Sean McDaniel, the former superintendent of the suburban Mustang Public Schools district.

OKCPS has signed McDaniel to a threeyear, $240,000 annual contract, not including benefits.

Board Chair Paula Lewis began the meeting on a cheery note, calling it a “momentous afternoon.” After thanking chief of staff Rebecca Kaye for stepping in as the interim superintendent during the selection process, Lewis named McDaniel as the board’s final candidate.

She touted his 30 years of experience in education and his time at Mustang, where he was awarded 2018 Superintendent of the Year by the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration and passed the largest bond issue in the school district’s history.

“Beyond his resume,” Lewis said during the meeting, “Sean shares our board’s deep-seated passion to ensure all children receive a world-class education and to continue the collaborative work

of building a premier school district.”

But minutes later, when the board cast its final vote, members Charles Henry and Ruth Veales both voted against the hiring.

Veales, who represents the predominantly African-American District 5 in northeast OKC, spoke for several minutes prior to the board’s vote. She indicated that she was not pleased with the way the superintendent search unfolded and did not feel right in supporting any of the final candidates.

“The candidates in our final interview have come from districts that do not have the same color disparity and have not had to overcome the challenges that we faced in Oklahoma City Public Schools,” Veales said at the meeting.

Despite casting a vote against the hiring of McDaniel, Veales said she plans on giving the new superintendent her full cooperation moving forward.

“I will totally commit to working with them to turn around our district and give all the students in our district the education that they need and deserve to achieve the American dream,” she said.

In a statement following the vote, McDaniel said he was grateful for the chance to lead the state’s largest school district.

“I’m humbled by the opportunity to join with OKCPS employees, families and the community to focus our collective efforts on ensuring every Oklahoma City

child receives an education that prepares them for a bright, promising future,” McDaniel said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

Search concerns

Veales is the longest-serving member of the OKCPS board, having been first elected in 2010 and achieving reelection twice since then. During her remarks, she recalled a time shortly after her initial election eight years ago when the board heard a presentation on the district’s academic performance by student race and other factors. What she saw was a disparity between black and other students that left a lasting impression on her.

“After the meeting was over, I went home and I cried,” she said. “I still haven’t forgotten about that startling disparity. I still am haunted to this day.”

Veales could not be reached for comment prior to Oklahoma Gazette’s deadline.

OKCPS has a diverse racial makeup.

According to a 2016-17 statistical profile, 53.1 percent of students are Hispanic, 23 percent are AfricanAmerican and 14.2 percent are white.

The district’s overall academic struggles are also well documented. A 2017 ranking by NeighborhoodScout. com listed eastside schools F.D. Moon Elementary School (Academy), Oklahoma Centennial Middle School and Martin Luther King Elementary in the top 20 of its “100 Worst Public Schools” list.

F.D. Moon and Martin Luther King are both in Veales’ district. Oklahoma Centennial is located in Henry’s District 1.

In her comments, Veales said through the years, she has learned how important the superintendent role is in the fight to turn around academically challenged students. While she did not approve of the final group of candidates, she said she went into the interviews with an open mind.

“Nothing changed my feelings that they are not the candidates that should be selected to move our district forward,” she said.

Though Veales was the first to congratulate McDaniel on his hiring after the vote was final, she said during the meeting that the board’s candidatehiring process could have been much more selective.

“I do not believe we have to choose a candidate based on hope and prayer,” she said. “I think there are other candidates who could meet the challenges of this district.”

Moving forward

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Board vice chair Gloria Torres was out of the country and unable to attend the official vote to hire McDaniel, though she recently told Gazette that she would have voted yes if she attended.

Torres was aware of Veales’ concerns New Oklahoma City Public Schools superintendent Sean McDaniel will be the 13th person to hold the position since 2000. | Photo Ben Luschen

over the superintendent selection process but declined to comment further.

She did say that Veales’ concerns over the selection process will not affect her willing participation moving forward.

“I can say without a doubt that I know [Veales] is going to be supportive of the superintendent once he is in place,” Torres said.

Torres said the search for a new superintendent began shortly after Lora announced her resignation in January.

By mid-February, the board had moved to contact the Oklahoma State School Boards Association to conduct a superintendent search.

Well over 30 applicants filed for the vacancy, Torres said. Candidates were fielded at both the state and national level.

The field was narrowed over a series of at least three meetings, eventually whittling down the list to three final names.

Torres said the trait she was most looking for in a new superintendent was someone who already understood what it meant to lead a district.

“The comment that I made a number of times was, ‘We can’t afford to have someone with their training wheels leading this group,’” she said. “Our kids, our district and our city need somebody who has a good grasp of what the next step is on day one.”

Aside from experience, Torres said finding someone committed to sticking with the district on a long-term basis was a priority. She also wanted someone who was familiar with the area and the challenge facing OKCPS students.

“I don’t think anybody wants someone from wherever saying, ‘Oh, I know how to solve your problems,’” she said.

The board felt that McDaniel had a proven and extensive record of success with positive outcomes. Torres said his in-person interview helped push his candidacy to the top.

“He came across as someone with a servant type of leadership,” she said.

“That’s the type of leadership I have always aspired to, and I think there’s a lot of value in supporting those around you, and it appears to me that he’s going to be able to do that.”

Torres expects there will be a retreat meeting between McDaniel and the board at a future date to plan the district’s next steps forward. For now, board members are meeting with the superintendent on a one-on-one basis, discussing ways they might work together on a personal level.

If OKCPS has any specific priorities moving forward, Torres said it is to be thoughtful and intentional about what they do next. She does not want the district to rush into any plan of action to look accomplished without taking a measured look at the future.

“We’re in this for the long haul,” she said. “There’s an urgency to start addressing things — not that we haven’t been — but there’s not an urgency to do it quickly.

The urgency is to get it done right.”

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Unhealthy bailout

We’ve seen the headlines over the last few years of the dire straits at the Oklahoma Health Department, but imagine our surprise last week when a multicounty grand jury report revealed that the state’s $30 million bailout to the department and its 198-employee layoff were unnecessary because the department had plenty of cash.

The discrepancy comes from federal funds that go under state control at the end of each fiscal year. A separate account was created so other agencies couldn’t raid the health department’s money, but no one bothered to tell the heath department’s new chief financial officer Mike Romero, who, the grand jury report said, “never fully understood the underlying budget data or the agency’s cash position.”

Perhaps one reason Romero and other department leaders pushed for a $30 million bailout and massive employee reduction is that they were still using antiquated command prompt software to navigate files.

It takes a computer science degree to know how to properly use those prompt windows.

The layoff plan was projected to save the department $3.3 to $6 million, but according to The Journal Record’s Catherine Sweeney, the move actually cost the state $3 million to implement.

The grand jury and state auditor Gary Jones said that the health department must return its $30 million bailout, and the grand jury said some of the money should be used to uncover similar misuse in other state agencies.

The $30 million might be able to go to a good use, but there is no word on the future of the nearly 200 employees who lost their jobs and the essential state services that have taken a hit due to the layoffs and years of cutbacks.

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Goon squad

This year, the worldwide journalism advocacy g roup Reporters Without Borders ranked the United States 45th in the world for press freedom.

This puts the “land of the free and the home of the brave” just behind Romania, a country still trying to claw its way to political sanity nearly 30 years after the execution of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, and just ahead of Italy, which continues to flirt with politically resurgent kleptocrat Silvio “Bunga Bunga” Berlusconi.

This sad state of affairs for U.S. journalistic freedom could get far worse if the events of May 22 are the shape of things to come, and just weirdly enough to get the attention of Chicken-Fried News, that day’s conflict over press rights centered on two Oklahomans.

That morning, Associated Press reporter Ellen Knickmeyer, a former Tulsa World staffer who recently graduated from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, was stopped from entering an Environmental “Protection” Agency meeting on water supply con-

tamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) around military bases. The meeting was scheduled after Politico uncovered emails from January 2018 detailing the levels of PFAS across several states and how “the impact to EPA and DoD (Department of Defense) is going to be extremely painful” and “a public relations nightmare.”

When Knickmeyer asked to speak with a public affairs representative, EPA guards grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her out of the EPA headquarters building.

Knickmeyer was not the only reporter barred from entering the paranoia-scented halls of the EPA. Reporters from both CNN and E&E News, a trade publication that covers energy and environmental issues, were similarly kept from attending that morning. Later, after news broke of the incident, all three reporters were allowed into the meeting, reportedly without being tailed by E“P”A chief and CFN fave rave Scott Pruitt’s Droogs.

Of course, several other reporters were allowed into the event without problem, including those sent by The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Politico, The Hill and The Daily Caller. Maybe it had something to do with Knickmeyer’s tireless coverage of Pruitt’s coziness with lobbyists offering him cheap lodging, his use of non-governmental email accounts, his lavish spending, his rollback of safety rules for chemical plants and his new legal defense fund.

What really galls CFN is that the following day, the E“P”A did it again, this time blocking Politico and independent journalist Mariah Blake, who has been extensively covering PFAS. Now, Pruitt is likely following the lead of President Donald Trump in attempting to normalize this kind of thing. With the nation’s capacity for

outrage shrinking by the day, there is a probable assumption that Knickmeyer and other barred journalists will just slink away and not force this issue.

However, CFN collectively believes that Knickmeyer, who reported for AP in Oklahoma City, worked in the Tulsa World newsroom, was raised in an Oklahoma journalism family and went on to become Baghdad bureau chief for The Washington Post, is made of tougher stuff than that. Hell, she was AP bureau chief in West Africa, a place where bullying strongmen can be found on every street.

In short, we think Knickmeyer will prove hard to shake and Pruitt should prepare for war, Oklahoma journalismstyle.

Senior moment

It was supposed to be a prank, but the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office was not laughing.

The sheriff’s department was called to investigate a senior

prank gone wrong earlier this month at Deer Creek High School. A student told KOCO Channel 5 that the prank led to a teacher injury.

So what was this prank? you ask.

School faculty walked into school one Monday morning to find the floor slippery wet with cleaning chemicals.

The floors and walls had been egged and were covered in toilet paper.

Eggs and toilet paper? Really?

That is all they could come up with?

Someone call Lorne Michaels; we have some real comedic geniuses on our hands!

Let’s take off our criminal prosecutor hats for a moment and judge this prank as objective prank appreciators. We here at Chicken-Fried News ask the young pranksters of Deer Creek where their originality was. “Eggs and toilet paper” sounds like it would be the very first result one would find after typing, “What’s a good senior prank LOL” into the Google search bar.

What makes a senior prank memo-

rable and effective is either A) its ludicrous hilarity or B) the accomplishment of an impressive feat. And any prank, no matter how genius its conception and execution, is immediately ruined after an injury.

Sorry, Deer Creek kids, but this prank isn’t checking any of the right boxes. You could have taken all the money you spent on eggs and toilet paper to the bank, converted it into pennies and evenly spaced them out across the gym floor. You could have snuck in early and put an endless loop of Mason “The Yodeling Kid” Ramsey’s new single “Famous” on every computer in the building. But instead, you just decided to dump some groceries on the floor. Real comedy takes effort.

KOCO reports that deputies are working with Deer Creek School District administrators to hold two students suspected in the incident accountable for their actions. At press time, it was not yet known what their punishment might entail.

Hopefully the students involved have already learned their lesson and will be allowed to move on with their lives without exorbitant trouble.

Their prank missed the mark, and while Saturday Night Live is likely not in their futures, maybe a more mature tomorrow is.

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EAT & DRINK

Chef-inspired Tex-Mex

Iguana Mexican Grill showcases the benefit of last year’s renovation and refocused menu.

By Jacob Threadgill

Iguana Mexican Grill 9 NW Ninth St. iguanamexicangrill.com | 405-606-7172 What works: Barbacoa made with beef cheek melts in your mouth.

What needs work: Spinach and mushroom enchilada filling needs sauce.

Tip: The street-style tacos allow excellent fillings to shine better than the Tex-Mex preparation.

Iguana Mexican Grill has been a serving Tex-Mex in Oklahoma City since opening at its original Western Avenue location from 1999 to 2004 as Iguana Lounge before opening in Automobile Alley, 9 NW Ninth St., in 2008 under its current name.

Chef Marc Dunham joined Iguana owner Steve Mason as operating partner in late 2016 and helped oversee its February 2017 renovation and menu refocus.

Born in New Braunfels, Texas, Dunham grew up in the South Texas tradition of Tex-Mex flavors. Mix in a Culinary Institute of America education and a professional career that has included fine dining restaurants in New York and leading the School of Culinary Arts at Francis Tuttle Technology Center.Dunham worked with Igauna’s longtime chef de cuisine Juan Quixtan to streamline its menu.

“This restaurant over the past nine or 10 years has become a version of TexMex, and having grown up in Texas and spending my whole life around that food, we decided to is to refocus on the flavors of northern Mexico and southern Texas,” Dunham said.

The changes to the menu weren’t

dramatic. Dunham takes pride in the little things, like making chile con carne from scratch and making corn tortillas in-house. All of its ingredients are prepared in-house except flour tortillas, which are shipped in fresh every day from a local factory. Dunham said they will begin making flour tortillas inhouse this year, as soon as they carve out kitchen space for the equipment.

“We’ve have had nothing but positive [reactions] to the renovation of the space and the food,” Dunham said.

“Really, the menu changes were less about an overhaul and more about pulling back and refocusing on what we thought we did well. We only have two canned products, and one of the them are chipotles in adobo sauce, which [the sauce] is an important ingredient [by itself].”

You can taste the love from La La in each bite of the tamale.

I’ve been a fan of Dunham’s thoughtful and nuanced style of cooking since first trying Nashbird, 1 NW Ninth St., not long after it opened last fall, but somehow, I had yet to try Iguana, and I will have been in Oklahoma City a year in mid-June.

I think part of my reticence had to do with a perceived lack of parking in the area, but when I went for my first visit, I was surprised to see that Iguana has its own parking lot and ample parking available. I’ve been kicking A lunch chicken enchilada topped with sour cream sauce and served with green rice and refried black beans | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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Street- and Tex-Mex-style tacos are joined by green rice and roasted potatoes. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

myself that I didn’t try Iguana sooner because it’s an excellent take on TexMex, fueled by Dunham’s institutional knowledge, Quixtan’s experience and a little bit of love by a woman the kitchen staff lovingly calls “La La.” Tamales are anecdotally one of the most labor-intensive menu items to make, regardless of cuisine, and La La turns Iguana’s fresh tamales out every day, with a spoon of in-house made masa in one hand and a soaked and freshly pliable corn husk in another.

The tamale dinner ($11.99) is served with two sides and a generous portion of salsa verde. You can taste the love from La La in each bite of the tamale that gets a boost from what I dare say is the best salsa verde in the city. The roasted peppers come through in the final sauce, and it was the perfect complement to its slow-roasted pork center.

Guests get a choice of two sides with each entrée, and over the course of two meals, I sampled the black beans, pinto beans, red rice, green rice and roasted potatoes. I generally choose pinto over black beans, but Iguana’s refried black beans get a slight nod over the whole pinto variety in a photo finish, but the green rice edges the red variety in a landside.

It’s a simple preparation on the rice — tomatillos and cilantro are blended into chicken stock — but I liked the lingering herbaceousness compared to the red’s chilie-centered flavor.

On my second trip, I substituted roasted potatoes for beans and was really pleased with the result. The potatoes are evenly crispy, and some of my favorite bites of the meal were dipping them into leftover tableside queso, a side item that benefitted from a few dollops of the complimentary pico de gallo.

I had to try Iguana’s fresh corn tortillas, and the beef barbacoa tacos called my name. I was able to convince my server to place the order to try each taco preparation: Tex-Mex (lettuce, cheese and pico) and street style (corn tortillas

with cilantro, lime and onion).

The barbacoa is a standout. While other preparations are more like pot roast, Iguana’s variety melts in your mouth, and it’s because they’re using beef cheek, in true south Texas style.

“In south Texas, that dish is traditionally made with the head of a cow,” Dunham said. “Northern Mexico and south Texas is all ranching land, so if you go to Oaxaca and get barbacoa, it will be goat just because that’s what is available because of the mountainous region. In south Texas, you would do it in an underground pit, but the health department won’t allow us to dig an underground pit outside. We slow-roast it in the oven after rubbing in a special blend of chilies.”

I preferred the street taco preparation for the barbacoa. It’s such a luscious ingredient that the lettuce and cheese only got in the way. The cilantro, onion and lime provided an acidic way to cut through the fat.

I also tried a pair of enchiladas topped with Iguana’s sour cream sauce — the chicken variety and a vegetarian take with spinach and mushrooms.

The vegetarian variety was well made and showcased the fresh corn tortilla, but the filling would’ve benefitted from some of the sour cream sauce in the interior of the enchilada.

“Ironically, I tasted it last week and I told Juan that I wanted to consider reworking that dish, so it’s kind of funny you said that, the timing of it,” Dunham said.

The chicken is excellent — cooked in a guisado preparation, it is stewed in its own chicken stock and reintroduced after being shredded for a perfectly tender bite that I surprisingly liked more than the pork in the tamale.

If you’ve been to a previous iteration of Iguana and haven’t revisited since Dunham took over, it’s well worth the trip, especially for the barbacoa made from beef cheek and tamales by La La.

f eat u re

ROOFTOP Welcome return POOL PARTY Sean Cummings reopens his eponymous Irish restaurant, filling a pub void in the city.

By Jacob Threadgill

Sean Cummings’ Irish Restaurant has returned to Oklahoma City, filling a nearly four-year pub void.

The new location is in the former Sophabella’s at 7628 N. May Ave. and opened in early May a few blocks north from his wife’s Vito’s Ristorante, where the original Irish pub shared a wall.

Sean Cummings’ Irish Pub closed in October 2014 under the property owner’s request and became seafood concept Land & Sea and, most recently, Bacon, which Cummings closed to take its staff up the road.

“The three years we were closed, I figured someone else was going to open an Irish Pub [in the city],” Cummings said, noting that Oklahoma City’s large Irish-heritage population was in need of a cultural base.

Irish heritage comprises the secondlargest ancestry group in Oklahoma’s population, according to the 2010 census.

Cummings is a first-generation U.S. citizen; his father hails from Galway, Ireland, and his mother grew up in nearby County Clare. Cummings operated Café Nile in his native Kansas City before moving to Oklahoma City around the turn of the century.

“I owned a top-100 American restaurant [Café Nile], but [Sean Cummings’ Irish Pub] is way more well known here. Isn’t that crazy? … Anyone who is going to Ireland seems to come here a couple of weeks before to get advice on where to go,” Cummings said.

“If they’ve been, they want to see if we’re good enough to keep up.”

Reopening the pub has been a goal for Cummings since the first one was abruptly asked to change the concept by the property manager Phil Pippin.

“We never missed rent, and there were never fights or calls to police.

Something weird had happened. We had one argument five years earlier, but it wasn’t enough to kill a contract,” Cummings said. “We do feel some version of vindication; I love that we’re catty-corner from [the old location], and it is going quite well.”

I have no idea why they call it black and white pudding.

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The restaurant reopened with a belated St. Patrick’s Day celebration, and Cummings said that the pub has been packed pretty much every night since opening.

He kept the pub’s memorabilia, including family photos of grandparents and cousins from Ireland, stored in his garage, ready to take out of storage.

When Sophabella’s closed its storefront to focus on catering last fall, Cummings said he was the first person to get in touch with the owner about moving into the location.

The new space is more than double the size of the old location and allows for live music every night, which follows in accordance with two of his rules: the pub will always play Irish music over the sound system, and soccer is the only

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The lunch menu includes a steak salad tossed with champagne vinaigrette. | Photo Jacob Threadgill O kg a z e t t e . c o m | m ay 3 0 , 2 0 1 8

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EAT & DRINK

HONEY

an immersive performance June 14-16 and 21-23 A collaboration with Fresh Paint Lab, inspired by narratives of desire and intimate moments between strangers.

A new menu item includes a vegetarian version of shepherd’s pie with shiitake mushrooms. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

continued from page 13

oklahomacontemporary.org | 405 951 0000 | @okcontemporary 3000 General Pershing Blvd. | Oklahoma City, OK 73107

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sport shown on the television — save an occasional University of Oklahoma or Oklahoma State University game. “[Live music] goes from one person singing to four-person band, and we go from singalong, bang-on -the-table music to a classical vibe. Friday night is crazy, and Saturday is more relaxed. It’s fascinating to watch and scary if you’ve never seen it. On Mondays, [12-string guitar player] Jason Hunt plays and has a group of 30 people who watch him every week and sing along to every song.”

In the first weeks of reopening, Cummings said that customers have ordered a lot of menu classics like bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie and fish and chips, but the new pub features the introduction of a few vegetarian items like shepherd’s pie made with thick-cut shiitake mushrooms and a lunch menu with lighter options like a steak salad with champagne vinaigrette.

Lunch is served 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and dinner service is 5-10 p.m., with a limited late-night menu served until midnight Friday and Saturday.

Head chef Chris Bickel oversees the kitchen, which bakes its own Irish soda bread daily and brines its own corned beef for corned beef and cabbage ($10.99). It also sells Northern Irish dish boxty ($13.99): a potato pancake that is rolled flat and filled with beef, salmon or seasonal vegetables.

The Irish breakfast features rashers of ham, a traditional banger sausage, a tomato, two eggs and black and white pudding, which is a popular dish in Ireland. Cummings got the recipe from his cousin in Ireland.

“I have no idea why they call it black and white pudding, but I heard about it my entire life and my dad would try to do it, but no one in America made it,

f eat u re

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oddly enough. It is beef fat mixed with oats, barley and English spice blend that is in everything over there from dessert to savory dishes.”

The restaurant offers a pub outreach program that gives customers who are paying in cash the option to donate the portion of the check the restaurant would pay in credit card fees to Positive Tomorrows, a local elementary school for homeless children.

“I want people to have the option,” Cummings said. “We pay more in credit card fees than we do in rent.”

Since the opening, Cummings, 55, said he has had to come to terms with the fact that pulling 16- and 17-hour days isn’t as easy as it was in his 30s, but he’s happy to fulfill his dream of reopening the Irish pub to give the city’s sizeable Irish heritage population a place to connect to their roots.

“I haven’t done a busy opening like this in 10 years,” Cummings said. “It’s fun; I feel invigorated that it is working.”

Sean Cummings reopened his Irish restaurant after a nearly four-year hiatus. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

f eat u re

The avocado toast is a new item with maple bacon, cherry tomato and white truffle oil. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

Brunch addition

Sunday brunch service allows Ludivine diners to keep up with menu favorites. By Jacob Threadgill

With a commitment to farm-fresh ingredients, the Ludivine dinner menu is famous for changing by the day, but the debut of its Sunday brunch menu allows diners to pick favorites around a set selection of entrees with slight seasonal tweaks.

Chef Russ Johnson said the restaurant has received many requests for brunch since opening in 2010, but logistically, they never felt Ludivine could pull it off until last year.

Ludivine doesn’t staff the kitchen with different people in the same position, so after a late-night Saturday dinner, the staff turns around Sunday morning for the 11 a.m.-2 p.m. service at its 805 N. Hudson Ave. location.

Johnson decided to start in the spring last year when fresh produce begins to roll into the kitchen and the restaurant is far removed from the winter holiday busy season.

“Last year was an experiment,” Johnson said. “We started it around the same time and thought we would just do it through the summer, and we weren’t sure if it would be a temporary. We planned on killing it before we got into the holiday because it’s a crazy time for us and everyone is working overtime.”

The new brunch menu features a few popular holdovers from last year’s menu like the croque tartine Parisienne ($18), an open-faced version of the popular sandwich that substitutes the ubiquitous Swiss cheese for emmenthal and raclette cheeses.

Ludivine’s version of a lox Benedict ($18) tops an “everything” spiced bread pudding with house-cured salmon, poached eggs, cream cheese fondue and red onion dill caper relish as a returning item from last year’s menu.

It also offers a chicken-fried steak Benedict ($15) on buttermilk biscuits with poached eggs and cream gravy.

Johnson said that one of the most beloved items last year was green chili pork tamale, which has found new life as sopes ($16). A crispy masa cake is topped with black bean refritos and filled with pork green chili and a farm egg and Cotija cheese.

“The tamales we did crispy as well, made them traditional and fried them slightly on the outside,” Johnson said.

“The tamales might have to make an

appearance at some point.”

The dish of lobster and grits ($28) is an example of how the main components will stay the same, but the dish’s accoutrements will change depending on the season and availability of products. As it is currently constructed, the butter-poached lobster tail tops popcorn grits and is paired with a salad of garlic scapes, cherry tomato, sweet pepper and jicama.

“As the season goes on and we get okra and shishito peppers, stuff like that will go on the dish,” Johnson said.

“We’ll always have the lobster and grits because it is such a good play on the traditional shrimp and grits.”

Brioche French toast or a crispy sweet waffle ($10) can be topped with Stillwell strawberries (additional $4) or even decadent foie gras ($12).

Avocado toast ($12) combines mapleglazed bacon, cherry tomato and white truffle oil, and a horchata ricotta toast with grilled strawberries.

“I might take the horchata ricotta [toast] off the menu because it hasn’t been super popular, but everyone is familiar with avocado toast, so it is going well,” Johnson said.

Ludivine’s offering of a steak tenderloin ($24) served over a Parmesan potato cake and topped with chimichurri and eggs follows the introduction of beef to its dinner menu.

Local focus

“We didn’t used to have steak,” Johnson said, admitting that he first wanted the restaurant to focus on proteins not normally seen on area restaurant menus like goat, duck and rabbit.

Eventually, Johnson brought in Wagyu beef from Ironhorse Ranch in Macomb.

“We like to use off-cuts like sirloin flap and chuck flap, these lesser cuts, but because the beef is so good, we serve sirloin that people routinely say is the best they’ve ever had,” Johnson said.

The dinner menu at Ludivine features two constants: bone marrow from beef femurs that have been cut in half

and roasted and a charcuterie board.

The bone marrow is served with toast, grain mustard, pickled shallots and onion marmalade. Guests have the option of adding a “bone luge,” a shot half of sherry and half rye whiskey.

“Once you’ve eaten the marrow, pour the shot down the [hallow bone], and it collects the last bits of beef; it is very popular and fun,” Johnson said.

The dinner menu also features four entrees: steak, seafood sourced from the company Sea to Table that gets fish from sustainable fishers, a braised meat and either a pasta dish or vegetarian dish.

Though Ludivine is heavy on meat proteins, Johnson stressed that the kitchen is always able to accommodate vegetarian or vegan guests with a special entrée.

Johnson graduated from college in 2003 in Colorado and got a job working at Z Cuisine in Denver in 2005, which was named to multiple top-restaurant -in-the-country lists before it closed in 2016. It’s the first place Johnson worked where the head chef placed an onus on working with local ingredients from the farmers market and other producers.

He took the philosophy with him when he returned home to Oklahoma City in 2008, eventually opening Ludivine and The R&J Lounge and Supper Club with chef Jonathon Stranger, who left in 2016 to pursue other opportunities.

Johnson and Ludivine staff work closely with produce brokers, who bring in produce and goods from small farms around the state that aren’t able to make it to the farmers market. Often, that means driving to farms themselves.

“Instead of writing the menu and deciding the dishes and trying to find the stuff to create it, you have to get what is available,” Johnson said. “You have to see what looks best and bring it back and say, ‘What can we do with the things we have?’ It’s sort of the process that most chefs and restaurants use, but flipped on its head.”

Visit ludivineokc.com.

Ludivine’s lox Benedict returns to its brunch menu with an “evertyhing” bread pudding topped with house-cured salmon, poached eggs, cream cheese fondue and red onion dill caper relish. | Photo Jacob Threadgill O kg a z e t t e . c o m | m ay 3 0 , 2 0 1 8

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eat & DRINK

Vitamin (D)ining

Even though we’re a few weeks away from the summer solstice, temperatures are beginning to heat up. Here are seven places in the metro area to grab a drink or a bite to eat under the sun.

By Jacob Threadgill Photos Gazette / file and provided

Bedlam Bar-B-Q

610 NE 50th St. bedlambarbq.com | 405-528-7427

If you only imagine barbecue as being served on paper plates surrounded by wood paneling, then get a change of pace by going to Bedlam, where the outdoor patio is surrounded by a robust garden filled with blooming flowers and plants.

Enjoy live music by the outdoor fire pit on the weekends in addition to some high-quality smoked meats.

The Jones Assembly

901 W. Sheridan Ave. thejonesassembly.com | 405-212-2378

Whether you’re grabbing a drink from one of the well-trained mixologists at The Jones Assembly or getting a bite to eat from the kitchen, the best choice to enjoy either is under the open-air patio.

Lounge on wooden benches complete with pillows or get a competitive game of cornhole going between friends to fully embrace the patio’s offerings.

Need to feed a

large

Mama Roja Mexican Kitchen

9219 Lake Hefner Drive mamaroja.com | 405-302-6262

Watching the sun set over Lake Hefner is one of the best views in the city. Why not get a great view while enjoying some delicious brisket enchiladas or a plate of Pescado Vera Cruz, two of the dishes that separate this Hal Smith Restaurant property from other Mexican restaurants in the city? Mama Roja also has a large selection of margaritas and tequilas during its large weekend brunch service.

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2610 W. Memorial Road | Oklahoma City 73134 Across the turnpike from Quail Springs Mall 405-608-0825 | mamaritasmexican.com

Sauced on Paseo

Guyutes

Pearl’s Oyster Bar

Café Do Brasil

As you’re touring the Paseo’s art galleries, there is no better spot for an outdoor meal than Sauced. Its patio hosts open mics most Thursdays and live music on Fridays. Sauced’s menu is based around specialty and build-your-own pizzas, but don’t forget about its appetizer of Italian nachos: wonton chips with Italian sausage, chicken, black olives, roma tomatoes, banana peppers, Alfredo sauce and mozzarella.

Guyutes is reigning winner of best patio in Oklahoma Gazette’s Best of OKC reader poll, and the rooftop seating allows guests to bask in the progress of every new building project along the Uptown 23rd District corridor. Guyutes serves bar food with a healthy and crunchy twist (like the jam music playlist that can often be heard).

Fresh oysters on the half shell taste better when eaten in conjunction with getting doses of Vitamin D; it’s (near) scientific fact. Enjoy Pearl’s selection of Gulf oysters from its large wraparound patio or indulge in one of its new dishes like ahi poke or Costa Rican swordfish topped with fresh crab, avocado and a red chili vinaigrette.

It’s hard to beat the view of Midtown and the overlying downtown skyline from Café Do Brasil’s Bossa Nova Caipirinha Lounge. Catch happy hour 4-7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and live music 8 p.m. every Friday. The Caipirinha is the national drink of Brasil, and the Caip-beer-inha pairs the traditional drink made with lime, sugar and cachaça with Oklahoma City’s own COOP Ale Works’ F5 IPA.

2912 Paseo St. saucedonpaseo.com | 405-521-9800

730 NW 23rd St. guyutes.com | 405-702-6960

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Rewarding behavior

ROC Animal Training and Behavior instructs dog owners in reward-based methods. By Hannah Meekse

C

orrecting your pet’s behavior with physical force is easy, but sometimes we are telling them no without teaching them correct behavior. Dog trainer and owner of ROC Animal Training and Behavior Jessi Lane recognizes this problem.

“I saw the fearful and anxious dogs in clinic settings and also saw many dogs who were hyper, lacked manners and the owners just didn’t know how to handle them,” said Lane, who graduated from OSU-OKC in the Veterinary Technology program in 2010 and works with dogs in a veterinary setting.

As a graduation present, she bought herself a dog, now a 7-yearold Doberman named Jett Roc. She worked to avoid the behaviors she witnessed at clinics, and together, they competed in agility, barn hunt, lure coursing and trick dog competitions.

Lane graduated in 2014 as a certified training partner from Karen Pryor Academy of Animal Training & Behavior, and a year later, she started ROC Animal Training and Behavior. ROC stands for “Right On Click.” She also has a 12-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix named Skout and a 2-year-old Doberman named Colt.

She started out using harsher training methods but soon learned it was not the most efficient way to work with animals. With harsh treatment, a dog’s behavior issues get worse.

“I saw that while [harsher training methods] did work and dogs learned, there was baggage to the training,” Lane said. “You have to know what motivates your dog and what your dog is saying in his or her body language.”

Lane puts the problems dog

owners experience into two categories. The first problem is impulse control.

“These dogs are jumping on people, pulling on the leash, barking excessively, and the owners have little or no control over them,” Lane said.

The second common problem is fear and aggression, in which dogs are fearful or reactive to other dogs or people. That is where the Learn to Earn program comes into play.

“This is where the owner is the giver of all resources — food, play and attention — and if the dog wants something, they have to learn how to earn,” Lane said.

The best method for achieving this is with a clicker, a reward-based form of training.

“Clicker training is using a clicker to communicate with your dog that what they did at that exact second you clicked will be rewarded,” Lane said.

It is a repetitive technique to point out each time the dog does something right — hear the click, get a treat.

At ROC Animal Training & Behavior, Lane works to overcome behavior issues and create wellrounded dogs.

“I help with dogs who need to learn good manners, advanced dog and owners who are looking to continue learning with their dog and I work with reactive, fearful and aggressive dogs,” Lane said.

“Classes are kept small to help your dog succeed. Private lessons are tailored to fit you and your dog to accomplish your training goals.”

Behavior consultation is $150 per a 90-minute session or $245 for an in-home session. Group classes are $35-$130, and ROC Animal Training and Behavior also offers private lessons for $40-$160.

Visit rocanimaltraining.com.

Jessi Lane and dogs | Photo provided 20

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Pet Food Pantry of Oklahoma provides free pet food to disadvantaged Oklahomans. By Ian Jayne

P

ets are a twofold presence in our lives — we care for them, and in turn, they give us love and affection. Through a variety of services, Pet Food Pantry of Oklahoma aims to help disadvantaged pet owners provide a high quality of life for their animals.

A nonprofit founded in 2010, Pet Food Pantry serves about 150 lowincome Oklahomans, senior citizens, veterans and homeless pet owners by delivering pet food once a month.

In order to qualify for pet food, interested parties should call 405-6642858 or

Pet Food Pantry of Oklahoma clients | Photo provided

email info@petfoodpantryokc.org to request an application.

Applicants should be at least 63 years old (veterans may be any age but must provide proof of service) and low-income, and pets should be spayed or neutered, said founder Kim Pempin.

Pempin inadvertently discovered the need for a pet food pantry several years ago when a friend gave her several cases of canned pet food to donate. She passed along the food to Skyline Urban Ministry, where she served on the board.

With the addition of free pet food, attendees of Skyline’s senior program would regularly choose food for their pets before they picked out food or clothing for themselves.

“If I can provide them pet food, then they’ll have enough money to buy their own food and take care of their medical needs,” Pempin said.

The pantry has evolved into a multi-faceted service. Excepting two part-time warehouse employees, the pantry’s 29 route drivers and helpers at the pantry are volunteers, many of whom have full-time jobs. This model keeps administrative costs low and allows for about 95 percent of donated funds to go directly to the program, Pempin said.

Photo provided

Purposeful pantry The pantry offers a variety of resources to applicants regardless of whether they meet the criteria for free pet food, Pempin said.

“I envision us to be not just somebody that delivers pet food, but a resource for these people and their pets,” she said.

With the pantry application comes a list of resources, such as low-cost spay and neuter veterinary clinics, information about vaccinations and Oklahoma animal shelters that provide temporary free pet food. Pet Food Pantry also provides information about kennels at Homeless Alliance and domestic violence shelters.

“It crosses all kinds of borders,” Pempin said of the pantry’s purpose.

from left Kim and Mike Pempin | Photo provided

“I was just involved in animal welfare, and that’s still my passion, but just by trying to help the animals, we’re helping the people.”

Those interested in volunteering can donate food, money or time.

Pempin said that the pantry purchases pet food at wholesale prices. Volunteers can help re-bag pet food or sign up to be route drivers or assist with events such as money or food drives.

“We’re more than just delivering pet food,” Pempin said. “I’m not going to be a veterinarian, but I’m going to tell you what I know and tell you where to go. We’re here to take care of their pets all the way around.”

Visit petfoodpantryokc.org.

Understanding and treating food intolerances in pets. By Family Features

I

Dietary solutions for pets

f your four-legged friend is exhibiting some unusual symptoms, there’s a chance a food sensitivity may be the culprit.

Even for pets that don’t have a fullblown food allergy, food intolerance can create problems that are easily remedied with a change in diet.

“The length of time a pet has been on a food does not seem to affect the risk of developing adverse food reactions,” said Dr. Jennifer Adolphe, PhD, a companion animal nutritionist and registered dietitian. “A pet can react to a food after just one feeding, or after many months or years on the same food. Just like people, every pet is different, so the degree of sensitivity to an

ingredient can vary.”

Knowing the warning signs is the first step toward understanding whether your pet is suffering from a food-related intolerance.

Cats with food intolerances may show symptoms such as: • Vomiting and diarrhea • Bloating and related symptoms, such as gas • Skin irritation, which is typically rare in cats Dogs may display these symptoms if they are suffering from sensitivities to certain foods: • Excessive paw licking or chewing with paws often turning red as a result

• Chronic or recurrent ear infections • Visible fur loss • Itching and rashes, especially around the dog’s face, feet, ears, forelegs or armpits • Vomiting and diarrhea If your pet is experiencing any of these symptoms, it could be a sign he or she has a food intolerance.

First, consult with your veterinarian to rule out any health conditions. Once your pet receives a clean bill of health, switching the food your pet eats may help alleviate his or her symptoms.

Home-Cooked Elimination Diets

An elimination diet is a specialized diet that is fed to pets and excludes all suspect ingredients. Once a diet is found that resolves the symptoms, a pet is then fed potentially aggravating ingredients to see if symptoms reappear. If they do, an adverse food reaction is confirmed. The elimination diet will need to be closely monitored by a veterinary professional and followed for approximately 6-8 weeks to determine success.

Limited Ingredient Diets

A limited ingredient diet (LID) offers a single source of meat protein with as few additional ingredients as possible to meet the nutritional requirements of your pet. Options like GO! Solutions recipes from Petcurean are formulated especially for pets with specific dietary needs and food sensitivities, and carefully prepared with premium-quality meat proteins, unique carbs and essential omega oils.

To determine whether a limited ingredient recipe will work for your food-sensitive pet, you should eliminate all treats and other food sources. You may notice immediate improvements, but your pet should stay on the new food for 8-12 weeks to ensure it is the right choice.

It may take some trial and error to find a food that works for a foodsensitive pet, but patience and persistence can help your pet live a happy and healthy life. Learn more about food options for pets with special dietary needs at Petcureango.com.

Source: Petcurean

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Photo provided

the years. We will continue to look for products that make pet owners happy and their four-legged family members healthy.”

Photo provided

About the Brand

New feed

Hollywood Feed Brings a “different breed” of pet stores to OKC. By Beth Okeon

N

atural and holistic pet food retailer Hollywood Feed recently welcomed three stores in the Oklahoma City metro: Oak Grove, 12220 N. MacArthur Blvd., Suite G; Nichols Hills Plaza, 6413 Avondale Drive; and Edmond, 1200 W. Covell Road, Suite 116.

“As our neighborhood footprint expanded, Oklahoma was a natural direction for our growth — and it is also clearly a market that has a heart for animals,” said Shawn McGhee, Hollywood Feed president. “We are excited to help Oklahomans improve the health and well-being of their beloved pets. Our awardwinning offerings of canine and feline supplies matched with our superior service are offerings we are eager to bring to pet lovers throughout Oklahoma City.”

Hollywood Feed is consistently ranked among the “Best of” categories in the markets it serves.

Its new OKC location offers a highly curated selection of dog and cat food and products not found anywhere else. Treats from Hollywood Feed’s own Tennessee Bakery complement the brand’s Georgia Made jerkies roasted in beechwood smokers near its Atlanta stores.

Each location is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-6 p.m. Sunday.

Team knowledge

Shoppers can expect to find premium brands at Hollywood Feed such as Orijen, Acana, Fromm, Primal, Honest Kitchen and more.

Hollywood’s team feed members can tell you all about their products.

In fact, each team member goes through more than 40 hours of training from veterinarians, nutritionists, animal behaviorists and multiple vendors and manufacturers on various product 22

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lines and pet-related education every year. If you aren’t sure what your pet might need, a Hollywood Feed team member can help you make an informed decision.

And they always stand by this promise: “If your pet doesn’t love it or you don’t love it, we’ll gladly replace or refund it.”

Giving back

With the goal of improving the lives of pets wherever their shelter might be, Hollywood Feed donates over 100,000 pounds of dog food and countless other supplies to homeless pets every year. In addition, each of the Hollywood Feed retail locations hosts adoption events with local shelters and rescues on a regular basis.

matching pet collars, leashes and bowties. In addition, they make decorative items for the home that sport the fashionable dog bed patterns including picture frames, lampshades, night-lights and more.

These items can help a pet owner align their home accents with their pet’s bed, rather than their dog bed being a decorative outlier in an otherwise coordinated room.

“When we say American Made, we mean it,” said McGhee. “We are committed to sourcing products and treats in the regional areas that have supported our business over

Environmentally conscious

Hollywood Feed produces several American-made items created right in the heart of the country, including: • Hollywood Feed’s Georgia Made jerky strips featuring flavors such as chicken, venison and catfish and black bean • Hollywood Feed’s Mississippi Made line of dog beds, collars, leashes and home accessories • Hollywood Feed’s Fresh Bakery biscuits in flavors such as pumpkin and cranberry; apple and bacon; ham, Parmesan and rye; and peanut butter, oats and flax The natural and holistic retailer is also a good steward of the environment. Not too long after launching its Mississippi Made dog bed line, Hollywood Feed found a sustainable way to use the remnants of material left over after its dog bed patterns have been cut. The leftover fabric was perfect for making

Photo provided

Founded in 1950, Hollywood Feed is a natural and holistic pet specialty retail store with a strong focus on customer service and improving the lives of pets everywhere. The brand began as the local feed store on the corner of Hollywood Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis Zoo, Memphis Animal Shelter and Memphis Police Department were amongst its original house accounts.

Over the years, the store began focusing its products and services on household pets. Today, Hollywood Feed offers a wide selection of natural, holistic, American-made pet food and premium products and supports local rescues through regular pet adoption and community events.

Hollywood Feed serves customers in nearly 70 stores across the southeast in Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. Hollywood Feed consistently ranks atop consumer choice lists in the markets it serves, including Memphis Most, Dallas A-List and Best of North Atlanta, to name a few.

Visit hollywoodfeed.com.

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Rescue cats Hinton’s 9 Lives Rescue Oklahoma helps contain feral cats and offers adoptions.

U

ntil recently, the western Oklahoma town of Hinton only had one dog rescue and a rising feral cat population. Katherine Piatt and Caitlin Sumler, co-founders of 9 Lives Rescue Oklahoma, addressed the issue through a program called TNR — trap, neuter and return.

They set traps for the roaming cats, retrieve them and transport the felines to a clinic to be spayed or neutered.

The cats are then returned to the location where they were trapped.

“We have helped 288 cats, and we have had 76 dogs that we helped transfer to other rescues as well as six other species,” Piatt said. “We try to help any animal that comes our way.”

Piatt said they have noticed a decrease in the number of complaints about the cat population since 9 Lives opened in March 2018.

But it does more than save and foster cats. The rescue helps law enforcement with hoarding cases across the state and has rescued dogs, donkeys, hamsters, ducks and more. A lot of the cases are from law enforcement but also include owner surrenders or deaths when relatives cannot care for a pet anymore.

One of its most recent hoarding cases occurred when police called in 9 Lives Rescue on a case. When the team arrived at the house, Sumler said fecal matter had built up so high on the floor that even hunched over,

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members of the 9 Lives crew hit their heads on a ceiling fan.

Many of the cats were sick, but all of them have since been adopted.

“We took most of the severe medical cases. Some of them ended up having one or both eyes removed due to severe infection,” Sumler said.

Director of adoption outreach Stephanie Jarvis, one of six staffers at 9 Lives, helps place cats with adopters through its barn cat program, which requires potential new owners to provide shelter, food and water for the cats as well as proof of vet records to show they use a veterinarian consistently.

9 Lives charges an $85 adoption fee for kittens 6 months old and younger and $65 for adult cats. All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, dewormed and vaccinated. Find 9 Lives’ cats on PetFinder or visit ninelivesrescueoklahoma.weebly. com to fill out an adoption application. Questions include the name of your vet and your current home address. All adopted cats can be returned to 9 Lives at any time.

The rescue accepts donations of dry and wet food, treats, blankets, bowls, toys, litter and more. It also posts an Amazon wish list and can accept cash donations through PayPal.

Full-service hospital committed to providing appropriate and compassionate veterinary care for pets in Norman and it’s surrounding areas

Compassionate care for dogs, cats and exotics since 1997 Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 6:00 pm | Saturday 8:30 am-5:00 pm Closed on Sunday 1067 36th Ave. NW, Norman • msvhnorman.com • 405-329-6555

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Your cat’s scratch has met its match

Photo provided

E

ver since the day the first feline became a house cat, destructive cat scratching has plagued owners. All the affection and loving care owners shower upon their cats can feel like wasted energy when the thanks they get looks more like hatred: shredded furniture, carpet and curtains.

It’s a normal human response to be angry or frustrated about damage inflicted by cats’ scratching, but equally normal is a cat’s need to scratch. Cat scratching is a behavior that fulfills both physical and emotional needs. Cats scratch to stretch their bodies, maintain their hunting and climbing skills, groom

their claws and mark their territory, showing they’re in a safe space.

However, these behaviors cats exhibit to establish a safe living space can be anything but pleasant for their human companions. This can lead frustrated owners to take drastic measures to modify behavior, but those decisions can be risky, especially when it comes to a permanent and potentially harmful practice like declawing.

Many pet owners believe that declawing their cats is a harmless and quick fix for unwanted scratching, similar to trimming one’s nails. However, if a declawing procedure were performed on a human being, it would be like cutting

Why cats scratch and hot to safely stop it.

By Family Features

off each finger at the last knuckle.

“Not only does the practice cause pain, it removes an important selfdefense tool and the surgery itself poses risks related to anesthesia and infection,” said Dr. Valarie V. Tynes, president of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, licensed veterinarian and veterinary services specialist at Ceva Animal Health.

“All of this can lead to behavioral issues that may be worse than a shredded couch.”

Declawing is an irreversible measure to address a normal behavioral issue in cats. Declawed cats may be less likely to use a litter box, more likely to bite and the disruption of the natural scratching behavior can cause lasting physiological problems.

That sentiment is echoed by national organizations such as the American Association for Feline Practitioners, which deems the practice of declawing an ethically controversial procedure that is not medically necessary in most instances. In fact, declawing cats is now illegal in several U.S. cities.

Find alternatives to declawing, and cat-scratching solutions, at savethecouches.com.

DIY Scratching Post Designating a spot for your cat to safely scratch is one of the most effective ways to minimize damage to your possessions. A homemade scratching post is a quick and easy project.

1. Cut foot-long length of 4-by-4inch wood and a 1-foot square piece of plywood. The exact sizes can vary, but these are good starting points that you can adjust up or down, depending on your space.

2. Sand away splinters and rough edges.

3. Add a sturdy fabric wrap or paint to lend aesthetic appeal to the plywood base.

4. Wrap the post tightly with heavy-gauge rope or carpet scraps (or both), securing tightly with glue and reinforcing with a staple gun.

5. Securely attach the post to the base using a long bolt.

6. Place the post in an area your cat enjoys spending time, and consider adding a pheromone therapy spray to attract your cat to the post.

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EarthWise Pet Supply’s experienced staff make the store a hub for metro pet owners.

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ucked into the busy retail hubbub of Belle Isle Station is EarthWise Pet Supply, an oasis of holistic delights for the discerning pet parent. EarthWise carries food for dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, hedgehogs and ferrets. This store features products that are natural and healthy for your animal family.

Steve Goss, the owner of this posh paradise at 1710-G Belle Isle Blvd., wanted a business people and their pets could visit, learn about nutrition and just have a good time.

“I love when customers bring their dogs in,” Goss said. “We get to meet new friends and help these animals get a proper diet to help them live healthy and happy lives. I want this store to be a fun place for pets and people.”

Nutritionist Bel Barrick will be glad to help you find the right food for your furry or feathered friends. She has been working with animals for over seven years, and her passion for proper diet is contagious. “Nutrition is the most important thing we can do for our animals, and many brands out there do not have the adequate elements to bolster a strong immune system. Look at the first five ingredients in your pet food,” she said. “That will tell you a lot about what you are giving your pet.”

EarthWise also offers grooming services by seasoned professional Ashley Allinson.

Ashley has been clipping canines for almost fifteen years.

“I’ve always wanted to be a groomer,” she said.

“I’ve been around dogs all my life. My mom

By Nicole Castillo

raised miniature schnauzers, and my grandmother raised and showed white German shepherds. It’s just something I wanted for my life. I love it.”

Ashley enjoys the relaxed environment of the pet store.

“At EarthWise, I get to spend oneon-one time with each client, making sure they are comfortable and content, especially with the elderly or special needs dogs,” she said. “We had a paralyzed Pekingese come in last week, and I was able to focus on him and make it a good experience. Grooming is not easy, and it’s important that your pet comes in regularly to lessen any stress it can cause.”

Ashley is also certified in pet first aid and CPR from International Society of Canine Cosmetologists (ISCC) and is working toward becoming certified at a grooming seminar this November.

If your dog just needs a good bath, EarthWise offers two self-wash tubs at the store. Chemical-free and soap-free shampoos, conditioners and perfumes as well as aprons, towels and dryers are available. The tubs are raised for your comfort with ramps for easy accessibility. Treats are at the ready for tasty rewards after bath time.

EarthWise is not just a pet store, but a place animalloving

people can gather and learn the latest in pet health or support local shelters and rescues in the community. Weekly events such as DIY Doggie Ice Cream & Cookie Class and Calm Pets Happy Family Essential Oils Class allow the store to be a social hub for the OKC metro. Call 405-607-8965 or visit earthwisepet.com.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Getting religion

In Oklahoma City’s thriving urban districts, new churches are redefining Sunday services.

By Laura Eastes

Seven years ago, Tim and Christie Mannin had a conviction. God was calling them to start a church.

At first, the husband and wife, who had been involved in Oklahoma Cityarea churches for years, fought it off.

After all, there were plenty of churches in OKC. Following much prayer, they came around to the calling. As they drove and prayed around the city’s urban core, the two arrived along NW 23rd Street in a commercial area that had seen better days.

“We felt a strong conviction this was where we needed to be,” Tim Mannin said. “From that day forward, we decided this was it. We planted our flag.”

In 2012, along NW 23rd Street in the Uptown 23rd District, there were only a couple of restaurants, including longstanding Cheever’s Cafe; a well-known junk store; and a lot of empty storefronts and boarded-up buildings. What was unseen from a passing vehicle was satanic and gang graffiti and criminal activity in the alleyways. The Mannins pondered what kind of life they could breathe into a broken part of the city.

“We aren’t trying to clean this place up so that it was another suburb,” Tim Mannin said. “We actually believe in the diversity, the economic diversity.

We often say, ‘We want to be at a place where there is need at our doorstep.’ We aren’t trying to eradicate need and brokenness. We are trying to serve it.”

Seeds for revitalization were already being planted around that time by private developers. In the years to follow, a rundown strip shopping center at NW 23rd Street and Walker Avenue was converted into an upscale retail destination. Called The Rise, the space is now home to a happening oyster bar and seafood restaurant, a trendy tearoom and a 24-hour gym, among others. One block west, people flock to recently opened craft doughnut shop Hurts Donut Company. Further west is a string of eateries including Guyutes, Cuppies & Joe, Chick N Beer, Okie Pokie and Noodee. At the heart of the district, long-shuttered Tower Theater’s neon sign now shines bright, listing upcoming shows and community events. In the nearby spaces are nascent restaurants, including a Korean bun shop, a deli, biscuit shop and a retro craft cocktail and beer lounge, and OKC Community, home of OKC Community Church.

Since late 2015, OKC Community Church has held weekly services in the former C.R. Anthony’s department store building at 421 NW 23rd St. “Communities and neighborhoods have all sorts of contributors to their fabric,” said Tim Mannin, who serves as the church’s senior pastor. “In this case, you have a lot. You have education with [Oklahoma City University] and government down the street.

You’ve

Doug Serven and Bobby Griffith of CityPres spend much of their time meeting the public in coffee shops and bars near the church’s Midtown location. | Photo Mark Hancock

got arts and entertainment. You’ve got business with an element of food. There are a lot of cultures. We felt like the one that was deficient was the church. We were the missing the voice.”

Church roles

The resurgence of OKC’s urban districts is not without the church. In hot spots like Uptown 23rd District, Midtown, 16th Street Plaza District, Western Avenue and even Bricktown, churches have planted in recent years, some in rented storefronts and vacant buildings and others in spaces abandoned by congregations of yesteryear.

Some might argue this trend comes as new leaders out of seminary follow the population back into the city’s newly thriving inner core neighborhoods, but others see it as a never-ending trend as religious organizations, including churches, always play a role in shaping communities. Often, religious organizations are part of the first wave of development; several OKC churches, including First Presbyterian Church of Oklahoma City and First Church OKC, trace their history back to the days following the Land Run in 1889.

Churches’ contributions to up-andcoming urban districts go beyond the beautification and revitalization of single spaces with crowds on Sundays.

Contributions to the districts and the nearby residential neighborhoods are unique in ways only faith-based organizations can provide, said pastor Kenny Deason of The Parish Dwelling with Christ and Community, located in the Plaza District at 1757 NW 16th St. The Parish traces its roots back to 2008 when Deason led a congregation of CityPres is located in Midtown. | Photo Karson Brooks

mostly college students whose ministry took them to McKinley Park, located in the Classen Ten-Penn neighborhood.

Over the years, the park ministry has taken on different forms, from mentoring youth and after-school programs to collecting and distributing donated local restaurants’ food to families in need. The Parish held its first service in the Plaza District in The Venue in 2012.

“There are things we chose to do in this neighborhood that other businesses wouldn’t either have the interest or the capacity to do,” Deason said. “With churches, inherently, there are a lot of volunteers and a lot of elbow grease.

Your typical business does not consider that part of their purpose.”

Like The Parish and OKC Community Church, Midtown’s CityPres opens its doors quite often. Think beyond traditional church services and gatherings, AA meetings and the occasional birthday party or wedding. It’s common to come across a packed parking lot and a crowded sanctuary for community and neighborhood meetings, graduations, film showings, concerts by local secular artists and visual art shows. Pastors Bobby Griffith and Doug Serven said their Presbyterian congregation has embraced the church as a community space.

“We’ve always cared about loving the city well and loving people in the city well,” Serven said.

After two years of worshipping in fellow Midtown church Frontline Church and downtown’s First Church OKC, CityPres moved into its official home at 829 NW 13th St., the former spot of Pilgrim Congregational Church.

Looking back, those years without a brick-and-mortar location in everchanging Midtown was just what the church needed. continued on page 28

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“It sounds so funny to say it now, but we mostly officed at Coffee Slingers [Roasters],” Griffith said, referencing the Automobile Alley coffee shop. “We have maintained officing out in the public since then, even with offices. It just feels better.

You get to meet people, hang out with people. What came of it was relationships.”

Pew unity

In the early days, when OKC Community Church rented one of the bungalowsturned-commercial spaces on the district’s west side as a gathering space and office, church services were held in Civic Center Music Hall and the attraction to NW 23rd Street wasn’t the promise of redevelopment but the work of community restoration.

“This street,” Christie Mannin said while looking out OKC Community Church’s storefront windows at NW 23rd, “is a dividing line where you can see rich and poor.”

CityPres leaders were also attracted to Midtown in 2011 for the same reasons.

“Cities are great crossroads,” Serven said. “We all know that there are parts of a city that are segmented. There are also pockets where the more wealthy and the poor are at the same grocery store, where one can work right next to a bus station.

There are cool, hipster coffee shops, and there are social services.”

The result for Sunday morning

service matches the surrounding neighborhoods. At CityPres, Griffith said, “people from Heritage Hills and the Salvation Army sit together. … We say we are better together when we are learning from one another.”

At The Parish, Deason said, “You’ve got wealthy, poor, uneducated, educated — it is a diverse mix in a small community.”

In prayer

At The Parish, the church’s mission statement is, “Dwelling with Christ and community.” Deason described the church as “Christ-centered” — the life and teachings of Jesus are emphasized and often applied to real-world issues. It’s not uncommon to hear preaching on race, economic injustices or the most recent controversial current event, like athletes taking a knee during the national anthem.

“We are not politicking here,” Roland said. “[But] we don’t know how you preach and teach and avoid speaking to current events. How do you do that? If men beat their wives and children, if people are not being neighbors, if there is corruption in our government, how do we not say it from the pulpit?”

“We place a high value that it is our responsibility to hear the voices of those that are oppressed,” Deason said, “to the voices of those that are impoverished, the voices of those that are inflicted.”

Church leaders see their work tied closely to the community at CityPres, where the motto is “Love God. Love People. Love the City.” Restore OKC, an

outreach ministry connected to the church, is serving northeast OKC through various programs designed around “building relationships of reconciliation for restorative justice.”

“We want to be pastors for people who live here and work here,” Serven said.

“We know the business owners. We are members of the community. We want to be a blessing for people in this area and for this city and this state to thrive. That includes not just restaurants, businesses and coffee shops, but city hall, the state Capitol, the bus station, Emerson High School. We want to see everyone do better.”

Along NW 23rd Street, the brick building that serves as OKC Community Church’s home shares the message, “Bringing Life to Our City.” It’s the church’s promise to its community. Church members’ calling is to “bring life to our city by loving God and living the Gospel.”

“It breaks down to ‘Love your neighbor,’” Tim Mannin said, referencing Matthew 22:36-40 when Jesus answered the question “What is the most important commandment?” “‘Love your neighbor’ was the first mantra, purpose or cause we had as a church,” Mannin said. “We’ve tried to zero in on ‘What does it look like to love your neighbor?’ starting with your literal neighbors, the neighbors that we have in the church body and the neighbors we have in this city.”

Call to worship Nontraditional and frequently nondenominational, district churches attract young worshippers with informal and inclusive services offered in neighborhoods where they live, work and play. This partial list offers examples of this growing segment of the faith community.

8th Street Church 701 NW Eighth St. 8thstreetchurch.org

The Bridge Bricktown

229 E. Sheridan Ave. bricktown.wearethebridge.church 405-376-4538

CityPres

829 NW 13th St. citypresokc.com

Crestwood Vineyard 2515 NW 16th St. crestwoodvineyard.org 405-445-7213

Expressions Church 2245 NW 39th St. expressionsokc.com 405-778-6384

OKC Community Church 421 NW 23rd St. okccommunitychurch.com

The Parish

1757 NW 16th St. theparishokc.com 405-633-0454

The Paseo Apostolic Church 613 NW 23rd St. paseochurch.com 405-757-7221

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The Vine Community Church Tim and Christie Mannin founded OKC Community Church in an effort to serve a diverse population. | Photo Mark Hancock

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3726 N. Western Ave. thevineokc.com 405-286-9516

ART

ARTS & CULTURE

Full palette

Inclusion in Art executive director Narciso Argüelles spreads his message of diversity.

By Ben Luschen

After a brief period of relative inactivity, Inclusion in Art reemerged earlier this year with CHROMA: Artists of Color, an art exhibition exclusively featuring local artists of color.

Narciso Argüelles, executive director of the nonprofit that advocates for diverse rational and cultural representation in Oklahoma’s art scene, believes the January and February CHK|Central Boathouse-held art exhibit was a first of its kind in the state.

“I can’t think of another show that was specifically beginning, mid-career and professional artists that was allinclusive like that and that was also edgy artists,” he said in a recent Oklahoma Gazette interview.

Argüelles has been Inclusion in Art’s executive director since January 2017, taking over for the organization’s founder Nathan Lee, who currently sits on Inclusion in Art’s board of directors.

CHROMA was a joint venture with the newly formed Oklahoma Latino

Cultural Center. The exhibit, now closed, was intended as the reverse of racial tokenism, which, intentionally done or not, is a problem in the state arts scene that some minority artists have occasionally pointed out.

“There is a perception that a token artist would be selected in exhibits to give an appearance of diversity,” Argüelles said. “And artists have fought against it.”

The exhibit fit nicely into Inclusion in Art’s overarching goal, which is to provide opportunities for artists of color in the state. Inclusion in Art’s next planned exhibition is ¡Viva Sabor!, a collaboration with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce that, in addition to art, features wines, tequilas, cocktails and signature foods from a variety of restaurants in the metro area. The event is June 15 at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St. Admission is $45-$100.

Argüelles said it is not that the local art community is actively working

PUBLIC OPENING REMARKS AND ARTIST PANEL 7 p.m. Thursday, June 7, 2018 EXHIBITION RUNS June 8 – Sept. 9, 2018

against black, Latino and other minority artists, but that is often not consciously promoting adversity.

“The lack of diversity is very apparent if you go to any art show anywhere in Oklahoma,” he said.

Spreading culture

Growing up in Mexico near its border with California, Argüelles was constantly surrounded by the vibrant colors of traditional Chicano art.

“Go down to any rural town or big city like Tijuana,” he said. “Arts and crafts are evident, but also just folk art in general.”

The innovative nature of these works

Narciso Argüelles has spent the past 10 years fighting for racial and cultural inclusion in Oklahoma’s art scene. | Photo provided

was apparent to Argüelles, even at a young age. These indigenous artists were untrained but able to create such beautiful works.

“I was really struck by the ingenuity of people with not a whole lot of funds,” he said. “It’s like, ‘OK, what can we do?

How can we construct this?’ They figure stuff out.”

Argüelles, a current art teacher at Deer Creek High School, started his art career when he began attending University of California San Diego for continued on page 30

FRED JONES JR. MUSEUM OF ART The University of Oklahoma 555 Elm Ave. Norman, OK 73019-3003 FJJMA.OU.EDU | @FJJMA ADMISSION IS ALWAYS FREE!

Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art is made possible by grants provided by the Chickasaw Nation and the National Endowment for the Arts, and by assistance from The American Indian Cultural Center and Museum.

Brent Greenwood (U.S., Chickasaw/Ponca, b. 1971); Gathering Medicine [detail], 2017 Acrylic on canvas, 40 in. x 30 in.; Loan courtesy of artist For accommodations, please call Visitor Services at (405) 325-4938.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo

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undergraduate studies. The school had several highly regarded artists in its faculty, including world-renowned fiber artist Faith Ringgold. Argüelles made it a point to take every class Ringgold offered, soaking in as much knowledge as he could.

Through the school, Argüelles was introduced to the Border Art Workshop, an international organization that had a large impact on his life. The cooperative artist collective between neighboring cities San Diego and Tijuana snagged major headlines and was invited to some of the biggest international shows, including the prestigious Art Biennale in Venice, Italy. With the group, he got to travel the world displaying his art while still in his 20s.

About 10 years ago, Argüelles left his teaching jobs in California and moved to Oklahoma through a service opportunity with his church. During his first few months in the state, he was taken aback by how little cultural representation there was, not only in the art community but in all facets of life.

“Living in San Diego and Los Angeles, Chicano and Latino cultural centers were just the norm,” he said. “There were plenty of Latino artists, very political Chicano groups fighting against anti-immigration policy and racism.

When I moved here, I didn’t see anyone really being a leader in that area.”

When Argüelles told people in Oklahoma that he was Chicano, they frequently asked him to explain what that meant — something he was not used to explaining growing up in close proximity to the border. At first, the lack of cultural familiarity was uncomfortable, but soon, Argüelles saw an opportunity to make an impact and decided to set roots in the state.

“One of the reasons I decided to stay,” Argüelles said, “was that I was like, ‘You know what? There’s a chance for me to do something here that’s really important culturally. What if I’m that guy that starts people taking that part of the community seriously?’”

art

ONCE YOU’VE SEEN IT, YOU’LL FIND IT HARD TO SETTLE FOR LESS EVER AGAIN.”

ARTS & CULTURE

Taking initiative

Argüelles said the city’s cultural sensitivity has improved greatly in the last 10 years, but he still gets subtle and sometimes not so subtle racial barbs thrown his way from time to time.

Inclusion in Art is the way he chooses to combat those attitudes.

“The way that it’s supposed to work is education and building opportunity with people who recognize there’s a need,” he said. “For people who don’t recognize that, they say, ‘Oh, why do we have to be all-inclusive; why do we have to talk about race all the time?’

There is a problem.”

Inclusion in Art will occasionally reach out to art events and exhibitions in which the group believes racial inclusion could have been better. The problem, 30

m ay 3 0 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Argüelles said, often stems from a show’s open-call or application process.

Argüelles believes many art shows are not advertised or promoted as thoroughly as galleries and curators feel they are. Something might be plastered all over Facebook and Snapchat, but are the flyers also made in Spanishlanguage versions? Inclusion in Art would like to see more active attempts to reach minority communities on platforms more catered to them.

Even art exhibits with a blind selection process can be inadvertently exclusive through their deadlines and digital application requirements.

“The access for the dominant culture to things, historically, is greater,” he said. “Even something as simple as electronics.”

While Argüelles would like it if organizations took the initiative to come to Inclusion in Art and ask about how to promote diversity in art representation, the reality is that few ever do. The organization has to be proactive in its avocation because the problem is not one that will fix itself.

“We can wait for them to get that lightbulb moment,” he said.

Here to help

While there is still room for improvement, Argüelles said the city’s art community has become much more accepting within the last decade. There are also a lot more local art opportunities in general.

“People talk about how open it is to do stuff now, but think about how it was 10 years ago,” Argüelles said.

“There was, like, nothing.”

There are many art galleries, organizations and power players in OKC that believe in diverse representation.

Argüelles said the challenge is pushing the issue of representation to the forefront of people’s minds and getting them to think about race in areas where they might not even know to consider it.

“I understand that they have an organization to run or an exhibit to plan,” he said. “They’re doing that and they don’t see it as their responsibility, which I completely understand. This is why Inclusion in Art exits.”

Argüelles and Inclusion in Art want to be seen as an asset for the local art community to call upon at any time.

Sometimes well-intended efforts for inclusion can come across as tone-deaf when a minority voice is not involved in the planning efforts. Argüelles said this can be avoided with just a simple call.

“Include [people] rather than market to them,” he said. “We’re begging for people to ask us stuff.”

Visit inclusioninart.com.

¡Viva Sabor!

6-10 p.m. June 15 Tower Theatre 425 NW 23rd St. okchispanicchamber.org | 405-616-5031 $45-$100

ARTS & CULTURE

t h eater

Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park opens its 2018 season with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. | Photo Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park / provided

Lovers and madmen

Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park bookends its women-centric season with A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Richard III. By Jeremy Martin

To quote the Bard, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park’s 34th season starts with “love’s stories written in love’s richest books” and ends in “grimvisaged war.” Season opener A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a romantic comedy, is scheduled Thursday-June 23 and season finale Richard III, a story of brutality and betrayal, is scheduled Sept. 13-28, both at Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave. “We’re starting this season with love triumphing and fun, and then we’re ending the season with historic tragedy,” said Kathryn McGill, the company’s artistic director. “Although Richard III has got some funny aspects to it, Richard III is probably one of the most diabolical characters that Shakespeare ever wrote.”

But first, the love story: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, possibly Shakespeare’s best-known comedy, features many often-quoted lines and several of the author’s most commonly used tropes, including mistaken identities, a playwithin-a-play and star-crossed lovers, though Hermia and Lysander’s ending is much happier than Romeo and Juliet’s. Since its founding, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park (OSP) has pro-

duced the play several times.

“This is not our first go-round with Midsummer,” McGill said. “It tends to be one of our most popular plays. ... We did it our first season in 1985, and probably every six years, we roll it out again because the patrons love it. ... It’s a great play if you’ve never seen Shakespeare to come see that one first. … It’s kind of a play that everybody likes, from kids on up to their grandparents.”

Though the theater company has staged it several times, McGill said every production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been a unique experience.

“Every time, we look at each Shakespeare play as if it’s never been done before,” McGill said. “We like to look at it with fresh eyes and a fresh director and a different cast so it always is different.”

The play has inspired everything from animated adaptations and an Elvis Costello-scored ballet (Il Sogno) to Woody Allen’s A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy (1982), but McGill said OSP’s most recent version of the play takes a more traditional approach to the concept while making a few modern tweaks.

“We’re not setting it on the moon,”

she said. “You know, you can go so many different ways with this play, and I think it’s been done probably any way you can think of it being done. We never try to give a historical rendition of what we think Shakespeare meant the play to be; we try to look at the play in a contemporary way. Patrons will see some contemporary, anachronistic things in the play, which is always fun. We try to do a sendup of contemporary things in the play, which I think audiences love.”

After Midsummer finishes its run, OSP will take a two-play break from their namesake playwright, beginning with Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists July 5-21 at the theater company’s Paseo studio.

“We’ve always done other plays besides Shakespeare,” McGill said.

“What we’re interested in is the spoken word and language, so that’s kind of our grounding. He’s our lodestone. He’s our talisman. He’s what we use as our jumping-off point, but we enjoy other plays that have heightened language like Shakespeare or that just look at classical themes in a different way.”

The Revolutionists imagines a fictional meeting between historical women during the French Revolution: Marie Antoinette, playwright Olympe de Gouge, assassin Charlotte Corday and Marianne Angelle, a composite of several Caribbean revolutionaries from the time period. McGill said Gunderson, who American Theatre magazine declared the most-produced playwright of the 2017-18 season, has written the women as “four kind of archetypal female characters” who argue about the politics of rebellion and social change.

“She’s taken the French Revolution and kind of spun it on its head,” McGill

said. “It’s really about feminism and revolution and how far you go to make change. … It’s funny. It’s dark but it’s not too dark. It makes you think. It’s one of those thoughtful plays where you go, ‘Oh, wow. That was clever.’”

OSP will follow The Revolutionaries with another female-driven comedy, Kate Hamill’s 2014 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, August 9-25, also presented at the Paseo studio.

“It’s true to the novel, so people who love Jane Austen and love her novels will love the play,” McGill said, “but it’s also a play that really highlights Jane Austen’s humor. I think people think of Jane Austen as being more romantic, but Jane Austen was a keen satirist of the time period she was living in and about how women were forced into marriage. Our whole idea of marriage and love and all of the things that we take for granted, back in the day, you had to get married for many reasons, not just love. So she really is a keen observer of that time period and of women in that time period.”

The Wall Street Journal named Hamill 2017’s playwright of the year, and McGill said the works of the two celebrated authors pair nicely presented back-to-back.

“Both of the plays in the middle [of the season] are very, very funny and by female playwrights,” McGill said, “and yeah, we did that on purpose.”

This season’s final play, Shakespeare’s Richard III, though also darkly comic at times, finishes off the season on the “opposite extreme” of the tone set by Midsummer, McGill said. Based “very loosely” on English history, Richard III chronicles the cynical, treacherous machinations the British king uses to ascend to the throne and his subsequent short and bloody reign.

“He’s the hero of the story. He’s the main character,” McGill said. “You see it from his point of view, and Shakespeare writes a very charming character. … It’s just a fascinating study of someone who wants power and goes about some really heinous actions in order to get the power.”

Murderous monarchs aside, women will hold center stage for much of the 2018 season, even starring in some roles typically played by men, flipping the script entirely on the rules of theater in Shakespeare’s day.

“Some of the traditional male roles are being played by women, but we do that a lot just because we have such a great talent pool here in Oklahoma City and central Oklahoma,” McGill said.

“And I think it just comes naturally that some of our male roles are being played by women. … We like to push the boundaries whenever we can.”

Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park’s 2018 season runs Thursday-September 28. Call 405-235-3700 or visit oklahomashakespeare.com.

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | M ay 3 0 , 2 0 1 8

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ARTS & CULTURE

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Changing hands

Civic Center Music Hall management will likely transfer from the city to private control this summer. By Ben Luschen

Civic Center Music Hall has been linked to the City of Oklahoma City for decades, but the city’s relationship with the venue will likely soon shift from operational manager to hands-off landlord.

In June, Oklahoma City Council is expected to approve handing over general venue operations from the city to the nonprofit Civic Center Foundation, which manages the venue’s OKC Broadway series. Though a date for the council vote has not been determined, July 1 is planned as an official transition date.

The city began internally discussing such a transition several years ago and started moving forward with the concept in 2016.

Civic Center Foundation executive director Elizabeth Gray said the organization adopted a “walk before you run” approach to grabbing the reins on venue operations. The foundation took control of the city’s Broadway series in 2016 through a partnership with national Broadway and entertainment presenter Nederlander Organization.

Civic Center Foundation also took over concession and drink operations within the venue, expanding the offerings.

The retirement of key Civic Center management over a year ago opened the door for the foundation to take over all operations and management from the city.

“This is the ‘run’ version of the model,” Gray said.

The privatization of management is expected to not only free up city funds but will keep the money generated by Civic Center within the venue. It will also be a more efficient way to maintain the facility, addressing things as they come up instead of relying on uncertain bond issues and the flow of city tax dollars.

Gray said Civic Center Foundation

is not only prepared for its new role, but eager to take over. “[We are] ready and very excited for what we can bring to the table,” she said. “Not only from an operations standpoint, but for reinvestment back into the facility.”

Efficient model

OKC Parks & Recreation director Doug Kupper said Civic Center Foundation’s main function used to be fundraising to keep Civic Center in pristine condition, particularly after the original MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects Plan) investment into the venue was completed.

Around five years ago, the foundation commissioned a venue utilization study in partnership with the city. Their goals at the time were to determine the optimal way to use all five of Civic Center’s available theater spaces and understand how to approach renovations and upkeep in a more efficient manner.

Through the study, Civic Center Foundation learned that many publicly owned arts venues across the country are privately managed. Gray and the foundation studied a number of similar models in different cities.

Perhaps the greatest benefit private operations present is the ability for a venue to make improvements on the fly and in a way that is convenient for them.

“Performing arts venues have to be very flexible by nature, given the industry that they host,” Gray said. “It was a model that we studied across the country.”

Under their new agreement with the city, Civic Center Foundation will assume the venue’s operating costs as well as the risks and liabilities the city was formerly shouldering. Kupper said private management is the best long-

Private management is expected to make venue upkeep at Civic Center Music Hall more consistent and efficient. | Photo Gazette / file

term scenario for Civic Center.

“The building will see the benefit of those efforts because the money made in that building will truly stay in that building,” he said.

Civic Center staff is currently employed by the city, but all of those positions will be absorbed by the foundation on July 1. Employees have been given the option to either keep their current position and move over to Civic Center Foundation or leave and be transferred to another role under city payroll.

Gray said many employees have chosen to stay and those who are leaving are mostly doing so to keep their city-held tenure benefits. She estimates that 80 to 90 percent of the current staff will return.

“That’s great because they’re really the ones that have been here for so many years and make it work and have all the historical knowledge,” Gray said.

Once Civic Center costs are off the city books, the funding formerly devoted to venue costs will be redirected in other ways within the city, though those ways have not yet been determined.

“It could be reformatted into additional police officers, firefighters, parks and rec staff, public works, pothole crews,” Kupper said. “This is an opportunity that frees up the general fund dollars to city-related things.”

Even after the agreement is finalized, the city will still have ownership of the building and the foundation will still report to City Council.

“I will basically be [Civic Center Foundation’s] landlord,” Kupper said.

“I will take the agreement and all of the reports and stuff that they have to file with us, and I am responsible that they continue to operate that building in a sound financial way.”

New opportunities

Gray said Nederlander is often called “royalty of the Broadway industry.” The presenter has produced for and managed venues for more than 100 years and manages theaters in places as far away as London. It is likely that

theatergoers in the city have noticed an improvement in programming since OKC Broadway entered into its partnership in 2016, as Nederlander works directly with Broadway to bring nationally touring shows to distant audiences.

“We were very fortunate to attract their attention,” Gray said of Nederlander.

City residents are not likely to notice a big difference in programming at the privately managed Civic Center — at least not at first. However, within the next few years, Gray would like to bring more one-off and specialty shows into the venues.

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[We are] ready and very excited for what we can bring to the table.

Elizabeth Gray Within the next couple years, pop music concerts and nationally touring comedians could become a more regular presence at the venue. These efforts are already ramping up.

Norman-born country music star Vince Gill, for example, is scheduled to perform at the venue Aug. 18.

Through its relationship with Nederlander, the foundation also plans to bring a statewide high school theater competition to Civic Center within the next couple of years. The state contest will be a feeder program into the New York-based National High School Musical Theatre Awards, commonly called the Jimmy Awards.

The foundation is also exploring ways it can offer more community and free-to-the-public events within the next couple of years.

With all of that said, Civic Center Foundation remains dedicated to resident organizations like Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Oklahoma City Ballet and Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre (CityRep) who already make the venue their performance home. With so much going on, it can be challenging to find openings for one-off attractions.

“We have a very compressed schedule,” Gray said. “But there is the occasional open evening, and we want to get more comedy, more concerts.

People are already starting to see that.”

Gray said this new arrangement should only bolster the art and entertainment opportunities available to city residents. Civic Center Foundation and city government have worked in harmony for years before this, and she is hopeful they will continue to build upon that in the future.

“We’re looking forward to maintaining that relationship and making it even more beneficial than it has been — for both parties,” she said.

Civic Center Foundation executive director Elizabeth Gray leads the nonprofit that will assume the venue’s management operations if the agreement is approved by Oklahoma City Council. | Photo provided

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ARTS & CULTURE

List your event in C U LT U R E

Red Earth Festival’s fancy dances are some of the most popular events at the annual gathering. | Photo Red Earth / provided

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.

Submit your listings online at okgazette.com or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

34

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Expanding tradition

Red Earth Festival expands outdoors in its 32nd year. By Jeremy Martin

Walking through the crowd at the 32nd annual Red Earth Festival showcasing Native American dance and art, you might hear people speaking German.

A popular series of books written by Karl May in the early 20th century sparked the country’s infatuation with indigenous American culture.

“They’re very incorrect, but the kids that grew up with them love them,” said Eric Oesch, Red Earth’s co-director who is preparing for his 19th festival. “There are these re-enactor groups in Germany where they get together and dress the way they think that native people dress and dance the way they think they dance, so when they’re here, they just can’t get enough of the culture.”

Since it began in 1987, the arts festival, which runs June 8-10 at the Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, has attracted visitors from Great Britain, Australia, Russia, Finland and China.

Though Oesch said he can’t say whether visitors previously unaware of actual Native American traditions leave with a better understanding of indigenous heritage, he said the festival’s goal is to raise awareness through art and community.

“For our purposes, it’s a way to share culture,” Oesch said. “You just do that by extending an open hand and a friendly welcome.”

Started 32 years ago after National Finals Rodeo left Oklahoma City for Las Vegas, Nevada, Red Earth Festival has become a local tradition with international recognition.

“So at that time, there were a bunch of civic leaders, the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce and business leaders and people from tourism and the arts, and they said, ‘What makes Oklahoma City unique? What’s special about Oklahoma?’ And they deter-

mined it was our native culture,” Oesch said. “So they started the Red Earth Festival with three months of planning, and it was an automatic, instant success, and we’ve been building on that foundation ever since.”

The event, which combines an art show with a powwow and parade, has been so successful its model has been duplicated many times.

“Back when we first started the Red Earth Festival, there weren’t other events similar to us,” Oesch said, “and now there have been many across the country that have emulated what we have done, and so now there’s several different events similar to Red Earth in other parts of the country.”

Oesch said Red Earth can’t match the art and dance prize money offered by some of the other organizations, like casinos, that hold similar events but the art festival’s prestigious reputation apparently attracts artists regardless of monetary rewards.

“I think the prestige of winning at Red Earth has started many, many careers,” Oesch said. “Every year, we feature what we would call a signature artist, and they’re featured in all of our marketing campaigns. … And that’s how some of these artists have become recognized throughout the country and their careers have just skyrocketed.”

The festival begins 10 a.m. June 8 with a parade around Myriad Botanical Gardens.

The festival features more than 120 artists selected by jury, with works for sale in the market in the convention center, but this year, the festival will expand into the eastern portion of Myriad Gardens to accommodate approximately 15 food trucks, children’s activities, live entertainment and a hand game tournament. Re-introduced

last year, the hand game tournament, a traditional competition in which one team attempts to guess where bones or sticks are hidden while the other team attempts to distract and confuse the situation with songs, drums and shouting while passing the playing pieces around, inspired Red Earth to expand into the outdoors.

“We had the hand game tournament last year,” Oesch said, “and it was so successful it was too successful because it was so dang loud. It was loud and it was awesome, but we’re moving it outside just simply because we had a hard time hearing in the art market.”

Oesch thinks the boisterous noise generated by the hand game will be good for business.

The events outside the convention center are free, but admission to the art show inside is $11 for adults. For the third year in a row, children age 18 and younger are admitted free of charge.

Oesch said the decision to give children free admission has resulted in more young people seeing the festival.

“It’s allowed families to come that beforehand maybe couldn’t afford to come,” Oesch said, “and we’ve also seen a big influx of daycare centers and youth groups and church groups that bring kids down to the parade on Friday, and then they can all go inside and see the artwork.”

Another change Red Earth made this year is moving the powwow from Friday to Saturday and Sunday because many of the more than 500 dancers from as many as 100 tribes expected to attend have day jobs that require them to work on weekdays. Oesch said the powwow dancing is one of the best introductions to the festival for first-timers.

“Most people that have never been to a powwow before, that’s probably one of the most exciting things for them to see, the grand entry of dancers,” Oesch said. “And that’s where all of the dancers will line up and parade, dancing single-file into the arena and circle the arena until all the dancers are completely in the arena. We start with the golden age first, and the tiny tots round it up at the end.”

Unlike the National Finals Rodeo, Oesch doesn’t foresee a time when the festival will outgrow Oklahoma City.

“I don’t see us moving to another city,” Oesch said. “We have had invitations before, but we haven’t moved.

Oklahoma City is our home, and Oklahoma City has always been very supportive. … This is where are volunteers are. This is where our families are.”

Visit redearth.org.

Red Earth Festival 10 a.m.-7 p.m. June 8-9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 10 Cox Convention Center 1 Myriad Gardens redearth.org | 405-427-5228 Free-$11

calendar are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

Books Angel City Singles debut author Ralph Cissne signs his book about a grief-stricken man who tries to find love, 6-7:30 p.m., June 5. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. TUE Mid-Oklahoma Writers a meetup for local writers featuring guest speakers and literary discussions, 7-9 p.m. Eastside Church of Christ, 916 S. Douglas Blvd., 405-732-0393. WED Reading Wednesdays a story time with naturethemed books along with an interactive song and craft making, 10 a.m. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED Summer Reading program sign up with Metropolitan Library System to get lost in books all summer long by yourself or with friends and earn badges and free gifts by logging your reading, June 1-July 31. Metropolitan Library System, 300 Park Ave., 405231-8650, metrolibrary.org. FRI-WED To the Moon and Back bestselling author Karen Kingsbury signs her novel, a love story about two people who lost their parents in the same tragedy, 5 p.m. June 5. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. TUE Visual Intelligence art historian Amy Herman signs her book that teaches to see and communicate more clearly that can be used in everyday life to helping FBI agents in their work, 6:30-8 p.m., June 6.

Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. WED

Film 40 Minutes or Less local filmmakers share their original short films in collaboration with deadCenter Film Festival, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. May 31.

[Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org. THU Cemetery of Splendor (2015, France, Apichatpong Weerasethakul), a mysterious sleeping sickness infects a group of soldiers in remote northeastern Thailand,

7:30 p.m. May 31. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU Cowboy Bebop an animated series that ran 19982003 about bounty hunters searching for criminals, 7 p.m. May 30. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. WED Double Feature Movie Night bowl a few games while watching two movies back-to-back, 7 p.m.midnight Wednesdays. Dust Bowl, 421 NW 10th St., 405-609-3302, dustbowlok.com/okc. WED El Topo (Mexico, 1970, Alejandro Jodorowsky) VHS and Chill presents a midnight screening of this cult classic psychedelic western, 11:30 p.m., June 1.

IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-232-6060, iaogallery.org. FRI

Happenings 6th Annual RED Rooftop Party Enjoy a pool party-themed evening with dancing, barbecue sliders and summery cocktails at the Cardinal Engineering rooftop patio. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. 7-10 p.m. May 31. Cardinal Engineering Rooftop Patio, 1015 N Broadway Ave # 300, 405-673-3786. THU Annie Oakley Society Luncheon honors Mo Anderson of Keller Williams, Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby and local winner of America’s Got Talent Darci Lynne Farmer for their contributions to the American West, 11:30 a.m. June 6. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. WED Beer Olympics teams of four compete in flip cup, beer pong and other events to raise money for Camp Pride, a summer camp for LGBTQ youth, 2 p.m.-2 a.m.

June 2. Mooney’s Pub and Grill, 6221 N. Interstate Drive, 405-364-7577, facebook.com/mooneyspubok. SAT Chisholm Trail & Crawfish Festival admission is free for a family event with a Cajun flair; enjoy live music, food, gunfights, pony rides and more, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. June 2. Mollie Spencer Farm, 1001 Garth Brooks Blvd., facebook.com/molliespencerfarm. SAT Governor’s Club Toastmasters lose your fear of public speaking and gain leadership skills by practicing in a fun and low-stakes environment, noon-1 p.m.

Wednesdays. Oklahoma Farm Bureau Building, 2501 N. Stiles Ave., 405-523-2300, okfarmbureau.org. WED Heritage Place Futurity experience the thrills of the winner’s circle by selecting the horse you believe will win the Heritage Place Futurity, 4 p.m. June 4.

Remington Park, One Remington Place, 405-4241000, remingtonpark.com. MON Magnolia Festival enjoy fireworks, free children’s activities, family-friendly films, an outdoor carnival, the Choctaw Nation Princess Pageant and more at this festival, now in its 22nd year, May 31-June 2.

Bryan County Fairgrounds, 1901 S. 9th Ave. THU-SAT May Mysteries of the Mansion Tour a unique tour that explores behind-the-scenes history and spaces not typically on a regular tour with interesting stories of the mansion and the Overholser family history, 7-9 p.m.

May 17, June 21. $20. Overholser Mansion, 405 NW 15th St., 405-525-5325, preservationok.org. THU Meditation Tuesday learn guided meditation techniques in this all-levels group class, 6:45 p.m.

Tuesdays. Chi Gallery, 2304 NW 17th St., 405-4010540, facebook.com/chi.gallery. TUE Open Fiber Night a weekly crafting meet-up for knitters, crocheters, spinners and weavers, 5-8 p.m. Thursdays. Yarnatopia, 8407 S. Western Ave., 405-601-9995, yarnatopia.com. THU

The LEGO Ninjago Movie Combining Screening as part of the Summer Movie Fun series, this film follows in the footsteps of The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie, both of which brought plastic trademarked toys to the big screen in a logical progression of George Lucas’ Star Wars business model. Ninjago was the first film in the franchise to score a less-than-stellar rating on RottenTomatoes.com, but it features the voices of Jackie Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, Abbi Jacobson and Ali Wong, so critics should be careful bringing moldy fruit to a throwing star fight. The fun kicks off 9:45 a.m.

Monday-June 8 at Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16, 150 E. Reno Ave. Tickets are $5. Call 405-231-4747 or visit harkins.com. MONDAY - June 8 Photo Provided

Pets & People Humane Society Adoption Reunion a family and canine friendly event for all who have, adopted from Pets & People Humane Society with a dog walk, games, goodies, face painting, food trucks and more, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. June 3. Pets and People Humane Society, Inc, 701 Inla Ave, 405 350 7387, petsandpeople.com. SUN River Tour (Narrated) relax in the climate controlled cabin on one of our 65-foot cruisers, or enjoy the breeze on the viewing deck and listen to the guided commentary while you enjoy a drink from the bar, 6-7:30 p.m. $15-$20. Regatta Park Landing, 701 S. Lincoln Blvd., 405-702-7755, okrivercruises.com/ specialty-cruises. FRI-SAT Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic two days of golf, music, food, live and silent auctions as Toby Keith hosts his annual golf classic, June 1-2. Belmar Golf Club, 1025 E. Indian Hills road, 405-364-0111, ilovethiscourse.com. FRI-SAT Train Rides Take a ride in a historic passenger coach pulled by a diesel engine. Rides are scheduled 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Sept. 1. Tickets: 13 years and up, $12, 3 years to 12 years is $5, Under 3 free.

Oklahoma Railway Museum, 3400 NE Grand Blvd., 405-424-8222, oklahomarailwaymuseum.org. SAT Twilight Concerts: The Wise Guys featuring live music on Myriad Gardens’ Great Lawn Stage, 7:30-9 p.m. June 3. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SUN Weekly Trivia put your knowledge to the test and let your intellectual superiority shine, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Wednesdays. Free. HeyDay, 200 S. Oklahoma Ave., Suite HD, 405-349-5946, heydayfun.com. WED

Prix de West More than 300 visual art pieces from Western sculptors and painters drawing inspiration from the past and present of the American frontier are on display and offered for sale. Support the contemporary arts and add to your own art collection. Awards dinners, book signings and artist demonstrations allow you to immerse yourself in visual art with a regional point of view. The show runs June 8-9 at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St. Admission varies by price according to the event. Call 405-478-2250 or visit nationalcowboymuseum.org. June 8-9 Provided bigstock.com Women of Worth OKC Spring Expo an opportunity for women and young ladies to get together for free goodies, fashion shows, pampering, entertainment, food sampling, encouragement, shopping, fun, community resources and sharing God’s love, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. June 2. OSU-OKC Campus, 900 N. Portland Ave., 405-294-2144. SAT

Youth

World War II Program historian Joe Todd talks about D-Day, women in World War II and the USS Oklahoma and shares the story of The Man Who Never Was, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. June 6. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org/historycenter. WED

Family Workshop: Dino Terrariums create a mini dinosaur garden and learn how to care for a terrarium with the plants the dinosaurs need to survive, 2-3 p.m. May 31. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. THU

Food Coffee Slingers Brew Better Workshop a hands-on workshop that explores the six basic essentials of coffee brewing: coffee to water ratio, time, temperature, turbulence and water quality, 2-3:30 p.m. June 2. Coffee Slingers, 1015 N. Broadway Ave., 405-609-1662, coffeeslingers.com/. SAT H&8th Night Market returning for the Oklahoma City Pro-Am Classic, the night market will be providing food trucks galore and an entertaining, family and pet-friendly environment, 5-11 p.m. June 1. Midtown, NE Eighth St. and Hudson Avenue, h8thokc.com. FRI Live Trivia bring your friends for trivia, fun and food, 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Hudson’s Public House, 1000 NW 192nd St., 405-657-1103, henryhudsonspub.com. TUE The Lost Ogle Trivia for ages 21 and up, test your knowledge with free trivia play and half-priced sausages, 8-10 p.m. Tuesdays. Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St., 405-609-3300, fasslerhall.com. TUE Paseo Farmers Market shop for fresh food from local vendors at this weekly outdoor event, 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays. SixTwelve, 612 NW 29th St., 405-208-8291, sixtwelve.org. SAT Surf and Turf this weekly all-you-can-eat feast in the Bricktown Brewery features prime rib, snow crab legs, shrimp and more, 4-10 p.m. Thursdays.

Remington Park, 1 Remington place, 405-424-9000, remingtonpark.com. THU Tomato Titans: An Introduction to Growing Tomatoes learn the history of the tomato, how to start from seeds and successfully transplant the seedlings, caring for them during warmer weather, insect control and more, 10 a.m.-noon June 2. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadardens.com. SAT

Art Adventures Bring your young artists age 3 to 5 to experience art through books with related art projects, 10:30 a.m.-noon Tuesdays through June.

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. TUE

Farm Camp learn to grow vegetables, harvest herbs, collect eggs and care for goats, dogs, chickens, ducks and horses at this camp for children age 6-12, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. June 4-29. 4C Ag Service, 18750 NE 122nd St., 405-990-7791, 4cagservice.com. MON-FRI Fit For Youth Day Camp a camp of engaging activities including sports, arts and crafts, swimming, recreation games, nature and outdoor activities and more, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. June 4- 27. Foster Recreation Center, 614 NE 4th St., 405-297-2409, okc.gov/parks. MON-FRI Kraft Kids Potions Night children age 4-15 can create their own fizzy concoctions while learning about different artistic processes, 6-9 p.m. June 1. Artsy Rose Academy, 7739 W. Hefner Rd., 405-603-8550. FRI The Music Video: Filmmaking is Collaborative a camp for kids age 13-15 to experiment with various film making techniques in order to create a music video together, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 5-8.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. TUE-FRI OKC Thunder Breakaway Camp a basketball camp for children ages 6-14 focusing on fundamentals and teamwork, June 5-7. Pioneer Cellular Event Center, 900 N. 7th St., 580-774-3700, pioneercellulareventcenter.com. TUE-THU Saturdays for Kids: Spinning and Weaving pioneers used spinning and weaving to create clothes, rugs and other materials, and now you can, too! 2 p.m. June 2. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. SAT Storytime Science the museum invites children age 6 and younger to hear a story and participate in a related scientific activity, Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.

Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. TUE

Wednesday Night Trivia put your thinking cap on for a night of trivia, beer and prizes with Geeks Who Drink, 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Anthem Brewing Company, 908 SW Fourth St., 405-604-0446, anthembrewing.com. WED

Summer Camp Contemporary children in grades K-9 can learn about clay, robotics, hip-hop, and many other artistic topics in a variety of camps, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. through June 20. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. MON-WED

What Can Beets & Greens Do For You? discover the greatness of greens (and beets!) for overall health and learn how to sneak in extra servings, 3-4 p.m. June 30. Natural Grocers, 7013 N. May Ave., 405-840-0300, naturalgrocers.com. SUN

Summer Explorers: Life in the Wild learn about scientific research methods while exploring local habitats and studying the plants and animals there, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. June 4-8. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

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calendar are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com. ou.edu. MON-FRI

June 2

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June 3

bluE OCTObER

June 4

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June 12

THE bACOn bROTHERs

June 13

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June 27

sHAKEy GRAvEs

June 29

AdAM & KizziE AlbuM RElEAsE sHOW Tickets and Info TOWERTHEATREOKC.COM @towertheaterokc 405-70-TOWER | 425 NW 23rd St. OKC

RUSS

Summer Explorers: Name That Dinosaur children age 4 can discover the ancient creatures that roamed Oklahoma with games, songs and crafts, 9:3011 a.m. June 1. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. FRI Summer Explorers: Pond Explorers children age 5-6 can learn about what’s living in the water of ponds around Norman, 8-10 a.m. June 4-8. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., 405-3254712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. MON-FRI Summer Explorers: Wild Wonders explore a variety of local habitats in search of Oklahoma wildlife in this program for children ages 7-8, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

June 4. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. MON-FRI Summer Thursdays presented by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, this free family event features movie screenings, story times and crafting projects, 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, through Aug. 30. Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 405-235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com. THU

Performing Arts Acoustic Open Mic Jam bring your instruments to play with local musicians at this weekly event hosted by Matthew Glazener, 7 p.m.-midnight Wednesdays. Still Working Bar, 2917 N. Portland Ave., 405-601-8985, facebook.com/pages/StillWorking-Bar. WED An American in Paris a musical about an American soldier and a French girl yearning for a fresh start after the war, 7:30 p.m. June 5-7, 8 p.m. June 8, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. June 9, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. June 10.

Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-2972264, okcciviccenter.com. TUE-SUN California Dreamin’: A Beach Boys Tribute the Beach Boys’ greatest hits are the inspiration for this musical comedy featuring uptempo dance routines and colorful costumes and sets, 7:30 p.m., June 2. Legacy on Main Street, 224 N. Main St., 918605-7405, legacyonmainstreet.com. SAT Charlie Christian International Music Festival a musical celebration of the extremely influential jazz guitarist and his far-reaching legacy, with dancing fine dining and live music, June 2-3. Embassy Suites, 741 N. Phillips Ave., 405-239-3900. SAT-SUN Divine Comedy a weekly local comedy showcase featuring a variety of comedians, 9 p.m. Wednesdays. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405463-0470, 51stspeakeasy.com. WED Funny AF Fridays hosted by Dope Astronauts, this weekly comedy showcase features a nationally touring headliner and local standups, 9 p.m. Fridays.

Ice Event Center & Grill, 1148 NE 36th St., 405-2084240, iceeventcentergrill.eat24hour.com. FRI John Wessling live comedy, May 30-June 2. The Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 405-239-1567, loonybincomedy.com. THU-SUN The Lonesome West a darkly comedic play about two brothers violently feuding over their inheritance after their father’s murder in a small Irish town, 7:30 p.m. May 31, 8 p.m. June 1-2. Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main St., 405-232-6500, carpentersquare.com. FRI-SAT Open Mic hosted by Elecktra, this open mic has an open-stage, almost-anything-goes policy and a booked feature act, 6-11:30 p.m. The Root, 3012 N. Walker Ave., 405-655-5889, therootokc.com. MON

JUNE 12 ZOO AMPHITHEATRE get tickets at buy for less stores & uptown grocery by phone 1.800.514.3849 zooampokc.com

diemon.com/tour 36

m ay 3 0 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Spirit of Oklahoma Storytelling Festival presented by Territory Tellers, this two-day festival features workshops, story swaps, contests and live music, June 1-2. Eastlake Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 700 SW 134th St., 405-799-8987, eastlakechurch.org. FRI-SAT

Active barre3 in the Gardens bring your yoga mat and water for an hour of athleticism, grace and balanced-body workout, 7-8 p.m. June 4. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myraidgardens.com. MON OKC Dodgers vs Omaha baseball, 9:05 p.m.

May 30-June 3. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, 405-218-1000, okcballparkevents.com. WED-SUN Dancing in the Gardens: Bollywood transforming the Seasonal Plaza into a outdoor dance floor with free demonstrations, lessons and dancing, 7-10 p.m. June 1. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. FRI Essentials of Raja Yoga Meditation an instructional session in Raja Yoga meditation and the practical application of spirituality in everyday life, noon-3:30 p.m. June 2. Brahma Kumaris Medita-

tion Center, 2500 S. Broadway Ave., 405-227-9618, bkdallas.net/OK. SAT

3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. SAT-TUE

Monday Night Group Ride meet up for a weekly 25-30-minute bicycle ride at about 18 miles per hour through east Oklahoma City, 6 p.m. Mondays. The Bike Lab OKC, 2200 W. Hefner Road, 405-603-7655. MON

Space Burial an exhibit using satellite dishes as a burial object for a space-faring culture and facilitates the dead’s afterlife journey, through Sep. 2. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. TUE-FRI

Mindful Yoga Happy Hour practice mindful meditation with Bhante Santhapiya, followed by coffee, tea and conversation, 5-7 p.m. Fridays. Oklahoma Buddhist Vihara, 4820 N. Portland Ave., 405-8106528, okbv.org. FRI OKC Energy FC vs Reno 1868 FC outdoor soccer, 7:30 p.m. June 2. Taft Stadium, 2501 N. May Ave., 405-587-0046, energyfc.com. SAT Oklahoma City Pro AM Classic cycle through Midtown, Film Row and Automobile Alley during this three-day amateur and elite bicycle race event in its seventh year, June 1-3. Midtown, NE Eighth St., okcpac.com. FRI-SUN Run for the Dream racers compete in 2K, 5K and 10K runs while dressed in ’70s-style outfits to raise money and awareness for the victims of human trafficking at this event hosted by the Beautiful Dream Society, 7 a.m. June 2. Lake Hefner East Wharf, 9101 Lake Hefner parkway, 405-843-4976. SAT Thursday Night Dirt Crits weekly criterium trials for all ability levels meeting at the Mountain Bike Trailhead and hosted by Oklahoma Earthbike Fellowship, 7-9 p.m. Thursdays. Lake Stanley Draper Trails, 8898 S. Post Rd. FRI Wheeler Criterium a weekly nighttime cycling event with criterium races, food trucks and family activities, 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Wheeler Park, 1120 S. Western Ave., 405-297-2211, okc.gov. TUE Yoga in the Gardens bring your mat for an alllevels class with Lisa Woodard from This Land Yoga, 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com. TUE

Strange Creatures: The Feature Films of Apichatpong Weerasethakul offers a deeper understanding of Apichatpong’s unique, interconnected cinematic worlds and a fuller appreciation for his multi-media artistry, through May 31. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU Support Local Art Group Show graphic designer Sean Vali is the local featured artist this year curating and showcasing his art in this exhibit, through June 3. DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., 405-525-3499, dnagalleries.com. THU-SUN Transitions features graffiti and street art that celebrates Native American culture by artists Yatika Starr Fields, Hoka Skenadore and Josh Johnico, through June 30. Exhibit C, 1 E. Sheridan Ave., 405767-8900, exhibitcgallery.com. THU-SAT Weekly Docent Tours a free tour of the current exhibition with the option to dine with art through reservations, 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays.

21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. WED-FRI Welcome Home: Oklahomans and the War in Vietnam explores the impact of the war on Oklahoma families as well as the stories of Vietnamese families relocated to Oklahoma, through Nov. 6, 2019.

Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org/historycenter. MON-FRI Woodsman Trading Show & Sale check out the new art gallery featuring private collections, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. June 2. Woodsman Trading, 9705 N. May Ave., Suite 120, 405-286-0614, woodsmantrading.com. SAT

Visual Arts Sketches new work from Norman Artist Todd Jenkins. Contemporary metal sculpture, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through June 30. CMG Art Gallery, 1104 NW 30 Street, 405-808-5005, cmgartgallery.com. FRI-SAT Apichatpong Weerasethakul: The Serenity of Madness features films by award-winning artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who was born in Thailand and earned a master of fine arts degree in Chicago., Through June 10. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT-SUN Chromatic Ritual features paintings and fused glass creations by Fringe: Women Artists of Oklahoma with a portion of sales to The Homeless Alliance, through June 1. Verbode, 415 N. Broadway Ave., 405-757-7001, verbodegroup.com. THU-FRI Docent-Guided Signature Tour enjoy some of the finest Western art from Albert Bierstadt’s glowing landscape Emigrants Crossing the Plains to pieces by Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, 1-2 p.m. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. SAT-SUN The Experimental Geography Studio University of Oklahoma professor Nicholas Bauch and his Digital Geo-Humanities class combine new media art with scholarship in geography, ongoing. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. WED-FRI Jeff Tabor Recent Paintings features art by Jeff Tabor including media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache and printmaking, through July 1. Norman Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org. FRI-SUN Letting Go of the Wheel introduces a new artist from Weatherford, Texas, Carolyn Bernard Young, a registered Choctaw artist featuring sculptural and handbuilt vessels, through May 31. CMG Art Gallery, 1104 NW 30 Street, 405-808-5005, cmgartgallery.com. FRI-THU Paseo Arts District’s First Friday Gallery Walk peruse art from over 80 artists with 25 participating business for a night of special themed exhibits, refreshments and a variety of entertainment opportunities, 6-10 p.m. Feb. 2. Paseo Arts District, 3022 Paseo St., 405-525-2688, thepaseo.org. FRI Porcelain Art Exhibit World Organization of China Painters presents a free tour for the member porcelain art exhibit, through June 22. Porcelain Art Museum, 2700 N. Portland Ave., 405-521-1234, wocp. org. WED-FRI Reflection: An Exhibition of Glass and Light featuring works by artists Rick and Tracey Bewley using glass and light to creative reflection of colored geometric shapes mixed with metal structures., through Aug. 24. Oklahoma City University School of Visual Arts, 1601 NW 26th St., 405-208-5226, okcu. edu/artsci/departments/visualart. WED-FRI

Best of the West Colorado-based photographer Jenny Gummersall and her husband, abstract artist Gregory Gummersall, join painter Jack Fowler and fiber artist Pam Husky for the latest Best of the West exhibit at Joy Reed Belt’s gallery. The annual Best of the West Brunch on June 10 is free. The exhibitions open Friday and close on July 1 at JRB Art at the Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave. Call 405-528-6336 or visit jrbartgallery.com. Wednesday- June 10 Photo Provided

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.

Sojourning features fiber installations by Chiyoko Myose, a Japanese artist, expressing her experiences living in a foreign country, June 2-August 12., June 2-Aug. 12. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center,

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For okg live music

see page 41

EVENT

MUSIC

Purposeful partying Making Movies and Mariachi Flor de Toloache bring Carnival: The Tour to The Auditorium at The Douglass. By Ben Luschen

For the past several years, Making Movies’ Carnival music and education festival has been making waves in its native Kansas City, Missouri. Now the poetic and frequently political fusion Latin-rock band is sharing the experience with the rest of the nation.

Carnival: The Tour, Celebrate Our Folk makes a stop 8 p.m. June 7 at the newly revived and renovated The Auditorium at The Douglass, 600 N. High Ave. Making Movies will be joined by Mariachi Flor de Toloache, a Latin Grammy-winning all-female mariachi band.

Making Movies guitarist and vocalist Enrique Chi recently spoke with Oklahoma Gazette about the history of the band’s Carnival event, which began four years ago when the band began inviting other prominent Latino bands to perform at a music education camp Making Movies annually held in Kansas City. The camp grew into a mini festival, and this year, the band is taking the concept on the road for the first time.

Chi said the Carnival name comes from the Spanish Carnival celebrations in colonial Central and South America.

Historically, it was a time when everyone was in festive spirits and the Spanish would let the indigenous and slave cultures show their roots.

“Normally, they were like, ‘OK, slaves, put away your drums and your spiritual dances. That doesn’t seem very Catholic to me, so stop that shit,’” Chi said.

But more than a celebration, it was a time when the native populations would mock their colonizers without them knowing, coming up with songs and dances used to covertly express the oppression of Spanish rule.

“To me, it’s this dichotomy and juxtaposition of celebration, but also protest and a moment of cultural inclusion,” Chi said. “Being able to dance your protest seems kind of awesome.”

The spirit of those historic Carnival celebrations will be alive during Making Movies’ stop in Oklahoma City. Chi spoke at length with Oklahoma Gazette about the Carnival series and why Billy Bragg and Nora Guthrie have pleaded with the band to spread its message across the nation.

Oklahoma Gazette: What’s it like to take your Carnival concept on the road to places like Oklahoma City?

Enrique Chi: It’s exciting and cool because I think we’re hitting some cities where there is a lack of cultural music

and representation. We’re going to be playing with Mariachi Flor de Toloache in Oklahoma City, and I don’t know if you’ve ever seen them live, but they are just an incredible band.

OKG: Not live, but I have seen their NPR Tiny Desk Concert, which was really amazing. They are another reason to be excited for the show.

Chi: One hundred percent. On top of all the tour dates, we’re releasing collaborative music, and right around the time we get to Oklahoma, we will be releasing a song in collaboration with them. So for me as an artist, although it has been an insane amount of work, it has been insanely rewarding. We’re not only curating these events to try and make a statement and have a good time, but we’re creating music with it.

OKG: Are you still letting DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients in for free?

Chi: Yes, that’s another thing we have been doing for two tours now. We thought that last fall would be the last time that we would have to do that, that something would be resolved on that level. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

For us, it was like this really simple act of solidarity. We can get really overwhelmed by how shitty the world can be sometimes, and we’re like, ‘Well, what do I have access to [to make a difference]?’

Everyone who has come to the show through that mechanism has come away feeling included and supported. When they come and talk to us, without exception, they’ve had tears in their eyes. For me, it was moving to realize this really simple act of solidarity can have such a huge impact.

OKG: With the atmosphere around the issues of immigration and the DACA program that this country has seen recently, do you feel responsible to take these sorts of stands or are you naturally compelled to do something?

Chi: Well, I’m an immigrant myself [born in Panama]. When we started volunteering for this nonprofit inside the immigrant community, I kind of resonated with the kids because I could relate to them. I remember the feeling of being brought to the U.S. and feeling a little lost in this new world. Because of different life circumstances, some of which my parents had control over and some of which they didn’t, we had access

to getting all my paperwork filled out.

When I meet a kid who has made no different choices than I have living in the United States and they realize their life is so limited is heartbreaking.

I’m not a politician — nor a policymaker or international policy expert — but let’s at least solve this. I know what a 12-yearold needs. I know that a 12-year-old doesn’t need to think that he’s already a criminal just by being alive. That’s certainly not OK, so let’s solve that first and foremost, and then maybe we can start addressing some other things.

OKG: Music and art can make people think of different kinds of people and cultures in a way that they wouldn’t have before.

Chi: Yeah. I think that’s kind of the role of art; you get to step into someone else’s shoes or brain for a second. We were at the Folk Alliance International conference [in 2017], and Billy Bragg was the keynote speaker. We performed right before him, and he spent some time talking about protest music and his relationship with that. He really cemented that into our heads right before we released our last album [I Am Another You, released in May 2017]. The music was already done and the songs were already written, but he put into my mind that as an artist, you can’t change policy but you can give people empathy. The power of a three-minute song can put you in a situation that you aren’t currently in or maybe have never been in. You can feel in love or you can feel heartbreak or anger or gratitude. It’s so powerful — more powerful than a film or a book in its immediacy. We have to use that power to showcase what we feel and see.

OKG: There are a ton of Oklahoma artists who go up to the Folk Alliance conference every year.

Chi: Yeah. And to tie it all back to Oklahoma, we got off stage and Billy Bragg, he was like, ‘You all did great.

You all fired me up.’ I was like, ‘Oh, man!

Making Movies | Photo Yonas Media / provided

That’s awesome! I’m so excited for your speech.’ He gets on stage and talks about peace and Pete Seeger telling him, ‘Look, it’s not my turn anymore. You have to write songs for your people now.’

So Billy comes offstage, and I tell him, ‘Hey, you really fired me up. I wrote down some words you said. Thank you so much.’ And Billy is looking at me and says, ‘Well, you know, it’s your turn now.

I can’t write the songs for your people; you have to write the songs for your people and what they’re going through.’

At that exact moment, Nora Guthrie walked backstage and she’s huge friends with Billy. She said to us, ‘Oh, you guys were amazing. That’s the kind of thing that needs to be on national TV. Those are the stories we need to hear. We can’t do it anymore — we’re out of touch; we’re too old. It’s your turn now.’ She hadn’t heard Billy say that same thing earlier, and it was just like bing bing. At that moment, I was just like, ‘Well, I guess I’ve got to do this.’

OKG: That’s pretty much a torchpassing moment. They’re literally telling you to go out and spread these messages.

Chi: Yeah, and before, we were afraid of the ‘political band’ label. But that’s when I was like, ‘You know what? Let’s just do this.’ Our songs are about the immigrant experience, and if people want to label us a political band, let’s just be vocal about the things we see in the world that we don’t agree with.

Carnival: The Tour w/ Making Movies and Mariachi Flor de Toloache 8 p.m. June 7 The Auditorium at The Douglass 600 N. High Ave. mkngmvs.com | 405-601-9565 Free-$17

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E vent

it’s almost heRe!

MUSIC

Making it

Skating Polly returns to Oklahoma older, wiser and more focused on songwriting. By Jeremy Martin Getting out of Oklahoma gave Skating Polly’s Kelli Mayo a chance to appreciate it more.

“When I was in elementary school, I always thought it was like the lamest place,” Mayo said. “I just hated how conservative it was. I just thought that every city was so small and backwards and white and Republican. I don’t know. I just wasn’t that interested by it, and I just kind of felt like, ‘I wish I lived in New York or Seattle or, fuck, anywhere up there. Whatever.’

Honestly, though … when we’d be on tour, that made me realize that there are places better than Oklahoma and there are places worse than Oklahoma.

Moving away from Oklahoma, I do miss certain things about it a lot, like we were just talking about this in Kansas City, I believe. I miss the sky in Oklahoma; that’s something I always took for granted. We have some of the most beautiful sunsets. I miss just fucking acres and acres of flat land. It’s actually just really kind of beautiful, and I miss the red dirt. I miss things like that, but mostly I miss the people.

There’s like a warmth and friendliness that’s genuine that lives in Oklahoma, and I miss that a lot.”

Skating Polly, now based in Tacoma, Washington, will return to Oklahoma to play Opolis in Norman on Friday.

Much like Mayo’s perception of her native state, the band’s view of their debut, Taking Over the World, released in 2011 when Mayo was 11 and stepsister and bandmate Peyton Bighorse was 15, has improved with distance.

“I’ve gone through lots of different emotions for that first album,” said Bighorse, “but for the past few years now, I’ve just really been proud of it still.

There have been times when I’m so embarrassed by it, but looking back, it’s just like, ‘We were really young.’ And I think it’s pretty cool that we were able to do that. I’m really happy with it.”

Mayo agrees.

“I would have been a lot more embarrassed if it had been, like, a thing we had with, like, our parents playing on it or something like that,” Mayo said.

“It was a thing that we built from the ground up. And, yes, I am pretty proud of it. Even though my voice cracked and I don’t technically know how to sing, but some musical parts of it, like the piano parts and the drums and whatever are, like, pretty dank. It’s, like, cool. It’s pretty badass. At the time, I was listening to Beat Happening and, like, Bikini Kill and stuff and was like, ‘Well, they wrote songs sounding like this, so why can’t I? And that is pretty punk rock, and I do have to give myself a pat on the back for that, but I do, at the same time, get embarrassed sometimes. It’s easy to swing back and be, like, ‘Whoa, my voice! Whoa!’”

While K Records and riot grrrl bands might not make many 11-year-old’s playlists in the 2010s, Mayo said that’s just how she was raised.

“My family is so fricking into music, and that was just the biggest part of our life,” she said. “Like every road trip would be time to whip out a mix CD or when we were home, it would be like watching music videos. Even before we were in a band. Even if I would have never been in a band, it was just kind of, like, knowing about music and enjoying music was such a big part of our family.”

Skating Polly | Photo Angel Cebalios / provided

Skating Polly’s latest album, The Make It All Show, dropped earlier this month.

Featuring more complex arrangements, a fuller sound and an appearance by X’s Exene Cervenka, an early champion of the band, on single “Queen for a Day,” the band’s newest release marks a new approach to songwriting.

“On this album specifically, I was just trying to write openly but poetically, like say things in a more interesting way,” Mayo said. “I didn’t want it to be as plain as a diary entry, but I did want it to be understandable and have a narrative people could follow along with.

When we went into this, we wanted it to be our, I don’t know, like most emotionally raw album yet. I was referring to Joni Mitchell’s Blue in that sense.

She had a really cool quote about how every vocal take she was so picky about because she wanted it to sound, like, perfect, you know, like the right note and stuff but also just completely honest and completely the right feeling and just raw and true.”

Mayo and Bighorse drew inspiration for their latest evolution from collaborating with the likes of Cervenka, who wrote the lyrics for “Queen for a Day,” and Veruca Salt’s Louise Post and Nina Gordon, who joined Skating Polly for the three-song EP New Trick, released last year.

On this album specifically, I was just trying to write openly but poetically.

Kelli Mayo “Working with some people has made me just write more openly and less cryptic, and even talking about my lyrics, I can do that more openly,” Mayo said. “When we were working with Veruca, I would have to just tell them

from left Kurtis Mayo, Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse of Skating Polly return to Oklahoma Friday for a show at Opolis in Norman. | Photo Angel Cebalios / provided

what the song was about, and I didn’t want to just be like, ‘Oh, I don’t know.’

Because in the past, me and Peyton have definitely both written songs together where we said that, ‘Oh yeah.

Whatever. That’s just dumb, but I’m gonna change this word just because I don’t know,’ and, like, we both really kind of would know and we wouldn’t want to talk about what the songs meant.”

Bighorse added that their new approach to lyric writing has also given them more perspective on their personal lives.

“I think being able to write more openly and honestly has helped us be able to cope with a lot of things and how we sort things out and how we feel about them and just get through them,” Bighorse said. “Especially with this last album because so many of them were about things that happened that, I mean, weren’t totally pleasant. And writing the songs on this album, I’m sure they helped Kelli too, for me, but they really helped me get through last year. Just being able to write how I was feeling and just have that there.”

The album’s more complex sound and mature lyrics reflect Bighorse and Mayo’s ever-developing worldview and the internal conflicts of young adulthood.

“I feel like a lot of the songs are about growing up, too,” Mayo said. “There’s lines about it. I mean, Peyton was like 21 when we were writing it so, yeah, she was like technically grownup, but you know, like ‘Free Will at Ease,’ we all three wrote the lyrics for that one. To me, the message of the song apart from it being about a person who’s pretty toxic, the other message to me is, like, having all this newfound responsibility and not really being comfortable with it and not really knowing what to do continued on page 40

CHIYOKO MYOSE

Complex queens

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THE RELATIONSHIP OF PLACE

Chiyoko Myose: Sojourning FREE family-friendly opening event 3-6 p.m. Saturday, June 2 Fairgrounds See fantastic fiber installations this summer. Chiyoko Myose considers herself a sojourner and expresses her experience living in a foreign country through installations and paintings.

Learn more: oklahomacontemporary.org. oklahomacontemporary.org | 405 951 0000 | @okcontemporary 3000 General Pershing Blvd. | Oklahoma City, OK 73107

NOW OPEN FOR

HAPPY HOUR

MONdAY-FRIdAY AT 4:00PM! LIVE MUSIC May 31st

The Weekend All Stars June 1st

Banana Seat June 2th

Hot Seat June 6th

OKC’S hOTTeST NighTClub & lOuNge

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80’z Enuf June 7th 80’s Enuf June 8th Superfreak

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event

with it and what kind of person you want to be and what kind of choices you want to make now that you have it.”

A lyric from “This Vacation” describes Mayo’s struggle to maintain a sense of self as she matures: “I’m taking a time-out so I can pretend to still feel young.”

I think being able to write more openly and honestly has helped us be able to cope.

Peyton Bighorse “I’ve felt like that a lot of times,” Mayo said. “I’ve felt like that so many times. Whether it’s a relationship or just dodgy fucking situations or whatever, like a lot of times the way people treat me, I’m just like Jesus fucking Christ, I’m still a kid. Even if I am 18, I’m still a kid; I’ve got to take a step back from things. Or just the way I let my own fucking anxiety affect me, you know.

And like Peyton said, there’s just a lot of things last year that hit us that kind of forced us to grow up a little bit, I suppose, but also at the same time, there’s this really cool quote from Gina Birch from The Raincoats where she’s like, ‘I feel every age I’ve ever been. I feel like there’s a little bit of me from every age I’ve ever been,’ and that’s kind of like, ‘Yeah.’ That is pretty true, I feel like.”

Family resemblance

Along with a more open and honest approach to lyric writing, Skating Polly’s collaboration with Veruca Salt inspired Bighorse and Mayo to develop a fuller sound by adding Kurtis Mayo, Kelli’s brother, as the drummer. His appearance in the video for “Louder in Outer 40

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Skating Polly released its newest album, The Make It All Show, on May 4 | Photo Angel Cebalios / provided

Space” from New Trick was an immediate hit with fans, but Kelli said her brother’s easygoing demeanor in the video reflects only part of his personality.

“Kurtis is able to crack a joke and crack everyone up and lighten the mood,” she said. “Live Kurtis is, like, really fucking intense. People would always tell me when I used to drum — I don’t really drum anymore in the live show — but when I used to drum, people would be like, ‘You have the craziest drumming faces.’ Well, we’re related, so Kurtis’ drumming faces are actually a lot crazier. At the end of the show, he comes up on guitar while I’m on bass and Peyton hops back to drums, and we just, like, fucking go crazy for the last two songs, and he’s very intense for that.”

He’s also a welcome addition on the road.

“If there’s a lot of creepy men or sketchy people, not on tour with us but at a motel or at a venue, it feels good to have not only just another male presence but a male presence who’s related to you. It’s like, ‘That’s my sister,’” she said, laughing.

Best of all, he gives the group a classic power-trio dynamic that’s pure rock ’n’ roll.

“Playing with a three-piece is better than playing as a duo because there’s just more to work off of,” Kelli said.

“Everything sounds bigger, and the shows are just louder. I really like that.”

Skating Polly plays Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave., in Norman Friday with Potty Mouth and Poolboy. Tickets are $8-$12. Visit opolis.org.

Skating Polly 10 p.m. Friday Opolis 113 N. Crawford Ave., Norman opolis.org | 405-673-4931 $8-$12

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

Wednesday, May. 30

Turnpike Troubadours/Charley Crockett, The Criterion.

COUNTRY

Tyler Smith, Kamp’s 1910. COVER Zach Sprowls, Full Circle Bookstore. FOLK

Saturday, Jun. 2 411 Band, Riverwind Casino. POP

Daikaiju/Masterhand/Planet What, The Deli. ROCK

Aaron Newman, Redrock Canyon Grill. FOLK

Troy Alan, Bluebonnet Bar. FOLK

Buddy South, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. COUNTRY

Thursday, May. 31

Horse Thief/John Calvin Abney, Tower Theatre. FOLK

Crunk Witch/Layers of Pink, Red Brick Bar. POP

Interment/Gruesome Fate/Aberrant Construct, Snug Bar. METAL

Kyle Reid, The Factory Showroom. ACOUSTIC Shane Henry/Maggie McClure, Legacy Park. POP

Melvin Rinner, Redrock Canyon Grill. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Taddy Porter, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

Miss Brown To You, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ

The Weekend All Stars, The Liszt. POP

My So Called Band, The Deli. ROCK

Friday, Jun. 1 Banana Seat, The Liszt. COVER Gentry Counce, Kamp’s 1910. SINGER/SONGWRITER Jessica Tate/John Rouse, Bossa Nova Caipirinha Lounge. JAZZ Madis, Landing Zone. COVER Packing for Pluto/PAX/Stone Tide, The Deli. ROCK Rockwell, Redrock Canyon Grill. SINGER/SONG-

WRITER

Shortt Dogg, UCO Jazz Lab. BLUES Stars, Mike’s. POP

Richard Buckner, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONG-

ZZ Top Whether they’re discussing the finer points of herpetology (“Tube Snake Boogie”), jewelry (“Pearl Necklace”) or geography (“La Grange”) the sharp-dressed men in ZZ Top have kept their bluesy brand of immaculately produced guitar rock as classy as it was 48 years ago on the accurately named ZZ Top’s First Album. How, how, how? you ask. We’d say the secret must be hidden inside the belly-button-touching beards of frontmen Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons, but drummer Frank Beard is famously beardless, so you might try looking behind their cheap sunglasses. Former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty shares the bill, so get your air-guitar muscles ready for a workout. The show starts 6:30 p.m. June 10 at The Zoo Ampitheatre, 2102 NE 50th St. Tickets are $13.90-$400. Visit etix.com or call 405-602-0683. JUNE 10

WRITER

Shane Henry/Maggie McClure, Downtown Guthrie. POP Smilin’ Vic, UCO Jazz Lab. BLUES

Sunday, Jun. 3 Amy LaVere & Will Sexton, The Blue Door. SINGER/

SONGWRITER

Big Head Todd and The Monsters/Simo, The Jones Assembly. ROCK

Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps, Norman Santa Fe Depot. COUNTRY Shakers of Salt, Flint. COVER

Monday, Jun. 4 Justin Townes Earle/Lydia Lovelss, Tower Theatre.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Blue October/Kitten, Tower Theatre. ROCK Electric Jam with Aaron/Gonzo/Mad Dog, Still Working Bar. ROCK

Live music 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 to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

Superfreak, Louie’s Grill and Bar. COVER

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

free will astrology Homework: Each of us has a secret ignorance.

Can you guess what yours is? What could you do about it? Freewillastrology.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

similar power to remake the whole world, Gemini. But they could very well remake your world. When they arrive, honor them. Feed them. Give them enough room to show you everything they’ve got.

A critic described Leonardo da Vinci’s painting the *Mona Lisa* as “the most visited, most written about, most sung about, most parodied work of art in the world.” It hasn’t been sold recently, but is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Today it’s kept in the worldrenowned Louvre museum in Paris, where it’s viewed by millions of art-lovers. But for years after its creator’s death, it enjoyed little fanfare while hanging in the bathroom of the French King Francois. I’d love to see a similar evolution in your own efforts, Aries: a rise from humble placement and modest appreciation to a more interesting fate and greater approval. The astrological omens suggest that you have more power than usual to make this happen in the coming weeks and months.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

These days, many films use CGI, computer generated imagery. The technology is sophisticated and efficient.

But in the early days of its use, producing such realistic fantasies was painstaking and time-intensive. For example, Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film *Jurassic Park* featured four minutes of CGI that required a year to create. I hope that in the coming weeks, you will summon equivalent levels of old-school tenacity and persistence and attention to detail as you devote yourself to a valuable task that you love. Your passion needs an infusion of discipline. Don’t be shy about grunting.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

On February 17, 1869, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleyev had an appointment with a local cheese-making company to provide his expert consultation. But he never made it.

A blast of inspiration overtook him soon after he awoke, and he stayed home to tend to the blessed intrusion. He spent that day as well as the next two perfecting his vision of the periodic table of the elements, which he had researched and thought about for a long time. Science was forever transformed by Mendeleyev’s breakthrough.

I doubt your epiphanies in the coming weeks will have a

Ninety-five percent of your fears have little or no objective validity. Some are delusions generated by the neurotic parts of your imagination. Others are delusions you’ve absorbed from the neurotic spew of other people’s imaginations. What I’ve just told you is both bad news and good news. On the one hand, it’s a damn shame you feel so much irrational and unfounded anxiety. On the other hand, hearing my assertion that so much of it is irrational and unfounded might mobilize you to free yourself from its grip. I’m pleased to inform you that the coming weeks will be an excellent time to wage a campaign to do just that. June can and should be Fighting for Your Freedom from Fear Month.

During the next four weeks, I’ll celebrate if you search for and locate experiences that will heal the part of your heart that’s still a bit broken. My sleep at night will be extra deep and my dreams extra sweet if I know you’re drumming up practical support for your feisty ideals. I’ll literally jump for joy if you hunt down new teachings that will ultimately ensure you start making a daring dream come true in 2019. And my soul will soar if you gravitate toward the mind-expanding kind of hedonism rather than the mind-shrinking variety.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Everyone has a unique fate that’s interesting enough to write a book about. Each of us has at least one epic story to tell that would make people cry and laugh and adjust their thoughts about the meaning of life. What would your saga be like? Think about what’s unfolding right now, because I bet that would be a ripe place to start your meditations. The core themes of your destiny are currently on vivid display, with new plot twists taking your drama in novel directions. Want to get started?

Compose the first two sentences of your memoir.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

“Dear Oracle: I find myself in the weird position of trying to decide between doing the good thing and doing the right thing. If I opt to emphasize sympathy and kindness, I may look like an eager-to-please wimp with shaky principles. But if I push hard for justice and truth, I may seem rude and insensitive. Why is it so challenging to have integrity? - Vexed Libra.” Dear Libra: My advice is to avoid the all-or-nothing approach. Be willing to be half-good and half-right. Sometimes the highest forms of integrity require you to accept imperfect solutions.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

ou have waited long enough to retaliate against your adversaries. It’s high time to stop simmering with frustration and resentment. Take direct action! I suggest you arrange to have a box of elephant poop shipped to their addresses. You can order it here: tinyurl.com/ ElephantManure. JUST KIDDING! I misled you with the preceding statements. It would in fact be a mistake for you to express such vulgar revenge. Here’s the truth: Now is an excellent time to seek retribution against those who have opposed you, but the best ways to do that would be by proving them wrong, surpassing their accomplishments, and totally forgiving them.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Marketing experts say that motivating a person to say yes to a big question is more likely if you first build momentum by asking them smaller questions to which it’s easy to say yes. I encourage you to adopt this slant for your own purposes in the coming weeks. It’s prime time to extend invitations and make requests that you’ve been waiting for the right moment to risk. People whom you need on your side will, I suspect, be more receptive than usual -- and with good reasons -- but you may still have to be smoothly strategic in your approach.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

I bet you’ll be offered at least one valuable gift, and possibly more. But I’m concerned that you may not recognize them for their true nature. So I’ve created an exercise to enhance your ability to identify and claim these gifts-in-disguise. Please ruminate on the

following concepts: 1. a pain that can heal; 2. a shadow that illuminates; 3. an unknown or anonymous ally; 4. a secret that nurtures intimacy; 5. a power akin to underground lightning; 6. an invigorating boost disguised as tough love.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

When I was a kid attending elementary schools in the American Midwest, recess was a core part of my educational experience. For 45 minutes each day, we were excused from our studies so we could indulge in free-form play -- outdoors, if the weather was nice, or else in the gymnasium. But in recent years, schools in the U.S. have shrunk the time allotted for recess. Many schools have eliminated it altogether. Don’t they understand this is harmful to the social, emotional, and physical health of their students? In any case, Aquarius, I hope you move in the opposite direction during the coming weeks. You need more than your usual quota of time away from the grind. More fun and games, please!

More messing around and merriment! More recess!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

For many years, actor Mel Blanc provided the voice for Bugs Bunny, a cartoon character who regularly chowed down on raw carrots. But Blanc himself did not like raw carrots. In a related matter, actor John Wayne, who pretended to be a cowboy and horseman in many movies, did not like horses. And according to his leading ladies, charismatic macho film hunk Harrison Ford is not even close to being an expert kisser. What about you, Pisces?

Is your public image in alignment with your true self? If there are discrepancies, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to make corrections.

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes.

The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

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puzzles New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle RHYMES, SCHMYMES

By Will Nediger and Erik Agard | Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz | 0520

ACROSS

“unbreakable” Ellie Kemper character?

1 Picnic annoyance 93 “Black-ish” network 8 Cold quarters 94 Part of a kit 13 Racetrack informant 95 It may be found next to a 20 Like okapis and giraffes spade 21 Sit pensively 96 Sashimi option 22 Cry from a survivor 98 Ready for battle 23 Conversation over a few 100 DNA building block whiskeys?

105 Restroom sign 25 Wear 106 “What’s Going On” singer, 1971 26 Pose 107 Tampa Bay NFL’er 27 Mario Vargas Llosa’s country 110 Beats in the race 28 Strummed instrument, for 111 Puts a stop to sentimentality? short 29 Where butter and cheese are 114 Term for a word that isn’t the

dictionary but maybe should be produced 115 Subject of una serenata 30 ____ buddies 116 Subject of the 2006 31 Moreover documentary When the 32 Org. for drivers

Levees Broke 33 Return to base 117 Promenades 36 2015 Verizon purchase 118 Rehab program 38 Filth covering pecans and 119 Plug such?

45 Borodin opera prince DOWN 46 Fasten, in a way, with “in” 1 Cake with rum 48 Asian holiday 2 Hovering craft 49 Tush 3 Understand 50 Venison spread?

4 Industry, for short 53 Relics, to Brits 5 Treat on a stick 55 “You betcha!”

6 Stuns, in a way 56 Very beginning?

7 Intruded (on) 58 Give a leg up … or a hand 8 Watson’s company 59 Lose one’s coat 9 Cavity filler 60 Casting need 10 Be a witness 61 Notwithstanding 11 Exude 63 Brings on 12 Loving verse?

64 Sprayed in the face 13 Some pageant wear 67 Hardly a dolt?

14 Brought charges against 68 Powerful scents 15 Daddy 69 Made up 16 Criticize severely 70 Virus fighters 17 Part of a makeshift swing 71 Director Wenders 72 Unnamed character in Camus’s 18 ____ after 19 Depend

The Stranger 24 “Just pretend I’m right” 73 Ground cover?

29 Singer of high notes 74 Connections 30 Scottish accents 75 Buds come in them 33 Dusted off, say 80 Office’s counterpart 34 James who won a posthumous 83 Avoid a jerk?

Pulitzer 85 Mozart’s Don Alfonso and 35 Says, informally Leporello 37 When the Levees Broke 86 Shout with an accent director 88 Gathered intelligence (on) 39 High ____ 89 It has lots on the internet 40 Publisher in a robe, familiarly 90 Break up with an

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68 Personalized music gift 69 Backyard shindig, informally 70 Perfect score, or half of a score 71 Smart remarks 73 Zooey of Fox’s New Girl 75 Long, narrow pieces of luggage 76 Modify 77 Where Hemingway wrote The

Old Man and the Sea 78 Old Chrysler 79 ____ terrier 81 Parties 82 Pastor role in There Will Be Blood 84 Keeper of the books, for short 87 Japanese appetizer 91 Lifts 92 Everything 94 Appear that way

Accounting/HR Manager Marian Harrison Accounts receivable Karen Holmes

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Please address all unsolicited news items (non-returnable) to the editor.

Marketing Manager Kelsey Lowe 76

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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.

The cash value of this copy is $1. Persons taking copies of the Oklahoma Gazette from its distribution points for any reason other than their or others’ individual use for reading purposes are subject to prosecution.

publisher Bill Bleakley

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VOL. XL No. 22

VP, CORPORATE AFFAIRS Linda Meoli

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41 Algonquian Indians 42 Open, as a bottle 43 Prince and others 44 Some drink garnishes 46 Fish whose name sounds like

the past tense of 46-Across?

47 Greets silently 51 Begets 52 Take back 54 3-3, e.g.

57 Site of one of the Seven

Wonders of the Ancient World 61 Professional fixer, for short 62 Uses Gchat, e.g.

63 Scornful sound 64 H. G. Wells villain 65 Four-time Australian Open winner 66 Picasso, e.g.

67 Recent arrival

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Advertising advertising@okgazette.com 405-528-6000 Account EXECUTIVES Saundra Rinearson Godwin Christy Duane Kurtis DeLozier

97 101 course 99 “… I’ll eat ____!”

100 Order (around) 101 May or Bee 102 Prevent from clumping, say 103 In conclusion 104 Sway 107 Random data point 108 ____ Reader 109 Powerful politico 111 & 112 Coupled 113 “Collage With Squares

Arranged According to the

Laws of Chance” artist

EDITOR-in-chief George Lang glang@okgazette.com Assistant EDITOR Brittany Pickering Staff reporters Laura Eastes Ben Luschen Jacob Threadgill Jeremy Martin Circulation Manager Chad Bleakley Senior Graphic Designer Kimberly Lynch Graphic Designers Karson Brooks Ofelia Ochoa

Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute).

Order mounted or ready-to-frame prints of Oklahoma Gazette covers, articles and photos at okgazette.yourheadline.com

Sudoku very hard | n°328088051 Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box Grid n°328088051 diabolic 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com contains the numbers

3701 N. Shartel Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73118-7102 Phone (405) 528-6000 Fax (405) 528-4600 www.okgazette.com

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New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers Puzzle No. 0513, which appeared in the May 23 issue.

N S F W

B A R R E E L P E A D

A T E A L O N E

F A C E

A P A C H E

A M A S S

Z I P P O

W E S T E R N U N I O N

J I N P I N G B E T T I E A R E N T

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

S U N R A Y

A N N E

A S F I E E R T A M E M P E I D

M E O O A N T S

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

W A I T S B R B

A M G O O N O O D R E A H E R N A S H

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

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

B O A R D M E E T I N G

A L T A R

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M A K E I T S O

E V I L G R I N

T I N E Y E S

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Oklahoma Natural Gas Company, a division of ONE Gas, Inc., was founded in 1906, and is the cornerstone of one of the oldest corporations in Oklahoma. We are the largest natural gas distribution company in the state, providing clean, reliable natural gas to more than 847,000 customers.

We are currently hiring for a Maintenance Specialist II Meter & Reg Repair Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Performs assessments, tests, repairs, and adjustments for performance compliance accuracy on all types of positive displacement and turbine meters.

Analyze, evaluate, repair, and test positive displacement and orifice meters.

Operate and maintain proper equipment including but not limited to: Preliminary and final meter tests Proper adjustment and operation of prover (as specified by position) Maintain prover calibration adjustments Operate tools and equipment including but not limited to: Forklifts (as specified by position) Screwdrivers/wrenches (manual and pneumatic) Provers High-pressure air guns Paint booth (as specified by position) Hoists (as specified by position) Train Maintenance Specialist I; monitor adequacy of meter repairs to ensure quality.

Post information to various records including but not limited to: Meter record cards Repair logs Regular and reliable attendance is required in performance of job.

Employee may be required to perform additional duties as assigned.

As a premier employer in the communities where we do business, we offer competitive compensation, career development and excellent benefits, including three weeks of vacation, stock award programs, and a 401(k) match, and many more.

Please visit www.onegas.jobs to view additional details about the job requirements and to register and apply for this position. Requisition 521 Only applicants who meet minimum qualifications will be considered. Only those applicants considered for an interview will be contacted.

DAVE’S APPLIANCE REPAIR All makes washers, dryers, ranges, dishwashers, refrigerators, disposals.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

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Mention Oklahoma Gazette Receive 15% Off all puRchases 9101 S Western Ave #117, OKC (405) 759-2044 Open 11am-7pm www.thecbdstores.com

Multimedia Account Executive Oklahoma Gazette is seeking an energetic and outgoing individual for a print and digital sales position to join our team.

In this role, you will help businesses with an array of print and digital services and strategies designed to increase presence, generate leads to expand their customer base, and deliver significant ROI & increased revenues.

Applicants should be motivated, smart on their feet, outgoing, personable, competitive, able to thrive in a fast-paced environment and posses a strong work ethic.

ServerS Needed MeMoriAl locAtioN

Apply in person 2p-4p Tues-Sat 3241 West Memorial Rd

We Provide: A portfolio of solutions for every clients’ needs A fun and exciting work environment • Unlimited earning potential Ongoing sales training • A career path in sales and management Medical, dental, vision, life, and 401(k) are available.

Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest and résumé to jbengfort@okgazette.com

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Lu x u ry G e taway

Come in today to test drive the all new 2018 linColn Continental

LEASE ThE 2018 LIncOLn cOnTInEnTAL RESERVE

LEASE ThE 2018 LIncOLn MKZ RESERVE

FROM $690/MOnTh | 36 MOnThS* | $0 DOWn

FROM $449/MOnTh | 36 MOnThS* | $0 DOWn

$3,190 DuE AT SIgnIng

$2,180 DuE AT SIgnIng

LEASE ThE 2018 LIncOLn MK X SELEcT

LEASE ThE 2018 LIncOLn MKc SELEcT

FROM $449/MOnTh | 36 MOnThS* | $0 DOWn

FROM $399/MOnTh | 36 MOnThS* | $0 DOWn

$2,565 DuE AT SIgnIng

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616 WEST MEMORIAL ROAD EDMOnD, OK 73013 | 405.475.9000 jOEcOOpERLIncOLn.cOM

2018 LincoLn continentaL ReseRve, vin 1LJ5609640, MsRP $54,675

2018 LincoLn MKX seLect, vin 2LJBL30646, MsRP $46,355

*$0 secURity DePosit, taXes anD Fees aRe eXcLUDeD, sUBJect to cReDit aPPRovaL,

2018 LincoLn MKZ ReseRve, vin 3LJR605268, MsRP $37,065

2018 LincoLn MKc seLect, vin 5LJUL12080, MsRP $34,975

see DeaLeRshiP FoR DetaiLs, oFFeRs sUBJect to change WithoUt PRioR notice.

DoWn PayMent, tt&L anD FiRst PayMent DUe at signing.

PRices gooD thRoUgh May 2018

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