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CONTENTS 60

35

51

25

ON THE COVER

NEWS

LIFE

LIFE

This issue celebrates the fact that, lo and behold, there weren’t enough lists/ winners/runners-up included in last week’s Best of OKC roundups.

4

Metro: minorities and police

16

48

Sudoku / Crossword

8

Metro briefs

20

51

10

Education: Teach For America

Food & Drink: Stray Dog Cafe, onion burgers, absinthe, food briefs, OKG eat: salad

You see, we’ve jumped the shark — like Fonzie from Happy Days.

12

Chicken-Fried News

31

Culture: OKC districts

Music: Falcons and Hoodboi, hip hop producers, Bishop Allen, Adam & Kizzie, event listings, Electric Würms

14

Commentary

33

Kids: mentoring

59

Film: Calls to Okies: The Park Grubbs Story, Calvary

14

Letters

35

The Best of the Rest of OKC

61

Astrology

42

Visual Arts: Art with a Cause

61

Classifieds

44

Performing Arts: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Phantom of the Opera

In one issue a year, Oklahoma Gazette features a section that is a caricature of itself: The Best of the Rest 2014. P. 35 — Jennifer Chancellor, editor-in-chief

OKG picks

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Not black-and-white Events in Ferguson, Missouri, have put a spotlight on the relationship between police and African-Americans.

Midwest City Police community action officer Roland “Rollie” Branham speaks with with 86-year-old Cora Rolison at her home with her neighbor Randolph Grayson.

BY BEN FELDER

Clashes between police and residents in Ferguson, Missouri, over the past two weeks have ignited debate over the use of deadly force, racial profiling and protester rights. They have also shined a spotlight on the relationship between law enforcement and African-American communities, which has a long history of friction across America.

In conversations with leaders and residents from black communities across the Oklahoma City metro, it appears a skeptical eye toward police still exists but is mostly based on historical events. When asked to speak freely, some black residents of OKC said friction can exist between African-Americans and police. But overall, there is a higher level of trust today than in years past, and many believe the police department has taken steps to improve relations.

No local Ferguson

There is no city in the Oklahoma City metro near size of Ferguson (population 21,203) that has a majority of black residents. However, there are a handful of area cities and communities with sizable black populations, and in conversations with both community leaders and law enforcement from those cities, most agree that relations here, while not perfect, are better than in Ferguson.

“Some [African-Americans] in Midwest City feel that the law enforcement is against them,” said Councilwoman Christine C. Price Allen.

“But I think things are getting better.”

Allen is the lone African-American

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elected official in Midwest City, which is 21 percent black, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures. However, Ward 5, the ward Allen represents, is closer to 60 percent African-American.

Allen said she has looked for ways to strengthen the city’s relationship with its black community since her election a few years ago and she believes the police department has taken steps to improve its image with minorities. However, she would like to see more minorities on the police force, where just seven commissioned offers out of 94 are black.

Statistics

Midwest City’s arrest stats show that 39 percent of all arrests are AfricanAmericans, a rate nearly twice as high as the city’s population demographics. While Allen says those statistics might lend cause for concern, the city’s police chief believes the numbers do not tell the whole story.

“We take a community-based approach to [policing] that I think helps us connect with the neighborhoods and minorities,” Midwest City Chief of Police Brandon Clabes said.

Clabes also said the rate of arrests does not take into consideration whether an officer initiated the arrest or was responding to a call. He also said officer employment rates struggle to mirror the community because there is a low number of minority applicants, which is something police chiefs complain of across the country.

Having stats on racial demographics of arrests and police employment can

provide a starting point in discussing law enforcement relations with minorities, and it has been a major talking point in Ferguson, where, despite being 67 percent African-American, only 6 percent of the city’s police officers are black, a statistic that has not created trust in that community. With police employment stats that are similar to Ferguson, Midwest City police have also drawn skepticism from blacks in the community.

“I think the black community in Midwest City is sometimes suspicious of police,” said Charles, a black resident who did not wish to give his last name. “But that’s part of the culture even if it’s not based on actual problems. I actually don’t think the problems you see in [Ferguson] exist here.”

Knowing employment and arrest statistics at least gives the Midwest City police something to review. In Del City, where 18 percent of residents are black, the local police department could not offer racial breakdowns of arrests or police officers and said it would not offer those numbers following a request by Oklahoma Gazette last week. However, all five members of the Del City council and mayor are white.

Oklahoma City

Midwest City and Del City have the largest percentages of African-American residents of area cities larger than 2,000.

Unlike the St. Louis area, which includes Ferguson, no large cities in the OKC region are majority black. Those that are, like Forest Park and Arcadia, have fewer

Police demographics by the numbers Oklahoma City, Del City and Midwest City are the three large cities in the metro with the largest African-American population.

OKLAHOMA CITY: POPULATION 15 percent black OFFICERS 6 percent black MIDWEST CITY: POPULATION 21 percent black OFFICERS 7 percent black DEL CITY: POPULATION 18 percent black OFFICERS not reported* *Del City Police said they were unable to provide officer demographics

than 1,200 residents.

Oklahoma City is 15 percent AfricanAmerican, and its police force is 6 percent black. Like Midwest City, police in OKC say there is a shortage of minority candidates and admit there can be a stigma in the black community about becoming a police officer.

“I think the relationship [between police and African-Americans], over time, has gotten far better than how it used to be,” said Ward 7 Councilman John Pettis Jr., who represents a ward that is home CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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NEWS METRO

UNI_14-RP-159 LaborDay_9.25x6.05.indd 1

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NEWS METRO Eighty-six-year-old Midwest City resident Cora Rolison visits with Dana Kirkland, a neighborhood initiative coordinator; Sgt. Martin Ramos, a police officer and former police community relations officer; and Roland “Rollie” Branham, a police community relations officer, at Rolison’s home.

to a large percentage of the city’s black community.

Like Allen in Midwest City, Pettis said the police are often a topic of discussion between him and his constituents.

“Is it perfect? No, I would have to say it isn’t perfect,” said Pettis, who is the council’s lone African-American member.

“But I think we are getting better.”

Pettis said he has done several police ride-alongs during his time as a councilman and will often pull over when he sees a lot of police activity in his ward.

“It’s good for the community to see their councilman interacting in a positive note [with police],” Pettis said. “There is a negative view sometimes of the police department [in my community].”

Pettis also referenced the police department’s citizen advisory board as a reason he views the relationship between minorities and police as improving.

The 11-member board is made up of mostly minority citizens and reviews investigations when there is a citizen complaint.

Other programs, like the Police Athletic League, are designed to get officers out in the community, having positive interactions with young residents in an effort to build trust.

Pettis said blacks in Oklahoma City were closely following the events in Ferguson and he believes the situation points to misconduct by the police officer who shot an unarmed 18-year-old. But Pettis also believes the situation would play out differently in Oklahoma City.

“I don’t agree with how that particular police department [in Ferguson] is handling things,” Pettis said. “But I think Oklahoma City would handle things a little bit different.”

Police officials in both Midwest City and Oklahoma City have agreed, saying they believe their departments would be better about releasing information.

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Some [African-Americans] in Midwest City feel that the law enforcement is against them.

— Christine C. Price Allen

PCR

The Oklahoma City Police Department also looks for ways to increase positive interactions between its officers and the community through the work of its police community relations (PCR) officers.

“The officer that is assigned to calls, they don’t have time to talk about what happened two weeks ago or a month ago,” said Erick Huff, a PCR officer in the Springlake Patrol Division in northeast Oklahoma City. “The PCR officers are ones that can spend a little more time in the neighborhoods, talking about the issues.”

Huff said his role allows him to interact more with members of the community, listen to concerns and even offer explanation about an issue.

Huff, who is black, said he doesn’t believe there is as much of a negative impression about police from the black community like there once was. He has been at neighborhood meetings where concern over race has been raised but has been able to talk with residents and help them see that most negative thoughts are based on events from another era.

Capt. Dexter Nelson, a public information officer with the department, agreed.

“When I was here as a kid ... you were always being told to be careful around police,” said Nelson, who is black. “The black community has historically not been

in a good light with law enforcement. It’s just a historical fact across this country.

But the younger generation hasn’t had their own negative experiences.”

Conversations with black youth and young adults in Oklahoma City yielded stories of perceived profiling and a general dislike for law enforcement.

Told their names would not be printed, some said they felt like they had been stopped because of their race when driving in a mostly white part of town or have experienced officers using derogatory terms. But no one felt like the problems of Ferguson existed to the same extent in Oklahoma City, and most said they believe the majority of police officers are good people.

Of course, each person has his or her own perspective of the police and no individual or small group can speak for entire community.

However, both Huff and Nelson say the nature of the job is such that many people don’t like a visit or stop from the police, no matter their race.

Trust

The key component in law enforcement relations with minority communities is trust, and that has been a hard thing to develop in many black communities across the nation. As residents in Ferguson complain that their local police department does not reflect the demographics of the community, the same could be said of departments in the OKC metro.

Local departments say they want to hire more minority officers, but that has been a tough goal to meet and might get even tougher.

“It is likely that the events in Ferguson will make it extremely difficult to hire African-Americans, at least in the near future,” Ronald Weitzer, a professor of sociology at George Washington University who has written extensively about police relations with ethnic minorities, told The Kansas City Star in a story about police demographics.

However, while Oklahoma City and Midwest City might share the problem of a lack of black officers, few believe the same type of mistrust that is playing out in Ferguson is bubbling beneath the surface here.

That said, recent events have challenged the public’s trust. OKC police announced last week that one of its officers had sexually assaulted at least seven women, all African-American,

Community policing Oklahoma City police say they have several programs that are designed to promote positive interactions between the community and officers, especially in high-risk and minority communities across the city.

Police Athletic League The Oklahoma City Police Athletic League offers educational and athletic activities for children, primarily in high-risk neighborhoods. Police officers volunteer their time, giving children the chance to have positive experiences with officers. PAL is a chapter member of the National Association of Police Athletic/ Activities Leagues, which is recognized as the largest juvenile crime prevention program in the nation.

Police Community Relations Officers Oklahoma City’s PCR officers spend time presenting information to neighborhood associations, businesses, churches and other groups, giving residents a chance to have more in-depth conversations with police officers. Each police division has a PCR officer.

Citizens Advisory Board Oklahoma City’s Citizens Advisory Board is made up of 11 citizens, which includes several representatives of the city’s minority communities. The police say the goal of the board is to maintain a partnership with the community in an effort to reduce crime and to enhance the quality of life. The board meets to review investigations into citizen complaints and provide feedback on how the department can improve policies toward the community.

over the past several months. 2013 was the deadliest year in a decade for police shootings in OKC and sparked an investigative series on the use of deadly force, which highlighted the mistrust that police shootings can create, by The Oklahoman.

Through community policing, citizen advisory boards and youth activities, local departments have taken steps to promote positive interactions between officers and citizens, especially minorities. But police also say their job has never been about winning a popularity contest.

“A lot of people just don’t like the police,” said Clabes, remarking that it seems to be a trend that has gotten worse in recent decades.

“This is a tough job.”

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METRO BRIEFS

State of schools

Police officer arrested for sexual assault

An Oklahoma City police officer was arrested last week for allegedly sexually assaulting at least seven women.

On June 18, police received a complaint from a female who said she had been forced by officer Daniel K. Holtzclaw to perform sexual acts during a traffic stop, Police Chief Bill Citty said

Daniel K. Holtzclaw

during a press conference last Thursday.

The officer was placed on immediate administrative leave, and an investigation was launched.

After contacting other women who had been stopped by Holtzclaw, police discovered six other victims, Citty said.

Holtzclaw was arrested last Thursday and booked into the Oklahoma County Jail.

“We kind of anticipate there might be more victims out there,” Citty said.

All seven victims were AfricanAmerican, and police said Holtzclaw is of Asian ethnicity. Holtzclaw was an officer in the city’s Springlake Division in northeast OKC. “It angers you,” Citty said about the impact it has on him and other officers.

Police said a complaint was made against Holtzclaw several months ago but police were unable to confirm misconduct at that time.

Say what?

“Growing up in Oklahoma City, I didn’t have those role models. Not [role models] that looked like me.”

That was Gloria Torres, who recently became the OKC school board’s first

female Hispanic member in a district that is nearly half Hispanic. Torres said it was important for the Latino community to have a voice on the board.

Torres was appointed by her school board colleagues to fill a vacancy for the District 6 board seat, which includes south Oklahoma City. Torres has an education background and was also the first Hispanic female in Oklahoma City to serve as a principal.

Gloria Torres

Following the meeting, Torres spoke about the multigenerational makeup of the Hispanic community and the importance of helping families become more engaged in the education process.

“For many of the current parents, they come from a different educational system where parental involvement had a very different meaning to it,” Torres said.

“So learning the American system and learning how to become involved is one step for many.

“The [Hispanic] population has grown tremendously … we have multigenerational populations here … and you have different experiences that come with that.”

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DC. Petrilli spoke of the national education reform debate and commented that Oklahoma was ground zero for some of the biggest issues.

“We are seeing some of the biggest backlash to education reform that we have seen in at least a decade, if not a generation,” Petrilli said.

Petrilli addressed the state’s appeal of Common Core and that he believed lawmakers should reconsider.

“I’m the guy that they send to red states to try and convince them to support Common Core,” Petrilli said.

While Neu did not address Common Core, he did say the district plans to write its own “rigorous” curriculum.

Neu’s first state of the schools address was his first opportunity to speak to a large group of city and business leaders, and many seemed impressed with his thoughts. Neu’s speech ended with a standing ovation from the several hundred in attendance.

“Every one of our students has hopes and dreams,” Neu said. “It’s our responsibility to connect them to those hopes and dreams.”

P ROVI DED

Robert Neu asked business leaders to embrace the school district during his state of the schools report.

BY BEN FELDER

Robert Neu’s address to the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce last week contained a little sizzle and a lot of substance.

In his state of the schools report, Neu, who has been superintendent of the Oklahoma City School District for less than two months, announced aggressive plans to raise teacher pay, offer digital devices to every student and repay the college debt of teachers.

“We must attract and retain the very best teachers and principals in the land,” said Neu, who announced plans to offer relocation packages and higher pay to teachers. He also announced a new partnership with Oklahoma City Community College and the University of Central Oklahoma. Those post-secondary schools will accept OKC district graduates to its education degree program, and if those students return to the district for three years as a teacher, their college debt will be paid off.

Neu also asked the business leaders at the chamber lunch to embrace the school district and find ways to partner with local schools.

“I ask that you change the way you think about public schools in Oklahoma City,” Neu said.

Neu also announced that all sophomores and juniors would take the PSAT for free this fall. The district plans to provide a digital device to every student in the coming years, which is a $25 million investment.

Prior to Neu’s address, the chamber heard from Mike Petrilli, an education author and policy wonk from Washington

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OKC Schools Superintendent Robert Neu has announced bold ideas.

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Jake Steel loved working in politics, but it lacked the type of impact he was looking for.

“Politics works for the top down, from the outside in, and I don’t believe you will ever change someone long-term from the outside in,” said Steel, who had worked on Gov. Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. “Change has to come from the inside.”

As Steel thought about a career change that would put him on the front lines of real change, education seemed like the perfect fit.

“I thought, ‘How can I get in a situation where I can make change from the inside out?’” Steel said. “I thought if I could be in a classroom and if I could talk to students one-on-one and help them see their potential, that will make the change from the inside and it will last forever.”

The communications and political science major from Brigham Young University did some research on how he might be able to transition to a career as an educator and came across the website for Teach For America, a national organization that places professionals in high-needs schools. Steel applied for the next round of hiring and found himself teaching math and science at John Marshall Mid-High School in Oklahoma City a year later.

Teach For America

Steel is one of more than 123 Teach For America (TFA) corps members in central Oklahoma, the majority of

Jake Steel teaching seventh grade at John Marshall High School.

Steel is one of more than 123 Teach For America corps members in central Oklahoma. which are in the Oklahoma City Public School district. TFA has had a presence in Oklahoma City since 2011, and besides placing talented professionals in urban classrooms, the program has helped combat teacher shortages.

“It was a good opportunity to not only fill high-need vacancies, such as math and science and early childhood, but we were also able to bring in people from around the country to give our students a different perspective of other cultures,” said Chuck Tompkins, executive director of human resources in the OKC district.

The district pays TFA members as it would any other teacher. Before a corps member steps foot inside a classroom, he or she goes through a rigorous training program and a closely supervised summer school teaching program.

The majority of TFA teachers in OKC are from out of state, but a few, like Alexis Daniels, are from the area.

“I used to work in a summer camp working with urban youth and was more than halfway through my degree plan when I decided what I really wanted to do is teach,” said Daniels, who studied journalism at Oklahoma State University. “I found out about TFA ... spoke with some recruiters and went through the application process.”

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As a Teach For America corps member, Alexis Daniels works with her pre-kindergarten students at FD Moon Elementary.

Daniels is now teaching prekindergarten at FD Moon Elementary Academy in east Oklahoma City.

While working at summer camps, Daniels developed a heart for urban children, and her two weeks as a teacher has affirmed that passion.

“The experience I have had is they are smart kids; they just come from different homes,” Daniels said. “There [are] a lot of things going on the inner city, and we really need teachers who can come in and show them that success is a possibility for them.”

Training

TFA is all about finding high-quality teachers for high-need schools, said Lance Tackett, executive director of TFA Oklahoma, which also oversees corps members in Tulsa, Lawton, Muskogee and Sapulpa.

“We are going after people who are graduating at the top of their class,” Tackett said. “We want some of the best and brightest in front of our kids.”

While TFA selects students and professionals who have demonstrated success in other fields, the program understands that teaching is not just a profession anyone can jump into.

Once selected, corps members complete a training program that lasts several months in the spring, followed by another two-week session in their new region, and then they lead a five-week summer school class.

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600 hours of professional development,” Tackett said. “Once they step foot into a classroom in the fall, they do 100 hours of additional professional development.

We have coaches that work with our schools, and they are in their classrooms every few weeks. Its a pretty robust process.”

The training process is designed to train teachers to lesson plan and lecture, but it also gives corps members a glimpse at what it’s like to teach in highneed schools.

“They didn’t give us rose-colored glasses; they really pushed us,” Steel said. “First-year teachers need a support system every single day. They need someone to say, ‘It’s tough, but let’s keep going.’”

The Oklahoma City district entered the new school year in need of nearly 150 teachers, and TFA corps members have helped reduce that number.

“Oklahoma is high-need mostly because there is a giant teacher shortage here,” Tackett said.

The program helps the district fill its hiring needs, but it also brings teachers to OKC who have a passion and belief in urban education.

“Folks who join TFA do it because they believe education can be a pathway out of poverty and they believe education equity is a right,” Tackett said.

“I think there is a moral imperative piece to this. This is actually a social justice issue, and I think it carries an incredible passion and conviction.”

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FRiED NEWS

Quest of Leon

Though Kings of Leon fans in New York, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and New Hampshire are still QOL upset over recent canceled shows, fans with tickets to shows in New Jersey and Pennsylvania this weekend can rest easy, as the band returns to its scheduled tour this Thursday with a show at Holmdel, New Jersey’s PNC Bank Arts Center.

An Aug. 9 tour bus accident left drummer Nathan Followill with broken ribs and forced the band to cancel two weeks of shows on its current Mechanical Bull tour. However, that didn’t stop the Followills from performing on The Tonight Show with Roots drummer Questlove filling in for Nathan — and replacing the iconic electrical-tape “KOL” on his bass drum with a fitting “QOL” — on Aug. 12.

While previous canceled shows and rehab rumors have marred the band’s image and turned away fans in the past, it seems the Followills are making concerted

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efforts to reform and keep fans happy.

“The more time you spend with your fans, the more you get back,” frontman Caleb Followill told Broward/Palm Beach New Times.

And Nathan was even tweeting from his recovery bed.

“Thanks again for all of the well wishes. Best family, friends & fans in the whole wide world,” he tweeted Aug. 11, just two days after the accident.

The ball’s in Nike’s court

Oh, this is rich. Literally.

Thunder pro-baller Kevin Durant informed Nike last week that he has a deal with Under Armour sports clothing and gear company worth up to $285 million over 10 years, ESPN reported.

Durant could turn down the offer if Nike makes a move to match it. But it does show that Under Armour is putting a lot on the table — and investing greatly in the sports star — as ESPN projects that 10 percent of the company’s annual marketing budget would go to him.

Under Armour is a Baltimore-based person. (Our favorites are the ones that company, and Durant grew up in Seat don’t work; just search “Ice Bucket Pleasant, Maryland, just a 30-mile Challenge Fails” on YouTube.) drive away. Home, sweet home for KD? The marketing plan designed to draw Perhaps. And the company’s shares are attention to ALS research has swept the up 96 percent in the past year. However, nation, and never before has America Nike’s is up only 21.5 percent, in come together in an effort to avoid part due to his “KD” Nike giving money to charity by products. dousing themselves in NO THANKS! I’LL KEEP MY $ freezing water.

Challenge accepted

At this point, nearly every athlete, politician and celebrity has been called out to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. If you haven’t been, then you just aren’t that important. Oklahoma native and NFL wide-receiver Wes Welker was recently challenged to participate by the coach of his former college, who also extended the challenge to Beyonce.

That challenge from Texas Tech football coach Kliff Kingsbury also featured a communal ice bathing of sorts that proves there is more than one way to toss cold water on a

Reba remembers Robin

You wouldn’t know it, but country singer and Okie native Reba McEntire has one of the best stories about the late Robin Williams.

McEntire, like many celebrities at the time, shared her fondest memory of the legendary actor and comedian after his passing, writing on her official Facebook page: “My favorite memory of Robin Williams was from Muhammad Ali’s Celebrity Fight Night. I was the em-cee [sic] at the benefit dinner/auction, trying to get everyone to take their seats so we

could start the show but not having much success. Jim Carrey jumps up on his chair at the head table and says, ‘Hey!! Do you know who that is? That’s Reba McEntire! Now sit down and shut up!” Robin at the other end of the head table, stands PAY on his chair and DAY says the same thing but in a foreign language!

The crowd loved it, laughed and found their seats. I was speechless and in awe of these very talented wonderful men.”

The country music community wouldn’t have been the first place you’d expect Williams’ impact to be felt, and McEntire’s experience is a testament to the fact that his brilliance knew no bounds. We reckon we’ll miss you, Robin.

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MICH

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Party like it’s 1989

N

In 1989, the students and administration at Putnam City High

School had a, like, totally radical idea.

They wanted to capture the essence of the 1980s on the cusp of a new decade.

In 1989, students and teachers made predictions about what life would be like in 2014, and if this is making you feel old, you’re definitely not the only one. According to News9. com, Putnam City Schools recently opened a 25-year old time capsule, in which was sealed pop culture ephemera and predictions about the future — some of which were quite accurate.

“Computers and electronics and machines will take over our life,” said Robby, a student at Central Intermediate School.

One unsigned prediction said, “Candy bars will cost $2 and instead of cruising to Hawaii, we will have trips to the moon.”

Two whole dollars! Whoa.

Back to the Future II and Ghostbusters II claimed box office glory that year, and Michael Jackson had just debuted his No. 1 hit “Bad.” It’s true, 25 years doesn’t seem that

CIRCA 1989

immunity, it gives credibility to every conspiracy theory we’ve ever heard.

long ago, but put things in the context of Marty McFly still being in high school and it gives one pause to think about how time flies.

Crime boss: Murder sentence too steep

Do no harm?

Convicted crime boss, James “Whitey” Bulger, is appealing two life sentences he received for murder last year because he says he didn’t get a fair trial.

Bulger was convicted of 11 murders, one of which was a Tulsa businessman in 1981, but says the trial was rigged against him because the judge didn’t let him argue that he had been promised immunity.

Bulger, who is 84, evaded authorities for 16 years and originally faced 32 counts of racketeering, money laundering, extortion, weapons charges and 19 murder charges. He was ultimately found guilty of 31 counts and 11 murders.

Wow. Just think if government officials had actually promised Bulger

Do no harm?

Them’s fighting words.

A local doctor was hauled off to jail recently after he smacked one of his former patients, NewsOK.com reported.

Notice the word former.

Words were exchanged as the, er, good doctor passed 47-year-old Ginger Rogers outside her apartment complex as she awaited a package delivery. What she got instead, she claims, was a volley of foul language before Dr. Labib Sam Musallam slapped her in the face with a fistful of papers.

What followed was a brawl. The two exchanged punches and Rogers bit one of Musallam’s hands, but Musallam also got in a kick to Rogers’ ribs. Apparently, the duo also has been duking things out in court over a disagreement they had while she was his patient.

Both were treated for their injuries at local hospitals.

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COMMENTARY

August marks the 40th year for OKCIC

BY ROBYN SUNDAY-ALLEN

According to recent findings published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cancer is the leading cause of death among American Indians and Alaska Natives, followed by heart disease. American Indians have the highest prevalence of tobacco use of any population in the U.S. and are 60 percent more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites.

These alarming statistics serve as evidence for the demand and need for Indian health systems, like the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic (OKCIC), that provide access to a variety of services and programs dedicated to improving Native American health. These specific healthcare systems ensure that the American Indian community has early access to primary and preventive care, which is essential in preventing chronic diseases, and provide the necessary

In 2013, the OKCIC pharmacy staff filled more than 200,000 prescriptions, all in a 900-square-foot workplace.

treatment and education to help combat contributing factors that influence these diseases.

Locally, OKCIC provides highquality healthcare and wellness services to urban Indians in central Oklahoma.

August marks 40 years since it opened its doors.

Over the years, it has expanded its

services from general medical practice to also include dental, optometry, pediatrics, prenatal, physical fitness, nutrition, family programs and behavioral health. OKCIC also offers eight different programs dedicated to helping patients prevent or manage diabetes, receive breast health and heart disease education, participate in youth and family activities that promote wellness and receive one-on-one mentoring.

Where the clinic struggles to meet the needs of patients is in the pharmacy.

In 2013, the OKCIC pharmacy staff filled more than 200,000 prescriptions, all in a 900-square-foot workplace.

There was a recognized a need for growth in this area so the clinic could service more patients, so the center raised funds for a new, 7,000-squarefoot pharmacy that will give staff the capacity to fill more than 400,000

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.

prescriptions a year, hold educational seminars and provide confidential patient consultation.

Additionally, the new pharmacy will include drive-through operations that will add convenience and help provide the area Native American community better patient care.

Pharmacy construction is scheduled to start in 2015.

OKCIC’s mission is to provide excellent health care to American Indians. By providing comprehensive primary care to more than 18,000 patients from more than 220 federally recognized tribes, it’s not only improving health outcomes for urban Indians but for the entire community.

Robyn Sunday-Allen is Cherokee, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in public health and a member of Oklahoma Nurses Association and Oklahoma Public Health Association. She has worked with Oklahoma City Indian Clinic since 1995 and is now its CEO.

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.

Open letter to OKC government

I’m just writing to saying how disturbing it is to see that Jim Brown, your general manager of the Civic Center, is in favor of the Dakhma group holding a black mass satanic ritual at your public facility.

Do you normally allow such perversions and desecrations in Oklahoma City? I have been there numerous times for business and thought it a respectable place. How do the city leaders justify such a tragic infringement on decency?

What other perverted activities will be attracted to your fine city? This man, Jim Brown, who is he that he can’t say, “No!” to devil worshippers and so easily adopts an “everybody

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has a right” stance? How far does that argument go? What other hate groups will you allow to flaunt their hatred and carry out their perversions? Will the Ku Klux Klan or the neoNazis be next? Or maybe necrophiliacs or sadomasochists?

Your website sure paints a pretty picture of your fine city. It’s too bad its image and reputation will be so despoiled, and all because Jim Brown doesn’t have the courage or decency to say, “No!” to a bunch of very sick people.

— Tim O’Neill Pasadena, California Legalize it!

My 36-year-old son passed away in 2012 due to an accidental overdose of Lortab prescribed for an injury he suffered while employed by Halliburton in Duncan.

My 58-year-old wife is classified as opioid dependent, as she was prescribed hydrocodone and morphine for Post-Polio Syndrome. She was addicted for the rest of her life.

I blame Gov. Mary Fallin and the outdated drug laws in Oklahoma.

Every day, another patient becomes

addicted to lethal prescription drugs and someone else dies from an accidental overdose. It is difficult to understand why Oklahoma politicians continue to ignore the medical benefits of non-addictive and non-lethal marijuana. The American Medical Association, along with many respected physicians, endorse the use of medical marijuana.

Oklahoma is ranked near the top of prescription drug addiction as well as prescription drug overdoses. Many patients now prescribed Percocet, morphine and Xanax could benefit from using medical marijuana instead.

Marinol is not a safe alternative

to marijuana because the dose level cannot be regulated as when a person smokes marijuana. Marinol and prescription drugs cause liver damage and other dangerous side effects.

Governor Fallin should legalize all forms of marijuana to persons 21 years of age.

I am 60 years old and have smoked marijuana for most of my life and will continue to smoke marijuana as Oklahoma marijuana laws block my constitutional rights to pursue health and happiness. Fallin is not fit to be the governor of any state in America!

— David Dill Oklahoma City

The NEW Metropolitan Library System Catalog Beginning on September 2, enjoy these added features:  See what’s on the shelf at one location, or search all libraries  Immediately see new titles  Touch screen Kids’ Catalog that even pre-readers can use  Search by subject, series, collection, location, genre and more  Search results include encyclopedia, newspaper, magazine articles and related upcoming library events  Access digital and audiobooks directly from the search results  Read and contribute ratings and book reviews  And even more new features!

Due to the new system upgrade, all Metropolitan Library System locations will be closed Saturday, Aug. 30, through Monday, Sept. 1. Online services will also be unavailable beginning Friday, Aug. 29, at 6 p.m.

www.metrolibrary.org O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | 1 5

OKG picks are events

recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members.

For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS Bayard Godsave book signing, author of Torture Tree 6:30 p.m., Aug. 27. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. WED

MICRODERMABRASION $30 First Treatment $200 Package of 5 MICRODERMABRASION ADD-ONS $10 Glycolic Peel $20 Jessner’s Peel

Red Dirt BoCo Author Signing, over 50 authors from all over the U.S. and Oklahoma to sign books, proceeds of sales will go to the Shelter Oklahoma Schools charity, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Aug. 30. Sheraton Hotel, 1 N Broadway Ave., 235-2780, sheratonokc.com. SAT Allan Hendrickson book signing, author will lead a discussion and sign his book titled, Think It Feel It Have It!, 7-9 p.m., Sept. 3. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks. com. WED

PERMANENT MAKEUP

FILM

JUVEDERM • RADIESSE

Dolphins, (U.S., 2000, dir. Greg MacGillivray) take a deep sea adventure with dolphins and learn how they live and play, Aug. 27-28. Oklahoma Science Museum, 2100 NE 52nd St., sciencemuseumok.org. WED–THU

• $250 Eyeliner • $250 Eyebrows • $350 Full Lips • $250 Lip Liner

BOTOX Always $10 Per Unit

Schelly’s Aesthetics

Schelly Hill, R.N.

Shoppes at Northpark, 12028 May Ave. 405-751-8930 Open Mon-Sat • www.SchellysAesthetics.com Gift Certificates Available

Oklahoma, (U.S., 1955, dir. Fred Zinnemann) free matinees of the classic film, Oklahoma, 1 p.m., Aug. 27Sept. 1. Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May Ave., 682-1611, occc.edu. WED–MON Dancing in Jaffa, (U.S., 2013, dir. Hilla Medalia) the story of Pierre Dulaine, a famed ballroom dancer as he takes his program, Dancing Classrooms, to his home city of Jaffa and teaches children to dance and compete together. 7:30 p.m., Aug. 28; 5:30 p.m., Aug. 29-30; 2 p.m., Aug. 31. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, okcmoa.com. THU–SUN

HAPPENINGS

P ROVI DED

CAll TO COMPARE OUR EvERyDAy lOw RATES

Finding Fela You might know Fela Kuti as a pioneer of Afrobeat music, and rightfully so. Yet Kuti’s impact reached far beyond the musical stratosphere, playing a pivotal role in Nigeria’s political and human rights activism of the ’70s and ’80s. Finding Fela chronicles the life of the cultural icon, and you can see Alex Gibney’s acclaimed documentary 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. Tickets are $5-$9. Call 236-3100 or visit okcmoa.com.

Friday–Saturday

The Psychology Behind the Sale, advanced communications workshop. 9 a.m., Aug 29. Sandler Training, 3000 United Founders Blvd. #224. FRI Loose Caboose Antique Art and Craft Festival, arts and crafts for the whole family, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Aug. 30.

Downtown Purcell, 230 W. Main St., Purcell. SAT Poetry Reading, featuring a guest speaker and open mic opportunities, 2-3 p.m., Aug. 31. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SUN Oklahoma City Hot Wheels Association Show, tons of toys and collectibles, buy sell and trade club t-shirts and custom diecast cars. 9 a.m., Sept. 1. Crown Center, 13300 S. Western Ave., Moore, 833-1296, greaterokchotwheels. com. MON Organic Gardening Simplified, join landscape architect, Howard Garrett as he explains natural organic gardening, 7-9:30 p.m., Sept. 3. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, myriadgardens. org. WED

I have the BEST customers.

Thanks for all your love & support OKC signed, One Grateful Granny

FOOD Tea and Tips, wellness tips for a healthier life, 9:3010:30 a.m., Aug. 28. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Rd., Edmond. THU Midtown Market at Saints, fresh, Oklahoma-grown produce, meats, dairy, baked goods, honey and prepared foods such as salsa, jam, jelly and relish, 1-2 p.m., Aug. 29. Midtown Market, NW 9th St. and Walker Ave. FRI H&8th Night Market, street festival built around a lineup of the city’s top gourmet food trucks, 7-11 p.m., Aug. 29. H&8th Night Market, 900 N Hudson Ave., h8thokc.com. FRI Saturday Cooking Class: Roasted Potato Salad with Bell Peppers, roasted corn and tomatoes, learn how to prepare delicious meals at home from Buy for Less’ culinary team, 1 p.m., Aug. 30. Buy For Less, 3501 Northwest Expressway, buyforlessok.com. SAT

B IGSTOCK.COM

#1? Me? Oh Stop it!

College Tattoo Flash Specials It’s back-to-school season again, and you know what that means: It’s time to get a tattoo. MuseArt Tattoo Co. is offering small flash designs specific to college life and the stresses that come along with it — books, pencils, glasses — and all at a discounted rate.

The specials last from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday at MuseArt Tattoo Co., 1206 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Call 601-9669 or visit plazadistrict.org.

Thursday 1759 NW 16th • Oklahoma City • 405-528-4585 1 6 | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

YOUTH Art of the Brick, showcases sculptures made from LEGOs by artist Nathan Sawaya, also an interactive exhibit for kids, Aug. 27-Sept. 3.

Oklahoma Science Museum, 2100 NE 52nd St., sciencemuseumok.org. WED–WED She’s a Bosse, teaching young ladies etiquette, self-esteem, health, wellness, and self-defense, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Aug. 28. Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Ave., 231-8650, metrolibrary.org. THU

DISCOUNT TAKEN OFF EQUAL OR LESSER PURCHASE. LIMIT 2 COUPONS PER PERSON. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. EXPIRES 9/3/14.

Little Big Chefs, learn to make macaroni and cheese, 2-4:30 p.m., Aug. 31 Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Rd., Edmond, uptowngroceryco. com. SUN Mini Model Build at the Lego Store, build a new LEGO model every month, ages 6-14, 5 p.m., Sept.

2. Penn Sqaure Mall, 1901 Northwest Expressway.

TUE Bringing Books to Life, storytime based off nature and the season; includes small craft; Ages 2-5, 10-11 a.m., Sept. 3. Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 297-3995, myriadgardens.org. WED

PERFORMING ARTS The Phantom of the Opera, the classic production comes to Oklahoma City, 7:30 p.m., Aug. 27; 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m., Aug. 28; 8 p.m., Aug. 29; 2 p.m., 8 p.m., Aug. 30; 7:30 p.m., Aug. 31; 7:30 p.m., Sept.

2. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 2972264, okcciviccenter.com. WED–SUN, TUE

11AM-9PM | MON-SAT • 11AM-4PM | SUN

NW 50TH & MERIDIAN OKLAHOMASTATIONBBQ.COM 947.7277

PROVIDED

Will Marfori, stand-up comedy, 8 p.m., Aug. 27-28; 8, 10:30 p.m., Aug. 29-30. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 239-4242, loonybincomedy.com. WED

Riding It Forward Joe Ostaszewski is a huge loser — and by that we mean he was a finalist on the wildly popular TV series The Biggest Loser.

Ostaszewski’s Riding It Forward tour — an all-ages event featuring healthy living stations, a fun-run/ walk and open bike ride with Ostaszewski himself — stops

by Oklahoma City 6-9 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 27 on The Great Lawn at Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave. Admission is free. Call 445-7080 or visit myriadgardens.org.

Wednesday, Aug. 27

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P ROVI DED

continued

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is not an actual spelling bee — it’s actually much more exciting than that. With six Tony nominations (and two wins), the spellbinding comedic musical chronicles the childish antics of six overly competitive adolescents vying for the prestige of Spelling Bee Champ.

See it 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at The Pollard Theatre, 120 W. Harrison Ave., in Guthrie. Tickets are $25. Call 282-2800 or visit thepollard.org. Read our review on page 47.

Friday–Sunday The Dixie Swim Club, five college friends continue the tradition 33 years later by setting aside a long weekend in August to reconnect, 8 p.m., Aug. 28-30; 2:30 p.m., Aug. 31. Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N. Walker Ave., 521-1786, jewelboxtheatre.org. THU–SUN Lysistrata, a musically comedic Greek sex farce. the women of Greece go on a sex strike in efforts to end war. 8 p.m., Aug. 28-30. Reduxion Theatre Company, 1613 N Broadway, 651-3191, reduxiontheatre.com.

THU–SAT

Great Results, Happy Patients!

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ACTIVE OKC Redhawks vs. Albuquerque Isotopes, minor league baseball. 7:05 p.m., Aug. 27. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, 2181000, bricktownokc.com. WED Drop-in Yoga, yoga and meditation. 11 a.m.-noon, Aug. 30. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. SAT

PROVIDED

Drag Float!, comedy combining elements of Hitchcock, 70s disaster movies and drag queens, 6:30 p.m., Aug. 29-30. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 601-7200, theboomokc.com. FRI–SAT

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), presented by Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, the only charge is audience participation, donations to OK Shakespeare in the Park appreciated, 7 p.m., Aug. 29. The Paramount OKC, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 517-0787, theparamountokc.com. FRI

Faculty Artist Concert Series The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind — the wind instruments of the Zephyr Winds ensemble, that is. Zephyr Winds and pianist Chindarat Charoenwongse-Shaw, D.M.A., kick off UCO’s Faculty Artist Concert Series, and their performances might just blow your mind. The show begins at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday in the UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E. Fifth St., in Edmond. Tickets are $10. Call 974-5004 or visit uco.edu/cfad.

Tuesday

OU Sooners vs. Lousiana Tech Bulldogs, college football, 6 p.m., Aug. 30. Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, 180 W. Brooks, Norman, 325-8200, soonersports.com. SAT Yoga with Alex Persico, all-levels Vinyasa class, $5 for members, $10 for non-members, 5:45-6:45 p.m., Sept. 2. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com/ events. TUE

VISUAL ARTS 19th Annual Homecoming Art Show, Cherokee artists display works of art. Cherokee Heritage Center, 21192 S. Keeler Dr., Park Hill, 456-6007, cherokeeheritage. org.

62nd Annual Cherokee National Holiday, art show featuring paintings, jewelry, clothing, quilts, and much more along with live entertainment and food, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Aug. 29-31. Cherokee Heritage Center, 21192 S. Keeler Drive, Park Hill. FRI-SUN Anji Bryner, works primarily in oils but incorporates other media into her work, including acrylics, watercolor and mixed media. Gallery 66, 6728 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany, 314-2430, gallery66ok. com.

Arts Festival Oklahoma at Oklahoma City Community College, view a variety of fine arts, crafts, children’s activities, culinary specialties and live entertainment, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Aug. 30-31; 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sept. 1. Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May Ave., 682-1611, occc.edu. SAT-MON Art Gone Wild, pieces of art created by the zoo’s own talented animal artists with some help from their caregivers, Aug. 27-31. AKA Gallery, 3001 Paseo St., 606-2522, akagallery.net. WED–SUN Art Moves, join Erin Latham for a printmaking demo, 1-2 p.m., Aug. 29. Midtown Market, NW 9th St. and Walker Ave. FRI

Brandice Guerra’s Wunderkammer/Totemic Taxonomy, a wondrous display of art and natural history curiosities and a collaboration between Pete Froslie and Cathleen Faubert, where totems are explored in the current context of the 21st century.

Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 6026664, sciencemuseumok.org.

Contemporary Flora, exhibit by Linda Hiller is all about bright colors, bold forms and modern beauty.

Summer Wine Art Gallery, 2928 B Paseo St., 831-3279, summerwinegallery.com Gods and Heroes, masterpieces from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris by some of the world’s most renowned artists. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive.

PREPARATION • PROTECTION PEACE OF MIND

Landscapes of the Southwest, exhibit of Oklahoma artist Virgil Lampton. 28 East Gallery, state Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln, 521-2931, arts.ok.gov.

New West, featuring emerging and established artists from New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Kansas and Oklahoma. Acosta Strong Fine Art, 7302 N. Western Ave., 464-9719, johnbstrong.com.

Perception, contemporary artwork by four Chinese artists, including porcelain, cut-paper and collage.

The Lightwell Gallery, 520 Parrington Oval, Rm. 202, Norman, 325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Power Play, exhibit explores human physiology and the power of the human body. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

Scapes, exhibit of Oklahoma sculptor Douglas Shaw Elder. Governor’s Gallery, state Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln, 521-2931, arts.ok.gov.

SE HABL A ESPAÑOL

Spacial Recognition, two innovative artists exploring the nature of spaces, both those surrounding us and those within us. In Your Eye Studio & Gallery, 3005-A Paseo St., 525-2161, inyoureyegallery.com.

3445 W. MEMORIAL ROAD, SUITE H, OKLAHOMA CITY

WWW.MAZAHERILAW.COM • 405.414.2222

PROVIDED

MidFirst Bank currently has over 50 banking center locations in Oklahoma with plans for continued growth. We are currently seeking talented, sales and service oriented individuals to join our Personal Banking team in the Oklahoma City metro area

Art with a Cause fundraiser Art is usually pretty awesome on its own, but it’s even easier to appreciate when there’s a cause behind it. Art with a Cause — a nonprofit that promotes the health and wellness of American Indians — is holding a fundraiser featuring the premiere of Urban Indian 5 documentary I Said I Would Never Paint This Way Again, musical performances, a live auction, door prizes and more. The event is from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday at Kerr Auditorium in the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., in Norman. Visit facebook.com/artwithacause.

Thursday

For OKG music picks see page 57

Some of the many opportunities available include: • Full Time and Part Time Tellers (Part Time Tellers Receive a $250 Sign On Bonus) • Personal Bankers in our Moneyline Call Center • Assistant Banking Center Managers • Teller Operations Supervisors Personal Banking associates assist customers with a variety of transactions while identifying beneficial products and services in a professional team oriented work environment. Attributes of a successful candidate include proficient computer and 10-key skills, strong leadership qualities, an outgoing and enthusiastic personality and a competitive spirit. Assertive and persuasive communication and client service skills are a must. Previous banking experience is preferred, but not required.

Some of the many reasons to join our team include: • Competitive Benefits to include tuition reimbursement • Ability to earn incentive pay • $500 Experience Bonus for candidates who possess at least 12 months of previous banking experience

www.midfirst.jobs

If you are interested in this opportunity, please visit our website to complete an online application.

AA/EOE M/F/D/V O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | 1 9

LIFE FOOD & DRINK

Worth the wait

From habanero blue cheese to multigrain pancakes, Stray Dog Cafe is worth wandering in.

BY GREG ELWELL

Stray Dog Cafe 6722 NW 39TH ST. FACEBOOK.COM/STRAYDOGCAFE 470-3747 WHAT WORKS: Great dogs, burgers and multigrain pancakes.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: Service is very friendly but can be slow.

TIP: Get the pie; they make it in-house.

The popcorn is a brilliant touch. And kind of necessary.

Stray Dog Cafe, 6722 NW 39th St., is a cute little diner in downtown Bethany. The food is good. The service is friendly. The wait … … … can be a little frustrating.

But first, let’s talk food. If you’re going for breakfast, you’re going to enjoy some pretty classic combos with an option for some heat.

I started with a three-egg omelet ($5.25 with cheese, 25 cents for each additional ingredient) filled with jalapeño and cheddar with some avocado on top. It’s a simple one-fold omelet, but everything was cooked beautifully. The jalapeños, especially, were wonderful. Rather than the usual jarred peppers, these were freshly grilled — the flavor is unmistakable. Also nice to see was the option of a habanero blue cheese. It’s the little touches.

The sides were less impressive. The hash browns were fine but boring. The bacon was overcooked in places and undercooked in others. These are two staples I think every diner should be able to do in their sleep, so I’m hoping I just went on an off day.

The multigrain pancakes ($5.25 for a short stack, $6 for a tall stack) are wonderful. Dense cakes, but not too

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heavy, and the addition of chopped pecans gives the whole dish a nutty, wholesome flavor. With whipped butter and hot syrup, these would seduce even the most ardent fan of savory breakfasts, which is me.

As a Southern boy at heart, the biscuit and gravy ($1.99) and the grits ($1.99) broke my heart a little. The biscuit was far too dense. The gravy tasted more like flour than sausage.

And the grits didn’t taste like anything.

If you order them, be sure to season with salt and pepper — and add cheese.

Lunch is served Tuesday through Saturday, but dinner is only Friday and Saturday night. And there is treasure in them thar menus.

Here’s what you need to order: the mac and cheese dog ($5) and the tabouli dog ($4.55). It all starts with the bun, which is some kind of Texas toast buttered bun that gets a little crispy on the griddle. The dogs are Nathan’s and get a nice sear, too. But the mac and cheese that goes on top is legit. Too legit. It won’t quit. Hey hey. I’d eat it off with a fork, except the combo is too good to miss.

And the tabouli? Same. It’s kind of maddening that I didn’t figure out to put tabouli on a hot dog before this.

What other common-sense combos am I missing?

If you like heat, please look into the El Toro burger ($6.75), which has grilled onions and jalapeños, habanero jack cheese and ghost pepper mayo.

Take your Prilosec with a side of Zantac and pray it doesn’t wake you up breathing fire. All that heat is worth it, though, because it’s a really tasty burger.

The real issue at Stray Dog Cafe is the wait. When they drop a dog bowl full of popcorn on your table, it seems like a cute gimmick. But after a lengthy

PH OTOS BY SH ANNON CORNMAN

Multigrain pancakes with chopped nuts sit in front of a three-egg omelet and biscuits and gravy.

The El Toro burger

wait on your food, you’ll be grateful for a little something to tide you over.

They’re so friendly and the food is good — I hope they get the hang of it and start pushing out food faster.

Oh, and if you’ve got kids, you should definitely try the grilled cheese.

It’s a classic diner grilled cheese, and if you order a side of fruit, you will get a really beautiful little spread: apple

slices, juicy peeled oranges and plenty of fresh banana.

It’s wonderful to see another restaurant in downtown Bethany, especially a diner that can become a meeting place for the residents. And, yes, I might harp on the wait a bit, but for food this good, I’m OK with delayed gratification.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | 2 1

We

@hubblybubblyokc 2900 N. CLASSEN BLVD. • FRI-SAT 4P-2A • SUN-THURS 4P-12A

LARGEST SELECTION OF PREMIUM FLAVORS IN OKC • DELICIOUS DESSERTS • LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Nine Days of Gemuetlichkeit

, n a i l a t ma ke I

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64 CRAFT BEERS! 38 PREMIUM WINES! SIGNATURE COCKTAILS! Passion for fresh homemade Italian food is what makes dining at Gabriella’s an unforgettable experience.

Thank you OKC for all your nominations • Our ingredients are made fresh every day.

• Our meatballs, ravioli and Italian sausage are prepared in house.

• Sauces are made from scratch.

• We dry age and hand cut our beef.

We cure and smoke our own bacon!

Also get your deli meats and cheeses here to take home!

Monday - Friday | 4p to 10p Saturday | 3p to 11p Always closed on Sunday

The most authentic festival of its kind in Oklahoma

478-4955 | 1226 NE 63rd St. www.gabriellasokc.com

Beer • Food • Fun

August 29-September 6 of paying for your Steak...

and Baked Potato? and your salad? and your side?

Join us at Jamil’s where our Steak Entree includes: Steak, Salad, Side & Our Famous Appetizers

405.390.8647

15920 S.E. 29th St. Choctaw OK 73020

www.oldgermany.com Call now to make your reservations!

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and has for 50 years!

Join us for our 50th anniversary.

Still family owned & operated.

Thanks for voting us

LIFE FOOD & DRINK

BEST BREAKFAST OKC

Grill Reno Competition for a great onion burger in El Reno is plentiful and delicious.

BY GREG ELWELL

A fried onion burger from Johnnie’s Grill.

Johnnie’s Grill

301 S. Rock Island Ave. Johnnie’s is the original — in a way.

The current incarnation is actually in a new building, and it is, by far, the biggest of the three. This is the most like a diner as well, so if you’re looking for a big breakfast menu, this is where you should go.

Perhaps it was the time of day (a bit before the lunch rush) or my expectations were too high, but the onion burger at Johnnie’s was a bit of a letdown. The onions seemed undercooked, and the meat was underseasoned. I missed the crunch of the onions, and the flavors seemed muted.

The slaw dog had good chili, but the overall product was served a bit cold. Ditto for the apple crumble pie, which was put in the microwave, but not long enough.

And if you’re after anything else, well ... don’t expect it to be made there. A big chunk of the menu comes pre-made and is fried up on order. The chicken fingers, the chicken fried steak, etc. — they’re fine, but they’re nothing special. And avoid the coffee.

Sid’s Diner

300 S. Choctaw Ave. Sid’s is the second largest and certainly has a celebrity following.

Pictures on the wall show Adam

From left Larry Funck, Adam Hall and Courtney Hall deliver a coney, an onion burger and a peanut butter shake to customers at Sid’s Diner.

Richman from Man v. Food and a post-plastic surgery Kenny Rogers looking ... alive.

The service is fast and friendly in the cramped restaurant. The burger was juicy, and the fries were fresh and hot. Get a quarter order, though, because they are huge.

What Sid’s has that the others don’t are milkshakes — specifically, the peanut butter and chocolate milkshakes. They’re thick, sweet and bountiful; you’ll get a glass full of shake and a metal tumbler with the other half waiting for you.

A slaw dog from Robert’s Grill.

Robert’s Grill

300 S. Bickford Ave. The smallest of the three is Robert’s, which is little more than an L-shaped counter and a griddle. There might be 15 stools in there, tops, and the service is excellent.

When I ordered a slaw dog, it was delivered to me in record time.

Clearly, they’ve had practice putting them together. The burger takes longer, of course, but it’s well worth the wait.

My favorite of the three, it was a nicely seasoned patty with dark brown onions.

The menu is small but focused.

Feel free to call ahead for takeout, too. As I ate, I saw them expertly pack away bags of fresh fries, rolled-up slaw dogs and piles of hot burgers.

ALL PLAY...

NO WORK! ENJOY THESE LABOR DAY SPECIALS!

OFFER VALID THRU 8/30/2014

WINES

Crème de Lys Chardonnay 750ml-$8.47 Apothic Red 750ml-$10.49 337 Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml-$10.59 C Smith Velvet Devil Merlot 750ml-$10.99 Honig Sauvignon Blanc 750ml-$12.99 PHOTOS BY SHANNON CORNMAN

The El Reno onion burger was born out of necessity, or so the story goes.

Meat was expensive, onions were cheap and a marriage of the two created something special.

Great burgers, like great art, are often imitated or outright stolen.

Which is probably why there are three onion burger joints in El Reno, and all within about a block of each other.

Visitors can choose among Johnnie’s Grill, Robert’s Grill and Sid’s Diner — each with their own charms.

SPIRITS

Jack Daniels Black 1.75L-$36.37 Johnnie Walker Red 1.75L-$33.79 Tanqueray Gin 1.75L-$31.07 Jose Cuervo Gold 1.75L-$30.15 Tito’s Vodka 1.75L-$29.99 Capt. Morgan Spiced 1.75L-$20.95 Bacardi Silver 1.75L-$18.79 New Amsterdam Vodka 1.75L-$18.10 Fireball Cinnamon 1L-$14.57 Malibu Rum 1L-$13.75 Patron Silver 750ml-$38.99 Crown Royal 750ml-$20.99

BEER

Bud Lime-A-Rita & Straw-Ber-Rita 4pkcns-$3.99 Newcastle Werewolf 6pkbtl-$5.99 KCCO Black Lager 6pkbtl-$6.49 Sam Adams OctoberFest 6pkbtl-$6.55 Founders All Day IPA 6pkbtl-$8.17 Southampton Pumpkin 6pkbtl-$9.25 Heineken 12pkbtl-$11.99 Pabst 30pkcn-$17.99 Bud Lt Mix A Rita 18pkcn-$21.87 Corona Xtra & Light 24pkbtl-$26.69

FOR ADDITIONAL SPECIALS VISIT US AT WWW.BYRONSLIQUOR.COM 2322 N. BROADWAY OKC • (405) 525-2158 HOURS: 10:00AM-9:00PM MON-SAT O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | 2 3

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30 TVS | AUTHENTIC STREET TACOS BURGERS| WINGS & MORE NOW HIRING COCKTAIL SERVERS & BARTENDERS

LIFE FOOD & DRINK

THANKS FOR THE VOTES, OKC!

2 GREAT

LOCATIONS

Varieties of absinthe line the bar at WSKY Lounge.

Going green

M A RK HA N COC K

LET US HOST YOUR FANTASY DRAFT PARTY! GET $1 TACOS, $8 PITCHERS, 1/2 APPETIZERS FROM 4-7 MON-FRI.

OPEN FOR LUNCH & DINNER

NORTH 14101 N. May Ave, STE 117

405-748-DELI (3354) Ext 2 | Mon-Sat 11am-8pm Sun 11am-3pm

Downtown 120 N. Robinson, STE 175W

SUN 11AM-12AM • FRI & SAT 11AM - 12AM 2035 S. MERIDIAN AVE. | 405.605.6250

YOUR CATERER

405-748-DELI (3354) Ext 3 | Mon-Fri 7am-2:30pm

W W W. C A F E 7 O K C . C O M

Nearly a dozen varieties of absinthe are now available across the OKC metro.

THANKS FOR NOMINATING US!

BY GREG HORTON

When Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann mashed up The Sound of Music and absinthe in his psychedelically lurid Moulin Rouge, he was taking advantage of a misconception about absinthe, one that is still pretty common today. The green fairy sequence was playing off the drink’s reputation as an alcoholic hallucinogen. Stories abound of artists and writers who fell under the sway of the green fairy, including Vincent Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway.

Unfortunately for those who love mythmaking, the green fairy is not real. Absinthe has no hallucinogenic properties, and given that the metro now has access to nearly a dozen premium absinthe selections, that is good news for bars, bartenders and law enforcement.

The absinthe selection in Oklahoma increased this year with the inclusion of several new brands, and one of those brands comes from the man who almost singlehandedly got absinthe legalized internationally. TA Breaux is from New Orleans, and it was his work as a microbiologist that convinced U.S. lawmakers that absinthe was not hallucinogenic.

Absinthe, which is distilled from a wide variety of botanicals, especially anise and Artemisia absinthium, also known as wormwood, contains a chemical called thujone. Breaux conducted studies on thujone, as it was the chemical compound that allegedly caused hallucinogenic effects. Breaux was able to demonstrate through scientific experimentation that thujone is not a hallucinogen.

Beginning in 2000, Breaux moved to France and began to use distilleries that had made absinthe before the

STOP IN TO CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR GREAT PIES international ban in 1915.

Breaux’s Lucid Absinthe has been available in Oklahoma for a few years.

It was the first legal absinthe available in the U.S., and it is a solid introduction to the beverage.

Although it is made with anise, not all absinthe tastes like licorice. While some might detect notes of anise in all the absinthes, in several of the products now available, the licorice is a very subtle subtext. Absinthe distillers can choose from a wide variety of spices, flowers and other botanicals, so each product is genuinely unique; there is no official mixture that all distillers follow.

Because of the high alcohol content of absinthe, usually 62-69 percent, the drink is mixed with water and, depending upon personal taste, sugar.

The process is pretty simple. Add very cold water to absinthe a dash at a time.

The absinthe will cloud up, and its oils will come to the surface. It is a matter of personal taste how much water to add, but experimenting with water and sugar is half the fun. If you prefer sugar, the water should be poured over a sugar cube placed on a strainer above the glass.

A good bartender — including the crew at WSKY Lounge, 228 NE Second St. — can demonstrate the process, and WSKY has one of the newer absinthes in the state, Vieux Pontarlier. Ludivine, 805 N. Hudson Ave., has Pernod of Paris and Lucid Absinthe Supérieure, so guests can sample different styles side by side.

For retail buyers, Kübler Absinthe Supérieure and Pernod are widely available. Broadway Wine Merchants, 824 N. Broadway Ave., has several options, including the Kübler.

Macadamia Key Lime Drunken Turtle Peanut Butter Chocolate

Coconut Cream Apple Crumble Strawberry Rhubarb

FLAVORS CHANGE EACH DAY, COME IN AND FIND YOUR FAVORITE LOCATED IN THE PLAZA DISTRICT • 1711 NW 16TH PIEJUNKIEOKC.COM • 405.605.8767

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FOOD BRIEFS

M A RK HA N COC K / FI L E

Thanks For Voting

Del City 5301 Main St. Ste. 117 405-813-8337 OKC 2836 NW 68th St. 405-848-8337

Edmond 801 E. Danforth Rd 405-810-8337

Broken Arrow 3202 W. Kenosha St. 918-254-8337

South OKC 8324 S. Western Ave. 405-635-8337

Norman 700 N. Interstate Dr. 405-307-8337

Tulsa Hills 7848 S. Olympia Ave. WEST 918-301-8337

Dine-In • ToGo • Catering Banquet Facilities

Cause célèbre Childhood hunger meets its match with community programs.

BY DEVON GREEN

MORE THAN A MEAL IT’S AN EXPERIENCE.

6014 N. May 947.7788 www.zorbasokc.com

It’s cool to be Kind

How does he find the time? Kevin Durant was just building a school playground at the new Plaza Towers Elementary in Moore, he has got a sweet deal with Nike and he’s the NBA Most Valuable Player this year.

In his free time, he’s the face of Kind brand nutritional snack bars in an initiative called Strong and Kind.

The program aims to teach schoolage children kindness as a strength.

It asks individuals to sign a pledge to be kind, and Kind is donating $1

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million to the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation.

The money will be used to help the charity fund educational and after-school programs for at-risk youth. Five special flavors of Kind bars, which have Durant’s likeness on them, are available at local Homeland grocery stores. To find out more about the program and take the pledge, visit strongandkind.com.

Myriad Botanical Gardens

Whole Foods gives back

Here’s one more reason to feel superior about shopping at Whole Foods Market, 6001 N. Western Ave.: not only does it offer many one-of-a-kind items, it gives back to the community in a big way.

Once a quarter, the store donates a percentage of its sales to a nonprofit organization. Wednesday, Aug. 27 is Community Giving Day at Whole Foods, and the benefactor this quarter is Myriad Botanical Gardens.

The gardens, a 15-acre stretch of paradise in the center of downtown Oklahoma City, is host to yearround fun and educational activities for children and adults and home to the beautiful Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory. Go ahead and feel even better about shelling out the extra bucks for that artisanal goat cheese.

MARK H ANCOCK / FILE

SATISFY YOUR TASTE TEMPTAIONS

In order for kids to excel at any activity, they must have their most basic needs taken care of. Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is on the front lines of that battle, providing school-age children in Oklahoma with nutritious meals and snacks for the school day as well as to take home.

Now, Top of the World, a Norman hat manufacturer, and three local families who wish to remain unnamed have upped the ante for raising money for hungry kids.

Through Sept. 30, they will match every dollar donated to this worthy cause, up to $100,000. You have until the end of September to make twice the impact, and every cent counts. For more information or to donate, contact regionalfoodbank. org or call 600-3136.

Also, the Rotary Club of Moore Education Services Committee will host Taste of Moore to raise money for Moore Public Schools backpack program and school food pantries.

The event at Moore High School Commons will feature over 30 metro restaurants, including Himalayas, Hollie’s Flatiron Steakhouse and Earl’s Rib Palace. Tickets are $15 in advance. To purchase tickets or for more information, contact Janie Milum at 794-5977.

LIKE US!

Thanks For The Votes OKC! Best Sushi

Best Waiter Tien Nguyen

Best Japanese

Best Fine Dining Best Chef Kurt Fleischfresser

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | 2 7

Salad days These are the days of summer when just the idea of firing up the stove seems like pure madness. In fact, most of us crave eats that don’t know what heat is. Here’s a sampling of the coolest salads metro restaurants have to offer. These salads are a full-meal affair.

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

Saturn Grill

Hideaway Pizza

6432 Avondale Drive saturngrill.com 843-7114

6616 N. Western Ave. hideawaypizza.com 840-4777

Who says salad has to fit the “iceberg lettuce, shaved veggies, croutons, dressing” formula? Saturn Grill most certainly doesn’t play by those rules. The sweet strawberries and spinach salad is chock-full of fresh fruit and iron-rich spinach with a lemon poppy seed dressing.

What we know as the wedge salad surfaced in cookbooks in the early 1920s, and it experienced its first resurgence as a star of mid-century cuisine. Simplicity itself, Hideaway’s take on this timeless classic has plenty of blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles, dried Roma tomatoes and smoked bacon.

Iron Starr Urban Barbeque 3700 N. Shartel Ave. ironstarrbbq.com 524-5925

There are those who go to Iron Starr for the barbecue alone, and that’s understandable. But those who haven’t sampled the salads are missing out.

They are masterpieces orchestrated with the same care as all Iron Starr dishes. The cobb salad, which contains almost everything in the kitchen and is topped with house-made cornbread croutons. Request a side of the blue cheese bacon vinaigrette.

20% OFF ENTIRE TICKET (Excludes drinks. Cannot be combined with Happy Hour prices. Must present ad for discount.)

HAPPY HOUR 2 : 00-5 : 00 Mon-Fri 2 ROLLS- $10 | 3 ROLLS-$13

F OR DA I LY S PEC I A L S CHECK OUR FACEBOOk

9321 N. PENNSYLVANIA AVE. CASADY SQUARE, OKC 242-2224 OPEN 7 DAYS 11AM - 9 :30PM FRI- SAT UNTIL - 10:30PM 2 8 | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

FRESH FOOD MADE FROM SCRATCH LOCALLY OWNED

TUES-THURS 6-2PM FRIDAY 6-8PM SATURDAY 7-8PM CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAY 6722 NW 39TH E XPRE SSWAY BE THANY, OK | 405.470.3747

THANKS FOR THE VOTES OKC!

CHINESE RESTAURANT Lunch & Dinner Buffet 7 Days a Week

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Pearl’s Oyster Bar

Cafe 7

5641 N. Classen Blvd. pearlsokc.com 848-8008

120 N. Robinson Ave., Suite 175W cafe7okc.com 748-3354

We might be hard-pressed to talk die-hard Pearl’s fans away from their classic chopped cobb salad. The Tabasco Caesar salads are legend, too.

Also crispy and fresh is the new San Francisco crab and shrimp Louie salad.

Not only does it have crab and shrimp, but avocado, asparagus and bacon seal the deal.

Cafe 7 offers so many salads, it’s difficult to choose one. We took one bite of the Asian salad with roasted chicken breast, candied almonds and a sesame ginger dressing and were hooked. It also has a build-yourown salad option that’s great for the indecisive among us.

Casa Perico Mexican Grille

City Bites Deli & Grill 6001 N. May Ave. citybitesinc.com 842-3355

4521 NW 63rd St. casaperico.com 721-3650

Casa Perico is an oft-overlooked cozy Mexican spot. With its charming patio and fresh, flavorful menu, it’s a great place to while away a few hours munching on appetizers and sipping margaritas. The taco salad is light yet laden with lively ingredients — far more substantial than anything from one of the drive-through chains.

We know the City Bites has some of the best sandwiches in the metro. Sometimes we forget it has other menu items, too.

The classic chef salad with ham, turkey and fresh greens is hard to beat. The mesquite chicken salad is a smoky, savory chicken breast on cool greens with tomatoes, cucumbers and croutons made from sun-dried tomato bread.

Find us at H & 8th on August 29

THANKS FOR THE VO19TE79S OKC!

1) They both started in discriminating taste 2) They both cater to people with 3) They both fill a neded in OKC A) Great Italian Foo e it is B) A paper that tells it lik

st

t expect nothing but the be

4) They both have customers tha

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | 2 9

EVERY TUESDAY WE

PAY IT FORWARD

By Featuring an Organization

AT EACH OF OUR RESTAURANTS AND

DONATE 10% of Our Sales for the Day!

TO BOOK A “PAY IT FORWARD” GO TO

SANDBBURGERS.COM

7408 N. May Ave. | Oklahoma City •(405) 840-3047

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5 METRO LOCATIONS SANDBBURGERS.COM

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

LIFE CULTURE

Discovering OKC Find places to eat, shop and hang out one distric at a time.

BY ANGELA BOTZER

There is always something to see or experience in Oklahoma City. From restaurants on the north side to movies and live music on the south side, our sprawling metro has Easter eggs for everyone in each district. So, venture into an area you rarely go, meet new people, see new sights and experience each district’s unique offerings.

Automobile Alley

Originally the location of Oklahoma City’s bustling car dealerships, the area now houses upscale eateries and shops. Red PrimeSteak, 504 N. Broadway Ave., is ensconced in an original Buick showroom.

Order the jumbo shrimp cocktail with the smoked jalapeño cocktail sauce.

Then dive in to the “40-day” dry-aged, 18-ounce bone-in strip steak topped with a cracked pepper crust and homemade Worcestershire sauce. Steak heaven.

Plaza District

The Plaza District is an area in which you can people-watch and visit funky shops, galleries and outdoor cafes. Stop by Urban Wineworks, 1749 NW 16th St., for some locally made wine and truffle bacon mac and cheese, and purchase a Damn Fine Wine T-shirt. Order the Mourvèdre; you will be at your coolest just pronouncing it.

Mesta Park and Heritage Hills

Visit the historic Chateauesque-style Overholser Mansion, 405 NW 15th St., built in 1903. Home of Oklahoma businessman Henry Overholser and his wife Anna, it contains all of the original family furnishings, including rare antique dolls and toys. Take an old-fashioned Sunday drive to see this district’s beautiful

architectural diversity. Or, better yet, park your car and take a stroll down the manicured sidewalks for the best view of the gorgeous homes.

Cottage District

Continue your old-fashioned Sunday drive to see some modern architecture in the Cottage District. Near Classen Blvd, Walker Avenue and NW Sixth and Ninth streets, the architecture here is fast-forward modern. These architectural delights include an assortment of cantilevered houses with large windows and decks.

Discover the houses built at amusing angles — they might give you a few seconds of vertigo.

Deep Deuce

Urban Roots, 322 NE Second St., has its roots in the historically African-American, jazz-based Deep Deuce district. Featured recently on Food Network’s Restaurant: Impossible, this eatery is housed in one of the area’s last original buildings. With open mic poetry night on Tuesdays, improv on Wednesdays and live music on Fridays and Saturdays, you will want to go more than once a week.

The Arts District

See the luxurious orchids and other tropical plants at the popular Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno. Then stroll over to The Park House, 125 Ron Norick Blvd., and order a crisply chilled Chardonnay and the deviled eggs flight.

These aren’t your grandmother’s deviled eggs; they’re dressed up for a night on the town, with bacon and blue cheese, lump crab and goat cheese and pesto and mascarpone.

Film Row

During the 1920s and ’30s, Film Row was host to film companies such as 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Paramount Pictures, and theater owners screened films for their theaters. Relive those days at The Paramount OKC, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., and become a member of The Screening Room. Membership provides access to movie screenings at the historic theater. Grab a sandwich and a beer or a glass of wine as you watch a movie at this “Reel Art, Wine & Coffee” venue.

Asian District

When you see the historic Braum’s milk bottle building on N. Classen Blvd., you’re entering the Asian District, an enclave of Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai and Japanese restaurants. Stop in Pho Ca Dao, 2431 N. Classen Blvd., a delightful little Vietnamese cafe and the perfect place to sample some bun, or vermicelli salad bowls that can include grilled meat topped with fried shallots. Pho Ca Dao is also one of the few places in OKC where vegans can get their pho fix. Follow this up with a refreshing Saigon-style iced coffee.

The Paseo Arts District

Nestled among the Spanish revival stucco architecture is the historic Paseo Arts District. A must-do in the metro area is the First Friday gallery walk from 6-10 p.m. Galleries open their doors, offer refreshments and showcase their art. Grab a glass of wine and amble amongst the art, a perfect way to spend a Friday evening.

You can find contemporary architecture like this duplex in OKC’s Cottage District.

Crown Heights/Edgemere Heights District

Take an indulgent architectural drive through this district, replete with beautiful Tudor-style architecture. There’s also Spanish-style with tile roofs; colonial revival; classic revival; and minimal traditional, a style developed in the 1930s with elements of colonial, Tudor and modern architecture.

Western Avenue Corridor

Antique and boutique shops dot Western Avenue, making it a fun Saturday destination for shopping and dining.

You can find milagros (Latin-American religious folk charms), beautiful Mexican clothing, Día de los Muertas (Day of the Dead) items and stunningly beautiful Mexican ceramic folk art at Folk.Life, 4411 N. Western Ave. 39th Street Enclave District

This neighborhood features the LGBTfriendly Habana Inn, 2200 NW 40th St. Popular for more than 25 years, the complex includes the sophisticated Gushers restaurant and The Finishline bar.

Boathouse District

Tap into your adventurous side and slide down the 72-foot SandRidge Sky Slide — America’s tallest slide — at the Boathouse District, 725 S. Lincoln Blvd. Want more?

Try an uber-extreme jumping experience by climbing to the top of the SandRidge CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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LIFE CULTURE

Sky Trail for a free-fall, 80-foot Rumble Drop. Don’t forget to have someone on the ground take photos!

Capitol Hill

Drive by the colorful Los Arados Taqueria y Mariscos, 2812 S. Western Ave., in this predominantly Hispanic district — you are in Mexico for lunch, no passport necessary. The burrito mojado is a must-order; it’s a burrito enchilada style with beef, rice, enchilada sauce, melted cheese, avocado and sour cream. Have a frosty Tecate beer Mexican-style, with lime and salt.

Stockyards City

Langston’s Western Wear, 2224 Exchange Ave., has been a supplier of Western wear for generations, but it also has a ghostly past as a hotel. Legend has it there were two “ladies of the evening,” sisters, and one was in love with a cowboy. Jealousy overcame the cowboy when discovered her illegal activity, and he shot her. Her grieving sister subsequently hung herself upstairs. Some still claim to hear footsteps from upstairs when no one is there.

Northwest Expressway/ Belle Isle Corridor

There’s something old-world tweedy about using the rolling ladders to browse the upper bookshelves at Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway.

The independently owned shop has been around for more than 30 years and is a book-lover’s treasure chest.

Quail Springs/ Memorial Corridor

Grab your hiking boots and get back to nature on a 2.5-mile nature hike at Martin Park Nature Center, 5000 West Memorial Road. This picturesque 144-acre park is home to foxes, reptiles, deer, owls, armadillos and the occasional coyote. It’s an easy place to get away from it all without driving all day.

Adventure District

Visit the National Cowboy & Western

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The Boathouse District isn’t just for rowing teams; you can free-fall 80 feet or slide down America’s tallest slide.

Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., and spend some time in the Western Performer’s Gallery, featuring memorabilia from Western films old and new.

Lincoln Terrace

This historic neighborhood showcases splendid homes and mansions built during the halcyon years of the 1920s.

Well-known builder and developer G.A. Nichols created French, Spanish and colonial grand architecture, as well as the Dutch-colonial-style Oklahoma Governor’s Mansion on NE 23rd Street, built in 1928. To tour the mansion, call 528-2020 for details.

Meridian Avenue “West End” Corridor

Visit the 99s Museum of Women Pilots, 4300 Amelia Earhart Road, on the grounds of Will Rogers World Airport.

This museum covers history of women in aviation, including World War II pilots and women in the NASA space program.

Interstate 240 Corridor

Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May Ave., has many attractions touring through its ever-expanding campus this semester. Enjoy a free screening of Oklahoma! through Sept.

1, or a live broadcast performance of Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know?. See www.occc.edu for tickets and details.

Southeast

It’s summer, time to place a “gone fishing” sign on your office door and head to Lake Stanley Draper, 8301 SE 104th St. for some fine fishing. Fish living in the lake include bass, catfish, trout and crappie. Licenses are sold on-site (a state license and a city permit are needed), in addition to bait, tackle and other fishing items.

LIFE KIDS

P HOTOS BY M A RK HA N COC K

State of mentoring A new survey finds Oklahoma needs more mentors.

BY DAVID DEAN

In Homer’s Odyssey, Mentor was the name of Odysseus’ trusted friend. Before Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, left for the Trojan War, he placed Mentor in charge of his son’s bringing and education — the part a father would give his son — as well as the royal household.

The David and Molly Boren Mentoring Initiative, named for Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence founder David L. Boren and wife, Molly, has completed the first statewide survey of youth mentoring programs, providing an analytical look at the services, funding, goals and challenges that our state’s youth mentoring programs face. The results of the survey found answers to what is working now and what is needed to make youth mentoring better while focusing on the overall value that comes with it.

The Boren Mentoring Initiative promotes youth mentoring from kindergarten through college and career tech. It networks Oklahoma’s diverse mentoring programs, identifies models and best practices, shares information and research and offers free consulting to mentoring programs or communities wishing to begin a program. Taking an analytical approach to this helped clearly define the things that will improve mentoring in Oklahoma.

Based on the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy’s Kids Count 2014 Oklahoma Profile and using only the number of children in single-parent homes, 331,000 youths could benefit from mentoring. The number of youths mentored in the survey totaled 32,680 young people. More mentoring programs exist, and some programs chose not to participate in the survey, but the potentially not mentored 298,320 are a call to action.

“Identifying pros and cons is difficult since all information can be used for decision-making by different stakeholders. We believe Oklahomans

will roll up their sleeves to volunteer and donate when they see a problem in their communities or state,” said Beverly Woodrome, director of The Boren Mentoring Initiative. “Mentoring is ultimately a cost-effective game changer. The identified gap between mentees served in our state’s first survey compared with Kids Count data is a road map telling us where and to whom to go.”

Woodrome’s enthusiasm is contagious, and when one hears “Surveys!” and “Numbers!” it might give one a headache, but deep-rooted passion has never been more prevalent in statistics than it is behind the survey’s director.

“That 40 percent of the reporting programs have a budget below $25,000 means a few dedicated people are working very hard and could benefit from help,” Woodrome said. “How stressful would it be for you with so few resources to serve multiple people once a week for a year? That among the top three funding sources are individuals at 50 percent, followed by foundations at 31 percent and corporations at 26 percent shows that Oklahomans are willing to take care of their younger fellow citizens themselves.”

Mentoring organizations report that their biggest challenge is recruiting adequate numbers of mentors, and recruiting enough male mentors is both a state and national challenge.

“People can apply to be a mentor in one of many types of structured mentoring programs. Community leaders can begin new mentoring programs. Individuals can donate to mentoring programs. On the front end, actual mentoring is the easier part, although building and sustaining a solid relationship with a human of any age can have challenges. On the back end, staff, volunteers and even board members are working extremely hard to

above Oklahoma mentors and mentees during OU media day. right OU Head Coach Bob Stoops shakes mentee Treynton Byington’s hand and meets with members of youth mentoring programs. perfect, oversee and sustain programs,” Woodrome explained.

Humans thrive on relationships, and Woodrome believes mentoring provides a unique relationship.

“Mentors can show younger people their potential, point out options, discuss choices and consequences, build confidence, model positive behaviors and attitudes, lend a nonjudgmental ear or just be a special friend just for that youth,” she said. “Mentors invest their irreplaceable time to be present for a youth and give them tools for the future.

Those tools encompass everything from etiquette and hobbies to resiliency and consistency.”

Regional programs

The survey achieved its goal in establishing baseline data and providing useful information. But how does Oklahoma compare to other states?

Oklahoma is on par with other states, although it is still in its “childhood” of recognizing the need for and learning about the variety of adaptable quality mentoring programs.

For example, Oklahoma County Judge William Robert Saied established the Big Brothers Big Sisters program in Altus in 1951 to keep youths out of trouble.

As more Oklahoma leaders identify and act on obvious needs, they create mentoring programs tailored to their own communities.

Fairview Public Schools Superintendent Rocky Burchfield was raised by a single parent and mentored.

He drove the development of Mission Mentors, a hybrid-mentoring model

embraced by the entire town in 20112012. Inspired by Fairview’s success, Leedey Public Schools Superintendent Rusty Puffinbarger and teacher Kris Gore developed the B.I.S.O.N. mentoring program for their onebuilding school in a community of 450, Woodrome said.

Those examples only add to what the survey found: Mentoring works and is needed.

Oklahoma University football coach Bob Stoops and Oklahoma State University’s coach, Mike Gundy, have joined The Boren Mentoring Initiative to promote Coaches Mentoring Challenge.

“As coaches, we have the opportunity to positively influence the lives of our athletes both on and off the field,” Stoops said. “However, more and more youth are in need of a positive role model.”

In partnering with the Boren Mentoring Initiative, Stoops and Gundy are sending letters to college and high school football coaches throughout Oklahoma, encouraging them to also endorse and support the mentoring campaign in their communities.

“In an effort to help close this ‘mentoring gap,’ we are joining the Coaches Mentoring Challenge to encourage our fans to become mentors to local youth in need of positive adult influence in their lives,” added Gundy.

With the first statewide survey’s findings and partnership with the Coaches Mentoring Challenge, The Boren Mentoring Initiative has strong momentum going forward.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | 3 3

Best Local Annual Event or Festival

Festival of the Arts

Best Place to Get Cosmetic Surgery

Dr. Tim R. Love, M.D.

Best Place to Get a Non-Surgical Update No Regret’s Tattoo

Best Radio Personality or Team

Best Bicycle Shop

Jack & Ron

98.9 KISS FM, KYIS

Best Person to Follow on Social Media Kevin Durant

Best Smartphone App (Local or National) Facebook

Best Website or Blog The Lost Ogle

TheLostOgle.com

Best Local Living Author

Ree Drummond

Best Local Singer / Songwriter Blake Shelton

Best Community Leader Kevin Durant

Best Chef

Bruce Rinehart Rococo

Best Waiter or Waitress

Ariana Khalilian Cheever’s Cafe

Best Bartender

Samantha Morphew Tapwerks Ale House

Best Business Owner Greg Seal

Al’s Bicycles

Best Place to Volunteer

Central Oklahoma Humane Society

Best (National or Regional) Retail Establishment You Wish Wasn’t a Chain

Best Free Entertainment

Best Family Getaway

H&8th Night Market

Best Live Music Club

University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Lab

Best Concert Venue Chesapeake Energy Arena

Best Dance Club

Whole Foods Market Oklahoma City Zoo

Best Place to Take Out-of-Towners

OKC Thunder game

Best Adult Entertainment Establishment The Boom

Best Karaoke Bar

Best New Retail Establishment to Open After 6/1/13

Best Art Gallery

Best NonprofIt

Groovy’s

Nancy’s 57th Street Lighthouse National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Best Museum

Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Best Fine Jewelry BC Clark Jewelers

Dry/Shop BlowDry Bar & Boutique Central Oklahoma Humane Society

Best Vapor Shop OKC Vape

Best Place to Get a CertiFIed Therapeutic Massage Cottonwood Spa

Best Vintage, Thrift or Resale Store

Best Place to Meet a Hipster

Best Men’s Clothier

Best Motorcycle/ Scooter Shop

Bad Granny’s Bazaar

Grandad’s

Blue Seven

Best Local Band

Best Women’s Clothing Boutique

Paseo Arts District

Indian Motorcycle

Jimmy’s Egg

Best Weekend Brunch

Best Western European Restaurant, Not Italian (Danish,

Best Quick Lunch

English, French, German, Irish, Scottish, Spanish, etc.)

Ingrid’s Kitchen

Best Hamburgers

Best Mediterranean Restaurant

Cheever’s Cafe

Big Truck Tacos

S&B Burger Joint

Best Sandwich Shop The Mule

Best Barbecue Restaurant

Earl’s Rib Palace

Best Pizza Place Hideaway Pizza

Best Steakhouse Cattlemen’s Steakhouse

Best Sushi

Sushi Neko

Zorba’s Mediterranean Cuisine & Bar

Best Indian Restaurant

Gopuram Taste of India

Best Japanese Restaurant

Musashi’s Japanese Steakhouse

Best Chinese Restaurant

Grand House China Bistro

Best Vegetarian, Gluten-Free or Healthy Menu Options

Best Thai Restaurant

Best Patio Dining

Lido

Coolgreens

Red Rock Canyon Grill

Best Liquor Store

Thai House II

Best Vietnamese Restaurant Best Pho Restaurant Pho Lien Hoa

Byron’s Liquor Warehouse

Best New Restaurant to Open Since 6/1/13

Best (National or Regional) Restaurant You Wish Wasn’t a Chain

Best Fine Dining Establishment

Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar

Best Seafood Restaurant

The Shack Seafood & Oyster Bar

Best Dessert Menu

Empire Slice House

Cheever’s Cafe

Best Neighborhood Pub

James E. McNellie’s Public House

Best Dive Bar Edna’s

La Baguette Bakery & Cafe

Best Fancy-Pants Bar

Blue Seven

Best Place to Experience Something Different

Best New Bar to Open Since 6/1/13

(EX: theater company, dance company, orchestral groups)

Best Place to Make the Most Out of Your Pad

Best Mexican Restaurant

Best Diner

Best Television News

Best Place for Continuing Education

The Flaming Lips

Best DJ

DJ Diverse

Best Performing Arts Group Lyric Theatre

KFOR Oklahoma’s News Channel 4 (NBC)

Best 5K or 10K Race Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon

Best Word to Describe the Metro in 2014

Blue Seven

Best Place to Find the Perfect Gift

Best Place for a First Date

Best Breakfast

Bricktown/Downtown

The Mule

Hobby Lobby

Ted’s Café Escondido

The University of Oklahoma

Best Coffee or Tea House

Best Place to Burn Calories

Best Cocktail

Lake Hefner

Growing

3 4 | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Cuppies & Joe Lunchbox at Edna’s

Best Latin Restaurant

Cafe do Brasil

Best Italian Restaurant

Stella Modern Italian Cuisine

Republic Gastropub

Empire Slice House Classen Grill

Best Food Truck or Food Cart Big Truck Tacos

LIFE COVER

BY BEN FELDER, BRITTANY PICKERING, DEVON GREEN, KORY B. OSWALD, JENNIFER CHANCELLOR AND ZACH HALE

A

s Oklahoma Gazette’s Best of OKC cruises through its 30th year, this issue celebrates the fact that, lo and behold, there weren’t enough lists/winners/runners-up included in last week’s roundups.

Now we present OKG’s Best of the Rest 2014.

You see, we’ve jumped the shark. Remember Fonzie from Happy Days? In the fifth season, in the episode “Hollywood, Part Three of Three,” air date Sept. 20, 1977, the pompadoured, leatherclad star visits Los Angeles and proves his bravery by jumping over a shark while on water skis.

Hilarious, right? No. It marked a turning point in the show’s story arc and the death of sitcoms for all eternity. We’re exaggerating. A little.

The scene’s taken on a lore of its own, and today, the phrase “jumping the shark” indicates a turning point in a TV show, campaign or business endeavor, the point at which things take a lunge toward the gimmicky.

So yes, in one issue a year, Oklahoma Gazette features a section that is a caricature of itself.

Behold, The Best of the Rest of OKC 2014

>>>

SEE THIS YEAR’S BEST OF OKC WINNERS AT OKGAZETTE.COM

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BEST BALLOT WRITE-IN ANSWERS So the Best of OKC voters have spoken. Many wrote in their own answers on this year’s paper ballots.

Our ballots are fine-tuned to convey the most information in the most efficient way possible. The margins are tight all around and we leave little room for anything more the etching out a vote, but this rarely stops our informed and vocal readers from scribbling their opinions about the nominees.

Whether they love them or hate them, it always makes for entertaining and insightful reading.

3 6 | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

The Flaming Lips

Several voters took the time to add in their own remarks this year, mainly about Gov. Mary Fallin’s nomination as best community leader and Hobby Lobby founder David Green’s nomination as best business owner.

Many of our readers seemed to think the two couldn’t possibly be legitimate nominations and wrote: 1. “Is that a joke?”

2. “She sucks!”

3. “No Fucking way!”

Others voiced opinions about why they voted a particular way. One voter selected Ree Drummond as Best Local Living Author “because redheads are hot,” which, in our opinion, is as valid a reason as any.

While The Flaming Lips continually

win best local band, others seem to disagree. One ballot that initially voted for the Lips crossed out the vote and wrote, “Psych! BOO! BOO!”

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TOP 10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We love our readers. We also love the people who take the time to write Letters to the Editor.

However, sometimes, for reasons that might become apparent as you read these, they can’t always be printed. So, to celebrate The Best of the Rest, we’ve dug up some gems and taken them completely out of context.

Pick your words I had asked a friend of mine, whose wife had left him for another woman, if he would ever get married again. He replied, “No, there’s nothing out there but a bunch of whores.” The word “whore” did not sound very nice, so I changed it to “tramp,” then “shady lady.”

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | 3 7

LIFE COVER TOP 10 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CONTINUED Does that taste like walleye?

Make-believe profits with makebelieve money and, as with my wallet scenario, they’re not even printing it! They’re just working their magic on their little magic computers and WHALLAH! To the tune of $85 billion per day.

Hey! We never thought of that Has anyone ever tried using good sales pitches to convince drunks and drug addicts to not do what they do? Drug lords to go out of business? Terrorists to reach for higher goals? Murderers to not do that?

... And? “Marriage rights” and human rights are not synonymous. What was established by our Founding Fathers and what is now accepted is irrational and destructive. Steven tries to equate homosexual marriage acceptance with interracial marriage acceptance.

It’s all empty

Pick a Winning Team, Choose

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China has basically spent a gazillion dollars on building whole cities and even their own “Wall Street” to rival anything NYC has to offer.

There is even a replica of a whole town in England. They’ve been doing this for awhile now, and it all looks pretty cool, all totally modern and stuff. Problem? They’re all empty. The buildings are empty, the malls are empty, the apartment buildings, the condos, all empty!

Cool guys Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.

They all tried to end wars, poverty and disease.

Barack Obama, Joe Biden and John Kerry — although not as cool as the prophets and a son of God — their goals do include raising the average of humanity by achieving global peace, prosperity and health insurance for every American.

The horror

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option to unite with Russia! Yet we had no problem with Scotland voting to become an independent nation from England!

Dance off Some line-danced, others danced the can-can, others still defiantly danced the electric Boogaloo.

Huh? I, “the very real Grand Sir for the very real Grand Sinn Fein for the Jesuit Fairy Tooth Queen for the time,” meaning that Governor Mary Fallin sits with the Queen of England, Elizabeth.

BEST AND WORST CATEGORIES FROM PAST YEARS Quite possibly the worst/most laughable categories in the history of Best of OKC. We left in the names of the winners because things are funnier that way.

1985: Adult Make-Out Bar — Confetti 1986: Place in Need of a Facelift — All of OKC 1987: Has-Been Local Celebrity — Danny Williams 1987: • Local Flop — Myriad Gardens 1987: • Place to Avoid — Downtown 1989: OU Athlete Who Hasn’t Been Arrested — Stacy King 1990: Best Ridiculous Fad — Rap music

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1996: Best Thing Oklahoma City Needs That It Doesn’t Have — An unbiased newspaper 2000: Best Politician You Wish Would Just Leave Office in Disgrace — State Sen. Gene Stipe 2001: Best Place to Hook Up — Flip’s Wine Bar and Trattoria Bob Barry Sr.

1991: Best Thing Gov. Walters Has Done — Nothing 1992: Best Local Disappointment — David Walters 1993: Best Person You’d Like to See in Drag — Gov. David Walters 1994: Best Person You’d Like to See in a Speedo — Bob Barry 1995: Best Person You’d Like to See in a Centerfold — Troy Aikman

2002: Best Person You’d Like to See in a Thong — Jenifer Reynolds 2003: Best Pain in Oklahoma City’s Ass — Bricktown parking 2005: Best Place to Scare a Vegetarian — Cattlemen’s Steakhouse 2006: Best Person You’d like to Breed with — My spouse 2013: Best place to find the perfect gift — Moore Liquor CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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BEST MUSICIAN USE OF CURSE WORDS IN THE PAST YEAR We talk to a lot of musicians here at Oklahoma Gazette, and in our experience, they are far more likely to abuse the curse word more than any other line of work. Needless to say, we endured foul language of all stripes in our interviews over the last year — some more effective than others.

Here are some of the best instances of cursing that we encountered.

Swizzymack, a 19-year-old Philly-based DJ who performed at Kamp’s Lounge in July, had a chance encounter with — of all people — his mother at one of his shows. Naturally, Swizzy blurted out an Expletive of Surprise, as any of us would in this situation.

“Mid-set, I see her in the middle of the mosh pit,” he said.

“I was like, ‘What the fuck?’ My grandma, my mom and my sister there, partying with everyone else.”

Well done, Swizzy.

Meanwhile, Mississippi-based pop artist Dent May — who performed at Opolis last September — masterfully executed the Obscenity Switcheroo (when someone drops a bomb and abruptly shifts tone).

“I love weird, fucked-up movies

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and dark shit so much,” May said, “but for me, songwriting is a healing process … kind of meant to pick someone up.”

Wow. Didn’t see that one coming, did ya?

Then there’s the Inspirational Curse, which rapper Twista — who performed at Farmers Public Market back in December — just flat-out nailed. Because nothing gets us fired up like a little cussin’.

“I wanted it also to let people know they could do anything, that there’s nothing they can’t do,” he said. “The people you might not expect to win can triumph and overcome any obstacles in their way. Underdogs can do this shit.”

THE 5 LEAST AWESOME LEGISLATIVE BILLS OF 2014 Picking which bills from 2014 should be considered the worst is no easy task. Our Legislature has made filing ridiculous bills an art form.

That includes Senate Bill 1023.

In Oklahoma, where the de facto state motto is “local control,” state leaders constantly promote the importance of letting communities make their own decisions. That is unless it is something they disagree with.

As Democrats promote the benefits of increasing minimum wage, Oklahoma’s Republican Legislature passed SB 1023, which prevents cities from setting their own minimum wages. The hypocrisy of this bill is what puts in on this list, along with House Bill 2620, which prevents cities from creating property registries, like OKC tried to do in an effort to control blighted structures.

Another candidate for worst bill of 2014 is House Bill 1674, which was actually a carryover from last year but was brought back up for discussion this year. It aims to give

Oklahoma Capitol

teachers more freedom in challenging scientific understandings of the world and promote creationism. It was basically a pro-creationism and an anti-evolution bill, renewing a debate that has been settled in most of the developed world.

Fortunately, it died without getting a vote on the House floor.

Senate Bill 1456 was passed this year and allows utility companies to charge customers extra for having solar panels on their house.

Understandably, utility companies would prefer to sell you electricity rather than you create it yourself.

Fortunately for them, the Legislature agreed that letting Oklahoma residents find ways to save money and help the environment was not the type of state we are trying to create.

Finally, the last candidate for worst bill of the year goes to legislation proposed by Rep. Mike Turner, R-Edmond, who wants to ban all marriage. Since almost every court in the country has ruled samesex marriage should be legal, Turner and some of his fellow lawmakers wanted to throw a childlike tantrum by saying, “If I have to share my toys, then I’m just not going to take any out of the toy box.”

REST OF FOOD We combed through our food reviews for the past year, and rather than bog you down with full reviews, we thought we would cull the best of the rest — and by that, we mean some choice phrasing taken

Thank You OKC

FOR VOTING US 1 OF THE BEST!

completely out of context. Here are our top 5, in no particular order, plus one that was just too good not to mention.

1. “Try the extra-spicy jalapeño burger basket with fries or extra crunchy chicken strips meal and then get a lap dance.”

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2. “I have, like Vanessa Williams, saved the best for last.”

3. “Even my shirt was filthy when I was done, and it was worth it.”

4. “The wild rice makes a spooky side dish even death would be proud of.”

5. “Plus, no one is going to put a cardboard pirate hat on your head ... unless I get bored.”

Honrable Mention: “In fact, chances are they were in some kind of industrial accident and the remaining blobs of brain encased in their stapled-together cranium can only dredge up a few words.”

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | 4 1

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BY DEVON GREEN

Art with a Cause fundraiser 7 p.m. Thursday Sam Noble Museum of Natural History 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman facebook.com/artwithacause 325-4712 Free

“Disease” is often used interchangeably with “illness” and “sickness,” yet they don’t all mean precisely the same thing. In the context of Matt Barse’s film, I Said I Would Never Paint This Way Again, the word “disease” is fitting. In Native American culture, it describes the far-reaching impact of colonialism — institutionalized racism and the struggle between indigenous peoples and those who settled here. The legacy of modern Native Americans straddles two worlds: the history and culture of their own people and that of the settlers — interlopers who sought to assimilate those with Indian heritage, ridding them of their culture, language and history.

This legacy and its accompanying liminality — being ambiguous or disoriented and not fitting in — is a unifying theme of Native American culture in the 21st century.

There is a race to save or sometimes recover that which was lost, be it oral traditions, sacred rituals or family history. In some cases, it is even the language or history of entire peoples. Denying one’s culture and history leads to disorientation and a struggle to reassert one’s sense of place in the community. The confusion of having one’s culture eliminated can lead to all manner of disorder or, as mentioned, disease.

To gloss over the past and the ugly reality of years of forced assimilation is to deny its power. Where there is disease, there must be healing. For that healing to begin, there must be acceptance of past events and an effort to change things for the better.

The Urban Indian 5 (UI5) Association is a group of contemporary Native American artists who are seeking to help heal in nontraditional ways. Steve Barse, Matt’s father, is an active member of the Native American art community.

Each artist is successful in their own right.

— Steve Barse

“Each artist is successful in their own right,” Steve said. “They make themselves available to join forces on various projects — the primary one is to place inspirational art in every Indian health facility in a three-state area and provide the basis for deep discussion on health and wellness among American Indians.”

Using their art to help with healing developed into Art with a Cause, which has gained momentum over the past years. The group recently oversaw the opening of an exhibit at the Absentee Shawnee Health Center in Little Axe. The group and its work caught the attention of Matt Barse, a local filmmaker. In 2011, his company, Lowdown Entertainment, ran a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to create a documentary film about the artists and mission of UI5.

I Said I Would Never Paint This Way Again is showing Thursday at the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, and viewers will have the

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it fit in the context of the film.”

The other artists in UI5 are Gerald Cournoyer, Shan Goshorn, Brent Greenwood and Holly Wilson. All five have similar stories about how they became working artists.

The film is a glimpse at artists dedicated to making the world a better place. It’s uplifting — and not in a syrupy way. It’s an optimistic piece about how art can impact the world around us, reminding us that beauty, while often dismissed as superficial, can be critical in the balance of healing the mind and the body.

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chance to see a new version of the film.

This director’s cut, according to Steve, was made based on feedback from audiences across the state.

Additionally, the evening of entertainment includes musicians Terry Tsotigh, Hudson Roar and Cecil Gray, who appear on the film’s soundtrack. There will also be door prizes and an auction of a Chief Joseph Pendleton blanket.

The film gets its name from the title of a painting by Thomas Poolaw, which makes reference to traditional painting techniques.

“When the artist titled his piece, that’s not what he was thinking, necessarily,” Matt said, “but I thought

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O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | 4 3

LIFE PERFORMING ARTS

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The Pollard Theatre spells everything out in its endearing and entertaining new production.

BY LARRY LANEER

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday Through Sept. 13 The Pollard Theatre 120 W. Harrison Ave., Guthrie thepollard.org 282-2800 $25

Any show titled The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee telegraphs that it will be sweet, nerdy, awkward and self-conscious, sometimes all at once. And the Pollard Theatre Company production of this musical by William Finn (music/lyrics) and Rachel Sheinkin (book) is all of those plus poignant at moments and engaging, if mildly so. This isn’t the first production of Spelling Bee in the Oklahoma City area, and it’s somewhat surprising to report that

the show holds up to repeat viewing.

The spelling bee takes place in a school gym (scenic design is by James A. Hughes), where it’s sponsored by the Putnam optometrists (slogan: “You have to see us to believe us”). The spellers are various types reflecting the vicissitudes of contemporary life. Adult actors play the adolescent contestants, and this conceit works remarkably well.

The director, Shawn Churchman, has assembled a fine cast and puts them to good use. Doug Ford plays William Barfee (“It’s pronounced bar-fay!”), a science geek and speller with his special “Magic Foot” technique. Ford’s tetchiness masks a certain vulnerability in the boy.

The polar opposite of William is Leaf Coneybear, the home-schooled issue of hippie parents. Played by the highly

appealing Jared Blount, cape-wearing Leaf is the kind of free spirit who can fall down while he’s sitting on a bench. He placed third in his local bee, but he’s in the county championship because his two superiors had to go to a bat mitzvah.

The show’s poignancy comes in the character of Olive Ostrovsky (Michelle Owens), whose best friend is the dictionary.

Her mother has fled to an ashram in India, and her father is too busy working to attend the spelling bee. Olive and her parents unite only in the girl’s imagination in “The I Love You Song.” This scene should be required viewing for everyone with children.

The lisping Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (Megan Montgomery) admits she’s “overcomplicated.” Her surname is an amalgamation of those of her two

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The Pollard Theatre presents The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. fathers, lint-picking helicopter parents in the extreme (played by Blount and Michael Turrentine).

Finn’s score ranges from jaunty to pleasant. One lad sees a girl he likes in the audience and is bumped from the bee in “My Unfortunate Erection/Distraction (Chip’s Lament)” (Ben Rodriguez in a Boy Scout uniform).

The best lines are when the official pronouncer, Panch (Harold Mortimer), uses the words in a sentence, a convention of spelling bees: “Billy, put down that phylactery; we’re Episcopalian.” “Sally’s mother told her it was her cystitis that made her special.”

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Haunting grounded As the central figure in an infamous touring production, The Phantom of the Opera’s Cooper Grodin is keeping everything in perspective.

BY DEVON GREEN

The Phantom of the Opera 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27; 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m., 8 p.m. Saturday; 7:30 p.m. Sunday; 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday-Wednesday, Sept. 3 Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcciviccenter.com 297-2264 $40-$135

The beautiful soprano Christine becomes the object of a mysterious madman at the center of the show that helped establish Andrew Lloyd Weber as a household name. Based on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel of the same name, The Phantom of the Opera made its stage debut in 1986, captivating audiences and critics alike with lavish sets, soulful melodies and dazzling special effects. The new production is directed by Laurence Connor, who also directed the 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables that is currently running on Broadway. With 52 performers and musicians, it is one of the largest productions on tour in North America.

Leroux’s novel tells the story of a late-19th century Paris opera house that is the site of strange and frightening events. The Phantom is responsible for various hijinks, from unexplained noises to falling set pieces.

For Christine, who aspires to be a star, The Phantom is a teacher who encourages her musical gifts. Under his tutelage, she succeeds beyond her expectations. However, her mystery man is far from altruistic; her “angel of music” is actually a tortured and

4 6 • A U G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 • O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

The Phantom of the Opera cast performs on a previous tour stop. disfigured musical genius who lives in the bowels of the opera house and wants Christine to be his bride.

This tour features Cooper Grodin as The Phantom, who acknowledges that the iconic role has a rather large cape to fill.

“Being a native to NYC and growing up around Broadway shows, I always knew about The Phantom of the Opera,” Grodin said. “It was a classic that everyone was fond of and deeply respected.”

When the opportunity arose to play the iconic role under the supervision of producer Cameron Mackintosh, he couldn’t refuse.

Mackintosh is a titan of musical theater, having produced the three longest-running musicals in history: Cats, Les Misérables and Phantom.

He was immediately drawn to The Phantom; depending on how he’s portrayed, he’s either a monster or a misguided, lovesick creature — and the fact that he is disfigured leaves the role open for cartoonish unambiguousness.

To play the role as anything but campy requires restraint and sophistication.

Grodin has both.

“The Phantom is a profoundly complex blend of hero — and some may say villain,” Grodin said. “What I get to do now is a once-in-a-lifetime role. I don’t think there is a more iconic role in theater, and to do it with this cast is a joy.”

M ATTHE W M URP HY

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ACROSS 1 Word after say or now 5 Initiator of a probe, maybe 9 Mop 13 Something five-star hotels provide, informally 16 Detective Vance 17 Mythological deity with two ravens 18 Celebrity chef Matsuhisa 19 Part of a titter 20 Spellin’ things incorrectly?

22 Departing words 24 Leonardo da Vinci, religiously 25 Platform for many apps 26 Nosh on the trail 28 R&B singer with the 2004 #1 hit “Goodies” 29 Stealin’ a hard drug?

32 Pushin’ some bread back and forth?

35 Domain of Jupiter 36 Beak 37 Enwrap 39 Parkinson’s treatment 40 Global finance org.

41 ___ de boeuf 43 ___ Fierce (Beyoncé alter ego) 45 Its official song is “Home on the Range”: Abbr.

46 Like some relations 50 Lie around 52 Where she blows?

53 Suffix with glycer54 Paper pusher?

56 Was a bellwether 58 Strike first 60 Disciplines 61 50 Cent piece 64 Fair-hiring inits.

65 H.S. dropouts’ documents 66 Not allowin’ anyone to cook burgers and franks?

68 Google alternative 72 Mortal queen of Thebes who was transfigured into a goddess 74 Hardens 75 Brother, in slang 76 Like very few newspapers these days 80 To be, in Tijuana 81 “Are you done?”

83 Place for lambs to frolic 84 Wavy do 86 Comedic Mort 88 Bibliography listings 89 Union formation?

90 Hospital status, informally 92 Each episode of Law & Order,

say 94 Roguish 95 Tablet marking options 97 Deeply impressed 99 ___ Cooper 101 1/4 of zero?

104 Recheckin’ with a stopwatch?

106 Demonstratin’ how to shoot an

apple off someone’s head?

109 French nobleman 110 California’s Santa ___ Mountains 112 Album with the 1978 hit

“Deacon Blues” 113 Hot spring?

114 Accouterment popularized by a Seinfeld episode 116 Usin’ less stickum?

119 Tap choice 120 Put in a bibliography 121 ___ socks 122 Madcap 123 “Gangnam Style” stylist 124 Shipbuilder’s starting point 125 Oracle 126 Certain recess DOWN 1 Egg beater 2 Givin’ a female casino patron another card?

3 Iraq’s Imam ___ Air Base 4 Old-timey medicines 5 Scandinavian language, to its speakers 6 Hubbub 7 Make a note of?

8 Sweater material 9 Medium for many selfies 10 “I’m speechless” 11 You can count on them 12 Makin’ some big purchases?

13 2002 Dennis Quaid film about a struggling minor-league pitcher 14 Places for briefs?

15 Big cheese

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16 Steep 20 Unconvincing 21 Cyrano de Bergerac, famously 23 Certain charge 24 Party entertainers, for short 27 Breaks down 30 Dieter’s label 31 This, in Tijuana 33 Singer with the 2009 hit “Tik Tok” 34 Track listings?

38 Hopin’ favor is bestowed?

40 Moralist’s comment 42 Vets 44 Panetta’s successor as defense secretary 46 Hitch 47 Juin honoree 48 Deeply impressed 49 Logan of 60 Minutes 51 Jumping-off point?

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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 August 20 issue of Oklahoma Gazette are shown at left.

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55 Dealbreaker?

57 Wrecks 59 Engineering topic 62 Popular six-second clips since 2013 63 Much of the Guggenheim’s collection 66 Big goof 67 W.W. II transports: Abbr.

69 Old “There’s no Step 3!” sloganeer 70 River through two world capitals 71 Hardens 73 Bitin’ a friend of Robin Hood?

75 Carryin’ a load of grain?

76 Title film locale in Springwood, Ohio 77 Stats for basketball players 78 “Get rich quick” promise 79 Clark ___, The Avengers actor 82 Egypt’s Mubarak

0824

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85 Coral-reef lurker 87 ___ Zimmer, Oscar

winning composer for The

Lion King 91 Pest 93 What you might use to put

on a happy face?

96 Not step so lively 98 Some sweaters 100 “Lemme!”

101 Like barbecue sauce 102 Nobelist Wiesel 103 Loop loopers 105 Eagle’s perch 107 Hardly a yes man 108 Sample 111 Microsoft portable media

player 114 Plan (out) 115 Sault ___ Marie 117 Shorts top?

118 Little chow, say

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O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E • A U G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 • 4 9

5 0 • A U G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 • O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

LIFE MUSIC

Hashtag team With their #Bud2Bud tour, the bond between EDM heavyweights Falcons and Hoodboi is as tight as the beats they drop.

P HOTOS P ROVI DED

BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

Falcons and Hoodboi with Burke 10 p.m. Friday Kamp’s Lounge 1310 NW 25th St. lndrnrs.com 819-6004 $10-$20

As Falcons and Hoodboi respectively, Graham Oatman and Roger Schami have gone from strangers to friends and collaborators. Now, you might even call them teammates.

Athletixx is the collective Oatman and Schami founded with fellow DJs and producers Promnite and Kittens earlier this year, a squad brought together by a penchant for driving electronic music looped together by a healthy wash of R&B and hip-hop influences.

“We’ve all been close friends for a while now,” Schami said. “The project came about early this year, when we decided to start compiling all the work we had done. After that, forming a crew felt pretty obvious.”

The group’s debut mixtape, AllStars Mixtape Vol. 1, dropped in August, bouncing to life with the pound of a basketball and screech of shoes against the hardwood before diving headfirst into a stimulating but sophisticated set of modern L.A. club cuts.

That early dribble is more than just an aesthetic sample, though; it’s indicative of the mindsets Hoodboi and Falcons both carry into music. Work in play is one in the same, and they go hard with both.

“For me, producing and deejaying is my sport,” Oatman said. “Its like what I practice and live for.”

The two electronic whizzes have been fast friends since Hoodboi invited Falcons to play at one of the regular parties he was throwing at Los Globos in L.A., feeding off each other and even teaming up for a remix of Ty Dolla $ign’s “Paranoid.”

Eventually, the #BUD2BUD tour team-up was born, the second run of which stops Friday in Oklahoma City.

“Being on tour [together] doesn’t feel like work ever,” Schami said.

“We have been homies for a long time, and it just made sense to tour together,” Oatman added. “It makes for some pretty epic high-fives on stage.”

The two aren’t codependent on each

Graham Oatman, aka Falcons

other, though; each shines brightly in his own right, increasingly so in the past year.

Hoodboi just signed a deal with A-Trak-helmed Fool’s Gold Records this summer and plans to release an EP in the next few months, making a name for himself with some high-profile remixes of Chromeo and Allison Wonderland in the meantime.

“Ever since high school, I’ve always been a fan of A-Trak and Fool’s Gold,” Schami said. “They are family now.”

Falcons, on the other hand, unveiled Birdcall, his lauded debut solo EP, in 2013, forging a new path forward from the intersection of EDM, hip-hop and R&B in the process.

“I used to be a dancer, and if the music doesn’t make you feel some type of way and move your body — even just a little bit — then I messed up somewhere,” Oatman said. “I don’t want to sound like anyone else, so that innovation was important to me.”

The remaining months of 2014 promise to be busy, with more remixes, solo EPs and even a #B2B2B2B tour with the other half of the Athletixx crew being plotted out. But like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Falcons and Hoodboi know practice makes perfect — the quest for glory made easier standing side by side.

It makes for some pretty epic high-fives on stage.

— Graham Oatman

Roger Schami, aka Hoodboi

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E • A U G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 • 5 1

P HOTOS BY M A R K HA N COC K

LIFE MUSIC

Beat junkies A producer can either make or break a rap song, yet their praises often go unsung. Meet some of the driving forces behind Oklahoma City’s surging hip-hop culture.

Ronnie Harris

BY RYAN QUERBACH

It’s no secret that a large hip-hop scene has developed in Oklahoma City over the last five or 10 years, but often lost in the shuffle are those behind the scenes, those who provide the everimportant instrumentals each rapper rhymes over: the producers.

As is true with rappers, there are far more than a handful of producers trying to make a name for themselves across OKC, most notably Blev, DJ Chips and Ronnie Harris. Blev — aka Courtney Blevins — is the main producer and DJ for increasingly popular rapper Josh Sallee; Harris has worked extensively with OKC staple Jabee; and Chips — born Jeff Kraetzer — produces and DJs for rappers like Beetyman, Frank Black and L.T.Z. They certainly aren’t limited to these roles, each developing his own artistic identity.

Harris is the most seasoned of the above-mentioned instrumental craftsmen, having contributed to the local scene since the early 2000s as both a rapper and a producer.

“I ended up being a producer out of necessity,” he said, “because there wasn’t enough around here to actually suit or tailor what I liked.“ He’s an original member of the Puzzle People collective, which features Jabee, Beetyman, and L.T.Z., among others. He has ventured out and worked with many other artists as well, but Harris still tends to collaborate

5 2 • A U G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 • O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

I ended up being a producer out of necessity.

— Ronnie Harris heavily with the old crew.

“For the most part, it’s more grassroots, just staying home, just helping family and friends around here,” he said.

Chips, another Puzzle People member, began producing back in 2006.

“I kind of just took a plunge, started messing around with a software program called Propellerhead Reason,” he said. “[I] didn’t know what I was doing at all, but I kind of figured it out over time.”

After a while, he linked up with Beetyman and L.T.Z., and later, Frank Black was in the mix too. They all collaborate regularly now, with Chips supplying beats to all three rappers and serving as their DJ. “The four of us all kind of work in conjunction now,” Chips said, “even though it’s basically three completely different sounds when you listen to their albums.”

Blev’s interest in producing spawned out of distaste for some of

the production he would hear when listening to rappers like Lil’ Wayne.

“I started thinking, ‘Man, some of these beats are really wack, like, I think I can do this,’” he said.

Blev has known Sallee since the two were younger, and once Sallee began building a base in OKC, Blevins decided to join. The two have been growing as a unit ever since.

Like Harris and Chips, Blev tends to stick to the local scene, but more recently, he has had some out-of-state success, collaborating with some up-andcoming rappers like Chicago-based Alex Wiley. He was featured on Wiley’s most recent mixtape, Village Party.

“It’s really cool that I got that link, because it really helped me out a lot,” he said. “It’s hard to build off of the Oklahoma scene, because it’s not a very big market. So to be able to spread out a bit further, it’s really helped me out.”

Heard is the word

All three producers have developed their own styles, and each has finetuned his craft over time. Harris and Chips are both sample-based producers spending a lot of time digging through records, searching for sounds to build off of. This can be a long process, but it allows them to experiment with a lot of different sounds from an infinite number of sources.

Blev has shied away from sampledriven beats, and his approach is pretty random. He typically starts with a melody, and the duration of his creative process varies greatly.

“If something’s really simple and I feel like it goes well, it takes maybe an hour,” he said. “Sometimes it takes a few hours. Sometimes I’ll sit on it for a

few days and go back to it.”

One potentially discouraging thing that all producers encounter is rappers hogging the spotlight. However, this doesn’t seem to be a major concern for these guys.

“I would like some recognition, but I don’t really demand it,” Chips said.

“It’s not like I go out seeking for other rappers to go hit me up for services. At this point, I’m comfortable with the artists I work with.”

Blev echoed this sentiment.

“I’m not even trying to get in the spotlight,” he said. “I just want to be heard.”

Harris, who has seen both sides of the rapper/producer paradigm, has a similar outlook.

“I do it for the love,” he said. “But the spotlight, I can definitely see how some people might feel slighted in a sense. But I mean, if you’re humble in nature anyway, it shouldn’t matter as long as the work’s getting done.”

Rappers also recognize how the spotlight tends to lean in their direction. Dewey Binns, who has worked with all three producers, mentioned that this isn’t entirely fair but that it’s also not intentional.

“I think they should definitely have more of a spotlight. They should get more of the credit,” Binns said. “They do a lot more sometimes than we do.”

Beetyman, who has worked with Harris in addition to Chips, also gave high praise to producers.

“The producer makes or breaks it, man,” he said. “It’s really like the whole backbone of your project, song, whatever it may be.”

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Chips lays down some beats in his home studio.

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LIFE MUSIC

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Doin’ work

Some producers make their living just sending beats to rappers, allowing the rapper to take over from that point. But Blev, Harris and Chips prefer to work closely with rappers on their songs and/ or projects.

“While I know I could probably get my name further out there by handing out beats for someone to rap over, I’d rather work on an idea with them,” Chips said.

Harris has a similar outlook, citing the possibility of conflict when the collaborations are long-distance and mostly handled through email.

“In some of those instances, there can be creative differences in the direction of the song,” he said, “as opposed to working with somebody in studio.”

Blev’s success outside of OKC has forced him to relinquish some of that collaborative input, and he hopes he can be more involved in the future.

However, he’s pretty comfortable with where he’s at now.

“I need to grow into being more that way of getting into the studio with people,” he said. “But right now, there’s not anybody I want to get in the studio with besides the people I already work with.”

Both Binns and Beetyman said they prefer developing close relationships with producers.

“It’s definitely very different when you have that relationship with a producer,” Beetyman said. “They can tailor songs to you.”

THE LEGEND LIVES ON 5 4 • A U G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 • O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

I’m not even trying to get in the spotlight. I just want to be heard.

— Blev above Blev takes a time-out to work on a new track. below Hip-hop producers Michael Stutson and Ronnie Harris Like many up-and-coming musicians, Blev, Chips and Harris all have other jobs that help fund their artistic pursuits. Chips is in sales, Blev waits tables and does solo DJ sets and Harris does photography and lays floors.

Each has entertained the idea of doing music full-time, and they are all certainly open to the possibility.

“I’m not really worried about it,” Blev said. “I think I have enough talent and I’m very diverse, so I can do pretty much anything that will help me in the long run.”

Harris probably had the most interesting and uplifting outlook on “making it” as a producer.

“If you’re content and you’re happy, and your bills are paid, and you do what you love,” he said, “then I think you have far beyond made it.”

By that standard, it seems that Blev, Harris and Chips have all made it, but time will tell what the future holds for these talented but sometimes underappreciated instrumental architects.

THE NEW OPEN

COUNTRY DANCING

Bishop all in After an extended hiatus, Brooklyn-based indie-rock outfit Bishop Allen returns with a refined, refreshed songwriting approach.

BY NATHAN WINFREY

Bishop Allen with Jesse Marchant 8 p.m. Monday Opolis 113 N. Crawford Ave., Norman opolis.org $10

After Bishop Allen gave us the catchy, understated Grrr… in 2009, the thenBrooklyn-based indie rockers fell silent.

But the band reemerged this April with its fourth album, Lights Out, an intimate and conversational record knit together with the same line of revelation that has transformed Justin Rice and fellow founding member Christian Rudder during their time off the grid.

Rice married Darbie Nowatka (keys, stringed instruments), and they moved upstate. Rudder sold a company and wrote a book, and the couple had a child. What was intended to be a oneyear hiatus turned into three.

“We needed a moment to deal with the other aspects of life that are hard to deal with when you’re constantly on tour,” Rice said. “When you’re trying to be a band in your 20s, you have to be enamored in exactly what you’re doing, and it feels very urgent. Once you’ve lived through that, the urgency fades away.”

Bishop Allen formed in 2003, with Rice offering his voice and Rudder playing stringed instruments. They lived together in a house on Bishop Allen Drive, the namesake of Rice and Rudder’s musical project, and were complemented by a rotating cadre of bassists and drummers and everything else. These days, Michael Tapper drums on a permanent basis.

That year saw the release of their debut album, Charm School, a thoughtful, early foray Frankensteined together over a long period of time. Rice and Rudder played and recorded every instrument into a 4-track, with a drum loop, in a bedroom that doubled as a recording studio.

“To me, an effective way to sit down and write a song is to start recording it,” Rice stated.

He tries out arrangements and rearranges the structure of the song until he has what feels like a good germ. More than a decade later, Rice still swears by this piecemeal creative process, and the 4-track recorders haven’t gone anywhere.

While hitting dead ends writing their second album, Rice and Rudder found a discarded piano that changed everything.

With the help of some neighborhood kids, they pushed the piano back to their practice space. Rice wasn’t a piano player, but he sat down at the keys anyway.

“When you pick up a new instrument and start to learn how it works, it leads you to new places,” he said.

Rice started making up songs, and everything felt fresh and vital. That shot in the arm turned into 12 EPs in 2006 — one for each month. They signed to Dead Oceans, and in 2007, much of the EP material was reworked — along with some new material — for their second full-length album, Bishop Allen & The Broken String, recorded at Blackwatch Studios in Norman while snowed-in by a crippling winter storm.

“It was a strange, sequestered experience,” Rice said, “but at the same time, it was really amazing because we felt like we could do whatever we wanted.”

Rice described Bishop Allen’s songs as plainspoken, gentle Americans. He hopes listening to Lights Out feels like reading a letter from a friend.

“The approach to the sonic palette is much more scientific and, I think, more adult,” Rice said. “The world seems a bit more melancholy to me now than it did when I started the band. I think a lot of the most beautiful moments in life and in music are melancholic moments. I think there’s something sincere and true about longing and sadness and it feels very human, and because of that, there’s beauty to it.”

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O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E • A U G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 • 5 5

P R OVI DE D

LIFE MUSIC

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5 6 • A U G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 • O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Love and music Adam & Kizzie came from different backgrounds, but their musical vision is singular.

BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

Adam & Kizzie with Hz Duo 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3 Urban Roots 322 NE Second St. urbanroots.com 297-9891 $7

For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, Adam & Kizzie are in this together, ’til death do they part. The endeavor is more than a musical project for either half; it’s quite literally a marriage, a love of song matched only by their love for each other.

Adam and Kizzie Ledbetter have spent their entire wedded lives making sweet, sweet music together, a three-year journey that has taken them from a hellish, post-honeymoon stint as a cover band in India to cultivating support for the soul and R&B duo in their native Oklahoma City.

The marriage and band, the music and romance — it’s all one in the same.

“Music is the perfect metaphor for marriage,” Adam said. “It’s daily work, working together for the common goal.

There’s disagreements, there’s learning to pick your battles all while making sure each one of us feels supported in our marriage and on stage.”

“It’s a blessing, most assuredly,” Kizzie said. “This kind of an arrangement is something we both dreamed of having but never really believed we’d be able to have it.”

They aren’t exactly The Odd Couple, but Adam and Kizzie both came from opposite poles of the same hemisphere.

Adam was a classically trained jazz pianist and rapper honing his craft in school and cutting his teeth backing a number of notable musicians. Kizzie, meanwhile, grew into her own on stage with a musical theatre background.

It took some time to sync those disparate upbringings and broad loves of Duke Ellington, soul music, Pet Sounds, hip-hop and Celine Dion together in a way that made sense. They’ve since

Music is the perfect metaphor for marriage.

— Adam Ledbetter

coined the approach as EEDO — a band mantra and motto celebrating the freedom to do, make and say whatever feels right.

“These different styles, they don’t have to meet in the middle. They can meet at any point. It’s a philosophical understanding of what music is and what the thread between all its various forms is,” Adam said. “It’s smack-dab in the middle of the word freedom, and that’s what we were searching for. It wasn’t so much an invention as much as a discovery.”

That liberty was at the core of The Book of EEDO Volume 1, which Adam described as “a study of styles and moods and colors, using genres of music as instruments instead of boundaries between one song and the next.”

That remains the case with The Book of EEDO Volume II, the record being celebrated with a Sept. 3 show at Urban Roots in Oklahoma City.

Released nationally through Ropeadope Records, the record finds the pair past the puppy love phase of both romance and musical collaboration, but that makes the end product all that much sweeter in both their minds.

“The love isn’t new. It’s not the same sort of crazy infatuation,” Adam said.

“Now it’s more about doing the work to keep the love alive.”

“To keep it, preserve it, to cultivate it — that’s all a part of this,” Kizzie said of Volume II. “It’s not different, but it is, and you feel that in the music. We’re in a new place, but it’s still a part of that same story — there’s just a lot more of us in the music.”

LIFE MUSIC LIVE MUSIC WEDNESDAY, AUG. 27

Kierston White and Elizabee, The Deli, Norman.

SINGER/SONGWRITER One Republic, BOK Center, Tulsa. POP Replay, Red Rock Canyon Grill. COVER Southern Rift, O Asian Fusion, Norman. COUNTRY Special Disaster Team, Opolis, Norman. ROCK

Anais Mitchell, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

The Weathermen, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ROCK

Attica State, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ROCK

Johnny Polygon, Opolis, Norman. HIP-HOP Mark Vollersten, Red Rock Canyon Grill. ACOUSTIC North Meets South/Deli All-Star Jam, The Deli, Norman.

ROCK The Friends No BS Jam, Friends Restaurant & Club.

VARIOUS

FRIDAY, AUG. 29 100 Bones, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK Avenue, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. COVER Banana Cream Dream/Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel/ Corners, Opolis, Norman. ROCK P ROVI DED

Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Beauty In The Suffering/Sick Boyz Suspension Team/ Killer Gandhi, The Chameleon Room. ROCK Brian Gorrell & Jazz Company, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond.

JAZZ Caskey/P.Win/Doughboy, The Conservatory. ROCK

Islands

DJ Evan C, Colcord Hotel. DANCE

Wednesday, Sept. 3

Fabulous Minx/Bored Wax/Foxburrows, The Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

When it comes to indie rock, Canadians pretty much dominated the early to mid-2000s (Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Wolf Parade, The New Pornographers — need we go on?).

OKG Nick Thorburn was as crucial to this Northern Exposure music movement as anyone — whether fronting The Unicorns or, subsequently, Islands — and his songwriting still resonates as strongly as it did a decade ago. See Islands with rising Brooklyn act TEEN 10 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3 at Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave., in Norman. Tickets are $12-$15. Visit opolis.org.

Gary Johnson, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Good Company, Remington Park. VARIOUS

pick

Justin Echols, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. JAZZ Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANIST KISS/Def Leppard, BOK Center, Tulsa. ROCK Kristen Stehr, Thunderbird Casino, Norman. ACOUSTIC

Delbert McClinton, Cain’s Balltoom, Tulsa, Thursday, Aug. 28

Life of the Party, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. COVER Lip Service, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Freestyle Fellowship/Day One/Apeks & J. Horne, The Conservatory. HIP-HOP

Banana Seat, Riverwind Casino, Norman. COVER

Lost Kozz, Fort Thunder Harley Davidson, Moore. ROCK

Black Cobra/Lo-pan, The Conservatory. ROCK

Justin Young, Uptown Grocery Co., Edmond. JAZZ

THURSDAY, AUG. 28

Reckless Kelly/Cody Bryan, Wormy Dog Saloon.

COUNTRY

Blake O the DJ, Colcord Hotel. DANCE

Sierra Rose Hawkins, The Paramount OKC. FOLK

Bungalouski, The Deli, Norman. VARIOUS

Boxcar Bandits, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

Southern Rift, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill.

COUNTRY

Chicago/REO Speedwagon, OKC Downtown Airpark.

ROCK Derek Harris, Red Rock Canyon Grill. ACOUSTIC

Casey & Minna, Leadership Square. FOLK

Stephen Speaks/Myron Oliver, Red Rock Canyon Grill.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

MONDAY, SEPT. 1

DJ Evan C, Aloft Downtown Oklahoma City. DANCE

Bishop Allen/Jesse Marchant, Opolis, Norman. ROCK

Central Jazz Jam, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ

The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

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

Tom Lienke, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC

David Morris, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Tony Lucca, The Blue Door. SINGER-SONGWRITER

Brent Saulsbury, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK

Delbert McClinton, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. BLUES Glow God/Sweet Talk, The Blue Note Lounge. ROCK Jessey General Thompson, Myriad Botanical Gardens.

SINGER/SONGWRITER Kaytlyn Johnson, Coffee Commission, Edmond.

ACOUSTIC

Mike Hosty, The Deli, Norman. ACOUSTIC

Don and Melodee Johnson, Twelve Oaks, Edmond. FOLK

TUESDAY, SEPT. 2

Drive/Tyler Smith, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. VARIOUS Grant Stevens, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

SATURDAY, AUG. 30

Howard Brady, Full Circle Bookstore. VARIOUS

Smokestaxx, The Blue Note Lounge. R&B

Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant. PIANO

The Hey Diddles, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. ACOUSTIC

Kylie Morgan, Moonshiners Music House. COUNTRY

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 3

Life of the Party, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. COVER

Avenue, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER

Maurice Johnson, Avanti Bar & Grill. JAZZ Miss Brown To You, The Paramount OKC. JAZZ

Islands/TEEN, Opolis, Norman. POP

Mitch Casen, Friends Restaurant & Club. COUNTRY Special Disaster Team Reunion Show, VZD’s Restaurant & Club. ROCK The Broke Brothers, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. REGGAE

Moongiant/Chambers/Elms, The Blue Note Lounge.

ROCK The Friends No BS Jam, Friends Restaurant & Club.

VARIOUS

The Sluts/Em and the MotherSuperiors/Japanese Game Show, The Blue Note Lounge. ROCK Tony King & Switch Track Bluegrass/The Derksens/ Southbound Mule, Oklahoma Country-Western Museum & Hall of Fame. BLUEGRASS

Chicago, OKC Downtown Airpark, Saturday, Aug. 30

PROVIDED

ZuZu, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. VARIOUS

SUNDAY, AUG. 31 Edgar Cruz, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. ACOUSTIC

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.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E • A U G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 • 5 7

LIFE MUSIC REVIEWS

I got Würms

BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

Usually, there’s a certain taste of discontentment marking the birth of a side project, be it a member feeling unable to scratch a creative itch or a frustration with one’s role and scope thereof within a group.

The former would seemingly never be the case for The Flaming Lips, the Michael Jordan of scratching and digging at every creative whim until blood is drawn.

And the fact that Wayne Coyne and Steven Drozd decided to undertake Electric Würms together would seem to negate the latter, as well.

Sure, the new project gives Coyne a chance to dance in the shadows as Drozd soaks up the spotlight. But given the largely freeform nature of the songs found in the band’s debut album, Musik, die Schwer zu Twerk, stage plots seem like a tertiary concern at best.

There really isn’t a how, why or what to Electric Würms. It just is, and maybe that’s the point — to take it at face value and attempt to listen without the legacy of The Flaming Lips ringing in your ear.

That’s an impossible request, even with the new crew of Nashville rockers Linear Downfall backing the starring duo, but the distinction does create at least a little distance between tracks like “I Could Only See Clouds” or “The Bat” and those heard on Embryonic or The Terror.

Namely, Würms are more intent to construct bizarre little vignettes of noise than songs in the traditional sense, translating to a challenging, occasionally uneven but undeniably immersive trip down the würmhole.

Take, for instance, “Futuristic Hallucination,” a jazz club jam experienced peak-acid trip. Its drum patters and bass swerves rock back and forth like they were stapled to the

head of a life-sized bobble head doll, swinging deep into your cranial cavity and out of your ears again. “I Could Only See the Clouds” opens the album on a similar track, the first wisps of an impending high and the most upbeat Drozd and Coyne get here, as (purposefully) distant and warbled as the echoes might be.

Würms cites its affection for ’70s prog rock in relation to how the project and album were born, but “Living” is the only outing willing to stretch itself into the sprawling, seven-plus-minute movement you expected from those talented but indulgent forefathers. Yet the expected musical whims, turns, riffs and time signature shifts are dropped in favor of cyclic reverberation and little more, a long and winding interdimensional fall wherein the protagonist dissolves before he can crash into anything meaningful. If it is, in fact, living at all, it’s doing so in a vegetative state.

All the energy gutted by “Living” is quickly — and thankfully — restored by “Transform!!!” doing just that for the album itself and finding Würms’ watershed moment in the process. In that cathartic, Miles Davis-gleaned four minutes of beautiful mayhem, the band is reborn in a tub of sweat. The song echoes Embryonic, to be sure, but never in Musik’s 30-minute runtime do Würms more resemble a singularity than just a new limb.

The shyly sweet “Heart of Sunrise” closes out the album with Drozd and Coyne ironically stripping down the mammoth Yes classic into a bite-sized, Antarctic folk-pop song in the face of five songs that ward off hooks like the plague. Then again, Electric Würms is about only expecting the unexpected, and in that finishing statement, the band reinforces just that.

Electric Würms Album: Musik, die Schwer zu Twerk | Available now | flaminglips.com

5 8 • A U G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 • O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

LIFE FILM

Call of doodie

A new film from Oklahoma director Bradley Beesley reminisces about the lost art of prank calling.

BY JENNIFER CHANCELLOR

In the 1980s, a teen disguised himself as Park Grubbs, a horny, middle-aged hillbilly and politically inappropriate prank caller who shocked the town of Bartlesville.

Soon, tapes were made of those calls. Then compilations. Then bootlegs.

Then a cult movement of sorts sprang up across college campuses as phrases like “I’m gonna bathe your entire family tonight” and “hot dogs and shindigs” crept their way into the lexicon of Oklahoma’s rebellious and artistic youth.

Recently, Oklahoma-tied filmmakers Bradley Beesley and Ben Steinbauer, along with local musician and film producer Tyson Meade, launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to make a documentary about the man and prank call culture.

Calls to Okies: The Park Grubbs Story has a tentative release date of spring 2015, Beesley said. The Kickstarter campaign runs through Sept. 11 and has already earned more than half of its modest $18,500 donation goal.

Beesley, the creative mind behind The Fearless Freaks, Okie Noodling (I and II), Christmas on Mars, Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo and others, has a long history of documenting the offbeat and often-surreal lives and experiences of everyday people. In the early 1990s, his first art films as a student at the

University of Oklahoma were music videos for The Flaming Lips.

This film hits really close to home, too.

Back before caller ID, cellphones, Jerky Boys or Crank Yankers — and even before Tulsa-based hit comedy DJs unleashed Roy D. Mercer on the unsuspecting public — there was Park Grubbs.

“The calls were way more popular in Norman than in Bartlesville,” Beesley said. “Because the joke was on Bartlesville, the humor was lost on some of the locals.”

When he went to OU in 1990, Beesley quickly realized that his art school friends already knew about the tapes.

“If you really liked someone and thought they were cool, you played these tapes for them before you even played a record,” he said.

It was punk rock, fuck-the-man anti-authoritarianism at its most hilarious, he said.

Meade, a Bartlesville native now living in Oklahoma City (and former lead of proto-alt-rock acts Chainsaw Kittens and Defenestration), is co-creating the movie’s soundtrack with Flaming Lips multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd. They are recruiting other musicians as the Kickstarter campaign gains momentum. The Polyphonic Spree might also contribute, Meade said.

Meade, now in his 50s, has known Beesley since Meade was 17. This story goes back a long time.

“I’ve wanted to make this movie since I first started film school,” he said.

“I’ve storyboarded and re-created it in my mind for years ... Everyone else wants to be a part of it because everyone else has known about these tapes for longer than I have.”

It certainly didn’t take much to pull Meade into the mix.

“At first, I thought these calls were mean, but these people stayed on the line and completely gave themselves over to this wildness,” Meade said. “Back then, you took every call because nobody got many calls.”

Nobody was off limits, either: classified advertisers, dentists, doctors, urologists, receptionists, families, teens and even their parents.

“Nobody knew that these tapes were being made and traded like punk rock bootlegs,” Meade said. “Park Grubbs had no idea this was happening until we contacted him about this movie.”

Meade realized that, at some point, everyone — even in the moneyed, conservative town of Bartlesville — enjoyed subversive humor.

“Will you fondle my member?” is another Grubbs line that gets both

Jim Blanchard

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Gordon Holmes

Meade and Beesley laughing.

Everyone seems to remember Grubbs, but some won’t cop to knowing the person behind the calls. A local news anchor might know. And the girl who grew up to head the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce — she thinks she knows who Grubbs really is. They all remember the calls, and they even remember playing them for their parents.

“Now that word’s coming out about this film, everyone I talk to tells me they had a copy of that tape when we were in school,” Meade said. “That’s, like, 800 people.”

Once film plans were announced, Meade joked that Grubbs went into “hiding.”

“He’s the J.D. Salinger of prank calls,” Meade said. “He doesn’t want to reveal his name, who he is. He’s not proud of it, but he’s a counterculture star. He’s part of our lives. I still invite all my new neighbors over for hotdogs and shindigs.”

Meade hinted that Grubbs might actually be a trio of friends. But who will come forward? Right now, nobody knows — not even the filmmakers, though they hope to change that.

Steinbauer was Beesley’s roommate for several years in the early 2000s. His documentary about “the angriest man in the world,” Winnebago Man, chronicles the history of Jack Rebney, a reclusive man best known as the subject of one of the Internet’s earliest viral videos.

Beesley and Meade agreed that there’s a similarity in that film to what they’re doing today.

“Ben has this way of revealing people in a really sweet way,” Meade said.

For more information, search “Park Grubbs” at kickstarter.com.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | 5 9

BEST BALCONY

LIFE FILM

Calvary

Faith hell Just South of 4th Street on I-35 in Moore Movie Line:

( 405 ) 703-3777 • WarrenTheatres.com

Brendan Gleeson’s great performance as a doomed priest helps ground the pretentions of Calvary.

BY PHIL BACHARACH

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

UNIVERSITY THEATRE

Join us for an exciting theatre season!

SEASON TICKETS offer the BEST SEATS, at the BEST PRICE, for ENTERTAINING theatre.

Adult - $175 Discount* -$135 Student - $75 Discount - senior adult 60+, military, OU Faculty & staff

THEATRE.OU.EDU (405) 325-4101 Fine Arts Box Office Catlett Music Center 500 W. Boyd St. Norman

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo 6 0 | AU G U S T 2 7, 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Brendan Gleeson gives off worldweariness as if it were a pheromone.

Craggy and thick-bodied, his eyes able to hint at untold sadness, the Irish character actor routinely makes a strong presence in most of his movies, no matter how modest the part. And he is at his brooding best in Calvary, a tough, theologically minded film in which Gleeson portrays a Catholic priest in a small Irish coastal village.

Calvary writer-director John Michael McDonagh, who worked with Gleeson in 2011’s The Guard, knows how to maximize the actor’s quietly ferocious authority. That know-how must run in the family; McDonagh’s playwright-filmmaker brother, Martin, wisely used Gleeson in the criminally underappreciated In Bruges. Calvary boasts a strong cast and a smart screenplay, but its emotional heft hinges on Gleeson’s charisma as beleaguered Father James.

He is mostly successful.

The movie grabs your attention immediately. In confessional, an unidentified man reveals he was 7 years old when a priest raped him. “That’s certainly a startling opening line,” Father James says.

The confession grows darker. The sexual abuse continued for years, says the voice on the other side of the screen. And for the sins of that predatory priest, now deceased, the confessor vows to kill Father James — an innocent, a “good” priest — in a week’s time. Enough time for the father to get his “house in order,” says the confessor.

That’s a tall order in a parish as troubled as this one. Father James knows who his would-be assassin is but keeps that identity from church authorities and law enforcement — as well as the movie audience — as

he goes about trying to counsel his parishioners. The “Who’ll do it?” mystery is a clever device that adds weight to the priest’s encounters.

The surrounding seascapes are idyllic, but its inhabitants are anything but. The townsfolk include a selfdestructive tramp (Orla O’Rourke), her menacing lover (Isaach De Bankole, White Material) and bitter husband (Chris O’Dowd, Thor: The Dark World), an atheistic doctor (Aidan Gillen, HBO’s Game of Thrones), a male prostitute (Owen Sharpe), a sexually frustrated misfit (Killian Scott), a callow richie (Dylan Moran) and an imprisoned serial killer (Domhnall Gleeson, the star’s son).

Father James slogs on with them all, as well as a visit from a sometimessuicidal daughter (Kelly Reilly, Flight) from his pre-priesthood life, but his advice isn’t particularly welcome.

Most of the parishioners are cynical, angry and dismissive of the church. They deride the priest as he goes about his duty in the shadow of his own mortality. This can make for an interesting dynamic in Calvary.

McDonagh’s writing is sharp, often wickedly funny and undeniably meaty. But there is no mistaking the larger parable on display.

And the obviousness of that strain for big meaning — a village of sin-addled archetypes, various meditations on death, a contrived ending — chafes a bit. “That’s one of those lines that sound witty but don’t really make much sense,” Father James says upon hearing one particularly pithy remark. It is a critique that too often applies to Calvary itself, in spite of Gleeson’s brilliant attempt to temper McDonagh’s loftier ambitions.

P ROVI DE D

THE

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: Finish this sentence: “The one thing that really keeps me from being myself is __________.”

Testify at Truthrooster@gmail.com

ARIES March 21-April 19 In the coming weeks it will be important for you to bestow blessings and disseminate gifts and dole out helpful feedback. Maybe you already do a pretty good job at all that, but I urge you to go even further. Through acts of will and surges of compassion, you can and should raise your levels of generosity. Why? Your allies and loved ones need more from you than usual. They have pressing issues that you have special power to address. Moreover, boosting your largesse will heal a little glitch in your mental health. It’s just what the soul doctor ordered.

TAURUS April 20-May 20 The Icelandic word hoppípolla means “jumping into puddles.” I’d love to make that one of your themes in the coming weeks. It would be in sweet accordance with the astrological omens. You are overdue for an extended reign of freelance play . . . for a time of high amusement mixed with deep fun and a wandering imagination. See if you can arrange to not only leap into the mud, but also roll down a hill and kiss the sky and sing hymns to the sun. For extra credit, consider adding the Bantu term mbuki-mvuki to your repertoire. It refers to the act of stripping off your clothes and dancing with crazy joy.

GEMINI May 21-June 20 During the course of its life, an oyster may change genders numerous times. Back and forth it goes, from male to female and vice versa, always ready to switch. I’m nominating this ambisexual creature to be your power animal in the coming weeks.

There has rarely been a better time than now to experiment with the pleasures of gender fluidity. I invite you to tap into the increased resilience and sexy wisdom that could come by expanding your sense of identity in this way.

CANCER June 21-July 22 I’m getting the sense that in the coming days you

will be more casual and nonchalant than usual.

More jaunty and unflappable. You may not be outright irresponsible, but neither will you be hyper-focused on being ultra-responsible. I suspect you may even opt not to be buttoned and zippered all the way to the top. It’s also possible you will be willing to let a sly secret or two slip out, and allow one of your interesting eccentricities to shine.

I think this is mostly fine. My only advice is to tilt in the direction of being carefree rather than careless.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22 In his novel Les Miserables, French author Victor Hugo chose to write a convoluted sentence that was 823 words long. American novelist William Faulkner outdid him, though. In his book Absalom, Absalom!, he crafted a single rambling, labyrinthine sentence crammed with 1,287 words. These people should not be your role models in the coming weeks, Leo. To keep rolling in the direction of your best possible destiny, you should be concise and precise. Straightforward simplicity will work better for you than meandering complexity. There’s no need to rush, though. Take your time. Trust the rhythm that keeps you poised and purposeful.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22 As you know, real confidence has no bluster or bombast. It’s not rooted in a desire to seem better than everyone else and it’s not driven by a fear of appearing weak. Real confidence settles in when you have a clear vision of exactly what you need to do. Real confidence blooms as you wield the skills and power you have built through your hard work and discipline. And as I think you already sense, Virgo, the time has come for you to claim a generous new share of real confidence. You are ready to be a bolder and crisper version of yourself.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22 As I understand your situation, Libra, you have played by the rules; you have been sincere and well-meaning; you have pressed for a solution that was fair and just. But that hasn’t been enough. So now, as long as you stay committed to creating a righteous outcome, you are authorized to invoke

this declaration, origially uttered by the ancient Roman poet Virgil: “If I am unable to make the gods above relent, I shall move hell.” Here’s an alternate translation of the original Latin text: “If heaven I cannot bend, then hell I will stir.”

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21 “Start every day off with a smile and get it over with,” said the misanthropic comedian W. C. Fields. I know it’s weird to hear those words coming from a professional optimist like me, but just this once I recommend that you follow Fields’ advice. In the near future, you should be as serious and sober and unamusable as you have ever been. You’ve got demanding work to attend to; knotty riddles to solve; complex situations to untangle. So frown strong, Scorpio. Keep an extra sour expression plastered on your face. Smiling would only distract you from the dogged effort you must summon. Unless, of course, you know for a fact that you actually get smarter and more creative when you laugh a lot. In which case, ignore everything I said. Instead, be a juggernaut of cheerful problem-solving.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972) was a renowned African-American gospel singer who lent her talents to the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr. often called on her to be an opening act for his speeches. She was there on the podium with him on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C. when he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. In fact, it was her influence that prompted him to depart from his prepared notes and improvise the stirring climax. “Tell them about the dream, Martin,” she politely heckled.

And he did just that. Who’s your equivalent of Mahalia Jackson, Sagittarius? Whose spur would you welcome? Who might interrupt you at just the right time? Seek out influences that will push you to reach higher.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 When Europeans first explored the New World, ships captained by Italians led the way. But none of them sailed Italian ships or represented

Italian cities. Cristoforo Colombo (today known as Christopher Columbus) was funded by the government of Spain, Giovanni de Verrazzano

by France, and Giovanni Caboto (now known as John Cabot) by England. I see a lesson here for you, Capricorn. To flourish in the coming months, you don’t necessarily need to be supported or sponsored by what you imagine are your natural allies. You may get further by seeking the help of sources that are not the obvious choices.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18 Walter Kaufman had a major role in clarifying the meaning and importance of Friedrich Nietzsche. His English translations of the German philosopher’s books are benchmarks, as are his analyses of the man’s ideas. And yet Kaufman was not a cheerleader. He regarded Nietzsche’s *Thus Spake Zarathustra* as brilliant and triumphant, but also verbose and melodramatic: a “profusion of sapphires in the mud.” I love that phrase, Aquarius, and maybe you will, too, as you navigate your way through the coming weeks. Don’t just automatically avoid the mud, because that’s probably where you will find the sapphires.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20 I’m not tolerant of greed. Acquisitiveness bothers me. Insatiableness disgusts me. I am all in favor of people having passionate yearnings, but am repelled when their passionate yearnings spill over into egomaniacal avarice. As you can imagine, then, I don’t counsel anyone to be piggishly selfindulgent. Never ever. Having said that, though, I advise you to be zealous in asking for what you want in the coming weeks. It will be surprisingly healing for both you and your loved ones if you become aggressive in identifying what you need and then going after it. I’m confident, in fact, that it’s the wisest thing for you to do.

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

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing

EVENT SPECIALIST

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.

Renewal by Andersen OKC & Tulsa Area Are you looking for additional income or seasonal work?

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MidFirst Bank currently has over 50 banking center locations in Oklahoma with plans for continued growth. We are seeking high-energy, dynamic customer oriented people for the following opportunity.

MONEYLINE PERSONAL BANKERS

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*For model year 2015 or later vehicles sold or leased by an authorized BMW center on or after July 1, 2014, BMW Maintenance Program coverage is not transferable to subsequent purchasers, owners, or leasees. Please see bmwusa.com/UltimateService or ask your authorized BMW center for details. Š2014 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

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2014 328i xDrive Gran Turismo

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*Lease financing available on 2014 BMW 328i xDrive Gran Turismo vehicles, only at participating BMW centers on leases assigned to BMW Financial Services NA, LLC/Financial Services Vehicle Trust through September 01, 2014. Monthly Lease payments of $379.00 for 36 months based on MSRP of $44,575.00.

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2014 528i

2015 640i Coupe

2014 740Li

$

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979

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$

*

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*Lease financing available on 2015 BMW 640i Coupe vehicles, only at participating BMW centers on leases assigned to BMW Financial Services NA, LLC/Financial Services Vehicle Trust through August 01, 2014. Monthly Lease payments of $979.00 for 36 months based on MSRP of $81,850.00.

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2015 X1 sDrive28i

2015 X3 xDrive28i

2014 X6 xDrive35i

$

359

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$

529

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$

729

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