Oklahoma Gazette Our Game

FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY METRO OKC’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY VOL. XXXVI NO. 45 NOVEMBER 5, 2014

BY BEN FELDER P.33 SHANNON CORNMAN

Our game

The NBA’s new hub is Oklahoma City — and the midwest.

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CONTENTS 43

6

ON THE COVER

NBA players like Charles Barkley might call Oklahoma a wasteland, but smaller markets like ours actually outperform larger counterparts, from total wins to building connections with fans and even establishing model franchises. The Midwestern middle class is quickly becoming a sports voice to be reckoned with. See Ben Felder’s story on P. 33.

— Jennifer Chancellor, editor-in-chief

NEWS

26

39

LIFE

LIFE

4

Legal: domestic violence

14

OKG picks

33

Cover: small-market basketball

6

Education: Russell Westbrook Reading Room

19

35

Sports: Steve Zabel

36

Sudoku / Crossword

8

Education: PSAT

Food & Drink: ¡Viva Sabor!, Hirst Hospitality Awards, Refreshing the Palate, OKG eat: exotic food

Metro briefs

26

OKG shop: body modifications

39

9

28

Health: Morquio syndrome

10

Chicken-Fried News

Music: Olivia Newton-John, Trout Fishing in America, event listings, Wildcat! Wildcat!

Commentary

29

Culture: Rock Your Mocs

43

12

30

Visual Arts: Art Connections

12

Letters

Film: OK OUT: The Oklahoma GLBT International Film Festival, Birdman

31

Performing Arts: W. Kamau Bell

45

Astrology

32

Books: Oklahoma’s Most Notorious Cases

46

Classifieds

MISSION STATEMENT Oklahoma Gazette’s mission is to stimulate, examine and inform the public on local quality of life issues and social needs, to recognize community accomplishments, and to provide a forum for inspiration, participation and interaction across all media.

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NEWS LEGAL

P ROVI DED

Deadly battle The statistics of domestic violence in Oklahoma show grim trends, which local law enforcement and lawmakers are working to change.

Visitors listen to speakers at a Wreath of Hope Ceremony honoring victims of domestic violence last month.

Chris Ross, district attorney for three counties, knows countless statistics about domestic violence in Oklahoma.

For example, he knows that Oklahoma police responded to nearly 23,000 domestic violence cases in 2013, which is estimated to be less than half of the number of actual instances in the state.

He also knows that 80 percent of domestic violence victims or witnesses will request that their cases be dropped and domestic violence reports peak between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Sundays.

But ask him why, nationally, Oklahoma has the third highest number of woman killed by domestic violence and he is stumped.

“It is kind of baffling to me as to why we are so high,” said Ross, who is district attorney for Pontotoc, Hughes and Seminole counties.

The facts

The Violence Policy Center gave our state the ranking, but it’s only one of many reports that prove that law enforcement and communities are sometimes hostile and unjust toward women.

For example, Oklahoma leads the nation in incarceration rates among women and has the third worst rate of female representatives in government, and the Center for American Progress labeled Oklahoma second to last on its list of which states are best for women, taking into account various statistics on health, reproductive rights, employment and pay.

Of all the ways Oklahoma women might be worse off than in other states, it having the third highest murder rate remains the most serious.

“It’s a huge problem that until an NFL player got caught on tape, there hasn’t been a lot of national uproar about it,” said Ross, referring to a video of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking out his wife in an elevator.

In the weeks following the release of the video, public scrutiny of the NFL reached an all-time high. But several weeks later, the discussion of domestic violence appears to have receded.

Local laws

However, businesses and prosecutors in Oklahoma are taking steps to save the lives of more Oklahoma women.

Several members of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association, including Ross, have pledged to prosecute every domestic violence case, even if the victim or witness later asks for the charges to be dropped.

“Because police knew that 80 percent of domestic violence cases would be dropped by the witness, many were not investigating them to the fullest. You can understand that,” Ross said.

“But we will not drop on the request of the victim, and what that has resulted in is law enforcement knows that their case will be followed up and there will be court action. We have partnered with law enforcement, and they take it more seriously.”

A new bill signed into law this year also helps police assess domestic violence cases and offer victims appropriate resources.

House Bill 2526 requires police to perform a “lethality assessment” on each domestic violence call. It includes a series of questions designed to help provide better resources to the victim,

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P ROVI DED

BY BEN FELDER

which could include referrals to a shelter, domestic violence intervention program or other social service.

“This gives law enforcement more tools,” said Rep. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, the House author of the bill.

people who are victims have left their abuser and are in a shelter situation.

They need communication so they can get a job.”

Verizon has embraced the issue of domestic violence following the death of a Pennsylvania employee, Amy McGee, who was killed by her husband in 2001.

The company also hosts screenings of a documentary called Telling Amy’s Story, which Oklahoma district attorneys have also been given access to.

“The documentary really highlights the signs of domestic abuse,” Knuth said. “Had [her coworkers] been aware of what those signs were, they may have been able to reach out and offer support that she was not able to get. This really horrific crime made it real for people at Verizon.”

Business initiatives

City and state actions

Chris Ross

Awareness among law enforcement and prosecutors is just one step, advocates say. Businesses need to also be aware of domestic violence and be prepared to take immediate action.

“I think it’s very important that all types of businesses, but particularly large businesses and large employers, embrace this topic,” said Sherry Knuth, associate director of government sales for Verizon’s Oklahoma and Arkansas region.

Verizon sponsors a program called the HopeLine. It collects used cell phones, refurbishes them, adds 3,000 minutes of user time and donates them to shelters to share with domestic violence victims.

“Maybe [a victim] shares their cell phone with their spouse and they don’t have the freedom to call for help or contact a counselor,” Knuth said.

“Also, you may have situations where

Efforts to raise awareness about domestic violence were also on display last month after October was designated as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A Wreath of Hope Ceremony was held on the grounds of the state capitol as community and business leaders placed flags and flowers to represent victims of domestic violence in Oklahoma.

“It’s a growing phenomenon,” Oklahoma Department of Human Services Director Ed Lake said after last month’s ceremony.

“As a community and a society, we all have to look at what we are doing in raising young boys that contributes to this problems. Why are we raising young men that do not have respect for women?

We have to hold people accountable, but you have to start someplace else, not after the problem.”

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Russell’s room OKC Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook opens a reading room at a local school.

BY BEN FELDER

November 5-8

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Students saw an NBA superstar, the superintendent saw 1,200 new books for an underprivileged school and the principal was in tears as she thought about the impact the new Russell Westbrook Reading Room would have at North Highland Elementary in Oklahoma City.

“That’s the kind of excitement you want to see from kids at school,” Westbrook said about the reaction from a handful of students who were waiting for him in the new reading room last Monday.

The students were excited to see Westbrook, but they seemed equally excited when they were told they could start exploring the new reading room, its hundreds of books and its various lounge areas.

Okay, maybe not equally excited.

“I really, really, really, really wanted to meet Russell Westbrook,” fourthgrader Olivia Lambert said. “My hands started shaking [when I saw him]. It was mind-blowing.”

But Lambert said she was also excited about the new reading room, which is painted in Thunder colors and features life-size pictures of Westbrook on many of the walls.

‘It’s emotional’

The reading room was donated through Westbrook’s Why Not? Foundation, which also sponsors Russell’s Reading Challenge in partnership with Scholastic. North Highland’s new reading room includes books, a modular reading center and a stereo CD listening station.

“This is hopefully the first of many,” said Westbrook.

Principal Anita Jones was nearly in tears at the unveiling of the new

NBA star Russell Westbrook stops at Russell’s Reading Room to read books with Lillian (left) and Ayana (right) at North Highland Elementary School. reading room. Partly because of the excitement of having one of basketball’s biggest stars visit her school, but mostly because she understands the impact that improved literacy could have.

“It’s emotional because I want so much for my students and reading is an area that they really struggle in,” Jones said. “We have a library, but for them to know that Russell Westbrook donated a room for them, I think that’s really going to motivate them and encourage them. It’s just special. We are in a high-poverty area, and it just means a lot.”

Nearly a third of OKC Public Schools’ third-grade students scored unsatisfactory on last year’s reading test issued by the state as literacy continues to be a challenge not just in local schools but across the state.

As education and government leaders continue to debate ways to improve reading skills in students, increasing access to books and creating a fun environment to read in could be one solution at North Highland and the other schools in which Westbrook says he hopes to create reading rooms.

“We now have more books that these students have access to,” Superintendent Robert Neu said. “It’s a beautiful room, and it has such a significant meaning that an NBA superstar was here to give this gift to these kids. It’s a huge message.”

FOR MORE, read our Oklahoma Gazette cover story on P.33.

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BEN FELDER

Testing the waters OKC schools offer the PSAT for free with a goal to increase college attendance.

Sophomore and junior students at Capitol Hill High School prepare to take the PSAT, which was offered free across the OKC district for the first time.

BY BEN FELDER

“A goal without a plan is just a wish,” is a popular quote by Antoine de SaintExupéry, a French poet from the early 20th century.

For Ryan Patten, a guidance counselor at Capitol Hill High School, that saying articulates the challenge he sees with many of his students who have a goal to someday go to college but lack much of a plan.

“For a lot of these kids, that’s what it is,” Patten said. “They say they want to go to college, but they don’t know what it takes to get from point A to B.” College visits, applying for financial assistance and maintaining good grades are all part of the planning process for college. But often, that journey begins with the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), the standardized test that is almost universally used for college admissions.

Counselors like Patten recommend taking the test as early as sophomore year and then again a year or two later in an effort to improve and hopefully increase the chances for admission. However, in a school like Capitol Hill that serves mostly low-income students, like so many of the high schools in Oklahoma City, spending any amount of money to take the test each time can be a barrier.

That’s why the OKC district offers the preliminary SAT (PSAT) to every sophomore and junior student free of charge this week in an effort to open the college door to more students.

“Some of the students have a hard time getting a dollar for jean day, so

getting $14 for this test, especially when they don’t understand the importance, is extremely difficult,” Patten said. “In other [more affluent] schools, students are hearing about the importance of this test from an early age, so it’s just expected that they will pay to take it.”

Turning wishes into reality

A free PSAT is viewed as a way to help OKC students turn their wish of going to college into a plan. And for many students, the wish to go to college is there.

“I will probably be the first one in my family to go to college, and my family has been wanting me to do that since my grades have been going up,” said sophomore Kelly Herera, who, like most of her classmates, raised her hand when asked who plans to go to college after graduation.

Herera wants to go college, but she admits the PSAT probably wouldn’t be on her radar if it were not being offered for free.

“I think taking it this year will help me get better and improve next year when I take it again,” Herera said.

Without a free opportunity to take the test, Herera’s likely decision not to pay for it would have been the norm in the district. Last year, just 20 sophomore students in the district took the PSAT, a small fraction of the 200 students from all grades that took the test.

The district’s investment of $41,000 to offer the test represents one of the first changes Superintendent Robert Neu incorporated after coming to the district

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Some of the students have a hard time getting a dollar for jean day, so getting $14 for this test, especially when they don’t understand the importance, is extremely difficult.

— Ryan Patten last summer. Free PSATs were something he offered in his previous district in Federal Way, Washington, and even before he officially started in Oklahoma City, Neu announced he wanted to offer the test for free here. “[The tests were taken] during the school day, so it was an equity issue,” Neu said in an interview last summer.

“So many of our kids don’t have transportation, don’t have resources to get to school on a Saturday to take the test and don’t have [the money] to pay for the test.”

Neu said offering the PSAT for free in Federal Way increased participation in the SAT from 25 percent to 94 percent.

Besides giving students the chance to see where they need to improve academically in order to prepare for college, Neu said many students who take the test are surprised at how well they did

and can develop confidence.

“Students who didn’t think they had the skills performed at a level [on the test] that surprised them, and all of a sudden, they thought, ‘I can be that student. I can be college-bound. I can be in the more rigorous programs of study,’” Neu said.

Results from the PSAT will also be shared with the district so that student weaknesses can be identified, which can be more valuable during sophomore year compared to junior or senior year.

“Based on students’ PSAT scores, the College Board will provide an AP potential report; this data identifies students who are likely to be successful in certain courses,” said Cathy Seward, advanced academic coordinator for the district. “This information is helpful to school counselors and teachers when students need career guidance.”

The district also hopes to identify students who might qualify for the National Merit Scholarship or the National Hispanic Recognition Program.

In an education system in which high-stakes testing is sometimes viewed as a problem, the Oklahoma City district hopes the PSAT is one low-pressure opportunity for students to develop a deeper understanding of what it takes to go to college and determine where they need to improve.

“It’s free, and you get to see where you are at and what you know,” sophomore Mina Quillen said a day before taking the test. “And then next year, you get to take it again for free.”

Toast to the Maestro

METRO BRIEFS

Featuring Honored Artist of the Russian Federation

Maestro Valery Kuleshov Jenny Brown, Karen Rose Coleman and Jill DeLozier

Sibling strength Two sisters walk and run to help find a cure for cancer.

P ROVI DE D

and other performences by faculty and students

6 pm, Thursday, November 20 at the UCO Jazz Lab $75 – Benefiting the All Steinway Initiative

Heavy Hors d’oeuvres, champagne cocktails, wine and gourmet coffee bar

BY BEN FELDER

Couple wins legal fees

A couple who successfully defeated Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriage recently learned that they also will have legal fees paid by the county clerk’s office that fought against their effort.

Mary Bishop and Sharon Baldwin filed a lawsuit against Tulsa County and won in district court earlier this year.

An appeal from the county made its way to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled this summer that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.

Same-sex couples were granted the right to marry on Oct. 6. The Circuit Court said that District Judge Terence

Kern, who ruled in favor of the couple earlier this year, should determine the amount to be paid by Tulsa County.

Ward 2 candidates P ROVI DED

Less than five months before the next round of Oklahoma City Council elections, Ward 2 is the first confirmed race between multiple candidates.

James Cooper, 32, lives in the Paseo neighborhood and intends to run for city council against incumbent Ed Shadid. Cooper is an adjunct English professor at the UCO and OCU, where he also teaches film studies.

“A passionate advocate for human rights and LGBT equality, Cooper is actively engaged in local and national political issues,” Cooper’s campaign said in a statement to Oklahoma Gazette.

Shadid, who has announced his intention to seek re-election in 2015, is an independent who lost his bid for mayor earlier this year against Mayor Mick Cornett. Council seats in wards 2, 5, 6 and 8 are up for election in March.

Say what?

“The group’s taken off so quickly in just several weeks. What can we do in two to three years?”

Those were the thoughts of Jeremy Estle, a board member with the League of Oklahomanss for Change in Alcohol Laws (LOCAL), about his group’s growth in recent weeks.

With the goal of promoting updates to the state’s liquor laws, which include a lack of high-point sales at the site of a brewery, LOCAL hosts Free The Taps 5 p.m. Monday at Roughtail Brewing Company, 1279 N. Air Depot Blvd., in Midwest City. The event will raise money and educate attendees about current liquor laws.

RSVP by November 16 to Blair Quiring at 405-974-3768 or bquiring@uco.edu U N I V E R S I T Y

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One in four victims of lung cancer have never smoked.

But even for those who did, suffering from a disease that has a 17 percent survival rate is something no one deserves, said Jill DeLozier.

“There is a huge stigma with lung cancer that you don’t see with other forms of cancer,” said DeLozier, who recently helped organize her first Free to Breathe 5K Run/Walk and 1-Mile Walk in Oklahoma City.

She wants it to be an annual event.

The Free to Breathe organization seeks to raise awareness and funding for the treatment of lung cancer and hosts run/walk events across the country.

Jenny Brown, DeLozier’s sister, and she lost their mother, Karen Rose Coleman, to lung cancer in 2006.

“There are all types of other causes.

If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer,” DeLozier said, quoting statistics from the American Cancer Society.

CHiCKEN CKEN

FR FRiED iED NEWS

Oklahoma’s favorite color

According to a study recently published by livability.com, Yukon made the top ten list of Best Cities for Conservatives.

Consider us shocked. Well, color us shocked.

Residents of the formerly agricultural town are becoming more urbanized in recent years, but they still put a premium price on family values and going to church on Sundays. Most of Yukon is in the Third Congressional district, with Frank Lucas at its helm.

He is a vocal supporter of gun rights and is against that darn Environmental Protection Agency meddling in his district’s business.

Although Yukon was not No. 1 — it was No. 6 — it does share the top ten with the hotbed of culture, Odessa, Texas, and No. 1, Alabaster, Alabama, which has not had a Democratic presidential candidate win since 1968.

Jesus, take the tab

A woman spent the night in Lawton City Jail because her husband failed to show up for their date, and she had no money to pay the tab, KWSO.com recently reported.

Kristi Rhines waited at El Chico and told the staff that her husband, Jesus Christ, would be along shortly.

She ordered several adult beverages, which seems silly — as the big guy could have just changed her water to margaritas — and food before the restaurant owners started to suspect that her husband, regardless of his pedigree, was a no-show.

In his defense, he is a busy guy.

Maybe he just got caught up doing a miracle or showing off his “walking on water” trick.

It’s rumored that, as Rhines was carted off to the pokey, she was overheard humming the tune to Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz.” But please don’t get your hopes up, Ms. Rhines (or would that be Mrs. Christ?).

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Better jobs at what cost?

Gov. Mary Fallin recently made a campaign stop in Hugo, where she spoke to residents and local leaders about her plans to grow the economy, create better jobs and keep taxes low.

“Creating jobs is going to help build a stronger, more vibrant economy and making sure our children have a good job when they get out of high school, career tech or college itself,” she said.

That’s totally awesome.

She also signed a ban on a proposed minimum wage increase back in April.

Perhaps there’s another way to ensure that they’ll earn living wages with all these new skillsets.

Hare, hare!

The U.S. government might not be spending enough money on Ebola research, which could come in handy as the disease spreads across West Africa.

But next time a small animal cramps up after playing in the backyard, Uncle Sam will be ready.

The National Institutes of Health spent $387,000 last year to research the effect of Swedish massages on rabbits, an expenditure that was pointed out by Sen. Tom Coburn in his annual report on wasteful government spending, also known as Wastebook.

NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins drew attention last month when he said increased funding over the past 10 years for Ebola research would probably have resulted in a vaccine.

An extra $387,000 probably wouldn’t have resulted in a vaccine, but Coburn’s Wastebook highlight of rabbit massages shows that maybe there is a way to reprioritize some money.

“Rabbits were outfitted with nerve cuffs that stimulated their muscles while their feet were attached to pedals,” reported US News.

“Following exercise, some of the

animals were stroked by a machine imitating Swedish massages — either immediately after exercise or following a delay — and another group was not given massages. Researchers determined rabbits that received 30-minute massages immediately after exercise recovered the fastest.”

Before you get too jealous of the rabbits, you should know that they were euthanized.

Marching forward

And this one time at band camp, all the students were angry and asked the band director to leave forever.

Wait. What? That’s not the joke everyone has told since American Pie

hit theaters in 1999.

Recently, current and past members of The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band at the University of Oklahoma purchased an ad in The Oklahoman, demanding that OU President David Boren do something about the band director, Justin Stolarik, who they said was mismanaging the organization.

Students said they didn’t know what else to do since they had been forced to sign a sketchy participation agreement that kept them from voicing any displeasure with the organization.

“We just want to learn and we are tired of our time being squandered by ineffective leadership and poor instruction,” the ad said.

NewsOK.com reported that the ad was paid for by 80 alumni members.

Boren struck down the agreement, saying it should never have been put into place, and then invited students to meet with him so they could voice their concerns and he could further address their needs.

Stolarik repeatedly refused to talk to any media during the uprising and eventually tendered his resignation.

Former band director and OU alumnus

Brian Britt, who directed the OU Pride for 12 years, will return to the helm.

Left foot forward, fellow band nerds. March on.

He’s a man-eater

They may be outnumbered, but Oklahoma atheists are a feisty bunch.

Their latest battle with Christians is about a painting of two children praying in front of an American flag, which adorns the main office of Putnam City School District’s Kenneth Cooper Middle School.

The image — which basically says to children, “God loves America, and you should too” — is the latest target of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, a Madison, Wisconsinbased nonprofit and staunch defender of the separation of church and state.

The foundation demanded the painting be removed and hopefully destroyed after it was reportedly contacted by a parent.

But parent Dwaine Curtis, American, doesn’t see what the big deal is.

“You see pictures like that all the time hanging up everywhere,” Curtis told News9.com. “[It] doesn’t bother me any and shouldn’t bother anyone else.”

Yep. Everywhere.

In fact, we have one here at the Gazette office — only instead of two children, it’s Hall & Oates. You get the gist, though.

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COMMENTARY

Tuition-free college for Oklahomans?

BY VANCE FRIED

Do we want to make college tuition-free for Oklahomans and simultaneously reduce government spending?

Amazingly, this option is possible today because of the emergence of highquality, low-cost colleges.

In 1997, Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating joined a bipartisan group of 19 western states’ governors to create Western Governors University (WGU).

“The 21st century has just arrived in Oklahoma,” Keating said at the time. “This 21st-century approach to post-secondary education combines the best and the brightest from all western states, along with today’s technology, to provide an affordable and broad range of higher education opportunities for Oklahomans whether they are at home, on the job, or in class.”

WGU is an independent, nonprofit university with fully accredited, online, competency-based bachelor’s- and

master’s-level education for more than 45,000 students from all over the U.S. Average total tuition for a bachelor’s degree is $17,000. Other schools are following WGU’s lead by creating similar low-cost, competency-based programs. For example, College for America recently introduced a $10,000 bachelor’s degree.

WGU and College for America receive no state government subsidy and are funded by student tuition. However, they still cost substantially less than in-state tuition at Oklahoma’s public regional colleges.

How is this done? First, the schools only provide education. For example, WGU does not conduct research or provide students with “college life.”

Second, a non-traditional faculty model cuts costs yet provides more personal guidance and deeper feedback than the traditional model. As I wrote in

a recent report published by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, soon, schools will offer blended undergraduate programs combining similar approaches with “college life” at a cost of $3,000 to $5,000 a year.

All this means great savings to students and taxpayers compared to our current model.

Few schools charge six-month flatrate tuition that allows students to take as many courses as they want, but these redesigned schools do. Eight months of school is $4,000. Comparatively, in-state tuition at the University of Central Oklahoma is about $7,230 (tuition and fees for a business undergraduate taking 30 hours a year). However, UCO receives about $8,460 in state subsidies for each in-state student.

What should the state of Oklahoma do to encourage the spread of highquality/low-cost education?

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

Policymakers could copy Wisconsin, forcing change on the state system by creating a new WGU-style public college. Or they could keep it simpler and cheaper by using vouchers to encourage students to attend WGU and similar schools.

Perhaps the first step is to copy the low-cost approach taken by Indiana.

In 2010, Indiana created WGUIndiana — what then-Governor Mitch Daniels referred to as the “eighth state university.” It isn’t really a part of the Indiana state system and does not receive a state subsidy. Rather, it is a private, nonprofit institution formally established by the state in partnership with WGU. Texas, Washington, Tennessee and Missouri have all followed Indiana’s lead.

Why not Oklahoma?

Vance H. Fried is Riata Professor of Entrepreneurship at Oklahoma State University and a research fellow at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA).

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

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

Critical thinking

Allen Hutson’s commentary on the workforce readiness of college graduates (Commentary, “Are college grads workforce-ready?” Sept. 17, Oklahoma Gazette) suffers from a fundamental misunderstanding of higher education.

Hutson wrote, “Most college students do not treat college like they are preparing for an 8-to-5 job. But that is the purpose of college.” No, it isn’t. That has never been the historical purpose of college at any point, nor is it the present purpose of college. The mission statements of the University of Oklahoma and the University of Central Oklahoma nowhere mention preparing students for an 8-to-5 job or any sort of job for that matter. UCO promises as its goal “a transformational education”

leading to “more productive, creative, ethical and engaged citizens and leaders.”

More eloquent than most, this mission statement is typical in that UCO, like OU and OSU, is not trying to serve as the training center for local employers.

Historically, colleges encourage and foster the generation of new ideas, original problem solving and thoughtful articulation of ideas and solutions so society will benefit from these qualities in ways the college cannot readily anticipate.

An education that prepares a student for a particular job or range of jobs is no education at all. It’s called training.

Universities educate critical human beings; they do not train workers.

Students take their educations home and contribute to economies that prize innovative and creative models of thinking. Some of our business leaders bemoan the inapplicability of college educations to their immediate needs, but future economic leaders look for the besteducated workforce they can find.

— Michael Lee Norman Freedom from and of religion

Robin Meyers (Commentary, “If only I was a corporation,” Aug. 6, Gazette) has once again found something to frown

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disapprovingly over ... but then, we always knew that he would, didn’t we? No matter what Robin may wish to think, the court made a valid decision in the Hobby Lobby case, recognizing that, yes, the Greens do indeed have freedom from the religion of their employees.

After all, freedom from religion and freedom of religion are mutually required things: where you do not have one, you do not have either, and any claims that one is more important than the other are symptoms of a failure to pay enough consideration to their natures and needs.

It is a shame that it had to come to this; let us hope that Congress eventually replaces mandatory insurance with a

health care voucher extension to the minimum wage, thereby eliminating the entire argument in one fell swoop. That the health care mandate was ever included is a sign of the tunnel vision Democrats hold in respect to health care.

And Robin? Your tax metaphor is directly equivalent to saying that you have a moral say in respect to how I spend money that you have given to me as payment — all moral responsibility ends when the dollar changes hands. Your moral responsibility in regard to taxes is political in nature, not fiscal. Otherwise everyone must be a slave to everyone else.

— Jared Maddox Oklahoma City

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recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members.

For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS Book Lecture & Discussion, Michael Korenblit, cofounder of the Respect Diversity Foundation and author of Until We Meet Again: A True Story of Love and Survival in the Holocaust, will discuss his parents’ experience in fighting to survive the Holocaust, 7 p.m., Nov. 6.

University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. THU Made-from-scratch local fare, full-service bar and server-attended lanes!

On the Canal in Lower Bricktown.

405.702.8880

BOWLING LOUNGE

OKC Christian Fiction Writers Mini-Conference, award-winning author James L. Rubart will present three sessions on fiction writing, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Nov. 8. Memorial Road Church of Christ, 2221 E. Memorial Rd., 478-0166, mrcc.org. SAT Aprille Franks-Hunt Book Signing, author of Confessions of an Independent Woman, 3 p.m., Nov. 8.

Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT Timothy Trujillo Book Signing, author of Tsunami Effect, the story about the healing power of compassion, 2 p.m., Nov. 9. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SUN Poetry Reading, guest reader Robin Schultz, who founded Poetry Around publishing company, 2 p.m., Nov. 9. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman. SUN Kent Frates Book Signing, lawyer and author of Oklahoma’s Most Notorious Cases, 6:30 p.m., Nov. 11.

Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. TUE Let’s Talk About It, book discussion over The American Cafe by Sara Hoklotubbe, 7 p.m., Nov. 11. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 208-5000, okcu. edu. TUE

George’s Happy Hog Bar-B-Q

FILM Of Mice and Men, cinema showing of the Broadway play featuring James Franco and Chris O’Dowd, 7 p.m., Nov. 6. Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 424-0461, cinemark.com. THU

Big Apple Circus: Metamorphosis, live showing of New York’s original one-ring circus, 11:30 a.m., Nov. 8.

Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 424-0461, cinemark.com. SAT Barbara, (Germany, 2012, dir. Christian Petzold) a young doctor mistakenly applies for an exit visa and is banished to a small hospital in the country; she must weigh her options whether to escape or not, 2 p.m., Nov. 9. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 208-5000, okcu.edu. SUN Grumpy Old Men, (US, 1993, dir, Donald Petrie) a rivalry between two neighbors started when one stole the other’s high school sweetheart; decades later and the feud continues and then worsens when a new female neighbor moves to the area, 7 p.m., Nov. 11. Harkins Theatre, 150 E. Reno Ave,, 231-4747, harkinstheatres. com. TUE

HAPPENINGS DAVI D S HA N KBON E

OKG picks are events

Mistletoe Market, one-stop shop for your holiday shopping needs; clothing, food, gifts, jewelry and more, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Nov. 6-7; 10 a.m-5 p.m., Nov. 8.

Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. THU-SAT IgniteOKC, a night of speakers and what taste means to them, ranging from being tasteful on social media, tasty food, taste in life and more; 5 minute talks with 12 speakers, 7 p.m., Nov. 6. IAO Art Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave., 232-6060, iaogallery.org. THU

Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema

Vintage Market Days, vintage goods and decor; original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry and other vintage goods, 1-6 p.m., Nov. 7; 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Nov. 8; noon-4 p.m., Nov. 9. Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., 232-6506, okcfarmersmarket.com. THU-SAT Potted Paperwhites, make your own potted paperwhite in a glass jar; they make great gifts for the upcoming holidays and growing projects for kids and families, 10-11:30 a.m., Nov. 8. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, myriadgardens.org. SAT

FOOD

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art hosts films by the most familiar names in Polish cinema with the series Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema. Sixteen films, including Man of Iron by Andrzej Wajda (1981) on Thursday; Ashes and Diamonds by Andrzej Wajda (1958) and Innocent Sorcerers by Andrzej Wajda (1960) on Friday; Pharaoh by Jerzy Kawalerowicz (1965), Mother Joan of the Angels by Jerzy Kawalerowicz (1960) and The Promised Land by Andrzej Wajda (1974) on Saturday. Tickets are $55 for museum members and $70 for non-members. Visit okcmoa.com or call 236-8206.

Fall Herb Pairing and Tasting, chef Kamala Gamble of Kam’s Kookery discusses fall herbs and vegetables and ways to prepare them, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Nov. 6.

Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, myriadgardens.org. THU

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Chili Bowl Here’s the scoop: The 7th Annual Chili Bowl will feature more than 40 contestants and celebrity judges Bonnie Amspacher of The Diner; Jamie Swain of Sooner Legends; Tom Huston of the OU School of Drama; and Byron Price, author of Chuck Wagon Cookbook: Recipes from the Ranch and the Range for Today’s Kitchen.

Varieties available for public sampling include red, white, green, veggie, vegan and more. Tickets start at $10, and the event runs 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, at Lightwell Gallery in the OU School of Art & Art History, 520 Parrington Oval, in Norman. Call 325-2691. Reserve your spot now.

Wednesday, Nov. 12

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OKBio BrewFest, beer-tasting event featuring over 15 vendors, 5-7 p.m., Nov. 6. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, milb.com. THU Hooray for the Holidays and Food, registered dietitian Pam Patty will go over how to make holiday favorites using fresh and simple ingredients, 9-10:30 a.m., Nov. 7. Integris Southwest Medical Center, 4200 S. Douglas Ave., 951-2277, integrisok.com. SAT Viva Sabor, tasting of fine wines, imported liquors and foods from a variety of local restaurants; opportunity for businesses and professionals to network, 6-10 p.m., Nov. 7. Waters Edge Winery, 712 N. Broadway Ave., 616-5031, wewokc.net. FRI Refreshing the Palette, wine-tasting and art show benefiting the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, 4-6 p.m., Nov. 9. Metro Wine Bar & Bistro, 6418 N. Western Ave., 840-9463, metrowinebar.com. SUN The ABCs of What You Eat: Pumpkins, facts and nutritional information about pumpkins; learn how to select the perfect pumpkin and recipes, 10 a.m., Nov. 11.

Buy For Less, 3501 Northwest Expressway, 946-6342, buyforlessok.com. TUE

Great Steaks, Great feelings

P ROVI DED

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY PARTIES NOW!

Broadway Tonight with Jimmy Webb Grammy Award-winner, country crooner and Elk City native Jimmy Webb is one of the most prolific songwriters of the last century. He has written for Glen Campbell, Frank Sinatra, Simon and Garfunkel, Elvis and many more.

In Oklahoma Voices, part of the University of Central Oklahoma’s Broadway Tonight series, he will perform hits including “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” “Up, Up and Away” and “MacArthur Park” at 7:30 p.m.

Friday at Mitchell Hall Theatre, 100 N. University Drive, in Edmond. Tickets are $45. Call 9743375 or visit click4tix.com/uco.

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Friday

YOUTH Building Buddies, interactive village where children can play; build, decorate, paint, construct and tile, Nov. 5-12. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 602-6664, sciencemuseumok. org. WED-WED Yoga for Kids, yoga just for the little ones; ages 7-11, 4:15-5 p.m., Nov.5; ages 4-6, 4:15-5 p.m., Nov. 10. YogaVerve, 16501 N. Shawnee Ave., Edmond.

WED, MON Chemistry Day, learn how basic chemistry impacts our daily lives; chemical reactions and hands-on activities, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Nov. 7. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. FRI Free Crafts for Kids, make your own harvest headdress. 11 a.m.-3 p.m, Nov. 8. Lakeshore Learning Store, 6300 N. May Ave., 858-8778, lakeshorelearning.com. SAT EdmoWriMo, workshop for writers ages 12-18 led by author Sonia Gensler, author of The Dark Between and The Revenant, 7-8:30 p.m., Nov. 11.

Edmond Library, 10 S. Boulevard St., Edmond, 341-9282, metrolibrary.org. TUE

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | N OV E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 | 1 5

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A Portable Landscape: Frank Reaugh’s Paintings of the Southwest is Friday’s topic of discussion at 7 p.m. at the Mary Eddy and Fred Jones Auditorium of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., in Norman. Peter F. Mears, curator of art at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, will lead the forum. He describes Reaugh as “a restless and intrepid traveler… [whose] sketch trips, taken throughout Texas and the greater Southwest for over 50 years, remained central to his creative process.” This event is open to the public. Call 325-5939.

Friday

PERFORMING ARTS W. Kamau Bell with Zach Sherwin, comedy show also featuring local performers Zach Smith and Cameron Buchholtz, 8-10 p.m., Nov. 6. Oklahoma Contemporary, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., oklahomacontemporary. org. THU David Berkman & the New York Standards Quartet, jazz performance, 8 p.m., Nov. 6. UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E. Fifth St., Edmond, 359-7989, ucojazzlab.com. THU Consider the Oyster, comedy by David MacGregor; Gene breaks his leg and the oyster shell the doctor left in his leg to help it heal causes Gene to slowly turn into a female, 7:30 p.m., Nov. 6; 8 p.m., Nov. 7-8.

Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main St., 232-6500, carpentersquare.com. THU-SAT Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, musical based on the 1973 play, 8 p.m., Nov. 7-8; 2 p.m., Nov. 9. Reduxion Theatre Company, 914 N. Broadway Ave., Ste. 120, 651-3191, reduxiontheatre. com. FRI-SUN To Kill A Mockingbird, musical concert of the original music to the movie performed by the Edmond Chamber Orchestra, 3 p.m., Nov. 9. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. SUN

ACTIVE Applied Metaphysics, tools to develop greater self awareness; learn universal laws and truths to cooperate with the inner laws that create and govern physical reality, 7:30-10:30 p.m., Nov. 6. School of Metaphysics, 908 NW 12th St. THU

Shop Talk: Eight Ways to Stress-less, fitness instructor Gail Sullivan offers tips to de-stress and relax, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Nov. 7. PACER Fitness Center, 5520 N. Independence Ave., 949-3891, integrisok. com. FRI The Hollywood Workout, 50 minutes of strength training followed by 50 minutes of cycling led by instructor Kelly Hancock, 8:30-10:30 a.m., Nov. 8.

PACER Fitness Center, 5520 N. Independence Ave., 949-3891, integrisok.com. SAT OU Sooners vs. Baylor Bears, college football, 11 a.m., Nov. 8. Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium, 180 W. Brooks, Norman. SAT OKC Barons vs. Toronto Marlies, professional hockey game, 8 p.m., Nov. 8. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. SAT OKC Thunder vs. Sacramento Kings, NBA basketball, 6 p.m., Nov. 9. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., chesapeakearena.com. SUN KIND Yoga Series, all-levels Vinyasa-style yoga class, 5:45-6:45 p.m., Nov. 11. Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 297-3995, myriadgardens.com. TUE

VISUAL ARTS Art Connections, a collaborative exhibit featuring artist Chad Woolbright, photographer Danny Deen, painter Suzzane Peck, sculptor Link Cowen and welder Dan Garrett. In Your Eye Studio & Gallery, 3005-A Paseo, 525-2161, inyoureyegallery.com.

Can You Hear Me Now?, sculptor Holly Wilson creates figures that act as storytellers of life. Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 360-1162, mainsite-art.com.

Connie Seabourn, contemporary artist known for her watercolors and bright, bold screen-printing.

Paseo Gallery One, 2927 Paseo St., facebook.com/ paseogalleryone.

Hunter Roth, multi-talented artist; features geometric paintings and woodcut figures along with Oklahoma landscapes. Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 360-1162, mainsite-art.com.

Cowboy Artists of America Expo, showcase of art from the Cowboy Artists of America and the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 4782250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Jeff Sparks, mythologically inspired works. DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., 525-3499, dnagalleries. com.

Denise Duong & Timothy Chapman, exhibit of these talented painter’s works of art. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 528-6336, jrbartgallery.com.

Dialogos E Interpretaciones II: The Americas, North and South American print exchange featuring over 50 artists. Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 360-1162, mainsite-art.com.

Girl Talk II, create contemporary mixed-media figures using unique texture and colors, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Nov. 8. Paseo School of Art, 3110-A N. Paseo St., 205-8990, paseoschoolofart.com. SAT Glass Act Part II, powdered glass exhibit; plates, decorative shapes, bowls and more. Jann Jeffrey Gallery, 3018 Paseo St., 607-0406, jannjeffrey.com.

SAT Horsehair Pottery Exhibition, exhibit of horsehair pottery by White Antelope; highlights the beauty of Native American art form. The Summer Wine Art Gallery, 2928 B Paseo St., 831-3279, summerwinegallery.com.

Just Watercolors, exhibit of local artist and instructor Jim Pourtorkan. Edmond Library, 10 S. Boulevard St., Edmond, 341-9282, metrolibrary.org.

My Generation: Young Chinese Artists, new generations of artists examine their homeland from a global perspective; painters, video artists, installation artists and more. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com.

Play Time, Draw the Line, chalk exhibit featuring Josette Simon-Gestin. Nault Fine Art, 816 North Walker Ave., 642-4414, naultfineart.com.

Scavange, FRINGE art show featuring Jeanne Turnage, Van Lango and Debra Ashley who used found objects to create art. AKA Gallery, 3001 Paseo St., 606-2522, akagallery.net.

Shane Cox, realist oil painter from Oklahoma. Red Dirt Gallery, 13100 N. Colony Pointe Blvd., Piedmont, 657-6207, reddirtartists.com.

Somewhere In Between, exhibit by sisters Betty and Rose Refour; paintings of vibrant textural abstracts and whimsical characters. The Project Box, 3003

Sponsors include: The Peace House • Peace Education Institute Social Justice Committee First Unitarian Church •Bob Lemon Oklahoma Observer • Kay Adair •Home Creations

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Sermon: Native American Massacre A historical sermon addresses the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 in Colorado. Bishop Elaine Stanovsky of the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Conference will speak.

The week before the event, U.S. United Methodist bishops were in Oklahoma City studying issues that impact Native Americans. The sermon is open to the public and takes place 10:45 a.m. Sunday in the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel at Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. For OKG Blackwelder Ave.

Sunday

music picks see page 41

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www.midfirst.jobs O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | N OV E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 | 1 7

EXPERIENCE FIRST FRIDAY GALLERY WALK Friday, November 7, 2014 6-10pm

JUSTIN YOUNG - SAXOPHONIST — 6:30-8:30pm

The Container Show Show, opening reception First Friday in the

Paseo Art Space. Originally inspired by artist Michi Susan, this juried exhibition challenges artists to create a mixed media work of art that can be described as a container.

20 Galleries, 75 Artists, Restaurants, Boutiques, Art and Education ARTS DISTRICT

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405.525.2688 www.thepaseo.com

local

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LIFE FOOD & DRINK The festival also features the first public screening of award-winning short film Habitos Curiosos (Curious Habits).

Viva partido!

Guests revel in culture, movie screenings, live music and more at last year’s ¡Viva Sabor! celebration.

¡Viva Sabor! celebrates the best of Oklahoma City’s Latin community.

BY GREG HORTON

6-10 P.M. FRIDAY WATERS EDGE WINERY 712 N. BROADWAY AVE. OKCHISPANICCHAMBER.ORG/ PAGES/VIVASABOR 616-5031 $35

Waters Edge Winery will host the third annual ¡Viva Sabor!, the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s signature event that features Latin food, beverages, business and entertainment.

“In previous years, we have had as many as 300 guests,” said Emma Dean Kratochwill of the Hispanic Chamber, “but we have to cut it off at 250 this year.” ¡Viva Sabor! means “long live flavor,” and the festival offers food, drink, live music, movie screenings and more 6-10 p.m. Friday at Waters Edge Winery, 712 N. Broadway Ave. Tickets to this year’s event can only be purchased in advance due to space limitations at the winery.

Several area restaurants will be serving food at ¡Viva Sabor!, including festival newbies Chiltepes Latin Cuisine & Bar and El Fogón de Edgar.

Admission includes food from

participating restaurants as well as unlimited samples of premium tequila and imported beer provided by Byron’s Liquor Warehouse and wine from Waters Edge Winery.

All ages are welcome, and guests age 21 and over will receive drink wristbands.

This year, ¡Viva Sabor! also features the first public screening of awardwinning filmmaker Rogelio Almeida Marquez’s new short film Habitos Curiosos (Curious Habits), a 20-minute comedy centered around roommates in what Marquez called a “when the cat’s away, the mice will play” scenario.

Omar Godinez, a Mexican national and frequent Marquez collaborator, wrote the script.

The two teamed up for the award-winning La Mercancia (The Merchandise), an official selection for the DeadCENTER Film Festival that also won three awards at the 2013 Redbud Film Festival, an annual event sponsored by the University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences.

La Mercancia also will be screened at ¡Viva Sabor!

Marquez said the film is about

a boy who must choose whether or not to raise money for his mother’s surgery by working for a drug dealer.

It earned best actor for Omar Godinez, best cinematography for Marquez and audience choice awards at Redbud.

PHOTOS TANG O PUBLIC RELATIONS / PROVID ED

¡Viva Sabor!

Both projects were filmed in OKC’s Hispanic communities and are in Spanish.

“We’re excited to premiere Curious Habits for the public,” Marquez said.

“As part of the event, we will also be promoting Oklahoma City’s very first Latino Film Festival.”

In addition to the movie screenings upstairs, the Samantha Rose Band will perform its blend of pop, country and Southern rock. Rose has been featured in the Chevy Music Showcase series in downtown OKC and has performed across the state.

Event sponsors include La Oaxaqueña Bakery, Cocina de Mino, El Fogón de Edgar, Chelinos Mexican Restaurant, Great Plains Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Byron’s Liquor Warehouse, Waters Edge Winery and B&B Catering. Media partners include Tango Public Relations, El Nacional Media Group, El Latino American, Telemundo, Univision and Oklahoma Gazette.

For more information, visit okchispanicchamber.org or call Linda Piñon at 616-5031.

Dancers welcome guests to ¡Viva Sabor!

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The Hirst Hospitality Awards honor the heroes of the food industry: restaurant employees.

BY DEVON GREEN

Hirst Hospitality Awards 6 P.M. MONDAY NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM 1700 NE 63RD ST. OKRESTAURANTS.COM 942-8181

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The restaurant industry is one of the toughest, most thankless jobs with long hours, painful shoes and, sometimes, unhappy customers.

Luckily, through the work of Wayne Hirst and a few of his friends, one night a year, at the Hirst Hospitality Awards, those intrepid employees get their just deserts.

“The way I hear it, [the event] was dreamed up by a few friends over glasses of wine in Napa Valley,” said Patti Colley, who has been with the Oklahoma Restaurant Association (ORA) for nearly 20 years and is now the director of programs and events.

Organizers said the event, now in its 16th year, will host nearly 500 guests.

The ORA puts on several events through the year, including the Hirst Hospitality Awards, Odyssey de Culinaire, Culinary Cook-Off, Thirst for a Cause and others. Most help raise money to educate and train people who want careers in the hospitality industry.

The friends who helped Hirst develop his namesake awards program include co-founders Tad Blood and prominent restaurateurs Peter Holloway and Verej Jazivar.

“Of all the vintners in each state that we have had, they always mention that they have never seen anything like this dinner in any other state they have ever visited. I think it makes Mr. Hirst’s legacy that much more special,” Colley said.

Hirst is a man of passion about food, wine and the service industry,

Wayne Hirst, now retired, speaks during last year’s Hirst Hospitality Awards. and although he has retired from the helm, the event is Hirst’s legacy of his generosity of spirit and his love of the hospitality industry and those who work in it.

“The purpose of the [Hirst] event remains twofold. The primary purpose is to honor outstanding employees from anyone in the hospitality industry,” Colley said. “The second is to raise funds for the Oklahoma Hospitality Foundation, which provides thousands of dollars of scholarships to hospitality and culinary schools across the state.”

The event is one of pomp and circumstance, starting with a parade of the honorees into the dining room, where they are treated to a four-course meal with wine pairings.

This year’s dinner is prepared by the chefs of A Good Egg Dining Group.

“Then, the fun part. We immediately start giving out prizes,” Colley said.

Cash prizes total $3,000, and two-thirds of that will be “doled out” through the event in $100 increments, and the last grand is awarded in a souvenir wine bottle. It definitely keeps people staying until the end.”

There is no vetting process: The criteria for choosing honorees — which run the gamut from dishwashers to concierges — is up to the employer’s discretion, who they feel are the best.

The event has at least one guest vintner each year. This year, Rich Frank, owner of Frank Family Vineyards in Napa Valley, will oversee the libations. The former Disney executive founded the wine company around 1992, and his selections now include popular Rutherford Reserve and Napa Valley Sangiovese.

PLEASE JOIN US TM

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329 E. Sheridan Ave.| Oklahoma City, OK 73104 ALL TICKETS GO TO ACM@UCO STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS $5 FOR STUDENTS | $20 FOR ADULTS TO PURCHASE TICKETS VISIT WWW.CENTRALCONNECTION.ORG/ACMBOB2014 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CALL 405-974-3754 This exhibition has been organized by the Tampa Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg and curated by Barbara Pollack.

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THE ACADEMY OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

www.acm-uco.com UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA C O L L E G E

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Birdhead (Chinese, founded 2004). The Light of Eternity No. 3 (detail), 2012. Black and white inkjet print. © Birdhead, courtesy of the artists and ShanghART Gallery Shanghai.

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

BY GREG HORTON

Refreshing the Palate 4-6 P.M. SUNDAY THE METRO WINE BAR & BISTRO 6418 N. WESTERN AVE. OOVAC-OK.ORG 840-9463 $30

For the seventh year, LaVeryl Lower will host Refreshing the Palate, a wine tasting and auction that benefits local artists and Oklahoma Visual Artists Coalition (OVAC) at The Metro Wine Bar & Bistro, 6418 N. Western Ave. Many years ago, Lower combined her love of art and wine when she started commissioning artists to paint classic wine labels. Many of those pieces adorn the walls of the Metro today.

Her concept grew, and since 2008, Lower has featured local artists during her Refreshing the Palate parties.

At this year’s event, Lower will feature her holiday, by-the-glass wine list, so visitors get to taste all 20 wines. Then each artist is assigned one label to reference when creating an original piece of art based on it.

“The goal is not to re-create the label,” Lower said. “Artists are encouraged to create unique pieces with the labels as inspiration.”

In other words, some of the pieces, most of which are 10 inches by 10 inches, will look like the label, while others will be created by going beyond the label’s concept.

The artists work in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media.

Twenty artists will auction their pieces during the wine tasting. Eighty

Christie Owen works on finishing touches a steel wine sculpture, her art submission for Refreshing the Palate, in a work area outside her garage in Edmond. percent of the sales go to the artist, and 20 percent is donated to OVAC, Lower said.

Last year, Christie Owen, a painter and sculptor, created a piece of functional art in the form of a wine holder.

This year, Owen drew Gramercy Cellars L’Idiot du Village, a Rhonestyle blend from the award-winning Washington winery.

“I’m still brainstorming on what I will do this year,” Owen said. “I’m not even sure which medium I will use — probably sculpture — but I don’t want to do something like I did last year.”

Many of the artists are active members of OVAC, including Emily Fiaccone, who is doing her sixth event this year.

Lower bought one of Fiaccone’s mixed media pieces at an OVAC show several years ago and then invited her to join Refreshing the Palate. This year, Fiaccone drew Pietro. Pietro is a family-owned Napa Valley winery.

Fiaccone is also one of the artists who has been creating since childhood. She excelled at art in high school and eventually received an art scholarship to Oklahoma State University. Her mixed media art has evolved over the years, but it has been consistently vibrant and upbeat.

“I feel like I have a playful and colorful personality,” Fiaconne said, “and it comes out when creating my pieces. It is so personal to me because my work shows who I really am.”

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Democratic process With the recent elections behind us, we thought we would revisit one of the principles Oklahoma Gazette was founded on: the idea that everyone should have a voice.

Hence, the annual Best of OKC reader poll was born.

This week, we pulled 2014 winners, finalists and eateries worth mentioning from the contest’s exotic food categories.

— by Devon Green, photos by Mark Hancock, Shannon Cornman

Mr. Pho

Coriander Café

Thai House II

1133 NW 25th St. 525-7692

323 White St., Norman coriandercafe.com 801-3958

500 NW 23rd St. 524-0503

This little noodle shop is tucked away east of Super Cao Nguyen. The menu includes shrimp vermicelli bowls, fresh spring rolls and, of course, pho. Taking pho to-go can be difficult, and Mr. Pho handles it with style. When you get it home, it’s hot, fresh and ready. Dine in and come hungry; there are many tempting items on the menu, and we think you should try them all. Mr. Pho won third place in Best of OKC’s Best Pho Restaurant category.

This charming Campus Corner cafe offers consistently good food that is light and flavorful. People do love choices, but at some point, it’s refreshing to see ingredients in a “build your own” format such as rice bowls, sandwiches and lettuce wraps. As a bonus, have a hankering for a banh mi without jalapeños? No problem. This cafe was listed as one worth mentioning in the 2014 Best of OKC category Best Vietnamese Restaurant.

If you go to Thai House II for the lunch buffet, you have only peeked at the restaurant’s vast menu choices. Try the crispy duck, a perfect blend of sticky, umami goodness that will have your taste buds clamoring for more. It’s served with perfectly cooked white rice to offset the heat. We’re addicted, and you might just get addicted, too. Readers voted Thai House Best Thai Restaurant in this year’s Best of OKC awards.

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Grand House Asian Bistro 2701 N. Classen Blvd. grandhouseokc.com 524-7333

This restaurant gets quite a bit of attention from our readers, who have fantastic tastes. Grand House offers delicacies and traditional favorites that are pleasing to all the senses, especially sight and smell. These are rich, evocative flavors paired with some handsome teas to offset the sweet and spicy of the dishes. Grand House was named Best Chinese Restaurant in this year’s Best of OKC awards.

Shiki Japanese Restaurant

Himalayas Aroma of India

Zorba’s Mediterranean Cuisine

Shiki is a hibachi restaurant; the cooking is part of the show, and oh, what a show it is. The menu features traditional and more contemporary fare, so you can be adventurous with flounder or octopus or even let the chef choose for you. May your eyes be the same size as your stomach. Shiki earned a Best Japanese Restaurant worth mentioning nod in this year’s Best of OKC awards.

This lovely location has a sit-down eatery and offers catering services.

There is a mouth-watering assortment of authentic Indian dishes, including those made with halal meats prepared according to Islamic law. The lunch buffet is filled with an assortment of items to sate different diets. Himalayas was voted worth mentioning in the Best Indian Restaurant category.

From its humble beginnings, Zorba’s blossomed into a full-service restaurant that offers far more than beef or lamb meat carved from a spit. It’s open for lunch and dinner with daily specials and live belly dancing on Saturday nights. Zorba’s also caters, so skip the veggie platter and wow your guests with tangy hummus, tasty kabobs and perfectly grilled veggies.

Congratulations, Zorba’s, for winning Best Mediterranean Restaurant.

14041 N. May Ave. shikiok.com 751-8989

709 N. Moore Ave., Moore himalayasok.com 701-3900

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A new you Look around you. Tattoos are no longer the property of bikers and sailors. Even if you’re not keen on ink, there are dramatic and expressive ways to define your look. From repairing sun damage and a tweak of the nose to piercings, skin implants and face-lifts, why settle for what Mother Nature gave you? — By Devon Green

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Hall of Tattoos 328 E. MAIN ST., NORMAN HALLOFTATTOOS.COM 364-7335

Yes, Hall of Tattoos does tattoos, but it’s also a great place to get holes punched in you. Specialists Brian Udegraff and Derek Vosten are more than happy to add another ring just about anywhere, and rumor has it they’re so fast you won’t even know it until after it’s done.

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Perhaps you’re looking for the opposite of the skin you’re in. Perhaps you have too much fun in the sun (and your dermis shows it) or you have more candles on your birthday cake than you’re comfortable with. Victoria Johnson and her staff have myriad ways, both invasive and noninvasive, to get your skin to tell the story you want.

Although his shop was established in 2013, Marcus Muse’s experience goes far beyond his brick-and-mortar opening date. He got his start as a nomad tattooist, advertising by word-of-mouth in the days of ink prohibition. Any artists who work in a studio have a specialty, and the artists at Muse showcase portraiture, black-andgray and new traditional styles. Visit the website for samples of Muse’s work.

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A consistent choice among readers as the best in town, plastic surgeon Tim Love spent 30 years honing his practice. Along with his helpful and knowledgeable staff, Love tailors procedures — from brow lifts to hair transplants and rhinoplasty — with each patient in mind.

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There was a time when saying you owned a tattoo shop in Edmond anysounded like a joke. Not any more. 15th Street gives incredible ink and is dedicated to learning changing trends while it produces custom, beautiful work. The shop prefers appointappoint

ments, but it also takes walk-ins for those of you who are feeling lucky and just have to have that tat right now.

Hard Luck Tattoos 2410 N. ROBINSON AVE. FACEBOOK.COM/HARD-LUCK-TATTOOS 525-5825

Not nearly the sailor’s dive the name might imply, this clean, professional studio gets great reviews for everything from friendly staff to affordable prices. Owner Chad Miller said the shop specializes in traditional American-style tattoos.

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The specialists at Beauty from Pain will work with you to create permanent art that you’ll be proud to show off (or not). A unique aspect of the studio is that rather than display its own work on the walls, it adorns them with local artwork. Owner and artist Caleb Lyons helps you have a fun experience getting the ink you’ve craved.

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LIFE HEALTH

Driven by challenges A rare disorder hasn’t stopped this Edmond resident from doing what she wants.

Sheri Wise does not believe in impossible tasks.

Standing at three feet, four inches tall, she was born with a genetic disorder that inhibits the production of certain enzymes necessary for proper bone and ligament development and maintenance and has been faced with certain challenges all of her life.

Talking to her, one gets the sense that she doesn’t view these challenges as setbacks so much as another obstacle to maneuver.

The 34-year-old Edmond resident is a customer service representative for the Oklahoma City Utilities Department, where she has worked full-time for about a year and a half.

She is happily married, is a hockey fan and pursued degrees in architecture, education and drama before deciding school wasn’t for her.

She is also one of only a few thousand people in the world with mucopolysaccharidosis type IV-A, more colloquially known as Morquio syndrome, type A. According to the National Institute of Health, Morquio A is an autosomal recessive enzyme storage disorder wherein the body naturally lacks or is deficient in an enzyme called galactosamine-6sulfatase.

In layman’s terms, Morquio A prohibits the sufferer’s body from breaking down certain complex sugars.

Buildup of these sugars can cause stunted growth, the fusing of the spinal column, heart and liver defects and scoliosis; in severe cases, it can lead to paralysis and even a premature death. Wise has been lucky; she has only had to have one leg-straightening surgery and tubes inserted in her ears to remove fluid buildup.

Because it is an inherited disorder, there is no steadfast and complete cure for Morquio A, but its effects can be mitigated by enzyme replacement therapies.

Genetic researchers at OU Medical Center are currently working on a new form of this kind of therapy, which Wise is receiving, that might potentially lead to a more thorough treatment. The OU Medical Center was unavailable to discuss this experimental treatment at press time.

Wise was born in Lahoma, a

S HA N N ON CORN M A N

BY TREVOR HULTNER

Sheri Wise gives her dogs a homemade treat. Wise is receiving an experimental treatment from OU Medical Center for a rare disorder. rural community in Garfield County about 11 miles west of Enid. She grew up on a farm with her two sisters and participated in every activity available to a kid growing up in that environment.

“I’d ride horses, we would go to the lake and I’d ride wave runners, I loved to fish, loved to go camping,” she said.

“Anything my family did, I was right there in the middle of it.”

She said her parents never treated her any differently or purposely excluded her from doing certain things because of her condition, and they encouraged her to do what she wanted to do — sometimes putting her at odds with what her doctors wanted.

“Doctors would say, ‘Well, you shouldn’t do this,’ or ‘You don’t have any business doing that,’ and I took that as a personal challenge,” she said.

“My parents were very big on not letting me grow up in a bubble, and I

2 8 | N OV E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

thank them for that all the time.”

Wise graduated high school in 1998 with a class of 34 and went straight on to pursue an architecture degree at the University of Oklahoma.

“My family was terrified that I was going to get run over, that I was going to get lost, that something was going to happen to me, and I loved it,” Wise said. “I went from a town where if you sneezed in school, by the time you got home that afternoon, your parents were asking if you had a cold to having more anonymity out there.”

She met her future husband, Michael, through an online dating site, and he eventually proposed to her while they were at a Barons hockey game.

“He was going to [propose on the jumbotron], but there was so much going on at that game that they couldn’t fit it on the schedule. Derrick, their mascot, came over, and I can’t

remember who we were playing that night, but it was the Christmas game where everyone got Christmas stocking caps, and he was standing in front of me, waving, jumping around, right in my lap,” she said. “We were tied in the middle of the third period, and I’m like, ‘Get away from me! We’re tied!

I’ve gotta see the game!’ My husband said, ‘Well, what’s he got in his hand?’ and I saw that it was a little Derrick stuffed doll. I’m like, ‘Yeah yeah, that’s cool. We’re tied; you have to move!’

So he said, ‘Well, what’s on the doll’s hand?’ It was the engagement ring.”

Wise has been active in the little person community since her sophomore year in college, including a stint as Oklahoma State SecretaryTreasurer for advocacy group Little People of America. But she didn’t meet anyone else with Morquio until two years ago, after joining a Facebook support group for others with the disorder.

“Somebody posted [on the group] that this pharmaceutical company was doing FDA trials on this new drug, and if you’re interested, here’s some information,” she said. “So I contacted [BioMarin, creator of the Morquio A enzyme replacement therapy Vimizim], and they sent me down to Houston for a mini-conference, kind of just a week with other people with Morquio to get some information about the drug. And that was the first time I met anyone else with Morquio.”

According to the National Institutes of Health, the birth rate of individuals with Morquio A is one birth out of every 200,000.

The disorder was named after Luis Morquio, a late-19th century physician who diagnosed four children with the disease in Uruguay.

“I had met other little people, but no one had even heard of what I had before,” she said. “And there are over 200 different types of dwarfism.”

The enzyme replacement treatment Wise is trying is her first; she began in October.

“I hope this treatment will help with pain and general health overall,” she said. “Like I said, [Morquio] effects your heart, eyes, lungs, so I’m hoping to not have problems with that in the future.

Belly Dancing

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Saturdays • 8:30

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

A class in Park Hill teaches attendees how to make their own traditional kicks.

BY JOSH HUTTON

Rock Your Mocs 10 a.m. Tuesday John Ross Museum 22366 S. 530 Road, Park Hill visitcherokeenation.com 431-0757 $25

The Cherokee Nation will host a class on making moccasins 10 a.m. Tuesday at John Ross Museum, 22366 S. 530 Road, in Park Hill.

The class coincides with Native American Heritage Month and Rock Your Mocs Day, a day on which members of all tribes are encouraged to wear moccasins. Nov. 15 is this year’s national Rock Your Mocs Day. “Rock Your Mocs Day allows Native Americans from across the country the opportunity to unite and share their cultural pride with everyone, whether it be in the workplace, at school or in photos on social media,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker.

Tuesday’s moccasin-making class is limited to the first 25 people who sign up. Registration is $25 and may be completed at visitcherokeenation .com. Attendees will make pucker-toe moccasins, a traditional style called puckered because of its furrowed, u-shaped vamp over the instep.

“By creating their own pair of moccasins, it allows the participants to connect with their culture and heritage,” Travis Owens, manager of cultural resources, planning and development for Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism, said.

The process of making moccasins varies depending on style, Owens said.

One method for pucker-toe moccasins involves tracing your foot on a piece of paper to make a pattern.

“This pattern is then transferred

Tuesday’s Rock Your Mocs classes help encourage people of all tribes to wear the footwear during Native American Heritage Month. to deerskin, where necessary holes are punched that will later be used to stitch,” he said.

The maker brings the opposite sides of the skin together to stitch a center seam. It is then knotted, resulting in a tight fit around the foot with two flaps folded over each side.

“The moccasins can be worn in this condition or can be adorned with beadwork,” Owens said.

The class lasts four hours with a lunch break in the middle. Organizers hope attendees will wear the moccasins they create at the class on Rock Your Mocs Day and post images on social networking sites using the hashtag #RYM2014.

Rock Your Mocs Day began in 2011. Laguna Pueblo member Jessica Atsye saw a need for tribes to put away differences and spend a day celebrating collective heritage. Since its onset, it has steadily grown in participation, especially on sites like Facebook and Instagram.

The John Ross Museum participated in Rock Your Mocs Day for the first time last year. Their class quickly reached capacity, and Owens expects the same this year.

“We hope they are able to learn the basic skills to make more pairs in the future and share the techniques with friends and family,” Owens said. “There are Native Americans who work in companies and go to schools with non-Natives. So when they wear their moccasins on Nov. 15, it shows their pride for their culture and heritage and, hopefully, creates opportunities to share their stories with others.”

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DA N N Y DE E N

LIFE VISUAL ARTS

Eyeful

From photography to painting and sculpture, Art Connections exhibit unites creative community.

BY ERIC WEBB

Art Connections 6 p.m. Friday Through November 29 In Your Eye Gallery 3005-A Paseo St. inyoureyegallery.com 525-2161

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In Your Eye Gallery celebrates diversity with Art Connections, an exhibit of five local creators whose works represent a wide range of mediums, styles and subjects.

Art Connections is the brainchild of painter and In Your Eye Gallery member artist Chad Woolbright.

The initial decision to do a group show was born out of need. Between working a full-time job in advertising and the birth of a son, Woolbright hasn’t had as much time to devote to painting over the last year.

He soon realized that he had an opportunity to highlight a variety of local artists, looking at creators whose work he admired and enjoyed.

“I wanted a wide range of styles, so I decided to invite artists that worked in different mediums,” Woolbright said.

Photographer Danny Deen captures dramatic scenes from his travels. Suzanne Peck paints fog-covered landscapes, vivid florals and bright abstracts. Sculptor Link Cowen focuses on the human form. Dan Garrett fashions abstract designs from metal.

“It was important to me to put together a show that expressed my likes and tastes,” Woolbright said. “We each share the ability to find beauty in

otherwise ordinary things.”

In his own work, Woolbright paints and draws bold, colorful designs on materials including wood, Plexiglas and metal with subjects ranging from the representational to the abstract.

“I am as likely to paint a celebrity’s mug shot as I am a geometric abstract,” he said.

Woolbright doesn’t consider himself a fine artist, and he feels that he cannot paint, sculpt or produce art quite like the artists that will be showcased in Art Connections.

“I couldn’t paint flowers like Suzanne or sculpt with any precision like Link. Danny’s understanding of light in photography is extraordinary, and Dan welds and paints metal in a unique way that I find interesting.”

Although he can’t speak about the individual philosophies driving each artist, Woolbright said one common goal is to create works that others will find aesthetically appealing.

“Sometimes we hit it out of the park, and sometimes we paint over a week’s work and start all over again,” he said.

When it comes to meaning and intent, Woolbright said that people sometimes read more into a work of art than even the artist intended.

“I think it’s fantastic when someone ‘sees’ a physical object in, say, an abstract work. It may have been purely accidental by the artist, but it takes on a more personal meaning to the viewer at that point, despite the intent of the painter,” he said.

One thing Woolbright definitely hopes people will take away from the show is a work of art.

LIFE PERFORMING ARTS

Totally funny

Talk show host and comedian W. Kamau Bell tackles touchy topics in OKC.

BY ERIC WEBB

M ATTHI AS C LA M ER

W. Kamau Bell with Cameron Buchholtz and Zach Smith 8 p.m. Thursday Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center 3000 General Pershing Blvd. okccomedy.com 951-0000 $15

Best known for his FX talk show Totally Biased, W. Kamau Bell has made a name for himself as a sociopolitical comedian that blazes new trails through welltrodden territory by treating hot-button issues like race, gay rights and women’s issues as equal and inseparable.

For his Oh, Everything! Tour, Bell is tackling subjects like homophobia, gentrification, his mixed-race kids, social media, guns, why his God looks like Denzel Washington with dreadlocks and racism.

“Kamau is very nearly peerless.

His humor is sharp and real without being pedantic, preachy or safe,” said OKC Comedy partner Brad Porter.

“It is rare to find a comic that can deal with ‘dangerous’ topics without being offensive for no reason or draining all of the fun out of the bits. He is that rare comic.”

Porter said that Bell is part of a tradition of truth-telling in stand-up comedy that includes Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bill Maher and Louis C.K. “Comedy is for fun, but in the right hands, it can expose hypocrisy, raise awareness and change minds,” Porter said.

W. Kamau Bell

Bell amended that comedy is a great way to communicate any idea.

“When people are laughing, you know they’re paying attention. That’s why every politician tries to be a little bit funny and they get in trouble when they try to be too funny,” he said.

Bell didn’t set out to be a comedian known for being political- or issueoriented.

“I like to talk about the things in our society that bind us together and tear us apart. A lot of that stuff ends up being political because it’s identity politics,” Bell said.

“I feel like people look at me and say, ‘He’s a black guy with opinions, so he’s political.’ Yes, I happen to be black. Yes,

I happen to have opinions and questions.

And comedy is my way of figuring that stuff out.”

Bell got his start doing stand-up in Chicago during the ’90s when the scene there was at a low point.

“There was one comedy club, and they were like, ‘We have all the comics we need.’ So there was no real way to move up except to go on the road, and I knew I didn’t want to do that,” Bell said.

Eventually, Bell left the Windy City behind for the City by the Bay (San Francisco), where he continued to struggle for a while.

In 2007, Bell put up his first solo show, The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour.

“It was a topical show about racism.

I wrote it, put it in a theater and had my friends help me produce it. That was the place were I really got to really push myself creatively and work on the ideas that I was interested in,” Bell said.

In addition to his FX series, Totally Biased, which ran for two seasons, he was a founding member of the comedy collective Laughter Against the Machine and has had numerous television, radio and podcast appearances.

Bell is embarking on the Oh, Everything! Tour to refine material for a new stand-up special that he hopes to shoot next year.

“I want people to experience the difference between a live performance and television,” Bell said. “I can step off stage and hug people if I need to, which I do pretty regularly.”

Unfortunately, going on tour also has its downside. Bell will be leaving behind his newborn daughter. The tour was planned before his wife got pregnant, so he has done his best to adapt, taking breaks for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“It’s not the best, but unfortunately, being a stand-up comedian is a little bit like being in the military. When you gotta ship out, you have to go,” Bell said.

“That’s why I talk about my kids a lot in the show. I mean, I left my kids for you people. So, if you don’t come see the show, you hate my children! And you’re hating mixed-race children, which is kind of like hating the future.”

Oklahoma comics Cameron Buchholtz and Zach Smith are set to open for Bell.

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LIFE BOOKS

Criminal mind Local author Kent Frates returns to bookwriting, this time with his roundup of Oklahoma’s Most Notorious Cases.

BY DEVON GREEN

Kent Frates book signing Oklahoma’s Most Notorious Cases 5:30 p.m. Tuesday Full Circle Bookstore 1900 Northwest Expressway fullcirclebooks.com 842-2900

Kent Frates is no stranger to crime in Oklahoma. He has actually made a specialty of it. A practicing lawyer for 50 years, he has seen his share of crime, but not as much in the courtroom as in historical records. The author of numerous books, articles and a screenplay, Frates has made notorious local crimes his bailiwick.

“Well, I wrote another book called Oklahoma Courthouse Legends [2010] and in that book, I wrote about every county in the state related to the courthouse, about a crazy sheriff, or an escape and other escapades,” Frates said.

His newest book, Oklahoma’s Most Notorious Cases, is a sequel of the book, in a sense. He made use of court documents and historical records to put together a greatest hits of gripping cases that made state and national headlines.

“I had done a lot of research, and of course, some of these cases came to light. I mean, they were famous anyway, but they caught my attention, so I decided to write the book,” he said.

The book is an easy read and gripping for lovers of true crime and police procedurals.

Frates manages to keep the tone light — but not dismissive — despite the seriousness of the events. He also interjects a sense of humanity into what would otherwise be a dry history of the trope of bad people doing bad things. His intimate understanding of the law — both its strengths and weaknesses — allows the reader to feel

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real compassion for the victims and, in some cases, the perpetrators.

While Courthouse Legends is entertainment reading, Notorious Cases delves into the crimes that shocked the community and includes as much of each story as Frates could dig up.

There is a lurid, true crime element to the book, but don’t expect shocking photos or details beyond the facts necessary to the narrative.

There were cases that Frates included in the book because of their shocking nature. The June 1977 murder of three girls, termed the Girl Scout murders, is one example. The crime at Camp Scott in northeastern Oklahoma remains unsolved.

“I think that one [the Girl Scout murders] is the one that sticks with the me the most, even more than the [Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building] bombing. It’s the nature of the crime and the fact that it remains unsolved, no matter how much homework. That one’s the worst,” he said.

Other cases in his book include the Machine Gun Kelly case, United States v. David Hall, the Sirloin Stockade murders, the Karen Silkwood case and the Oklahoma City Bombing. When he talked about researching his books, he said he was overwhelmed with the support he got from local law enforcement and historical recordkeepers. He also mentioned the high number of contacts he cultivated while writing his 2010 book.

“Being a lawyer for so long, you get to know people,” Frates said.

Frates plans public appearances this month to promote Oklahoma’s Most Notorious Cases, which goes on sale Nov. 18. Visit facebook.com/ RoadRunnerPress for more.

COVER SPORTS

A league of our own Small-market cities like Oklahoma City have become the hub of the NBA.

The NBA’s long held connection with the glitz of Hollywood, bright lights of Times Square and mocha-colored tan lines of South Beach is giving way to the blue-collar and middle class of Midwestern American markets.

As the Miami Heat recovers from losing the world’s best player, a No. 23 LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers jersey is sure to become one of the league’s top sellers. As the New York Knicks continue to flounder in a state of mediocrity, San Antonio quietly raises championship banners in a workmanlike fashion.

And as the Los Angeles Lakers hope to squeeze just a little more talent from an aging superstar, Oklahoma City, a place that lacks direct nonstop flights to half the cities in the NBA and is one of the smallest professional markets in America, has become one of the hubs of the basketball universe.

The NBA’s former slogan, “Big,” still fits. It’s just that those big things are more commonly happening in “small” towns.

“I love playing there,” Kevin Durant said about playing in Oklahoma City during an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “The city fits me.”

The NBA is a global league that some expect will eventually expand to cities like London, Tokyo or Mexico City in the near future. As the league continues to build its brand in places like China, India and Russia, becoming the first American sports league to expand past North America might make sense one day. But while league executives salivate over the idea of new teams in some of the world’s largest cities, the foundation of this league continues to exist in Middle America, often in cities where the NBA is the only game in town.

Salt Lake City, Portland, Sacramento, Memphis, San Antonio, Orlando and, yes, OKC are towns the NBA call home without any of the other four major sports leagues: Major League Baseball, NFL and NHL. Charles Barkley can call markets like OKC a “wasteland,” but the league’s smallest markets outperformed their larger counterparts last season. The average win total of the teams based in America’s 10 largest television markets was 39.5 last year. The bottom 10

SH ANNON CORNMAN / FI LE

BEN FELDER

Thunder stars like Russell Westbrook, pictured, and Kevin Durant are recovering from injury in the first month of the season, which has put the spotlight on second string players in the early weeks of the season. market teams, which include OKC, averaged 42.6 wins and featured just as many playoff teams and three of the final four teams to reach the conference finals.

When Pau Gasol, the former Los Angeles Laker, was considering his options in free agency this summer, it was reported that during a meeting with Thunder coach Scott Brooks, he questioned the quality of life in OKC and its cultural diversity. Gasol might have had reservations about the quality of the local symphony or whether there are enough wine bars, but choosing not to come to OKC because its not a big enough stage to shine on as a player would be unwise.

“That’s archaic thinking,” Royce Young, NBA writer with ESPN and

author of the popular Daily Thunder blog, said about small markets like OKC being tough places to become a star.

“With social media, cable television, the Internet, you can be a massive star playing anywhere.”

Young points to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as examples and also believes playing in a small market offers some advantages over a big city.

“Small-market cities build connections with players a lot better than the big markets do,” Young said.

“There may be more things to do, more things to see [in big markets] like New York and LA, but you’re never going to build the same connection [with fans] like you will in a small market.”

The Thunder have become known for the connection players and fans

share, and there are other examples across the league, including Cleveland, which welcomed back LeBron James, who decided to leave Miami for his hometown.

Memphis is another example of the league’s success in small-market cities. As one of only two cities in the NBA smaller than OKC — the other being New Orleans — Memphis has established itself as a model franchise in recent years, including being named the best sports franchise in America by ESPN in 2013.

“The identity of the Grizzlies is so intrinsically tied to the personality of the city of Memphis that it is nearly impossible to separate the two,” said Josh Coleman, author of the Grizzlies’ fan blog Three Shades of Blue. “The Grizzlies provide a blue-collar fan base with a team they can identify with and embrace.”

Coleman’s take on the style of play in Memphis might just be the reason small-market towns have a connection to their teams that goes deeper than those in bigger cities. The flash of the former “Big Three” of the Heat in recent years fit in a city like Miami. But like a lot of things in South Beach, it can quickly change and lack any substance.

Durant and Westbrook offer a style of play that would work in any market, and while fans here love their two superstars, they also embrace players like Nick Collison and Steven Adams who embody a more gritty and blue-collar style on the court.

On the court for OKC this season is a team that continues to have championship aspirations. The Thunder have become one of the league’s most consistent teams in recent years with trips to the Western Conference Finals — including last year — and a trip to the NBA Finals a few years ago against Miami.

However, the Thunder will also be a team challenged out of the gate as they deal with the loss of Durant and Westbrook for at least the first month of the season and experiment with a new starting lineup that includes Adams as the starting center.

“I’m a lot more comfortable,” Adams said about heading into his second year.

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Small-market cities build connections with players a lot better than the big markets do.

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“Last year, I was just nervous, but this year, I’m all right.”

Durant’s injury will also put more pressure on Westbrook — if that’s possible — to become the team’s primary leader on the court.

Some have called it an opportunity for Westbrook to make his own push for a league MVP award, which Durant won last year. But the Thunder point guard says he’s focused on helping his team win games and last week, before the start of the season, said he was

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“Hell yeah I’m excited,” Westbrook said. “You don’t want to put too much pressure on somebody ... just go out and play your game. That’s it.”

As the team embarks on its seventh season in OKC, it does so as one of the league’s core teams, demonstrating that the NBA is a league that seems to fit perfectly in middle America.

“The way professional sports have been built, [leagues] have always leaned to the big markets,” Young said. “But the NBA has seen the model of cities like Salt Lake City and Portland and seen how passionate those fanbases are.

“If you can endear yourself to the community you play in, you can become part of the fabric of that city, and its something that I think the NBA understands greatly. I think the NBA understands that there is certainly a value in building from the ground up in some of these smaller cities.”

As big-city teams like the Lakers, Knicks and Heat visit Oklahoma City, Memphis and San Antonio this season, they will not only be tested against some of the league’s most talented squads. They will also be traveling to the new hubs of the NBA.

LIFE SPORTS

After the game A former NFL football player relishes in his work off the field helping the homeless and tutoring children.

Ask Steve Zabel about one of his fondest memory in football. Go on. Ask him.

Despite a successful career with college football and in the NFL, it wasn’t until about 14 years after he quit playing football altogether that he found his life’s work.

And even then, it was only because he had a friend holding him to his New Year’s resolution.

Zabel told Sooner teammate and buddy Larry Bross at a Christmas party that his resolution was to serve breakfast.

That was all. Then he got a call from Bross on the last day of 1992 asking him if he knew what the next day was. Bross told Zabel that he would see him bright and early at the church, and that was that.

For the next couple of weeks, Zabel woke up every day around 4 a.m. and showed up at the church to serve breakfast to the homeless in Oklahoma City. Three years later, Zabel and Bross established City Care, a nonprofit organization devoted to providing for the homeless and hungry.

Over the last two decades, City Care has grown into a vehicle for helping people.

Broadly, the outfit provides the necessaries for the city’s homeless.

Specifically, the organization helps finds housing for low-income families and helps tutor and teach children how to function, how to thrive.

City Care’s Whiz Kids tutoring program served nearly 750 children during the 2012-13 academic year. Thanks to City Care, more than 1,000 volunteers and 60 metro churches have come together to help children in the Whiz Kids program flourish.

In a state where 1 in 3 fourth-graders

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S HA N N ON CORN M A N

BY RJ YOUNG

David Graves points to his longtime friend Steve Zabel during lunch at the WestTown Resource Center and day shelter. read below grade level, a 2007 study found that Whiz Kids routinely beat the average and score better than their peers in state reading tests. A 2011 study found that fifth-grade Whiz Kids beat out non-tutored students on the same grade level.

And to think all that started with a couple former Sooner football players who wanted to make good. Now ask Zabel, who is now 66 years old, about one of his fondest memories in life. Go on. Ask him.

“That first morning at the church, when I cracked and cooked 36 dozen eggs and we fed about 200 people, and I just thought that that was an unbelievable opportunity,” Zabel will answer. “That’s a

fond memory.”

Then, Zabel rounds back to those early football memories, the ones he felt set the pace for his career and his mindset.

“It would have for sure had to have been catching the winning touchdown pass against Kansas in Norman in 1967,” Zabel answered.

That was a game the Sooners had to win. They were ranked seventh in the nation with their only loss against Texas in a state fair affair that saw the University of Oklahoma on the wrong side of a 7-9 score. OU bounced back though, mollywhopping its next four opponents with a combined total of 128-21 points in Chuck

Fairbanks’ first year as the head man in Norman. The Jayhawks weren’t terribly good that year, but they were doing a fine job of scaring the national title contenders that Saturday.

They were leading the Sooners 10-7 heading into final minutes of the game when Zabel found himself on the business end of a 30-yard pass from quarterback Bobby Warmack that went for six.

OU finished out the season undefeated and untied in Big 8 Conference play to win the league title. That earned the Sooners a berth to the Miami Orange Bowl to take on No. 2-ranked Tennessee. As fate — and offensive coordinator Barry Switzer — would have it, Zabel caught another memorable touchdown pass in the Sooners’ 26-24 win against the Volunteers.

“When I caught the pass, about 100,000 oranges came flying out on the field from every direction,” Zabel said. “It was a spectacle.”

The Sooners finished the season ranked No. 3 in the country in every poll that mattered, and Zabel became known as one of the most dependable players among those teams in the late 1960s. When his college career was over, he was taken sixth overall in the 1970 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Zabel ended up playing on both sides of the ball in the NFL just like he did in college. The 6-foot-4-inch 235-pound ball player distinguished himself as a passcatching tight end and a light ’em up linebacker for the Eagles, New England Patriots and Baltimore Colts over a 10-year career.

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

❏ carry a change of clothes ‘just in case’?

If so then you may have bowel or fecal incontinence. Fecal Incontinence is an unanticipated leakage of stool, and is more common in women than in men.

What can be done to treat fecal incontinence?

A new Clinical Study is evaluating a minimally invasive injection procedure for the treatment of fecal incontinence. The study is open to those who: ✔ are over 18 years of age ✔ have already tried and failed other available treatment options ✔ willing to participate up to 36 months How can you get involved?

Our female-specialty center is currently recruiting women to participate.

To find out more about this study, please contact the Research Coordinator listed below or go to the Clinical Trails website below.

Research Coordinator at this Hospital: Trynisha Cheadle, LPN 405-271-8001, ext. 46205, Trynisha-Cheadle@ouhsc.edu www.clinicaltrials.gov/

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Note: When this puzzle is completed, the eight circled letters, starting in the upper left and proceeding roughly clockwise, will spell an appro-priate word … or a different appropriate word.

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Relative of neo-soul Challenge Hatfields or McCoys “What ___?” (Mark Twain essay) The works Unusual diacritic used in Portuguese ACROSS 85 Jack on “24” 1 Boors 86 Long-distance swimmer Nyad 8 Latin dances 87 Lila ___, Oscar winner for Zorba 14 Opponent of 14-Down, in sports the Greek 17 Park place 90 Opponent of 64-Down, in the 18 Woodworker’s vise Bible 19 Flip ___ 92 Brackish water locales 21 Opponent of 3-Down, in Greek 93 Missouri tributary myth 94 Chirpy greeting 22 Opponent of 9-Down, in classical 95 Knot literature 96 Opponent of 78-Down, in fable 23 Certain marked-down item: Abbr. 97 Cousin of ibid.

24 Like court testimony 101 Opponent of 86-Down, in games 25 Product once pitched by Michael 106 Ornamental pond feature Jackson and Mariah Carey 108 Tickle 27 Where some “K-I-S-S-I-N-G” is 110 Pasta seasoner done 112 Rear 29 Least taut 114 Where to emulate the locals, it’s 31 The “L” of “A = L x W” said 33 Mexico City sight 116 English city where the Magna 36 Any ship Carta originated 37 Banjoist Fleck 118 Take over 39 Steep slope 119 Ideal world 41 March birthstone, traditionally 120 Soothed 45 “Siegfried,” e.g.

121 Part of a clown outfit 47 Yellow diner packet 122 Second 48 Cue user, maybe 123 X’s 49 Google ___ 51 Opponent of 28-Down, in comics DOWN 53 Martial artist Jackie 1 A whole lot 54 Animal also known as a hog-nosed 2 Wassail coon 3 See 21-Across 55 “___ sûr” (“Of course”: Fr.) 4 Part of many a silo 56 Mouth, slangily 5 Address letters 60 Opponent of 49-Down, in film 6 Obsolescent summoner 62 18 or 21 7 Postpaid encls.

66 NPR’s Shapiro 8 The 12 of the Pac-12: Abbr.

67 It may be taken from the neck of a 9 See 22-Across superhero 10 Inc.’s cousin 68 Red topper 11 Subbed (for) 69 Snaps 12 ___ friends 70 Rough track condition 13 Sardinelike fish 71 Baja aunt 14 See 14-Across 72 Female gametes 15 Sleep (with) 73 A case might be made for one 16 Dutch financial giant

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17 Acidity measures, informally 19 Diver’s supply 20 The ___ City (New Orleans) 26 W.W. II craft 28 See 51-Across 30 Prefix with plunk 32 Wave catcher?

34 Windy City terminal code 35 Collection of marks, for short?

38 Leader of ancient Ephesus?

40 ’70s radical grp.

41 Good thing to hit 42 Attain 43 What “America” has four of 44 Beer ___ 46 Arafat successor 47 Stanley, for one 49 See 60-Across 50 Be behind 52 Not do well

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Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute). The answers to the New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle that appeared in the October 29 issue of Oklahoma Gazette are shown at left.

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Day-care attendee Riboflavin, e.g.

See 101-Across Autobahn speed meas.

She, in Rio Sweetie pie

111

117

1102

NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE WINNERS’ CIRCLE By Caleb Emmons / Edited by Will Shortz

91 Tuna often served seared 92 Start of a bear market 95 ___ fly 98 Vice of Dorian Gray 99 The Divine Comedy division 100 Download alternative 102 Civil war president 103 North African capital 104 Missouri tributary 105 Creepers 107 Latin law 109 Essential part 111 Drug sold in microdots 112 Like some talent and emotions 113 Singer DiFranco 115 Reveal, poetically 117 Form of digital communication?: Abbr.

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She’s electrifying Olivia Newton-John’s transformation from Grease sexpot into legit entertainer is now complete.

BY MARK BEUTLER

Olivia Newton-John 9 p.m. Friday WinStar World Casino and Resort 777 Casino Ave., Thackerville winstarworldcasino.com 276-4229 $25-$75 7 p.m. Saturday Grand Casino Hotel & Resort 777 Grand Casino Blvd., Shawnee grandresortok.com 964-7777 $40-$65

Men of a certain age have in their minds an indelible image of Olivia Newton-John.

She is wearing those tight leather pants from Grease, and her picture hangs on their bedroom wall, right next to that other 1970s-era poster of Farrah Fawcett in a red swimsuit.

But in real life, Newton-John has not been frozen in time. Her music career now spans four decades, and she’s better known for her live shows instead of tight pleather pants, gum-chewing and dance numbers with greasers.

In fact, she is out on tour, thrilling multigenerational audiences with her classics and beauty. This weekend, Newton-John brings her show to Oklahoma for two concerts: Friday at WinStar Casino in Thackerville and Saturday at Grand Casino Hotel & Resort in Shawnee.

“Being out on the road is kind of an oddity for me. I have been in Vegas for six months doing my Summer Nights show,” Newton-John said in a recent phone interview from her Los Angeles home. “But I love Oklahoma, and it

is one of the few dates I am doing this fall. You have always been so good to me throughout my career, and I am really looking forward to coming back.

In fact, I feel like bursting into a chorus of ‘Oklahoma’ right now,” she said and then laughed.

‘It’s my job, my art’

These days, Newton-John regularly joins superstar artists like Cher and Dolly Parton at sold-out concert venues.

“I can’t speak for those girls,” Newton-John said of Cher and Parton, “But as for me, it’s what I do. It’s my job, my art. I get a lot back from audiences. I love them, I love the music and I love to sing. I really feel fortunate my career has sustained for as long as it has.”

An entire generation also remembers Newton-John from her country and pop days in the 1970s and ’80s. Today, she has a new generation of young followers, largely due to her iconic role in the movie Grease.

“It is so much fun to see kids come to my shows who know all the songs and who have seen the movie so many times,” Newton-John said. “Even though the movie came out in 1978, it was set in the ’50s, so it is timeless.”

Sordid Lives

Her acting roles aren’t gone, either. Most recently, she was a big-screen honkytonk singer in the cult hit Sordid Lives and in the television series of the same name. The movie is a favorite among gay audiences especially, and writer/producer Del Shores hopes Newton-John will reprise her role in the upcoming sequel.

“The movie goes into production

next year, and it would be great to have Olivia join us. I know gays everywhere will be jumping out of windows if she doesn’t at least do a cameo,” Shores joked.

“Wow, no pressure!” Newton-John said with a chuckle. “I will see what I can do.”

Gay audiences have indeed embraced her, and she said she feels the love and gives it right back.

“Oh, that’s fantastic! Of course I have always been a big supporter of gay rights,” Olivia said when she was told same-sex marriages are now legal in Oklahoma. “I have never been involved in the politics of it, but I believe love is love. I am all for compassion and equality for two people who love each other.”

Since her early country hits “If You Love Me, Let Me Know” and “Let Me Be There” catapulted her to stardom in the early ’70s, music has changed dramatically. And so has the way it is delivered.

“Getting the music out today is not the same as it was with records,” NewtonJohn said. “As a singer, it’s our form of art, and actually seeing or holding your new record was a great feeling. But times change and it is much easier for fans today to go download your music with a simple click. I hear vinyl is coming back, though, and I am excited about that,” she said. “Myself, I don’t have a turntable anymore. I mainly listen to the radio. I enjoy country, and there are some really great new songs and artists. I also like ’60s, ’70s and ’80s music. Of course, I can sing along to all of those!”

Outside of music, one of NewtonJohn’s passions is breast cancer awareness.

“I am a breast cancer survivor from 1992,” Newton-John said. “I have

I really feel fortunate my career has sustained for as long as it has.

— Olivia Newton-John

dedicated so much of my life in recent years to bringing attention to this cause.

Women need to be aware of early detection and how important that is.

There is an entire Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in my hometown of Melbourne, Australia.

“We are doing tremendous work there, and I have a device called the Liv Kit women can use in their own homes.

The earlier you find it, the better your chance for survival. Music is my art, but early cancer detection is a passion. I still have the black leather pants I wore in Grease, and I plan to donate them to an upcoming auction that will benefit my wellness center.”

Coming off a successful run in Las Vegas, Newton-John promises Oklahoma fans will enjoy her new show.

“I am so looking forward to seeing everyone in Oklahoma,” she said. “This will be a fun couple of nights, a journey through all my music from the country years, to Grease and Physical and beyond.

So come out and see me! And I really want to say thanks to everyone for their support all these years.”

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LIFE MUSIC

Perpetual Fishing Veteran folk duo Trout Fishing in America brings its lighthearted sound to OKC.

BY NATHAN WINFREY

LIKE US ON

Trout Fishing in America 8 p.m. Sunday The Blue Door bluedoorokc.com 2805 N. McKinley Ave. 524-0738 $20

Squabbling musicians storming out on each other is a played-out trope that everyone knows by heart. But somehow, mismatched folk duo Ezra Idlet and Keith Grimwood has achieved the unthinkable — they’ve been doing their thing for almost 40 years, and a wise gambler would bet on Trout Fishing in America sticking around.

“Our friendship has remained strong, and our collaboration has remained strong. I’m still interested in the creation and the performance of the music that we do,” Idlet said.

“We haven’t lost the creative drive; we haven’t lost the urge and the need to perform. We’re road dogs.”

Idlet and Grimwood, at 6 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 5 inches, respectively, are as visually contrasting as their divergent backgrounds.

“One of the things that has given us the longevity that we’ve got is that we do come from different traditions.

And we’ve been free to explore those traditions, and it’s added to both of our musical lives,” Idlet said.

A self-proclaimed folk tradition musician, Idlet doesn’t read music; he plays by heart. He walked out on his college basketball team at age 19 to play rock ’n’ roll in the U.S. Virgin Islands and never looked back. Meanwhile, Grimwood’s roots are steeped in classical music and jazz. At the University of Houston, Grimwood studied 15th-century counterpoint and he once had a chair in the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

Idlet said Grimwood would go back to school today if he had the chance.

Conversely, Idlet has never regretted

4 0 | N OV E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Touring is a constant thing for us.

— Ezra Idlet trading chalkboards for surfboards.

The pair was part of folk-rock band St. Elmo’s Fire until the group disbanded in 1979, and they’ve been playing together as Trout Fishing in America since 1977.

“Touring is a constant thing for us,” Idlet said.

Based in Arkansas, the band makes short treks to play a string of gigs over a few days and then heads back home before setting out again.

“It’s been a good way to stay in touch with our families. We both have kids, and we’ve been married for a long time to our wives,” Idlet said.

“It’s a great way to run a musical life.”

The four-time Grammy Award nominees write a slew of children’s songs to parallel the duo’s grown-up fare.

On tour, they’ll often do a kids’ show earlier in the day and then a show for the parents at night. Trout Fishing in America released two children’s books with accompanying CDs — My Name is Chicken Joe and Chicken Joe Forgets Something Important — in 2009 and 2011.

Their upcoming show at The Blue Door will be targeted at an adult audience, but much of their music radiates a lighthearted flare and comic smirk.

“You need to be entertaining … you need to write songs that make people interested to come out and hear you — make them laugh, make them feel. I think that’s something we excel at, the natural humor,” Idlet said.

“I don’t take what we do lightly, but it’s hard to stay serious for too long. I enjoy what I do. We both do.”

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 5.

Amon Amarth/Sabaton/Skeletonwitch, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK Atmosphere/PROF/deM atlaS, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa.

HIP-HOP Big K.R.I.T/Two-9, Farmers Public Market. HIP-HOP Faster Pussycat, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. ROCK Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Liz Longley, The Blue Door. POP Sick Of It All/Negative Approach/Justice Keeper, The Conservatory. ROCK Slipknot/Korn, Chesapeake Energy Arena. ROCK

S HE RVI N L A I N E Z

LIVE MUSIC

Bill Gaither & Gaither Vocal Band, Crossings Community Church. CHRISTIAN Born in November featuring C-Plus, 51st Street Speakeasy. VARIOUS Christian Pearson/Gary Johnson, Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

PIANO Crossland, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER Dante & the Hawks, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. ROCK Dino N Friends, Bill’s Island Grill. ROCK Evan Michaels Band, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill.

COUNTRY John Arnold Band, Thunderbird Casino, Norman.

COUNTRY Kaitlin Butts Band, Grandad’s Bar. SINGER/ SONGWRITER Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO Kristen Stehr, Riverwind Casino, Norman. COUNTRY

The Friends No BS Jam, Friends Restaurant & Club.

VARIOUS

Max Ridgeway Trio, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ

Twin Peaks/Radkey, Opolis, Norman. ROCK

MC Chris/MC Lars/Spose, The Conservatory. HIP-HOP Mont Lyons, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. ROCK

THURSDAY, NOV. 6 Brent Saulsbury/Will Galbraith/Wayne Duncan, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK Charlie Daniels Band, First Council Casino, Newkirk.

ROCK

Liz Longley

Olivia Newton-John, WinStar World Casino, Thakerville.

SINGER/SONGWRITER Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Sugar Creek Casino, Hinton.

ROCK

Pidgin, The Deli, Norman. VARIOUS Ray Wylie Hubbard, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

Dirty Loops, ACM@UCO Performance Lab. POP

Rick Jawnsun, Nonna’s Purple Bar. ACOUSTIC

music

pick

Peggy Johnson/Shelly Phelps/Mary Reynolds, The Paramount OKC. COVER

David Morris, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

OKG

Liz Longley Wednesday, Nov. 5

Singer-songwriter Liz Longley showcases her show-stopping vocal prowess 8 p.m. Wednesday at The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley Ave. The Philadelphia native recently moved to Nashville, where even Hollywood has taken notice. You can hear her music on NY Med and Army Wives or opening for acts like Amos Lee and Shawn Colvin. Tickets are $15-$20. Call 524-0738.

DJ RnR, Chimy’s, Norman. DANCE

Roy Lee Scott & The Flying Cowboys, Sliders. COUNTRY

Jack Rowdy Band, Chisholm’s Saloon. COUNTRY

Shortt Dogg, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. BLUES

Jacob Steifel, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

SquadLive, Lloyd Noble Center, Norman. ROCK

Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road Live, The Paramount OKC. BLUEGRASS

Kinky Slinky, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. ROCK

Street Kings, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Lower 40, Riverwind Casino, Norman. COUNTRY

The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

Maurice Johnson, Avanti Bar & Grill. JAZZ

William Clark Green/No Dry Country, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

Mayday By Midnight, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ROCK

Lazy Roster, The Deli, Norman. BLUES Ray Wylie Hubbard, The Blue Door. COUNTRY Renmar/The Groove Offensive, 51st Street Speakeasy.

ROCK

Mitch Casen, Friends Restaurant & Club. COUNTRY Oak Ridge Boys, Buffalo Run Casino, Miami. COUNTRY

Lucky, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. COVER

Peter Case, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Lucy Wainright/Suzzy Roche, The Blue Door. FOLK Steve Story, American Legion 40et8. COUNTRY

Serial Hawk/Tumbling Nebulae/Wooden Alters, Opolis, Norman. ROCK Silent Planet, The Conservatory. VARIOUS

2AM, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. ROCK

Randy Cassimus, JJ’s Alley. ACOUSTIC

STS9/Exmag, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. ROCK

Beth & Jess, Nonna’s Purple Bar. ACOUSTIC

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

COVER

Bite Me/The Danner Family, Blue Note Lounge. VARIOUS

Reba McEntire, WinStar World Casino, Thakerville.

COUNTRY

Timeflies/Kapslap, Diamond Ballroom. VARIOUS

FRIDAY, NOV. 7 Banditos/Tyler Hopkins & The Rebellion, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

Don Williams, Sugar Creek Casino, Hinton. COUNTRY Drive, Remington Park. ROCK F5/Jack Grelle, Grandad’s Bar. COUNTRY Grant Stevens, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Joe Bonamassa, Brady Theater, Tulsa. BLUES

Roy Lee Scott & The Flying Cowboys, Sliders. COUNTRY SoMo/Francesco Yates, Diamond Ballroom. POP

Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO

Banditos, Blue Note Lounge, Friday, Nov. 7

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12

Tennessee Jet, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

The Recliners, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. VARIOUS

Mike Hosty, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COUNTRY

The Remedy OKC Band, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Savoy/Bright Lights, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. ROCK

The Wise Guys, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. ROCK

The Friends No BS Jam, Friends Restaurant & Club.

VARIOUS

Wildcat! Wildcat!/Sun Club, The Conservatory. ROCK

The Great American Jug Band, The Deli, Norman. FOLK

SUNDAY, NOV. 9

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.

Edgar Cruz, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. ACOUSTIC Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO Kyle Reid and the Low Swingin’ Chariots, The Depot, Norman. JAZZ Trout Fishing in America, The Blue Door. FOLK

MONDAY, NOV. 10 PROVID ED

The Weathermen, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER

Equilibrium, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK Kierston White/Hey Diddles, VZD’s Restaurant & Club.

FOLK

SATURDAY, NOV. 8

Don and Melodee Johnson, Twelve Oaks, Edmond. FOLK

TUESDAY, NOV. 11

Ali Harter Residency, Blue Note Lounge. SINGER/ SONGWRITER Fred Eaglesmith/Tiffany Ginn, The Blue Door. COUNTRY Purling Hiss, The Conservatory. ROCK

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | N OV E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 | 4 1

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Wherever electro-pop act Wildcat! Wildcat! ends up, it’s going to take its time getting there.

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JD MCPHERSON DROPKICK MURPHYS NOVEMBER 18

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COLE SWINDELL NOVEMBER 22

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Man of Iron Thurs., 7:30 p.m.

Ashes and Diamonds Fri., 5:30 p.m.

Innocent Sorcerers Fri., 8 p.m.

Pharaoh Sat., 2 p.m.

Mother Joan of the Angels Sat., 5:30 p.m.

The Promised Land Sat., 8 p.m.

Night Train Sun., 2 p.m.

The Last Day of Summer Sun., 5 p.m.

For movie descriptions and ticket sales visit okcmoa.com 4 2 | N OV E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

In the Wild Wildcat! Wildcat! with Sun Club 8 p.m. Saturday The Conservatory 8911 N. Western Ave. conservatoryokc.com 607-4805 $8

Formed in the heart of Los Angeles, surrounded by millions dreaming of fame and fortune, Wildcat! Wildcat! found its magic in giving up on that shared fantasy.

The three longtime friends Jesse Taylor (bass), Michael Wilson (keys) and Jesse Carmichael (drums) wasted years in other bands apart from each other, each project stalling out before ever finding any traction to speak of.

The band was only designed to have fun, but a couple of buzzy singles — including standout “Mr. Quiche” — accelerated things in a way the buddies never anticipated.

“We had all been making music and trying to do big things doing it, but with this project, we honestly were getting away from the notion of being successful,” Wilson said. “It started there and then moved, unexpectedly, to this different place we are now.”

And that’s earning a livelihood from music, touring — including Saturday’s 8 p.m. show at The Conservatory, 8911 N. Western Ave. — and playing shows in support of the likes of alt-J and Passion Pit while releasing their debut album, No Moon At All, this year through Downtown Records (Cold War Kids, Miike Snow).

Ambiguity is fundamental to Wildcat! Wildcat!’s appeal, a smoothriding but racing take at all corners of indie-rock territory: expansive, cinematic soundscapes; soaring, blippy anthems; blues-infected rock ballads; and all the crevices between.

“We gravitate towards being a bit of an elusive band as far as message and feeling,” Wilson said. “Our songs can sound kind of happy and then switch

over and sound sad, mysterious or dark.

As best we can, we’d like to try and be a little bit of everything.”

The band’s dynamic, namely the unilateral approach to songwriting, lends itself to that.

“We can feel comfortable in the uncomfortable nature of it,” Wilson said.

“There’s no formula. There’s nobody in charge. We mix and match and everyone finds their place in each song. It’s challenging as an artist, but that’s a big part of the evolution of the artist.”

If their 2013, self-titled EP fit neatly in the emotionally wrought electronic pop of Foster the People or Passion Pit, its higher minded follow-up, No Moon at All, plays as a fully conceived narrative, embracing that easy feel for disarming hooks with fully panoramic production and sleek interstitials, guided by producer Morgan Kibby (M83 keyboardist and co-writer for mega hits “Midnight City,” “Reunion” and “Kim & Jessie”).

“We’re all pretty adventurous when it comes to making stuff,” Wilson said. “It’s definitely different, for better or for worse, but it’s nice to be in a project where people aren’t afraid to make changes or take risks. It’s essential to growth.”

Growth is the goal, though the band is hesitant to strive for a rapid takeoff, more in favor of a slow burn guided by the work ethic — and ceaseless reinvention and redefinition — of former tourmates Portugal. The Man. 2015 will likely allow for a few opportunities for that quiet cultivation and spiritual shift. Between still-tobe-confirmed prospects of scoring a film and touring Europe, Wildcat!

Wildcat! already hopes to dive back into recording the songs it’s been working on since wrapping No Moon at All, with little indication of the direction it will head short of being somewhere new and exciting.

“We aren’t worried about fitting in,” Wilson said. “It’s just about feeling right.”

LIFE FILM

Get OUT

BY DAVID DEAN

OUT OK: The Oklahoma GLBT International Film Festival Nov. 14-16 Circle Cinema 10 S. Lewis Ave., Tulsa out-ok.com 918-682-4654 $10-$90

OUT OK: The Oklahoma GLBT International Film Festival celebrates the diversity of cinema by highlighting the best gay and lesbian films from the global community at Tulsa’s historic Circle Cinema theater.

This year’s lineup includes first-run independent films as well as diverse buzz titles from world-renowned festivals such as Sundance Film Festival and Outfest.

Well over a decade ago, OUT OK was founded as a means to secure vital funds to help purchase and update the 18,000-square-foot Dennis R. Neill Equality Center in Tulsa. Executive Festival Director Philip Au called the center the gala’s crowning achievement.

It was purchased in 2005 and opened in 2007.

The center is owned and operated

by Oklahomans for Equality.

It wasn’t an easy road to travel to make the annual celebration a reality or a success.

Its first year, in both Oklahoma

Cupcakes

The Way He Looks

Eastern Boys

City and Tulsa, OUT faced challenges in finding a venue to host an openly gay festival. Each theater rejected offers of money, with the exception of a second-run dollar theater, Au said.

“The day before our opening, Fred Phelps and his merry band of misfits threatened to picket the theater. A bookstore within the same plaza closed their shop for the weekend in protest,” Au said.

In the intervening decade, many challenges remain, but the climate is changing. Theaters are now priced beyond affordability, Au said, which makes it difficult for the event to break even, let alone earn enough to donate to the equality center.

Even so, the event has grown.

Overall, the festival is a financial and community success, including sponsorship from international brands like Absolut Vodka and Showtime. And growing annual net proceeds still go to the Equality Center. OUT OK is a nonprofit and is still managed by a dedicated group of grassroots volunteers.

Au and crew don’t let challenges stop them. They embrace them and keep moving forward.

“All I ask is share the love and the wealth,” Au said, urging further support of LGBT filmmakers and local festivals like this one.

There are many must-see films at the festival this year.

“I have watched countless hours of

The 10 Year Plan

celluloid, sat in many dark theaters and consumed endless buckets of popcorn.

I have selected from a great year in gaythemed movies,” he said. “This is the best of the best.”

Having said that, Au recommended The Way He Looks from Brazil, Eastern Boys from France, The Circle from Switzerland and Cupcakes from Israel.

Perception can be a tricky thing, as many consider films like Boys Don’t Cry and Brokeback Mountain as gay and lesbian films. But Au said that’s not a fully accurate impression.

“Members of the GLBT community are our harshest critics, yet they’ll see the latest Brangelina film, good or bad,” Au said. “Hollywood and Brad Pitt will gladly make a gayoriented film, but they look at the numbers that attend films like our festival lineup and, sadly, the numbers and the dollars don’t warrant a big Hollywood effort.”

In talking with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) in the OKC and Tulsa communities, the overall consensus is that there aren’t enough films that are made for them or realistically and creatively portray what it’s like to be LGBT. That’s because these films aren’t marketed to the mainstream.

“Yes, you can wait for Netflix to deliver our gems, but the communal aspects of watching a film in a dark theater with complete strangers while

PROVIDED

OUT OK film festival finds its home and its inspiration in Tulsa.

buttered popcorn fragrantly wafts in the air cannot be replicated,” Au said. “I would never judge an entire industry based on one poor film that I saw. How many Michael Bay sensory-overloaded flicks have assaulted your senses?”

That’s the beauty of this festival: Regardless of the viewer’s sexual orientation, the festival showcases hand-chosen films that aren’t readily available anywhere else. It screens only first-run movies and new releases that haven’t hit the home market as well as films that won’t otherwise play in Oklahoma theaters.

“The common thread among all of my titles is quality: great story, great production values and totally entertaining,” Au said. “I challenge anyone, gay or straight, to not find one good film among the award-winning crop of great movies that will be screened at this year’s festival.”

Au said that visitors can expect to be enlightened and entertained.

Everyone has a place at the OUT OK table, and Au assures there will be plenty of surprises.

Featured films Tom at the Farm The Way He Looks Grind Lilting The Circle

The 10 Year Plan The Foxy Merkins Eastern Boys Boys Cupcakes

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Michael Keaton in Birdman

Taking flight It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Birdman, a weirdly wonderful cinematic masterpiece.

BY PHIL BACHARACH

Let’s get the unpleasantness out of the way first. Birdman is not for all tastes.

At a recent press screening, at least one audience member groaned through a few scenes. As we filed out of the theater afterward, I overheard an older man grouse to the publicist that the movie had been a “horrible waste of time.”

So bear that in mind when I report that Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), which opens Friday in Oklahoma City, is audaciously exhilarating and wonderfully weird.

It is also superb — a masterpiece from Mexican filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, whose previous works — including Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel — were impressive but undercut by their own self-importance.

That doesn’t mean Birdman is unfettered by serious ambitions.

Pretentiousness is baked into the narrative of this tale that chronicles the making of a Broadway play based on Raymond Carver’s short story “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.” The play’s star, director and writer, Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), is a washed-up, former superhero-movie hero who turned his back on the Birdman franchise in order to pursue more serious fare. Now the 60-year-old Riggan is mortgaging his house and risking what’s left of his self-respect on one last chance to create art.

It’s the sort of role that could well be based on 63-year-old Michael Keaton, who played Batman in hit movies in 1989 and ’92 only to hand over the mask and cape at the peak of his commercial success. It’s no coincidence, then, that Keaton plays Riggan. As you might expect, it can be a little difficult to tell where the real actor ends and the fictitious one begins.

Keaton is magnificent. Capturing the jittery rhythms of a man on the verge of implosion, he makes Riggan the Willy Loman of movie stars. He is plagued by myriad problems ranging from a maybe-

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pregnant lover (Andrea Riseborough, Oblivion) to a daughter recently out of drug rehab (a ferociously mesmerizing Emma Stone, The Amazing Spider-Man 2). He is tormented by the inner voice of Birdman himself, whose gravelly tone sounds like Mickey Rourke, and by the outer voice of a disparaging New York Times theater critic (Lindsay Duncan, Alice in Wonderland).

As terrific as Keaton is, he is still part of a stellar ensemble. Iñárritu — who co-wrote Birdman with Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Armando Bo — has fashioned an array of vivid characters and backstage subplots, giving the actors an opportunity to flex their theatrical chops. Particularly memorable is Edward Norton (The Grand Budapest Hotel) in an expertly comic performance as Mike Shiner, a method actor of the most extreme degree but a darling of the critics. Rounding out this amazing cast are an atypically restrained Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover pictures) and a typically excellent Naomi Watts (St. Vincent).

The tropes of backstage stories loom large and contribute to this most meta cinematic experience. Birdman probes the insecurities and obsessions of showbiz types, but it does so with an ironic wink and a nudge that acknowledges the clichés it finds. The movie lampoons preening self-regard even while reveling in it, a strategy that frustrates — Birdman wants to have its melodrama and tweak it, too — but fascinates in equal measure.

It all makes for a dizzying Escher drawing of a film, especially with Iñárritu and ace cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity, The Tree of Life) choreographing Birdman to make it appear as one long, twisting and uninterrupted take. The camera is in near-constant motion, snaking along theater hallways, gliding through city streets. The result is a movie that literally and figuratively soars. How very meta.

P ROVI DE D

LIFE FILM

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: What’s the bravest thing you ever did?

What will be the next brave thing you do? Testify at Truthrooster@gmail.com.

ARIES March 21-April 19 We all have addictive and obsessive tendencies. They are fundamental to being human. So the challenge is not to eliminate them -- that’s not possible -- but rather to harness them. If you hope to keep them from dragging you down, you must work hard to channel them into activities that enhance your life.

How are you doing on this score, Aries? Are you chronically dependent on drugs, gambling, sugar, or chaotic relationships? Or are you, instead, hooked on the courage you summon when you face your fears and the willpower you invoke as you free yourself from your limitations? Now is an excellent time to upgrade your addictive and obsessive tendencies.

TAURUS April 20-May 20 Our planet’s most abundant mineral is called bridgmanite. It’s an amalgam of iron, magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. Until recently, no one had actually seen it because it lies so deep underground it can’t be reached by digging tools. Scientists have only known about it from studying how earthquake waves moved through it. That changed in the last few years, when two mineralogists found bridgmanite in an ancient meteorite. They were able to analyze the nuances of this basic mineral for the first time. I predict a comparable development for you, Taurus. In the coming months, you will become more familiar with a core part of you that has always been a mystery. The revelations may occur with the help of an influence that resembles a meteorite.

GEMINI May 21-June 20 Some conspiracy theorists are paranoid that aliens or government agencies use radio waves to try to control their minds. They wear tin foil hats to protect themselves from the evil transmissions. But a recent study shows that this protective head gear has an effect that’s opposite to what it’s supposed to. In fact, it actually amplifies the intensity of radio frequencies, making it even more likely that mind-control signals would work their dastardly magic. This problem probably does not apply to you, but I suspect you

are suffering from a comparable glitch. An approach you’re pursuing or an attitude you’re cultivating is having an impact contrary to what you imagine. Now is an excellent time to make adjustments.

CANCER June 21-July 22 I can’t remember the last time you’ve had as much artistic freedom as you have now. It’s as if life has given you a slew of wild cards and X-factors to play with. You don’t have to answer to the past as much as you usually do. You are less beholden to the demands of duty and the constraints of karma. Here’s the best perk: You have been authorized by both the higher powers and lower powers of the cosmos to fall in love. With whom? With what? Everyone!

Everything!

LEO July 23-Aug. 22 For much of its history, the United States claimed ownership of the ocean within three miles of its coasts. That changed in 1988, when the federal government declared that hereafter it would have sovereignty over the ocean as far as 12 miles from land. With that action, American territory increased dramatically. I invite you to consider a comparable expansion in the coming months, Leo. Seize more space. Seek further privileges. Ask for a bigger piece of everything.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22 Poland’s most renowned ghost hunter is frustrated.

Having invested a fortune in spectral detection equipment, Piotr Shalkevitz finds that there are fewer and fewer spooks to investigate as the years go by. I’m not qualified to speak about whether or not the whole world is experiencing a decline in the ghost population. But I’m confident that this is exactly what is happening for you Virgos. Recently, the haunted elements of your life have begun to dissipate. And in the next eight months, I expect that you will be freed from most, maybe all, of the ghosts and pesky demons that attached themselves to you once upon a time.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22 “To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.” Winston Churchill said that, and

THE NEW

now I’m passing it along to you -- with one caveat.

I don’t expect you to be perfect, and never will. To shoot for perfection is risky. It may set up unrealistic expectations that lead to bad mental hygiene. It tempts you to avoid messy experiences, some of which might be essential to your growth. So I will offer a revised version of Churchill’s maxim for your use: If you want to improve, you must change. If you want to keep improving, you must change often.

And the coming months will be prime time for you to keep improving and improving and improving.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21 “Sex is like pizza,” said comedian Mel Brooks.

“Even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good.” That’s a generalization, of course. I’m sure you can think of times in your past when mediocre pizza and mediocre sex were just plain mediocre. But work with me on the overarching principle, Scorpio: Some of the finer things in life just can’t be spoiled.

They are always at least moderately pleasurable and interesting and lucky -- and usually more than just moderately so. According to my reading of the astrological omens, your immediate future will be filled to the brim with these finer things.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Ancient people knew about Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn because all of those planets are visible to the naked eye. From the second millennium B.C. until the late 20th century, only three additional planets were found: Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

(Pluto was later reclassified as a dwarf planet, however.) Then in 1992, astronomers began to locate planets orbiting other stars. On one spectacular day in February of 2014, NASA announced it had identified 715 new planets. I foresee a similar uptick for you in the next seven months, Sagittarius. Your rate of discoveries is about to zoom.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 When Evan Lattimer’s 92-year-old father died in 2007, she inherited his large collection of odd relics.

It included a cigar smoked by W. C. Fields, Greta Garbo’s driver’s license, Abraham Lincoln’s shaving mirror, a bearskin coat owned by General George Custer, and Napoleon Bonaparte’s penis. Many items

turned out to be quite valuable to collectors. One eager bidder offered to buy the famous genitalia for $100,000. I suspect that in the coming months, you will experience events that have some resemblances to this story. For example, the legacy you receive may not be what you expected, but could turn out to be more useful than you imagined.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18 Here’s your assignment: Get more organized and purposeful about having fun. Think harder about what makes you feel good, and plan more aggressively to bring those feel-good experiences into your life. In offering these prescriptions, I’m not advocating irresponsible hedonism. Not at all. In my view, you will become a better servant of those you care about by boosting your commitment to pleasure. You will carry out your duties with more aplomb and effectiveness. Raising your joy quotient is actually a formula for becoming a better human being.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20 The Appalachian Mountains span 1,500 miles from Newfoundland to Alabama. They are the seventh longest range in the world. And yet they have shrunk over the eons. Their average height is 3,000 feet, but when they were young they were probably twice that high. What happened? There has been constant erosion caused by rivers, glaciers, wind, tree roots, lichens, and oxidation. Rain and condensation have also played a role because when water freezes, it expands, creating a wedging force. I propose that we make what has happened to the Appalachians a symbol of what’s possible for you in the next eight months, Pisces. Through steady, small actions, you can significantly grind down a mountainous obstacle.

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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EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, preference or discrimination.

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

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