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10/1/15 9:01 AM

CONTENTS 26

39

ON THE COVER

NEWS

By far the biggest college football showdown, one that unites all Oklahomans, is Saturday’s game, which pits the Sooners against the Texas Longhorns at Cotton Bowl Stadium. A dig at Texas is one of the best applause lines in Oklahoma, given by our state leaders and tailgaiters from here to Dallas.

Story by Ben Felder P.39.

4

10

County: jail series, part 6 City: panhandling ordinance City: MAPS 3 whitewater project City: streetcar project

12

Chicken-Fried News

14

Commentary Letters

6 8

14

LIFE 16

OKG picks

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

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10

LIFE

LIFE

24

Food & Drink: Oak & Ore, Provision Kitchen, briefs, OKG eat: breakfast

26

OKG Shop: fall finery

26

Shop Local

27

Book of Love

31

Community: WesTown Apartments

32

Community: animal shelter donation

33

Health: Women’s Health Forum

33

Education: Midtown Rotary

34

Performing Arts: OKC Dead, Comedy & Cocktails

35

Visual Arts: Cultural Connections

36

Sudoku / Crossword

39

Cover: the art of smack-talk

44

Music: Bowlsey; Peace, Love & Goodwill Festival; listings

48

Film: Sicario, The Walk

49

Astrology

50

Classifieds

CONGRATULATIONS TONY SNOW You’re Gazette’s Weekly Winner!

To claim your tickets, call us at 528-6000 or come by our offices by 10/14/15

O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 3

NEWS COuNTY

Corrections corrections State, county and local leaders weigh in on the importance of updating our judicial system, not just our county jail.

UN

T Y JA I L

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Editor’s Note: This is the sixth installment of an ongoing series about Oklahoma County Jail, its development and history, ongoing structural issues and possible remedies.

Visit okgazette.com for ongoing coverage.

OK

Overcrowding issues at the Oklahoma County Jail are nothing new. But similar problems aren’t confined to it or to other local county jails.

State leaders wrestle with overcrowding when it comes to Oklahoma’s prisons, too. The questions primarily remain the same.

First, is there a way authorities could divert people who are convicted of nonviolent crimes such as simple drug possessions or for other crimes committed because of a mental illness or a drug or alcohol addiction from prison?

And is there a political will to accomplish that goal?

In early 2011, it seemed the answer to those questions might be yes.

Then Oklahoma went to the U.S. Department of Justice, Council of State Governments and Pew Center on the States to seek help developing a “justice reinvestment initiative” like ones successfully implemented in other states, including Texas.

Reform program

The following year, in May, Gov. Mary Fallin signed a law that grew out of that effort. Authored by House Speaker Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, and President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, it Oklahoma County Jail

4 | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e

called for increasing the use of sentencing alternatives and other reforms to steer nonviolent offenders away from prison.

It required the adoption of diversionary programs for nonviolent and drug offenders within Oklahoma’s Department of Corrections (DOC) and better post-release supervision of felons.

Finally, it established a grant initiative in which funds saved through the implementation of those programs could be distributed to local law enforcement agencies to bolster similar diversionary efforts as part of their public safety projects.

But initiative supporters complained in late 2013 that it never really got off the ground.

They claimed Fallin and other state leaders took steps to delay implementation, refused a federal grant to help train public safety workers to implement reforms and dropped support for creating a commission to oversee program activities, according to the Dec. 27, 2013, Oklahoma Watch story “Special Report: How Actions by Governor’s Staff Led to Weakened State Justice Reforms.”

Today, overcrowding in both state prisons and local lockups remain as much of a concern as it was five years ago.

On Sept. 4, Oklahoma County’s jail — originally designed for 1,250 detainees — held 2,719. Only 178 of those, about 6 percent, were awaiting transfer to Oklahoma DOC facilities after being sentenced to prison, meaning the rest had not yet had pending cases adjudicated.

If Oklahoma’s reform program was successfully developed, could it have helped?

‘Vast misconception’

Judge Ray Elliott, Oklahoma County’s presiding judge, knows all about the overcrowding issue faced by the county and is well aware of how alternative sentencing programs might mitigate overcrowding issues.

“There is this vast misconception out there, by a whole lot of people, that there are alternative programs that can or are being utilized to reduce the jail population,” he said. “That is an absolute myth and misconception.”

Elliott said he and other judges can only sentence a person facing a criminal charge to a diversionary program if a case is heard in court. He added that in many

cases, however, the defendant likely is headed for a probationary sentence and about to get out of jail anyway.

“The people who are in the county jail, 99.99 percent of them, are pretrial detainees. In other words, they have been charged with a crime, they have not gone to final disposition yet and they are unable to make bond,” he said.

He added that detainees awaiting adjudication cannot be released from jail.

Elliott said Oklahoma County could ease its overcrowding issue by better screening people when they’re arrested to see if they must be held before answering for alleged crimes. A pretrial release division created by the Oklahoma County commissioners could do more in that area if it was given additional funds and people to do the work, he said.

Elliott said good candidates for an Own Recognizance (OR) request and releases would be granted to people arrested on traffic, simple possession or bogus check complaints.

“For that type of offense, I’d sign that order routinely. But if they are not brought to us, we can’t sign them,” he said. “I see very few [requests] for what really are nonconsequential complaints.”

Bob Ravitz, Oklahoma County’s chief public defender, agreed.

“The best investment the county could make would be to hire someone to go over the jail list on a daily basis and identify those people who are not a threat to society,” Ravitz said. “If they can’t OR or can’t get out on conditional bond, then someone ought to notify the public defender to see if we can figure out a mechanism to expedite the case …

Sometimes we can, sometimes we can’t; often, it is a question of person power.

But every day I save the sheriff from one person having to sit in that jail is a day we are not paying $45 a day as taxpayers to house him.”

Reinvestment, rebooted

Jennifer Chance, Fallin’s deputy general counsel, knows Oklahoma’s criminal justice program. Before joining the governor’s team, she was an Oklahoma County prosecutor who worked for former District Attorney Wes Lane and current District Attorney David Prater.

Chance agreed in principle with Elliott and Ravitz’s comments and noted that defendants in federal court who

Bob ravitz

qualify for pretrial release aren’t required to post a bond.

She added that many cannot afford to post bond and face even greater problems due to being locked up.

“There are too many people in the county jail … Those people lose their jobs, if they have a job, or their children are not taken care of, or they lose their home because they can’t pay their rent,” she said.

“The consequences of them not being able to make bond aren’t just, ‘I have to be locked up until I take a plea agreement.’

They are so much greater than that.”

Chance added that the same predicament could influence these desperate defendants to agree to unreasonable plea agreements to secure their freedom.

“So, you have got to wonder how that affects the whole realm of justice,” she said.

Chance has more than a casual interest in the issue; in January, Fallin stated in her second inaugural address that Oklahoma must improve its corrections system. Days later, Fallin issued an executive order to create the Oklahoma Justice Reform Steering Committee.

The group, comprised of four subcommittees, examines treatment, programming, policing and sentencing issues, and Chance helps them analyze and develop proposals they will present later this year.

To this point, Chance said, pretrial detention hasn’t been discussed, but she noted that it “is definitely a worthwhile topic.”

P hotoS bY m a rk ha n coc k

BY JaCK MONEY

UNI_15-RP-212_OklahomaClassic_9.25x6.05.indd 1

O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 5 9/30/15 2:31 PM

NEWS CITY

Panhandling paradox A revised city ordinance proposal centers on safety but could face challenge in court.

BY Laura EaSTES

Oklahoma City Council meeting

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Tuesday, Oklahoma City Council members will consider passing a law to make it illegal for anyone to be in a city median, regardless of whether it’s to panhandle for spare change, collect a charitable donation or sell a product.

Previously proposed as an amendment to abate panhandling at intersections, the ordinance’s authors recently revised it a second time to address public safety: Street medians divide opposing lanes of traffic and are not intended for public gathering, according to city attorney Richard Smith, who presented the ordinance at the Sept. 29 council meeting.

If passed, the mandate would alter a pre-existing motor vehicle and safety ordinance that bans loitering in city street medians.

In the new language, emergency workers, authorized maintenance workers and people crossing streets via designated crosswalks are allowed on city medians. Once the city’s streetcar project is complete, council members said they also plan to add language to exempt transit passengers.

The original ordinance was proposed last month by councilwoman Meg Salyer, who represents Ward 6.

Her plan to curb panhandling was backed by seven council members. They said panhandlers compromise safety when moving into roadways to collect donations. In language introduced at the Sept. 15 meeting, those found soliciting donations, rides, work or other business in medians would face a citation.

Now, city staff members also argue the danger extends beyond entering the street.

Police Chief Bill Citty said medians are the second “riskiest” place in an intersection, as traffic moves toward the median from three different directions.

The only thing more dangerous is standing in the roadway.

The police department commander advocated that the ordinance would serve its safety purpose by forcing

Most days, Calvin McCraw can be found selling The Curbside Chronicle from the median on Classen Boulevard at the intersection of Northwest Expressway. panhandlers to move elsewhere.

Violators would be ticketed and face a maximum penalty of $500 in addition to court costs.

“What is going to happen is (panhandlers) are not going to be in the intersection; they will be on the street corner,” Citty said. “This ordinance wouldn’t significantly limit someone from panhandling. All it does is keep them out of the median.”

Before the council voted unanimously, with Salyer absent, to set a final ordinance hearing on Oct. 13, several homelessness and veterans advocates, religious leaders and citizens spoke against the proposed mandate.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Oklahoma believes the ordinance might prohibit speech. On Oct. 1, the city received a letter from the ACLU requesting leaders redraft the ordinance “by protecting, rather than suppressing, the First Amendment rights of Oklahoma City’s citizens.”

The letter was authored by Brady Henderson, ACLU legal director, and Ryan Kiesel, ACLU executive director.

“Should this proposal pass and be enforced as currently contemplated, we anticipate the city will be forced to defend the ordinance against constitutional challenges,” the letter states.

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8:30 a.m. Tuesday Third floor City Hall 200 N. Walker ave. okc.gov Open to the public

Experience Chickasaw culture and celebrate the season at our annual Fall Festival.

AofTASTE AUTUMN Kids take a pumpkin home!

F A L L F E S T I V A L • S A T. , O C T. 1 7 Join us for a day to celebrate the harvest season.

Tour the village food arbors to sample Chickasaw specialties.

A pumpkin patch adds to fun that includes Stomp Dance and stickball. Indoors, catch the 1700s Beadwork Exhibit. Come!

ChickasawCulturalCenter.com • Sulphur, OK • 580-622-7130

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O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 7 9/30/15 10:17 AM

NEWS CITY Public invited!

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Whitewater rising A MAPS 3 project offers a rapids adventure following its spring opening in downtown OKC.

By Laura Eastes

Mike Knopp remembers the bare riverbanks of the North Canadian River. That was back when Oklahoma City residents used the term “ditch” to describe the nearly dry area.

When looking at the “ditch,” Knopp saw possibilities.

“Even before there was water in the river, I had dreams of whitewater,” said Knopp, executive director of the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation.

Since 2004, the seven-mile stretch of the North Canadian River — now called the Oklahoma River — has morphed into an active area where visitors play and exercise. Athletes row or paddle on its 4,000-meter course, families bike along the trails and children play in the youth zone of the Riversport Adventure complex.

OKC’s next adventure facility opens to the public in May. Riversport Rapids will offer residents and tourists the experience of whitewater in downtown OKC. Riversport Rapids is a Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) 3, $45.6 million man-made rafting and kayaking center nestled next to the Oklahoma River. Construction began about a year ago, and its debut is tied in with hosting the U.S. Olympic canoeing and kayaking trials in the spring. Following the trials, visitors get their shot at paddling through rapids with the Oklahoma skyline in view.

“We will have this incredible outdoor recreational venue right in downtown,” Knopp said. “We are going to have something that nobody has … I think this is just one more major asset Oklahoma City will have.”

It is just like when we started rowing.

Nobody really knew what that was. Now, we’ve got hundreds of people involved in those programs.

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from left Architect Jeffrey Gustin leads OKC officials, including Mike Knopp, on a tour of recent construction developments with Riversport Rapids.

The center is coming in at budget but is pressed for time, according to architect Jeffrey Gustin.

Weather is a factor for completing the complex, which includes three buildings, a pump station and a rapids course.

Representing the whitewater design firm S20, Gustin estimates water could begin flowing through the two channels and pools by mid-November.

Training and testing will follow.

For everyone

Once complete, the OKC Boathouse Foundation will maintain the complex.

The main building, a 25,000-squarefoot facility, will serve as the main entrance and welcome center.

There, visitors can buy tickets to raft, purchase souvenirs and merchandise in the retail shop, get a bite to eat in a grab-and-go venue or visit the main restaurant, with views overlooking the river and the course.

No admission is required for those who don’t want to raft, and groups are encouraged to take in the sights by walking along the course or relaxing on benches.

Riversport Rapids was designed with public interest in mind as well as serving as a training center. It will have areas for sightseers tucked throughout the course and a spot for concerts on the lawn. Space in the main building can incorporate three eateries, which

will be open to the public.

“There is something out here for everyone, even if it is just walking the paths, hanging out, listening to music, buying a beer or buying a sandwich,” Gustin said.

Unique

Riversport Rapids will be the first pumped-park design in the world offering a competition channel, a recreational channel and a combinedflow freestyle channel in the same whitewater venue, according to the S2O website.

About 2,000 people will be able to raft in a single day, but on a busy Fourth of July weekend, that number rises to 2,800.

Knopp encourages first-time rafters to visit the center shortly after it opens. The foundation plans special days where the pumps are set on low, offering more gentle tubing experiences. He hopes to ease people unfamiliar with rafting into the sport.

“It is just like when we started rowing,” Knopp said. “Nobody really knew what that was. Now, we’ve got hundreds of people involved in those programs.”

Anyone who buys a rafting ticket can expect to undergo a training and safety session with instructorsupervised time on the water.

O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 9

P hotoS bY m a rk ha n coc k

NEWS CITY

Rolling on

Streetcar project clears initial hurdles and first vehicles are set to arrive in 24 months.

BY Laura EaSTES

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One of the signature projects of MAPS 3, the call to build a rail system connecting downtown with nearby districts picked up speed when city leaders agreed to solicit bids for the streetcars 14 months ago.

Oklahoma City leaders collected seven proposals, moving forward with a European manufacturer, Inekon Group, to create a contract.

The contract, a $23 million deal to build five cars, cleared the Oklahoma City Council with a 7-to1 vote on Sept. 29. Council member James Greiner cast the lone “no” vote, citing he didn’t support the project.

With the agreement, OKC can expect the first streetcar to arrive in 24 months, about eight years after voters endorsed the $128.8 million rail project, and other capital improvement projects, in the MAPS 3 proposition.

“It is a very significant step to have the contract approved,” said Nathaniel Harding, streetcar subcommittee chairman.

Transit trends

The agreement was no easy task, especially as city leaders and subcommittee members eyed other cities undergoing streetcar projects, which the federal government spurred with grant funding. Decades earlier, American cities paved over old streetcar tracks, but are now applying for grants in hopes new tracks would rejuvenate those areas. The U.S. Department of Transportation supported 15 streetcar projects and awarded $546.5 million in grants since 2009. OKC pursued federal matching funds, but was rejected, and its streetcar project is supported by sales tax dollars.

Many of the federally funded

Jeff Bezdek and Nathaniel Harding stand in front of Santa Fe Station and look north up EK Gaylord Boulevard to where a streetcar stop will be located. projects experienced hurdles and setbacks that resulted in substantial delays. One such project was from the City of Seattle, which also signed with Inekon to manufacture streetcar vehicles. Seattle’s First Hill Streetcar is about 10 months behind schedule and contractors remain in the testing phase, according to The Seattle Times.

OKC subcommittee members are diligent in their efforts to avoid delays here. The 10-member group was the first to view the contract, presented by Jacobs Engineering Group consultants at a Sept. 23 meeting. After questions, the committee passed a resolution supporting the agreement, which prompted the contract to come before the city council.

Unlike Seattle, OKC streetcars will be manufactured at the Inekon plant in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Seattle leaders worked with Inekon and a Seattle-based manufacturer to complete the cars.

The twofold approach complicated the project, said Jacobs’ Rob Edgcumbe, who indicated technical issues surfaced during the Seattle project and were resolved by Inekon.

“We’ve benefited from the fact they have debugged some of the issues,” Edgcumbe said. The contract resembles Inekon’s original proposal, but changes were made for performance standards.

What to expect?

OKC leaders are purchasing an “offthe-shelf” streetcar model, which was recommended for ensuring reliable

MAPS 3 streetcar tracks will enter Bricktown on Sheridan Avenue through this railroad overpass. vehicles. The cars resemble the Seattle’s in body and design; however, aesthetic decisions, such as the color of the streetcar, will be up to city leaders.

The city will pay about $4.4 million each, with the final car to be delivered in the spring of 2018.

The contract outlines penalties if vehicles arrive late or if one goes out of service for defects covered by the warranty. Those liquidated damages are listed at $1,500 per vehicle per day that a streetcar is unavailable.

The city has an option to order up to eight additional cars and other associated goods and services from Inekon. About $1 million for spare parts also is budgeted.

For the contract to be valid, Inekon must submit letters of credit and insurance before the end of this month.

Jacobs Engineers predicts passenger service could begin mid2018. The 4.6-mile line will run on fixed tracks, share road space with vehicles and be equipped for off-wire capabilities. The route will feature 23 stops through the central business district with links to Midtown and Bricktown. The historic Santa Fe Station stop will allow riders to connect with Amtrak for further travel. Streetcars will carry up to 120 passengers.

Proponents of the transit option say it will enhance downtown and improve walkability. There also is an economic development advantage: Portland, Oregon, witnessed new business and raised property values on its route after cars began rolling in 2001.

OKC subcommittee member Jeff Bezdek believes all that is possible for Oklahoma City. Ten years ago, he advocated for streetcars but his conviction for public transit dates back further, as he is the son of a mass transportation superintendent.

“This is just the beginning,” said Bezdek, who noted the project is a

step toward the creation of a regional rail-based transit system. Additionally, the city could expand its streetcar route. The consultants believe OKC could apply for federal grants, despite working with an international company.

G I V E AWAY !

Next up

With the streetcar contract in place, city leaders can switch gears to other contracts, such as rails and switches.

The streetcar subcommittee can shift its focus to signal prioritization.

When the streetcar project came before voters, the cars were presented as running with priority over general traffic in intersections.

Bezdek reignited the conversation and collected positive feedback from fellow members at the September meeting.

“We are asking cars to wait an additional 15 seconds as a highoccupancy vehicle moves through the intersection without interruption,” Bezdek said.

To build a customer base, vehicles arriving on time and serving as a reliable mode of transportation are crucial, Harding said.

“There are going to be a lot of people who … will wait to see how convenient it is,” Harding said. “One way to make it convenient is signal prioritization.”

Signal priority can increase the life expectancy of streetcar batteries, which will be used when cars run offwire in specific route locations.

Subcommittee members plan to review policy language and possibly call it to a vote. If approved, an advisory board would inspect it before moving the policy to the council, which then determines if the strategy will become reality.

“It is not something to compromise on,” Bezdek said. “This is a major project. Why wouldn’t we give it every advantage to be successful?”

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O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 1 1

CHiCKEN CKEN

FRiED NEWS

Big hook city

Reports have Gov. Mary Fallin and Mayor Mick Cornett waiting impatiently at a local trophy store to get a joint key to the city/state made for national treasure Courtney Stodden, who briefly released a video portraying a character of her own creation: A crack-addicted prostitute living on the streets of Oklahoma City.

Her video as “Tamra Munn” was quickly deleted, but not before it was saved and re-uploaded by, no doubt, a bunch of proud Oklahomans who want to preserve the state’s finest moment. (The Lost Ogle generously found space on its obscure local blog for a link.)

Who is Stodden, other than our state’s next U.S. senator, probably? Readers might know her best for being the 16-year-old who married 50-year-old actor Doug Hutchison or for their subsequent appearance on VH1’s

Couples Therapy.

Until now, of course, as she is currently most recognizable as Oklahoma’s ambassador to the world, shining a spotlight on the glitz and glamour of the Sooner State.

Now, no one will be ashamed to say, “I’m an Okie!” … Just like Munn.

Tolerant tithes

One Oklahoma City University student is thankful for tolerant people who believe he deserves an education and a good start to his adult life.

Freshman dance student Joel Andrew’s parents kicked him out of their home and “cut him off financially after he told them he planned to live openly as a gay man,” NewsOK.com recently reported.

Andrew was homeschooled, and his parents belonged to a fundamental Christian church that would not approve of his lifestyle. NewsOK.com

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reported that his folks even sent him to weekly meetings with a conversion therapist, who spoke with him about “‘gay’ or effeminate things he’d done that week.”

“Every night, I would pray to God to make me straight. It didn’t work,” he told the news outlet.

Andrew was accepted to Oklahoma City University but wasn’t sure how he would pay for it without parental support.

He believed his college career and dreams of becoming a professional dancer were over, but thanks to a friend and a lot of strangers, his dream isn’t dead.

A friend created a GoFundMe page to crowdfund Andrew’s education so he wouldn’t have to return home to Michigan.

The effort exceeded its goal of $40,000 not long after columnist Dan Savage wrote about him in his Savage Love column.

NewsOK.com also reported that

Savage encouraged readers “to donate to the Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit in New York City that provides housing to homeless LGBT youths” after Andrew’s page was fully funded.

Andrews told NewsOK.com that he and his parents haven’t reconciled yet but he hopes they will in time.

Crushed dreams

Reality star Donald Trump recently visited Oklahoma City on his campaign trail, followed closely behind (in more ways than one) by Republicans Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina.

Bush stopped in OKC last week to meet privately with supporters at a Petroleum Club breakfast, and Fiorina spoke at Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association headquarters.

Tulsa talk radio station writers Rick Couri and Russell Mills summed up

Fiorina’s speech in a KRMG report: “She believes … Americans’ hopes and dreams are being crushed, but she says she still believes in America’s potential.”

Meanwhile, Tulsa World reported that Bush has recruited Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head his Restoring Federalism Task Force.

“Scott and I share a common vision for empowering the states and limiting the intrusion of federal government in every area of our lives,” Bush said in a media release.

Good going, Pruitt! We here at Chicken-Fried News couldn’t be happier for you.

Thunder themes

What’s better than an Oklahoma City Thunder game? A theme night game!

The Thunder recently announced its theme nights, and tickets are now on sale.

Theme nights include Native American Heritage Night on Nov. 8, Military Appreciation Night on Jan. 20, Black History Appreciation Night on Feb. 27 and Hispanic Heritage Night on March 9.

OCT 7 -10

WEEK !ELL E R U T A E TRIPLEMAFN, KEITH TERRY & BRAD TASS

JOHN 2M1 O- 2S4

Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

For the full schedule of 2015-16 Thunder games, visit okcthunder.com/ schedule.

Polygraph, prison

Federal authorities believe one Norman resident who “teaches to the test” was in the wrong in his quest to ensure people pass.

Douglas Williams helps people pass polygraph tests, and now he is going to federal prison for teaching those trying to fool federal employees.

Williams might sound familiar.

The 69-year-old, former Oklahoma City police officer appeared on news programs like 60 Minutes to share how to pass a lie detector test. Williams published a book, From Cop to Crusader: My Fight Against the Dangerous Myth of “Lie Detection,” to explain the history of the polygraph machine, including how the

inventor, John Larson, came to despise it. You can get a copy from his website, polygraph.com, which also features a three-minute welcome video from the man himself.

Federal prosecutors are not mad that he wrote the book or told a national audience about how to fool a polygraph.

The fact that he trained people who later attempted to mislead the feds earned Williams a court date with the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to a Federal Bureau of Investigation release, he pleaded guilty in May to two counts of mail fraud and three counts of witness tampering. His two-year prison sentence was handed down last month.

Prison yard talk is about to get interesting.

Presented by

RI CH I E HOLLIDAY

K JUSTIN BER

In addition, the Thunder celebrates its first season game at an Opening Night game Oct. 28 against the San Antonio Spurs and send off 2015 during Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s Opening Night along with the rest of the city on New Year’s Eve — because that’s not confusing at all.

Several NBA mascots will hang out with Thunder mascot Rumble the Bison at Mascot Mania on Feb. 19.

Thunder Alley will be open on Opening Night — the first game, not the New Year’s Eve one — as well as a few game nights in November, March and April. It will open three hours before game time and end when the game begins.

While the Thunder theme night list includes a lot of goodies, we here at Chicken-Fried News would like to add some more: Women’s Appreciation Night for female fans who show team support, Children’s Appreciation Night for kids who bring unbridled youthful excitement to games, Loud City Appreciation Night for the loudest and proudest fan section in the NBA and Fashion Night so we can emulate thread-conscious players like Russell

OCT 14 -

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T-GYA-1234305 O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | O C T O B E R 7, 2 0 1 5 | 1 3

COMMENTARY

P roVI De D

The honest solution

BY ED SHADID

Perhaps never in elected office have I been more proud and energized than hearing citizen after citizen in last week’s city council meeting eloquently chastise city government for once again relying solely on punitive measures to address panhandling in Oklahoma City.

The notion that the purpose of the ordinance prohibiting any individual from being on a median is for public safety is fundamentally dishonest. The goal is to utilize punitive measures to decrease panhandling in a way that will withstand legal challenge. It is for that reason that the ordinance was changed during the second of three public hearings last week to ban not just solicitation (as proposed during the first city council meeting), but all activity in public medians. City government is on the cusp of banning not just panhandling, but all activity from medians, including political assembly/ speech and journalistic efforts, with no

empirical data to prove that pedestrians on OKC medians suffer/cause injury.

Incredibly, city attorneys concede that because it is possible that hundreds of generally more affluent streetcar riders in downtown may one day board streetcars from medians, a future exception might be made for such a case.

One of the most striking characteristics of serving on the city council is the tendency to begin each meeting with a prayer (generally invoking the name of Jesus Christ), repeatedly hearing of the need to adhere to Christian values, and the tone-deaf nature in which we ignore the revolutionary, radical teachings of Jesus which have transformed the lives of billions of people for 2,000 years. This ordinance and lack of any supplemental effort of outreach, coupled with our anemic social service efforts, fails the “What Would Jesus Do?” test.

In a billion-dollar annual budget,

the City of OKC spends $121,000 a year of its own funds on all social services combined. This amount has been frozen for several years despite the increase in our population and sales tax revenue. The city will spend an amount equivalent to a significant percentage of those funds defending the inevitable constitutional challenges to the ordinance. Despite a greater metro area of 1 million people not having a long-term inpatient treatment center for addiction and dramatically inadequate mental health care, it has been of a higher priority to the OKC Council to borrow $75 million against our property taxes for “economic development” such as $7 million in job incentives to Continental Energy, $3 million to Chesapeake Energy, etc.

Researchers generally agree that law enforcement alone does not decrease panhandling (OKC’s police chief told the council last week that the ordinance

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.

will displace, not decrease, panhandling).

Punitive measures such as fines, which are unlikely to be paid, leading to arrest warrants, may paradoxically increase homelessness and poverty because such warrants and unpaid fines can make an individual ineligible from receiving certain social services.

To effectively address panhandling, a coordinated strategy of public education (redirecting the public from giving money to panhandlers to giving to social service agencies, buying The Curbside Chronicle from the homeless, etc.), adequate mental health and addiction facilities and informal social controls such as signage are necessary.

We must urgently move toward a holistic view of addressing poverty, homelessness, mental health and addiction and abandon the failed strategies of punitive measures that reinforce and ingrain through incarceration and fines that which we seek to diminish.

Ed Shadid is an Oklahoma City Councilman for Ward 2.

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.

Killer attitude

Any Vietnam soldier could tell you how deadly it can be to not profile a child of the present enemy. I treat every Islamic person with respect, but as every Marine knows “Rule No. 5: Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.” Even my German in-laws tell how they were afraid to let anyone know they were secondgeneration Germans during World War II. The West Coast Asians could share similar stories of that period.

[Muslims] must take special care not to walk, talk or in any way resemble an extremist. Soltani (News, Commentary, “Learning from Ahmed Mohamed,” Adam Soltani, Sept. 23, Oklahoma Gazette) uses words that cause me concern, saying that the reasonable reaction to the appearance

1 4 | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e

of a possible explosive device created by a Texas student is a “sin against one of our young people.”

Having learned how other races use race to bait common sense, he assigns hate to our fear and caution.

Americans, Texans and Oklahomans embrace diversity but not stupidity.

Don’t forget: It doesn’t take an Islamic child to mass murder school students.

As Christians, like Jesus, we love all children: “Red, brown, yellow, black, and white, they are precious in His sight.” Don’t make terrorists out of them.

— Michael Moberly Mustang Plaza pique

In your review of the Plaza District (Life, Cover, “Family, extended,” Greg Horton and Laura Eastes, Sept. 23, Gazette), Aimee Ahpeatone was quoted as saying the Main Street program is “really designed to help small towns, and Plaza was too urban for it to be very useful.” Ahpeatone is inaccurate about the Main Street program and inaccurate about its usefulness to the Plaza District.

In the few years Plaza District was a part of the program, it saw significant growth. There were 51 building projects, a net gain of 22 businesses and a net gain of 37 jobs with $4,227,549 in private sector reinvestment.

Currently, we are seeing continued success in Stockyards City and along Route 66 in Tulsa. While the success of Plaza District, like any Main Street program, is due primarily to the efforts of stakeholders and volunteers, the Oklahoma Main Street program indeed played a role in that success.

— Linda Barnett Director, Oklahoma Main Street Center Tulsa

Corrections and clarifications

>> A Sept. 23 story about Free the Night (Life, Health, “Breathe easy,” Dylan Smith, Gazette) incorrectly cited smoking statistics. The study showed that 79.6 percent of survey respondents prefer smoke-free venues. >> In the Sept. 23 issue, we incorrectly listed the address for Smokey’s Midnight Express (Life, Food, “OKG eat: Mighty dogs,” Greg Elwell, Gazette). The business is located at 520 S. Coltrane Road in Edmond and is a takeout and delivery restaurant open 6 p.m.-3 a.m.

We apologize for the errors.

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 1 5

okg picks are events

recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members.

For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS Dale Lewis Signing, join author Dale Lewis for a signing and discussion of his book, Footprints in the Dew, an exploration of one of the most famous unsolved cases in Oklahoma history, the murder of E.C. Mullendore III, 6 p.m., Oct. 7. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. WED

Alex London & Tara Sullivan Signing, two renowned Sequoyah-winning young adult fiction writers will be stopping

by Best of Books to sign their most recent releases: Alex London’s book, The Wild Ones, is the tale of a brave raccoon who fights to save his animal friends and their land; Tara Sullivan’s Golden Boy is about an Albino Tanzanian boy who must seek safety from poachers who believe the boy’s body will bring them good luck, 5 p.m., Oct. 8. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 340-9202, bestofbooksedmond. com. THU Julie Hedgepath Williams Signing, the year was 1912, and Albert Caldwell, his wife Sylvia, and their 10-month-old son Alden had just boarded the “unsinkable” R.M.S. Titanic in this dramatic true tale of a family nearly ripped apart by the disaster that would ensue; join author Julie Hedgepath Williams for a signing and discussion of A Rare Titanic Family, 7 p.m., Oct. 8. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU Eric Foner Lecture, in terms of Civil War and Reconstruction Era scholars, Eric Foner is kind of a big deal; his book on Abraham Lincoln, The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery, is widely renowned as one of the most indepth and accurate looks at Lincoln’s impact on post-Civil War America, and as one of the foremost and most well respected historians in the United States, suffice it to say that his giving a free lecture on OU’s campus is just really, incredibly, super cool; if you consider yourself a US history nerd, you simply absolutely have to come, 7:30 p.m., Oct. 8. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 325-4712, snomnh.ou.edu. THU

FILM Red Dirt International Film Festival, the third annual Red Dirt Film Festival is coming back to Stillwater, and this year it features almost 100 films, shorts, music videos and documentaries from all over the world, and film buffs won’t want to miss a single one; kick up some dirt and head to Stillwater this weekend to soak up all the film you can handle,

p rovi ded

Brad Robinson Book Signing, join author Dr. Brad Robinson and illustrator Margaret Hoge for a signing of their book titled If the Fence Could Talk, which focuses on the fence surrounding the site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building where tragedy struck 20 years ago; in the days, months and years following, the fence became a shrine, covered in flowers, notes, teddy bears, and other tokens, providing solace and hope as a safe place to come to remember loved ones and innocence lost, 10:30 a.m., Oct. 7. Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com. WED

OKC Horror Fest Oklahoma City Film Club presents a double feature filled with mystery and braiiiinsss 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 1757 NW 16th St. First up is the 1968 George A. Romero classic Night of the Living Dead, followed by a bonus Romero film.

The movies are part of OKC Film Club’s Horror Fest, which concludes 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 27 with a Wes Craven tribute and Halloween party. Admission is free.

Wednesday, Oct. 14; ongoing Oct. 8-10. Downtown Stillwater, Eigth and Main, Stillwater, 372-0025, downtownstw.com. THU-SAT Paul Taylor: Creative Domain, (2014, US, dir. Kate Geis) this documentary is a study of the life of modern dance choreography legend Paul Taylor, who now at the age of 85 has over half a century of experience; through this rare glimpse into his creative process viewers can see for themselves why Taylor is, indeed, one of the greats, 5:30 & 8 p.m., Oct. 8. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU Sleeping with Other People, (2015, US, dir. Lesley Headland) Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis star as two serial cheaters who

just can’t seem to settle down, but form an accidental postone-night-stand friendship that becomes the closest thing to a relationship either one has been able to sustain, 5:30 & 8 p.m., Oct. 9 & 10; 2 & 5:30 p.m., Oct. 11. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI-SUN

HAPPENINGS Bert Seabourn Lecture & Demonstration, while his art is currently on display at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, local legend and internationally acclaimed painter Bert Seabourn will provide a lecture discussing his inspiration and creative process as well as technique prior to a live demonstration,

The Laramie Project

provided

Moisés Kaufman and members of Tectonic Theater Project performed over 200 interviews while crafting this moving production about the tragic and violent 1998 murder of 21-yearold gay student Matthew Shepard, the two men who killed him and the case’s far-reaching impact. The Laramie Project shows 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 and Thursday in the Hilltop Theatre Room at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), 100 Campus Drive, in Weatherford. Admission is free with SWOSU ID or $3-$5. Visit swosu. edu/calendar.

1 6 | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e

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Oklahoma Oil & Gas expo More than 250 exhibits from across the state, U.S. and Canada showcase the oil and gas industries best practices at this year’s expo 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Thursday at State Fair Park, 333 Gordon Cooper Blvd. Advance registration is free or $10 at the door. Visit okoilexpo.com.

Thursday 6 p.m., Oct. 8. Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com. THU

Pay right!

11th Annual Terror on 10th Street, both educational and pants-dampening, this haunted attraction is unique in that, where most haunts are set in large buildings or the woods, this one takes place in an actual house; the interactive walk-through features theatrical performances which eerily recount the house’s haunted history, 7-11 p.m., Oct. 8-10. Terror on 10th Street, 2005 NW 10th St., 232-1816, facebook.com/ terroron10thstreet. THU-SAT OKC Dead, part performance, part interactive adventure, Reduxion Theatre Company is turning the Civic Center Music Hall into the total zombie apocalypse experience; survival teams of eight will have to solve puzzles, shoot zombies, and avoid becoming the walking dead themselves in order to find the cure and save the city, Oct. 8-31. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. THU-SAT Tiger Safari Date Night, sharing the evening with a special someone will never be the same once you try this new weekly event, which features a bonfire for marshmallow roasts, an outdoor movie projector, and drinks & everything you’ll need so you and your loved one can join the creatures of the night, 6-10 p.m., Oct. 9 & 10. Tiger Safari Zoo, 963 County Street 2930, Tuttle.

FRI-SAT Ink Life Tour, over 200 amazing artists will be on hand at this weekend’s annual Ink Life Tour, and they all want to leave their mark on YOU, but the fun doesn’t stop at the ink; live music a Halloween Ball complete with costume contest, and a live human suspension will round out the event’s activities, so come get inked and freaky, Oct. 9-11. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 602-8500, coxconventioncenter. com. FRI-SUN Criminal Justice Career Fair, attendees can visit with two dozen local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the Edmond, Norman and Midwest City police departments, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, U.S. Probation Office, Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons, 1-3 p.m., Oct. 9. Nigh University Center, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond. FRI

(866) 263-8612

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 1 7

Spirit Mind & Body Expo Presented by O.P.E.R.A.

continued

October 10 & 11 — State Fair Grounds Oklahoma Expo Hall - South Section 3213 Wichita Walk—OKC, OK 73107

FrEE AdmiSSiOn | FrEE LEcturES

Vendors, readers, Healers, Energy Work, Past Life regression, intuitive Art Work, Gemstones, crystals, t-shirts, dresses & more Sunday, October 11 12pm - 6pm 12:30 - Energy “The Effects on Our Children & Us” by Shoena 2:00 - Junk Oracle Convention by Russ the Runester 3:30 - Remembering Your Soul by Angelleighia

www.operaok.org

facebook.com/operaok • twitter.com/operaok

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Saturday, October 10 10am - 6pm 10:30 - Meditation by Stephen Dillard-Carroll 12:00 - Stones of Spirituality by Helianthus 1:30 - Signs, Omens & Remembrances by Stanley 3:00 - Convergence by Chris Borthick 4:30 - Community by Elf Maloney

Watonga Cheese and Wine Festival Downtown Watonga hosts this two-day festival 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday along Main Street. Highlights feature cheese, wine, cheese, more wine, family entertainment, shopping, music, running events, a locomotive race and more. Admission is $5, and attraction wristbands are $10. Visit watongacheesefestival.com.

Friday-Saturday Junk Hippy, one of the top seven flea markets in America, Junk Hippy represents a special slice of Southwest Americana, featuring vintage, antique, and homemade items guaranteed to check the boxes “unique” and “kitschy” on your X-mas list; oh, go ahead, you can buy one thing for yourself; okay, you can buy everything for yourself, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Oct. 10. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, 3001 General Pershing Blvd., 948-6700, okstatefair.com. SAT Drop-In Art, if you liked collages as much as us, you’d be rubbing them too; join OKC MOA to create collage rubbings, a unique process combining the creation of rubbings of unique shapes and surfaces and the cut-and-paste technique of collage, 1 p.m., Oct. 10. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT An Evening with Andie McDowell, well-known for her work on the big screen, the small screen, and in philanthropy as well as being an international spokesperson for L’Oreal Paris, Andie McDowell is spending an evening at the Oklahoma City Civic Center and you are invited, 5 p.m., Oct. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter. com. SUN

FOOD Cider Press Demonstration, move over, Pumpkin Spice, we have a new fall favorite drink; if you’ve ever wondered how that tasty fall-themed apple-cinnamony nectar known as apple cider is made, then now is your chance to find out and quench that autumn thirst while you’re at it, 1 p.m., Oct. 9. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com/events. FRI Dutch Oven Cooking, we mean the cast-iron kind, so quit snickering over there, we can hear you; these cooking devices have been around for hundreds of years, and are still used to prepare stews, roasts, and casseroles to this day, and with the help of this easy class, you too can learn how to cook with these out camping or in the comfort of your own home, 1-5 p.m., Oct. 10. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 521-2491, okhistory.org/historycenter. SAT Saturday Cooking Class, it’s time to pig out, go hog wild, and have yourself a generally grand ole time- that’s “ole” pronounced oh-lay; pork olé, that is; get together with Gourmet Grille at Buy For Less and learn how to cook your own spicy pork ole, 1 p.m., Oct. 10. Buy For Less, 3501 Northwest Expressway, 946-6342, buyforlessok.com. SAT Uptown Cooking Class, get a big taste of the Big Easy this Saturday with Chef Gary Tow when you learn to make your own gumbo, 10 a.m., Oct. 10. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Road, Edmond, 509-2700, uptowngroceryco. com. SAT Truly Tasty Pumpkins, pumpkins have never been just for carving, and you can learn some of the ways pumpkin can be used to make tasty treats for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert, not to mention that the seeds are delicious spiced and roasted; great for pumpkinheads age 4-10, 11 a.m., Oct. 10. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com/events. SAT

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YOUTH The Tortoise and the Hare, if your immediate response to this classic fable with a humorous twist is “I like turtles,” then you will receive a firm slap on the wrist, because tortoises live exclusively on land while turtles spend most or all of their time in the water, 11 a.m., Oct. 7 & 9. Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 606-7003, oklahomachildrenstheatre.org. WED & FRI Crafts for Kids, he might be brainless and more of a bird perch than a bird deterrent, but this friendly little guy will surely escort you all the way down the Yellow Brick Road.

He’s a Not-So-Scary Scarecrow, and you can make one of your very own today; he probably won’t turn into a Batman villain ... probably, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Oct. 10. Lakeshore Learning Store, 6300 N. May Ave., 858-8778, lakeshorelearning. com. SAT Home School Day, the Oklahoma History Center is proud to announce their 7th annual Home School Day, an opportunity for homeschoolers to enjoy a day experiencing Oklahoma’s past and an array of activities designed to help them learn, meet other kids like them, and most of all have fun; best of all, admission is free, 10 a.m- 2 p.m., Oct. 12. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 521-2491, okhistory. org/historycenter. MON Art Adventures, children can experience the world of art through stories and projects in this event series; this week’s story will be Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald, 10:30 A.M., Oct. 13. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. TUE

PERFORMING ARTS Bernice Bobs Her Hair, based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this brand new upbeat musical is equal parts The Great Gatsby and She’s All That (or Mean Girls, My Fair Lady, or the last ten minutes of Grease, depending on what year you were born); Bernice Bobs Her Hair says it all in the title, and in bobbing her hair, Bernice learns some important lessons about herself and the people with whom she surrounds herself, 7:30 p.m., Oct. 7 & 8; 8 p.m., Oct. 9; 2 & 8 p.m., Oct. 10; 2 p.m., Oct. 11. Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 524-9312, lyrictheatreokc.com. WED-SUN Richie Holliday, Oklahoma native and professional silly man Richie Holliday is better at making people laugh than he is at math, and quite frankly that’s alright with us; Weird Al Yankovic once listened to his comedy and said nice things about it, and if it’s good enough for the Pretty Fly Rabbi then frankly, it should be good enough for you, 8 p.m., Oct. 7 & 8; 8 & 10:30 p.m., Oct. 9 & 10. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 239-4242, loonybincomedy.com. WED-SAT Dial M for Murder, made famous by Alfred Hitchcock in the 1954 film adaptation of the same name, Dial M answers the question of what happens when a murderer accidentally becomes the victim; it’s a tale of blackmail, betrayal, and the perfect crime ... until the perfect crime turns out not to be so perfect after all, 8 p.m., Oct. 8-10; 2:30 p.m., Oct. 11.

Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 524-9312, lyrictheatreokc. com. THU-SUN

Comedy & Cocktails feat. Tommy Davidson, this comedy legend requires no introduction; since his stint on comedic variety show game changer In Living Color in the 90s, Tommy Davidson has been kicking down doors and punching America’s collective funny button, and now you can see him live and in person 9 p.m., Oct. 9. Ice Event Center & Grill, 1148 NE 36th St. FRI Bang Bang Gets Lo!, Bang Bang Queer Punk Variety Show is Oklahoma City’s most various variety show; it’s funny, it’s sexy, it’s weird, it’s queer, and it has everything from belly dance, burlesque, hula-hoop dance, poi spinning, magic, juggling, live singing, comedy skits, and drag queens and kings, 11 p.m., Oct. 9. HiLo Club, 1221 NW 50th St., 843-1722, hilookc.com. FRI Whodunit Dinner Theater: Showdown at Madam Yahoo’s Saloon, Oklahoma’s longest running dinner theater presents: Showdown at Madam Yahoo’s Saloon, an old west watering hole where they serve up beer and rotgut, and for an unlucky few murder’s on the menu., 6 p.m., Oct. 9. Ted’s Cafe Escondido, 2836 NW 68th St., 420-3222. FRI The Dinner Detective, experience a night out of the ordinary and join in on an interactive murder mystery dinner show; this improvised show is just another ordinary dinner, with one exception - someone in the midst is guilty of murder, and that person just might be sitting right across from you, 6 p.m., Oct. 10. Sheraton Hotel, 1 N. Broadway Ave, 235-2780, sheratonokc.com. SAT David M. Parsons Reading, join Texas poet laureate David M. Parsons for a reading; Parsons’s journey to poetry was long and twisting, with career stints in the military, marketing, sports coaching, and a haberdashery before ultimately beginning a graduate creative writing program and discovering he was actually pretty good with words, 2 p.m., Oct. 11. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 3079320, pasnorman.org. SUN

ACTIVE OKC Thunder vs. Fenerbahce Ulker, cheer on your Oklahoma City Thunder as they try to take down Istanbul’s Fenerbahce Ulker in this very first home court pre-season showdown, 7 p.m., Oct. 9. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. FRI

VISUAL ARTS America the Beautiful, Freda de Odis Flatt has spent her life documenting in paint the beauty of the American wilderness, often en plein air, the French term for painting out in the open air; in this way Flatt is able to capture most truly not only the sight of the landscape but also the energy present in nature not immediately perceivable to the naked eye. Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., 521-3356, ok.gov.

DNA Anniversary Show feat. Colby Bowers, local artist and musician Colby Bowers doesn’t shy from color in his bright, streamlined depictions of insects and animals, which often seem to pop right off the canvas thanks to his use of solid background and singular subject; join DNA for their anniversary show and experience a slice of truly unique local art. DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., 525-3499, dnagalleries.com.

Enrique Moya Gonzalez, part of the Norman-Arezzo art exchange, Enrique Moya Gonzalez is one of three Italian artists to exhibit at MAINSITE this fall; featuring the overlay of human forms over texts and manuscripts in combination with a collage of physical objects, Gonzalez’s works give a thrilling sense of illicitness by putting art on surfaces where art ought not go. Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 360-1162, mainsite-art.com.

Interpreting Clouds, cloud painter David Holland’s oil works can be described in much the same way one might describe the rolling skies during an Oklahoma thunderstorm or the breathtaking view of a many-colored southern sunset: simply awesome. Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 297-3995, myriadgardens.com.

Landscapes, merging the avant garde with the abstract to create a cacophony of crazed and confusing images that speak at once of everything and nothing- just kidding, this exhibit is essentially exactly what it sounds like: landscapes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Jann Jeffrey Gallery, 3018 Paseo St., 607-0406.

Mystical Menagerie, Katie O’Sullivan and Diana J. Smith’s abstract creature creations are a marriage of the whimsical and the bizarre in this collection of acrylic paintings and handmade clay sculpture; Smith’s clay sculptures are delightful animal wizard characters, while O’Sullivan’s paintings depict a plethora of animal creatures who border on human shrouded in a psychedelic frenzy of color. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 604-6602, kasumcontemporary.com.

G RDEASIPGHNEIRC

News from the Woods, Debby Kaspari's plein-air drawings and acrylic paintings portray how time and nature transformed the abandoned places she found during a residency in Massachusetts' Harvard Forest. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 307-9320, pasnorman.org.

Playground of Curiosity, imagine falling down a rabbit hole and into a magical world where everything is weird and wonderful and looks like the abstract offspring of microbes and paisley and you’ll have a decent idea of what it’s like to stroll through the works of Kerri Shadid, poet and paper marbler extraordinaire. The Project Box, 3003 Paseo St., 609-3969, theprojectboxokc.com.

Terra, New York artist, Orly Gender’s work inspired by Oklahoma’s wide open spaces and red dirt. Campbell Park, NW 11th Street and Broadway Avenue.

cArL SHortt pH otoG rApHY / provid ed

Bert Seabourn: American Expressionist, a full-time painter since 1978, Seabourn brings a unique approach to color and line in his postmodern expressionist works which are on display all over the world; of Cherokee descent himself, Seabourn often uses Native subjects and imagery. GaylordPickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com.

Cale Chadwick, exhibit of artwork by artist Cale Chadwick who creates pieces of art using her drawing, painting and photography skills; the natural, organic elements found throughout the original Chickasaw allotment that her family still resides on, plays a role in her artwork. Exhibit C, 1 E. Sheridan Ave., Ste. 100, 767-8900, exhibitcgallery.com.

Pumpkinville

NO,

NEEDED! Seriously,

There’s a gourd gala this month at Myriad Botanical Gardens. From cider pressing demonstrations and pumpkin recipes to storytelling events, pooch parades and even an oversized Great Pumpkin float, events run Friday-Oct. 25 at 301 W. Reno Ave. Entry fees for various events range from free to $75. Visit myriadgardens.org.

For okg Learn more in our story on P.23.

Friday, ongoing

Wan W Wa a ted

music picks see page 47

Oklahoma Gazette is looking for a graphic deSigner with one or more of these demonstrated skills: ad / marketing deSign & editorial layout

with a flair for creativity!

If you like to work (and play) hard, want to get paid for it, and receive generous benefits, make the connection with our team by sending your resumé and portfolio samples to: 3701 n. Shartel ave. oklahoma city, ok. 73118 or email mharrison@okgazette.com no phone callS pleaSe!

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MIDWEST CITY 7301 SE 29th St. 2 0 | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e

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life food & drink Oak & Ore

Ore else

1732 NW 16th St. | oakandore.com | 606-2030

Menu changes bring the promise of craft fare to Oak & Ore.

What works: Korean BBQ, chicken nachos and a great beer selection.

What needs work: Sweet grits just are not my cup of sweet tea.

Tip: Ignore the ABV next to each beer on the board at your peril.

By Greg Elwell

Korean BBQ

Pork tacos

Chicken nachos

What really clicked for me was the Korean BBQ. Here’s a winner.

have nice heat, and the salsa brings freshness. Maybe even stack those corn tortillas two deep. That’s the taqueria way, anyway.

The shrimp and grits ($14) were cooked well. The shrimp had a snap and a nice crust of seasoning seared on. The grits were a bit creamier than I prefer, but that is fine. The sweetness, however, didn’t suit my palate.

I know most people don’t like grits from the get-go, but for those of us who do, there are two camps: sweet or savory. I like mine buttered, salted and peppered, maybe even with a hint of chili powder, and with a nice mix of cheese.

These were sweet. And that’s fine.

It’s just not my taste.

What really clicked for me was the Korean BBQ ($13) with top sirloin marinated like bulgogi served over a mountain of smoked fried rice with a healthy dollop of kimchi on it. Here’s a winner.

The rice was light, and the smokiness added a different dimension to the flavor. The beef was cooked through but retained its juicy sweetness. The kimchi is a flavor bomb and one I recommend. It sounds like it should be heavy, but it wasn’t. It was satisfying.

It would be a folly to ignore one of Oak & Ore’s main draws: draft beer. The selection varies wildly and changes often, giving everyone something to enjoy.

And if the menu updates continue on the same trajectory, it won’t be long until the new craft fare is as highly praised and sought after as the craft beer.

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 2 1

P H OTOS BY GA RETT FI SBECK

Time is on your side, restaurants.

Yes, it is.

In the days after (and sometimes before) a restaurant opens, I get many questions about the quality of the food and “if it’s worth the wait.”

Allow me to share a secret with you. It is a rare occurrence indeed when a restaurant comes into this city fully formed. The lucky ones experience a few hiccups during the first few months that are ironed out.

The unlucky ones close.

Bad buzz can be fatal. This is why Oklahoma Gazette waits at least six months to review new restaurants.

Sometimes, they come and go in that short span. Sometimes, problems arise that change the entire nature of the business.

Sometimes, an eatery just needs a chance to figure things out. And thus, we arrive at this week’s review of Oak & Ore, 1732 NW 16th St. There was no shortage of buzz surrounding the opening of Plaza District’s craft beer mecca, though much of it centered on its wide variety of small-batch beers, expertly served by bartenders. And if Oak & Ore was simply a bar, that would be enough.

But the owners promised “craft beer, craft fare.” A sampling of its initial menu of knife-and-fork sandwiches was good. Service was a bit spotty. And the buzz waned.

So, they fixed things. Or at least they started to fix them. Because the food I had most recently at Oak & Ore was tasty and holds promise for being great.

The chicken nachos ($10) are a major improvement over the earlier iteration, if for no other reason than they switched to a tortilla chip from a mélange of plantain, taro root and potato chips. The chips are light and crisp but hold their own against a drizzle of beer cheese, chicken and pepperoncini.

They are not your typical Mexican restaurant nachos (of which I am quite fond) but provide a fun and satisfying twist on the norm.

Also on the menu is a trio of street tacos ($8.50) that have a great smoky flavor but are lacking in heft. The beer-braised pork is delicious, but I want there to be more of it. The sauces

‘Magical place’ A grab-and-go restaurant in Nichols Hills makes healthy eating easy.

By GreG elwell

It’s not that Whitney McClendon doesn’t want people to think about what they’re eating, but she doesn’t want them to have to worry about it.

That’s the thought behind the new Nichols Hills eatery Provision Kitchen, 6443 Avondale Drive, which opened earlier this week.

McClendon is a biologist and a chemist and has a master’s degree in public health, which she previously put to use at MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Texas Cancer Research Biobank.

She knows a bit about health.

Provision executive chef Beth Ann Lyon is a graduate of The Coach House apprenticeship program, and her culinary history includes Republic Gastropub, Kitchen No. 324 and, most recently, The Mule and Anchor Down.

You might say she knows a bit about food.

Together, they’ve created a graband-go restaurant focused on dishes that taste so good you won’t even realize they’re healthy.

“There’s a standard for everything that comes in our doors,” McClendon said. “I’ve done everything I can to make it effortless for customers. Everything is optimized for health, so you don’t have to think about it.”

For anybody who does want to think about it, above the salad station are a number of boards that show which ingredients are from which growers and farms.

Plenty of them will be coming from McClendon’s certified organic farm on Wilshire Boulevard, just west of Interstate 35, where they raise vegetables and herbs along with chickens and pigs.

Lyon said she cried the first time she saw the farm because they were living an organic lifestyle, not just talking about it.

2 2 | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e

Whitney McClendon examines the grab-and-go section of her Provision Kitchen shop in Nichols Hills.

“It’s a magical place,” she said.

They hope to bring that feeling to diners, as well. From a selection of fresh-made salads to a bevy of minimally processed, nutrient-dense and gluten-free meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, their goal is to create a dining experience that makes eating right easy.

Not everything on the menu is organic, McClendon said, but it is when it matters. The eatery specifically side steps the Dirty Dozen list of high-pesticide foods compiled by Environmental Working Group, an American environmental advocacy organization.

Provision Kitchen’s aluminum packaging is tri-ovenable, meaning it is safe for conventional, toaster and microwave ovens.

“It also just reheats better,” she said.

Dishes come in two sizes.

Complete family meals also are available. For those on the run, there’s curbside pick-up. For those who can stay, they have tables and microwaves to heat up entrees in-house.

“Basically, our goal is the freshest food every day,” McClendon said.

It’s not diet food, though she said it works well with a number of diets.

Provision focuses on balanced meals at the right time of day. A lunch with healthy, complex carbohydrates will keep hunger at bay. Dinner is more protein- and vegetable-oriented. And with Lyon in the kitchen, the food also is delicious-oriented because Provision’s vision is a restaurant where you’re thinking about eating the food, not worrying if you should.

Visit provision-kitchen.com.

M A rK HA N coc K

life food & drink

food BriefS

By GreG elwell

Pumpkin spice October means Pumpkinville returns to the Children’s Garden at Myriad Botanical Gardens, and this year’s calendar is full of tasty treats for children and adults.

Each Friday of Pumpkinville (1-1:30 p.m. Oct. 9, 16 and 23) there will be a cider press demonstration and tasting in the pavilion, 115 S. Hudson Ave. The staff will use an old-fashioned cider press to show how cider is made, with a taste of juice for guests when it’s done. A $1 donation is suggested.

Pumpkins are more than just a canvas for carving. From 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Pumpkinville hosts Truly Tasty Pumpkins in the pavilion. Teachers will show children a few of the scrumptious snacks that can be made from pumpkins, including pie, pancakes and toasted pumpkin seeds. A $2 donation is suggested for each child.

Pumpkinville project manager Ashley Elkins said it takes a team of 10 months to plan and create the annual event, and everyone works up to the last minute.

“Right now, we’re figuring out how to unload 11,000 pumpkins in the garden,” she said.

Because Myriad Botanical Gardens is a nonprofit, all the money raised through Pumpkinville helps sustain the gardens, especially the youth area, and keep it open the rest of the year.

“We really want to drive membership to gardens,” she said. “We have stuff like this going on all year for our members.”

FlashBack RetroPub has been such a long time coming that owner Jose Rodriguez might be getting nostalgic for when he first started working on his arcade bar concept.

But after years of dreaming, the 1980s are finally back in Oklahoma City.

“It’s ’80s nostalgia from the minute you walk in the door,” he said.

Located at 814 W. Sheridan Ave., Suite A, FlashBack features Rubik’s Cube cocktail tables, cassette tapes, lunchboxes and old-school lockers.

Most importantly, it has video games — lots of video games.

Though the most recent game is ’90s hit NBA Jam, the bar belongs squarely in the 1980s. Even the old token machine is a little squirrely, which is why tokens are available on your bar tab, Rodriguez said.

Patrons get 25 tokens for $5, as well as access to the kinds of drinks most of us weren’t allowed to have in the Reagan era.

The bar teamed up with food trucks to provide weekend dinner service. If games aren’t your thing, Rodriguez said there’s a DJ booth and a dance floor, which is where the party moves as the evening progresses.

bIG StocK.coM

M A rK HA N coc K / FI Le

Time warp

MArK HANcocK / FILe

See? Food October is National Seafood Month, and Oklahomans are joining the celebration with the Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP), Oklahoma City’s locally led campaign to raise awareness about the health benefits of seafood.

One benefit is omega-3 fatty acids, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration credits with saving thousands of lives annually, just from people eating the recommended amount of seafood. A 2009 National Institutes of Health study said low omega-3 intake contributes to 84,000 deaths each year.

Oklahoma City residents can get free omega-3 testing, which helps check heart health, during Open Streets OKC on Oct. 18. SNP is asking Oklahomans to take the Healthy Heart Pledge to add seafood in their diets twice per week.

The SNP campaign launch is 10 a.m. Oct. 16 at Chesapeake Finish Line Tower in the Boathouse District, 725 S. Lincoln Blvd.

O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 2 3

Fast break Breakfast? Ain’t nobody got time for that! We all are perpetually late to work, and our stomachs suffer the most. But fear not, hungry reader. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not a giant, glowing “M.” Oklahoma City has plenty of spots from which to grab a quick bite on your way to the office.

— by Greg Elwell, photos by Mark Hancock and Garett Fisbeck

All About Cha

Donut Therapy

All American Diner

7300 N. Western Ave. allaboutcha.net | 840-7725

7101 NW 150th St. 285-5888

212 S. Air Depot Blvd., Midwest City 741-7676

Just because the coffee and tea are stylish doesn’t mean they’re slow. All About Cha can stack up your breakfast croissant and have you chowing down on that buttery, flaky treat in no time.

Grab a coffee and hit the road ASAP. Or, if you’re the sort with time to spare, it has big pots of flower tea and free Wi-Fi just begging you to slow down, chill out and hang while the other suckers are on their morning commutes.

Dr. Donut: Tell me more about your dream.

Patient: I’m hungry, and I walk into this store, and there are all these beautiful donuts just waiting for me.

Dr. Donut: Did you think this was a donut shop? You’re looking for Donut Therapy. Why does this keep happening?

Belgian waffle? French toast? What kind of All American Diner is this?! Maybe this restaurant takes a more inclusive view of the world than we thought.

One thing is for sure, though: If you’re looking to get your morning off to a great start, it’s hard to go wrong with a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit. It combines all the necessary food groups: buttery, eggy, meaty and delicious.

That’s as American as it comes.

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Closed on Sunday Follow us on Twitter @bhcajun and like us on facebook at Bighead’s in Edmond, OK

617 SOUTH BROADWAY • EDMOND • 405-340-1925 2 4 | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e

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2624 N CLASSEN BLVD | 405-602-5095

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Kitchen No. 324

Jimmy’s Roundup Cafe

Cube

Old School Bagel Cafe

324 N. Robinson Ave. kitchen324.com | 763-5911

1301 SW 59th St. twitter.com/jimmysroundup | 685-1177

1415 W. Main St., Norman yourcube.com | 844-652-2823

2747 S. Interstate 35 Service Road, Moore oldschoolbagelcafe.com | 759-2558

Yes, Kitchen No. 324 might be a go-to for a leisurely brunch, with its Prairie Mary drinks and bevy of poached egg delights. But! If you’re looking for a fast breakfast break, there’s a counter full of top-notch pastries aching to be eaten. Most famous, of course, is the Joe-nut — Kitchen’s version of the Cronut — which changes every week. A warning: If your co-workers see it, you’ll be forced to share.

The management at Jimmy’s Roundup Cafe would like to emphasize that while they will “round up” all the ingredients necessary to make you one heck of a breakfast burrito, they are not going to round up your bill. They’ll charge you for the food you order (and taxes) and that’s it.

If you want to leave a tip with the money you saved, that’s much obliged, of course.

Now get along, little doggie. There’s someone waiting to take that table.

Cube has a novel idea: Call ahead and it will have your food ready for you.

And not just food, either: If you need groceries, toiletries or cold and flu medicine and such, it has that, too. So, if you’re trying to get those kids to school, you can get a Breakfast Naanwich, a large coffee and a pregnancy test (or, you know, a bag of gummy Life Savers) without getting out of the car.

A bagel is so much more than a savory donut or a tube of bread. It is the vehicle for all your wildest dreams to come true. Plain? Sure. Garlic? Of course.

Everything? Yes. Everything. A bagel that contains every known substance on earth.

It’s ama— What? Oh, it’s just a bagel with lots of stuff on it? That’s cool, too. To be honest, the idea of an infinite bagel was starting to freak me out.

Count on us for your Rehearsal dinner, bridal showers & wedding needs! with cookie trays, party trays & party subs, breads & pastries

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O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 2 5

Fall finery Summer is over, thankfully. It’s time to get out your favorite shirts, push those sleeves up (because it is still warm, of course) and dig into the best season of the year with some of the best places for fall fun and apparel.

— By Greg Elwell and Laura Eastes | Photos by Mark Hancock

Olive & Co. 7602 N. MAY AVE. SHOPTHEOILTREE.COM | 242-6457

“Let’s have a picnic!” someone might have said to you this summer. But while they got sunburns and ant bites, you waited. Now, it’s fall. The weather isn’t nightmarish. You can stop in at Olive & Co. to find gourmet ingredients for a picnic you’ll actually enjoy. Surviving fall isn’t enough. With grill glazes, high-end olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, you will be ready to conquer fall with flavor.

J. Lilly’s Boutique 10901 NE 23RD ST. JLILLYSBOUTIQUE.COM

KC’s #1 Explore O age Shop

769-4789

Vint

essories Clothing • Accot her & s rd Reco curious goods

Freeman’s Liquor Mart 4401 N. WESTERN AVE. 524-8031

in the Plaza 1759 NW 16th • Oklahoma City • 405-528-4585 Open Tues-Sat 12-7 • Like us on Facebook

2 6 | O C T O B E R 7, 2 0 1 5 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Scientifically, a nip of alcohol doesn’t warm your body up. But sometimes science is stupid. Head to Freeman’s for a selection of wine and spirits that will ward off autumn’s chill with cheer. What sounds better than a soft wool sweater and a snifter of brandy? Is anything nicer than a hot toddy and a scarf?

Set yourself up for a season worthy of greeting with a glass of fine port or any other beverage from Freeman’s.

Ooooooklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains and, if you’re not careful, up your skirt. Guard against unwanted breeze entry with layers of cute tops and stylish pants from J. Lilly’s near Nicoma Park. With its selection of Oklahoma-centric shirts, you can show your pride in a state determined to blow you away.

The Bleu Garten 301 NW 10TH ST. WWW.BLEUGARTEN. COM

Weather is the natural enemy of food trucks. If it’s too hot, people won’t stand in line. If it’s too cold, customers won’t come out at all. That is why fall is the perfect time to visit The Bleu Garten. With spacious patios, fire pits and a wide selection of

beer and spirits, it’s the best place to grab a bite from the ever-rotating roster of food trucks parked there.

Barbecue? Tacos? Hot wings? There’s always something new to nosh on here.

The Garden Gnome Bonsai 4141 N. WESTERN AVE. 521-8733

Falling leaves and bundling up for brisk walks might be better fitted for November, but nothing can hold Oklahomans back from getting their pumpkins. The Garden Gnome Bonsai is the spot to pick out a pumpkin and snag a squash plant grown in our own red soil. What is hotter than shopping local and supporting local farmers? Maybe an Oklahoma jack-o’-lantern on the porch on All Hallows’ Eve.

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Folk.Life 1745 NW 16TH ST. FOLKLIFEOKC.WIX.COM/FOLKLIFE 524-1500

Find everything needed to bring the Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) holiday to life at Folk.

Life. The unique store brings authentic decorations for the holiday celebrated in central and southern Mexico Nov. 1-2 to Oklahoma City. Folk.Life features decorative sugar skulls and sells sugar mold kits for fun crafts. For those who like pumpkin decorations but seek a colorful, cheery, no-carve option, check out its ceramics from Mexico.

With products from about 30 countries, Folk.Life is the place for putting an international spin on fall decorating.

Organics OKC Garden Supply 2800 N. PENNSYLVANIA AVE. ORGANICSOKC.COM

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Fall is no reason to put a garden on hold. Growing plants using hydroponics allows a gardener to grow year-round, and Organics OKC is just the place to help anyone with buying or building a system. For those with a system already in place, the staff will recommend seeds and seedlings.

Interested in aquaponic gardening? Organics OKC can help you there, too.

MICHAEL BARIN RINGS exclusively at

N May at Wilshire 2844 W Wilshire Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405.842.4243 | mitchenerfarrand.com O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | O C T O B E R 7, 2 0 1 5 | 2 7

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2 8 | O C T O B E R 7, 2 0 1 5 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

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O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | O C T O B E R 7, 2 0 1 5 | 2 9

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3 0 | O C T O B E R 7, 2 0 1 5 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

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LIFE COMMUNITY

Providing shelter The Homeless Alliance and partners help build a housing complex for veterans and other homeless people.

The Homeless Alliance recently completed construction on a housing complex that will serve as one longterm solution to help end homelessness in Oklahoma City.

WestTown Apartments, designed for veterans and medically vulnerable homeless, consists of 20 250-squarefoot apartments, each outfitted with a bathroom and kitchenette.

Kim Woods, deputy director of The Homeless Alliance, said they are meant to be permanent housing for some of Oklahoma City’s most at-risk homeless.

“They may decide to leave based on a desire for amenities we don’t have,” she said, “but we intend for [WestTown] to be a long-term solution.”

It also will function as transitional housing to help move people from chronic homelessness to a degree of self-sufficiency they can manage.

Chronic homelessness is defined as being on the streets for more than a year or three times in the previous four years.

Woods said there are 12 residents and the organization will continue to assess candidates for qualifications and need.

Groups of volunteers canvased the city as part of 100,000 Homes Campaign and Journey Home OKC to ask triage questions of the metro’s homeless population.

A critical focus of the plan was medical vulnerability.

Those with the highest needs — veterans with medical vulnerability —

were assigned priority.

On Sept. 11, the first group moved into the apartments, located on the WestTown Homeless Resource Campus on NW Fourth Street.

Among its first seven residents was Randy Brown, a U.S. Marine veteran who spent six years living on the street before moving into his new home.

Brown served eight years in the Marines before a heart condition earned him a medical discharge.

The southside Oklahoma City native went to U.S. Grant High School and said he joined Marine ROTC to “piss his dad off.”

He later worked as a union electrician for a stretch and has been married for 35 years.

Describing the apartment as “heaven,” Brown talked about chronic homelessness and other issues.

“I’m dancing with demons,” he said. “I put them in check, but they’re always going to be there.”

Larry Murray also is a Marine Corps veteran, but his medical discharge came only six months into his career.

He briefly lived with his daughter but has since lived on streets, in hotels and in campers.

His ability to work consistently is hampered by persistent health issues, but he draws a little Social Security income.

“I like it here; got an icebox and a microwave.” Murray said. “It’s the size of a bedroom, but I like it.”

The units are small, but they

WestTown Apartments

We intend for [WestTown] to be a long-term solution.

— Kim Woods

serve the purpose for which they were intended.

Residents have access to washers and dryers, as well as other services provided on the WestTown campus, Woods said, including meals, case management, counseling, computer access and many other services from organizations that are part of The Homeless Alliance.

Residents also have regular mail delivery, a critically important component in regular employment.

Rent is 30 percent of a resident’s income, a flat rate that also covers utilities.

“They are basically using housing choice vouchers,” she said. “Some will not be able to work due to medical disabilities, but they will still pay based on whatever income they have.”

Housing choice vouchers are part of a federal program that assists lowincome families and other vulnerable populations in affording safe housing.

Woods said there is a shortage of available housing citywide for people who have vouchers.

“There are a lot of people out there who have these vouchers,” she said, “but the rental market is so tight right now, there simply are not enough homes and apartments, so they have no place to go. The WestTown complex will help with that shortage.”

The Homeless Alliance, a nonprofit, has been involved in several measures to end chronic homelessness by 2016. According to statistics from The Homeless Alliance’s 2012 PointIn Time study, there are more than 1,300 homeless individuals in OKC, and up to 20 percent are categorized as chronically homeless.

Project funding came from private and government sources, and the total cost was $1.35 million.

The City of Oklahoma City was able to use Home Funds through a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development project to partially fund the apartments.

Inasmuch Foundation, Gaylord Foundation, 7-Eleven stores and Leeman Family Foundation covered the remainder of the cost.

Several organizations and individuals contributed to the complex in other ways. Frankfurt Short Bruza designed the development, and the contractor was Lippert Bros., Inc. Utility costs will be kept to a minimum thanks to conservation programs from OG&E and a donation from ClimateMaster to help pay for the latest in geothermal technology.

Randy Brown enjoys the amenities of his new home at WestTown Apartments.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | O C T O B E R 7, 2 0 1 5 | 3 1

P HOTOS BY M A RK HA N COC K

BY GREG HORTON

LIFE COMMUNITY

Kibble provider A local company donates 100 tons of food to the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter.

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An Oklahoma business helped improve animal welfare in Oklahoma City by donating enough food to feed thousands of animals.

Shawnee Milling Company recently pledged to donate and deliver 50 tons of Hi-Point pet food each year for two years to the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter.

“We are so thankful to Shawnee Milling Company because these types of public-private partnerships where the community [comes] forward go a long way in making things better,” said Animal Welfare Superintendent Julie Bank.

The shelter houses about 24,000 animals each year, with about 700 at any one time, including cats, dogs, horses, snakes and guinea pigs, Bank said.

“I noticed their staff [spends] a tremendous amount of time looking for [food] donations,” said Joe Ford, senior vice president of operations at Shawnee Milling Company. “Our hope is they can focus on the care for the animals and getting more of the animals adopted.”

The company makes Hi-Point, a high protein kibble for pets of all ages, from Oklahoma grains and other ingredients. The business is a member of the Made in Oklahoma Program and is owned by third- and fourthgeneration family members of founder J.L. Ford.

The donation equates to over five semitractor-trailor loads, and Shawnee Milling Company will coordinate deliveries as needed, Ford said.

Added Bank, “From a staffing perspective, this will certainly allow us to spend more time directly hands-on with the animals.”

In the past, shelter staff has had to mix as many as six types of food, but when animals receive an inconsistent diet, it can lead to health problems.

“Consistency in diet goes a long way in helping to keep animals healthy and safe,” Bank said. “Mixing food [negatively] impacts animals’ digestive systems. So it makes it difficult for continuing the health of the animals.”

Banks said the shelter has not received a food donation on this scale before.

M A RK HA N COC K

BY ALISSA LINDSEY

right to left Julie Bank with the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter receives a donation of dog and cat food from Shawnee Milling Company’s Brent Thompson and Joe Ford.

The shelter serves the metro area and assists when pets are displaced.

“When disaster occurs, we are the agency that handles the animal situations,” Bank said. “That would include everything from field rescues to temporary sheltering of lost or displaced animals due to a disaster.”

The shelter also coordinates an Animal Disaster Brigade of community volunteers that assists with relief services.

Banks said the nonprofit animal welfare organization’s live release rate, which includes animals adopted and reclaimed by owners, is almost 70 percent.

“To put it in perspective, five years ago, we had a 23 percent live release rate,” Bank said. “In the past five years, there has been a huge incline of animals getting reclaimed and getting adopted. We’re doing something … right and want to continue doing something … right.”

To feed hungry animals in the community, the shelter also runs a Pet Food Bank, which accepts dry and canned donations.

Learn more about Oklahoma City Animal Shelter at okc.gov/ animalwelfare.

LIFE HEALTH

Female fettle Mary Ann Bauman

BY KELLY MACNEIL

Women’s Health Forum An Evening with Andie MacDowell 5 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 24 Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. integrisok.com 951-2277 Free

Integris Health holds its annual Women’s Health Forum Sunday through Oct. 24, and this year’s session topics include everything from hormones and weight gain to the anthropology of happiness.

Actress and L’Oreal spokesperson Andie MacDowell kicks off the 29th annual Women’s Health Forum

Sunday at Civic Center Music Hall.

MacDowell starred in the movies Groundhog Day, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sex, Lies, and Videotape.

“Andie MacDowell epitomizes a woman who has been very successful in her career and has maintained her integrity and her health,” said Mary Ann Bauman, Integris’ medical director of women’s health and community relations. “She demonstrates that a woman doesn’t have to be a teenager or constantly chasing youth to be a good role model.”

During the two-week forum, conferences will be held around the metro, often incorporating lunch or dinner to accomodate busy schedules.

Women can choose to hear about vaccines over lunch at Lottinvilles

Restaurant & Bar, 801 Signal Ridge Drive in Edmond, or allergies over dinner at Paradise Event Center, 450 E. Main St. in Yukon.

“We really made an effort this year to have different sessions all around town,” Bauman said. “We hope it will help people to attend without missing work or anything.”

Although most of the symposiums are free, reservations are required and there’s a fee for sessions that include meals. The opening event at Civic Center Music Hall is free but ticketed.

Extended events for special audiences bookend the forum this year.

Men’s Health University was Oct. 3, and the conference wraps up with a day for seniors Oct. 23 and a special event for African-American women Oct. 24.

M A RK HA N COC K

Integris Health holds its annual health forum for women.

“We know that women make 75 percent of the health decisions for their family,” Bauman said. “So if we educate a woman, we educate a whole unit of people.”

Integris Health hopes to introduce more women in the area to its doctors and medical services. Two sessions will be conducted principally in Spanish.

Bauman pointed to a session on quality sleep as an area that women should pay more attention to.

“People think that sleep is just a state of doing nothing, but it’s a restorative process. If you do not get enough sleep, you will not be well,” she said. “Women tend to ignore that.”

For more information, call the Integris HealthLine at 888-951-2277 or visit integrisok.com/whf.

LIFE EDUCATION

Civics lessons

MARK H ANCOCK

Oklahoma City Midtown Rotary Club donates musical instruments and books to local schools.

BY MARK BEUTLER

As districts and teachers face the reality of tight budgets and limited funding, Oklahoma City Midtown Rotary Club eases the stress by donating art education materials to local schools.

“It is very important to have arts and music in the schools,” said Eric Bradshaw, Midtown Rotary’s public relations chairman. “We had an instructor from Edmond come out and talk to our group, and he explained how music can enhance the parts of the brain that deal with language and math. That is why providing help to students is vital to our mission at Rotary.”

This year, the group donated 50 drums to Prairie Queen Elementary School and guitar training textbooks to

Northwest Classen High School. Many Midtown Rotary members have arts or education backgrounds, Bradshaw said.

“We were charted about six years ago, and we specifically wanted to concentrate on the arts in Oklahoma City,” he said. “Focusing on the arts is part of our primary goal. If we can give children a head start on their music and arts education, then we have accomplished what we set out to do.”

The club spent about $5,000 on the donations, Bradshaw said.

Funds are generated mainly through Midtown Rotary’s annual adult-oriented Spelling Bee(r), held each February.

The larger Rotary Foundation Annual Fund determines the grants

Rebecca Vaughn, music instructor at Prairie Queen Elementary School center, leads students during a recent assembly to present 50 new drums donated by OKC Midtown Rotary Club. process. Bradshaw said the club submitted seven applications this year and approved two.

“The full club weighed in on their favorite projects, and then the board made further selections,” he said. “Generally, the criterion for the district is that they are of long-term benefit and serve the greatest number of students.”

Past donations include power tools and set building supplies for Capitol Hill High School’s drama department.

Music folders went to Harding Charter Preparatory High School, art

supplies were gifted to Horace Mann Elementary School and pottery wheels and equipment were given to John Marshall High School.

“Oklahoma City is bustling in a lot of ways, but arts in the schools is somewhat struggling,” Bradshaw said.

“Art is important too.”

Visit okcmidtownrotary.org or facebook.com/MidtownRotary for more information. Oklahoma City Midtown Rotary Club meets 6 p.m. each Tuesday at James E. McNellie’s Public House in Midtown.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | O C T O B E R 7, 2 0 1 5 | 3 3

Undead city Reduxion Theatre Company’s season opener has patrons fighting for their lives and for mankind.

BY KALEY PATTERSON

OKC Dead 7-10:20 p.m. Thursday-Oct. 31 Freede Little Theatre Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcciviccenter.com 297-2264 $18-$35

Things will get bloody this month as locals battle a zombie infection and try to save Oklahoma City from an apocalypse as part of OKC Dead. The show is Reduxion Theatre Company’s season opener, and runs Thursday-Oct. 31.

The interactive production, based on DC Dead, takes guests through Civic Center Music Hall as they solve puzzles and fight off hordes of mind munchers.

DC Dead, created by Oklahoma

OKC Dead

native and former Reduxion performer Rex Daugherty and Washington, D.C., artist Vaughn Irving, premiered last year on the East Coast. Daugherty adapted a local version for the theater company and Civic Center, said Erin Woods, Reduxion’s cofounder and managing director.

“It’s a raw, visceral theater that’s really unexpected, that’s immersive and interactive,” Woods said. “When [Daugherty] approached us … we were like, ‘This is … exactly what we’re looking for.’“ Daugherty collaborated with Tyler Woods, Reduxion’s artistic director, to tailor the performance for OKC. The scripts for both are similar in that a disease that turns people into zombies runs rampant through the cities

and survivors — aka audience members — must find a cure.

Every 20 minutes, groups of eight are led on their mission through Freede Little Theatre with an actor guide. Each performance lasts about 45 minutes.

Along the way, survivors must avoid infection or risk transforming into patron-hunting undead.

“It’s fun even if you’re technically losing,” Woods said. “You’re still relevant and you’re still participating. You’re still deciding how the [story will end].”

Sister inspiration

Daugherty conceived Dead while planning his sister’s bachelorette party, which involved an elaborate hoax about the fiancé’s kidnapping, in 2013.

Daugherty and Irving brainstormed

W I L DE R P HOTOGRA P HY / P ROVI DE D

LIFE PERFORMING ARTS

a storyline akin to The Walking Dead meets Sleep No More and added elements of audience participation.

Daugherty then approached Woods about the concept after his success with DC Dead. “[Audience members] were excited to be in an event that was 45 minutes, and you got to make all of these decisions and solved puzzles,” Woods said. “It was so overwhelmingly popular that they kept adding [performances] and making the night longer.”

OKC Dead guests can find tickets and check in at a tent in the park just east of the Civic Center entrance.

Included with admission is a white t-shirt and weaponry.

Visit okcciviccenter.com or call 2972264 for more information.

Comedy dine-in

Tommy Davidson

BY JAMES BENJAMIN

Comedy & Cocktails Featuring Legendary Comedian Tommy Davidson 9 p.m. Friday Ice Event Center & Grill 1148 NE 36th St. iceeventcentergrill.com 208-4240 $20

Back by popular demand, actor and comedian Tommy Davidson returns Friday to Ice Event Center & Grill, 1148 NE 36th St. Known for his roles in Bamboozled and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Davidson is perhaps most notable for his work on the sketch comedy series In Living Color in the early ’90s.

Davidson’s last set at Ice Event Center & Grill in May 2014 lasted nearly two hours.

“He’s sharp as ever, man, incredibly talented,” said Marc Flemon, owner of Ice. “He’s a legend, especially in urban comedy, so we’re just very fortunate to have him come.”

Davidson’s long and diverse career also makes him highly recognizable.

During his previous visit, Flemon said, the entertainer was bombarded by fans the moment he stepped off the plane.

“I mean, we can’t go anywhere without somebody wanting to stop and take a picture with him,” he said. “We can’t go anywhere. I’m serious.”

Friday’s event also serves to build up up-and-coming acts. Local standups Mack O and V. Ilene each open for

3 4 | O C T O B E R 7, 2 0 1 5 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Davidson with 10-minute sets. There also will be a 30-minute open-mic session for aspiring comedians.

“If a comic is dying, you just clap very lightly, and then, as it gets worse, you clap a little bit louder to kind of let them know, ‘Hey, it’s time to wrap it up,’” Flemon said.

Ice has been open for five years.

Flemon said his main goal with the venue is to offer an open-to-all place for black expression in a market where that is lacking.

“We’re really trying to promote positive entertainment and culture in the black community,” he said. “That’s so dire and missing, so we’re trying to fill that void.”

Davidson’s performance is part Ice’s reoccuring Comedy & Cocktails series.

It began in May 2014 with Davidson as his first act. The series is unique because Ice is a restaurant known as much for its catfish and wings as it is a music venue or comedy club.

But that hasn’t prevented the venue from booking established national comics like Davidson, as well as Joe Torry and Luenell.

Flemon has been trying to book another set from Davidson for a while but said it was difficult to work the appearance into the comic’s busy schedule. They were finally able to secure a date, albeit on OU-Texas weekend.

Admission is $20, and reservations can be made by texting 586-8155.

Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

PROVID ED

Tommy Davidson brings his high-energy act to the Ice Event Center & Grill.

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Cultural Connections: Arezzo in Norman

Norman Arts Council (NAC) brings more art to Norman by developing projects to design public bike racks and organizing a global design exchange plan.

NAC worked with Norman’s four sister cities — in the countries of France, Mexico, Japan and Italy — to swap artists for a series of exhibits called Cultural Connections.

The first in the series is Arezzo in Norman, which brings in three artists from Arezzo, Italy, to showcase their work. An opening reception is 6-10 p.m. Friday at Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St. in Norman. The art will be on display through Nov. 30.

“The idea … originated when I went to Italy three years ago. I went to Arezzo, and knowing it was Norman’s sister city, the mayor’s office arranged to give me a tour,” said Erinn Gavaghan, Norman Arts Council executive director.

The three artists showing locally are Enrique Moya Gonzalez, Sara Lovari and Massimiliano Luchetti.

Gonzalez and Lovari arrived Sept. 24 to begin installing their work, and Luchetti will arrive just before the opening.

Three Oklahoma artists who will travel to Arezzo will be announced at the Friday reception. That exhibit opens May 2016.

Lovari works in different media, such as paper and found objects.

She creates large installations, and Gavaghan anticipates her work here will likely be a domestic scene created from found objects.

Lovari also fabricates highfashion clothing such as ball gowns, cocktail dresses and wedding dresses from paper.

Gonzalez also works in mixed media using some found objects but differs in that he works with compositions that involve figures and bound journals.

He also will create a performance

PROVI DED

6-10 p.m. Friday Mainsite Contemporary Art 122 E. Main St., Norman mainsite-art.com 292-8095 Free

Acherontia Atroposdetaglio by Enrique Moya Gonzalez piece on video that will play on a loop in the gallery.

Luchetti is the most traditional of the three in that his work features two-dimensional paintings on canvas.

The large and colorful oil paintings appear to look into the future.

“His work will be like the anchor,” Gavaghan said.

Many non-installation pieces will be for sale, and 30 percent of sale proceeds will benefit NAC.

Bike Rack Project

Artists and non-artists alike have until Monday to submit designs for the Norman Bike Rack Project.

In an ongoing venture between the Norman Public Arts Board, the City of Norman and NAC, 13 racks were designed and installed throughout downtown Norman over the past two years.

Up to five more will be added this year.

“You do not have to be an artist to submit a design because the designer does not do the fabrication of the bike rack,” Gavaghan said.

“You do have to be from Oklahoma, and to be considered, the design has to have a tie to Norman or Oklahoma history.”

Each design winner will receive a $200 stipend.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | O C T O B E R 7, 2 0 1 5 | 3 5

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FoLlow Us on instagram to see all our

#selfies! @okgazeTte

Oklahoma Gazette 3 6 | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e

Note: When this puzzle is completed, 12 squares will be filled with a certain keyboard symbol — which will have a different signification in the Across answers than it does in the Downs.

ACROSS 1 I Am Not ____

(1975 show-business autobiography) 6 “Shoot, shoot, shoot” 12 Cassio’s jealous lover in

Othello 18 Charge 20 Got up again 21 Comes to fruition 22 “Psst! Come hide with me!”

23 Come closer to catching 24 Takes out, as some beer bottles 25 First in a race?

26 Colt, e.g.

27 Ones doing a decent job

in the Bible?

29 Magical phrase in an old tale 32 “Shoot!”

34 Takes apart 37 Drink at un café 38 Amt. often measured in ozs.

40 Drink at un café 41 Not as far from 43 LeBron James or Kevin Durant 46 One trillionth: Prefix 47 Welcome site?

48 When some tasks must be done 50 Schwarzenegger film catchphrase 52 Amazon’s industry 55 Person of the hour 57 Still 58 Comment after a betrayal 61 Pen 63 Go on foot 64 Link between two names 66 Large goblet 71 Where batters eventually make

their way to plates?

74 Catchphrase for one of the Avengers 77 Gap in a manuscript 81 Like some storefronts 83 Farmer, in the spring 84 Repeated bird call?

86 Is unable to 89 Bygone record co.

90 Site of the “crown of palaces” 91 Multicar accidents 93 Travel over seas?

96 N.Y.C. museum, with “the”

97 Honeymooners’ site 98 GPS calculation 100 What the ruthless show 101 Author ____-René Lesage 103 What the ring in The Lord of

the Rings is called 107 Nepalis live in them 109 Hebrew letter before samekh 110 75- and 80-Down, e.g.: Abbr.

112 Tote 113 Google browser 115 Steamy 118 Place 119 Wrinkle preventer, of sorts 120 Beezus’ sister, in children’s literature 121 Ones making an effort 122 Contraction with two apostrophes 123 Something matzo lacks

DOWN 1 ____ Lanka 2 “Let us spray,” e.g.

3 It works for workers, in brief 4 Money, in modern slang 5 Something that may have

bad keys 6 Church keys?

7 Leader of a procession 8 ____ War, “The Charge of the

Light Brigade” event 9 Swanson on Parks and Recreation 10 Ol’ red, white and blue’s land 11 Material sometimes sold ripped 12 Scourge 13 Recite 14 “What ____!” (cry after some spectacular goalie play)

15 What zero bars means on a cellphone 16 Tools for people picking pockets?

17 @@@ 19 Paint type 21 Soda-can feature 28 Like a softball interview vis-à-vis

a grilling 30 Guessed nos.

31 Assistant number cruncher 33 Art critic, stereotypically 34 Not seemly

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VOL. XXXVII No. 40

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

The cash value of this copy is $1.

Persons taking copies of the Oklahoma Gazette from its distribution points for any reason other than their or others’ individual use for reading purposes are subject to prosecution.

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

First-class mail subscriptions are $119 for one year, and most issues at this rate will arrive 1-2 days after publication.

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89 95

100 106 110

114

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115 120 123

68 “Cross my heart and

hope to die” 69 One seeking the

philosopher’s stone 70 How one person might

resemble another 72 Revolutionary thinker?

73 Feeling the effects of a workout 75 L.A. institution 76 Bound 77 Wool source 78 Pasta variety 79 Conviction … or

what’s almost required

for a conviction 80 The Wahoos of the A.C.C. 82 Romanian currency 85 ____ rate (tax amount

per $1,000) 87 iPod model

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 September 30 issue of Oklahoma Gazette are shown at left.

Oklahoma Gazette

88 94

109 113

35 More nifty 36 “Hakuna ____” (The

Lion King song) 39 Rings on doors 42 Site of the U.S.’s only

royal palace 44 Go on 45 Host 46 Course standard 49 Kettle’s accuser 51 Groups that never get started 53 “Lord, is ____?”

54 Wolfish 56 Teachers’ grp.

59 C equivalents 60 Royale carmaker of old 62 “Gross” 65 “So you admit it!”

67 Language in Southeast Asia

87 93

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1004

New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle MARK MY WORDS By Tom McCoy / Edited by Will Shortz

88 Kind of leg 92 Dictation takers 94 “Git!” 95 Be a gentleman to

97 Where many shots are taken 99 Shrewdness 102 “Things are bound to go

my way soon” 104 Presidential perk until 1977 105 “That’s nothing” 106 Not reacting 108 Muscles worked by pull-

ups, briefly 111 Greek portico 112 1940s prez 114 Genetic stuff 116 Stand-____ 117 Monopoly token that

replaced the iron in 2013

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O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 3 7

P.O. Box 85 Fittstown, OK www.dunnsfishfarm.com (800) 433-2950

Delivery will be Tuesday, October 13th 7-8am: Bethany Country Store, 3401 N Rockwell, Bethany 9-10am: Tuttle Grain & Supply, 1 SW 5th, Tuttle

Delivery will be Saturday, October 17th 10:30-11:30am: DC Feeds, 17625 N MacArthur, Edmond 7-8am: Ellison Feed & Seed, 115 S Porter, Norman

• Channel Catfish • Bass • Hybrid Bluegill • Redear Bream • Coppernose Bluegill • Fathead Minnows • Black Crappie • Grass Carp All types of pond and lake supplies available!

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Sleeping with Other People FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 | 5:30 & 8 P.M. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 | 5:30 & 8 P.M. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11 | 2 & 5:30 P.M.

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OCTOBER EVENTS 10/1 Glowing the Distance 5K 10/3 Buffalo Stampede 5K Dental Dash Smile Mile Fun Run Muscles for Missions 5K & Fun Run Fiestas 5K (UNTIMED EVENT) Farrah Love Foundation 5K 10/4 11th Annual INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Courage Run USAT National Championship Aquathlon (Swim/Run) 10/10 Run for the Mums Eskimo Joe’s Juke Joint Jog Hance Henrie Memorial run for the Patch Scarecrow Run 10/17 PAWSitive Steps 5K & Dog Walk Conquert the Gauntlet (TX)

10/17 Pink Out Cancer 5K&10K Susan G. Komen Oklahoma City Race for the Cure MCAAP/MWR 5K Fun Run 10/18 Fall Classic Duathlons Spooky Sprint 5K 10/24 East Gate 5K & 1K Fun Run Tinker Half Marathon & 5K Victory Angel Foundation Run MDA 5K Hero Run Boo On Bullying 5K 10/31 SAME-WMP Heroes run Monster Dash 5K & Fun run ECU Homecoming 5K A Run Down Scarey Street Healdton Roughneck 5K Run

SUN, OCT 18

THE SWORD WED, OCT 21

Oklahoma Sport

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Jac ks on La i zure / P rovi ded

life cover

Neighborhood rivalry The Oklahoma-Texas competition is about more than football for some, and it has roots more than a century old. by ben felder

Red River Showdown 2015 11 a.m. kickoff Saturday Cotton Bowl Stadium 3750 The Midway, Dallas soonersports.com texassports.com (214) 670-8400 $135 Watch it on ABC (Channel 5 in OKC) Listen to it on 107.7 FM and 1520 AM

Oklahoma Bedlam is one of the biggest football rivalries in the state. Since 1904, both teams and fans have played, and watched, the game with whiteknuckled intensity. The University of Oklahoma (OU) holds the series overall with 83 wins and just 17 losses to Oklahoma State University (OSU) and seven ties.

However, by far the biggest college football showdown, one that unites all Oklahomans, is Saturday’s game, which pits the OU Sooners against the Texas Longhorns at Cotton Bowl Stadium.

A dig at Texas is one of the best applause lines in Oklahoma, and it’s something Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb learned early in his political career.

“We want the best thing in Texas to be I-35 North,” Lamb told a group of business owners in 2011, just days after taking office for his first term.

He went on to joke about always trouncing Texas in football and wanting to beat the state in business growth.

It’s a talking point he continues to this day, including a business conference his office hosts called Beat Texas.

“We have an expectation to go to Dallas this weekend and whop Texas,” Lamb said during last year’s conference, just days before the annual game between OU and the University of Texas (UT). “In the same way, I want to beat Texas every year in every economic quarter.”

His cockiness is understandable given the Sooners’ edge recently. The Sooners are 5-3 against the Longhorns over the past eight years, but Texas owns the overall series record at 60-44-5 since the two teams started competing in 1900.

However, Lamb’s assessment that Oklahoma has room to grow on an economic scale is accurate. Texas’ gross state product is nine times larger than Oklahoma’s, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. Texas also boasts five cities larger than any in Oklahoma and an overall population that is seven times larger.

When it comes to setting its sights on a hated rival, Oklahoma has chosen

The Oklahoma Sooners play the Texas Longhorns during last year’s Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. a state that is massively bigger in almost every population and economic metric.

Ask many residents and they’ll tell you Texans have let those facts go their heads.

“I think part of why a lot of people don’t like Texas is because of the mindset of Texans in general,” said Dillon Hollingsworth, sports editor at The Oklahoma Daily. “You don’t get a lot of people from Arkansas and Kansas and Oklahoma talking about how their state used to be its own country and how everything is bigger and better here. It’s part of Texas to flaunt that.”

Another way to describe Texans, according to Oklahoma supporters, is “arrogant.”

“While preparing this book, I polled more than 100 OU fans to determine exactly what they hated about the Longhorns,” wrote Jake Trotter in the introduction to his book I Love Oklahoma. “The overwhelming majority responded with the same word: ‘arrogance.’”

Trotter, who covers the Big 12 Conference for ESPN, went on to write that Texas has displayed its

arrogance since it threatened to close an Oklahoma-owned bridge in 1931 to its 2008 claim the Sooners didn’t deserve to be the outright Big12 Conference Champion.

“This is why Oklahomans love to hate the Longhorns,” Trotter added.

The game

“I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” Oklahoma football player Julian Wilson told Sooner Sports about his first experience in the Red River Showdown game last year.

The annual match between the two schools is a carnival-like atmosphere, as it is played in Dallas at Cotton Bowl Stadium in the middle of the State Fair of Texas. The location is almost exactly halfway between the two universities, and crowds are typically divided between Oklahoma and Texas fans.

“It’s a big deal,” Hollingsworth said. “In the past, when we haven’t covered away games, we have always sent someone to Texas because it’s the biggest game of the year. [The continued on next page

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 3 9

M a rk Ha n coc k

life cover

Mary ellen Knewston

Bradford was doing and rooting for him, even though they weren’t Rams fans. That doesn’t happen where I’m from.”

That passion is highlighted by USA Today’s ranking of college football fans, which currently has Oklahoma at No. 10 and Texas at No. 29. This is compared to OSU’s ranking at No. 115. Called the Fan Index, the ranking uses social media aggregation and online polling to rank fanbases. In last year’s rankings, which had Texas at No. 9 and Oklahoma at No. 10, USA Today credited UT fans for spending lots of money on team apparel, while OU got props for consecutive sellouts and attracting large national television audiences.

M a rk Ha n c 0c k

New home

Students sign up to win free OU-Texas game tickets.

Mark H ancock

dillon Hollingsworth

newspaper issue before the game] is always the most intense.”

OU and UT newspapers do an editorial exchange before each year’s game, which The Oklahoma Daily doesn’t do with any other school for any other game, Hollingsworth said.

“We don’t have a fall break at OU; we have the Texas game week,” he

said. “It’s definitely different, and it’s definitely a bigger deal because that game is something special.”

The winner of the game takes home the Golden Hat trophy, bragging rights and an important conference victory.

In 109 meetings, the game has only been played in Oklahoma six times, four in Norman and two in OKC. Since 1932, the rest of the matchups have been at the Cotton Bowl.

Texas has the overall series advantage, but Oklahoma is coming off last year’s 31-26 win. A team has not won multiple Red River Showdown games in a row just 16 times, which bodes well for the Sooners.

OSU also has a heated rivalry against UT, and although the Longhorns have beat the cowboys 24 times and lost only six, OSU has the prestige of being the only team in Texas history to beat the team four

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consecutive times in Austin.

Different, yet similar

Oklahoma fans might think Texans are arrogant, but beyond each state’s pride, there are actually a lot of similarities between the two, especially to an outsider.

“I didn’t see [Texas and Oklahoma] as really all that different, especially coming from the northeast,” said Chris O’Connell, a senior editor at Alcalde, UT’s alumni magazine, who moved to that state in 2011. “I didn’t necessarily see the South as all one place, but there are many similarities between Texas and Oklahoma.”

While that might make some Oklahomans’ skin crawl, O’Connell said he sees both states as having a laid-back culture that values heritage and college sports, which is not always embraced in the northeast.

However, he does see some differences between the two rivals.

“I thought when I moved to Austin [from New York], I was moving to a city with a slower pace,” O’Connell said. “When I was in Oklahoma City, I felt like it was even slower.”

O’Connell has written about the rivalry between OU and Texas before and believes it starts with both sides having an intense passion for college athletics in a way that is hard to find in other parts of the country.

“One similarity between the two [states] is people who didn’t even attend the school were really invested in the sports of the school,” he said. “I have friends who didn’t go to UT but are big UT fans.”

O’Connell saw the same passion when visiting family in Oklahoma.

“I remember one time we were [in Oklahoma] during Sam Bradford’s rookie year with the [St. Louis] Rams,” he said about the former OU quarterback who now plays in the NFL. “People were so dialed into what

Growing up outside Houston and attending UT, Mary Ellen Knewston has plenty of Texas pride. But after following her fiancé to OKC after graduation, She has come to find a lot to like about her new hometown.

“Oklahoma City is awesome, and now I love it here,” said Knewston, who works at Gooden Group, a local public relations firm. “I think everyone in Texas has this huge amount of pride, but Oklahoma is a great place.”

Knewston heard plenty of Oklahoma jokes when her Texas friends found out she was moving, and she gets them from her Oklahoma friends, too.

“People will say, ‘You’re from Texas?

I wish you wouldn’t have told me that; now we can’t work together,’” she said.

“It’s all in good fun, but I feel like it’s the same type of person here that you will find in Texas.”

When asked to label differences between the two states and why some might prefer one to the other, Knewston said UT attracts many students simply because it is in Austin.

“I think Texas has bigger cities and it’s going to attract more of the stuff you want, like restaurants, bands and other stuff,” she said. “You might have more options in a place like Houston or Austin, but I wouldn’t want to say that without saying Oklahoma City has an amazing variety of restaurants and I’ve learned just how much is going on here.”

With experience in both states, it might be easier for her to put the rivalry aside, especially since she is not much of a football fan. But that doesn’t mean this weekend’s big game won’t have an impact on her life.

“We planned our wedding around the OU and Texas game because we knew people wouldn’t want to come if it was on the same weekend,” Knewston said. “I don’t follow the team too closely, but [this weekend] I’ll definitely be paying attention.”

stac eY W est / P rovi de d

IN HIS HANDS

okLaHoM a Hi stori c a L s oc i etY / P rovi ded

The Sooners run the ball against the Longhorns in 2013.

Lt. Gov. todd Lamb is a regular critic of texas when stumping across oklahoma. He carried his dislike into this picture from 2012 when near the oklahoma-texas border.

THE POWER TO HEAL A CHILD’S HANDS The INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City is home to the Congenital Hand Clinic, which is dedicated to providing distinctive medical and surgical care for children born with congenital hand differences.

William Murray

tWitter / Provid ed

Todd lamb

“i want oklahoma to beat texas in something besides football. i want our economy to beat texas.”

Congenital tumors, cerebral palsy, nerve injuries at birth and musculoskeletal anomalies due to limb development may affect the shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand and digits. The INTEGRIS Congenital Hand Clinic is under the direction of Ghazi Rayan, M.D., who has been treating children with congenital differences from Oklahoma and neighboring states for more

bob Stoops

sometimes the best way to stick it to a rival is to pretend it isn’t that big of one. in 2011, when conference realignment threatened to see texas leave the big 12, oklahoma football coach bob stoops downplayed the importance of the annual game. “i don’t think it’s necessary to continue playing,” stoops told reporters at a press conference. “no one wants to hear that, but life changes. if it changes, you have to change with it, to whatever degree.”

Mark H ancock / FiLe

texas is proud of its rangers, the law enforcement agency that has inspired television shows and movies. but one former oklahoma governor wasn’t too impressed. “all texas rangers can do is cuss and shoot craps,” said former Gov. William “alfalfa” Murray after he ordered the removal of texas barricades blocking the red river following a dispute over toll bridges in 1931. texas threatened to send its rangers into oklahoma, and the conflict inspired the red river label for the annual ou-texas football game.

than quarter of a century.

For more information on the INTEGRIS Congenital Hand Clinic or to schedule an appointment, call 405-945-4888.

integrisok.com/handsurgery 405.945.4888

— Ben Felder

O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 4 1 UNI_15-IN-171_FY16_InHandandMicrosurgery.indd 1

10/1/15 11:46 AM

4 2 | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e

Bowlsey

Packed Bowlsey This neo-soul quartet smokes with a new EP, video and tour.

By James Benjamin

Despite clocking in at just over 15 minutes, Elder, the new five-song EP from neo-soul and hip-hop outfit Bowlsey, is the group’s most wholesome listening experience yet.

Elder, released digitally last week, is the follow-up to its 2014 debut Decorous.

While that project showed the breadth of musical talent working under the Bowlsey umbrella, it ultimately resembled more of a sampler of everything the quartet can be or might become.

On Elder, each track pulses from the same sonic vein.

“I think, to date, this is our crowning achievement musically,” said instrumentalist Justin “The Reverend” Hogan. “It’s kind of given us a bit more of a compass.”

The band gathered for an interview recently before a show on Film Row. If Bowlsey sounds more cohesive on its new project, it’s likely because it is the first time all four members have had a significant stake in the songwriting process. When Hogan formed the band with frontman Taylor “Shraz” Mercier and soulful songstress Clarissa “Cid” Castillo, he built on existing songs.

When drummer Don Eisenburg came in halfway through recording Decorous, its songs were already written.

Eisenburg’s participation in Elder’s creative process is easily noticed. Hogan called the drums “the star on the album.”

“On my end, I was looking at the more [J] Dilla-esque drum patterns and trying to glitch them up and slice it up just a little bit but not get away from the

groove,” he said.

One of the areas in which they shine is on lead track “Powerless,” the most upbeat song on the EP. Its title is a little ironic because Castillo’s vocals are nothing if not assertive.

Her delivery is another bright spot.

Her singing dominates both the opening track and the closer, “Voodoo.” The bookends, while tonally different, give Elder a yin-and-yang feel between its brighter first and darker second halves.

While endless hours and repetitive takes in the studio can take their toll on any musician, this was especially true for Castillo.

“I had the worst tonsillitis of my entire life during that whole entire album,” she said. “My tonsils still never went back down. I just had to deal with it and just move on with my life.”

Whatever discomfort her throat might have given her during the recording process, it does not appear to have had an effect on the finished product.

“Snow in Texas” is Elder’s second track and the first song off the EP to see completion. The song features the project’s first rap verse from Mercier, who flows with an unorthodox cadence clear of commercial polish and truly fit for the underground.

Mercier said his verse on the song was developed over time through a series of freestyles over the production. His rap style, he says, does not come out of anything predetermined.

“It’s something where, if you give me that same song in a month, I wouldn’t

make the same thing,” he said. “It’s really an exact formula as to how something comes out the way it does.”

The third song, “Wunderbar,” started as a challenge.

“I wanted him (Shraz) to rap over a waltz, so I just played this waltz over and over and tried to do the song as a waltz, but it didn’t really work so much,” Hogan said.

From that starting point, however, the group was able to work through the track, resulting in one of the more harmonious exchanges between Mercier and Castillo, who are known for their ability to play off each other’s vocals simultaneously.

However, the band might be at its best on the last two tracks. “Skred,” Hogan said, was originally called “Real Shit” because of an especially menacing organ pitch-shifting effect reminiscent of something out of the Wu-Tang Clan.

If Bowlsey shows its hip-hop chops on “Skred,” “Voodoo” is its neo-soul showcase. Hogan said before he heard Castillo’s vocals on the song, he did not know if “Voodoo” was even going to make the cut for Elder. “[Castillo] came in cold on the first take of a scratch track, and that ended up being what we kept,” he said. “We were just blown away. Our jaws were on the floor.”

Though Elder is definitely Bowlsey’s most direct work to date, its short runtime could stand to be lengthened by a few minutes to further build upon the song concepts already in place. “Skred,” for example, is good enough that it

practically begs for a second rap verse.

Also, while the duets between Mercier and Castillo are the most distinct, and often most enjoyable, part of Bowlsey’s music, the compounded vocals might sometimes make listeners wish they had the song lyrics handy.

Elder’s brevity suggests that Bowlsey’s “arrival” project is still to come. If this EP is indeed a stepping-stone, it’s a very good one. In addition to Eisenburg’s contributions, there’s a level of instrumental layering that wasn’t there on Decorous. Bowlsey fans have reason to believe the band’s next release will be something special.

The band has already debuted its video for “Powerless” and will make one for “Voodoo.” The quartet also spent last week touring with Tulsa-raised rapper Johnny Polygon in New York City before a string of shows leads them back to Oklahoma. This is Bowlsey’s first tour outside of its home region.

The timing of the tour and the new EP, Mercier said, couldn’t be more perfect. “[Elder] will be a whole lot more of something we can take to people and just spread a whole lot quicker,” he said. “It’s an EP, short little collection of songs. It’s got more of a direction, and it has almost a more placeable genre to it rather than just being folk to electronic to hip-hop.”

Bowlsey is also planning a release for the physical edition of Elder after the conclusion of its tour.

Hear more from the band and its new EP at bowlsey.bandcamp.com.

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 4 3

ga r e t t fi s b e c k

life music

M a rY c a r oL i N e M a N N / P r oVi De D

life music

emily hearn

Sustaining Goodwill A festival downtown celebrates youth, community, music, food and more Oct. 18 at Myriad Botanical Gardens.

Peace, love & Goodwill festival 10 a.m.-9 p.m. oct. 18 myriad Botanical Gardens 301 W. Reno ave. peacelovegoodwill.org free-$60

Emily Hearn went to the University of Georgia to pursue a journalism degree. A little over two years later, she dropped out to pursue music full-time.

“Growing up in Griffin, Georgia, you don’t know a lot of people who have big dreams,” Hearn said. “The life plans are the usual ones: law, teaching, business. No one I knew wanted to become a music artist.”

Her family members weren’t conventionally musical either. She grew up singing around the house with her relatives, and her dad strummed the guitar, but she is the only one to publicly perform.

“My first public performance was church,” she said. “I’m pretty sure my family thought I’d never make it after that first performance. I was so nervous, all I could do was stare at my feet and get through it.”

Hearn overcame the jitters and, by college, taught herself guitar and piano.

She took her songwriting cues from

the sounds she grew up with: John Denver and James Taylor from her dad and Dixie Chicks from her mom. The first song she played and recorded herself was a version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.”

“My first song was a break-up song because journaling wasn’t enough,” she said. “Honestly, the first five were breakup songs. But then I fell in love with writing.”

She went to her first concert at age 17 to see singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne.

These days, her production and sound is largely influenced by artists like LaMontagne and Ryan Adams.

“I write so much that I usually have enough songs for a new album as soon as another is released,” she said. “I try to release something every year.”

Comparisons to Sara Bareilles or Holly Brook (Skylar Grey) are accurate, and there is a hint of country that bubbles just beneath the surface.

“I’ve avoided the country and western label all of my career, but those are my roots,” she said. “You can hear it in my accent, and when I listen to music or analyze it, I hear country runs or melodies. I’m learning to embrace this side of myself.”

4 4 | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e

Guests enjoy last year’s inaugural Peace, Love & Goodwill Festival in downtown Oklahoma City.

It returns to Myriad Botanical Gardens Oct. 18.

okgooDWiLL / ProViDeD

By GReG hoRton

“Chad used Graham Colton on guitar in studio for my last project,” she said. “I’m really excited about playing with him at the Peace, Love & Goodwill Festival.”

Colton headlines the Oct. 18 outdoor event at 301 W. Reno Ave. The schedule also features Horse Thief, Kyle Reid and The Low Swingin’ Chariots, Wilson & The Snakes, Tony Lucca and others.

Hearn said she’s also excited about making new friends.

“I didn’t make it up to Edmond when I was in Oklahoma City, so I’m looking forward to playing Heard on Hurd,” she said.

There, she joins acts KALO and The Lunar Laugh.

OKGOO DW ILL / P ROVIDED

Her latest album, Hourglass, released in March, was recorded and produced

by Norman’s Chad Copelin, who is notable as co-owner of Blackwatch Studios and has engineered music for artists such as Avril Lavigne, Sufjan Stevens, Other Lives and Broncho.

Hearn’s time in Norman and Oklahoma City for the project was her first in the metro, and she said she’s looking forward to performing in two upcoming festivals here.

Oct. 17, she joins the Heard on Hurd lineup in Edmond. The following day, she heads over to the Peace, Love & Goodwill Festival at Myriad Botanical Gardens. At the latter, she shares the bill with a new friend and album collaborator.

Last year’s Peace, Love & Goodwill Festival

About the festival This year’s Peace, Love & Goodwill Festival runs 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 18 at Myriad Botanical Gardens. Event proceeds benefit Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma’s youth programs.

The nonprofit, established in 1936, helps underprivileged members of the community achieve higher levels of self-sufficiency.

The garden grounds host almost a dozen music acts, as well as popular local food trucks, a kids’ activity area, vendors and artisans and a silent auction.

Event admission is free. A Disney princess brunch at 10 a.m. Oct. 18 is sold out. Admission to Dinner with a Superhero at 3:30 p.m. is $60 and includes admission for one adult and one child and a youth-sized t-shirt.

Goodwill also will share more about its programs and their impact at festival kiosks.

Kid-friendly Local family favorites Spaghetti Eddie, Addison Baker and Sugar Free Allstars will perform on the Great Lawn.

Brendan Parker and Erick Alexander make up the group Spaghetti Eddie, which performs songs that focus on youth-centric topics such as trains, bugs and dinosaurs.

Baker, age 13, is a local festival regular and has performed with Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma and in a national tour of The Wizard of Oz. Grammy-winning, family-friendly act Sugar Free Allstars blends soul, rhythm, funk, blues, disco and New Orleans street parade music in its energetic live shows.

Adult-approved Eight acts will perform throughout the day on the main stage, located at the Band Shell near Sheridan Avenue. Fitting for a Sunday festival, Deep Deuce Gospel Choir celebrates the city’s jazz history and AfricanAmerican culture with its all-ages group, which performs traditional and contemporary praise and worship songs.

Ten-piece Oklahoma City act Matt Stansberry & The Romance also will perform its eclectic mix of original music heavily inspired by ’50s rock, ’60s soul and ’70s classic rock and funk.

Local singer-songwriter Graham Colton rounds out the night as event headliner. Visit peacelovegoodwill.org for more information.

— By Brett Dickerson

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 4 5

COMPLIMENTARY MOVIE PASSES

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IN THEATERS AND IMAX OCTOBER 16 4 6 | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e

LIVE MUSIC WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7

Dylan Stewart & The Eulogists/Willow Way/Pageant, Blue Note Lounge. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Albert Hammond Jr./Day Wave, Opolis, Norman. INDIE

Jason Young Band, Thunderbird Casino, Norman.

COUNTRY

Black Tiger Sex Machine/Dubloadz, OKC Farmer’s Public Market. ELECTRONIC Casey & Minna, Saints. FOLK

Heath Jones, UCO Jazz Lab Edmond. JAZZ Helen Kelter Skelter/Astral Planes, 51st Street Speakeasy. ROCK

Jay Falkner, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. COUNTRY Joe Baxter & the Lost Cause, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. JAZZ Maurice Johnson, R&J Lounge and Supper Club.

NGHTMRE, Kamps. ELECTRONIC

THURSDAY, OCT. 8

P roVi DeD

FIDlaR, 89th Street Collective, tuesday Edgar Cruz/Jeff Nokes, Avanti Bar & Grill. ACOUSTIC

Jose Gonzalez, ACM@UCO Performance Lab. SINGER/SONGWRITER Scott Keeton, Remington Park. BLUES

Daniel Champagne

Stinnett Brothers, Bourbon Street Bar. ROCK Street Kings, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

OKG

The Recliners, Riverwind Casino, Norman. ROCK

Brent Saulsbury/Will Galbraith/Wayne Duncan, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK

SATURDAY, OCT. 10

Halestorm, Chevy Bricktown Events Center. ROCK

Audio Out, Remington Park. ROCK

Jim Suter/Okie Soul Jam Band, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES

Buffalo Rogers, Gradyís 66 Pub. ACOUSTIC

Johnny Boyd, The Blue Door. JAZZ

Pa L a i s / P roVi De D

life music

music

pick

Daniel champagne Wednesday, oct. 14

J.D. This Australian singer, songwriter and guitar virtuoso strikes Souther out on his first North American tour, including a Wednesday, Oct. 14, stop at Red Brick Bar, 311 E. Main St. in Norman. He first picked up a guitar at age 5 and was writing songs by age 12. He left school by age 18 to gig full-time. He now calls Nashville, Tennessee, home and recently won an International Acoustic Music Award for the song “Holding the Moon,” released last year. Visit danielchampagnemusic.com.

Daniel Jordan, Fuze Buffet & Bar. ACOUSTIC

Lucky Duo, Colcord Hotel. COVER

David Chamberlain, Riverwind Casino, Norman.

COUNTRY

The Weathermen, Baker Street Pub & Grill. ROCK

DJ R&R, Colcord Hotel. HIP-HOP

FRIDAY, OCT. 9

Don and Melodee Johnson, Twelve Oaks. JAZZ

Paseo Street Walkers, Mantel Wine & Bistro. ROCK

Drive/Tyler Smith Solo, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. ROCK

Stat Band, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. COVER

Coyette & the Haywire Band, Sliders. COUNTRY

Jim the Elephant, Baker Street Pub & Grill. ROCK

DJ Josh Tullis, Colcord Hotel. ELECTRONIC

Life of the Party, Newcastle Casino. COVER

DJ Six, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. VARIOUS

Michael Fracasso/Giulia Millanta, The Blue Door.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

TUESDAY, OCT. 13

The Dice Band, Bourbon Street Bar. POP

FIDLAR, 89th Street Collective. ROCK

The Suspects, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. REGGAE

LUCKY/Shaun Suttle, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. COVER

SUNDAY, OCT. 11

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14

Counting Crows/Citizen Cope, Zoo Amphitheatre. POP

Caleb Fellenstein, Baker Street Pub & Grill. ACOUSTIC

John Calvin Abney/Levi Parham, The Blue Door.

SINGER/SONGWRITER Machine Gun Kelly, OKC Farmer’s Public Market. HIP-HOP Michael Kleid, Colcord Hotel. JAZZ Sisters of Swing, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ Slaid Cleaves, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Daniel Champagne, Red Brick Bar, Norman.

SINGER/SONGWRITER Edgar Cruz/Jeff Nokes, Avanti Bar & Grill. ACOUSTIC Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. JAZZ Maurice Johnson, R&J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ

Tim Standford & the Exclusives, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES

MONDAY, OCT. 12 ProViDeD

Counting Crows, zoo amphitheatre, Sunday

Bill Watrous & the Edmond Jazz Orchestra, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK

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

Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

O k l a h O m a G a z e t t e | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | 4 7

p r ovi de d

life film

Hit, man

Sicario explores the consequences of the international drug trade and makes an excellent movie in the process.

By James Helton

don’t take risks at all. Movies need only to be bigger and brighter and relegate edgier films to the outlands of fall.

Admittedly, Sicario is for everyone — it is not glossy or filled with special effects, but it is a must-see.

From the start, Villeneuve immerses audiences in a reality no one, including the female protagonist, yet knows about. Using a combination of aerial, satellite and thermal and surveillance-style imagery, the director unapologetically takes viewers into a world that feels and looks alien and displays the surreal sociological and physical landscape of Juarez, Mexico.

Movies like this can leave an audience feeling bleak due to their tactical, almost military, style, but through the disarming eyes of Macer,

we see how confusing and incredibly violent the international drug trade is.

Sicario illustrates the impact that world has on its participants and their families on both sides, leaving theatergoers feeling empathetic for all involved.

The film’s detractors say its brutality and Orwellian overtones — as well as the cyclical futility of using “bad guys” to eliminate the “worse guys” mentality — are things we have seen before. However, this film makes it easier to tolerate heavy-handed political commentary and see Sicario for its wellcrafted story, brilliant cinematography, colorful characters and standout performances, most notably Del Toro’s.

He is never afraid to play morally conflicted (Traffic) or villainous characters (Savages), and his Alejandro

is a quiet, ever-watchful bodyguard to Graver; without uttering of a single line of dialogue, he immediately portrays intensity. As interactions with Macer increase, an emotional attachment occurs just underneath his precise façade, yet the question remains: To what end? Del Toro pulls off the perfect anti-hero hat trick.

His performance in Sicario is a combination of the moral conflict of Javier Rodriguez from Traffic and the violent precision of mob enforcer Lado in Savages with a sprinkling of lovable mumbling gangster Fenster in The Usual Suspects.

The well-chosen cast and brilliant writing of Taylor Sheridan make Sicario a hit.

provided

With the summer blockbuster season past us, October can be a lackluster time for the movie business, unless you are director Denis Villeneuve.

Over the past several years, he has carved himself a niche among Hollywood directors with sleeper hit Prisoners and misunderstood but highly regarded Enemy. His latest effort, Sicario, should secure his place among Hollywood’s elite.

Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow) is idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer, and Josh Brolin (Everest) gleefully portrays ambitiously seedy agent Matt Graver.

Benicio Del Toro’s steely performance as “bird dog” Alejandro rounds out the main trio.

The biggest risk film studios take with summertime popcorn fare is they

Sicario

High-wire act The Walk is a breathtaking tribute to a man and the World Trade Center’s twin towers.

By James Helton

With great films like Back to the Future and Forrest Gump under his belt, Robert Zemeckis is synonymous with blending great special effects and great storytelling.

His earlier work is a bit zanier with hits like Romancing the Stone and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. However, Zemeckis recently has turned to more serious work, The Walk being a prime example.

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception) as renowned French highwire artist Philippe Petit, the movie tells the story of one man’s journey to be the first person to walk “the void” between the World Trade Center’s twin towers in 1974.

Though it is set in Paris and New York City and supported by a cast of

The Walk

unknowns, with the exception of Ben Kingsley (Schindler’s List), the weight of this film’s success lies on the shoulders of Gordon-Levitt, and he proves himself worthy as the lead.

But, he also demonstrates the need of every leading man to have a leading lady. The beautiful and talented, if unknown, Charlotte Le Bon (The Hundred-Foot Journey) fills the role nicely as Annie Allix. Le Bon’s lightning-rod style allows GordonLevitt to strike with ferocious abandon, but she also keeps him grounded when necessary.

Petit’s 1974 “le coup” between the two towers took 45 minutes to complete. To show Petit’s eight passes along the wire, the director was faced with the daunting task of creating a

4 8 | o c t o b e r 7, 2 0 1 5 | O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e

film that kept his audience entertained until the walk takes place. This is the only portion of the movie that falls short.

With a running time of just over two hours, though brilliantly acted

by Levitt, the story has a difficult time keeping audiences engaged until the characters started breaking into the World Trade Center to set up the rigging for the wire and prepare Petit for his journey.

The tightrope walk is where Zemeckis’ directorial skills shine. He used state-of-the-art photorealism and 3-D IMAX film, and it made every minute a nail-biting, palm-sweating panic attack.

Every moment atop the towers, you feel the 1,350-foot height and tension

along the 450-pound cable stretched between the two buildings and in the pit of your stomach. Despite all of this, Zemeckis soothes his audience as Petit calms himself and steps onto the wire.

With sweeping camera work and a perfect score, The Walk enables the audience to look down with astonishing clarity into the void. Zemeckis puts the audience on the cable with Petit as he writes himself into New York City history.

Only in the closing moments do viewers realize the true purpose of Zemeckis’ work: The film is a tribute to a man who took a walk and made a city fall in love with the two greatest buildings on Earth.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: Send testimonies about how you’ve redeemed the dark side to: Sex Laugh, uaregod@comcast.net.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) If I warned you not to trust anyone, I hope you would reject my simplistic fear-mongering. If I suggested that you trust everyone unconditionally, I hope you would dismiss my delusional naiveté. But it’s important to acknowledge that the smart approach is far more difficult than those two extremes. You’ve got to evaluate each person and even each situation on a caseby-case basis. There may be unpredictable folks who are trustworthy some of the time, but not always. Can you be both affably open-hearted and slyly discerning? It’s especially important that you do so in the next 16 days.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) As I meditated on your astrological aspects, I had an intuition that I should go to a gem fair I’d heard about. It was at an event center near my home. When I arrived, I was dazzled to find a vast spread of minerals, fossils, gemstones, and beads. Within a few minutes, two stones had commanded my attention, as if they’d reached out to me telepathically: chrysoprase, a green gemstone, and petrified wood, a mineralized fossil streaked with earth tones. The explanatory note next to the chrysoprase said that if you keep this gem close to you, it “helps make conscious what has been unconscious.” Ownership of the petrified wood was described as conferring “the power to remove obstacles.” I knew these were the exact oracles you needed. I bought both stones, took them home, and put them on an altar dedicated to your success in the coming weeks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) George R. R. Martin has written a series of fantasy novels collectively called A Song of Ice and Fire. They have sold 60 million copies and been adapted for the TV series Game of Thrones. Martin says the inspiration for his master work originated with the pet turtles he owned as a kid. The creatures lived in a toy castle in his bedroom, and he pretended they were knights and kings and other royal characters. “I made up stories about how they killed each other and betrayed each

other and fought for the kingdom,” he has testified. I think the next seven months will be a perfect time for you to make a comparable leap, Gemini. What’s your version of Martin’s turtles? And what valuable asset can you turn it into?

CANCER (June 21-July 22) The editors of the Urban Dictionary provide a unique definition of the word “outside.” They say it’s a vast, uncomfortable place that surrounds your home. It has no ceiling or walls or carpets, and contains annoying insects and random loud noises. There’s a big yellow ball in the sky that’s always moving around and changing the temperature in inconvenient ways. Even worse, the “outside” is filled with strange people that are constantly doing deranged and confusing things.

Does this description match your current sense of what “outside” means, Cancerian? If so, that’s OK. For now, enjoy the hell out of being inside.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) We all go through phases when we are tempted to believe in the factuality of every hostile, judgmental, and random thought that our monkey mind generates.

I am not predicting that this is such a time for you. But I do want to ask you to be extra skeptical toward your monkey mind’s fabrications. Right now it’s especially important that you think as coolly and objectively as possible. You can’t afford to be duped by anyone’s crazy talk, including your own. Be extra vigilant in your quest for the raw truth.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Do you know about the ancient Greek general Pyrrhus?

At the Battle of Asculum in 279 BCE, his army technically defeated Roman forces, but his casualties were so substantial that he ultimately lost the war.

You can and you must avoid a comparable scenario.

Fighting for your cause is good only if it doesn’t wreak turmoil and bewilderment. If you want to avoid an outcome in which both sides lose, you’ve got to engineer a result in which both sides win. Be a cagey compromiser.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) If I could give you a birthday present, it would be a map

to your future treasure. Do you know which treasure I’m referring to? Think about it as you fall asleep on the next eight nights. I’m sorry I can’t simply provide you with the instructions you’d need to locate it. The cosmic powers tell me you have not yet earned that right. The second-best gift I can offer, then, will be clues about how to earn it. Clue #1. Meditate on the differences between what your ego wants and what your soul needs. #2. Ask yourself, “What is the most unripe part of me?”, and then devise a plan to ripen it. #3. Invite your deep mind to give you insights you haven’t been brave enough to work with until now. $4.

Take one medium-sized bold action every day.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Galway Kinnell’s poem “Middle of the Way” is about his solo trek through the snow on Oregon’s Mount Gauldy. As he wanders in the wilderness, he remembers an important truth about himself: “I love the day, the sun . . . But I know [that] half my life belongs to the wild darkness.” According to my reading of the astrological omens, Scorpio, now is a good time for you, too, to refresh your awe and reverence for the wild darkness — and to recall that half your life belongs to it. Doing so will bring you another experience Kinnell describes: “an inexplicable sense of joy, as if some happy news had been transmitted to me directly, by-passing the brain.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) The last time I walked into a McDonald’s and ordered a meal was 1984. Nothing that the restaurant chain serves up is appealing to my taste or morality. I do admire its adaptability, however. In cow-loving India, McDonald’s only serves vegetarian fare that includes deep-fried cheese and potato patties. In Israel, kosher McFalafels are available. Mexicans order their McMuffins with refried beans and pico de gallo. At a McDonald’s in Singapore, you can order McRice burgers. This is the type of approach I advise for you right now, Sagittarius. Adjust your offerings for your audience.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You have been flirting with your “alone at the top” reveries. I won’t be surprised if one night you have a

dream of riding on a Ferris wheel that malfunctions, leaving you stranded at the highest point. What’s going on? Here’s what I suspect: In one sense you are zesty and farseeing. Your competence and confidence are waxing. At the same time, you may be out of touch with what’s going on at ground level. Your connection to the depths is not as intimate as your relationship with the heights. The moral of the story might be to get in closer contact with your roots. Or be more attentive to your support system. Or buy new shoes and underwear.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) I haven’t planted a garden for years. My workload is too intense to devote enough time to that pleasure. So eight weeks ago I was surprised when a renegade sunflower began blooming in the dirt next to my porch. How did the seed get there? Via the wind? A passing bird that dropped a potential meal? The gorgeous interloper eventually grew to a height of four feet and produced a boisterous yellow flower head. Every day I muttered a prayer of thanks for its guerrilla blessing. I predict a comparable phenomenon for you in the coming days, Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) The coming days will be a favorable time to dig up what has been buried. You can, if you choose, discover hidden agendas, expose deceptions, see beneath the masks, and dissolve delusions. But it’s my duty to ask you this: Is that really something you want to do? It would be fun and sexy to liberate so much trapped emotion and suppressed energy, but it could also stir up a mind-bending ruckus that propels you on a healing quest. I hope you decide to go for the gusto, but I’ll understand if you prefer to play it safe.

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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classifieds

Health

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.

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